Mishaps in the Trees...

There is a family tradition in Dear Hubby's family that I have cherished since the first moment I was involved.
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Hubby's family is large. He is the youngest of six kids and for the most part they all live right here within 45 miles of us. A little snapshot for you...

Oldest Bro has a wife and 3 grown-up kids. One with a wife and two sons, one with a husband and one with a daughter. Total count so far...10 people.

Oldest Sis has a husband and one child. Husband's parents have frequently been included in Holiday gatherings as Sis and husband are currently stationed in Guam with the Air Force and don't get back often and husband is an only child so his parents come to where the action is. Total count so far...15 people.

Middle Bro has a wife and a grown-up son. Total count so far...18 people.

Middle Sis has two children but has also been known to have husband and his children along for the festivities. Total count so far...21 people.

Youngest Boy (aka Dear Hubby) has a wife (me) and two children (Bubba and Teensy). Total count so far...25 people.

Youngest Sis has a husband and two children. Husband's mom has joined us on occasion but is not a frequent guest. This family is stationed in Germany at the present time. Total count so far...29 people.

Of course, you must count my FIL and up until this year my MIL, as well as Grandma and Grandpa who always showed up for at least part of the day. Total count (not including pets and unexpected guests)...33 people.


Yes, you read that correctly. Right close to 33 people show up at every family dinner and holiday celebration known to man...as well as, all birthday celebrations for those same 33 people.


Holidays are huge people. Holidays are huge. Or were huge. But I won't bring this post down with talk about that.

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Huge holidays mean huge traditions. Ones that are spread far and wide amongst family. My favorite...Hunting for the Christmas Tree every year. Come rain, snow, sleet or hail, we hunt in the National Forest for the perfect tree every single year and we have a blast always. And today is the day we do just that. We are hunting for those perfect trees! Some years they are a bit more Charlie Brown and a bit less White House beautiful but every year we love them just the same.


And it's always an adventure.

There was one year when we took two Bonneville cars and a truck out (since there are soooo many people) and we got the truck stuck and had to pull it out of the ditch with my Bonneville! Fun times!

Oh yeah, and there was the year we had six trees piled in the back of the truck and were flying down the highway on our way home and one of the trees got caught up in the excitement and went flying out of the truck! wouldn't you know it was Mom and Dad's huge tree and the impact busted a few of the bottom branches. Whew. That was a site to see. :)

Anyway, we are out and about with the tree hunting today so hopefully tomorrow when
I return to civilization, I will have an adventure to share. Enjoy your Sunday all!

Talking to myself...

This idea of journaling, of keeping a blog, has been churning in my head forever. I am not big on talking to myself, you see. I much prefer talking, and writing,for the enjoyment of others. Not that anyone usually listens! To me journaling feels right. It gives me an outlet for some of the things that go on in my head so that I have room to better deal with the more important things that are stuck within those wrinkles.

I get to the point sometimes that my plate is so full of things to do and to think about that I just don't know where to start...and then I just don't. I take a seat and watch a Beverly Hills 90210 marathon on Soap Network and forget that things must be done, that I must be doing something. I sit and I wait. Until someone comes along and tells me where to start or takes something off my plate so that I am better able to deal with everything else.

When I started this journal, my expectations were realistic. I would write and eventually people would come to read. What if people didn't read my writing? I am okay with that too, but not nearly as much. I write to relieve myself...but if you read my writing in the process, I welcome you. I like that I have an outlet. I don't like that those of you that I know read, don't always have a comment (as if I leave many comments for you wither, I know!).

Since I have started this, I have spoken about it regularlly to Dear Hubby. I speak and he pretends with all his might to be listening and understand (just kidding...he usually pays attention even when I bore him immensely!). He doesn't read all that often. I am afraid that when he does or when others do, that they will take my words out of contesxt and it will cause drama in my life that is soooo not needed (I am already a Drama Attraction Queen) but my Hubby is still supportive. He has told me that I can write whatever I want and if someone takes it out of context, it isn't my fault. This blog is just a portion of my real life and anyone who takes it as all of the truth and all of any individual situation is sorely mistaken.

I have already gotten out of this blog what I expected to. It helps me to cope and to deal with life as it's thrown at me...and you, my dear readers, help me to process the good and the bad and be thankful for the little things in which I am given. Thank you.

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Sandy Grason's "Journalution"...Try it #2

I am out shopping...

It is Black Friday, people of the internet and I, along with Lady K, am shopping right about now. So in honor of a day of retail therapy and the fact that one can get just about any movie for dirt cheap today, here is a MeMe that sounded like fun...aka something I blantantly stole from another member of the blogshpere. :)

Behold, the rules:

1. Pick ten of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDB and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them on your blog for everyone to guess.
4. Fill in the film title once it's guessed.

This part is for the reader

• No Googling or using IMDB search functions.
• Don't be Cheaty McCheater-Face! You can look up those words at Dictionary.com if you must
• Leave your answer(s) in the comments.

All of the movies that I picked are random. Some holiday, some not, some cartoon, some not, but all movies that I myself like. Not necesarrily my favorites, though. Have fun!

Here we go!

1) Can we, for two seconds, ignore the fact that you're severely unhinged and discuss my need for a night of teenage normalcy?

2) Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away. Hitch - Hubby

3) What do you think is more exciting , having sex or boosting cars? Gone in 60 Seconds - Hubby

4) My powers are beyond your mortal immagination. For instance, my eyes can see straight through your armor. [gets smacked] Oooh! All right, that's it! Dishonor! Dishonor on your whole family! Make a note of this. Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow, dis...

5) Nah, she looks to pure to be pink! Grease - Hubby

6)I gotta wonder what a kind of a bastard I must have been, that nobody was there to claim me. I mean, I am not the most charming guy in the world, so I've been told, but...nobody?

7) It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags. How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Hubby

8) A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat, and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you'll know tomorrow.

9) You ever get the feelin'... I don't know, er... when you're in town and someone looks at you all suspicious, like he knows? And then you go out on the pavement and everyone looks like they know too?

10) Well, if we're meant to meet again, we'll meet again. it's just not the right time now.

Okay, all. Have fun and as soon as I get the correct answers in the comment section, I will post them!

The Perfect Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown...

Today is Thanksgiving. Yep. A day to give thanks to everything you hold dear in this world, for everything you have, and for the hardships you are not having to endure.

Here is what I am doing today...the blow by blow, the run-down, the obsessive/compulsive way...

First, I will be awaking at a leisurely pace to a quiet house. I will proceed to the kitchen where I will make myself a Vanilla Chai Latte and sip it quietly while I quickly consume the few chapters that make up my son's Spiderwick Chronicles library book. As I reach the last pages, my family will awaken and we will all go about getting dressed...a beautiful new dress for Teensy, a sweater vest and button up shirt with jeans for Bubba, a sweater and new jeans for Dear Hubby and a lovely skirt ensemble for myself. Dear Hubby will begin cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast which will be accompanied by Egg Nog for them and more Chai for me.

After breakfast, I will start the squash to cooking and the four of us will slip into our jackets for a brisk morning walk around the neighborhood with our two well-behaved dogs, ending back in our yard where we will jump into the huge piles of leaves left by the enormous Oak tree that shades our house. This, of course, will be a wonderful opportunity to take a bunch of pictures in the beautiful autumn colors. Of leaves, of smiles, of family togetherness. Great pictures to take to Grandpa K. when we go to visit him in a few months.

