One word - Part Deux

Hey! These are fun!!

What wakes you: Son
Your initial look in the mirror reveals: Foofy
You usually first put on: Slippers
Your closet: Big
Your mood before 11am: Cross-eyed
The first thing you look at online after email: News
Something you tend to snack on: Crackers
What you see out your front door: Mountains
Your takeout menus: None
Number of boxes of tissue out in your home right now: Three?
The way you sneeze would read: AHHHH-shooooo!
Number of times a day you probably brush your hair: One
The most predominant thing in your pantry: Cans
A smell commonly coming from your kitchen: Mmmmm!
How you sort your books: Sort?
The way you keep your place in a book: Fold
Something you hide when people come over: Clutter
Number of people normally at your table during dinner: Three
Something you put on your nightstand before bed: Book
How high you pull the covers when you go to sleep: Chin

One Word

A meme:
Single word answers only.

1. Where is your cell phone? Table
2. Where is your significant other? Bed
3. Your hair color? Blonde
4. Your mother? Dead
5. Your father? Also
6. Your favorite thing? Boy
7. Your dream last night? Eh?
8. Your dream/goal? Happiness
9. The room you’re in? Living
10. Your hobby? Crafting
11. Your fear? Sadness
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Content
13. Where were you last night? Sofa
14. What you’re not? Thin
15. One of your wish list items? Car
16. Where you grew up? Seattle
17. The last thing you did? Email
18. What are you wearing? Comfy
19. Your T.V.? Old
20. Your pet? Snuggly
21. Your computer? Warm
22. Your mood? Stressed
23. Missing someone? Yes
24. Your car? Overworked
25. Something you’re not wearing? Make-up
26. Favorite store? Not
27. Your Summer? Unsatisfying
28. Love someone? Family
29. Your favorite color? Coral
30. When is the last time you laughed? Laughed?
31. Last time you cried? Earlier

Saturday 9 - The Best of What's Around

1. What's the best new website you've found?
Hmmm...I've been wasting spending a a lot of time on Sudoku.

2. What's the best movie you've seen?
This is hard to answer a I love many movies. A real variety too. I love "Mame" (the one with Lucille Ball and Beatrice Arthur), "Chicago", "Casablanca", "Gone With the Wind" and "The Shawshank Redemption". Also "Madascar", "Happy Feet", "The Incredibles", and "Ratatouille".

3. What's the best quote you know?
The poor man is not he who is without a cent but he who is without a dream.

4. What's the best book you've read?
This is hard. I would say "The Time Traveler's Wife" simply because that is the only really good book I have read lately. I also like "The Kite Runner".

5. What's the best thing someone's done for you?
Probably the surprise baby shower I was given by some of my co-workers. It was a total surprise. I had no clue.

6. What's the best thing about your job?
Heh...getting paid. What I wouldn't give for that right now.

7. What’s the best CD you own?
Unplugged Eric Clapton

8. What’s the best new TV show you watch?
Eh...don't watch much 'new' TV. I just discovered "Jericho" which is, I think cancelled but is really really good. I also really like "Burn Notice" and "The Starter Wife" both on USA network.

9. What’s the best car you’ve owned?
My favorite car would be my bright red 1990 Toyota Celica, standard transmission. I loved that car.

My Purse

Oh, this is a fun meme. Got it over at mamatulips. What's in your purse?

First, the purse. Can I say how much I love this purse? Coach, of course (I am such a Coach whore). It is the perfect size. The handle is the perfect length. I have another (Coach) purse that I also love but the handle is just a little too short. This one is perfect.

See how everything fits so well inside. It looks so neat and tidy (so unlike my house...or my mind). There are just enough pockets and flaps so that I can find everything and yet I can carry all that I need.

Plus, on occasion, crayons or miniature cars or other various miscellaneous crap that I might pick up when I am out with my son.

And now for what is inside.

Starting at the top, I have a pouch (need we say...Coach) that was originally made as a pencil holder. I put makeup in it. Sometimes pens, but always makeup. Right now I think there is some dental floss (I need dental floss), pressed powder and a lipstick in it. To the right is my (Coach) wallet. On top of that is my inlaid opal medicine bear that I bought in Tucson, then my keys and a hairbrush (gotta stay pretty, don't we?). Below that are a couple of receipts (we're going around clockwise, in case you didn't notice), the Coach price tag (don't ask me why I still have that; this purse is over 5 years old...), a couple of pens, 3 chapsticks (my son has horribly chapped lips right now) and some lipsticks (I don't usually carry so much lipstick; I just bought those). Then there is some gum (sugarless, of course), stamps, and some sample NSAIDS I got from my doctor. Then there are two memory sticks and the digital key so I can log into work from home. Then there are some checks from my medical pre-pay plan for co-pays that I had and my work badge. Last but not least are my sunglasses.

There you have it. That is what is in my purse. Care to share?

More About Meme...

Ehhh...haven't done a meme in a while. I found this over at Snickollet's.

