My One Word Challenge

Last week, I told you that Bunny had given me two awards. I fulfilled my first challenge, but then Massachusetts house guests, a Space Shuttle launch that was scrubbed (of course it was, I was THERE!) and things happened at work that I can't discuss (yet).





This is my second award. The rules are that I have to answer the following questions with one word. After I list my answers, I'll pass on the award.



Cell phone? Basic

Hair? Unruly

Mother? Kind

Father? Missed

Favorite Food? Carbs

Dream last night? Forgotten

Drink? CokeZero

Dream/Goal? Retirement

Room you are in? Living

Hobby? Internet

Fear? Speed

Where do you see yourself in 6 years? Grandmother

Something you are not? Quiet

Favorite Muffins? Blueberry

Wish list item? Cruise

Where did you grow up? MA

What is the last thing you did? Eat

What are you wearing? Sweatshirt

Favorite TV Show? Glee

Pets? Tigger

Friends? Loyal

Your life? Changing

Your mood? Optimistic

Facebook? Yes

Favorite place to eat? Alfonso's

Missing Someone? Dad

Your vehicle? SUV

What you aren't wearing? Shoes

Favorite Store? FreshMarket

Favorite Color? Green

Last time you laughed? 1:00

Last time you cried? Monday

Best friend? AJO

Place you go to over and over? Work



I'm choosing 2 new (or new to me) bloggers. I'd like to learn a little more about them.

catstevens

Ain't Miss Beehaven

It's An Honor Just To Be Nominated-Part I

My bloggy twin Bunny nominated me for 2 Academy Awards.

Just kidding. They were Blogger awards. The first one was a Kreativ Blogger Award.

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you-Thank you Bunny. One of these days...you and me. Field Trip. DFM and W-S Outlet. Lunch with Bobs. I'll take photos of the Hubs so I can write a Hubs/Craig Ferguson Celebrity Look-Alike post.
2. Copy the logo on your post- Done
3. Link to the person who nominated you-Bunnygoround
4. Post 7 Things About You That People Might Find Interesting- and then I'll read all my comments that will say "you're not interesting. You're WEIRD!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7 THINGS ABOUT ME THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE INTERESTING (OR JUST WEIRD)

1. I was the A&W Root Bear
2. I have Reiki I and II Certifications
3. I had 100% Organic Crunchy Granola Natural Childbirth. Twice. With two >8 Lb babies.
4. Even though I am practically elderly, if someone put a new baby in my arms and said "Here, he's yours" I would be so thrilled. I'll probably live to be 97. He'd be a grown-up by then.
5. I LOVE everything MUPPET
6. I believe in reincarnation. I am sure I know how I died in a past life.
   
7. I have a secret alter-ego. She is one of those older women who used to be a pretty, young Hippie Chick. She is not overweight, but not thin. She has grey hair that she wears in a long braid.
   There are 5 earrings in her left ear and a small tattoo on the inside of her left wrist. She reads Tarot cards. Her days are spent knitting funky purses, baking bread and listening to her husband play the guitar, in their little cottage near the beach.

I'm supposed to nominate other kool bloggers for the award. I'll do that on the next post with my second Academy Blogger Award.

It Adds Up To 250!

For my #250 post, I'm sharing 250 tidbits about me.