We will brush off the leaves and head back into the house where we will wash up and put on our matching aprons so that we can make my favorite holiday hor'deours...Pinwheels. I take the squash from the oven to cool a bit as Dear Hubby and the kids start the Pinwheels. We slather the cream cheese filled with green chiles and black olives on the tortillas with ease and little mess because we are all skilled Pinwheel makers. Clean up is a breeze.

It's time to pile up into the van with our homemade delights and head to Thanksgiving dinner with the family. We drive over the stream and through the woods to the In-Laws house where we are not the last ones there. We park and the kids run in the door and into the waiting arms of their grandparents. Food smells waft through the air and tempt our tummies and our fingers into snatching pieces everytime the cooks turn their backs.

We feast upon an enormous amount of food with all of our friends and family at our sides. the kids play and eat and laugh with their cousins and again clean up is a breeze.

The games are brought forth with the pie and we play game after game in every part of the house and on every table available. Pictionary, Othello, Catch Phrase, Apple to Apples, Cranium, Checkers, Puzzles...you name it, we'll give it a try. We play until the kids are asleep ont he living room floor watching Scooby Doo and we can barely move our fingers from so much writing and pointing.

We load up the kids and our share of the leftovers and we head back down the hill to our cozy and warm house. We tuck the little ones into their beds and head off to snuggle before falling asleep.

A great Thanksgiving, indeed it was. :)

If you believe that story is true, I have some oceanfront property right here in South Dakota that I would love to sell you. Stay tuned for the follow up of what really went down on this most dreadful of all Thanksgivings.

Spiders...in my tree!!!

And that I do have. As well as everyone else in my immediate family. Why? Because I made them to be put there.

I am big on tradition. I adore traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation but I also love making my own traditions based on those of my ancestors (German and Norwegian)...and crafting stuff with my own two hands to give away to people I love. And so an idea was formed.

You see, I came across a legend once in a catalog. Now, I must tell you that I get about 8-10 catalogs a month from various companies and I rarely, if ever, order a single thing. I use them for the ideas. If I find something that I like, I figure out how to make it at home for way cheaper than what it would cost to buy their version. And mine is always better because it was made by me.

Anyway, kinda got off track there, didn't I? Sorry. Sooo...I saw these cute little beaded spiders in a Christmas catalog and this legend was printed next to it (or a variation of the same thing at least). I loved the fact that the legend was German and I loved even more how odd it would be to have a spider hanging in my tree every year. That is how I got this odd tradition.

Here is my spider and the legend that goes with him. I hope you can find an amazing tradition to pass along in your family as I have in mine. :)

THE LEGEND OF THE CHRISTMAS SPIDER

(A folk legend from Germany and the Ukraine)

Once upon a time, long ago, a gentle mother was busily cleaning the house for the most wonderful day of the year.... The day on which the Christ child came to bless the house. Not a speck of dust was left. Even the spiders had been banished from their cozy corner in the ceiling to avoid the housewife's busy cleaning. They finally fled to the farthest corner of the attic.

T'was the Christmas eve at last! The tree was decorated and waiting for the children to see it. But the poor spiders were frantic, for they could not see the tree, nor be present for the Christ child's visit. But the oldest and wisest spider suggested that perhaps they could peep through the crack in the door to see him. Silently they crept out of their attic, down the stairs, and across the floor to wait in the crack in the threshold. Suddenly, the door opened a wee bit and quickly the spiders scurried into the room. They must see the tree closely, since their eyes weren't accustomed to the brightness of the room... so the crept all over the tree, up and down, over every branch and twig and saw every one of the pretty things. At last they satisfied themselves completely of the Christmas tree beauty.

But alas!! Everywhere they went they had left their webs, and when the little Christ child came to bless the house he was dismayed. He loved the little spiders, for they were God's creatures too, but he knew the mother, who had trimmed the tree for the little children, wouldn't feel the same, so He touched the webs and they all turned to sparkling, shimmering, silver and gold!

Ever since that time, we have hung tinsel on our christmas trees, and according to the legend, it has been a custom to include a spider among the decorations on the tree.

I know it's sooooooo not right to be blogging about Christmas even before Thanksgiving, but this was the assignment from Princess and you all know that I can't pass those up!!!

Tuesday at it's worst!!!

Today is Tuesday. I have an assignment waiting for me from Princess but...I'm not going to do it today. I want to throw a tantrum like she did but I just don't feel like ruining my already "eh" day. I need to focus and just make it through. So brace yourself...

...for today's issue of List Making Tuesday--"what is on my mind today"...

• My temporary filling fell out of my tooth and I had to go in and have it repaired yesterday. since they were in there fucking around again, my teeth have been hurting like crazy and I have an awful headache-y thing that won't go away.
• FIL is officially moving in with his girlfriend. Yep, you heard correctly. His girlfriend! It has been a smidgen over 6 months, people, and here he is not only moving on but throwing it my face right before...you guessed it...the holiday season!
• I heard that news through the grapevine that is my office. Fuckers can't keep their mouths shut ever!
• My new favorite word is "Fuckers". That is probably not a good thing.
• My boss goes out of town on Friday and will be gone for over a week. Should be a good thing but for the past two days she has piled enough on my desk to last me three weeks!
• My Girl Scout co-leader, Miss Quiet, is sick today and therefore will not be available to help me lead the meeting tonight. 13 girls will be in my charge.
• I am going shopping with Lady K on Friday. In an effort to scale back a bit and not tire her out, I am only going to go half assed this year. I am broke anyway and shouldn't be spending all that money, anyhow.
• The kids will get to enjoy a Parade of Lights on Saturday night. We will have the annual party...minus the key members of the establishment and will have much more to clean up on Sunday.
• Tree hunting day is Sunday. Hopefully, we go out early and get back earlier than usual so we still have time to clean up the party from the night before at the salon. Unfortuneately, we won't have time to put up the tree that day.
• I am going to cut my shopping fun short on Black Friday to hang with my hubby and kids. We are planning to pull out all the decorations and get an early start on hanging Christmas lights this year so that it actually gets done!
• I haven't had a real meal since I cooked for Lady K, Missy K, Crazy Kat and her mom on Sunday. I have been living off of snack foods...and tonight won't be any different.
• The ignitor on the furnace crapped out on us last night (as it did on Christmas last year!) We awoke this morning to a 58 degree house. Freezing!!! I am hoping hte hubby was able to pick one up today or else we will have another cold ass night in our house.
• Hubby just dropped about $350 on vehicle and snow mobile re-licensing today. Like we could afford that! Guess I will really be cutting down Black Friday's fun this year.
• Bubba acted so horrifically at Boy Scouts last night (and in weeks previous) that hubby is fed up and will no longer take him if he doesn't straighten up. He gets signed up for wrestling tonight. We'll see if that is a conflict or not.

I am done bitching for today. I will sign off now!

The colors of the season...have changed.

So, it's here. 

The Holiday Season is upon us.  The beautiful oranges and reds and yellows are surrounding us in abundance.  The pumpkin pie is close enough that I can smell it.  The turkey has been shot and cleaned and is ready for the roasting pan.  The family is ready to gather and feast and be merry. 

At least that is how it should be.  But the colors that are around me are black and gray and not as pretty as in previous years.  The list of what to be thankful for is slim as my mind keep focusing on what to be upset about. 

This year it's the dreaded Holiday Season.  If you don't know why,  you probably better go back and read this post. 

This is how it's going to work.  Dear Hubby's Dad is not interested in having Thanksgiving dinner at his house because it is just not the same with Mom.  It hurts him too much.  I agree.  So do my kids.  They both recently conveyed to their only remaining Grandma (my mom) that being "up the hill" is just not the same without Grandma Geri.  Again, I agree.  Personally, I would prefer to attempt my own Thanksgiving dinner cooking for the first time ever in my own home, with my own kids and husband and without the pain of loss being thrown in my face for several hours straight. 