20 years ago I . . .
1. was in school in Indiana
2. thought that I would never get married
3. was 70 pounds lighter

10 years ago I . . .
1. was working in Washington
2. never thought I would have children
3. was living in our first house

5 years ago I . . .
1. was working a contract job in Arizona
2. was a new mom totally besotted by my little boy
3. really disliked where I was (except for the little boy)

3 years ago I . . .
1. was working in New Mexico
2. was in a slightly better place than the year before...
3. was still loving my boy

1 year ago I . . .
1. was working another contract job in Florida
2. was looking for a permanent job
3. was in a very bad place

So far this year I . . .
1. bought another house
2. drove to Seattle to see my family (for the first time in almost 2 years)
3. still like my new job

Yesterday I . . .
1. found the solution to a problem I was working on at work
2. watched a Netflix movie (No Country for Old Men – eh...awfully violent...)
3. didn’t get to my water aerobics class

Today I will . . .
1. do some exercise
2. stay away from the donuts in Diane’s cube
3. watch the rest of the Arrested Development DVD

Tomorrow I will . . .
1. hopefully sleep in
2. do some exercise
3. plant some flowers

In the next year I will . . .
1. still be in Idaho.
2. go on a real vacation (that doesn’t involve just travelling to visit family)
3. lose 70 pounds

(and I am still loving being a mom to my little boy)

A Holiday Meme

For the second-to-last day of my NaBloPoMoLight, I am going to resort to a meme I found.

Here are 5 holiday questions with two possible answers.

1. Are you almost finished with your holiday shopping or you haven’t started yet?
   Nope. Haven't started. As per usual
2. What do the holidays mean to you? How does this affect how you celebrate the holidays?
   For me the holidays are about family. We did not grow up in a religious household so as for any kind of spiritual meaning, that just wasn't us. But it was a time to spend with family.
3. Are you going away for the holidays or staying home?
   I would like to stay home or at least go no farther away than Seattle. But I think we will probably be going to be with B's family in Texas. His mother had a stroke two months ago and I think that is the right thing to do (though I'm gonna hate it).
4. What two things do you like about this time of year?
   1. I like the fact that you see more people smiling. Especially as you get closer to Christmas. Even though people are running around spacefuck crazy they still smile at you.
   2. I also love buying things for my family. I like to think of creative things to get/give/make for them. That makes me happy.
5. What two things do you dislike about this time of year?
   1. The crass commercialism, although I dislike that at all times of the year so I guess that isn't special about now.
   2. Can't think of another...
   
   
   

Life Soundtrack

A meme:

If Your Life Had a Soundtrack What Would the Music Be?

How this works:
1. Open your music library.
2. Set to shuffle and press play.
3. For every event, list what song is playing.
4. Next event, shuffle to the next song.
5. Don't lie - go with what comes up, just like life.

Opening Credits:
Blessed - Elton John

Waking Up:
I Put a Spell On You - Creedence Clearwater Revival

First Day at School:
Sweet Hitch-Hiker - Creedence

Falling in Love:
The Long Way Home - Norah Jones

Breaking Up:
White Room - Cream

Prom:
Crocodile Rock - Elton John

Life's Okay:
Freedom - Jim Brickman

Mental Breakdown:
Broken Hearted Me - Anne Murray

Driving:
Where You Lead - Carole King

Flashback:
Starbright - Jim Brickman

Getting Back Together:
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffet

Wedding:
Something in the Way She Moves - James Taylor

Birth of Child:
Beautiful Boy - Celine Dion

Final Battle:
Cocaine - Eric Clapton

Death Scene:
I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love - Chicago

Funeral Song:
Wishin' and Hopin' - Ani DiFranco

End Credits:
Beautiful - Carole King

2006 Meme

I think I will jump on the bandwagon and do the latest meme that is going around (far be it from me to buck the trend...besides it is an easy post and one designed not to be too depressing...see how I look out after my readers...?)

This meme involves listing the first line of the first post from every month last year. See? I told you. Easy peasy.

January 2006
We are currently on the road on the way from Seattle to Florida.

February
I missed the whole blog war.

March 2006
I am going on a business trip to Philadelphia.

April 2006
I received a letter in the mail this week that stirred up some really conflicted feelings.

May 2006
A joke...since I can't think of anything else to blog about...

June 2006
So. I'll bet my legions of readers* are wondering, 'How goes the potty training?

July 2006
I have always loved the following story.

August 2006
I was reading the other day about some poor schmuck that got fired by text message.

September 2006
(Bad blogger...no posts in September...)

October 2006
The polls are open.

November 2006
Feeling kind of bummed out today but I thought I would pass on probably one of the last places in the world I would go to eat.

December 2006
This could possibly be the worst holiday season ever in my life topping even the year my mother died (3 days before Christmas, 1989).

Feel free to go back and revisit any of this scintillating reading...

(tomorrow I will update about today's court hearing...for now let's just revel in the easy...)

Four things...

