Totally Random

I'm filching this from Melodee over at Actual Unretouched Photo.  Hadn't done a good meme in a while so why not!

What is the last thing you watched on TV?   Helix.  I LOVE a good sci-fi show!!  Can’t wait for the season finale tonight!  But then I have to wait for the new season to start!!  Bummer!

When did you last step outside? What were you doing?  This morning taking my children to school.  It’s a beautiful day even with the pollen!  Wish I could play hookie!!

What is on the walls of the room you are in?  Calendars……work calendars, school calendars, sports calendars, project calendars…..

If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?  A sports complex in our town for my daughter’s volleyball club so they would have a consistent place to practice and an awesome spot for tournaments.  

Tell me something about you that most people don’t know.  I'm pretty transparent but when I was little, I wanted to be a lady truck driver.  Uhm.   Yeah.

Who made the last incoming call on your phone? My husband asking how Sara was doing at the national volleyball team tryouts.

What was the last book you read?  The Mortal Instruments:  City of Bones.

If you could change something about your home, without worry about expense or mess, what would you do?  Add more storage to each and every room!  And make the bonus room into a bedroom for Sara because she keeps begging for it!

What was the last thing you bought?  Bojangles chicken wings for Sara after tryouts last night.  That girl is gonna turn into a chicken wing!!

If you could eat lunch with one famous person, who would it be?  Audrey Hepburn.  I just love her!  She is still an inspiration for women everywhere.

Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?   Lowes or Kirklands.  Would love to remodel and redecorate!!

Is the glass half empty or half full?   Yes

Name something that took you by surprise.  Walking Dead…Lizzie…WOW!!

Name one TV show you will watch every time it’s on.  Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.  I LOVE that show!  But I think I gain weight just watching!  Sara wants to go on a road trip and visit all the diners!  LOL!

Name a movie you will watch no matter how many times you’ve seen it.   A Christmas Story and Jaws.

What’s the farthest-away place you’ve been?   Los Angeles

What’s under your bed?  Dust bunnies.  Did you know they make great watch dogs??

What is your favorite time of the day?  Bedtime.  That’s the only time I’m not doing something!

What Inspires You?   God, my children, my husband, my friends.  I can find inspiration in just about anything!

Want to play along?  Answer one of the question in the comments or on your own blog!  It’s a fun way to kick off the weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

Aloha Friday

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that they take it easy and look forward to the weekend. Kailani at An Island Life thought that on Fridays she would take it easy on posting, too so she started Aloha Friday posts on her blog where she asks a simple question to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link at An Island Life. Don't forget to visit the other participants!

Today’s question is:

What is your favorite Holiday movie?

I have several. I still love It's a Wonderful Life. It's just so uplifting. I also love A Christmas Story, National Lampoon's Christmas and The Santa Clause. I can't wait until Christmas Eve when I can start watching A Christmas Story over and over again!!!

What's Your Christmas Spirit Level?

Your Christmas Sprit Level: 65%

You have a lot of Christmas spirit, and it's evident to most people who know you. You love most things Christmas, and you do your best to make sure everyone has a great holiday. While you like the more commercial aspects of Christmas, you truly know what the spirit of Christmas is about. You're all about giving, being kind, and sharing the spirit of Christmas with everyone you know.

Do You Have the Christmas Spirit?

Hey, better than I thought!!

I am Checkers

You Are Checkers

You are very logical and rational. You are able to understand what is and isn't a factor. You're able to compartmentalize and focus on the essentials. You appreciate simplicity. You can see the layers of complexity and beauty in anything. You are also playful and good natured. You don't take life too seriously!

What Board Game Are You?

That's my boy!

Overheard in a bathroom while traveling to TN for Easter:

Me: SHOOT!!
Scott: What, Mommy?
Me: I forgot my makeup.
Scott: Why do you need it, Mommy?
Me: To make me look pretty.
Scott: That's ok, Mommy, you're pretty anyway.

:)

Ok, Ok, I get the message!!!!

I was starving. Don’t ask me why. I had eaten a ton of chips and salsa and a lunch special #6 at the local Mexican restaurant. But the afternoon munchies settled in anyway. I checked my wallet—a $20 bill and a handful of pennies. So I checked my desk—65 cents. Well THAT won’t get anything out of the machine. So I rifled through the pennies and ………. Eureka!! A dime!!!! Woohoo!!

