Random Thoughts and Musings

I found this sometime last year, but saved it for a “future” post. So today is that day in the future. Play along, if you so desire!

This is apparently a Facebook quiz that is going around. I, however, was not tagged for said quiz.

Instead, I totally stole this from one of my favorite bloggers, Miss Riss over at Wild Hair. Check her blog out … Riss is emotional and hilarious, and I haven’t read a trite post there yet. She’s far more interesting than me, but you have to come back to me anyway - you are NOT allowed to break up with me and start dating her exclusively. You may, however, date both of us for as long as you wish.
1. What time did you get up this morning?
Morning? Wassat?

2. How do you like your steak?
Well done. And no, that doesn’t mean dry-as-cardboard or tough-as-nails!

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
I honestly don’t remember.

4. What is your favorite TV show?
I have many. Please don’t make me list them. Sons of Anarchy is one, though.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Anywhere that my heart is full.

6. What did you have for breakfast?
Uhm … a shake, I believe.

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Things that remind me of home, hearth, family, and love.

8. What foods do you dislike?
Bitter greens, green olives, heart/liver/tongue/brain/ear/hoof/etc parts of animals, too-sweet desserts, and various other cuisine to which I am not accustomed.

9.Favorite Place to Eat?
With my friends and loved ones.

10. Favorite dressing?
Ranch or Tomato-bacon red stuffs.

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
I *did* drive a Jetta. It died.

12. What are your favorite clothes?
Pajamas. Tank tops & shorts.

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Anywhere I know at least one person, anywhere that has anything fun or interesting to see/experience.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
My cup runneth over.

15. Where would you want to retire?
What a dirty word!

16. Favorite time of day?
Any time I am laughing.

17. Where were you born?
Port Charlotte, FL

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Basketball or baseball are the only ones I can mention in public.

19. Who do you think will not tag you back?
Ignore this question.

20. Person you expect to tag you back first:
Again, ignore this question.

21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
Once again, ignore this question.

22. Bird watcher?
They’re cute, they make fun the mornings annoying or beautiful, depending on my temperament …but I do not search them out, no.

23. Are you a morning person or Night Person ?
I am generally happier in the late afternoons, early evenings … even late nights. Mornings are *not* my forte.
(You get a bonus if you did *not* pronounce the “e” at the end.)

24. Do you have any pets?
Two furrballs claim space in my home & heart: Rascal Lee Kitten and Willow D. Kitten.

25. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share?
A new day will dawn.

26. What did you want to be when you were little?
Teacher and mother.

27. What is one of your best childhood memories?
Driving the boat out on Poquito Bayou.

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
I am just a person.

29. Are you married?
No longer.

30. Always wear your seat belt?
Yes.

31. Been in a car accident?
Yes.

32. Any pet peeves?
Many. I don’t generally remember them until they happen, though.

33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
Mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, chicken.

34. Favorite Flower?
Orchids.

35. Favorite ice cream?
Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked.

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Wendy’s.

37. How many times did you fail your driver’s test?
I don’t think I did, at all.

38. From whom did you get your last email?
Sammy boy.

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
At the moment, the Toyota Dealership.

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Nothing grand.

41. Like your job?
Sure. It requires me to spend time with my BFF.

42. Broccoli?
… is delicious steamed, baked, broiled, fresh, blanched, covered in cheese, in spaghetti or lasagna, as a substitute for beef in several dishes, and on pizza. I’m sure I didn’t cover everything, but you get the gist.

43. What was your favorite vacation?
Jamaica, hands down.

44. Last person you went out to dinner with ?
My daughter. Other than her … no idea.

45. What are you listening to right now?
Tim McGraw on the 45th Academy of Country Music awards show.

46. What is your favorite color?
Green.

47. How many tattoos do you have?
None.

48. Who are you tagging for this quiz?
Nobunny.

49. What time did you finish this quiz?
1:14 a.m.

50. Coffee Drinker?
No, I don’t like the taste. Chai tea is my jolt poison!

First, a little Monday Meme (boredom brought this on):

What day of the week is today? uhm, Monday …

Spell it out with words that describe you: moody ornery nurturing devilish angelic yawning.

