Random Dozen … Happy Fall!

Hosted by:
Lidna at 2nd Cup of Coffee

1. Have you, or has someone close to you, ever won an award for anything? (I just came from my dad’s ceremony wherein he was given a medal of honor by the French government for service in France in WWII. Pictures to follow.)
We pulled EB out of public school at the end of 2nd grade for 2 years of homeschooling (long story, best decision for everyone). Our public school at that time was very understanding and worked with us to allow EB to participate in things that mattered greatly to him, one of which was the annual science fair. EB created a science project about velocity and mass, using a homemade catapult and different balls.  He not only took the top honors at the school, he went on to represent the school (the only way he could legally participate) at the district level, where he again won top honors! At the end of the school year, the principal made sure that EB was there for the awards ceremony so that he could be honored with a plaque in front of his peers. This mama was very proud and EB was thrilled.

2. Who is the nearest relative to you who has served in the US Military?
My husband has 20+ years of service in the US Army (with some National Guard and Army Reserve time before that). My uncle was also in the Army, my younger brother is a Marine (not currently serving, but “once a Marine, always a Marine”), and my grandfather served in the Navy (active duty during WWII, reserves after that).

3. Share something that stirs the patriotic spirit in you.
On a regular basis, saying The Pledge of Allegiance at our small town football games stirs my spirit. I am especially stirred at our high school’s annual Veterans Day ceremony/program. There is a club that works all year long on a wonderful program, plus the members work during the year on supporting local veterans.

4. Where are you in the birth order in your family? Do you think your “placement” made a difference in your personality?
I am #3 out of 4 children. If that is supposed to make me laid-back, I guess that it made a difference!

5. Name one trait you hope you carry that was evidenced in your parents or grandparents.
My paternal grandmother was creative, loving, and funny. I often hope that I am a reflection of her (I hardly knew her; we lived far away).

6. If female, do you prefer wearing a skirt or pants? If male, shirt and tie or polo?
I find skirts to be comfortable if they are simple and flowing and not too long — and if I can wear Birkenstocks with them. Otherwise, I will take pants/capris/shorts every time. The added benefit of the latter option is that I can usually wear athletic shoes that support my poor feet, but I suspect this is a question about dressing up a bit.

7. Approximately how many times do you wake during the night? What do you do to go back to sleep?
If I go to bed early enough, I will usually wake once, take care of business, and fall back into bed already half asleep. (It’s quite possible I was never fully awake.) If I am truly awake and my stomach isn’t growling like a bear in springtime, then I’ve discovered that I’m probably supposed to be praying… so I do.

8. Share a favorite movie quote.
Only one? That’s like cats and potato chips…I don’t think I can do that! So here are 3:

“It’s just a flesh wound!”
“Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!”
“Life isn’t fair” (as said by Scar in The Lion King)

9. What is your favorite Fall candle scent?
It’s a tie between “Apricot Brandy” from PartyLite and “Autumn Wreath” from Yankee Candle

10. What is one Fall activity you’re looking forward to?
Well…. Since I am currently in the midst of marching band season (football games! band competitions!) and cross country season (5k meets), I will state that I am looking forward to HOPEFULLY going hiking and camping. We managed to squeeze this in the first part of November last year.

11. Tell us about a pleasant surprise that happened to you recently.
I thought I had all of my weekends thoroughly booked until mid-November, so I was pleasantly surprised when EB had a meet-free Saturday and I was not needed to chaperone a band competition. (I still went to the competition, but I went as a spectator with my dh.)

12. What was it like when you first met your in-laws-to-be?
I was wearing a flannel shirt and jeans –which pretty much matched my guy… we had “style”  in common 😉 –and after walking into the house and being introduced, we all sat down in the living room. Then my future dh said, “So I suppose you might have already heard, we’re engaged.” There was stunned silence. We thought the news of our engagement might have proceeded us, but it apparently had not… LOL  After a few awkward moments, my future FIL said, “Congratulations!” My poor MIL, she was still trying to size me up! That was 23-1/2 years ago and I dearly love my in-laws; I’m pretty sure they like me. 😉
I hope I get to meet my sons’ future wives before that one gets sprung on me!

It’s back!