Now armed with 75 cents, I headed to the breakroom. HHhhmmm……. A bag of Doritos is all I could get. Well, that would work. I was craving salt, anyway. In went one quarter, then a second, followed by 2 dimes then the nickel. But wait, what was the odd metallic sound? It had spat out my nickel! So I put it back in….. and again it spat it out. Over and over and over, I fed the machine my nickel and it promptly spat it out. What was I to do? Maybe it was the sequence, yeah, that was it. So I pushed the coin return button and collected my money. THIS time, I started with the nickel. Perhaps it wants that first. But again, the machine spat it out. Maybe it was the sensor…….so I dropped it in slow. Nope. Then I shot it in fast. Still no go. I rubbed it on my pants. Nope. Scraped the edge with my fingernail. Uhn uh.

At this point I realize how silly and desperate I must look and I admit defeat, retreating to my desk with a glass of water. Kudos to my Diet Angel!! But next time, she may just have to knock me up side the head!!!!

Two New States!

Sara and I were working on her homework tonight. She was reading in her social studies book about the "new" state quarters. (Apparently, this book is just a few years old!) Anywho, as she was reading through the names of the states, I noticed a couple of new ones

Deltaware
New Hamster

Anyone been there?

Christmas at Your House?

I'm doing this Christmas meme for Kim at The Bitter Ball. Feel free to join in!!!


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. The kidlets can see in the bags!!

2. Real or Artificial tree? Artificial. I really love a real tree but the kidlets like to put it up early and we always travel at Christmas so it’s not really feasible.

3. When do you put up the tree? We try to get it up Thanksgiving weekend so the kidlets can enjoy it. And I admit, I enjoy it too!!

4. When do you take the tree down?The goal is by New Years but at the latest, the first week of January.

5. Do you like Eggnog?I love eggnog but it is so rich!!! I usually cut it with just a little milk and then shake some pumpkin pie spice on top. MMMmmmmm!!

6. Favorite Gift you received as a child? HHhhhhmmmm…….probably my Barbie Beach Van. Santa heard us coming and left so fast he didn’t have time to unpack it so it was still in a burlap sack!!

7. Do you have a nativity scene?I do but I don’t really have a good place to display it. It’s a shame. I need to find a place. My job as a little girl was to put out the manger scene each year and I loved it!

8. Hardest person to buy for?My parents. They are very simple and frugal people and don’t want or need anything.

9. Easiest person to buy for? Probably my son. He has specific items he wants/likes but he is generally happy with anything he gets.

10. Worst Christmas gift ever received?Last year, my MIL gave me an iron. I don’t iron a single thing!! BUT it was a Rowenta and I always wanted a Rowenta so I kept it. Hubby, btw, laughed his butt off!!!

11. Christmas Cards...Snail mail or E-mail? Well, I love Christmas cards but I must admit I don’t do either. No time. I try to email to very small group of close friends but that is it.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s a Wonderful Life.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Sometime in December, YIKES!!!! When I was in college I never started until after finals were over so I usually was shopping the week before Christmas for everything. But I got a lot of good deals!!

14. Have you ever 'recycled' a Christmas present?I don’t remember doing it but I’ve been tempted!!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Snickerdoodles, Homemade Chex Party Mix, cookie press cookies (spritz), my Daddy’s fudge.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?We have a pre-lit tree with clear lights. But I do like the multi colored ones too.

17. Favorite Christmas Carol? O Holy Night, Sweet Little Jesus Boy, Go Tell It on the Mountain, Do You Hear What I Hear?

18. Travel at Christmas or Stay Home? Travel but I really miss all the Christmas traditions we had when I was growing up. My kids will soon be past “Santa” so I want to incorporate some before the magic is gone for them.

19. Can you name Santa's Reindeer?Yes

20. Do you have an Angel or a Star on top of your tree? Star

21. Open the Presents Christmas Eve or Morning? Well………since we travel, we open gifts with Hubby’s family on Christmas Eve (their tradition) and with my family on Christmas morning (my tradition) and we do Santa and our family when we return home. BUT…….this year, I want to do our Christmas before we leave. Santa can come early since he knows we won’t be there!!!!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Craziness in the stores.