Name a musical artist for each letter of the day: McGraw, Tim; Offspring; NKOTB; Duran, Duran; Ace of Base; Yearwood, Trisha

(I just put the first musical artist that came to mind … that does not mean I actually *listen* to them!)

Second, a few wishes, a little earlier in the week than usual:

I wish for things to go well for Adelle’s dad (he has an appointment tomorrow, he’s fresh on my mind).

I wish for VelvetVoice to feel better soon … her back gave out earlier because she’s been overdoing it with the unpacking/organizing/etc.

I wish for BFF’s appointment to go well tomorrow … either she carries the gene that caused Baby S’s cancer, or else Baby S just had a mutated gene. The latter is the better option, all around.

Love to all.

I wish for B to have a speedy recovery, despite the fact he insisted on cooking dinner for C & I immediately after his surgery and before he rested; and despite the fact that he insists on going to work today, despite only having one evening/night of rest after surgery. Minor surgery (all is well!), but surgery none-the-less … there is a pain factor involved, and I worry about him.

I wish for a wonderful day with the triplets today, as I try to help my friends out while Momma heads off on a plane to travel across country and deliver her oldest son home to his dad. Daddy to the triplets works from home, and will be there to help if they all three despite to cause an uproar at the same time, but I hope to do most of the caring-for-them, since I haven’t been able to see them since my first day-visit a month or so ago!

I wish for a smooth transition for a friend of mine who has made a major life change and a physical move with her young son. She and her son have many good things coming to them, but it will not all be smooth sailing, as he is now farther away from his daddy and will have a few growing pains related to such.

I wish for strength, rest, and peace for a friend who’s father is ill and who is feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders.

I wish for continued improvement in health for another friend’s father, who has recently had an up-swing. I also wish for many happy tidings for her sister, who has a few big changes coming her way.

I wish for peace of mind and amazing success for a friend who is considering starting her own business in order to get away from the poisonous atmosphere at her current job.

I wish for peace of mind, continued marital bliss, and academic success for my friend who is completing her schooling and starting on the next phase of her chosen career path. She still has school work to do, but she will see less classroom and more real-world experiences. She has an amazing husband who she adores, and who adores her, and they both work incredibly hard to maintain a happy balance at home. They are an inspiration.

I wish for continued GOOD news with Baby S’s health. She had a minor (extremely minor, unless things continue to look worse next month) change in her numbers, which is worrying her daddy … but we are fairly certain it is just because she was sick with a sinus infection.

I wish for all of my blog readers to discover the many blessings in their lives, and cherish them.

xoxo

Five Things

1. Five toppings for pizza:

• mushrooms
• onions
• jalapeños
• tomatoes
• chicken

2. Five things that describe you:

• Moody (some who really love me call it passionate)
• Loving
• Caring
• Compassionate
• Unsociable

3. Five ingredients for spaghetti sauce:

• tomato sauce
• garlic
• ground chuck
• veggies (chopped carrots, onions, broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, mushrooms)
• salt~n~pepper

(WHAT?? … that IS TOO five ingredients, by my count!)

4. Five favorite things in your home:

• My daughter, who is the heart of my home.
• Our kitties, who are the entertainment.
• Pictures - even if I do not organize them, put them in frames, or display them … I know they are there, and I LOVE them.
• Books, books, books! They might be fluff, but they are BOOKS!
• My room (as a whole … it is beautiful & comfortable)

5. Five sub toppings:

• mayo/mustard (spicy, thanks)
• tomato&lettuce
• yellow/banana peppers
• onion
• pickle

6. Five things you do daily:

• Hygiene stuffs (teeth/shower/shave/hair)
• Chat with Lil Lady about anything/everything/nothing
• Answer texts
• Read
• Touch base with family/friends

7. Five drinks you keep handy:
Uhm, this one may be more difficult.

• Sweet Tea
• Milk (Almond for me, Organic Vitamin D for Lil Lady)
• Water (Filtered in a Brita pitcher in the fridge)
• Juice (although we haven’t had juice in the house for a couple of weeks … I need to remember that when we go grocery shopping next month)
• Tea (that you have to brew …  yanno, in case you want hot tea. Yeah, I’m stretching. Sweet tea and this tea could be in the same answer, but … we really do not keep anything else around to drink! Besides, I always have a couple of flavors of tea - black, white, fruit-infused, green …)

