More little Internet Tests

Your Quirk Factor: 44%

You're a pretty quirky person, but you're just normal enough to hide it. Congratulations - you've fooled other people into thinking you're just like them!

How Quirky Are You?

That explains a LOT!

Your Element Is Water

A bit of a contradiction, you can seem both lighthearted and serious. That's because you're good at going with the flow - but you also are deep. Highly intuitive, you tune in to people's emotions and moods easily. You are able to tap into deep emotional connections and connect with others. You prefer a smooth, harmonious life - but you can navigate your way around waves. You have a knack for getting people to get along and making life a little more peaceful.

What's Your Element?

Your Vocabulary Score: B+

You have a zealous love for the English language, and many find your vocabulary edifying. Don't fret that you didn't get every word right, your vocabulary can be easily ameliorated!

How's Your Vocabulary?

Your Movie Buff Quotient: 62%

You are a total movie buff. Classics, blockbusters, indie favorites... you've seen most of them. Your friends know to come to you whenever they need a few good DVD rental suggestions.

Are You a Movie Buff?

Your Scholastic Strength Is Deep Thinking

You aren't afraid to delve head first into a difficult subject, with mastery as your goal. You are talented at adapting, motivating others, managing resources, and analyzing risk. You should major in: Philosophy Music Theology Art History Foreign language

What Should You Major In?

Darn! I didn’t major in any of those, but they are all interesting to me.

You Are 40% Normal

While some of your behavior is quite normal... Other things you do are downright strange You've got a little of your freak going on But you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself

How Normal Are You?

Hmmm. Interesting.

You Are 20% Cynical

Cynical? Not even close! If anything, you're a bit naive. Overall, you enjoy life and try not to be paranoid. Even if you've been burned before.

How Cynical Are You?

Yep, that’s me.

You Are 23 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

What Your Sleeping Position Says

You are calm and rational. You are also giving and kind - a great friend. You are easy going and trusting. However, you are too sensible to fall for mind games.

What Does Your Sleeping Position Say About You?

You Are 5% Redneck

I'll slap you so hard, your clothes will be outta style. You ain't no redneck - you're all Yankee!

How Redneck Are You?

Blame it on the California sun.

Stat Counter Rocks!

and it's FREE. WooHoo! Thanks to Contemplator, I have been using Stat Counter since November 16 and I have had a great time seeing where everyone is coming from, what keywords are getting people to my sight, how long everyone is visiting, and much more.

To get your own free Stat Counter, go here and sign up. You won't regret it. I love it and check it every day.

Reading Eragon...Waiting for Harry Potter's Order of the Phoenix

So...I've started reading Eragon. I know that Hubby and I want to see the movie, but I have no idea what it's all about besides Dragon Riders.. I went to Target last week and they had the book on sale for $5.24. Can you believe it? The book has 754 pages with pictures from the movie and they're selling it at such a low price. I couldn't believe it.

I can't wait for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie to come out. I need to pull out the book and reread it. It's been quite some time since I've read it and I want to refresh my memory before that movie comes out. I heard that Emma Watson is unsure if she will be back for the 6th and 7th movies. I think it will be a big mistake if she isn't. These shows made her famous. These shows gave her her big chance, and now she's thinking about turning her back on it. Makes me wonder if she's holding out for more money - no clue, just my opinion and ponderings.

I am sooo looking forward to the 7th Harry Potter book. I've read the others and can't wait to read the last one. Heard that at least one of the major characters is gonna die. Wonder who she considers the major characters. I'm thinking just Harry, Hermoine, and Ron; but I've been known to be wrong before. I'm gonna have to read The Half Blood Prince in order to get ready for that movie as well.

Today's News

Thanks so much to all who have been leaving comments. I love reading them. Your support through everything is very much appreciated.

Ok, on to today, well...let's start with yesterday. I put my application in at the local college (my alma mater) for two secretarial positions. One is in the department of English and the other is in the Alumni Association. In order to be considered for these positions, I have to go to a testing location and take tests for Word 2000, Excel 2000, proofreading, data entry, and spelling. I'm not too worried about these. I took the exact same tests about 5 years ago for a position there before starting school and I passed them. As a matter of fact, I think I would have had the job except they ended up without the funding so they did away with the position. All through college, I had an "employee" section on my website, so I consider that a good omen that the job was mine. If I passed those tests all those years ago, there's no way I'll do poorly on them now. I type faster and I have more experience now with Word and Excel. Still...wish me luck, won't you?

So, in order to get ready for the tests tomorrow, I got my nails declawed today. Now they won't be slowing down my typing.

Still haven't heard anything from mom. They'll be in town to catch a flight on Saturday. They're taking a 2-week cruise around Hawaii for their 40th anniversary. They should really enjoy it. We're supposed to meet them for dinner that night. Let's see how that goes.

I think what ticks me off and hurts me the most with my mom is that I feel like I have been taken for granted. I have been there for every holiday (except Christmas) for the past 11 years. This includes minor holidays. Has my brother been there? NO! Even when he lived 3 hours away (the same distance I live from my folks). Somehow, I made it to their house, he never did. I don't show up for my mom's birthday one year (just one - and I had seen her two weeks before, gave her gift to her, and was seeing her the very next weekend) and I become the bad child. Yet the one that is known for spending Mother's Day with his girlfriend's family while he was in high school can do no wrong. You know, I didn't just become the bad child. I've always felt that way when it comes to my family. Maybe it's because I don't believe religiously the same way they do. Maybe they think I'm...you know what? I have no idea what they think or how they feel, I only know how I feel and this whole situation is just making me tired.