23. Shopping...Mall or online?I can’t remember the last time I actually went to a real mall. I hate them with a purple passion. I do a ton on-line and the rest at Walmart, Target, Lowes and Best Buy

24. Do you decorate outside for Christmas or just inside (or at all?) We never really did much outside and we did nothing outside because of Piper the Hyperdog. Inside we really only do the tree and mantle with stockings and I have some Father Christmas figurines that I’ve collected over the years that I scatter about.

25. Favorite Christmas cookie?cookie press cookies (spritz)

26. Do you own Christmasy clothing or jewelry? I love Christmas socks and I have some Christmas tree earrings, my daughter gave me.

27. Do you believe in Santa? Of course!!! That’s all you have to do……believe. I can still hear the bell, can you?


Okay, your turn!!!

Look what Hubby Sent me

His subject line said, "Lookout! There out there!!!"



My reply? "Smart a*s!!!" I wonder how long I'm going to have to endure this? Maybe I should just give in and put reindeer antlers on our mailbox!!!

BEWARE!!!

I can’t back up a car worth a flyin’ flip. So I should have known better but I was in a hurry and obviously not thinking. I was on my way to choir practice last night and got to the exit of our subdivision before I realized I didn’t have my music with me. I thought I’d save some time and back up to turn around in the neighbor’s drive. Now, as I have said, I can’t back up. Plus I don’t see well in the dark. So as I’m backing up, I hear this horrible crunching noise.

I pull forward and hop out to check the damage. I don’t see anything near me. The neighbor’s son is outside and he comes and looks and we don’t see any damage to the van or anything else so we decide I must have run over something on the ground. So I get back into the car, go up the street to turn around (making mental note that that was what I should have just done in the first place), get my music and go on to practice.

When I come back to the car after practice, I notice that the passenger tail light is broken and it looks scuffed. Now, I’m freaking out. What could I have hit? None of us saw anything!! So on my way home, I convince myself that a deer must have run behind me just as I was backing up. It sounded plausible!

Once home, I tell Hubby he needs to come look at something because I think I hit a deer. I tell him the whole story as he’s checking it out. His comment, you’ve hit the mailbox. No I didn’t. Yes you did--there’s white paint on the tail light. I argued there was no way because I wasn’t anywhere near the mailbox. So it’s 10pm and we trudge up to the neighbors to find……….a slight crunch on the side of the mailbox and red tail light plastic on the ground beside it. OK, so I backed into the mailbox. Hubby’s response? You don’t need to back up anymore.

So we worked it all out, Hubby will get a replacement tail light and I’ll call the neighbor to grovel, uh I mean apologize and offer to replace it. We brought Hyper Dog in to sleep in our room last night. Hubby crawls in bed and says, I didn’t want to leave her outside tonight…….because of the “mailbox deer”. My reply? Go to sleep, Smart a*s !!!

What? No turkey?????

I heard this so many times in the last month. Yes, you heard me right. We do not have turkey for Thanksgiving. Most see this as blasphemy. You can't possibly have Thanksgiving without turkey!!! Even my work gives all employees a free turkey for the holiday. I, however, would have preferred a grocer's gift certificate so I gave mine to my coworker so she would have an extra for Christmas.

So turkey is supposed to be the epitome of Thanksgiving. Afterall that IS what the Pilgrams had at the first Thanksgiving.......... Right? There is only one written account of the first Thanksgiving and turkey isn't even mentioned. And cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes weren't even invented yet. Instead they are reported to have eaten duck and venison along with seafood, cabbage, onions, corn and squash. Even my 2nd grader, Sara, told me that the Pilgrims didn't eat turkey. So I wonder where the idea started? Historians state that the Pilgrims called any wild fowl "turkey" so perhaps that is why.