8: Five states or countries you have seen:

• Born: Florida
• Lived: Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, California, England
• Driven through: West Virginia,  Arizona, Kentucky, South Carolina, Delaware, Virginia, Louisiana,
• Visited: Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Illinois, Michigan, Washington, D.C., Alabama, Texas, New Mexico, Maryland, Tennessee, Ohio
• Vacationed: Jamaica

9: Five menu staples for your family:

• Spaghetti
• Chicken-n-rice
• Stroganoff (not out of a box)
• Meat-veggie-rice (we call it stir fry … it is not always so)
• mac-n-cheese

10: Five things you have not ever done:
These are from my “Bucket List.”

• Volunteer/do missionary work in a foreign land
• Learn a foreign language (I will work on this with Lil Lady, as she’ll be taking Spanish for H.S. credit this year!)
• Travel to/through New Zealand (it is not enough to GO there … I want to see a lot of it too!)
• Swim with dolphins (I have swam in waters near dolphins, close enough to touch … I want to swim WITH the dolphins though)
• Travel to every state in the U.S. and visit the historic areas, the landmarks, and Mother Nature and God’s creations in each.

First, the special note: A dear friend of mine is raising money for Autism Research and is walking in the Autism Awareness event this weekend. This is a matter near and dear her heart: she has a friend who’s child has Autism … and she is currently in training to work with Autistic children. If you have a spare few dollars, or can sacrifice a restaurant dinner or even a purchased coffee, Holly (and I!!!) would greatly appreciate your support.

Secondly, the decisions I am struggling with this week: I have a wedding on Saturday. We’re traveling all day on Thursday. I will not have a vehicle on Friday. I’m working Tuesday and Wednesday. I still have not made a dress decision. GAH!

I have a few dresses that have now been taken in to fit me. I have three dresses that I am trying to decide if I should purchase (one of them, not all three … and at a deep discount, thank goodness). NONE of these dresses is the one I wanted. Some of them look ok, some I am comfortable in, and some … I’ll wear if they look better than the others. *L*

Wanna play dress-the-devyl?

Option 1: Black with blue polkadots (tho you cannot see them-the whole dress looks blue in this pic), silver buckle. Just below the knee.

Option 2: Black with white flowers, a tinge of red … floor length

Option 3: Brown w/multicolored skirt. Floor length.

Option 4: White w/black stripes, red accents. Just below the knee.

Option 5: Black, plain. Just below the knee.

Option 6: Black, velvety-ish, with flirty netted trim. Just below the knee.

Option 7: Black & white, just below the knee.

Option 8: Brown Paisley … midcalf length.

Option 9: White. Just above the ankle.

Your opinions - honest ones - i’m not looking to be placated - are greatly appreciated!!

xoxoxo

**********
Edited 6/19/09 - The dress I wore is this one:

A little hard to see, since BFF is right next to me in her pretty paisley and Baby S is on my hip (this was after she had gotten sick & spiked a fever, and just before we dashed out to drive home).

Are you a brand snob?

I do not *try* to be, but I found this word association in my email, and laughed at my results.

What brand do you think of when you hear the following, and is it because you actually BUY that brand, or just associate that brand because you have been inundated with a multitude of advertising?

Hot dogs :-: Nathan’s (no)
Relish :-: Claussen, of course (YES!!)
Potato Chips :-: Mission Tortilla chips (when I can find them, YES)
Pasta :-: Barilla (yes)
Bread :-: Wonderbread (no)
Mayonnaise :-: Hellmann’s (yes)
Soda :-: Coke (no)
Burgers :-: Five Guys (nope, haven’t been there ever)
Lotion :-: Jergens Shea Butter (yes) and Aveeno (yes)
Shampoo :-: Aveeno (yes - first time I’ve tried this one!)
Perfume :-: Estee Lauder Pleasures Exotic (mmmmmmm - YES)
Photographs :-: Olan Mills (nope)
Television :-: Sanyo (yes, but … it just happened to be the one on sale)

I think I migh be a brand snob … dangit!

