I know that most people won't have a CLUE what my title means, but its kind of a hint about his age as well as a inside joke with my hubband. WHO IS A BIRTHDAY BOY TODAY! WHoooooo!
Happy Birthday, Hubband!
He's gotten tons of phone calls, a cd, a video game, an amazon gift card, and a big ole' steak for dinner. He even got birthday wishes from one of our nephews (Happ BirtDAY Duncle Anny!).
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
The year in review
I'm a firm convert to the power of digital. Namely, I do not use "real" film very often anymore. During the height of our renovation, we discovered some problems with our digital camera. Since we preferred countertops to PHOTOS of countertops, we knew we would not be able to replace the digi for a while. We decided to dig out my old Elph and use it instead. Lo and behold, there was a roll of film in the camera only half used! Fun, thought I. Must be from the move or something. Finished that roll with miscellaneous house photos and scrounged for a new one. WHAT?! This one is exposed but not developed? Hmmmmm. This last week, I finally got around to taking both rolls in to be developed. They weren't as old as they might have been, but some of the photos had been taken in January of 2006. Here are a few of what we found....
Jackson and Grace laughing at something on the ceiling of DangerElf's hospital room. This shot is from mid-Jan 2006. Jacob was 1 week old.
This shot was taken the day after Andrew got home from Deployment. CMom and Hummingboyd are looking at his "Cruise" photos.
Oak Harbor in Winter. Sometime last winter or spring, taken from the parking lot at the city library.
Proud owners of a new home. This was taken right before the holidays last year.
Hanging cabinets. wheeeeee!
Jackson and Grace laughing at something on the ceiling of DangerElf's hospital room. This shot is from mid-Jan 2006. Jacob was 1 week old.
This shot was taken the day after Andrew got home from Deployment. CMom and Hummingboyd are looking at his "Cruise" photos.
Oak Harbor in Winter. Sometime last winter or spring, taken from the parking lot at the city library.
Proud owners of a new home. This was taken right before the holidays last year.
Hanging cabinets. wheeeeee!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Dream vs Reality
I had the weirdest dream last night, and it really was only completely odd because of when and how I woke up from it. In my dream, I was going about daily life in a fairly normal way. I prepared for bed, climbed in, turned out the lights and tried to go to sleep. I kept feeling like I was being watched, so I opened my eyes and there were a cluster of shadows near the door. I thought "Its just my coats and such", but then it moved toward me and the bed and reached out. I yelled "Get back! Get away from me!" Then.........
Hubband grabbed me and shook me trying to wake me up and saying "its just a dream, honey, its just a dream." I was still enough in the dream that I was panicking, making loud scared noises and flailing around for a couple seconds. The poor guy almost got a bloody nose. He told me this morning that I was tossing around in my sleep and when I started to shake and mutter he decided to wake me up. It was just his bad luck that I was about to be touched in the dream by some weird shadow. hehe.
Hubband grabbed me and shook me trying to wake me up and saying "its just a dream, honey, its just a dream." I was still enough in the dream that I was panicking, making loud scared noises and flailing around for a couple seconds. The poor guy almost got a bloody nose. He told me this morning that I was tossing around in my sleep and when I started to shake and mutter he decided to wake me up. It was just his bad luck that I was about to be touched in the dream by some weird shadow. hehe.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Just a Planner...
For all of you who seem to have at least potentially misunderstood something... I am not pregnant! What I am is a PLANNER. And yes, all caps is necessary when using that word as applies to me. I spoke of Hubband and I's discussion about converting a room to a nursery... we've been discussing that since we moved into the house. You can ask most any member of my family and they will tell you that I am the queen of planning events YEARS ahead of time, making copious lists, handing out detailed schedules to all who make the mistake of getting in my path, etc. And that is just for little things like weddings and birthday parties and holidays. When it comes to having a baby, I find myself even more manic... I will have only around EIGHT MONTHS to plan for the baby once I know that he/she is on the way so I must begin yesterday at LEAST to get things ready. Especially when it literally could involve construction.
With that said... I'm going to open the discussion of the nursery up for comments and suggestions because we are really not sure what to do. Obviously for the first couple of months or so the baby will be with us in our room in a bassinet. I want to have a nursery ready though, and be able to use it for diaper changes, storage of clothes and toys, etc. Here is the problem: Our house is designed in such a way that the 2 extra bedrooms are on the opposite side of the house from the master, at least in terms of open paths and routes.
Now, the office/bedroom that Hubband currently uses does share one small piece of wall with the master bedroom. This is the room we thought of making the nursery, but if we cut a door through from our room it will put a door in the ONE wall of that bedroom that doesn't already have a door, window, or closet on it. That doesn't matter so much for a nursery setup because the furniture is smaller, but I think we'd have to close it off again to sell the house.
There is an alcove in our room that will work for a bassinet, but is too small for a "nursery" setup. Our closet is big enough to convert to a nursery, but we'd have to construct one in the aforementioned alcove and would then lose a lot of closet space.