We had a GREAT Thanksgiving with Hubby's family and we always spend Christmas with them. I think we've got a new place to go each year for Thanksgiving. I love the Kobester. And I'm so tired of feeling out of place with my family. Why shouldn't we have Thanksgiving with his family each year? Hell, my own parents couldn't stick around last year until Christmas Day after all the planning I did. I think it's time I start holding on to "my family". Those that I choose as my family not those related by blood. I think that will make the most sense for me and make me the happiest in the present and the future, so that's the plan for now. Which is not to say that I won't still need to vent once in a while because of my blood relations. :-)

Another Meme

Found this on Spelled with an I
1. What does your cell phone look like? It’s Red and Gray

2. Do you know what time you were born? 1:05 in the afternoon pst.

3. What do you want more than anything right now? A job I'm happy with including people I love to work with.

4. What do you miss? Wearing a size 8

5. Hot Dogs or Hamburgers? Hamburgers (Toot’s are the best!). I had one today.

6. Do you get scared in the dark? Yes, have since childhood (trauma thing)

7. The last person to make you cry? Me.

8. Hair/Eye color you prefer on opposite sex? Dark hair, dark eyes

9. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be? chocolate

10. Who is the last person who was mad at you? My mom, duh.

11. Do you speak another language? Nope. Learning a little Laotian, but not doing very well – not working at it very hard.

12. What was the first gift anyone ever got you? I remember my teddy bear named Fred (yes, after Fred Flintstone – my brother had one named Barney after Barney Rubble)

13. Would you fall in love with someone knowing they were taken? Not on purpose – can’t always control those things. I wouldn’t act on it, though.

14. Best way to tell someone how much they mean to you? By your actions

15. Your Weaknesses? chocolate

16. Ever done a prank call? Many times. Don’t all teenagers?

17. If you could get plastic surgery, what would it be? I’d get my nose fixed. It’s been crooked for years and I have a hard time breathing. Don’t know that I want to go through the pain though.

18. What do you get complimented about the most? My eyes and my laugh

19. What do you want for your birthday? We’re going to see the final performance of The Lion King this Sunday, so all I need on my birthday is a card (chocolate would be nice, too).

20. How many kids do you want? I’m fine with my dog, thank you

21. Do you wish on stars? Yep

22. Which finger/s is/are your favorite? Don’t have one – never thought about it before

23. When did you last cry? Last week – went through a small bout of depression

24. What is your most embarrassing CD on the shelf? Spice Girls (their first album)

25. If you were another person, would you be friends with yourself? Yes

26. Have you ever told a secret you swore never to tell? I don’t think so.

27. Do looks matter? Not as much as intelligence, humor, and good personality

28. How do you release your anger? Clean my house (obviously, I haven’t been angry in a while – hey, that’s a good sign – too bad for the house). Not dirty, just cluttered

29. Do you trust people too easily? Way too often.

30. Favorite toy as a child? Fred

31. Where were you 6 hours ago? Picking my dog up from the groomers

32. Who will be your next kiss? Hubby, duh

33. Anything pink within 10 feet of you? Kleenex box, robe, and ironing board cover

34. What are you wearing right now? Comfy pants and Notre Dame sweatshirt

35. Last sporting event you watched? NASCAR racing at Homestead (last race of the Cup championship)

36. What is/was your favorite class? English and Science

37. How old are your parents? Mom is 60 and dad just turned 59.

38. Do you miss anyone? My niece and nephews in CA, also my grandmother and uncle who have both passed away

39. Were you an honor roll student in school? Yep, want to make something of it? hehe

40. What do you know about the future? It’s gotta be better than the past

41. Do you have a tan? Nope

42. How old do you want to be when you have kids? I wanted to be 25, but that has come and gone.

43. Last time you got stopped or pulled over by an officer? It’s never happened

44. How do you like your drinks? As cold as possible (sorry, even wine – it’s the only way I can drink it)

45. Are you someone’s best friend? Not that I know of

Update on Mom

OK, so I guess Mom is still upset with me over Thanksgiving. As I said in Saturday's post, Mom didn't answer her phone when I called (she knows it was me, she has a different ringtone for me that she said she loves). Maybe the phone was in another room, I don't know. What I do know is that I decided Saturday because of that that I wasn't going to call her until she called me. I haven't heard a peep out of her since Thanksgiving.

I think she is at her wits end. She thought I would be the one to be at her beck and call, so she never paid attention to me and I was the "bad egg". Now that I'm doing what Bro has been doing for years, I think she's stumped and confused. I don't know. I can't begin to understand how she thinks or why she acts the way she does. Anyhow...just wanted to update ya.

Another quiz

This is nice to know since I am considered the "black sheep" in my family.


How evil are you?