The following lists are in no particular order …

Ten Dishes you love to eat:
1. Curry
2. Jambalaya
3. Red beans & rice
4. Shrimp
5. Spaghetti
6. Chili
7. Mole (family recipe, not traditional)
8. BBQ chicken (preferably the leg or thigh)
9. RIBS
10. Macaroni & cheese

Nine Dishes people request you to cook:
1. chicken-rice bake
2. spaghetti
3. pork loin
4. pot roast
5. chili
6. Mole
7. pork chops
8. chili mac
9. taco salad

Eight Places you love to dine:
1. Home
2. BFF’s house
3. Chili’s
4. Ruth’s Chris steakhouse
5. Mom’s house
6. Grandparents home
7. Dad’s house
8. Family home (where we hold our get-togethers)

Seven Fruits you cannot live without:
1. Strawberries
2. Grapes
3. Bananas
4. Berries (blackberry, raspberry, blueberry)
5. Dried Mango slices
6. Peaches
7. Oranges

Six Desserts you prefer not to pass up:
1. Brownies
2. Chocolate cake with chocolate icing (no extra fillers & toppers, please!)
3. Carrot Cake (no nuts or raisins, please) with cream cheese icing
4. Zucchini bread
5. Chocolate chip cookies
6. Berries

Five snacks you love:
1. Claussen Pickles
2. wheat thins w/peanut butter
3. crackers with cream cheese & spicy jelly (jalapeno jelly, mango habanero jelly, etc)
4. Peanut butter on toast
5. Fruit fruit and more fruit!

Four Cookies you eat:
1. Nutter butter peanut butter sammich cookies
2. Chips ahoy original chocolate chip cookies
3. Oreos - original
4. Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies

Three Sandwiches you love to eat:
1. Peanut butter & strawberry or raspberry or blackberry jelly
2. Turkey with mayo, spicy mustard, shredded lettuce, provolone cheese, tons of tomato, Claussen Sandwich slices, salt, pepper, and garlic.
3. Egg salad sammiches

Two Cereals you love to eat:
1. Frosted Flakes
2. Honey Nut Cheerios

One Favorite Cold Dessert:
1. Triple-thick chocolate shake

1) I prefer to eat with a spoon, not a fork.

2) I prefer wheat bread. It goes bad faster than white bread. This irritates me to no end, but makes me realize in a more basic way that it is slightly less processed.

3) I love spaghetti. I can make sauce from whole tomatoes, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, or a base sauce. I don’t care how I start it, as long as I can flavor it to my liking. I like veggies in my spaghetti: carrots, zucchini, brocolli, onions, mushrooms, and, of course, tomato.

4) I am picky about tweezers. Cheap tweezers piss me off.

5) I have no less than three copies of The Davinci Code, and I have not watched it a single time.

6) I have a $400 digital camera I hardly ever use because I developed a tremor in my hands.

7) I sometimes get frustrated that I was denied all assistance (food stamps, emergency funds), but have managed to pay my bills every month despite being technically unemployed. Thank you, God. Thank you Fate. Thank you, LIFE.

I have the greatest friends in the world. I may be an unsociable bitch, but I know and meet incredible people all over the world, and I am grateful for all of you.

9) I do not like wearing the color pink, but I just gave away 32 pink items of clothing. What the hello-suzy??

10) I am not receiving all of my mail at my new apartment, and it is starting to stress me out.

11) I just gave away 12 copies of Pretty Woman, because I had 13 (they were gifts at various stages of my life).

12) I prefer paperback books. I like to carry my books (or, at least the one I am reading and one extra in case I finish the first) with me wherever I go (literally), and a five hundred page hardback book is a little large for even my purse (I carry huge purses).

13) Don’t fuck with my desserts … don’t put extra crap in them. I like brownies that are just fudge brownies, no nuts no powedered sugar, no cherry explosion. My chocolate chip cookies should be regular semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies and should not have nuts or m&ms or anything else in them. Carrot cake is not called carrot-and-nut-cake - so why the FUCK are you putting nuts in it? Chocolate cake should NOT be made with anything added into it. Do not even THINK about trying to feed me some fancy dessert: stick with the three mentioned, or a nice simple slice of pie (apple, cherry, blueberry, strawberry …). Thank you. (I grabbed for a brownie today and saw nuts. It ruined my damn chi for a few minutes. :D)

That is all. Tomorrow (Erm, Friday), the blog is all about someone special. Make sure to come back and read it!!