Actually, the Random Dozen has been back for a few weeks, but I am just now getting back to it, in my own haphazard way. Here goes…

Hosted by:
Lidna at 2nd Cup of Coffee

1. What is your favorite Mexican dish?
Wow, that’s a difficult question for me to answer, because I really love Mexican food! Enchiladas (my first love) come to mind first, so I’ll go with that answer, but the tortilla soup made and served by the cafeteria ladies in our El Paso public elementary school was some of the best I’ve ever tasted.

2. When you were a kid, did you get started on your homework right away after school, or did you procrastinate?
After school was for playing and piano lessons and reading; I did my homework in the evening.

3. What is your favorite store for home furnishings?
I rarely purchase things like that, so I don’t have a favorite store.

4. When you were young, did you like school lunches?
When I was in elementary school, way back in the age of dinosaurs –or at least Bonanza metal lunch boxes– I rarely purchased a school lunch. There was a rule that we had to eat everything on the tray, or at least TRY it. I was very picky eater.

5. Is religion a crutch?
Religion is the easy scapegoat of wars and disagreements. Religion is often an excuse for those very same things.
Faith is something entirely different, and no, I do not believe that faith is a crutch.

6. In your region, what is the “big” (most popular in the community or state) high school sport?
My kids are not sports-minded –we are more about Marching Band and EB’s Cross-Country meets– but I’m guessing that the Biggie is lacrosse… although I’m not really sure what lacrosse IS!
You can, however, almost always find me at the home football games, and not only because the band is playing. 😉

7. Do you consider yourself rich?
We live in one of the richest counties in the country. My husband likes to say we helped bring down the median income level. So, no, we’re not rich when it comes to financial wealth.  When you talk about blessings, I think we are rich indeed!

8. Which of these would you have the best chance for success in administering:
A) CPR
B) Heimlich Maneuver
C) Changing a flat tire

It’s been quite a long time since I’ve undergone CPR training, but it is still probably my best bet.  Unless by “changing a flat tire” you mean me watching the tire being changed!

9. Which dance would you prefer to learn & why:
A) Salsa
B) Hip Hop
C) Waltz
D) Swing

Hmmm…. I already know how to waltz and I have taken swing dancing lessons  (it’s been a long time) so I guess I will say SALSA!

10. What’s the worst news you’ve ever delivered to someone?
Telling my husband that our oldest son totaled the car. This was very much tempered by the fact that the boy was safely sleeping in his room during the telling. It could have been SO much worse.

11. Name something you learned in college that had nothing to do with classes or academics.
Mixing drinks (beer, vodka, rum, etc., etc.) is a bad idea, roommates hate it when you puke in the garbage can all night long, and hangovers are painful.
This probably explains why I worry a little about sending my kids off to college. Perhaps they will be more like their father instead?

12. New variation on an old question: If there’s a song in your head that just won’t get out, what is your favorite (or most repeated) line in that song?
“All Aboard!!……
Crazy, but that’s how it goes
Millions of people, living as foes
Maybe it’s not too late, to learn how to love and forget how to hate.”

Another Random Dozen (from last week)

Random Dozen — because I love the questions!

Hosted by:
Lidna at 2nd Cup of Coffee

1. Have you ever been so lost that you were really afraid?
No. I’ve been panicked, but never really truly afraid.

2. Have you ever been to an island?
In the past 12 months I have been to Manhattan, Staten Island, Goat Island (NY), and Whidbey Island (WA). Over a lifetime, I have been to quite a few more, including Oahu, England, the Florida Keys, Vancouver Island (British Columbia), several islands in Southeast Alaska, Mercer Island and most of –if not all of– the San Juan Islands (WA).

3. Are you more of a thinker or feeler?
I think until my brain hurts — and then I feel the pain in my brain! 😛

4. Do you tend to see issues or situations in life as black and white or shades of gray?
I used to be very oriented to a black & white outlook. With age –and, I hope, wisdom– I can see there are often a variety of shades of gray. The trick is to view everything through the lenses of grace, mercy, and love… at least, that is what I believe God calls us to do.

5. If you were stuck on an island, what book would you hope to have with you (Let’s pretend the Bible is already there, so you can’t say that.)
Logically, I guess I should say I want a survival guide or a boat-building how-to book!

6. What are you most afraid of?
Losing one of my children. I’ve been aware of this fear for all of their lives, but last Sunday brought it to the forefront of my mind.  Of course, I dread the loss of their father, too, but I think losing a child is even worse than losing a spouse.