Instead of honoring Dad's wishes, we are going to bombard him  with a large get-together (as per the family tradition) and hope he can make it through...hopefully without his girlfriend.  We'll see how that goes.  There is merriment, food and game playing planned...all of which I would prefer to skip out on.  I don't want a family get-together without the family.  The whole family.  My opinion doesn't count this year.  The family needs to keep alive this tradition and I need to step up to the plate, pull my head from the sand and face reality head on.  She's gone...and she's not coming back.  Every holiday after this one will be filled with new traditions and new faces.  This is the beginning of something different.  And I don't like it.  Not one bit. 

Thanksgiving...here I come.  But I never said I was ready. 

Lazy, daisy days, dreaming of poetry...

I promise I will quit playing in the paint program after this one. Bubba brought home a book from his reading class the other night titled Dinosaur Dinner with a collection of poems by Dennis Lee and there were a few that I just had to share. I love children's poetry and I had never heard of this guy before. His poetry was fun.

The Butterfly

Butterfly,
Butterfly,
Life’s
a Dream;

All that we
See,
And all that we
Seem,

Here for a
Jiffy
And then
Goodbye—

Butterfly,
Butterfly,
Flutter
On by.

Here's another...

Doctor, Doctor

Doctor, doctor, fix my head:
I’m feeling sick and I’ll soon be dead!

Little girl, little girl, drink some juice:
You think too much and your brain’s come loose.


Doctor, doctor, here’s a dime:
You saved my life for the forty-second time.


That one was surely written just for me considering my total hypochondriac tendencies!


And the last...

Three Tickles

Pizza, pickle
Pumpernickel,
My little guy
Shall have a tickle:


One for his nose,
And one for his toes,
And one for his tummy
Where the hot dog goes.


My kids really are too big for this but Teensy adored it the other night. Especially when I personalized it just for her!

Christmas Edition...who are you?

Here we go again! The Christmas season is upon us and you all know how much I love these survey things. So here is the Christmas Edition of one. Enjoy!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? To wrap...whichever fits the present better. To receive...beautiful wrapping paper.
2. Real tree or Fake? I wouldn't be allowed to be a member of this family if I said fake tree. The truth is that I adore the annual tree hunting expeditions we go on.
3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever we get the time after we finally get it picked out.
4. When do you take the tree down? When it's too dry to leave up any longer!
5. Do you like eggnog? Not even a tiny bit. I hate the smell, the look...heck, I even hate having it in my fridge!
6. Favorite Christmas dinner drink? Sparkling cider or Sparkling grap juice served in wine glasses all around.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My step-dad.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My dogs! :)
9. Do you have a nativity scene? No...and I don't want one.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail them, of course. And make them all by hand if I get the time and energy to do so!
11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? An electric sander. (I have a fear of sandpaper, kinda, and the gift wasn't really purchased for me, it was an extension of my husband's gift with my name on it.)
12. Favorite ChristmasMovie? How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I love that little green guy when his heart grows at the end of the movie.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Right before Halloween, I start keeping an eye open for good deals and possible presents.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can recall.
15.Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Squash and pinwheels. Usually I am the one that makes the pinwheels. I also love the deviled eggs that my mommy makes.
16. Lights on the tree? Definitely...multi-colored.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Um...Baby, it's Cold Outside.
18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? I have never traveled for Christmas because I like to be with my mom and she lives in the same town as me. I would like to try it once, though.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Either. I think we have an angel right now though.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? One on Christmas Eve and the rest on Christmas Day.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? That people can't just enjoy themselves. That everything is always such a to-do that no one slows down to realize that the holidays are about family first and foremost and not about the number of present you got or how much you spent.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? We have a tradition of buying one new ornament each every year and I love unwrapping all of them and remembering years past. The ornaments tell a story of what our interests were at that time. It's fun.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Ham. I love, love, love ham for the holidays!
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I want a laptop, a Nintendo DS with Brain Age game...and the ability to find a bit of happiness in the otherwise grief filled holiday season this year. It just won't be the same.
26. Favorite thing about Christmas? That I get to be with family and that I am passing on traditions to my children.
27. Favorite gift received as a child? 24 cans of Coca Cola and 3 tubes of cherry chapstick.
28. Favorite Christmas decoration in your house? The village that my kids have started collecting. Dear Hubby's grandparents always put up a village in their fake fireplace and we always had fun helping them to arrange it. Now my kids have their own collection and I can't wait to display it this year.
29. Best store to shop for Christmas gifts? Walmart and Target because of the variety of people you can buy for in one place.
30. Black Friday shopping...yes or no? Of course! What would Christmas be without the absolute exhilaration of swiping a toy out from under that mother holding her little girl in her arms? :)

This is kind of a MeMe. I would love to know how everyone would answer these questions themselves (I do LOVE getting to know everyone) so go ahead and copy them on over to your blog. Remember to link back to me and leave me a comment so that I can come check them out!

Failure for good reason...

Hydrocodone aka Vicodin
The most frequently reported adverse reactions include: lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation, nausea and vomiting.  Drowsiness, mental clouding, lethargy, impairment of mental and physical performance, anxiety, fear, dysphoria, psychic dependence, mood changes.

Wanna know what it does to me?  Pretty much all of the above. 

As you may have noticed, I failed the NaBloPoMo.  There was no post yesterday.  Why?  Because I had dental work done.

I do not have a great track record with dentists.  I have notoriously bad teeth and I don't visit dentists often (probably because when I do, it's extremely bad news!).  I had a root canal done when I was 17 that I had to pay for out of my own pocket.  I spent several hours on the morning of 9/11 in a dentist chair learning of the attacks on a tv screen above my head.  I was never able to seal my teeth when I was young because I have bad gag reflexes so I have consequently had to have several teeth filled over the years.  And yesterday morning, my 11 year old root canal had to be re-done.  Or started to be redone that is. 

Imagine this...

You wake up with pain (rated at a 12 on a scale from 1-10) radiating from your left cheek to your entire head, neck and shoulder area.  You somehow manage to get dressed and drive to the dentist office for your previously scheduled appoint but don't really remember actually operating the vehicle.  You have a seat in the waiting room until a nice assistant takes you back to a chair that faces a very large window overlooking the snowiness of a winter day outside.  Immediately you realize that you are cold.  Shivering cold, in fact.  Your whole body is all a shiver.  You place your hands in your jacket pockets and cross your legs in an effort to keep yourself warm. 
When the dentist finally gets around to looking at your teeth, you are a tad warmer but still shivering...this time with fear and anxiety.  You put your earphones in your ears but keep your hand on the volume button because you realize that even at the lowest setting you cannot hear when the dentist says to open wider.  Every time you think he is saying something to you, you must unlock and turn down the volume just to realize that he was only speaking to his assistant about the snow in his driveway or his stupid dog.  You do your best to remain calm while he uses drill after drill on your mouth and at one point gag immensely because his fat latex gloved finger touched your tender tongue.  He informs you that you have to "hang in there" and that if you swallow one of his instruments "you will have big problems".  You try not to bite his condescending finger off his chubby hand. 
When he finally finishes his torturous routine, you walk to the front desk and part yourself with the first large installment of payment.  You then make your way to the pharmacy to pick  up prescriptions for pain meds and antibiotics before heading home (all the while cussing out the receptionist that told you the procedure would take only an hour--not two!-- and result in little to no pain so you would be able to go back to work). 
Fast forward several hours...you are in bed after having thrown up for the second time.  You call the dentist's office who offers to call you in another prescription-this one to settle your stomach so you can stop puking but still allow you the pain relief you need.  You call up your dearest to pick up said prescription because you are incapable of getting out of bed long enough to go to the pharmacy.  You puke twice more before he shows up with the new medication, which you choke down with a bowl of mac-n-cheese (not the good kind, either). 