I skipped 3 ABC's of me

H - Hugs or Kisses: I Love Hugs! Hugs make the world go 'round

I - Idealism or Pragmatism: Pragmatism (take what applies to you, leave what doesn't) :-)

K - Karaoke: Nope. I used to sing in church choirs, choral groups of all sizes, and solos; but not karaoke.

Sorry I missed these when I posted earlier. I guess I skipped them for some reason and never came back to them. Thanks, Contemplator (see link on right for Dante's Virgil), for bringing that to my attention.

Phone call with Dad

So...I called my dad this morning to wish him a happy birthday. I called on my mom's cell because that is their main number. She didn't answer (don't know if it was in another room or if she just refused to answer it). I called dad on his cell and had a good talk with him. I didn't mention that mom didn't answer her phone, and he didn't mention anything about yesterday, so I didn't bring it up and let it drop. I have not heard from them since.

They're going to be taking a 2 week cruise around the Hawaiian islands next week, so we said we would pick up their car so they wouldn't get charged for it staying at the airport for 2 weeks. They're flight leaves early Sunday morning. I said they were welcome to spend Saturday night at our house, then mentioned that I remembered them saying they were going to get a hotel room near the airport so they didn't have to get up so early. Mom took it that they weren't welcome at my house - whatever. Dad said today that we could meet by the airport for dinner (we still need to pick up the spare pair of keys).

So, that's the update from Thanksgiving, but it went better to some degree than I expected.

Did anyone battle traffic the day after Thanksgiving to shop? We stayed home all day. Even better, I stayed in my pajamas all day long. It was great!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you all enjoyed yours if you are celebrating today. We had a good day. For a change, we spent it in town instead of going to my parents. Come to find out, this was only our 2nd Thanksgiving with Hubby's family. I can't believe I let Mom guilt me into going to her house each year and neglect his family like that. Whatever it takes to keep momma happy.

She wasn't happy today. In case you don't remember, I've backed off quite a bit from my mom since her birthday in August. I'd love to have a better relationship with her. Right now, she takes me for granted and I'm always the bad kid while my brother is perfect. I'm the one that's there. For all the details, check out this blog. Anyway...we decided that we were going to spend Thanksgiving here with the family we never spend Thanksgiving with. The few times I've spoken to mom this week, she has mentioned us coming up there and I keep telling her that we aren't.

Usually, for mom and dad's birthdays and holidays, I call them first thing in the morning. I didn't do that today. I knew that Gary wasn't going to call until around 3pm our time, so I was planning on calling around 2. Besides, mom can call me as easily as I can call her. Mom ended up calling me at 2:30. I lost track of time. I was playing with the nephew and holding a month-old baby (I can't have children, so I hold all the ones I can). I told them happy Thanksgiving, asked what they did, and asked if they had a good day. Mom said no, they didn't have a good day. I asked why? It took her about 3 minutes before she answered. I couldn't hear her crying or anything. I almost thought I'd lost connection because I couldn't hear anything on that end. When she finally started talking again, she didn't sound like she was crying, so I don't know what the deal was. Probably just to make me feel guilty. It didn't work.

What's funny is that just last night, I was telling Hubby that even though I know my parents love me; I also know that they don't accept me. They tolerate me, but don't accept me. I even told him that if we were not related, I wouldn't want to spend time with them because of the negativity and the bummer (downer) feeling I get every time we see them. It is in no way a "relaxing" experience.

Now that Mom's best friend is moving to town, she is going to be worse (read more judgmental than ever). When this friend was visiting the same time we were a few years ago, Mom said that Hubby and I were "heathens" and kept going on and on about things she knows I don't agree with and tried to pressure me into saying I believed the way she does. Why in the world would I put myself into that situation when I don't have to?

I felt bad about upsetting my mom. If the whole situation didn't bother me, I wouldn't be blogging about it here. I'm too nice a person to let it NOT bother me. Mom knows that and uses my soft heart against me any chance she gets.

What's worse? I'll tell you....my dad's birthday is Saturday. I'm gonna call. I can already hear him tell me that I hurt mom's feelings by not calling. I know he's gonna. That's a given. I'm sooo tempted to tell him that my life doesn't revolve around her. I know he wouldn't like that at all and would have so much more to say to me. If I had more of a backbone, I would probably say just that. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

I LOVE to bake

With that in mind...I can't bake a pie to save my life. You don't believe me? My first attempt was a few years ago. I made a pumpkin pie (it was for Thanksgiving or Christmas - I don't remember which now. That's how long it's been). When it came out of the oven, it was GREEN! How the hell does a pie with nothing but white and orange ingredients turn green? Maybe my spices were old? I have no clue. I used those same spices for my pumpkin bread and it turned out fine.

As I said, that was a few years ago. I thought I'd try again this week with a can of "easy" pumpkin pie filling. They lied. I dumped the can into the 9-inch pan then realized that I had to add 2 eggs and evaporated milk. So, I pulled the pie out of the oven (it had only been in for a few seconds) and dumped the pie stuff into a bowl and added the missing ingredients. Not a problem. Grant it, I should have read the label completely before I just dumped it in anyway - that's my fault for being impatient. As I'm pouring the pie mixture into the pie pan, I realize that I've got quite a bit left in the bowl and not much room left in the shell. It doesn't all fit, but I tried to get as much in as I could. YES! I made a slight mess. I was surprised to find that my mess was only one or two small drops. I really thought I made a much bigger mess. I was lucky. So...I cook the pie for 15 minutes at 425, then switch the oven to 350 for 60-70 minutes. What happened to easy? Anyway, after the 70 minutes, the pie was not done. There was goo coming out on the knife that should have been clean. I put it back in for another 10 minutes with the same result. I tried it one more time for another 10 minutes to which again, the knife is NOT clean. So much for an easy pie. By this time, the crust edges are burnt and the pie itself is starting to burn in spots. Forget it!