7. Would you rather lose all of your old memories or never be able to make new ones?
Boy, this is a toughie… I’m already a bit scatterbrained when it comes to remembering stuff. When I go on my annual girls’ weekend, the other 2 gals remember TONS of things that I cannot recall… but I’d hate to lose the memories of my babies being born, or the first time my (future) husband kissed me or [yeah, that too]. Since the future is unknown and I could die tomorrow, I guess I will take what I already know and hang onto that.

8. Pretend I’m looking at a scrapbook page about you. There are three spaces for you to drop in individual pictures. What are those pictures of, and why did you select them?

This is a picture of my boys from the summer of 2000, and it is one of my favorites: young, healthy, and happy.

This picture was taken in front of our rowhouse in Germany. I was preparing the 3 boys (ages 5,3.5, and 18mo) for a bike ride where I would be hauling 100-lbs of boy! I wasn’t skinny, but I was in pretty good shape. I’m so grateful that my neighbor took this photo to help preserve the memory of a wonderful time spent living overseas.

This is our engagement photo. We were on a hike near the place we met with another engaged couple and we took pictures for one another.

9. If you were re-doing your wedding, what would you do differently? (If you’re single, tell me one thing you would do if you were planning a wedding OR huge party.)
I regret not having my uncle be a scripture reader; I don’t know why I didn’t think of asking him (other than he was a fairly new dad at the time) so I would definitely ask him if I could have a do-over. SAME HUSBAND, OF COURSE!! 😀

10. Tell me one thing you know/believe about forgiveness. Forgiveness is an important building block of a relationship.

11. You’re waiting in a doctor’s office. What is your favorite way to pass that time?
Reading a book that I brought along or thumbing through a magazine, unless it was me at the dentist’s office yesterday… then it would be taking a nap! 😛

12. If there were a clone of you in a parallel universe what is one way you hope she/he would be the same as you and one way you hope she/he would be better?
I hope she would love her husband as much as I love mine, and I hope she would take better care of her body.

Randomizing the Random Dozen

Happy Saturday! I’m busy working on a newsletter, but this was an easy meme to post (and I needed a little break from the Publisher version of tetris).

Random Dozen

Hosted by:
Lidna at 2nd Cup of Coffee

1. Ever had any run-ins with the “library police?”
LOL, I’ve never thought of them as that! But yes, I have had to pay a few overdue fines in my day.

2. Do you have a special organizational plan and place for wrapping paper, gift bags, etc., or do you just purchase whatever you need as you give gifts?
I keep a pretty good supply going… in fact, right now I have kind of overflowed my storage capacity. Gotta work on that…

3. Have you ever been in (first-hand witness) a natural disaster?
Well… I heard and felt the BOOM! when Mt. St. Helens erupted nearly 30 years ago, but since we only had a thin coating of ash where we lived, that probably doesn’t count.

4. What’s your favorite Barry Manilow song?
Bwahahahaha…. if I have to choose one, Copacabana.

5. What’s the best costume you’ve ever worn?
It’s got to be the “Lil’ Devil” costume — red, complete with horns and a tail — that each of us wore as kids around the age of 5.  Did I mention that my father is a minister?

6. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
I’d say Thesaurus, unless we are playing Scrabble… and then the dictionary comes out!

7. What’s your favorite breakfast food?
My usual breakfast of  old-fashioned oatmeal cooked with frozen blueberries. YUM! 😛

8. Have you ever purchased anything from an infomercial?
Not really… but it did convince us to purchase a Total Gym 1000, back in the day.

9. Have you ever crawled through a window?
Yes.

10. Do you believe in love at first sight?
Well, yes and no. I certainly believe in attraction at first sight! And that attraction can be followed up by an interest, a conversation, and eventually… love.

11. How man pairs of jeans do you own?
Are you referring to how many pair do I own that FIT me RIGHT NOW? Okay then… one is too big, the other is too tight — plus a pair of jean capris.  But I know there are additional pairs of jeans in a box, just waiting for me to lose some weight.

12. If someone were going to bake a cake to honor/represent you, what would it be? (Think creatively, like Duff and Crew on “Ace of Cakes.”)
I can’t even start to think…. maybe you can come up with one for me in the comments?

Random (Dozen) Saturday

Random Dozen

Hosted by:
Lidna at 2nd Cup of Coffee

1. Define a great relationship.
Trust, love, comfortable silences, laughter

2. Why is it called a “drive-through” if you have to stop? (Real question: What was the last food/drink you purchased at a drive-through?)
The only time we use a drive-thru is on vacation, so I’m sure it was a $1 cheeseburger. 