Did you imagine all of that?  Yeah?  Okay now imagine day 2...pills taken correctly cause you to be drowsy, your fingers to not cooperate properly on the keyboard and the rest of your body to be restless.  Your coworkers tease you mercilessly about not being able to open your mouth wide enough to form a greeting sentence when you answer the phone. 

Fun, fun, right?  Yep.  That has been my experiences in the past two days.  Don't you just wish you were me???

The Secret Place

There’s a place I go, inside myself,
Where nobody else can be.
And none of my friends can tell it’s there—
Nobody knows but me.

It’s hard to explain the way it feels,
Or even where I go.
It isn’t a place in time or space,
But once I’m there, I know.

It’s tiny, it’s shiny, it can’t be seen,
But it’s big as the sky at night…
I try to explain and it hurts my brain,
But once I’m there, it’s right.

There’s a place I know inside myself,
And it’s neither big nor small,
And whenever I go, it feels as though
I never left at all.

by:  Dennis Lee

List Making Tuesday...survey's up!

So...just because I feel like it. Well, that and because I like all you bloggies to know where I am coming from when I blog. I totally stole this...but changed a few because I have answered them before! :)


WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yeah. I was named after my God Mother who is a cousin of my mom's. But I have recently decided that wasn't glamorous enough for me and have changed my story so that I am actually named after a famous author. We even have a sister with the same name!

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Like really cried? I don't even remember. Wow. It's been several months since I have been able to say that I don't remember when I cried last. That must be progress, right?

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, I do. Except when it looks exactly like my little sister's. Then I hate it! I have never looked it up but I am entirely convinced that handwriting styles are hereditary!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Ewwww! I hate lunch meat, but if I have to eat it it had better be ham from the deli...and you better put that on a roll and not just bread. Hell, you better just let me do it!

DO YOU HAVE KIDS? Um...yeah. I think that you would know by now that I have two of them. Wonderful little buggers they are. Most of the time. :)

IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Actually, yes. I am kind of a ticking time bomb and you never know what kind of stupid shit I will get into next. So yeah, I would be friends with me just so that whatever life I was leading would seem normal!

DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Yeah. Never.

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes, yes, I do. Unless of course you want them? Which you probably should decide against because right now they are swollen from all the teeth shit I have going on.

WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Probably not. I think I would be too scared of pissing my pants on the way down...you know since the ground would be coming at me at a much faster pace than that stupid truck at the Haunted House.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I don't like cereal. I guess I like hot oatmeal and plain granola...but don't you ever put milk on it 'cuz ewww...that's just naaaastyyyy!

DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Nope. I just slip them off and then untie them when I go to put them on. But really, I hate shoes. I do. I hate shopping for them and thing that every single pair I try on is ridiculously ugly. You should never, ever take me shoe shopping. Unless, of course, you are a glutton for punishment.

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Physically, I am as weak as they come. I can't run for half a block, I can't lift any type of weight (unless you are talking kids, in which case, I can carry my 8 year old up the stairs and to his room with much ease--nothing is sweeter than a dead asleep child). Mentally and emotionally, I am as strong as they come. Lay it on me because I can take it.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Plain ass vanilla, people. Nothing fancy. Just give me a spoon and the angel food cake. Oh, oops...I mean vanilla ice cream.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their eyes, actually. I can tell a lot about a person by looking into their eyes. After I size you up that way, I will make you smile. I am extremely obsessed with smiling, so I demand that you do it too.

RED OR PINK? Pink...although I didn't used to be that way. I went through a phase where I would yell at you if you called me a lady (I preferred being referred to as a bitch) and hated everything pink. And then I had a daughter and my love of pink resurfaced...especially if it is paired with brown.

WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Right now...I am lazy and I procrastinate way too much.

WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Hmm. Well, I am missing my best friend, Josie horrifically today. I just want to sit down and hang out and talk with her for a bit. just so that we can get on the same wavelenght again and I can make sure she's all right and then she can go back toher work in Iraq.

WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Brown boot-looking shoes...just like always! And they are super comfy!

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Right this very moment I am chomping on some Sun Chips, the Harvest Cheddar kind and they are way yummy in my tummy!

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The sounds of me chomping on these chips and my boss talking on the phone. Maybe I should put on some music, huh? This place is boring for sounds!

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW ? I just started "Eragon" but can't seem to get into it. Because of the season, I am about ready to start some Christmas-y popcorn books (you know, the kind you can read in one sitting and just be able to enjoy the momentary release from your everyday life)

FAVORITE SOUND. I totally love the sound of rain when it falls on the skylight above my head...until I have to walk outside in it!

WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Florida, probably at the beginning of this year. But ask me again this time next year and the answer will be Germany, Lichtenstein, Italy and France!

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Wouldn't you like to know? Nah, really I guess I do. I can play a doumbek drum which is pretty special, I suppose and I have four years of experience as a performing belly dancer. How's that for special?

WACKIEST THING YOU HAVE DONE LATELY? I signed my name in a black Sharpie marker on my husband. That wacky enough for you? :) It was fun. :)

You got my panties all in a bunch this time...

Okay. Here's the thing peoples of the internet. I blog because I want to. I want to write down what I think and feel and need. Me. Selfish, isn't it? I guess so. But really, I do not care. If you, dear internet readers, want to read what I have to say, for whatever reason, you come here and you do just that. There are those of you that lurk in the background and hope that I don't see you there, those of you who know me personally and speak with me about my blog in the real world instead of leaving comments, and those of you that read, enjoy and comment on occasion. My point is that you are all here to read what I have to say. Right?


Disclosure: I am not an English major. I speak in partial sentences, occasionally spell things wrong, and have a tendency to cuss and use slang...a lot. But I still try to come across as lucid as possible so that you can all understand where I am coming from. It seems that I have failed on that account. I apologize. There has been a misinterpretation to one of my blogs and I recieved this comment...


Anonymous said...
First of all, the only true source of everlasting love is God. Second of all, there is no 'step by step' guide to getting over grief - it is an unpredicatable thing that is unique to each person. You'll just have to come to grips with both of those facts.
November 15, 2008 11:14 PM


So, let me make a few things clear.

One, there was no reason what-so-ever to add religious commentary to that blog post. It was completely unwarranted. I DO NOT force my religion or lack thereof on anyone. I respect you and your beliefs no matter what they are. I am a rather free thinker in terms of religion and I believe what I believe. YOU will not be able to change that. People of the blogoshpere, you can tell me that you will pray for me or say God bless anytime you want but DO NOT try to convert me to whatever notions you believe to be true. I may or may not believe in the same things. You respect me and I will respect you. Also, if you go back and read that blog entry, you will see that when I was referring to everlasting love it was not for a person. I am not looking for love in my life. I have it. I was referring to gaining love FOR MYSELF! That is something that few people can really say they have...everlasting, complete love for the person they are. I am no saint. I have made my mistakes and I will readily admit and own up to them if the conversation heads that way. I am working towards loving every little nuance of myself and not hating myself for things I have done in the past. That is my business, not yours.