The other extra room is the biggest of the 2 bedrooms, it has 2 big windows, and it is on the front of the house... ie, easy access from the street, lots of light, etc. making it bad for a nursery, but good for a shared office--except if we dont use the smaller room for the nursery, why share the office? AND WHERE IS THE NURSERY! Do you SEE why I need to plan? >sigh< Help? Please?
With that said... I'm going to open the discussion of the nursery up for comments and suggestions because we are really not sure what to do. Obviously for the first couple of months or so the baby will be with us in our room in a bassinet. I want to have a nursery ready though, and be able to use it for diaper changes, storage of clothes and toys, etc. Here is the problem: Our house is designed in such a way that the 2 extra bedrooms are on the opposite side of the house from the master, at least in terms of open paths and routes.
Now, the office/bedroom that Hubband currently uses does share one small piece of wall with the master bedroom. This is the room we thought of making the nursery, but if we cut a door through from our room it will put a door in the ONE wall of that bedroom that doesn't already have a door, window, or closet on it. That doesn't matter so much for a nursery setup because the furniture is smaller, but I think we'd have to close it off again to sell the house.
There is an alcove in our room that will work for a bassinet, but is too small for a "nursery" setup. Our closet is big enough to convert to a nursery, but we'd have to construct one in the aforementioned alcove and would then lose a lot of closet space.
The other extra room is the biggest of the 2 bedrooms, it has 2 big windows, and it is on the front of the house... ie, easy access from the street, lots of light, etc. making it bad for a nursery, but good for a shared office--except if we dont use the smaller room for the nursery, why share the office? AND WHERE IS THE NURSERY! Do you SEE why I need to plan? >sigh< Help? Please?
Monday, March 19, 2007
The Week in Review
There were so many blog-worthy happenings last week, and I just haven't been able to carve out the time to sit down and do them any justice. I finally decided to just enumerate those I could still remember in that handy dandy invention, The Bulleted List.
UPDATED: I also forgot to mention that on Thursday night we went to 300 with some friends. IT WAS AWESOME. I had forgotten that the movie night was this past week... it seems so long since then. Anyway, GO SEE IT if you can!
- I accidentally locked Obie out in the back yard one day. He was stuck outside for around 3 hours before I walked into the kitchen and saw him sitting patiently on the back step, nose pressed to the glass of the door. I opened and apologized to him profusely. He grumbled, literally and vocally, all the way in the door, walked to the edge of the cabinets, turned around and gave me one last distinctive sentence of disdain, frustration, and disappointment, and then stalked over to the couch and curled up for a nap. Ive never been talked to and/or talked DOWN to so effectively by a cat.
- I got yelled at by my sister(s) for not calling them more often, and by mama, and by my aunt... and in absentia (to mama) by my Gma. I'm sorry, all! I don't ever seem to slow down enough to make phone calls until bedtime. I'll start scheduling them on my calendar and maybe I'll do better.....
- I went through my emails and realized there is one there from a dear dear friend who I've not responded to since Christmas. OUCH! Talk about feeling bad and being behind. >sigh<>
- We tore the carpet out of my office, but there is still furniture and boxes and books and games and backpacks and files that need to be moved before we can prep the walls and trim, paint, and then install the flooring. Hubband has decided that he is going to try and build in some shelves for me, too, so that we can more easily fit both sets of office furniture into that room.
- We had a huge discussion over where to put the nursery when the time comes that we need a nursery. All hypothetical of course, as we aren't needing one any time in the foreseeable future. That we know of.
- Hubband and I got involved with Special Music on Sabbath ... as of late Friday night. The person in charge had forgotten to schedule someone and she herself was on vacation, so 4 of the guys in the choir decided to do a quartet number. I was the "attractive page turner". And no, I didn't give myself that name, although I was quite pleased to accept the honor. hehe
- I'm finally caught up on laundry and cleaning and dishes.... as of last night. Which means there is new shredded bits of stick on the floor from the twig Priscilla smuggled in last night, a full load of laundry back in the bin from all the stuff that got worn, gathered, tossed, mended over the weekend, and the counter is full of dishes that need to be put in the dishwasher... once I empty it.
- Went to see Casino Royale on Saturday night at the bargain theater. We almost got lost getting there, but arrived in time to stand in line 3x (twice for tickets since we didn't know we needed CASH). I LOVED this movie. I was very skeptical because it is so different from the "typical" Bond film--no Q branch, out of sequence in terms of timing, etc--but it was a great movie. Usually in longer films (2+ hours), I start feeling bored or at least a little antzy and "how much longer-ish", but I didn't in this one! I didn't realize it had been almost 3 hours until we got out to the car afterwards.
- My allergies and going off caffeine have combined to make me a pseudo-narcoleptic this week. By 4 pm each afternoon I seem to be collapsing/crashing with no energy or brain power. Yesterday? I made it to 415 and then fell asleep while folding laundry and slept for nearly 3 hours. I guess my body needs it, but I was going to call people! and prep my office for paining! and fold clothes! >sigh<
UPDATED: I also forgot to mention that on Thursday night we went to 300 with some friends. IT WAS AWESOME. I had forgotten that the movie night was this past week... it seems so long since then. Anyway, GO SEE IT if you can!