3. As I type this, the Butler Bulldogs are getting ready to play in the NCAA championship game. Every Hoosier is hysterical about this except me. So in honor of the Bulldogs … what is your favorite breed of dog? (I tried.)

I’m fond of Labs. I think they are sweet and smart dogs.  And Janet‘s dogs are adorable!

4. If you had to move to a state besides the one you currently live in, where would you move?
This one is easy: back to Washington State!

5. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
Parents who were happily married to each other would have made my childhood much happier.
I used to think I’d have liked my mom to be a SAHM, but by the time I was in my late teens, I understood that she would have been unhappy without her chosen career.

6. Who’s the funniest person you know?
My husband usually makes me laugh at least once a day.

7. Did you get enough sleep last night?
Amazingly – yes! However, it was only about 6 hours long and today has been a busy day.

8. What’s the first thing you thought about this morning?
Must. Get. Up. And Shower. Must. NOT. Crawl. Back. Into. Bed.
(I succeeded.)

9. Grilled or Fried? –HONESTLY
HONESTLY – grilled!

10. Are you afraid of the dark?
I liked Melli’s answer so much that I’m going to steal it give her answer here:
Not the “dark” per se… but I am afraid sometimes of what might be “lurking” in the dark! But no – if I’m in the house and the lights go out and it’s pitch black — no – that’s not scary to me. And I’m not afraid outside at night either — IF I have control of the situation. It’s not a “fear” that would keep me from doing something I want to do because “it’s dark out”… sometimes it just sends a little chill down my spine!

11.When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A wife and a stay-at-home-mother… REALLY!! (see #5 above)

12. If you had one word to describe yourself , what would you choose?
Forgiven

Random Dozen, St. Patrick’s Day edition

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

From Lidna at 2nd Cup of Coffee

What are the ‘Ides?’

“Ides” is a term used to denote the 15th of March, May, July and October. Julius Caesar was 86’d on the Ides of March, just like the seer warned him. And then William F. Buckley Shakespeare Jr. wrote a play called Julius Caesar which contained the line, “Beware the Ides of March.” And we have been be-waring something we don’t understand ever since.
So we’re going to have one or two questions on the Ides of March and such, and then we’ll go directly back to random because that is what we do best here.

Remember: If you play along, go to Lidna’s blog here to link up and share the pot ‘o gold.  My comments/answers are in green bold lettering today.

1. On a scale of 1-10, how superstitious are you, honestly?
I’ll give myself a 1 (not superstitious at all).

2. Julius Caesar is quoted as saying, “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Which circumstance or experience of yours does this saying best describe?
Well, back when I was a runner, I’d say it about Bloomsday or the Sound to Narrows 12-km run.  Lately it’s been about a group effort to help out a friend in need.

3. If I peeked in on your day like a mischievous little leprechaun, at what time would I most likely find you blogging?
Lately, it’s been around the time the kids are getting home from school, because that is when I am getting home myself.

4. Regarding “springing forward” for Daylight Saving Time, is there anything you’ve ever been really early or really late for?
I’m often late, and all my babies were late (although I was born 2 weeks early) but I’m pretty sure that I have always remembered to re-set my clocks the night before a time change.

5. What are you most looking forward to concerning Spring?
Colorful flowers, especially the yellow daffodils 🙂

6. Shamrocks are the national flower of Ireland and are picked on St. Patrick’s Day and worn on the lapel or shoulder. Do you wear green on St. Patty’s Day?
Yes! Today I am wearing a Kelly-green shirt with my denim capris.

7. One of Caesar’s assassins, Casca, said, “But, for my own part, it was Greek to me,” which of course means he didn’t understand something. Probably his own lines in the play. Anyway, what is something that is “Greek to you,” something incomprehensible or indecipherable?
When I look at the beauty of the world around me, I have no doubt that there is an artistic Creator. It is incomprehensible to me that this world just sort of evolved or Bang! came to be all by itself. I’m not saying that there is no evolution and I’m not claiming that it didn’t start all-of-a-sudden; I simply find it incomprehensible that this world created itself.

8. Is March behaving more like a lion or a lamb where you live?
This week, March is a lamb. Over the weekend, it was a very soggy lion. Had the rain been snow, we would have gotten another 3 feet of the white stuff!