Two, dear commenter, you are right that grief is unique to each person. The way and the length of time in which I grieve will be different than it is for you. I understand that there isn't a step-by-step guide to getting over the loss of my Mother-in-Law but that doesn't mean that I must stop wishing there were one or glancing over titles in the self help section trying to find one that will help me along the way. My way of dealing with the grief is to put one foot in front of the other every single day, to continue walking, and to blog and/or journal about my feelings in an effort to understand myself and my feelings more completely. That is my way. You can deal with loss however you so choose. Again, you respect my ways and I will respect yours. It's called being an adult.

Third, and finally, it's interesting to me that you hide behind the Anonymous comment. If you have an opinion, speak it. I would love to hear your take on my situation. I thrive on the advice and experiences of others because I use that to help me find my way. I will listen to what you have to say and I will draw my own conclusions based upon how your advice and experiences will fit in with my own life. I will not, however, take very kindly to thinly veiled attempts to force your opinions on me. I am very open to dialouge about ANY topic...if you are open and honest about who you are. This is a public blog and you are more than welcome to read but have the courtesy to not judge and negate me in the comments section. If you feel the need to call me out on something, please leave your name so that I can respond without having to take up an entire blog entry to do so.

And of course, the finale...

You, my dear, are the one that needs to come to grips with two facts. One, I DO NOT believe in your religion and no matter how much you try to force it upon me, I will not change my mind. And two, I will grieve in whatever way I see fit. I do not plan to allow my grief to become a lifelong mourning that affects every decision I ever make. Life will go on and although I will miss her terribly, I will not allow Mom's death to taint my entire existance. She wouldn't want it that way.

For the good of all Fairy Tales...

Last week, Princess gave me an assignment (a topic to write about in my blog). Then she awarded me with a cute graphic to put on my blog. I stole another person's assignment and gifted myself the graphic that went with that one as well. This week, Princess gave me an A+ with a BONUS for completing the assignments and then...told me to do another one!

Well, I being the freaky homework lover that I am, am jumping on the idea of someone else telling me what to write on my blog because (as we all know) it's hard to come up with posts every single day and this NaBloPoMo thing is a lot harder than it seemed to begin with!

So, without further ado, today's assignment.


On Thursday, I told you all about the amazing idea I had for helping my Girl Scouts to send care packages to soldiers in Iraq. How far have we gotten with that idea? Not far but we are taking steps.

Miss Quiet and I picked up 10 of our 13 Girl Scouts on Thursday and met the other 3 at the Post Office. The local PostMaster took us on a tour of the whole facility and answered all of our questions. We all learned a lot, like...

• Did you know that an APO address is for Air Force and Army personnel stationed overseas? How about that FPO addresses are for the Marines and Navy?
• Did you know that the United States Postal Service will get the letters, packages and post cards to the destination but then it is in the hands of the military to get it to its actual recipient and is no longer a USPS matter?
• Did you know that a customs form must accompany any and all overseas mail and it must contain a list of what is in the package or envelope?
• Did you know that you can get Priority Mail boxes at your local post office for free and some of them will ship for a flate rate (depending on which box you choose) no matter how much it weighs?
• Did you know that if you ship to an APO or FPO address that you can get a $2.00 discount if you use a Large Flat Rate Priority Box?

The girls all got a souvenir of four First Day of Issues Disney Stamps on an envelope and we also picked up 5 Priority Boxes to pack full of stuff for our Soldier Friends. We are ready for the next step. On Tuesday, November 25th (our next meeting), the girls will bring all of their homemade and purchased contributions and we will fill the boxes and stuff them with homemade paper snowflakes. I can't wait. :)

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Other items of note on this same topic...

Teensy got to see her Grandma's sorting station at the post office (she is a rural route carrier here in our town) and also got to show her friends her picture that was stuck to the desk. They were impressed.

My friend, Josie (the one in Iraq) called me this morning! But...I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth and didn't know my cell phone rang so I missed the call. Argh! She left me a message and said that she would try to call me back tomorrow, so I will be attached to my phone no matter what is going on!

My boss has decided to get her granddaughters together and send a few care packages to Iraq as well. She thought it would be a good project for them. I whole-heartedly agree. Now I just need to get names and addresses for all these soldiers!

Journaling to Evolve...

A while ago, I walked into Borders with my best friend with the intention of browsing the self-help section. I wasn't looking for books on finding love or getting over a loved ones death but essentially that is what I was needing. A book on finding everlasting love...for myself...and a step by step guide to get over the death of a loved one. What I found was a book called "Journalution" by Sandy Grason. The cover touts it as "Journaling to Awaken Your Inner Voice, Heal Your Life, and Manifest Your Dreams". Sounds good, right? Well, yeah. But I have barely opened the thing. I want to. I really do. But the problem is that I can't get past the therapy part of it.


You see, I am terrified of therapy and therapists. I am scared of what secrets therapy will bring up. Things that I have repressed from childhood. Things that I am not meant to remember. I want to write a journal...but I am scared of what I will write. And scared of who will read it.

My friend recently told me that I needed to open up a bit more. That the stuff I should write on my blog should be more open, honest and deep. It's not that I am not honest or open, just not really about things that really matter. Things that are bugging me and hurting deep down inside. But I don't know how to get deep down inside to find those things.

I have several journals already started...but I never got very far. Handwriting something is just harder for me than typing. It dawned on my tonight that I have another journal...namely my blog. I might as well use it as the journal to get through this new book and awaken my inner voice, heal my life and manifest my dreams, right? So here it goes. Thanks for bearing with me through this exploration of my soul.

The first assignment is to begin where I am. All of my entries are already dated and time stamped for easy recollection of when I wrote them. Eventually, my plan is to print out all of my blog entries and bind them into a book because what better way to save myself. You know, the me that I was at a particular moment in my life. That is why I blog. For the written memories of myself.

At this very moment, I am a 28 year old married woman with a husband (duh) 2 kids, 2 dogs, and 3 fish. I own my own home and don't have a hell of a lot of debt. I work as a secretary/right hand woman for a not-so-busy real estate office although my duties include occasional gardening, babysitting and baking, as well. Yeah, it's a little weird but I have the freedom to be with my kids whenever they need me and that is a huge selling point of my job. Right now, I am sitting in my home office/craft room which I recently cleaned pretty much top to bottom so that I could feel comfortable in it. The idea is to make it a beautiful and relaxing place for me to be.

I am feeling spontaneous and yet relatively lazy today. I got a haircut without an appointment and am about to do some shopping with my mom that also wasn't planned. That's not really in my nature. :) Life is going pretty good. I feel good about it although there have been many setbacks lately. I would like to improve my finances and start budgeting a bit better and I have many emotional issues that need to be explored and delved deeply into but, like I said, I am scared of therapy!

Dreams for myself...to explore places far away, to learn as much as I can, to read always.
Fears...my kids being stolen, death, remembering something that I repressed long ago, life as I know it to crumble at my feet.

That was about 5-10 minutes worth of writing, right? Uncensored, yep. Rambling and boring to read, you betcha. Mission accomplished! :) What's up next?

Dear (insert things that make me mad)...

Dear Paycheck,

I would appreciate it if  you would pad yourself a bit to help out our financial situation (or at least to help pay for the $1400 dentist bill that will be arriving in my mailbox shortly).  Just add on an extra zero, or hell, just a few hundred bucks this time around.  I promise to work harder to deserve it.

Signed,

Slipping Further Behind.

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Dear Mother Nature,

I am not at all happy with the way you have been treating us.  Kindly pick up that white skirt you threw onto the ground during you most recent hissy fit and put it in the hamper it belongs in (namely, Alaska)! 