52 years old
5 years of dating before
30 years of marriage
24 years of being a Mom
2 children
-----------
113+ I've lived in
9 different houses in
2 different states (MA and FL)
-------------
124+
3 hospital admissions
2 surgeries (one on my head, one on my foot)
7 times I've had stitches (I AM the KlutzPrincess and I've had 2 kids)
4 ear piercings
------------
140+ a few cats through the years
5 cats (Meenoo 1, Meenoo 2, Bud, Miller, Tigger)
-----------
145+
11 jobs (Tennis club,A&W,Liquor Warehouse, Doctor's clinic Lab tech, County Hospital lab tech,
Insurance examiner Phlebotomist and EKG tech, Pharmacy tech, Barnes&Noble, Home Caregiver
for elderly with Alzheimers and hospice cases, Pottery Barn, Bath and
Body Works)
10 cars (Karmann Ghia, Vega, Mustang,Audi,Isuzu Pick-up,Mazda 323,
Mercury Sable, Volvo, Nissan Altima, Mitsubishi Montero. The
323 and Pick-up were the only ones bought new)
3 trips out of the US ( Mexico, London, Canada)
-----------
169+
7 nephews (Hi! Nick, Chris, Jon, Andrew, Ryan, Scott and Thomas)
5 nieces (Hi! Millicent, Kris,Katherine, Rachel and Erika)
3 are my Godchildren
-----------
184+
56 the most books I've ever read in a year
8 years of piano lessons with
2 different teachers
----------
250!!

My Life According To Elton John

My daughter found this quiz on facebook.

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think!

Are you Male or Female?
Little Jeannie

Describe Yourself:
Island Girl

How Do You Feel?
I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues

Where Do You Live?
Driving To Universal

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
Made In England

Favorite Form Of Transportation?
Let Me Be Your Car

Your Best Friend?
Amy

Describe you and your best friends:
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters

Describe The Weather:
Thunder In The Night

Favorite Time Of Day?
Someone Saved My Life Tonight

If they made a TV show of your life, what would they call it?
I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top

What is life to you?
The Big Picture

Describe an ex-relationship:
Don't Go Breakin' My Heart

Describe your current relationship:
Blessed

Describe your job:
She Sold Me Magic

Your Fear?
And The House Fell Down

How would you like to die?
Dancing In The End Zone

What is the state of your soul right now?
Heart In The Right Place

Best Advice?
Turn Out The Lights When You Leave

Thought Of The Day:
Are We Laughing?

Motto:
I'm Still Standing

I'm In Love With My Kids

Jenn at JugglingLife has tagged me. She asked me to write 7 things I love about my kids or what I love doing with them.
I can approach this from the viewpoint of a Mom with grownup kids. Neither one has lived with me for three years.

I had a very hard time deciding to go to college. I didn't want to go. I wanted to get married and have kids, definately 2 or 3, by age 28. The dream was put on hold for a few years. By 32, I had two babies who had been very sick and we had spent way too much time in OR waiting rooms and sleeping under hospital cribs or fold-out chairs, so baby number 3 was a dream left unfulfilled.

I spent most of their childhood working per-diem jobs and almost always being home when they were home. Being a Mom was Job#1.
Now that I'm not mothering on a daily basis, I guess this is sort of a "job evaluation". And it feels so much like bragging.

THE SEVEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT BEING THEIR MOM

• They each found one activity they became passionate about, to the point of having part-time jobs teaching younger kids. They have chosen professions that involve kids.
• Because they were so involved with teaching, I had the pleasure of being told by so many parents that my kids were great inspirations for the kids they taught.
• Our kids grew up without a lot of the "finer things" in life. They've always driven my hand-me-down cars and always known that birthdays and Christmas would not involve gifts that were large in value or number. Rather than whining about it, they have always been gracious and appreciative of whatever gift they have received.
• They have always loved going on vacations with us. When they were in high school we always did a summer vacation. One year it was the Great Summer Hall Of Fame Tour...baseball, football and Rock and Roll. One year we surprised them with a trip to Universal parks and a stay at the Hard Rock Hotel. Tomorrow we leave for a vacation in Atlanta. Sorority Girl is coming with us. Cape Cod Kid is sad because he can't come. He just spent his vacation competing in a KungFu tournament in DC, where he placed 4th or above in 6 black belt categories.
• I recently got on facebook. I didn't ask them to be my "friend" because I didn't want them to think I was invading their privacy. The first day they both asked me to be their friend.
• They call their grandmothers on every important day or holiday
• They survived a childhood with a mother who was not healthy from the time they were 6 and 9 years old. It didn't make them bitter or resentful. Sometimes I think it made them love me more.