9. “An extra yawn one morning in the springtime, an extra snooze one night in the autumn is all that we ask in return for dazzling gifts. We borrow an hour one night in April; we pay it back with golden interest five months later.” -Winston Churchill. If you had one extra hour per day every day, what would you do with it?
Sleep! or maybe blog…

10. Legend says that every Leprechaun has a pot of gold hidden deep in the Irish countryside. Aside from real gold or money, what material item would be in your dream pot of gold?
My dream home

11. “The best things are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of God just before you.” Robert Louis Stevenson. Look around you right now and tell us about something essential or beautiful very near you that you take for granted every day.
It is easy to take ones family for granted. I HOPE that they don’t feel that way. I keep pictures next to the computer of their smiling, happy faces so that even when I am annoyed by words or actions (or lack of words/actions!!), I can remember how very blessed I am to have my family.  As far as non-human beauty, I can see the Blue Ridge Mountains nearly every day, and while I don’t think I take them for granted, I am blessed to have them within sight. I grew up with views of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges and something within me needs mountains. I’m pretty sure I need them more than sunshine…something else I am REALLY grateful for this week!

12. Just for a bit o’ fun, click here (www.blogthings.com/irishnamegenerator/) and then report your Irish name.
My Irish Name is: Siobhan Power
And the quote that came with it says, “What butter or whiskey does not cure cannot be cured.”
Makes a person wonder what’s for dinner, eh? 😛

Random Dozen… PLINK!

So, are you ready to play Plinko?

Definition of plink: “Plinking refers to informal target shooting done at non-traditional targets such as tin cans, glass bottles, and balloons filled with water.” Plinko is also a carnival game we play at Oneighty, but pot-luck shots fits this meme better, I think.

So here are your random plinko questions lined up in a row just like tin cans:  (My answers in bold)

1. How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet?
I have no-eye-deer! But I do know that I am not good at throwing things out (and also I rarely wear my dress shoes), so I suspect there are some that are at least 10 years old!

2. Did you buy Girl Scout cookies this year? If so, what variety?
I make a point of buying from every Girl Scout who asks me. This year, that was only 2 girls, but I think we bought about 11 boxes. They freeze well, although my husband took 4 or 5 boxes to work and the rest are …somewhere… oh, and the guys opened and ate the first package on Sunday.

3. Do you know how to ballroom dance? If not, would you like to?
It’s been a while since I’ve danced, but yes, SuperDad and I can ballroom dance. It’s fun!

4. Were you a responsible child/teenager?
Oh, yes!!

5. How many of this year’s Oscar-nominated movies did you see?
If you tell me what was nominated, I’ll tell you what I’ve seen…
Um, yeah, the answer is probably NONE. But I do want to see Crazy Heart before it leaves the theaters!

6. If you’re going to have a medical procedure done, such as having blood drawn, is it easier for you to watch someone else having the procedure done or have it done yourself?
I have to look away if it’s my own blood being drawn. I can watch the kids, though, and pretend it is not so bad.

7. What is your favorite day of the week and why?
I love Sunday! I get to worship with members of the family of God.   It’s also my day to take a nap and a walk and just relax.

8. Do you miss anyone right now?
My friend ~D~ is in the hospital and I miss her.

9. Do hospitals make you queasy?
I don’t mind at all the visiting of other people in the hospital. My husband works in a hospital. Being in the hospital for the purpose of having a baby was not a bad thing. But the last time I was in the hospital was a bad experience. Queasy? No. Ever being admitted again? I’m very leery of it.

10. At which store would you like to max-out your credit card. Not that you ever would, you responsible person, you.
You’re right, I wouldn’t do such a thing. I can’t even imagine it! But I suppose if I had to purchase all new furniture for some awful reason and I had the money to do  it, I would enjoy a nice furniture store.

11. Are you true to the brand names of products/items?
I much prefer Diet Coke over Diet Pepsi. Name-brand ice creams tend to taste better to me than store brands. But other than that, I am getting over the idea of needing to purchase such-and-such brand of canned peaches or green beans or ketchup.

12. Which is more difficult: looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when he/she is telling you how he/she feels?
Perhaps equally both?

OK … ready, aim, PLINK and LINK!

You can find Mr. Linky here.

Random Dozen #10 for me

As always, the Random Dozen is brought to us by “Lidna” at 2nd Cup of Coffee (head on over there to link up via Mr. Linky and see others’ answers).  Most people post on Wednesday, but I guess I’m a rebel. I post when I get around to it!