And stop huffing out wind at us, too!

Signed,

Freezing and Wind-blown.

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Dear dogs,

Please, kindly stay put in the backyard from the time I put you out there until the time I let you back into the house.  I am not interested in running all over the neighborhood in below freezing weather to chase your happy little ass down.  I do not have four legs and I suck at running.

SO STAY PUT!

I might even give you a treat...if you would stop pissing on the freshly cleaned carpets!

Signed,

Paper Towel Lady with a Cramp in her side.

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Dear e-mail,

I would prefer it if every time I clicked on the refresh button you gave me a new message to read.  Something.  Anything.  As long as it's not a horrible Viagra advertisement, I would be happy to see it.

Please work on that.

Signed,

Bored and clicking.

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Dear Dentist that performed my first root canal,

Go to hell and take my rotting teeth with you.  Take the $800 of hard earned teenage money I paid you to do your fricking job and shove it right up you fricking ass.  Because of you, I now have to pay another $600 to re-do what you have already supposedly done.  You should never have been able to practice dentistry.

So, eff the frick off.  I hope you suffer from a tooth infection!

Signed,

Pissed and Penniless because of you!

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And just so all's you internet folks know.  I totally stole this idea from another blogger who stole it from another blogger.  Hope they don't mind.  It was very helpful in lightening my mood.  :)

Tears for my insightful ideas...

Today, I feel as if I am making a difference.  I am teaching girls to be independent, strong women who will grow up and be the leaders of America (i.e. the best corporate business women, the best stay-at-home-moms, and the best of the best of working women).  Why will they be the best?  Because I gave them the foundation, the building blocks, to construct their lives from.  And it's a pretty solid base if I do say so myself. 

Yes, I am pretty confident in myself.  Today.

Why, you ask?

Because someone else saw the potential and wonderment in something that I have put in motion.  I brought someone to tears with my idea.  In fact, she wants to do it, too.  To be in on the enjoyment that one gets from bringing joy to someone else.  And the idea was all mine. 

It's not a new idea, you say?  Oh.  Well, it was still all my idea in how to implement and carry-out this, this...um, curriculum. 

You see, I have 13 girls.  Yep.  13.  And they are all 6-8 years old.  Really, I share them with Miss Quiet.  I kinda stole them, actually.  But that's not the point.  The point is that I love each of them and can't wait to see what kind of success they achieve in their lives because Miss Quiet and I took the time to nurture and guide them in their formative years. 

Today, we are picking up 10 of the 13 girls from school (the other three will meet us) and we are taking a tour of the Post Office.  Why?  As an introduction.  Yep.  We are starting a project that is important to me.  That came from deep in my heart.

What is it, you ask?

Care Packages.  For Soldiers stationed in Iraq.  Yep.  Like my best friend, Josie.  In fact, she is going to help us with this project.  She is going to make sure that this is a full circle learning experience and not just another badge to be earned. 

Today, my girls will learn how the postal system works.  Postage, stamps, APO and FPO addresses.  They will see the machinery.  They will ask their questions and get their answers.  Then, after we have gathered enough information, we will move on to phase two of their learning process.  Geography.  We have to know where our packages are being sent, so we will learn.  We will learn about the climate, the people, the reason for their stay there.  We will map it and calculate how far the packages will go.  Then, of course, we will fill the boxes.  The girls will choose their own treasures to send to these amazing men and women in uniform and we will pack it all in tight with homemade paper snowflakes.  If there is any room left over, Miss Quiet and I will pick up some more things to add in that will undoubtedly bring smiles to the faces of our newfound soldier friends.

I simply can't wait for this project to get under way.

But that isn't the best part!  The girls will get return mail!  My friend, Josie, is going to use the disposable camera that I add in the box to take pictures of the things around her and then will send it back for me to develop.  The girls will get to see some of the sights of Iraq from a Soldier's perspective.  Not just any soldier though.  A Girl Scout Woman of Distinction.  A strong, independent woman who is rising to the top of her game more and more everyday.  The kind of woman that these girls will grow up to be. 

With my help and guidance.  And that of Miss Quiet, too. 

We are proud.  And I don't mind speaking for her.  :)

Super Power Fluff Piece...

Have you ever wanted to shrink yourself down and walk right inside the head of someone?  A stranger, a friend, you mother?  I am constantly wanting to know what people are thinking and more so lately.  I take a look at someone and wonder and obsess about what it is that they are thinking about me, about the world around them, about their own problems with life.  In fact, that is the super power that I wish I could have---the power to read people's minds.  Well that and to be invisible.  That would be cool, too.  Then I could sneak inside people's houses (people I know of course) and just observe what they are doing and what they are talking about.  Yep.  That would be fun.

How about you?  What super power would you have today?

Happiness Lesson...List Making Tuesday...

Seeings as how the universe seems to be a-crapping upon my head again, I decided to try a Happiness Lesson exercise that Princess suggested.  Let's see how this goes.

5 Things I am Grateful I'm NOT...

1)  I am grateful I am not dead.  Yeah.  That sounds like a good one.  I am glad that I am not stuck in a pine box somewhere rotting away while the worms wait to get into my eye sockets.

"The worms crawl in. The worms crawl out.  The worms play pinochle on your snout.  They eat your eyes.  They eat your nose. They eat the jelly between  your toes..."

2)  I am grateful that I am no longer stuck inside of my house without a possible way to escape from the maddening sounds of children running across the floors. 

3)  I am grateful that I am not sitting in the dentist chair at this moment getting my root canal re-done.  That is next Thursday.  But at least it's not today.

4)  I am grateful that I am not in a bad relationship or dealing with a break-up, divorce or other type of separation.  I hate watching what that does to the hearts of people around me. 

5)  I am grateful that I am not sick.  Like sick with a disease which is inoperable or incurable in any way.  I don't like to be feeling yucky. 

5 Things I'm Thankful I AM...

1)  I am thankful I am living in America. 

2)  I am thankful I am a mother of two wonderful children.

3)  I am thankful I am free to write a blog about whatever I choose to write about.

4)  I am thankful I am a woman.

5)  I am thankful I am loved. 

5 Things I will do to make Someone else happy this week...

1)  I will do my duties as a Girl Scout Leader and Service Unit coordinator to the best of my ability to make the girls happy. 

2)  I will text my husband loving messages to make him smile, thus making him happy.

3)  I will do my job to the best of my ability to make my boss happy. 

4)  I will read to my kids and tuck them into bed and play with them to make them happy.

5)  I will visit my  mom and listen to her tell the stories of her trip to make her happy.

5 Things I will do this week to make ME happy...

1)  I will write in my blog eery single day making myself happy by allowing myself to feel the accomplishment of a week of NaBloPoMo completed.

2)  I will continue to make my home office look amazing, thusly making myself feel good when I am in that room. 

3)  I will smile more and frown less in the hopes that it will send happy messages to my body.

4)  I will take a picture of something beautiful and inspiring.

5)  I will write some on a story.

Message to the Universe...

You will have to forgive me today.

Does it ever seem like the universe just won't stop crapping on your doorstep? Like you are forever cleaning up and dealing with all of the messes that life throws at you and never getting to enjoy the silver linings even though you spend all of your time looking for them?

That is what I do on this blog. I look for the little things in life to be happy and grateful about. Today, you will have to forgive me. For today, I am not seeing th up side.

The score is me-zipola, universe-everything.

