Fives for Friday

February 18, 2010

I love...
--my funny, sweet, big-hearted, quirky kids
--my hubby, the holder of my heart
--my job (well, most of it)
--sunshiny weather
--chubby cheeked toothless baby grins and giggles

I wish....
--my sister and her girls could just move here--now
--for a great job opportunity for Doug
--for the continued health and well-being of my family
--I wasn't sick right now
--for just one more....

I don't like....
--people who feel the need to create drama
--mean-spirited souls
--that there's more of me than I'd like
--when I lose my cool with the kids
--how long it's been since we've had a vacation

I want....
--more time to read (without falling asleep!)
--more teaching days like today
--a car (van) that doesn't screech, crackle, and sputter like an arthritic octogenarian
--a better camera so the pictures I see are the ones that come out on the page
--my kids to know how proud I am of them and that I'll always be their biggest cheerleader

I feel...
--amazed at the people I've reconnected with in the past couple of years
--thankful that in this economy I have a job and a home
--anxious about balancing all the blocks in the tower
--nostalgic already about the fact that my oldest graduates next year--NEXT YEAR!
--I'm making up the answers as I go along, but I know I'm not alone

Returning to Our Regularly Scheduled Program Shortly

July 22, 2009

We’ve been absolutely inundated with family visitors for the past two weeks. I love having everyone here, but it has definitely limited my writing and reading of blogs of late. Today, just so you think I haven’t gone away, I’ll post a little survey I’ve done. I promise I’ll be back on track with more regular posting and commenting within the next few days. I’ve missed seeing what’s been going on with all of you!

1. What time did you get up this morning?
10:00 (but I didn’t go to sleep until around 4).

2. How do you like your steak?
Medium-well works for me! I don’t need to see my dinner bleeding.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
I just got home from seeing “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” with Doug.

4. What is your favorite TV show?
I have several, but So You Think You Can Dance tops my list right now, especially the episodes where Debbie Allen is the guest judge. I could do without Mary Murphy, though.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I’m not well-traveled enough to answer that question definitively. I think I’d have to spend some time out in the world before I came to that conclusion. Is that an option in this question? Travel extensively before I settle down? If money was no object….

6. What did you have for breakfast?
I’m not so much a breakfast person.

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Italian or Chinese

8. What foods do you dislike?
Pancakes, waffles (especially with maple syrup), biscuits and white gravy. See? Not a breakfast person at all.

9. Favorite Place to Eat?
DiCicco’s in downtown Clovis.

10. Favorite dressing?
The Bleu Cheese-Ranch dressing at DiCicco’s.

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Soccer-mom mini-van.

12. What are your favorite clothes?
It totally depends on my mood or the situation.

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Australia, Italy, Greece.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
Definitely half-full, almost always.

15. Where would you want to retire?
I’m sure I wouldn’t complain if my retirement home was in Hawaii.

16. Favorite time of day?
Dusk/sunset, especially when there’s a little breeze at my back.

17. Where were you born?
Midwest City, Oklahoma

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Swimming and gymnastics. Baseball/softball and soccer, when my kids are involved.

19. Bird watcher?
Honestly, I have very little use for birds. I find them to be, in general, utterly uninteresting.

20. Are you a morning person or a night person?
I am most certainly a nocturnal person. It’s too bad my career doesn’t really make allowances for people who function better at night.

21. Do you have any pets?
I have an amazingly sweet kitty named Kelly.

22. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
Wouldn’t that be nice? No, not at this time.

23. What did you want to be when you were little?
I wanted to be a teacher from the time I was about three, although at the time, I figured I’d teach little kids. When I was in 4th grade, I wanted to know if it was possible to be both a teacher and a nurse simultaneously. Once I realized there would be needles involved in a career as a nurse, I gave up that dream and just focused on the life of a teacher.

24. What is your best childhood memory?
Oh, goodness--it’s nearly impossible to choose just ONE as a favorite, so I’ll just share one. Perhaps driving all day and night with my parents on our annual Christmas Oklahoma trip--sleeping bags stretched out in the back of the station wagon, looking up at the stars at night as we tried to fall asleep.

25. Are you a cat or dog person?
In general, I consider myself more of a dog person.

26. Are you married?
I’ve been married for two years now to the guy who lets me be my best me.

27. Always wear your seat belt?
Every time.

28. Been in a car accident?
I’ve only been in one pretty serious car accident. Thank goodness I was the only one in the car.

29. Any pet peeves?
I have a few, I guess. Poor spelling/grammar/punctuation posted at places of business would probably be high on the list.

30. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
My favorite is ham, mushroom, and olives.