Monday, March 12, 2007
Allergies vs Energy Bills
Our utility bill, which is a combination of gas, electric, water, garbage... all of the utilities, has been getting higher and higher this winter. In part, the increases were due to more heat needed in the cold cold cold days, complicated by the renovations which have resulted in a few "open" spaces (exposed flooring, lack of drywall) that decrease our heat efficiency. The last bill? Came in at $334. Now that the weather is getting nicer, we figure we'll open the windows, turn off the heater, use a fan if we need to cool down, etc. However. I had forgotten what allergies are like in a Southern Spring. On prescription allergy medicine, I still am sitting here at my desk with itching and watering eyes, a itchy and running nose, dry skin on my arms that no amount of lotion will moisturize and I ask myself. Is it worth it to have the windows open? To have all that pollen flying around the house? I wish myself could come up with an answer to that, because this whole sneezing and then fighting with the dog over the kleenex (she pulls them from the trash) while sneezing more thing is just no fun. And that's not even accounting for the sneezing while typing so ending up with crazy ;alsi ebur;'s in the middle of my abstract.
Windows up and comfortable temperatures? Or windows down and slightly less aggravating allergies. You decide. I'm too busy sneezing.
Windows up and comfortable temperatures? Or windows down and slightly less aggravating allergies. You decide. I'm too busy sneezing.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
In Conversation....a.k.a Why my Family and I get on so Well Together....
"Family is who you love, not necessarily who you share genes with.... more like, who you share JEANS with."
"I asked him if he was a refrigerator and he said 'No, there isn't a light that turns on when you open me'. After a pause he added, 'But I do have a water filtration system'!"
On seeing the kid who rocks out with a Little Caesar's Pizza cardboard placard on the corner of Park and Mt. Moriah.... "We should do a video of what drivers see and hear and then of what HE sees and hears from this corner. It'd be like... car noises and then Alice Cooper!"
"My oil painting class was fun once we got to paint, but the teacher babbled on about how paint was made for an HOUR. I was so bored I drew designs all over my hands and wrists."
"I asked him if he was a refrigerator and he said 'No, there isn't a light that turns on when you open me'. After a pause he added, 'But I do have a water filtration system'!"
On seeing the kid who rocks out with a Little Caesar's Pizza cardboard placard on the corner of Park and Mt. Moriah.... "We should do a video of what drivers see and hear and then of what HE sees and hears from this corner. It'd be like... car noises and then Alice Cooper!"
"My oil painting class was fun once we got to paint, but the teacher babbled on about how paint was made for an HOUR. I was so bored I drew designs all over my hands and wrists."
A Blended Family
We've been trying for 5 months now to properly "blend" our little family of pets. Previous successes have included 5 whole minutes of sleeping near each other without a cat getting pounced or puppy slapped. This week, I think we've finally had our breakthrough. All it took was a seriously bad day for Priscilla.
She came home from having her Surgery, her microchip put in, blood tests done to verify her healthiness, IV fluids after surgery, and even having her nails clipped. She was shaking a little, so we warmed a towel and let her snuggle in it. Oberon came over gently and sniffed her, licked her nose, crawled carefully over her, draped himself on her (see above) and placed a proprietary paw on her body. If we got too close, he made sure we weren't bothering her before he'd let us pass.
Since then, he doesn't run when he sees her coming and she doesn't pounce at the first sight of him. Titania hasn't even slapped her in the last few days. I won't start singing the tune of the Brady Bunch yet, though. They still growl at each other over food on occasion....
She came home from having her Surgery, her microchip put in, blood tests done to verify her healthiness, IV fluids after surgery, and even having her nails clipped. She was shaking a little, so we warmed a towel and let her snuggle in it. Oberon came over gently and sniffed her, licked her nose, crawled carefully over her, draped himself on her (see above) and placed a proprietary paw on her body. If we got too close, he made sure we weren't bothering her before he'd let us pass.Since then, he doesn't run when he sees her coming and she doesn't pounce at the first sight of him. Titania hasn't even slapped her in the last few days. I won't start singing the tune of the Brady Bunch yet, though. They still growl at each other over food on occasion....
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Tagged....
I got tagged by a really really long "meme" type thing. If you have an hour, keep reading! I think it took me at least that long to finish it...
Single or Taken: Taken
Happy about that: Thrilled!
Eye Color: Grey/Green/Blue-ish
Shoe size: 7-7.5
Height: 5'5", according to my doctor's office.
What are you wearing right now? Olive drab slacks, watermelon long sleeved shirt, a puppy with her head in a surgical collar, and my laptop.
Can you make a dollar in change right now? Only if I raid my "Girls Night Out" magnet.