Like/Not Like/Don't Care

Blackbird started it. Badger ran with it. I'm giving it a stab.

10 things I like:

• Sparkly clean store from 2 after-closing sessions of deep cleaning
• Home-brewed french vanilla iced coffee
• Planning my Mom's 75th surprise birthday bash
• So You Think You Can Dance
• Going to Atlanta next week to see Mr SS's sister and her husband and my 2 delicious nephews.
• My craigslist $75 clothes dryer
• Crepe Myrtle in bloom
• Celtic Thunder
• Facebook
• The necklace I received as a gift from The Women's Colony

8 things I don't like:

• The brand new 5 inch wrinkle running across my forehead
• Half-assed menopause that won't commit to getting the job done
• People who break my daughter's heart
• The BLACK SNAKE that is living in the foliage outside my bedroom window
• Spring+Long-haired cat=fur sticking to the ceiling
• My toes. I'm holding out on getting a pedicure until next week
• The price of gas
• Non-restful sleep

5 things I don't care about

• Jon and Kate trainwreck
• Sarah Jessica Parker's twins
• All My Children stupid summer storylines
• The heat. I'm not bothered by 100 degrees.
• The fact that I can't think of 10 things I don't care about

6 (un) Important Things

I was tagged by Missy of Suzie Said I Should. I'm supposed to list 6
(un)important things that make me happy.

Would you believe I'm having a hard time coming up with 6? Most of the things that make me happy are NOT unimportant. Some things that make me happy might be unimportant to other people, but with my wonky body and weird way of looking at things, they are important to ME.

1. Sunshine- When I step outside and I can feel the warmth of the sun soaking through all the layers of skin and muscle, right down to my bones and joints.
2. NY Times Sunday Crossword- Damn, it's hard! Sometimes it takes me 3 days to finish. Sometimes I can't finish it and I slide it into the bag of newspapers, where it will be tossed with the classified ads and store fliers. My personal rules are no looking at the answers and no dictionary. When I finish an entire puzzle, it makes me really happy!
3. Pedicures- This is one of those things I physically CAN'T do myself, so it is such a treat for me when I go, once a month.
4. Candles-I'm sensitive to strong smells, so I rarely I find a candle that I can light without starting to wheeze or getting a migraine. Right now my Slatkin & Co Fresh Bamboo is making me happy.
5. Lip Gloss- I hate lipstick. I hate chapstick. I hate sticky stuff on my lips. But I LOVE lip gloss that is slick and shiny. I use the C.O.Bigelow Mentha Lip Shine in either Spearmint or Cinnamon. If I want a little color I use Liplicious in either Cranberry Cocktail or Frozen Blackberry. YUM!
6. There is no number 6.

This Weekend's Meme

Borrowed from blackbird and badger.

What are your current obsessions?
Soft bedsheets, teeth-whitening toothpaste and tinted moisturizer.
Which item from your wardrobe do you wear the most often?
My black pants that I got at Kohl's (damn I wish they had pockets)
What's for dinner?
I worked and my dude wasn't feeling too good, so it was Kraft Mac and Cheese.
What is your greatest fear at the moment?
I think my wonky Thyroid is wonky again.
What are you listening to?
Celtic Thunder. I saw them on PBS, but this is the CD made before the TV special.
If you were a god/goddess what would you be?
I would be Helios, the Greek god of Sunlight
What are your favourite holiday spots?
Places I've already been would be London and San Francisco. Now, it's anywhere with a nice beach.
What are you reading right now?
I just ditched Plum Island by Nelson DeMille. Sounds like a good story, but spare me the sexist descriptions every time a female character is on the page. I just picked up On Bear Mountain by Deborah Smith.
What is your guilty pleasure?
I watch Dancing With The Stars, but I don't feel guilty.
Who or what makes you laugh?
Text messaging with my daughter. I'm SO bad at it.
What is your favourite spring thing to do?
Get back in the pool.
What is the best thing you ate or drank lately?
We tried a new Mexican place last week. Really good.
When was the last time you were tipsy?
Dos Equis on an empty stomach at the same Mexican restaurant.
What is you favourite ever film?
Love, Actually or Philadelphia or The Sound of Music
What is the biggest life lesson you've learned from your kids?
Don't sweat the small stuff and LIVE FOR TODAY.
What song can't you get out of your head?
Mercy by Duffy. We listen to it at work.
What book do you know you should read but refuse to?
I don't think there's any book I SHOULD read...except for the 6 that are sitting on my bedside table.
What is your physical abnormality/abnormal physical ability?
I have those bumps on my knuckles from arthritis/I can burp on demand.
What is your favourite color?
Green.