31. Favorite Flower?
Roses.

32. Favorite ice cream?
World Class Chocolate

33. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Panda Express

34. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
That question presumes failure, no?

35. From whom did you get your last email?
I got an email of a Facebook notification.

36. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Target

37. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Sure!

38. Like your job?
I love many aspects of my job.

39. Broccoli?
Steamed. Yum!

40. What was your favorite vacation?
Without a doubt, Cancun. It was magical.

41. Last person you went out to dinner with?
My hubby.

42. What are you listening to right now?
I’m listening to Doug. We’re chatting while we’re clicking on our computers.

43. What is your favorite color?
Blue

44. How many tattoos do you have?
I have none. I’m needle-phobic.

45. How many are you tagging for this quiz?
I guess I’ll know when I stop typing names.: )

46. What time did you finish this quiz?
1:10 a.m.

47. Coffee Drinker?
Diet Pepsi is my ‘coffee’ of choice most of the time. The only coffee I drink is either bottled Mocha Frappuccino or coffee ice cream.

My Life According to Chicago

THE RULES
Using only song names from ONE artist, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Repost as "My life according to (band name)."


HERE WE GO...

1. Pick your Artist:
Chicago

2. Are you a male or female:
Along Comes a Woman

3.Describe yourself:
Somebody Somewhere

4. How do you feel:
Holdin’ On

5. Describe where you currently live:
Hot Streets

6. If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Window Dreamin’

7. Your favorite form of transportation:
The Road

8. Your best friend is:
Darlin’ Dear

9. You and your best friends are:
Together Again

10. What's the weather like:
Hideaway

11. If your life were a TV show, what would it be called:
Let’s Take a Lifetime

12. What is life to you:
The American Dream

13. Your LAST or current relationship:
We Can Last Forever

14. Your fear:
If You Leave Me Now

15. What is the best advice you have to give:
The Show Must Go On

16. Thought for the Day:
I Believe

17. How I would like to die:
Hanky Panky

18. My soul's present condition:
Where Do We Go From Here?

19. My motto:
Take A Chance

A Little Bit About Me

March 31, 2009

I borrowed these Finish the Sentence statements from a friend, and I thought I'd share them here:

1. My ex.......is a good dad and a good person. He just wasn't a good husband for me.

2. I believe.....in the basic good nature of people. I believe it's important to find a partner who makes you laugh every single day. I believe a kindred spirit transcends time and geography. I believe it's important to teach kids to do good for others even when there's no pay-off except knowing you've done what's right. I believe we cannot control the behaviors of others, but we can control the way in which we choose to respond. I believe in second chances.

3. I love...... my children, my husband, my job (most days), and all of my extended family. For those of you who have read my description of who all I consider my 'family,' you know that probably means you, too.

4. People would say that I'm…… easy-going, diplomatic, verbose, and (at times) funny.

5. I don't understand why people think I am……..outgoing. I still see myself as a very quiet and shy individual who has trouble breaking the ice in unfamiliar situations.

6. When I wake up in the morning.......I hit the snooze button a couple of times before I get up and check out the morning news.

7. I've lost......both of my parents and my brother. That makes me the oldest of my immediate family, which is strange, I think, at my age.

8. Life is full of......people just like me, sometimes on unstable footing, not sure of the next step. Sometimes it's important to remember that no one has all the right answers all the time.

9. My past is........ how I became who I am today. It is filled with people and events who have made an indelible imprint, and I am grateful. I don't believe in living in the past, but I do believe that one has to acknowledge its part in the journey.

10. I get annoyed when people....are too close-minded to listen to others' perspectives.

11. Parties are.....all about a theme (Brianna) or LaserQuest (Nicholas and Danielle). Unless of course, it's a party hosted by Dennis and Val, and then that's something altogether different.

2. I wish.......to live a long, healthy, happy life, surrounded by my equally healthy and happy family.

13. Dogs.........I miss having dogs. We always had them growing up, and someday I'd like to have one join the family again.

14. Cats..........I never thought I was much of a cat person until we met Kelly. Don't tell her this, but I believe she's a cat with the soul of a dog.

15. Tomorrow........is a chance for a new opportunity.

16. I have low tolerance for.........people who are mean. It's just not necessary to go out of one's way to make someone else feel small.

17. If I had a million dollars......there would be charitable contributions involved, but there would also be some vacations as well.

18. I'm totally terrified......that some illness or injury would befall one of my children.

19. My spouse......is a person with whom I can be the best me that I am.

20. The coolest person I've ever met is.......my Great Grandma Martin. She was way ahead of her time. The coolest famous person I've ever met was Bob Hope--got to shake hands with him and everything. Talk about an icon!

My life.......is an adventure, and I am looking forward to whatever's around the bend.