Best place to go for a date? Depends on the type of date....for a romantic evening with Hubband, I'd say the Grove Grill here in Memphis.
FAVORITES
Kind of pants: comfortable. My current favs are my Lucky jeans that DangerElf passed on to me around our birthday.
Number: 0. Whenever the counter on my task bar reads 0 it means Im done with work for the day.
Animal: there are 3... our Boykin spaniel (Priscilla) and 2 cats (Oberon and Titania)
Drink(non alcoholic): Diet Coke with lime
Sport: To play? Hockey. To watch? Hockey. Im a creature of habit.
Month: October. It was a tight race with December, but October has my anniversary AND its in the fall which beats birthdays, Christmas, and snow by a mere smidge.
Juice: Simply Squeezed Lime, Orange, or Lemon
Favorite cartoon character: hmmm, from a strip, show, movie...what era are we talking about here? I'd say in order... Buckles, Droopy, and Archimedes the owl from Sword in the Stone, respectively.
HAVE YOU EVER
Bungee Jumped? No.
Made yourself throw-up? Yes, but never for a weight-control issue or anything. Usually just to speed the process when I knew it was about to happen anyway.
Gone skinny dipping? yes.
Eaten a hot dog? Of all types EXCEPT pig.
Loved someone so much it made you cry? Yup.
Broken a bone? Many, sadly. I was a klutzy kid, what can I say?
Played truth or dare? Yes. LONG time ago. Thinking how long ago....Wow. I feel old suddenly.
Been on a plane? Yes. Practically on a monthly basis.
Came close to dying? Um, I know its FELT like it a couple times in my life, but other than near misses in terms of car accidents, etc, I dont think there's ever been a health crisis that was a true danger.
Been in a sauna? Yes. They make me short of breath. I think the longest I lasted was about 15 minutes... on my honeymoon... with a towel wrapped around my head. I came out looking like a lobster with watering eyes and gasping for air. Hubband thought it was cute. Lucky for me. >grin<>
What is beside you? The edge of the couch, said puppy in surgical collar, glass of water on coffee table
What kind of shampoo/conditioner do you use? Brilliant Brunette for Chestnut to Espresso
EVER HAD...
Chicken pox: Yes
Sore Throat: Yes
Stitches: Yes. After slicing open my left middle finger, after almost losing my lip to an excited dog who was 2x my size, after my hernia surgery and repair when I was a kid...
Broken nose: Yes, twice! The first time was when my sister was giving me airplane rides in our bed. We were supposed to be sleeping. I was 2. The second time, I didn't know it was actually broken until later. I got hit in the face with a frisbee in high school--my freshman year of college a chiropracter took xrays of my neck and asked how I'd broken my nose. Turned out what I thought was an edema was actually the fracture site!
A one night stand: No.
Believe in love at first sight: Not LOVE. Attraction and desire that can grow into love with work and time? yes.
Long distant relationships: Yes. It sucks! My husband and I were long distance for 2 years before our wedding.
Like school: Almost always.
Who was the last person that called you? Gay L. Hardaway, at least, his recording did. He's running for some office or other and the prerecorded messages call our house about 3x each day. Very annoying.
Who was the last person you slow danced with? Hubband. Last night.
Who makes you smile the most? Hmmm. This is a tough one. In terms of overall across life grin-inducing, probably Hubband, followed by Grace, Jackson, Jacob, James.... But in a single conversation with a peer? Queenie. Hands down.
Who knows you the best? Hubband and my sisters. As my niece once said to her mother... "Talk to Aunt Chrissy ... you UNDERSTAND each other"
Do you like filling these out: On occasion...They are a great tool for procrastination. Im currently avoiding work like the plague. Which is bad, 'cause I need to finish up another 6 hours worth today and its already 4 pm.
Do you wear contact lenses or glasses? NEITHER! After nearly 18 years of one or both? I got LASIK.
Do you like yourself: Usually. There are times I disgust myself with my mediocrity, absurdity, inanity, etc.
Do you get along with your family? Yup. Usually. My older sis and I have been known to ... umm... snipe ... a bit. But we're friends and love each other dearly. :-D It's just been hard in the past for others to be around us during such... DISCUSSIONS. hehe.
ARE YOU...
Obsessive Compulsive? Probably a little, but only about the strangest things... like, where my kitchen tools get put away.
Suicidal? No. Any thoughts I have about death are not along the lines of inducing it in myself.
FINAL QUESTIONS...
Hated someone in your family? No.
Gotten any awards? Yes. Poetry contests, scholarships.... My big goal for the next couple of years is to at least PLACE in one of the cooking/baking contests Im planning to enter. :-) Anyone have suggestions for recipes that I should enter? Something I make that you ADORE?
What car/truck do you wish to have? Right now? Im really dreaming about the day when we can have a second car that is big enough to haul things in.... should be sometime in May.
Good driver? As long as speed demon is considered a good driver. I scare my SIL a lot because she thinks Im too aggressive, but Ive never been in an accident that was my fault!