I went to the dentist today and found out that after having three days of absolutely no pay for me and two for dear hubby, I will be spending over $1400 to fix a problem that I paid $800 of my hard earned teenaged job money to fix ten fricking years ago. That's right. I had a root canal done in 1998. I spent EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS and several hours in a dentist chair and now it must be re-done due to a pocket of infection that wasn't taken care of to begin with.

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, life. I am fricking over you now. What else can you throw my way? Hmm? Another blizzard? How about another breast cancer scare? Hubby gonna lose his job tomorrow? Another parent gone forever? What have you got? You might as well just keep on kicking while I'm down becasue I guaran-fricking-tee you that when I get up (and I will get up!), I won't put up with any more of your BS!

Out.

Snowy Day Activities!

The chica over at One More Fairy Tale decided that I should post a list of some Snowy Day activities and since I just found out that I will be staying home for at least one more day due to my office being inaccessible, I figured I would do just that.



The next time you are stuck indoors on a snowy day, here are a few things that you can do! The best part is that these things can be done even if you are all alone. :)

*Cuddle up in your biggest and softest comforter and pop in your favorite movie. Don't be afraid to sing along or speak all the well known lines. Let it take you back to first time you watched it.

*Pull a comfy chair over in front of the window, wrap your hands around a warm mug of cocoa and watch the world change as the snow cleanses it in whiteness. Revel in the beauty that surrounds us daily.

*Plant you butt on a heat register and start a new book. Take yourself out of the snowy world and into the life of someone else. If you are really daring...finish the book!

*Tackle that room that you have been cluttering up with everything that doesn't otherwise have a place. Organize and renew it and you will renew yourself in the process adding a sense of accomplishment.

*Pull out a notebook or a stack of paper and a black fine-tip sharpie marker. Doodle. Don't allow yourself to throw away the ones that you think are bad, even if you can't draw well, because they are an extension of you.

*Sit down with your computer and write a short story. Fictional or non-fictional, it matters not. Just let your creativity run out of your fingertips. Set it in a warm place to chase away the wintertime chills.

*Write a letter or note to someone you care about. Seal it in an envelope and lay it by the door so that you don't forget to give it to the recipient.



Hope that is what you were looking for, Princess! Cheers to the snowy winter ahead!

Blizzard update...

Well, it is now day three of the big Blizzard of 2008. The good news? We can get out! A loader came through our street last night at about midnight and cleared out a single pathway through the 10-12 foot drifts and dear hubby was able to get the van out this morning. The bad news, hubby took said van to work with him so the kids and I are essentially still stuck here because there is a drift that runs the length of the alley at a sold 8-9 feet high. Ugh!
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Our original plans for today included waking up late with overnight guests and taking the kids to see Madagascar 2 in the theaters. Tony had to go in to work early this morning to make up for the past two days off, our guests couldn't make it through the storm last night, the kids went to the neighbors yesterday leaving the dogs outside and both the doors wide open and therefore got grounded from the movie and we were nominated to pick up Dad from the airport. So...our day will not go as planned. :(

What is on the plans now? Finishing the cleaning of the back clutter room, picking up dad and maybe dinner out. Nothing fun. Maybe the fun will come tomorrow!
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I know, totally lame post today. I am just not really in a blogging mood but I am determined not to miss a blog day in November! Massive amounts of snow usually put me into a coma so I guess I am lucky to have gotten this much written! I will try to be back to my witty self tomorrow!

OMG...I had fun in the snow! What is wrong with me?

WHAT WE DID TODAY!!!

Coming through the tunnel daddy made.

Redneck Sledding...in a box! (we haven't purchased new sleds since they broke last winter)

Me and the Hubby out in the snow. Sun is shining but the snow is still here.

Playing in the snow after dark...Dear Hubby going down the "hill".

Me going down the "hill".

Bubba...it wasn't cold out, just got wet from the snow.

Teensy going down the "hill".

LOTS OF FUN!

A flurry of white...

Remember how yesterday I said it was snowing? Yeah. Well...that was a bit of an understatement! Check out the weather around my house today!

This is the scene at my front door at 6:45 this morning.

This is Teensy and Bubba playing in our backyard. We have a five foot chain link fence surrounding the back yard and the snow bank was taller than the fence!!!

My hubby, kids and I are sitting at home today just chillin. I have made homemade chicken noodle soup (totally from scratch!), hot cocoa, brownies and a strawberry smoothie. We have put in a new shelving unit and organized our board games and checked on an elderly neighbor. I took a very short nap after eating some lunch and watching Karate Kid II on tv. Amazingly the house is still clean and I even ventured outside into the blizzard conditions to play with the hubby and kids for a few minutes. I was sure I was missing out on the fun...but really I found I wasn't missing anything except frostbite on my face and snow in my boots! It's absolutely nuts here.

The kids just had brownies for their dinner and we ar about to play a game so I am going to get back at it. I just wanted to check in and make sure that I didn't miss a day of NaBloPoMo! I was worried this morning because I had no internet access!!!

Hope all of you in the blogosphere are keeping warm and toasty!

Hump day is here again...

It is totally Hump Day. Except it doesn't feel like the middle of the week or like we are heading into the down slide. It feels like the week is just starting! Argh!

The past week has been completely full of highs and lows and since I completely missed List Making Tuesday (what was I thinking!?!), I figured I'd make a list of the good the bad and the ugly for today's post.

THE GOOD
--I voted in the 2008 presidential election because I CAN vote! Go me!
--My hubby voted for the first time ever in his life! (Yeah, I know he's 28 and he voted the opposite of me but hey, I am still super proud of him for exercising his right and taking the privelege seriously.)
--OBAMA is president!!! Oh yeah! Ooh rah! Yay!
--I am, as we speak, simmering a pot of chili for dinner and it smells so yummy that my mouth is watering. (I may only be able to cook a few things but I do those few things really well and chili is definitely one of my strong suits!)
--I got an e-mail from my best friend in Iraq and she is alive and well and only has 4 1/2 more months of deployment.
--I got to pull out my old belly dance costuming and put it to use in a pirate costume for a Halloween party.

THE BAD
--My momma is going to be out of town until next Tuesday. :(
--I have a dentist appointment in the morning to get some cavities filled. (What can I say? Bad teeth runs in my family.)
--I had to leave work early on Monday because Miss Insanity's kid was sick and she couldn't take the daycare kids and my momma had a doctor's appointment herself.
--No new episode of HOUSE last night because of the election coverage on every fricking channel!

THE UGLY
--The WTF weather!!! It is fricking snowing! After a weekend of great weather and a picnic in the park, it is now blizzarding outside! Yuck!
--California, Arizona and Florida. They are ugly. Do you know what they all have in common? Yeah. A bunch of anti-rights mother f'ers that are causing this country to take 10 steps back in the civil rights department. Double argh!

So, yeah. That is about it. Now, I am going to go back to my chili making and getting the house ready for a slumber party on Friday! Lady K and her daughter, Missy K are coming to spend the night and watch movies and eat junk food with us. I am sooooo excited! Talk to all you in the blogoshpere tomorrow!!!

Election Day 2008!!!

Today...election day...my post was going to come later in the afternoon AFTER I had voted because I was going to run down all the issues on our ballot and tell you all how I voted, but...

...I haven't gone and voted, yet. I do have a date with my husband for a lunch time voting session. However...

...I needed to do a little head clearing right now and that is where you, the blogoshpere, come in. So get comfortable. Ready? Okay.


I DON'T KNOW HOW TO VOTE!! Okay, not how how to vote. I know that you have to color in a little bubble next to the way you are voting but I don't know who to vote for! And I am cranky and freaking out about this.