So, yesterday, I went to Kroger and bought a Marie Callendar's Pumpkin Pie that I just have to bake for an hour. It is done, out of the oven, and looking GREAT! Now that's an easy pie and the ONLY kind of pie I will be making from now on.

Earlier this week, I made a dozen muffins. Half of these muffins were strawberry while the other half were blueberry cheesecake. They were fantastic. I think I'll be making muffins on a more regular basis.

Currently, I have two loaves of pumpkin bread in the oven. Boy do they smell good. I have a fruit salad I want to make a little later as well. I might have to put both recipes in my blog since they are both family recipes. I haven't decided yet. Would you like the recipe for my pumpkin bread and fruit salad? Both are easy. Let me know.

Reading Through the Blogs

As you can see from the links on the right, I have added the links I especially liked from reading through the list of those doing the NaBloPoMo. I haven't even finished the A's yet, but I have copied the links into a Word document on my computer so I can continue to barrel through the list even after the end of the month. Sadly, with all the new blogs I'm enjoying, I am unable to read each one every day, but I have been reading more than just one day on each blog so that I'm not missing anything.

I hope you enjoy the new links as much as I am. Look for more to be added in the future.

And for those of you visiting my blog...thanks so much. I hope you enjoy what you're reading.

A Little Clarification

I know I stated that I do NOT put up a Christmas tree or other Christmas decorations. This declaration is still true, but I do not have children. If I had children or if my nephew were to come over to my house instead of us always going over there, I would set up a tree and put up decorations. I wouldn't want him to miss out on the holiday spirit or childhood memories. His family puts up a tree each year and decorations, and we go over and open presents with them on Christmas morning.

I just wanted to clear that up. Without you knowing that I have no children, my Christmas Trivia post could come across as someone who doesn't care about shattering the hopes and dreams of young minds.

In my last post "TV Junkie", I forgot to mention a show that comes on every day that I do not miss. If I am not home, I tape it Monday through Friday. The show is "Days of our Lives". Good gosh, the stuff going on in that show at the moment. I just can't believe it and can't wait until the characters figure it all out.

I'm a TV Junky

Yep, I said it. I finally admit that I LOVE the bube tube, the box with all the colored pictures. I hold the remote and will not give it up without a fight. I am in control of that little monster - maybe it's in control of me. That's what my husband would say. I can't help it. I grew up watching TV. That's what my family did. We watched TV from dinner to bedtime. Of course, my brother and I couldn't choose the program - that's why it's all me now (just guessing here).

I have cut back on the amount of TV I have been watching (at night). Now that I am home all the time, it is on during the day which is not a good thing. During the night, there are a few programs that I cannot miss, but for the most part, the TV is on just for noise.

The shows I can't miss? Well, thanks for asking. Let me share those with you. By the way, these shows I stop everything in order to watch and give it my full attention.

Monday - "Heroes" on NBC. I absolutely love this show. Tonight we find out the meaning of "Save the Cheerleader, save the world." This will be a pivotal episode. This show comes on at 8 for us. Before this, I usually watch "How I Met your Mother" and "The Class". These I mostly listen to while I'm doing other things.

Tuesday - "Dead Like Me" on SciFi. It's a morbid show, about a girl who has died and is turned into a grim reaper. Very interesting. Makes me kind of wish that I could live forever. I think I would prefer being a grim reaper as opposed to a vampire. I can't figure out why though. Both take life. Both live forever. I think I like the grim reaper idea because there are many ways in which people die and as a grim reaper, it would be a mystery to solve. How is this person going to die. As a vampire, every soul you take is taken the same way.

Thursday - "Survivor", "CSI", and "Shark" all on CBS from 7-9p.m. This is by far my favorite night of television. Do I really need to explain this? I didn't think so.

Ok, so those are my favorite shows. Now that NASCAR is over, this is the extent of my list. Yeah, I know. I'm a NASCAR junkie as well, but that's a post all in itself. Trust me.

So...what shows do you like to watch?

One Word

1. Yourself: Uncomfortable (gotta pee) :-)
2. Your spouse: Fantastic
3. Your hair: Acceptable
4. Your mother: Obstinate
5. Your father: Ornery
6. Your favorite item: Books
7. Your dream last night: Unknown
8. Your favorite drink: Iced
9. Your dream car: Murano
10. The room you are in: Living
11. Your ex: Homosexual
12. Your fear: Failure
13. What you want to be in 10 years? Debt-free
14. Who you hung out with last night? Husband
15. What you’re not? Neat
16. Muffins: Bran
17. One of your wish list items: Furniture
18. Time: Flying
19. The last thing you did: Posted
20. What you are wearing: Comfy
21. Your favorite weather: Overcast
22. Your favorite book: Any
23. The last thing you ate: McDonald’s
24. Your life: Great
25. Your mood: Mellow
26. Your best friend: Husband
27. What are you thinking about right now? Football
28. Your car: Corolla
29. What are you doing at the moment? Blogging
30. Your summer: Nuts
31. Your relationship status: Happy
32. What is on your TV? : Football
33. What is the weather like? Cold
34. When is the last time you laughed? Today

Catch Up

Ok, things I've been thinking about but forgetting to blog about. I actually wrote a list, can you believe it?