Good Singer? Depends on who you ask....
Have a lava lamp? No. Thank God.
How many remote controls are in your house? Ummm, counting the xbox? I think 5. If you count the xbox and gamecube and playstation controllers as remotes, that number increases at a practically exponential rate.
What was your last dream about? A nightmare that Hubband had been lying to me all along about what he wanted from life and had gone and signed back up in the Navy and was being deployed for 3 years when we'd just found out we were pregnant....and he didn't care and left. It was awful. Then I woke up from that and he was wrapped around me like usual. Very comforting!
When you last showered? This morning.
Did you say, "I Love You"? If you mean this morning? Yes, of course! To my husband and my puppy and my sis who was online.
Ever been in a fight with your pet? A fight of wills perhaps. Not a knock-down, drag-out though. Mom is in CHARGE. REALLY!
Been to Mexico? When I was about 4. My sister and her friend put me in roller skates and sent me careening down the driveway. I remember the blood. And the Ow. Lots of Ow.
Been to Europe? Yes, several times actually! Hubband and I are hoping we can scrimp and save and get there together someday.
RANDOM...
Do you have a crush on someone right now? My Hubband.
What book are you reading now? I just finished Beyond the Blue Moon, by Simon R. Green. Haven't really started anything else.
Best feeling in the world? Accomplishment.
Future KIDS names? Hmmm, we have a list going. My current leanings include Eden for a girl and Deacon for a boy. Considering that those "favs" have changed about every month or so, I think our child will be named somewhat on the spur of the moment. Poor thing.
Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? I do. His name is Hubband and he's a big teddy bear. :-) I used to sleep with a stuffed dog, but now I have one that stays warm and cuddles me back.
What's under your bed? Lingerie that I no longer fit into, extra blankets, the slipper that the cat stole from me 4 months ago, about half of my purse collection (the broken ones that I can't bear to get rid of), duffel bags for weekend trips (suitcases are in the attic), and probably a few dust balls, stolen socks, and random shiny things that fell off the nightstand.
Favorite Locations? New York, New York is tops. Then probably Florence, Italy.
Piercing/Tattoos? Piercings--one in each ear and one in my nose. Just a little one. I dont go in for the bull ring look.
What are you most scared of right now? This exact minute? Losing this post before I post it and having to do this whole thing over again.
Who do you really hate? I don't really have any people that I HATE. People that ANNOY me or make me ANGRY, but I am not a hater.
Have you ever liked someone you didn't have a chance with? Haven't we all?
Are you lonely right now? Nope. I have 2 cats, a dog, and a hubband upstairs pounding away at the electrical for my kitchen, plus about 10 of my friends currently on Yahoo IM so I could really have myself a social party if I felt like it.
Song that's stuck in your head right now? Well, nothing until I tried thinking about it and now the Chicken Song is wafting around. Thanks, meme. Thanks a lot!
Have you ever played strip poker? Yes, but we never went past socks, shoes, earrings, etc. Everyone got too annoyed that I hadn't lost anything but a single sock. I was quite the card sharp in High School. Plus? We played "strip" poker on the bus on choir tour. VERY risque, eh?
Have you ever gotten beat up? Nope. I have accidentally punched myself before, and a horde of greedy Asian women tried to trample me at a sample show in NYC once, but that's about it.
Have you ever been on radio/TV? Yes.
Have you ever been in a "mosh-pit"? Once. A Better than Ezra concert in 1999...I got kicked in the head by someone in combat boots and never went back.
Ever liked someone, but thought they never noticed you? As with the crushes... Haven't we all? Oddly enough, one time I had that happen and found out years later that he'd liked me at the same time. Ahhhh, fate. What would we do without you twisting things up?
What's the first things you notice about the opposite sex? Eyes and Carriage (the way you carry yourself, not their mode of conveyance).
Your Favorite Food? Hmmmm, depends on my mood. I always like me some mexican style stuffs...
Ever get so drunk you dont remember the night before? No. I don't like the feeling of being even a little drunk, so I don't get to the blotto stage on the rare occasions that I imbibe...
Hair color? Sort of a messy combination of blondes and browns... soon to be added to with gray, I fear...
Are you too shy to ask someone out? I was when I was single and young. Now I probably wouldn't be too shy, but I dont have to test that since my date lives with me now. If I were shy of asking my husband for a date, we'd be in trouble! :-)
Butter, Plain or Salted popcorn? Salt and light butter
Dogs or cats? Yes. Hehe. Didn't you see my pet list above?
Favorite Flower? I think I have the largest sentimental attachment to Daffodils, just from my childhood memories of picking them with my best friend to take to our mothers. Otherwise... no real favorites. I will say I am NOT very partial to carnations.
Do you like to travel by plane as opposed to car? Depends on the trip. Flying downtown to the mall is a bit overkill.
How many pillows do you sleep with? One and my Hubband. Does he count?
Single or Taken: Taken
Happy about that: Thrilled!