Linda writes: I’m feelin’ a little Irish this week, so a couple of this week’s questions are Irish flavored. No, not Bailey’s.

*Note that all questions involving Irish stereotypes are meant as light-hearted, fun questions, not meant to be offensive in any way.*

Here are your dozen for this first week of March. You know the drill; read, ruminate, write, for tomorrow we post and link. Did that sound just a tad Irish?

1. Do you prefer even or odd numbers? Any particular reason?
Even numbers are easier for my brain

2. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being “not at all” and 10 being Carly Simon-worthy, how vain are you?
Maybe a 2? I have to remind myself to not go to the store looking like a total slouch.

3. Among these Irish stereotypes, with which do you identify most closely? Talkative, Proud, Inquisitive, Love to party, Hot-tempered
Talkative!

4. How lucky do you consider yourself?
Really very blessed

5. What is the subject of your favorite post that you’ve written?
I’ve written over 450 posts and you want me to choose the favorite one?!? That would take more time than I have — and trust me, it’s a rare commodity here this week.

6. Describe March weather where you live in three words.
Totally unpredictable extremes

7. How apt are you at detecting blarney when you hear it? (Smooth talk, flattery)
I think I can detect it pretty well

8. How “green” are you, environmentally speaking?
I’m fairly uptight about recycling, but I’m nowhere near as environmentally conscious as I should be.

9. What is your favorite song this week?
One of my all-time faves:

But I can’t choose just one…

I really miss this band.  These 3 guys went their separate ways to do solo projects.

10. You are walking along and see a coin on the ground. What denomination does it have to be before you will stop to pick it up?
Sometimes a penny, usually a nickle or greater

11. Complete the sentence: “Every time I look outside my window ….”
I see snow.

12. What was the #1 song on the day you were born? See this site to find out.
“We Can Work It Out” by The Beatles was #1 in the USA and the UK

Random Dozen: final February edition

Random Dozen #9 for me!

Hosted by:
Lidna at 2nd Cup of Coffee

1. Have you ever fired a gun or shot a bow and arrow?
I’ve done both, but only at targets. I think it would be fun to shoot skeet, but since I can’t manage to do it decently on Wii, it is probably not ever going to happen in real life.

2. Do you know where your childhood best friends are?
Thanks to the magic of facebook, yes!

3. Do you usually arrive early, late, or on time?
As a terrible procrastinator, I’m one of those people who is (nearly) always late. I think it is partly because I have a skewed vision of time, where I think I have time to squeeze in one more thing… when I don’t.

4. Are you more of a New York or California type?
Neither! Pacific Northwest, please!  If I absolutely have to choose, can I specify? I loved the Finger Lakes region of NY and there are several parts of California that I enjoy.

5. Do you have a special ring tone?
For my old phone, it was “The Mexican Hat Dance.” NO ONE else had that ring tone, so I always knew it was my phone that was ringing and it made people happy to “sing” along with it.  Now I have a cell phone that doesn’t include TMHD, and I miss it!
My home phone has some special rings for people calling in: my full-of-life brother’s household is Party Clap, my oldest son is Für Elise (the first song he taught himself on piano), my dh is Let Me Call You Sweetheart, my MIL/FIL are Home Sweet Home.

6. What is your favorite type of chip?
Tortilla chips

7. Best comedy you’ve ever seen is ….
Jim Gaffigan, “Beyond the Pale”  — I haven’t seen him in a live show, but the man makes me laugh. Cake!!

8. Have you ever cut your own hair? To quote Dr. Phil, “How’d that work for ya?”
As a child, I did it once and of course it was awful!  As an adult, I have done it quite a few times and saved plenty of money.  🙂   I still occasionally pay someone else to cut it, but I have no qualms about home haircuts. My husband cuts his own hair and he just gave the younger 3 boys their “trim” on Saturday night.  Our oldest son now cuts his own hair as well.

9. If you were going to have an extreme makeover, would you rather it be about your house or your personal self?
I would choose the house (then maybe we wouldn’t be selling it for a loss next year!).  That’s not to say I don’t need a total revision for my self (self being diet, exercise, and style — and when the exercise & diet have done their work, there is probably going to be need for other work).

10. Are you allergic to anything?
Work?  Hahahaha

11. Why is it so hard to change?
Inertia is a powerful force. Combine Inertia with Habit and that is one difficult boulder to move!