My Letter Is J

Jen did the meme and I asked for a letter. She assigned me the letter J.
Ten things I like that start with J? How about just 10 things?

1. JEANNE. I love that my Mom spelled it that way. If it was JEAN I would have the same name as a male cousin. It requires a lot of explanation and spelling it out loud. I will answer to Jeanne (1 syllable) or Jeannie. But not to JEE-ANN or JO-ANN.
2. JAM. Especially strawberry with big chunks of strawberries.
3. JAMBALAYA. I got the recipe from high school friends who lived in Louisiana, so I guess it's authentic. It won me a Microwave/Convection oven in a cooking competition.
4. JAW. One of the first places I got arthritis. By the time I was 16, the right side of my jaw was locking and I had the cartilage removed. It got me out of gym class my entire Junior year of high school.
5. JULY. It's a big birthday month. My brother-in-law on the 1st, niece on the 3rd, twin nephews on the 5th, Dad's was the 16th, sister on the 22nd and me on the 26th. Yes, I WILL eat cake on all those occasions.
6. JEWELRY. I have a big box full. I usually wear one small diamond and 2 smaller rubies in my engagement ring, one wedding band, usually 3 earrings in my left ear and one in the right. I wear a cheapo watch. The rest is funky beads on stretchy cord, a few very amateur pieces I've made (someday I'll blog the contents of my jewelry box, junk and all)
7. joy of cooking. I took it out of the library last month. I'll look through it one more time before I take it back.
8. Juicyfruit. I loved it when I was young. I wonder if it still tastes the same.
9. Jury Duty. I've been called to Barnstable County twice but wasn't picked either time. I've been on standby twice and didn't have to go. I got called to that court in Boston where you have to serve for a month, but I had an infant who had surgery a few months earlier and no family living within an hour and I lived an hour from Boston. I was excused.
10. J in my iTunes. Billy Joel, Elton John, J J Cale, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Julia Fordham, James Taylor, Jefferson Airplane, Jewel, Jon Secada, John Lennon and John Mellencamp.

That's Weird

Weirdest song in my iTunes-If I Had A Million Dollars (Runner-up Fat Bottomed Girls)

Weirdest thing that's been in my pocket- A patient's tube of blood

Weirdest thing in my car right now- lots! A Hot/Cold food storage bag, a box cutter, a clip-on air freshener in Island Nectar scent.

Weirdest place I've ever peed-Behind a rock on I-95 in Connecticut

Weirdest movie I've ever seen- A Clockwork Orange (Runner-up The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz)

Weirdest hairstyle I've ever had-The 80's version- A permed wedge that got cut into a permed mullet.

Weirdest outfit I've ever worn-The 1972 version- Purple Hot Pants, a white blouse with very puffy sleeves, a purple vest(longer than the hot pants), black fishnet stockings, black platform shoes. I was a Groovy Girl in 9th grade.

Weirdest thing I've ever seen anyone do- I knew a guy in high school who was a magician. He put a bunch of sewing needles and a very long piece of black thread in his mouth. He rolled it around in his mouth, then pulled it out with all the needles threaded onto the thread.