A meme from Tess

4 Jobs I have had

1. Waitress
2. Baker
3. Receptionist/helper for an ophthalmologist
4. Software Engineer

4 Neat places I have vacationed

1. Greece
2. Belize
3. The Yucatan Peninsula
4. England

4 Foods I love to eat

1. Fresh tomatoes just picked off the bush
2. Flan/custard/crème brulee
3. Mashed potatoes and gravy (actually potatoes just about any way…including raw)
4. Ice cream (there is this Ben & Jerry’s flavor that is vanilla ice cream with chocolate and caramel….YUMMMM…just rub it over me and watch me squirm to lick it all off…what an image)

4 Television shows I don't like to miss

1. Monk
2. ER
3. Boston Legal (William Shatner is great in this...he pokes fun at himself in almost every episode)
4. Leno on Monday nights so I can watch Headlines

4 Movies I can watch again & again

1. The Shawshank Redemption (what is it about this movie??? I just love it)
2. Casablanca (call me a hopeless romantic)
3. Chicago (great music…Catherine Zeta-Jones is so gorgeous that I would almost turn lesbian for her and Queen Latifah is great in it)
4. Mame (The Lucille Ball version - again I just love the music)

4 Cities I have lived in

1. Seattle
2. Portland (OR)
3. Dallas
4. Jacksonville

4 Book I love to read

1. Anything from the Dragons of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
2. Just about anything by Andre Norton
3. Anything by J.A. Jance (or Sara Paretsky or Sue Grafton)
(…oh! Oh! Or Tony Hillerman)
4. Asimov! Heinlein! Clarke! (okay…classic SF…okay modern too)
5. Also history…especially books on the US Civil War; US Revolutionary War and classic Greece and Rome and ...
6. Archeology!!

Okay…I can’t pick just 4 books.

A Little Miscellany

I am going on a business trip to Philadelphia. I will be there until Friday. I never minded making short business trips. I hated it when I was gone for 3 or 4 weeks, but a couple of days is not bad.

I did hate telling E though. He cried and said, ‘Mommy, don’t go.’ It is really hard for me to hear that little boy cry *sniff*.

I am taking my laptop so I may make a post while I am gone. I found this little meme the other day that I thought was kind of cool. It is to list five quirky things about yourself. I really had a hard time thinking of five.

Five quirky things:

1. I count the stairs as I go up or down.

2. I try to make words from license plates as I am driving down the street and am very happy if the plate makes a word without needing an extra letter.

3. I carry dental floss around with me constantly. I have a couple of teeth that have a larger gap between them and hate hate HATE having food stuck between them. If I have to I will use a toothpick, but I really prefer the floss.

4. I work better if I can listen to music. The problem with that is if it is music I really like I always wind up singing to it too. Now I don’t have a problem with this but I have to make sure to keep it quiet so I don’t disturb my co-workers.

5. I hate having a dirty bathroom. I clean my bathroom every day. Now I don’t do a super bang-up job every day. I keep a brush next to my toilet and swish it out every day, wipe down my shower wall with the soap left in my washcloth and swish the sink out after brushing my teeth. It takes me maybe five minutes a day but that way my bathroom is never dirty. I blame the Flylady.

What are your 5 quirky things? Let me know if you take up the challenge

The ABC's of Me

Got this from Sarah. This was a pretty fun exercise.

• A is for age: old enough to know better
• B is for booze of choice: A good cabernet
• C is for career: Software Engineer
• D is for your dad's name: Virgil
• E is for essential items to bring to a party: Cheese...mmmm...love cheese...
• F is for favorite song at the moment: Beautiful Boy by John Lennon (tho' it's the Celine Dion version that I am wearing out)
• G is for favorite game: To play...probably Scrabble; to watch football or basketball
• H is for hometown: Seattle
• I is for instruments you play: Piano and guitar
• J is for jam or jelly you like: Blackberry or orange marmalade (reminds me of my grandmother)
• K is for kids: 1 son (turns 3 in December)
• L is for living arrangements: Husband Brian, Son, 1 small dog, 1 tiny cat in an apartment.
• M is for mom's name: Donna
• N is for name of your crush: Don't really have one...if I had to say either Mel Gibson or Harrison Ford or Tom Selleck
• O is for overnight hospital stays: When my son was born; when I had an ovary removed; a couple times when I was a kid.
• P is for phobias: none.
• Q is for quotes you like: "The poor man is not he who is without a cent but he who is without a dream" - have loved that since I was a kid
• R is for relationship that lasted the longest: Brian
• S is for sexual preference: hetero.
• T is for time you wake up: 6 am, usually, tho' not by choice (son gets up WAYYY too early). If I had a choice it would probably be 8 or 9 (one of my other favorite quotes is "I would like mornings better if they started later")
• U is for underwear: Hanes cotton thigh cut
• V is for vegetable you love: Garden-fresh tomatoes
• W is for weekend plans: Moving and maybe going to the children's museum in Olympia
• X is for x-rays you've had: Oooo...lots; most recent was my left kneecap...not broken but it still hurts even after more than a month...
• Y is for yummy food you make: lots...am a reasonable cook, but I make a real mean pumpkin pie...
• Z is for zodiac sign: Aquarius