1. I have officially started my "Winter Fur". You may wonder what the heck is that? Trust me, women know even if they haven't heard it called by this name. I never heard this term until just a few years ago myself. It's when a woman doesn't shave her legs for the winter. Insulation. Keeps you warmer. Maybe not, but sounds good. For me, it's not as bad as it sounds. I've been getting my legs waxed for a while, so it now just grows in sporadically. Thank God for small favors. Supposedly, it would only take about 4 more waxes for my hair to stop growing on my legs, but since I have some German blood in me, I REALLY don't think that's true at all. Aren't you glad I finally shared that little tidbit? LOL

2. We've been having a LOT of fun with our nephew the past week or so. He doesn't want us to leave. EVER! He still copies a lot of the things I do and he loves playing with me and Hubby. This weekend has been the best. We were over there yesterday for quite a few hours. K was playing with the computer using MS Paint. He had a blast drawing and coloring. Hubby worked with him and he had a great time. We had the "Bagger Vance" DVD in (K LOVES golf). At certain parts, he would come up on the sofa, sit with me (ok, actually practically on top of me - he got as close as he could without actually being on top of me), and he had his little feet touching my feet. It was fantastic. I held him, rubbed his arm, and tickled him. We had fun. Today we went over and took him to IHOP for pancakes (another of his favorites). When we finished, we went to Target and we separated. When he saw us coming toward him, he jumped out intot he aisle and hollered "come on". The lady we passed was smiling - how can you not? really. So we looked around a bit. He went with his dad and realized we weren't right behind him. He came back yelling "Aunt Kari" (I love that sound). We bought him a citrus Icee and he was such a happy camper. We all went back to their house and he went outside with his uncle and played golf. When they came in, K wanted to color, so he got paper and crayons out and had his uncle coloring with him. Then he asked me to come down and color, too. He gave me a clean piece of paper and got another one for him. Sadly, uncle had nothing to color on. He mentioned it to K, so K gave him a piece we already colored on and flipped it over for him to color on. Hillarious. Poor Uncle. K copied everything I did. You know I loved that.

3. I've been wanting to lose weight and I really think I'm close to beginning this venture. I really want to be around for Kobe with the ability to run around and play without being worn out so quickly. I haven't hit the 200 mark (and I don't plan on it!), but I'm close and I just know this isn't the best me. I'd really like to get down around 150. I'm kind of contradicting my last post where I'm in the mood to bake. I am in the mood to bake, but I'm not going to be eating that stuff until Thanksgiving Day. I've decided that this week, I am going to drink a Slimfast shake for breakfast and lunch and then eat a normal dinner each night. See if I can lose a few pounds before Thursday. I may even do that for a few weeks as a jump start to weight loss, but I do not want to do that for a long period of time. It makes no sense and isn't really all that healthy. When you go back to eating regular meals, it kills you because you gain weight from going to liquids to solids. I don't want to sabotage, I just want a jump start.

4. We have decided that for Christmas (and my birthday - the 15th of Dec), Hubby and I will be getting a recumbent bike so we can work on weight loss while it is cold outside. I am all for this. We need to do something (both of us). In the 10 years we've been married, we've both gained about 50 pounds. Makes sense...we stay home more, get lazy, eat out. We've each gained about 5 pounds per year. We can't expect to lose all that weight at one time when we put it on slowly, we aren't stupid or being unrealistic with this. We know you lose it slower than you put it on. It's harder to lose it - you have to be careful and watch what you're doing. To gain, you just eat and enjoy. Yep, losing is soooo much harder. But we both want to do it.

5. I know I've been lazy lately. I can't explain it. There are a lot of things I want to get done, I just can't seem to get the energy to do them. This is how I was before I took the depression meds a few years ago. This is another reason I think I may need to go back on the meds. It'll have to wait until I get a job with good insurance. Hubby's insurance SUCKS! and that kind of stuff comes out of pocket - maybe to be reimbursed depending on how much is left in his fund each year. This year, we have used the fund completely, so it would all be out of pocket. No thanks, I think I'll wait.

So...those are the things I've been thinking about posting and haven't.

The things I've been wanting to do around the house and haven't:
1. Do a thorough cleaning in each room
2. Change the room we've been sleeping in from the spare room back to the master (which means moving furniture)
3. Paint 4 rooms in the house (kitchen, master bedroom, spare bedroom, master bathroom)
4. Clean out flower bed in front yard
5. Clean out beds around trees in front yard
6. Paint garage door, 2 columns on front porch, paint front door, paint porch light plate to match siding
7. Put quarter round on the living room floor (would finish the job we started of putting wood floors down in that room)

That's all I can think of at the moment, but it seems that there were other things I wanted to do. I think those other things would actually fit under the major categories.