Well, enough of the history lesson. The boring truth is that I used to cook a big turkey with all the trimmings even just for Hubby and me. He always seemed appreciative. Then one year he suggested we have ham instead. I followed the crowd and was shocked, asking why on earth would we not have turkey for Thanksgiving? Turns out after all those years, Hubby doesn't like turkey!!!!! Well, I aim to please and a ham is MUCH easier to cook than a turkey (especially if you order a spiral honey ham, LOL!!!) and I still make all the trimmings. We can give thanks for all we have over a ham just as well as a turkey. So that, my friends, is how we came to have ham for Thanksgiving.

What flower are you?

I am a Canna What Flower Are You?

"You stand up for what you believe in, even if it gets in the way of what other people think. You are proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you enjoy letting people know that."

So what flower are YOU??? Click on the link above to take the quiz and find out!!

Perspectives

Saturday morning I was gently awoken by the lovely sound of birds singing outside. I’ve recently noted a small finch or wren on the back porch banister most mornings and I assume that was the one. I love to listen to the birds singing. It’s such a wonderfully gentle way to wake for the day. I lay there and listened for about 10 minutes……Until I heard Sara calling me from her bedroom. I went to her to see what was up. She told me in her most dramatic voice that she wanted to sleep late and couldn’t because those silly bird’s singing kept waking her up. Different strokes, I guess?

Monday Musings

Sorry, I’ve gotten behind so back to the Rainbow!!! The next color is............

Green

1. Who's your favorite Ninja Turtle?
2. Do you have a green thumb?
3. What's your favorite kind of salad?
4. Do you get seasick?
5. Are you a fan of the "Shrek" movies? Have you gone to see the third one?


My Answers

1. We don’t watch them (although Scott calls them “Injun Turtles) so no favs here.

2. Not really. I tend to forget to water and then I over-water. But I HAVE managed to keep my Christmas cactus alive for nearly 20 years bringing it from the brink of death several times. That’s gotta say something!

3. Watergate salad—love that green salad with the little marshmallows!! Yum!!!

4. Oh gosh yes!!!! But Bonine does wonders!!!!

5. I love Shrek!!!!! I have seen Shrek The Third but I have to say that although good, it wasn’t up to the same caliber as the first two.

That Darn Dog!!

Or maybe “Hyperdog Strikes Again” is a better title.

Let’s return to last evening. I got some hamburger and some beer at the grocer on the way home. I was going to have Hamburger Helper for dinner. I know, but the children will usually eat it and it’s quick and easy. Of course last night they cried for chicken nuggets instead! The beer was a new brand I’d tried in Baltimore—Blue Moon……..Belgium White……Wheat beer. Really good!!

I put the beer in the fridge in the garage. It’s a small dorm fridge Hubby’s boss gave to him. We use it mainly for beer which we rarely drink unless we have friends over. I got ready to start dinner and couldn’t find the hamburger. Oh yeah, I left it in the garage. I entered the garage and I saw Piper standing by the fridge. She immediately dropped her head and flattened her ears. Uh Oh!! What was that on the ground? A half eaten package of hamburger--93% lean hamburger…..1.5 pounds of hamburger…..$6 worth of hamburger!!!!!!!!!! ARRGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

What can I say? She’s just a pup. It was my fault for leaving it where she could get it. So Piper got a very nice meal of raw meat. The children got their chicken nuggets. Hubby and I got cold sandwiches. I think the dog got the best meal last night. At least I got a bottle of beer—Blue Moon……..Belgium White……Wheat beer. Really good!! MMmmmm!!!!

What's on your DVR?

We don't know how we every watched TV before getting our DVR. Here is a list of what's waiting to be watched:

Power Rangers
Supernanny (3 episodes)
Farscape (2 episodes)
The Dead Zone
Ultimate Dog Championships (3 episodes)
Good Dog U (5 episodes)
3000 Miles to Graceland
Driven
House (3 episodes)
Build an Outdoor Kitchen (5 episodes)
Spider-Man 2
Stargate SG-1
Music and Lyrics
Boston Legal (5 episodes)
Walt Disney World Resort: Behind the Scenes
Night at the Museum
24 (18 episodes!!!)

Wow!!! Looks like we'd better get on it!!!

What's on YOUR DVR?

A curse on all dressing room mirrors!