Molly McQuirky-The Food Edition

Today I have been inspired by Green Girl In Wisconsin.
She posted yesterday about things she doesn't do.

Have you met Little Miss Sunshine State's alter ego? I call her Molly McQuirky.
Molly has some food issues.

• She will not eat anything that has touched a jalapeno pepper. She has sent an order of Nachos back to the restaurant kitchen after requesting no jalapenos.
• She will not eat messy food with her fingers. This includes blueberry muffins, ice cream sandwiches, watermelon and canteloupe.
• She will not eat canned peas. Her mother takes this personally.
• She will not eat a speck of fat on a piece of cooked meat. If she does this accidently, she may stop eating the meat. A chicken leg once made her become vegetarian for over a year.
• She doesn't like "imitation" foods, like Vanilla Extract, Coffee Creamer, Pasteurized Process Cheese Food, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.
• She will not eat anything she may have disected in a Biology class. This includes Pancreas, Brains and Liver.
• She tries to avoid meat in Chinese Food. This isn't always possible.
• She prefers her Bar-B-Que with little or no sauce.
• She used to like Sushi, but lately eh.

Word Association

Velocibadgergirl had a free association word game today.She got it from The Friggen' Cathouse. She got it from Luna Nina.

I chose an older one.
I say...and you think...?

1. Spit it out:: You don't know where that's been!

2. Shadow:: Knows.

3. Database:: Is not yet full.

4. Expression:: of my OCD tendencies

5. Boss:: Bossy

6. Baby:: Makes 4

7. Mystic:: Connecticut

8. Kate:: Holmes is way too thin

9. Boobies:: Saggies

10. Raid:: Kills Ants Dead

The Soundtrack Of My Life As A Movie

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?

This can be either really lame or super f'in hilarious!
I promise I DID NOT CHEAT!!

So, here's how it works:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. When you go to a new question, press the next button
5. For every question, type the song that's playing
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.

Opening Credits: Anticipation-Carly Simon (wow)

Waking Up: Someone Saved My Life Tonight-Elton John (must have been some kind of nightmare)

First Day At School:One Day- (a song my husband has been writing)

Falling In Love:Dock Of The Bay-Otis Redding(...and this lonliness won't leave me alone.....)

Fight Song: The Worst That Could Happen-(Brooklyn Bridge) (...and this is the end, you say you really mean it)

Breaking Up: Blackbird -Beatles (....take these broken wings and learn to fly.....)

Prom:Strong Enough-Sheryl Crow (are you strong enough to be my man?)

Life: Anyone Who Had A Heart-Dionne Warwick

Mental Breakdown: Boston- Augustana (Oh dear, you look so lost, eyes are red and tears are shed. The worlds you must have crossed)

Driving: Walk Away-Kelly Clarkson (from a few accidents I've had)

Flashback: Spooky-Atlanta Rhythm Section (yep this is spooky alright!)

Getting Back Together:Foolish Games-Jewel (hmmmm)

Wedding:Redemption Song-Bob Marley(I don't get it)

Birth of Child: Karma-Alicia Keys

Final Battle: Cristofori's Dream -David Lanz(kind of a dramatic piece of New Age piano music)

Death Scene:That Was The Worst Christmas Ever-Sufjan Stevens (OH MY POOR FAMILY!)

Funeral Song:Young Girl-Gary Puckett and the Union Gap (hahaha too late for that!)

End Credits: Over The Rainbow-Eva Cassidy version (one of my 5 favorite songs!)

Monday Mememe

I grabbed this one from Jen over at jenontheedge.
These are a few of my favorite things:

Political Show-I'm all about the sarcasm, so it's usually Bill Maher or Rachel Maddow

Picnic Food- Smashed Potato Salad (recipe provided upon request)

Mixed Drink- Sex on the Beach, Appletini

US President-Lincoln....so far.

Kind of Student to Teach-The only teaching I've done is CCD to the little kids at church. I did 5 years of First Grade and 1 year of Second Grade. Those Second Graders nearly put me over the edge!