Eye Color: Grey/Green/Blue-ish
Shoe size: 7-7.5
Height: 5'5", according to my doctor's office.
What are you wearing right now? Olive drab slacks, watermelon long sleeved shirt, a puppy with her head in a surgical collar, and my laptop.
Can you make a dollar in change right now? Only if I raid my "Girls Night Out" magnet.
Best place to go for a date? Depends on the type of date....for a romantic evening with Hubband, I'd say the Grove Grill here in Memphis.
FAVORITES
Kind of pants: comfortable. My current favs are my Lucky jeans that DangerElf passed on to me around our birthday.
Number: 0. Whenever the counter on my task bar reads 0 it means Im done with work for the day.
Animal: there are 3... our Boykin spaniel (Priscilla) and 2 cats (Oberon and Titania)
Drink(non alcoholic): Diet Coke with lime
Sport: To play? Hockey. To watch? Hockey. Im a creature of habit.
Month: October. It was a tight race with December, but October has my anniversary AND its in the fall which beats birthdays, Christmas, and snow by a mere smidge.
Juice: Simply Squeezed Lime, Orange, or Lemon
Favorite cartoon character: hmmm, from a strip, show, movie...what era are we talking about here? I'd say in order... Buckles, Droopy, and Archimedes the owl from Sword in the Stone, respectively.
HAVE YOU EVER
Bungee Jumped? No.
Made yourself throw-up? Yes, but never for a weight-control issue or anything. Usually just to speed the process when I knew it was about to happen anyway.
Gone skinny dipping? yes.
Eaten a hot dog? Of all types EXCEPT pig.
Loved someone so much it made you cry? Yup.
Broken a bone? Many, sadly. I was a klutzy kid, what can I say?
Played truth or dare? Yes. LONG time ago. Thinking how long ago....Wow. I feel old suddenly.
Been on a plane? Yes. Practically on a monthly basis.
Came close to dying? Um, I know its FELT like it a couple times in my life, but other than near misses in terms of car accidents, etc, I dont think there's ever been a health crisis that was a true danger.
Been in a sauna? Yes. They make me short of breath. I think the longest I lasted was about 15 minutes... on my honeymoon... with a towel wrapped around my head. I came out looking like a lobster with watering eyes and gasping for air. Hubband thought it was cute. Lucky for me. >grin<>
What is beside you? The edge of the couch, said puppy in surgical collar, glass of water on coffee table
What kind of shampoo/conditioner do you use? Brilliant Brunette for Chestnut to Espresso
EVER HAD...
Chicken pox: Yes
Sore Throat: Yes
Stitches: Yes. After slicing open my left middle finger, after almost losing my lip to an excited dog who was 2x my size, after my hernia surgery and repair when I was a kid...
Broken nose: Yes, twice! The first time was when my sister was giving me airplane rides in our bed. We were supposed to be sleeping. I was 2. The second time, I didn't know it was actually broken until later. I got hit in the face with a frisbee in high school--my freshman year of college a chiropracter took xrays of my neck and asked how I'd broken my nose. Turned out what I thought was an edema was actually the fracture site!
A one night stand: No.
Believe in love at first sight: Not LOVE. Attraction and desire that can grow into love with work and time? yes.
Long distant relationships: Yes. It sucks! My husband and I were long distance for 2 years before our wedding.
Like school: Almost always.
Who was the last person that called you? Gay L. Hardaway, at least, his recording did. He's running for some office or other and the prerecorded messages call our house about 3x each day. Very annoying.
Who was the last person you slow danced with? Hubband. Last night.
Who makes you smile the most? Hmmm. This is a tough one. In terms of overall across life grin-inducing, probably Hubband, followed by Grace, Jackson, Jacob, James.... But in a single conversation with a peer? Queenie. Hands down.
Who knows you the best? Hubband and my sisters. As my niece once said to her mother... "Talk to Aunt Chrissy ... you UNDERSTAND each other"
Do you like filling these out: On occasion...They are a great tool for procrastination. Im currently avoiding work like the plague. Which is bad, 'cause I need to finish up another 6 hours worth today and its already 4 pm.
Do you wear contact lenses or glasses? NEITHER! After nearly 18 years of one or both? I got LASIK.
Do you like yourself: Usually. There are times I disgust myself with my mediocrity, absurdity, inanity, etc.
Do you get along with your family? Yup. Usually. My older sis and I have been known to ... umm... snipe ... a bit. But we're friends and love each other dearly. :-D It's just been hard in the past for others to be around us during such... DISCUSSIONS. hehe.
ARE YOU...
Obsessive Compulsive? Probably a little, but only about the strangest things... like, where my kitchen tools get put away.
Suicidal? No. Any thoughts I have about death are not along the lines of inducing it in myself.
FINAL QUESTIONS...
Hated someone in your family? No.
Gotten any awards? Yes. Poetry contests, scholarships.... My big goal for the next couple of years is to at least PLACE in one of the cooking/baking contests Im planning to enter. :-) Anyone have suggestions for recipes that I should enter? Something I make that you ADORE?