Several people (as in, 12 of the 20 that ‘wrote in’), asked whether I was really in the Navy, and what Boot Camp was like, among other things.

Yes, I was in th U.S. Navy. I enlisted in October 1994, in the Delayed Entry Program, and headed off to boot camp March 1995. I joined to remove myself from a situation that was not good for me or the other person living it, and happened to luck into a position that I would come to love.

Boot camp was … boot camp. We worked our asses off. I lost tons of weight - I wore a size 6 when I entered, came out nine weeks later with brand new uniforms in a size 1. I didn’t realize I was losing weight til I stood up and my pants fell down around my ankles. Literally.

I learned that mind games are not just played by parents, but by everyone who thinks they can control you. I learned to play the game in a manner that allowed me to be independent, without getting into trouble or causing anyone else to get in trouble. I learned to sleep with 150 other people in the same room. I learned to shower with 150 other women and zero privacy. I learned to fold clothes in a fashion that I never used once I left boot camp. I learned that my stepfather’s rules and requirements had trained me for this stage in my life.

I watched several of my shipmates deteriorate and drop out due to various reasons: personal weaknesses, medical issues, mental issues. I watched one particular shipmate deteriorate to the point that she tried to commit suicide. Thanks to a quick-acting shipmate who was standing nearby, the deteriorated shipmate remained unscathed and was sent to a hospital. I do not know what happened to her from there. I watched grown men cry like babies, and grown women throw tantrums to rival the most terrible-est two in the world. I witnessed a newly-minted US Citizen (his family had ridden a raft from Cuba) not only master the English language, but excel at everything we did. His ENTIRE US-based family was at our graduation. One of our shipmates lost his younger brother AND gradmother in the Oklahoma City bombing. I still remember that he had to be told four times before he understood what happened. The look on his face was haunting.

I ran into several people form high school - which was odd, sincce I went to boot camp 2 years after we graduated - including one of my high school crushes. He managed to pass me a note (high-school style) during a field day-type event. I tossed it, realizing I would probably not see him unless we happened to be in town on leave at the same time.

I made fast friends: my Division Commander got in my face and hollered, and I laughed. He cycled me til I thought I would die, then got in my face and yelled again. I managed to only smile. He cycled me again, until I was too weak to move. Literally. Afterwards, he pulled me aside and asked why … I told him if he’d grown up with my stepfather, he wouldn’t think he was scary either. We became friends that day, and remained friends for a number of years. I earned privileges (a few of us earned pizza Sundays, outings to the local mall, and then … for those of us who were really well-liked, a free afternoon to do whatever we wanted, off-base). I put my loud mouth to use as the 2nd in charge of our Division: I was the loudmouth you hear calling out commands *grins*.

I learned to toss a rifle: my division was somewhat unique:
1) we were a 900-Division (meaning we were one of the performance teams for graduation ceremonies); our particular division was Division 9-1-1. (That’s how we were taught to pronounce it, tho it was Division 911).
2) We were an integrated company: we had both males and females in the same company, and did everything together. We slept in separate bunk halls - their bunk hall (room) was across the hallway from ours. All activities; marching, classes, chow time, punishments, cycling, duty, etc … were all done together. In free time we were allowed to socialize together, unlike other divisions, where males and females would not meet face-to-face.

I fractured both of my ankles the 3rd day there, because those stupid boondockers are a health hazard - especially on pot-hole filled, icy ground covered by snow in March. ESPECIALLY to someone who will trip over the same bump in the carpet in her own home at least twice a week. I learned to stand up for myself and to call in favors when needed: my 7th week in, they finally discovered the stress fractures in my ankle: they didn’t show up on X-ray, only on the bone scans. Prior to the discovery of the truth, their answer to my grapefruit sized ankles (I wish I could find those pics - my ankles were hideously huge and bruised) was to prescribe ice baths 15 minutes every 4 hours, enough motrin to fry anyone’s liver, and sleeping with my feet elevated. As soon as they realized what shape my ankles were in, they declared I would have weak ankles for the forseeable future, and began the paperwork to discharge me.