Hobby-Dabble at many, excel at none. I've done knitting (pretty good), Cross Stitch (really good), Scrapbooks (very good), Cardmaking (just learning) Sewing (haven't since the kids grew up, want to start again, need a new sewing machine, mine is 30 years old)
ALWAYS have a book going on. Reading is definately my favorite.

Sports Commentator- Don't know any names. Whatever face is on the screen.....EXCEPT a certain ex-Dolphin whose name rhymes with Man Darino.

Sports to Watch on TV-Mr Sunshine State is 98% jock at heart. We watch Football, Basketball, Baseball, Golf, Bass Fishing, Figure Skating (not him, just me), Poker, Cooking Contests.

Pet- My mom hates animals but I had a few cats growing up. They usually lived with us for about 2 months, then got shipped out to someone else. After we got married, we had Bud (the yellow tabby) and Miller( the grey tabby). Miller died at 2 from a tumor near his windpipe, Bud lived to be 15 and died of liver failure. He was THE BEST CAT in the world. Then we had Chip the chocolate colored lop eared bunny, and now TIGGER the 24 pound crotchety mess who is 10.

Halloween Costume-The year I was pregnant with Cape Cod Kid, I went to a party as a Giant Pregnant Bunny...pink thermal underwear with a giant pompom sewn on the butt, bunny ears and my whiskers drawn on with eyeliner.

Dessert-So much sugar, so little time. Pie, cake, brownies. All-time fave is ICE CREAM! I inherited this love from my grandmother. We would rather skip a meal and go straight for the ice cream. I still think of her every time I eat it.

Footwear-Oh Dear Lord, a SORE SUBJECT! (Get it, sore feet?) My right foot is toast. I have arthritis which caused the bone in my heel to press on a nerve and I've broken 2 toes and had a giant bone spur which scraped the Achilles tendon for over a year. I finally had surgery in Feb of 2006, which corrected the heel issues, but I still have a lot of nerve pain. So now I live in The Sunshine State where I can live year-round in flip-flops, sandals and slides. I wear my Birkie Ugly Black Clogs to work. There are NO favorite shoes anymore.

Ice Cream-Vanilla Swiss Almond, Chocolate/Peanut Butter, Mint Chocolate Chip.

College/University President- Don't know any

Vacation Spot-Pretty much anything historical

Wine- Not so much. I like White Merlot. I know, you're gagging. Someone told me that's considered low-class (not the gagging, the White Merlot).

Time Waster- Della, my laptop, currently in Rehab, hopefully out soon.

Reality Show- None currently. When Sorority Girl is here, we do Bravo Marathons.

Jewelry on a Man-Actually, none. Mr Sunshine State has had 2 wedding rings. One got stolen from the hospital bathroom the night Cape Cod Kid was born. The other one is at the bottom of Mashpee-Wakeby on the Cape. It flew off in an exciting waterskiing maneuver.

Pizza Topping- Onions, mushrooms and the occasional green peppers.

Kid's Movie- When Cape Cod Kid was young, we watched Bedknobs and Broomsticks at least 50 times.

CELEBRITY YOU WISH WOULD RETIRE- I'm in a Live-and-Let-Live mood today, so I won't pick one.

Meme Monday: A to Z

Accent: Southeastern Massachusetts. Fall River. Drop your R's and run all your words together.

Breakfast: Dunkin Donuts coffee brewed at home with half and half and one Equal. Toast with something on it, fruit.

Chore: Least favorite-scrub the tub. Favorite-Vacuum

Dog or Cat: Tigger the 24 Lb Maine Coon Cat with a tiny bit of Calico from his Mama's side.

Essential Electronic: Cell phone because we have no house phone.

Favorite Cologne: Black Amethyst- Bath and Body Works

Gold or Silver: Silver. My Wedding rings are white gold.

Handbag: No favorite at the time. Depends where I'm going.