Sara and I went shopping last weekend for clothes. Poor thing only had one pair of shorts and it’s getting pretty hot around here—90’s this week. She wanted to try everything on which is a plus because I then have “less” clothing that she refuses to wear after we get it home. She’s my modest one preferring Bermuda shorts and Capri’s over anything shorter than mid thigh. She would pull them up and if they were too short, she’d squeal, “Oh my gosh!! Those are TOO short!!” and pull them off before even getting them all the way on! LOL!! Quiet prayer, “please God, let her keep this modesty when she’s a teen!”

Well, I decided to look for some shorts too since I haven’t bought clothes for myself in ages and Piper, the hyper Border Collie has ripped most of mine anyways. Ok, first thing…….who in this world designed those “sits just above your hiney” clothes. Those should only be made in size 0 because if you have any amount of a belly or rear, you’ll never even be able to pull them up!!!!

So I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, whoa, am I on candid camera? Did someone switch this mirror with a funhouse mirror??? I looked like a butterball turkey!!! My belly poked way out in front and my rear did the same in the…..well, the rear. There is no way I’m as big as I looked!! Or am I???? I’m just slouching, I need to stand up straight and suck it in. Nope, still there!! ARRGHHH!!!!!

Time to start taking better care of myself. I need to change my eating habits and start exercising. No better time than the present. So if you are inclined to follow along with me, come visit me at http://healthmattersjournal.blogspot.com/

Camo Croc--Missing In Action

Scott came hobbling in the back door one night with only one shoe on. What’s wrong? Nothing. Where’s your croc shoe? I dunno. I can’t find it. Where did you leave it? I dunno. Why don’t you know? We were playing with them, throwing them on the swing set and now I can’t find it. I’ll just wear my sandals. Well, you’d better find it, they are brand new!! I’ve looked! I can’t find it!!

So I volunteer for the dangerous search and rescue mission. Camo Croc was most likely kidnapped by his arch nemesis, Piper……aka, Hyperdog. The first phase of the mission was to locate all of Hyperdog’s secret lairs—places she could torment Camo Croc without fear of discovery. Her favorite torture is to chew on her victims for a while and then slobber all over them until they break and spill everything, from who keeps hiding my keys to where Jimmy Hoffa is buried.

First lair I find is under the back porch steps. It’s dark and buggy under there. Shudder I find carcasses of rubber balls and soda bottles but Camo Croc was not there. Next I looked in the barren wasteland under the swing set. Nothing there but drifting dunes where Hyperdog’s been digging for buried treasure. My last resort was to enter……THE GARAGE…….an intricate labyrinth of two year old moving boxes, bicycles, roller blades, hockey equipment and a multitude of tools. If you aren’t careful, you can get lost for days……weeks even!!! I cautiously enter the maze, dropping a few bread crumbs along the way to aid my retreat. I find one of my shoes, a tortured hockey puck and several dismembered puppy toys but once again, no Camo Croc.

Then it hit me like a beam! Where is the best place to hide something? Right under your nose!! Camo Croc must be hiding in plain sight to escape capture. I make criss-cross passes over the yard. No luck. One last ditch effort in the fading light sent me around the perimeter. There I found him…..Camo Croc……making a break from the swing set to the spruce tree where he could hide. I actually almost stepped on him. He blended perfectly into his surroundins. He is, afterall, Camo Croc! A quick inspection showed no signs of torture so he must have been able to evade Hyperdog’s clutches. Mission completed successfully!!!!

We all slept soundly that night knowing that Camo Croc was safe and sound in Scott’s bedroom. But as we were getting ready for school the next morning………..Scott, where’s your shoe? I dunno…………….

Out of the mouths of babes

Children have no brain buffers—they think it, they say it. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s bad. But it’s generally the truth.

So this morning, I turned the TV on to entertain them while I did the rest of the morning routine of trying to get 3 kids, sorry, 2 kids and a Hubby out of the house. There was an infomercial on for some exercise equipment. Scott watched it for a moment and then turned to me and said, “Mama, you need to get that because you’re getting fat”. OMG!! I gave him one of those looks to which he replied, “You really are, Mama.” Then he goes on to say, “When I become a Daddy and get fat, I’ll get one of those, too”.

Well, at least he slammed both of us!!! LOL!!!!