You see, I didn't watch the presidential debates. I didn't pay attention to the ads. I did go online and look up each candidates stance on the issues and decided which one seemed to fit in best with which direction I want this country to head in. And with that research and a gut feeling, I believe I know who I am voting for. BUT...I am scared!

What if I vote for Obama and he turns out to be the terrorist bringing the end of days as the radical christians want me to believe? What if his group of extremist friends have more say in our government than they should? What if we end up in a poverty stricken hell hole because I helped put Obama in the presidential seat?

On the other hand...what if I vote for McCain and he has a heart attack the second after he gets sworn in from all the excitement? That leaves Palin as our president and OMG people! Can you really imagine a woman president? 12 weeks out of the year that woman would put us through hell as she rides her PMS tirades. I can only imagine the violence she could issue seeings how she is already a hockey mom. That is one-quarter of the year. 1/4 of the time, this country will have to watch it's back because of the PMSing president. And that says absolutely nothing for what other countries will have to endure. I mean really. America would be like Palin's baby and other countries would be the gal at the grocery store that bagged her groceries wrong. Can you imagine the wars we would be in? The bombs she would drop during that quarter of a year when she is rightfully bitchy? That is a bit scary to me.

So lets say that I vote for McCain and he doesn't kick the bucket right away. Am I really interested in an ancient war vet running the country? I am 28 years old people. McCain is like 100. How could he possibly understand what my generation wants and needs in this country? He can't. Him and his other extremely old cronies would run the country based on their old fashioned principles and not on what is needed for today. Society has changed, our government has changed and we need to acknowledge that and put someone in who is younger and more versed in the ways of the people that are actually running this country...Generation X.

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I am not good at making decisions on my own. I hate to be the only one standing out on that limb and so my MO is to get the opinions and choices of everyone around me and decide based on whether or not I am comfortable with defending my stance. Today I will be voting. I will be voting my gut feeling (which is against my husband's as well as my coworkers stances) and I will be happy...or at least partially comfortable...with that. This is a big election and the stakes are high. I think we need a change and so I am voting for the person that could bring us that. There. I made a decision. Thanks for listening. :)

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On the same note at a different level...

My kids voted in school yesterday via sample ballot and Bubba will be walking down to the polling center today to cast his actual Student Vote.

Teensy, age 6, voted for Obama...because he might have a bomb and she would like to see it.

Bubba, age 8, voted for McCain...but against "the pregnant woman" because he doesn't want any babies in the White House. I think he was talking about Palin but I couldn't decipher for sure. He's afraid that Obama will try to take away all guns but I don't know where he got that information.

Both children are extremely set upon their choices and refuse to change their minds...and that makes me proud.

Tagged for a MeMe...kinda

Michelle at My Semblance of Sanity tagged all of her readers for a MeMe. So what that she didn't tag me personally. I am not one to resist doing such a time-consuming, ridiculous thing in an attempt to waste time, so...

7 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME...

1) I have absolutely no clue what a MeMe is or means although I have seen them all over the blogoshpere. My guess is that they are just all about the author and that is why they call them a MeMe. And I think they are fun to do so tag me for one anytime you please.

2) I have an obsession with calendars. I have one on my desk, one on my MySpace page, two on my refrigerator, one on my wall in the kitchen and one in my purse. They all have the exact same things on them sometimes even stupid things like "got off work early" or "Hubby working on car". Why? I guess I may just want to know that kind of stuff when I am old and gray and am telling stories while in my rocker on my front porch.

3) My life consists of vast amounts of nothingness at times and I fill that time reading blogs and playing around on the computer. So if you have any interesting blogs that you would like me to read, just leave the web address with your comment and I will come and check you out and probably even put you in my list of blogs to read on a daily basis.

4) I used to drink Coca-Cola at least once a day. I recently switched to Mountain Dew which is a bad thing because my doctor informed me to stop drinking caffeine back when I had my breast lump scare (of which I tried to find a link to the blog entry but couldn't come up with it after searching forever!).

5) I totally almost forgot to do this blog entry. I started it earlier today and then completely forgot about it amongst all of the playing that I did with pictures this afternoon. I was just watching Frasier with Dear Hubby and jumped up and said "Shit! I forgot my blog entry!"

6) I am a perfectionist who loves organization but craves the look of organized clutter. I have a shelf in my home office that is so full of little trinkets, knick knacks, books and such that it is a dusting nightmare. It's one of my favorite spots in my house.

7) I can't sleep without my hubby home at night. In fact, I have spent exactly one night alone in my house in the five+ years that we have lived here and it was terrifying (the t.v. stayed on all night). And with that said...I am going to go lay down with my man. It's late and I am tired.

Okay, so now I am done with the seven random things so I am supposed to tag some people. I tag...
...Lady K from A Different Kind of Wonderfull although getting her to do it will be difficult!!
...Kris from Blurbs of My Life
...and anyone else interested in doing it (or wasting time!)

Well, duh.

ME: "I'm going to run these movies back. You need anything?"

HUBBY: "No, I don't think so."

ME: "Okay."

I walk out the front door with the movies in my hand, turn around and walk back in and grab my cell phone.

HUBBY: "What do you need that for?"

ME: "In case you change your mind about needing something."

HUBBY: "I won't. I'm pretty decisive."

ME: "Well, then I might get lost."

I am less than a few blocks away from the house when my cell phone beeps in a new text message. It's from my hubby.

HUBBY TXT: "Take a right then right then right right back to me"

ME TXT: "Thats the sweetest thing u have said in a while."

HUBBY TXT: "Well i luv u duh"

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When I got home and we were snuggled up on the couch, I turned to my dear hubby and said, "Oh, by the way, that was really sweet what you said."

He said, "Yeah, I know." and then gave me a kiss.

I looked at him and said, "You know I'm gonna blog about this, right?"

He just rolled his eyes. How cute!

What's in a name???

I totally stole borrowed this from Hair Band Honey. I thought it would make a great weekend post!

Porn star name (first pet, first street where you lived): Cleo Franklin (This is the first street that I remember living on and not the actual first but the name still sounds like a porn star!)

Rock star name (favourite pet, current car): Lasey Montana (Not to be confused with Hannah Montana, however that is probably how she got her name, too!!)

Gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Vanilla Sketchers (Yep, I am white grafitti artist!)

Native American name (hair color, favourite animal, favourite hobby): Blonde Bear Reader (um, yeah. I hunt blonde bears and read the hidden meanings in their fur.)

Soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born): Marie Mitchell (Most definitely...I'm the acts good but is secretly bad one on the show.)

Star Wars name (first 3 letters of last name & first 2 of first name, last 3 letters of middle name): Werja Ger (hmmm...interesting. Were-Jogger. Sounds like me...as in used to jog! Okay, okay, I have never been a jogger but still...)

Stripper name (favourite perfume, favorite candy): Miami Glow Mints (that is a complete stretch because I have no clue on my favorite candy)

TV Newsreader name (grandparents first name, any town that starts with the same letter): Lola Lexington (that is actually kinda pretty.)

Spy name (favourite season, favourite flower): Autumn Daisy (now that is a fake name if I have ever heard one!)

Cartoon name (favourite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing now): Kiwi Shoes (oh man, does that mean I am SpongeBob's cousin or something??? Do I have to wear Kiwi's on my feet all the time? What about the mold fungus when they go rotten? Ewww!)

Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, favourite tree): Doughnut Spruce (as in...dough nut spruce up the house ever!!! Funny!)

Hey! That was a lot of fun. Now you try it and add a comment with your link so that I can come read your answers! Oooh, oooh, I can't wait!!!