Insomnia: and I go way back. I try to roll with the punches.

Job Title: Retail Bitch

Kids: Cape Cod Kid- age 23- guess where he lives? Sorority Girl- age 20- Lives near a BIG UNIVERSITY>

Living Arrangement: Mr Sunshine State, Tigger and I live in an 8 room apartment on the outskirts of Orlando.

Most Admirable Trait: I am kind

Naughtiest Childhood Habit: Not tell Mom where I was going and she would have to call neighbors and occasionally send out a search party.

Overnight Hospital Stay: 1973-orthopedic. 1985-baby. 1988-baby

Phobia: I'm seriously claustrophobic

Quote: "Sleep is the best meditation." Dalai Lama

Reason To Smile: Mr Sunshine State tries to make me laugh every day

Siblings: One sister-361 days younger than me. Brother-2 years and 4 months younger than me. Brother-9 years younger than me.

Time To Wake Up: Depends on the current state of my insomnia and if I have to go to work.

Unusual Talent: Burp on demand.

Vegetable I refuse to eat: Don't think I've found one yet.

Worst Habit: Interrupting people. I think it's an ADD thing.

X-rays: Are you kidding me? I'm the Klutz Princess. I'm surprised I don't glow in the dark.

Yummy Stuff: Cheese, ice cream, Peanut Crack&M's

Zoo Animal I Like The Most: Giraffe. I love how they walk.

8 Things About 4 Things About Me

I got tagged by Kerry

8 THINGS I SAY A LOT:

• Absolutely!
• That's wrong in 27 different ways
• I Can't Breathe!!
• Did you feed the cat?
• My feet are killing me
• Awesome
• F%$# and all it's variations
• If you don't lay down and act like a doormat, no one can walk all over you

8 MOVIES I'VE SEEN 8 TIMES (the almost all musicals version)

• The Sound of Music
• Grease
• The Wizard of Oz (I'm watching it right now!)
• The King and I
• Dirty Dancing
• An Officer and A Gentleman
• Pretty Woman
• Steel Magnolias

8 THINGS ON MY "BUCKET LIST"

• Go back to London
• Go back to San Francisco
• Go to Vienna and Salzburg
• Go to Graceland
• Be a grandmother
• Swim with dolphins
• Learn ballroom dancing
• Write a children's book

8 ( actually 6 ) THINGS I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT

• My kids
• My husband
• Travelling
• Reading
• Doing my work honestly
• Being kind

8 BOOKS I HAVE READ

This needs to be a separate post so I can tell you more about why I liked these books.

This Week in the History of My Life

1958: I prepare to turn 1 and become a big sister.
1959: I prepare to turn 2 and become a big sister again.
1965: I prepare to turn 8 and become a big sister Again!

1975: I am about to start a 2 yr Medical Lab Tech training program and what I
fondly refer to as 2 years of hell. 2 years of peering through a
microscope at worms, sperms and germs until I thought my eyeballs
would dry up and fall out of my face.

1979: I am about to get married. There are a few glitches in the plans. We need
a new Best Man. We need a new priest (my cousin is sick). We need Dad
to recover from a stroke and be discharged from the hospital.

1984: I am expecting my first baby that will become Cape Cod Kid. (Dad called
him a little Pilgrim because he was born in Plymouth MA, right down the
street from the rock).

1987: Expecting my little Sorority Girl. Glad we are in a real house, now.

1994: Last birthday Dad and I would share. July would never be the same.

2006: Getting ready to fly back to MA after driving the Sorority Girl to Florida and wait for the Cape Cod House to sell.

2008: I want a new job and a new body. Both are getting really old.

PHOTOS-The 10 Pictures Meme

I grabbed this idea from jenontheedge and Patience_Crabstick
It's the one where you take 10 specific pictures. Here are mine.
Don't hate me because my apartment is clean. THERE ARE NO CHILDREN LIVING HERE!


The kitchen. 75% of it. I can stand in the middle and touch everything in there.

