Because I have been completely off-line and out of touch for over a week, I am having a hard time getting back into the swing of things. You can't really blame me. In the past 9 days, I have ridden in a van for over four hours four separate times, spent 3 days and 2 nights in the absolute maddening quietness that surrounds my best friend's new house (except for the few minutes when she blasted a CD and danced in the rain like some kind of nutcase), completely cleaned and organized my closet AND pantry, washed EVERY piece of dirty laundry in my entire house, breathed into the phone with an occasional "uh huh" as my children rambled on about their adventures on their vacation, had a date night with my hubby that included a movie, dinner and, and...a shopping trip to Wal-Mart, and I have cussed out the driving skills of many black leather-clad bikers. I deserve a break from the demands of the blogosphere.
Even though I have taken a week long hiatus already!
So, my point is that today I am taking the easy way out in the form of a questionnaire type thingy-ma-bob. If you don't already know...I love these things!!! So on with the questions!!! Maybe you will learn something new (or at least be able to read a little more detail of something you already knew)...and it's kinda a list, so Happy List Making Tuesday!!!
1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
In all honesty, I kind of like the act of paying the bills. I enjoy balancing the checkbook (when it doesn't come out all screwed up...and only if it shows a positive balance at the end!!). I only buy books of cute stamps so that it adds a little bit of enjoyment to placing that almost 50 cent sticker on the envelope. And the address labels, with their cute butterflies and hand prints. Yep...that's me...still playing with stickers. :) Of course, I do let Teensy do it for me every now and again.
2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
Does Perkins at 10 pm on a Friday night count as a romantic dinner when it is bound to be followed up with a trip to the freight laden aisles of Wal-Mart in hopes of getting some actually edible food in the empty refrigerator before the children come home? No. Well, how about a quick bite at Arby's before getting back on the road for a four hour drive back home after two full days of exhaustive boating? No. Then, I really don't remember.
3. Do you regret losing your virginity to who you lost it to?
Yep...nuff said 'cause my mommy (and step-dad) reads my blog sometimes and they have be known to misinterpret something I have said. :)
4. If you could go back and change one thing what would it be ?
Not a whole lot because everything that has happened in my life has brought me to exactly the place where I am right now and it was probably meant to happen the way it did. However, I think that I would have tried to go without an epidural when my baby girl was born...even though I would have ultimately ended up yelling out those beloved cuss words that my son was born hearing...just because I would've been able to enjoy the first hours of her life more. But if you ask me for an opinion on whether or not you should choose the epidural, my answer is HELL YES! Don't go through that pain when you don't have to.
5. Name of your first grade teacher?
Right, like I am going to remember that? I don't remember the name of Bubba's upcoming second grade teacher, although he very wonderfully informed me in the van yesterday that it is going to be "Mrs. Mr. Irfmany", which was close enough to make me remember her real name (thank goodness, too, because I would have had to do a lot of digging before registration day to find his report card from last spring!)
6. What do you really want to be doing right now?
I probably SHOULD be working. I would LIKE to be sitting at home on a comfy couch (most definitely not mine since it's not the least bit comfortable) watching a DVR'd new episode of one of my favorite shows while drinking a wonderfully blended fruit smoothie...or getting a full body massage. They both sound pretty wonderful about now.
7. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I wanted to be a teacher. A high school teacher. I know, I am completely crazy to have wanted to subject myself to those over-hormonal, opinionated little monsters but I still to this day enjoy every aspect of the teenager...the silent treatment, the off the wall clothing, the outbursts of emotions. I've always thought that I could connect with that age group much better than I could with younger humans. Ask me if I believe that in 5 years when Bubba enters his teens!
8. How many colleges did you attend?
I attended one technical school...and made it to graduation despite a pregnancy, moronic teachers that hated me, and greasy cafeteria food that was so good I long for it even today.
9. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
Because it is mega cute and new and I hadn't worn it before today. I am super glad that I did though because I have gotten three comments on how cute and colorful it is and that makes me smile. :)
10. What are your thoughts on gas prices?
Considering the fact that I just spent over 16 hours trapped in a van, driving from one side of the state to the other, I have to say that I hate the gas prices. Somehow, they are 20 cents a gallon cheaper on the other side of the state!!! A tad bit too expensive for my liking (and that says a lot because I normally pay absolutely no attention to the price of something that I have to have no matter what it costs)...however, compared to what we pay for the equivalent in Coca-Cola or bottled water, I would say it's really not that bad.