After an hour of stunned silence as I packed my bags, I became angry. And vocal. I went to my Division Commander (a hardass 1st glass petty officer), who called in our brother company’s DC, (a mean and ornery female chief who had medical training), and she went with me to the medical hall. We requested the doctor’s time, we fought my discharge process together. It did no good: the doctor refused to hald proceedings. My DC then asked me if I knew of anyone who would defend my capabilities & right to be in the military. I made a call to a friend of the family, who  made a few calls of his own, which were apparently highly effective. Five hours later, I was told to unpack my shit and get my ass into gear, I was wasting time. I was put on crutches for one week, and if I failed to pass the PT at the end of that week, I would be discharged, no matter who I knew, where.

I passed my PT (although I would have sworn it was killing me at the time) with flying colors. I proudly stood at attention with the rest of my division, and was even able to perform my rifle tossing in the ceremony. I had not one member of my family in the audience.

I came out of boot camp as an E-3 (because I was a good girl and got good marks on my exams, as well as played along with the mind games of my DCs and excelling in our performances), with paperwork for my guaranteed A-school (technical tranining), meaning I would not have to go to a ship and swab decks and let someone else decide my fate.

Not sure what you expected to find out, or wanted to know … if i didn’t answer, send another email

xoxo

I was doing a little dream shopping yesterday. Having been unemployed for what seems like forever (I have been working odd jobs, I’m not sitting on my lazy ass - promise!), I do not have shopping funds. I have, each month, barely managed to scrape by paying my $1200 in rent and bills, along with some groceries. Amazing what a gyrl can do when she is determined - unemployed or not!

Anyhow. While I am not complaining about my situation - I  feel very blessed to have a home to live in, food in my Tween’s belly, and all of our necessities - I do sometimes wish I could just go out and buy what I need to finish making our apartment into a home.

I am going to share my “shopping” with you here today. Why? Because I can. And because it is a happy way to start out the week!

I’ll start with my bedroom, because it needs the least … although it is probably the single most expensive item, save for the balcony furniture. When I purchased my mattress a few years ago (posturepedic, three inch pillow top, no flip, queen size), I envisioned installing a murphy bed because the place I lived was teensy-weensy. However, I ended up not using the mattress at all, and slept on my couch. Yes, that small of a place. *L* When we moved, I figured i would buy a platform bed. Only, at the time, I was focused more on helping my friend/roommate get the things she wanted to help make the house we shared into a home (a pool, a covered swing, new bedding for her, a bunch of household goods, etc). I put my bed idea aside, thinking the mattress would work just as well on the floor as it does on a bed frame. And, I like making people happy: it makes me happy too. It was totally worth the trade-off at the time.

Boy, was I wrong. The support just isn’t there … so, in order to save my back and start sleeping properly, I need a bed. I prefer low beds, so a platform bed is perfect for me. I particularly like this one, because it doesn’t have a headboard, per se … instead, it has adjustable comfort backs for when you are sitting in bed reading and/or watching tv. As I have opted out of buying a tv for the moment, I would be making myself incredibly comfortable while reading! This particular bed also has the “slat” system, which takes the place of a boxspring: TRIPLE WIN!

oh dang .. I *swear* I was searching for something else … but I happened to run across this pretty baby too:

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I briefly mentioned not purchasing a television for my room. Should I decide to purchase one, I want it to be one that can also be used as a computer screen, AND it would be one of the super-nifty-pretty ones that hangs on the wall. Something like this:

* * * * * * * * * * * *

My bathroom is nice and spacious, which I love. It does not come with enough storage space, however, I need a couple of cabinets in there, to display my lotions and potions, or they will not ever get used. If I cannot easily see them, they get forgotten. Sad, but true. Something like this would work well for me (tho i wish it was in a chocolate color):

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The laundry room has a lot of wire storage shelves. Even with the full size washer and dryer (should I ever get a set) in there, though, there will be extra storage room. I would like something like this:

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The kitchen is small, so we have little room for more gadgets (much to my dismay because I <3 gadgets!), but since our toaster oven committed suicide by means of fire shortly after we moved in, and I have no idea where all the parts to my GF Rotisserie are, I would like one of these to replace it:

(6-slice toaster oven, rotisserie, and convection oven all in one!!)