The fridge. Recently cleaned and organized. Notice a little OCD in the arrangement? The Margarita Mix was shy and hid behind the milk.

This is Sorority Girl/Guest bathroom. You can tell she is not here because of the lack of hair, makeup and contact lens paraphernalia on the sink.

Cute shoes and comfortable. Sadly, I can't wear them to work because they are not a solid, neutral color.

I have 2 favorites, so you're getting 2! They're Bjorndal.

Half of the walk-in closet. Look at all the black and white clothes. She must work at Pottery Barn!

Laundry. The green basket is the dirty stuff. The white basket is the clean stuff.


KIDS. KIDS? No kids live here. What are they doing now? I would guess Cape Cod Kid is mowing,raking,digging or planting. He works for a landscape/irrigation company. Sorority Girl? Probably at Fratboyfriend And The Fratboys house, or on campus at the Rec Center or the Rec Pool. Yes, they have a "resort-style" pool. That's why it's called University of Tropical Paradise.

Fantasy vacation. My "Won the Freaking Lottery" vacation. My "bucket list"

vacation. My best friend has been twice and sends me e-mails to tell me I must go there. Mozart. Strauss. St. Stephen's Cathedral. Sigh. Vienna. With a side of Salzburg.

I spend a lot of time in the Living Room. The monster television is the 52-inch portal to sports and movies. And ALL MY CHILDREN.



And finally. My self-portrait. Double the pleasure. Double the fun. Holding up my Double Chin.

100 Posts-100 Words

This is my 100th post.
I didn't want to do the Usual 100 things about me that would take weeks to write and read.
So, I present to you....100 words about me

Am:

Woman, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister,
Reader, Writer, Cook, Shopper, Eater,
Farsighted, Overweight, Insomniac, Arthritic,Hypothyroid
Anxious,Hungry,Frustrated,Sore,Tired
Loud,Sarcastic,Loyal, Finicky,Honest,
Patient,Impatient,Creative,Helpful,Hardworking
Wounded,Clumsy,Moody,Uncomfortable,Curious
Hyperactive,Fan,Volunteer,Loving,Supportive
Traveler,Natural,Reiki,Barefoot,Crosswords
Distractable,Chatty,Searching,Learning
Accepting,Different,Amusing,Disappointed, Defender
Procrastinator,Caregiver,Leo,Rooster,Democrat
Aging,Remembering,Photographing,Scrapbooking,
Blogging
Gullible,Angry,Silly,Praying,Hoping
Wishing,Tense,Medicated,Ordinary,Stubborn
Capable,Protective,Frank

NOT:

Confident,Mean,Snobby,Brave,Accomplished
Risky,Driven,Serene,Stylish,Stupid
Romantic,Radical,Sophisticated,Lucky
Energetic,Frail,Apathetic,Greedy,Powerful,
Crazy,Understood,Foolish,
Done

I'm Just Not You

You think I’m weird. You don’t understand me. It’s because you have certain beliefs about how people should behave. If they don’t conform to your ideas about what is proper, you label it “weird”.

Women of a certain age should not have long hair. They should not have underwear with little martini glasses on them and they shouldn’t have blue toenails. You can’t understand why some people only like silver jewelry and wear a bracelet of beaded tourquoise on a purple cord.

Women of a certain age should shop in the stores that have cute little outfits of matching tops and bottoms and the outfits should be of the finest polyester. They should shy away from any shirt that shows a hint of cleavage and on chilly days should have a nice sweatshirt jacket embroidered with a lighthouse or flowers.

Women of a certain age should enjoy books by certain popular authors who write the same plot with different characters every time. It’s just weird to read 13th Century Historical Fiction and non-fiction by that man who wants to be President. NPR is also weird radio.

I shouldn’t spend so much time on the computer, because I could be doing jigsaw puzzles. It’s just weird that I would throw the pieces at the wall in frustrated boredom.

I’m not weird.

I’m just not you