What car/truck do you wish to have? Right now? Im really dreaming about the day when we can have a second car that is big enough to haul things in.... should be sometime in May.
Good driver? As long as speed demon is considered a good driver. I scare my SIL a lot because she thinks Im too aggressive, but Ive never been in an accident that was my fault!
Good Singer? Depends on who you ask....
Have a lava lamp? No. Thank God.
How many remote controls are in your house? Ummm, counting the xbox? I think 5. If you count the xbox and gamecube and playstation controllers as remotes, that number increases at a practically exponential rate.
What was your last dream about? A nightmare that Hubband had been lying to me all along about what he wanted from life and had gone and signed back up in the Navy and was being deployed for 3 years when we'd just found out we were pregnant....and he didn't care and left. It was awful. Then I woke up from that and he was wrapped around me like usual. Very comforting!
When you last showered? This morning.
Did you say, "I Love You"? If you mean this morning? Yes, of course! To my husband and my puppy and my sis who was online.
Ever been in a fight with your pet? A fight of wills perhaps. Not a knock-down, drag-out though. Mom is in CHARGE. REALLY!
Been to Mexico? When I was about 4. My sister and her friend put me in roller skates and sent me careening down the driveway. I remember the blood. And the Ow. Lots of Ow.
Been to Europe? Yes, several times actually! Hubband and I are hoping we can scrimp and save and get there together someday.
RANDOM...
Do you have a crush on someone right now? My Hubband.
What book are you reading now? I just finished Beyond the Blue Moon, by Simon R. Green. Haven't really started anything else.
Best feeling in the world? Accomplishment.
Future KIDS names? Hmmm, we have a list going. My current leanings include Eden for a girl and Deacon for a boy. Considering that those "favs" have changed about every month or so, I think our child will be named somewhat on the spur of the moment. Poor thing.
Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? I do. His name is Hubband and he's a big teddy bear. :-) I used to sleep with a stuffed dog, but now I have one that stays warm and cuddles me back.
What's under your bed? Lingerie that I no longer fit into, extra blankets, the slipper that the cat stole from me 4 months ago, about half of my purse collection (the broken ones that I can't bear to get rid of), duffel bags for weekend trips (suitcases are in the attic), and probably a few dust balls, stolen socks, and random shiny things that fell off the nightstand.
Favorite Locations? New York, New York is tops. Then probably Florence, Italy.
Piercing/Tattoos? Piercings--one in each ear and one in my nose. Just a little one. I dont go in for the bull ring look.
What are you most scared of right now? This exact minute? Losing this post before I post it and having to do this whole thing over again.
Who do you really hate? I don't really have any people that I HATE. People that ANNOY me or make me ANGRY, but I am not a hater.
Have you ever liked someone you didn't have a chance with? Haven't we all?
Are you lonely right now? Nope. I have 2 cats, a dog, and a hubband upstairs pounding away at the electrical for my kitchen, plus about 10 of my friends currently on Yahoo IM so I could really have myself a social party if I felt like it.
Song that's stuck in your head right now? Well, nothing until I tried thinking about it and now the Chicken Song is wafting around. Thanks, meme. Thanks a lot!
Have you ever played strip poker? Yes, but we never went past socks, shoes, earrings, etc. Everyone got too annoyed that I hadn't lost anything but a single sock. I was quite the card sharp in High School. Plus? We played "strip" poker on the bus on choir tour. VERY risque, eh?
Have you ever gotten beat up? Nope. I have accidentally punched myself before, and a horde of greedy Asian women tried to trample me at a sample show in NYC once, but that's about it.
Have you ever been on radio/TV? Yes.
Have you ever been in a "mosh-pit"? Once. A Better than Ezra concert in 1999...I got kicked in the head by someone in combat boots and never went back.
Ever liked someone, but thought they never noticed you? As with the crushes... Haven't we all? Oddly enough, one time I had that happen and found out years later that he'd liked me at the same time. Ahhhh, fate. What would we do without you twisting things up?
What's the first things you notice about the opposite sex? Eyes and Carriage (the way you carry yourself, not their mode of conveyance).
Your Favorite Food? Hmmmm, depends on my mood. I always like me some mexican style stuffs...
Ever get so drunk you dont remember the night before? No. I don't like the feeling of being even a little drunk, so I don't get to the blotto stage on the rare occasions that I imbibe...
Hair color? Sort of a messy combination of blondes and browns... soon to be added to with gray, I fear...
Are you too shy to ask someone out? I was when I was single and young. Now I probably wouldn't be too shy, but I dont have to test that since my date lives with me now. If I were shy of asking my husband for a date, we'd be in trouble! :-)
Butter, Plain or Salted popcorn? Salt and light butter
Dogs or cats? Yes. Hehe. Didn't you see my pet list above?
Favorite Flower? I think I have the largest sentimental attachment to Daffodils, just from my childhood memories of picking them with my best friend to take to our mothers. Otherwise... no real favorites. I will say I am NOT very partial to carnations.