11. If you could move anywhere and take someone with you where would it be?
Actually move? I love where I live. My husband's family is here. My mommy is here (and we all know she has to have someone close by to take care of her). My friends are here. The people, the atmosphere, the beauty. It's all worth keeping for a lifetime...or at least until I find something better.
12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
The alarm didn't get a chance to go off this morning because the phone was ringing instead. My first thought was that my predictions about things being on the brink of a blow-up were true. They are...I just hope we all have the strength to pull together and pull through.
13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
Um, I think it was something about the lump that has been residing in my esophagus since I got off work last night and how utterly uncomfortable it was. I actually try not to think right before I go to sleep because if I start the process of allowing my brain to ponder, I can't fall asleep.
14. Do you miss being a child?
I miss the wonderment, the freedom and the fact that I could remember things for longer than a millisecond. Other than that, I adore being a mother to my babies and I was meant to be an adult. Grown ups have purpose and direction and that is what I need to survive my life.
15. Who is your best friend? Why are they your best friend?
I have a couple of amazing best friends, Lady K and Air Skeri (aka Josie from the Girls Time-Out trip). Why are they my best friends? Because those two have been by my side in good times and bad, in times of crises and in joy and we have an undying connection that runs deeper than friendship and into the land of sisterhood.
Lady K is my editor and sounding board. The woman I call when I need to get something off my chest, need a cup of coffee or a buddy to browse through Borders with. She is the one who stood by me and stood up for me in the midst of a major inner crises and the one who drove a million miles over several days to be with my kids when our family was ripped to shreds by death. She is the righter of my wrongs and the keeper of my stories, my inspiration (in the form of ass kicking) and my muse. Lady K is honest, loud and in your face and I love her more for it.
Air Skeri is my confidant and my far away friend. The woman who teaches me what it means to be a good friend even though our interactions are sparse at times. The woman to whom I send a piece of home several times a year and for whom I tear up every time I hear her voice. Air Skeri is my partner in crime and in dance and encourages me when no one else has the kahones. She is as strong as they come without a doubt. Giving, loving, and just amazing to talk to, I love her to death.
16. What errand/chore do you despise?
I am sure we have actually covered the response to this one. I despise doing the dishes (even in a dishwasher). Maybe this is because one time when I was little my sister and I were fighting over who got to wash and who got to dry the dishes. As we were standing at the sinks, my mom got sick of it and smacked our heads together to stop the incessant bickering. My plastic, and oh so trendy, headband broke into several pieces...but we stopped fighting (about the dishes, anyway!)
17. If you didn’t have to work, would you volunteer?
Probably...for something like Habitat for Humanity or Planned Parenthood. However, I am a bit skeptical about trying to help people after reading a news story on how some morons got their house repossessed after Extreme Makeover: Home Edition built it for them. I will never be able to understand the stupidity of some people.
18. Get up early or sleep in?
I prefer the sleeping in until I wake up naturally thing, however, how many mothers with small children have the luxury of doing that? Most definitely not me...plus I have to be to work by 8:30 every morning.
19. What is your favorite cartoon character?
I really hate cartoons. I think that the people who came up with the idea of adult cartoons like "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy" should be shot over and over for subjected ADULTS to that kind of stupidity. I do, however, enjoy animated Disney classics and my favorite character would have to be Mulan because she was so strong and determined to go after what was right in her heart.
20. Favorite thing to do at night with a member of the opposite sex?
Are you kidding me with this question? My favorite thing to do with a member of the opposite sex is...........talk. What did you expect something different? I love to talk and I adore watching a guy's facial features as he lets me in on his little secrets and his feelings...not like that EVER happens. :)
21. Have you found real love yet?
Yes. Yes, I have. And it is wonderful and unending and powerful. And no where near perfect in its timing or its nature. But always well worth the ride.