Christmas Trivia

Found online somewhere and thought I would share.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg Nog

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Santa loves wrapping presents

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? None

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope

5. When do you put up your decorations? I don’t unless my parents come to visit – last year, my tree was a piece of plastic I thumb tacked to the wall (with picture of tree). Before they came down, they decided they were going to leave BEFORE Christmas day, so why should I go to the trouble?

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Not sure, I love it all, and can’t pick just one

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Waking up really early with my brother and opening out stockings before my parents woke up (the only thing we could touch before Mom and Dad came out) . There was always an apple, orange, banana, nuts, a candy bar (from our school fundraisers), and a toy or two that were wrapped.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don’t remember a lot from my childhood before I was 8, but it was during that period that I found out. I couldn’t even tell you how I found out or if I asked. No clue. Sorry.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? My husband and I pretty much open the gifts from each other as soon as we get them. When we have Christmas with my parents, we open them when we get together (usually the day after Thanksgiving or the Saturday after). When we are with his parents, we open them Christmas Day.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? I don’t put up a tree

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! Hate the ice that can come with it.

12. Can you ice skate? It’s been a long while, but yes (no twirls or jumps, though).

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I remember getting a Sunshine Family Farm House. I played with it forever. It had a chicken that laid eggs when you pushed it down, parents, and 2 children.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being with family

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Pumpkin Pie with Cool Whip (NOT whipped cream)

16 What is your favorite holiday tradition? Going to my in-laws to see my nephew open his gifts (he’ll be 4 in Jan).

17. What tops your tree? Nothing! How many times do I have to tell you I don’t put up a tree? 

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? It’s always been about Receiving, but this year, I’m really looking forward to giving

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? “Tender Tennessee Christmas” and “It’s Beginning to look a lot like Christmas”

20. Candy Canes - yuck or yummy? Mostly yucky, but one once in a while isn’t bad. I actually like the cinnamon flavored ones best

I tag...Anyone who wants to do this.....please leave me a comment and let me know you played so I can check out your answers.

So...

I'm getting into a baking mood. I've been thinking about it all week, and bought the ingredients yesterday. The things I've been wanting are things for Thanksgiving, so I will be making some stuff to take to my in-laws.

I'm going to make:
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Pie
Muffins

I'm also going to put together a fruit salad (family recipe) and I bought a frozen pecan pie (my husband's favorite pie and brand). These will also be taken over.

I've been thinking of quite a few things this past week and even earlier today; but now that I'm typing, I can't seem to think of any of it. I guess I need to blog it as soon as it comes to mind or at least write down notes so I won't forget to blog it later. Sorry. I will definitely be writing notes to keep this from happening in the future.

Back to Reality

So, I've had some fun posting these fun little things. I've been able to check out a few others that are playing along (thanks so much for that. I loved your responses).

Last you heard from me, I've been trying to read each of the bloggers doing the NaBloPoMo this month. My gosh, there are a lot of you. I'm not even through the A's yet, but I've been reading on a pretty consistent/constant basis. I'm definitely not reading each of these posts each day, but just going down the list reading a few posts from each. There are some that I have linked in my favorites, and I will be adding them to my right bar soon for you to link to as well.

I've been feeling much better after this much needed rest, so I have started putting my resume out again and hope to hear something soon. I really want to get back into the work force, I think I just wore myself out doing a four-year degree in three then not taking any time off to rest afterward. Now I feel rested and am starting to feel lazy, so that's my cue to get off my butt and get a job. :-) I also know that when I don't work for a while, my depression starts kicking in from my being alone too long in my own head and not having someone to interact with. I actually have this sometimes while I'm at work although I don't understand the trigger for it. According to the doctors, I have a chemical imbalance, so maybe there isn't a trigger or motivation for either circumstance. Makes me wonder if I'll need to go back on the medication sometime in the future. I've been off the medication for about 4 years now, but I can tell that I've been slipping back into old habits of thinking. Well, when I get a job, I could probably afford to get back on the medication...until then, I'll have to struggle through. At the moment things are fine, I just keep thinking I've made people mad when I've actually done nothing wrong - or nothing at all.

I got my allergy shots today. I get three shots a week, every week. I'm allergic to everything (except cockroaches - which I don't want to have anything to do with anyway). Anyway, I'm itching right now from where I got the shots.

So...that's what's been going on with me. Please excuse me while I get back to reading NaBloPoMo blogs. Keep up the great work by the way. If I had been near a computer the first part of the month, I would have taken part myself. I figure the least I could do is read through the list of bloggers (even if it takes me into December).