Do you like to travel by plane as opposed to car? Depends on the trip. Flying downtown to the mall is a bit overkill.
How many pillows do you sleep with? One and my Hubband. Does he count?
Friday, March 02, 2007
Animal House the First
Only its actually the second, and it doesn't really have anything to do with animals, but... well, you know how it is when you're typing away and think of something to say but it doesn't come to fruition until you've hit "post"? Right? Don't you? Hmmmm. Maybe its just me.
I was sitting here wishing I were independently wealthy.
You see, we got our tax return today. Yesterday, after attacking the carpet in many varied and disgusting ways in an attempt to get the stains out from the pets the previous owners had (thinking that may be part of what is leading our own astray), we were wandering Costco and saw that they had laminate flooring for sale. The kind that looks like hardwood? Now, our tax return has been budgeted out and spent before we even knew how much we were getting. Not ACTUALLY spent, but on paper spent. But this flooring? It looks like we could do the whole house (excepting the baths and kitchen and laundry which get tile) for about the amount of our savings account plus that tax return. Do you see the dilemma? Easy to clean floors, that look nice, or Hubband's new computer to replace the one that died a month ago and paying off the refrigerator. It's a hard choice.
We've decided to sit down with the computer and the checkbook and the files of bills and make a budget for the FUTURE. We budget very well on the day to day and month to month stuff, but when it comes to knowing exactly what big things we need to have cash for at some time point in the future? We're not the best. So... the list has begun already... New car, pay off fridge and windows and renovation loan and credit cards and redo the offices so that one can be a nursery and the other an office for us both, headphones and a computer and software for hubband, a nintendo wii and a new HD television and an xbox360, money in savings, surgery for the kitty with the bad legs, yard work, tree removal....can you identify the "needs" and the "wants" yet?
I wish I were independently wealthy.
I was sitting here wishing I were independently wealthy.
You see, we got our tax return today. Yesterday, after attacking the carpet in many varied and disgusting ways in an attempt to get the stains out from the pets the previous owners had (thinking that may be part of what is leading our own astray), we were wandering Costco and saw that they had laminate flooring for sale. The kind that looks like hardwood? Now, our tax return has been budgeted out and spent before we even knew how much we were getting. Not ACTUALLY spent, but on paper spent. But this flooring? It looks like we could do the whole house (excepting the baths and kitchen and laundry which get tile) for about the amount of our savings account plus that tax return. Do you see the dilemma? Easy to clean floors, that look nice, or Hubband's new computer to replace the one that died a month ago and paying off the refrigerator. It's a hard choice.
We've decided to sit down with the computer and the checkbook and the files of bills and make a budget for the FUTURE. We budget very well on the day to day and month to month stuff, but when it comes to knowing exactly what big things we need to have cash for at some time point in the future? We're not the best. So... the list has begun already... New car, pay off fridge and windows and renovation loan and credit cards and redo the offices so that one can be a nursery and the other an office for us both, headphones and a computer and software for hubband, a nintendo wii and a new HD television and an xbox360, money in savings, surgery for the kitty with the bad legs, yard work, tree removal....can you identify the "needs" and the "wants" yet?
I wish I were independently wealthy.
Animal House, part Deux
For some reason the animals have gone mad lately. Oberon has eschewed the use of the litter box in favor of a corner of the foyer. So far, nothing we can do or say or put there has blocked him from spraying at will. You can imagine how smelly and frustrating this is. We finally curled the carpet up in that corner and have soaked it clean and removed the pad... we'll see if it works. Priscilla is in full on attack-the-cat mode lately, which probably doesn't help. She pounces on his poor little back end and he just flops. She'll be getting her surgery (the Big One) on Tuesday, so we'll see if that makes any difference.
On top of all that... we're dogsitting a pit bull mix for some friends until Monday night. He's a great little guy, about 10 months old I think, and very friendly to those of a human persuasion. HOWEVER, he and Priscilla do not get along so well and the cats are petrified of him. When he was safely in his kennel for the night, Titania sat down just out of paw reach and taunted him deliberately until he was practically having a seizure. We had to shoo her out. At the moment, he's outside begging to come in and Priscilla is inside begging to go out. When those wishes are honored, however, we end up with Pris howling in pain and growling at Ace who has his teeth embedded in her backside. >sigh<
Its going to be a long weekend.
On top of all that... we're dogsitting a pit bull mix for some friends until Monday night. He's a great little guy, about 10 months old I think, and very friendly to those of a human persuasion. HOWEVER, he and Priscilla do not get along so well and the cats are petrified of him. When he was safely in his kennel for the night, Titania sat down just out of paw reach and taunted him deliberately until he was practically having a seizure. We had to shoo her out. At the moment, he's outside begging to come in and Priscilla is inside begging to go out. When those wishes are honored, however, we end up with Pris howling in pain and growling at Ace who has his teeth embedded in her backside. >sigh<
Its going to be a long weekend.
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