22. When did you first start feeling old?
When my son started his first day of preschool. I sat out in front of that house crying my eyes out hoping that he was going to be okay. I drove to my mom's to tell her how sad I was. I cried and cried and cried. Then I wiped my tears and went to pick him up just to cry again the next time I dropped him off. I guess I don't feel old, per say, but I feel like I am missing out on the stuff that people my age should be experiencing because I am too busy being...well, being old.
24. Your favorite lunch meat?
Ham, I guess would be my favorite if I had to choose. However, I hate sandwiches. Never do I eat them on bread, only on expensive crusty buns. I don't like picnics because I never like what they bring to make the sandwiches with. I must have the expensive ham or turkey (like actual deli meat) or else I don't like it. I am quite picky that way.
25. What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?
There isn't one thing that I buy every time I go to Wal-Mart but I will almost always buy some type of food item. Whether it is actual groceries or just a candy bar, I never leave there without something to eat.
26. Beach or lake?
I have only been to a beach once...in the middle of a Hurricane (for real!!!) and I have been to lakes numerous times, but I can very honestly say that I prefer the beach...even with gale-force winds and waves taller than me. I hate the staleness of lake water. The green floaties, the yucky smellingness of it. I prefer the wide open expanse of the ocean so that I can't tell that it is polluted. Plus the ocean is the only thing that has ever made me feel like a small part of a really big world.
27. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
Wow, what a question. No, I don't. I believe that marriage is exactly what it was meant to be...a common union and bond between two people who love each other and want to blend their lives into one. I do however, also believe in divorce. Life is too short and too precious of a commodity to waste attached to someone that you don't want to spend your time with. Divorce is always a preferable option to wasting one's time on this planet. I am married because I choose to be married and I choose to spend my days connected with my husband through the bonds of marriage...not because I don't believe it is right-or moral, or ethical-to divorce.
28. Do you own property?
Yeah, most people do. I own (with my husband, of course) a house, several vehicles, and many, many possessions that I could not even begin to list here because it would be a list that is far too personal and boring for someone like my intelligent reader to indulge in reading.
29. Favorite Guilty pleasure?
Television. Guilty because I would sometimes rather be doing that than just about anything else. Favorite because it is a wonderful escape and experience of another person's point of view. And it almost always makes me feel like there is someone out there that is more screwed up in the head than I am. :)
30. Favorite movie you wouldn’t want anyone to find out about?
My favorite movie has been Grease since I was in Elementary School. I remember singing every song while the movie played in the old VCR at my next door neighbor (and best friends) house. We would dance and sing at the top of our lungs and with everything we had in us from start to finish and then we would start all over again (after we waited the million hours that it took to rewind the stupid VHS!!!).
31. What’s your drink?
Actually, lately I have been preferring iced tea to anything else. I can drink a gallon of it a day. I wish I could say the same for water! But once again, I am picky about my iced tea. I recently purchased gallon sized Lipton tea bags to put in my iced-tea maker but they made it so strong that I had to give the whole economy-sized box to my mom to use. It's perfect made with lots of ice and four small tea bags plus a few heaping tablespoons of sugar in each glass. That's my drink of choice in the summertime. Ask me in the winter and the answer will differ.
32. Cowboys or Indians?
Neither would be good for me. I'll take the white suburban man thanks. Not that I am prejudiced at all. It's just that I used to date a cowboy (bull rider) and the belt buckle was just too damn big and kept rubbing against my pelvic bone...oh, wait, that was way too much information. Anyway, I will skip the cowboy...and the Indian...too many feathers on that there headdress. :)
33. Cops or Robbers?
Cops, because they have them handcuffs and they are just too dang fun! :) But seriously, I was handcuffed once at a dinner party where a cop was in attendance just to see what it was like and all, I can tell you that they wasn't all that fun...them suckers hurt!!!
34. Who from high school would you like to run in to?
Since my ten year reunion just came and went, I have thought about this question a lot. I didn't attend the reunion because there was no one from high school that I have any care to speak with except the ones that I still keep in contact with (and therefore do not need to attend a reunion to see) and ones that I knew would not be in attendance. The only people that I would like to run into from high school would be my old friend Melissa (who graduated after me) and a guy in my class by the name of Nick Miller (who did not to my knowledge attend the reunion). It would be cool to catch up on the past 10 years with the two of them. So if either of you are reading...drop me a line so we can get together!
35. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
102.7. It's this awesome station that has a unique tag behind every song that tells the name of the song and the artist who sings it! It's great...now I can write down all those songs I've been meaning to pirate but couldn't recall the names to! Oh! I mean, buy the cd's. Yeah, I don't pirate music. That would just be wrong. And dumb. And wrong.
36. Norm or Cliff?
I have a special liking for Cliff because he's a postman and my mom works at the post office, too. But I remember a guy in high school that everyone used to call Norm and he was funnier than hell. So, um...neither. I hated that show. I do like the spin-off, though. (Frasier, in case any of you are complete morons).
37. Grey’s or ‘The Office?
Neither. Both stupid. Neither is funny. Yuck. Enough said.
38. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?
Tough question to answer. Not because I can't think of one but because that puts my personal life out there pretty far for judgement. But here goes anyway...judge away. Worst relationship mistake ever...infidelity.
39. Do you like the person that sits directly across from you at work?
Well, I work in an office with four other people. Two are rarely in and the other two have their own offices. I sit directly across from no one...well actually, I sit directly across from the computer and that would be you and I like you so, yeah. I do.
40. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
I am not the kind of person to get all ga-ga over a celebrity but I would gladly go have dinner with Vin Diesel or David Cook...as long as it was a date. And I wasn't married. And it was a real date. And they took me somewhere fancy but not uptight where the food was good. And it was a date. Just saying. Never know who could be reading, right?
41. Indoors or outdoors?
I really shouldn't justify this one with an answer because you all already know that I will say indoors hands down every single time I am asked. It's just how I roll. (I started saying that recently thanks to the writer of another blog that has it stuck in my head!!!)
42. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
Yep. See this post. I am finally nearing the end and I don't feel like re-telling the story to you right now. While I was searching for the link, I realized that I completely missed this vehicle in my post "The Automotive History of Me". Sorry about that.
43. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
No. But I was out at a remote campground that belonged to friends of my mom's with my family around the Fourth of July one year and we were all just hanging out waiting for the sun to set so that we could shoot of the fireworks. The kids were happily playing in a lean-to on some parked four wheelers when we heard a very odd noise. I rushed in when one of the kids came running out to find that my son had found a fire extinguisher and had sprayed it around the lean-to! That was the end of their adventures for the night!
44. Last book you read?
"Fearless Fourteen" by Janet Evanovich. The latest in the awesomeness that is the series about an accident prone Female Bounty Hunter. I would recommend this series to anyone and everyone who can read (adults anyway) because they are simply the best, most awesome, funniest, can't-put-down books I have ever read. Love, love, love them!!!
45. Do you have a teddy bear?
I have several teddy bears. I collect them, I love them, I must have them. They are on my headboard and on shelves in my bedroom, on shelves in the game room, all over the floor of the play room, on shelves and desks in the office and have a presence in both of the kids rooms as well. They are everywhere in my house and even though I think them out on occasion, they will always be present to soften the edges of a hard world.
46. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
In the middle of the desert using a bottle of water to rinse and spitting on a dry bush. But really, who came up with this dumb question and what kind of an answer was expected?
47. Somewhere in California you’ve never been and would like to go?
DisneyLand, Sea World, the beach, and my sister's house would be the top of that list. I've only been to California once and I was there for all of 20 seconds it seemed like. I leaned over a loading dock at a shipping yard and almost touched the San Francisco Bay. Lucky me, huh? I wouldn't mind going back someday.
48. Do you go to church?
That is a most definite and emphatic NO! I won't get into that on this post other than to say that I had the best ever conversation about God and religion with my friend Crazy Kat while staying with her and Lady K. She really was a great opponent for my argumentative ways and really had me thinking...for a second. Then I came to my senses and realized that my belief was the same as before...we all believe in whatever we believe in not because there is a high and mighty god but because we have to have something to believe in to make it from one day to the next in a world so filled with hatred and suffering.
49. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
I would prefer to start a new career...only because mine is becoming monotonous and non-challenging and I need something to broaden and expand my mind before I go completely stir-crazy!!!
50. How old are you?
I am about to turn the ripe old age of 28. Yep, I'm old.
And I am finally finished with this thing! Yay! Hope you had fun!
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