Oh...almost forgot. Hubby got tickets to see "The Lion King" live on Dec. 3. I am soooo excited. I'm gonna let him use this as my birthday present since my birthday is only 12 days after the show. Aren't I nice? Chocolate and a card would be good, too. hehe

Gotta get back to REAL blogging - tomorrow...maybe later today

Because all, or some, of the cool kids are doing it, here's my list of things that could be done, my own accomplishments being those with an asterick.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. *Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. *Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. *Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. *Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. *Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. *Slept under the stars
20. *Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. *Watched a meteor shower
23. *Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. *Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. *Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. *Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. *Had a snowball fight
31. *Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. *Seen a total eclipse
34. *Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. *Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. *Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. *Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. *Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. *Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. *Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. *Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. *Alphabetized your CDs
57. *Pretended to be a superhero
58. *Sung karaoke
59. *Lounged around in bed all day
60. *Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. *Played in the mud
64. *Played in the rain
65. *Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. *Started a business
68. *Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. *Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. *Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. *Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. *Gotten divorced (even though it wasn’t really a marriage, we had the paperwork that said it was, so what can you do?)
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. *Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. *Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. *Got flowers for no reason
84. *Performed on stage
85. *Been to Las Vegas
86. *Recorded music
87. *Eaten shark
88. *Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. *Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. *Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. *Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. *Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. *Had plastic surgery (I had a plastic surgeon repair the ligaments in my finger – does that count?)
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. *Touched a stingray
110. *Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. *Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. *Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. *Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. *Eaten sushi
128. *Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. *Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. *Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. *Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. *Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. *Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. *Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. *Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. *Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. *Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. *Caused a car accident
150. Helped Save/Saved someone’s life

Hmmm....gonna have to do a few more of the above items someday.

The A - Z's of Me

A - Age: 37

B - Band listening to right now: Linkin Park

C - Career: secretarial work

D - Drink or smoke: On occasion and No

E - Easiest person/s to talk to: Bounthavy, Tiffany, Grandma

F - Favorite song/s at the moment:

G - Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms: Bears

J - Junk foods you like: chocolate, salty, crunchy

L - Longest car ride ever: Time-wise? California to Tennessee

M - My favorite Sport/s: to watch – Hockey, Football, NASCAR Cup Series

N - Number of relationships you've had: I’ve dated 6 people, been in a sexual relationship with only 1

O - One wish you have: That my niece and nephews won’t have to go through the same things I went through as a kid

P - Phobias: Bugs, the dark (has to do with a situation when I was a little girl), getting lost or separated from my group while out in a crowd

Q - Favorite Quote: “No life is so hard that you cannot make it easier by the way you take it.”

R - Reason to smile: Love of a good man, a nephew that lives close by that I can visit anytime I want, a dog who loves me unconditionally, and I am becoming the woman I always wanted to be

S- Song: Kelly Clarkson’s Behind These Hazel Eyes

T- Time you woke up: 9:00 this morning (still don’t’ have a full-time job)

U - Unknown fact about you: I was sexually abused as a child and everything I mentioned as my phobias

V - Vegetable/fruit you hate: cooked green peppers

W - Worst habit: I pick at the dry skin around my nails (a lot)

X - X-rays you've had: sinuses, hips, knees, back, neck

Y - Yummy food/s: Mexican, and anything chocolate

Z - Zodiac sign: Sagittarius

My Piece of the Net

I found this on a website as a way to start conversation with others at a Thanksgiving dinner to better know the people you are dining with. They were pretty interesting (this is not the entire list).

Who was your favorite celebrity as a child?
Scott Baio, Shawn Cassidy
What type of pets do you have?
One Dog – A bichon frise named Dickens (after the author)
What is your favorite color?
Purple and pink – can’t choose between them at the moment
What is most memorable about your high school years?
Turmoil. Never fitting in.
What word describes you best?
naive
What is your greatest accomplishment?
Finishing college at the age of 37; I also have 3 poems that have been published
What drives you every day?
My husband and nephew
What is your favorite food?
Mexican
Where do you want to retire?
Near an ocean
What is your business goal this year?
To find a full-time job with people I love to work with
Where do you like to vacation?
Near an ocean
Who do you admire?
My husband, my grandmother, my in-laws
What is the kindest thing anyone has done for you?
Loved me unconditionally
How do you want to be remembered?
As a kind, loving person
What would you do with a million dollars?
Pay off all bills including home and student loans; set aside money for each niece and nephew for college and after college; give some to friends; pay off the bills of family members; donate to a few charities; buy a bigger home and cars with all-wheel drive; visit places like Greece, Italy, Scotland, Hawaii, and Alaska; and possibly buy a vacation home near an ocean.
If you were on an island, who would you want to be with? Why?
My husband because it would be a romantic getaway and we have wonderful talks about all sorts of things. We never get bored of each other and love spending time together.
You have a 10 minute speech to give at a high school, what is it about?
That your life may not turn out the way you have it planned at this moment. I would give examples of what I had planned for my life, show things that happened that were not in my plan, and relate how life has a way of working out anyway sometimes better than you can imagine.

Obviously...

I'm not part of the NaBloPoMo going on this month. I was out of town and away from technology when it started or I would have jumped right on in. I need to write more consistently. Had I known about the one for writing, I probably would have done that as well. Why not? I don't currently have a job and my husband is okay with that - ain't he great?!

Anyway, I've missed the whole first week and Monday of this week, so what I have decided to do is go to this site and take a look at each blog listed at the bottom (all those that are participating in NaBloPoMo). I'm going through the list and bookmarking those I like best. I started this today and I have, to this point, looked at 1Ideal-life to 63Days.com. These are pretty interesting blogs. 50 Books won the best blog of 2005 (I'm impressed). So...that's my quest for this month. Join me, will you?

After the results...

I wasn’t going to rant about the voting experience, but I can no longer keep my mouth shut. I saw the results in my state regarding same sex marriage.