12. One last question dedicated to February love: CS Lewis said, “To love is to be vulnerable.” Please share one example of that assertion or share any thought you’d like to about this topic.
“We live, we love, we forgive and never give up.”

Random Dozen: Olympic edition

Random Dozen #8 for me!

Hosted by:
Lidna at 2nd Cup of Coffee

“Although this begins with a salute to the Olympics, you’ll notice about half-way through these questions that I turn the corner and go off on another path as fast as a luge rounding a bend. Hence the name: Random.”

(My answers are in bold today.)

1. If you could compete in one Olympic event (not necessarily winter sports) what would it be?
Sleeping (that’s an Olympic event, right?)

2. Do remember a specific Olympic moment from the past?
Nadia getting a perfect 10 in gymnastics (yes, I am old) and Eric Heiden totally rocking the Lake Placid Winter Olympics in 1980!

3. Have you ever known anyone who competed in the Olympics?
No, but I’ve known some who probably could have!

4. If everyday activities were Olympic-worthy, which activity would you have a gold medal in?
I believe I answered this in question #1.

5. Do you know anything about your ethnic heritage?
I am at least 1/3 German, with some Scotch and basic Anglo thrown in for good measure. I’ve been told I have Italian traits, but I can’t find any Italians in my family history.

6. Do you enjoy sleeping late?
See question #1  (however, I don’t enjoy it when I am supposed to be up early, because that rather messes up plans for the day).

7. Have you ever performed CPR on anyone? Do you know how? (Yes, that’s two, I know. Whatevs.)
I’ve only performed CPR on the manikins they use for CPR class. I’ve taken the classes for both regular CPR and infant CPR, but it was quite a long time ago. My 17yo was supposed to take a CPR/AED class (for professional rescuers) on February 6th, but we were snowed in that day. I’m still trying to find out the rescheduled date!

8. Name one country you’d like to visit and explain why.
I’m going to name 2 countries! I’d like to visit Ireland because my BFF went there last fall and it sounded absolutely wonderful! I’ve also read a couple of Nora Roberts novels that nearly made me book tickets, so I’d like to think I will make it “across the pond” someday.  I don’t know if my husband would want to go, so it might be a ladies only kind of trip.
The other country I’ve been wanting to see, ever since watching Mamma Mia (thank you, Santa!), is Greece.  Do you think they’ll sing and dance there just for me? 😛

9. Have you ever fixed up a couple romantically?
Not to my recollection…

10. What is the last book you read?
Most of my book reading these days is for my book club. The last book I finished reading was The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I’m in the middle of What is the What? by Dave Eggers.

11. Do you enjoy sleeping late? NO, YOU write the question! How’s that for random?? Here’s my question: “Do you know where you’re goin’ to? Do you like the things that life is showin’ you?” (These old song lyrics just popped into my head seconds ago!)
I am pretty sure of where we are going in another 18 months (if my husband does indeed retire then) — back to the area we lived for the first 2 years of our marriage.  Or perhaps he will stay active duty for a few more years and we will be somewhere else! When we married, I thought we would live in Eastern Washington for the rest of our lives. I never dreamed we would be moving across the country –or world!– every couple of years.  But I have to admit that I have enjoyed this adventure, despite the times that it has been difficult.

12. What is your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant?
I really have a hard time with this question! We rarely go out to eat, so I will just have to name a couple of memorable ones (thanks, Melli, for jogging my memory!)…

I love eating fish’n’chips on the dock at Ivar’s Fish Bar on Lake Union in Seattle.  I prefer this to eating indoors or even outdoors at the Ivar’s fish bar on the Seattle waterfront.
I had an incredible lobster bisque with Melli and Ella at Brio.  The Tuscany decor was a nice touch, too!
And speaking of lobster, I still have vivid memories of eating lobster at a mom-n-pop “shack” in Salem, Massachusetts, back in the summer of 1981.  The name escapes me right now (it was named after their granddaughter) but I do remember choosing my lobster from the tank in the entrance — freshly caught that day– and then eating it over a long supper looking over the dock while seated on benches in a humble “restaurant.”  It was the first time I’d ever eaten lobster (one of the very few times I’ve eaten lobster!) and it was SOOOOO good!!

Funny, these are all about seafood — but I grew up near Seattle and I love salmon! I usually serve it with lemon and cornbread.  It might just be for dinner on Friday!