I’ve gotta tell you that I am disappointed in the state of TN.

The state of TN has added to its constitution that “marriage is between a man and a woman” – what a crock! As a state, we have now included discrimination into the “Bible Belt” – imagine that. We have taken the following rights away from the gay communities in this state. That’s ridiculous.

There isn’t much difference between this and Hitler (except for the killing part, of course – hence the difference).

This whole thing makes me want to move to another state maybe even another country. But, if I moved to another country, I wouldn’t have the pleasure of the freedoms I enjoy and take for granted here – I would have some of them, but not all of them. I would also be moving away from the only nephew I have that I can see anytime I want – the real and only reason I won’t be moving anytime soon (unless we can talk his parents into moving with us).

I can’t believe how narrow minded the “Bible belt” is. What happened to “Christian love and duty”? It isn’t supposed to be judgmental – that’s supposed to be God’s job not anyone else’s. I know they’re judgmental and narrow-minded, I lived with them my entire life in CA (of all places!). So much for caring for your fellow man.

What happened to the rights given in the US Constitution – rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” given to EVERY person? The American people amended this Constitution in order to give the black people rights, including the right to vote. We also amended this to give women the right to vote, but TN has now taken away one part of the “pursuit of happiness” from the gay community because of the fear that they will “turn” others – or whatever. It’s fear of the unknown, but they take it way too far. While educating myself on the issues on our ballot, I came across a person’s opinion that stated that “if being homosexual is a choice, did everyone else choose to be heterosexual?” I liked that response. No hetero would say they chose to be straight. They would just say it was the natural order of things. Well, HELLO! That’s what the gay community would say as well. Think about it.

They act like the institution of marriage doesn’t already have its problems. Half the marriages in the country end in divorce. I think accepting same sex marriage would lower the divorce rate.

Why? Because most married couples throw in the towel when they have a problem or come across a snag in their marriage instead of working through it. The gay community have already been through so much just by being who they are, they know they can make it through whatever struggles may come up in the course of their “marriage”, they refuse to give up because they know it’s worth it in the long run and that making a lasting relationship takes time and effort and they are willing to give their relationship both.

If this state is already putting discrimination into its constitution, what’s next? Who’s the next group to be discriminated against? When will it end? Where will it end? Will it end?

Stupid, redneck, narrow-minded people! And I live among them. HELP!

Thank a Vet!

If you voted on Tuesday, November 7 (or even if you didn't - it's your right to do with as you choose), thank a vet. It is because of them that we have the right to vote.

I thought of this while I was in line tonight to vote. I first of all thanked my husband (and yes, I did get a few tears in my eyes while I did it). A few minutes later, I called my dad and thanked him as well.

I don't know what it is, but every time I hear the "National Anthem" or think about the freedoms we enjoy and take for granted, I choke up and get tears in my eyes. Does that make me sentimental or patriotic? I don't know which it is, maybe a little bit of both, but I do know that we take everything for granted and we need to take a few minutes to stop and think about those that fought, won, shed their blood, and died so we can enjoy the freedoms we have and take for granted. Thank a vet or two.

I'm back...Did you miss me?

I missed blogging this week. I was in beautiful Florida soaking up some much needed relaxation. What!? No sun? Nope...didn't lay out at all. Hardly left the hotel room. I was lazy all damn week and loved EVERY minute of it. I took plenty of books, but only read 2 (much to my husband's dismay).

Daily routine...I'd get up around 7:45 with my husband and go down to breakfast (free). When he left for class around 8:30, I'd go back up to the room and go back to bed. :-) Talkin' about heaven. Most days, I stayed in bed until noon - yep...you read that right - noon. It was great. I didn't sleep the entire time, but it sure felt good to just lay there and know that there was nothing I HAD to do.

I would then get up and watch a movie on HBO, HBO2, or whatever they called the third Hobo channel. If I didn't get interested in a movie, I read. I loved it. I felt so relaxed. I've needed to do that for such a long time.

I'm not looking for a job this next week. I'm going to get the house in order (on the inside). My folks are coming down on Friday to pick up my grandparents. They'll be staying with us Friday and Saturday night. After working on the inside, I plan on getting the rooms moved around. We've been sleeping in one of the smaller bedrooms instead of the Master. We're planning on changing that and going back to the Master. There are things I need to do to get ready for that move including taking books off bookcases and painting both rooms. I would also like to paint the kitchen, and I have the paint for all these rooms already along with primer for the Master.

Then there are things I'd like to accomplish outside the house. I have a flower bed I need to clean out COMPLETELY. There are also weeds at the base of our trees that need to be pulled. We've got new columns that need to be primed and painted. We put a new light on the porch and the face plate needs to be painted. I want to get that done as well. The garage door needs to be painted. I have the paint for these projects, but need to purchase the primer. The final things that need to be done are 1) pull out the twig of a tree that isn't growing, 2) pick up the bricks that surround the remaining trees, 3) put pavers down in the flowerbed so nothing will grow there, 4) paint the trim of the house to match the new siding.

A lot to do, but stuff that really needs to be done. I need to get off my lazy ass and put it to work around the house before I start looking for a new job. At least, that's what I'd like to do. We'll have to wait and see what actually takes place.