* * * * * * * * * * * *
There were dozens of gadgets and tools (from whisks to pots to my super-cool crock pot ) that disappeared between moving from my lil apartment down south to the 2 houses I shared with roommates and finally to this lovely apartment. Some of the things I miss most:

Kitchen timer: (I found mine in three pieces behind the stove of the place we moved out of … nice, roommates … nice):, Salt & Pepper mills: , Meat Tenderizer: , Whisks … I used to have five sizes. NONE are here. , Silicone basting brush: , Mezzaluna: , Microplane Grater/Zester: , Mini Santuko (wasabi green!): .

* * * * * * * * * * * *

After you cook, it would be really lovely to have a table where you can sit and eat the food. I found a few really cute options for not very-much money. I think this one is the most practical:

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The most expensive items, by far, were in the balcony department. I found all kinds of nifty-dreamy ideas, like these:

(Isn’t that scrumptious? Can you just feel yourself lounging with a nice, tall,iced drink and a book?
* * * * * * * * * * * *

(I feel refreshed just thinking about lounging here.)
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(Two fantasies filled in one: outdoor bed/lounger … and ROUND bed. WOOT!)
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(Ok … who isn’t thinking about the Pirate games that could be held in THIS beauty? *grins* Both innocent children and naughty adults could come up with a few games of their own, I’m sure.)
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When it came right down to it, though … I really, REALLY loved these two sets:

(This is totally my style … snuggly, in my favorite color scheme (brown/red), wicker-ish look, deep cushions … **sigh** SO PERFECT.)

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(Again, perfect look for my personal style, but this has lots of seating options, tons of room, multiple uses for several pieces … again, SO PERFECT.)

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Even that is too rich for my blood though. So, if fate is kind to me, and I have the funds, and the set is available … I’ll likely end up with something similar to this set, because it is a sectional but can also serve as an outdoor bed. I likey!:

I prefer cushions that are deeper, cushion-y-er … and something a lil sturdier. I also prefer wicker. None of those are anywhere near my price range tho. So, I’ll make do ifn I can get this lil cheap-ish set (ok - cheap compared to my first, second, and third choices!!)!

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And after the achy tootsie syndrome of tonight, I really, really, REALLY wish I had something like this, or at least some of this: and one of these: .

New Game
Apparently tonight is the night for fun and games. I’ve started a few. Here is one more, aimed at getting some of my blogging friends active again.

1) What is the first song you remember hearing on the radio?

Puttin on the Ritz as sung by Taco in 1982. My mom loved the song, and it came on the radio, and she started singing it to me. I was sitting on my bed, and we were listening to the antique radio my parents had put on my headboard.

2) Favorite song when you were 12?

La Isla Bonita by Madonna

3) What was the first music material you purchased on your own, and who was the artist?

Purple Rain by Prince, on cassette tape.

Re-blog the survey, add a question of your own, link back to me! See you in your comments!

xoxo

I have done a few others, here (interviewed by Nancy), here (Interviewed by Ruprecht), and here (interviewed by my sweet Adelle, aka TopSurf to all you uninitiated). Now, one of my dearest friends has stepped up to the plate to interview me. You can read where he was interviewed by me, here: Is This Like 5th Degree.

Here goes nuttin, folk!

1. What job can you least imagine yourself doing?
Anything that requires me to be the center of attention/focus of an audience: model/actress/singer … although I COULD be a spokesperson for something I believe in, because that puts the object of my belief in focus, not me specifically.

2. What is your biggest life-goal/dream?
I always wanted to be a mother, to live happily. I have achieved those goals. Now, I would like to travel, I would like to do missionary work, and I would like to see parts of the world that others only dream about.

3. If you could switch places with someone for a day, who would it be?
This is difficult. There are so many great and wonderful people to choose from, and there are so many dreams to fulfill in this manner. I think, though, I would switch places with a coma patient. It would allow us to determine if they can see, hear, feel, and understand what is going on around them. I know we have suppositions, and tales that people tell us after they wake up … but we do not have actual knowledge. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to KNOW?

4. What piece of writing has most affected your life?
Many years ago, my grandparents moved from their long-time home in Small Town By The Water, FL to live in Maryland near my Uncle. My parents and siblings and I headed south once we returned from living in England. Our goal was to clean up my grandparents’ home and get it ready to be sold, so they could then move to New Mexico (where it would be easier to make their twice-a-year pilgrimage to Aguascalientes, Mexico to see their families). I stumbled across legal pads full of my grandfather’s writings. He had learned to speak English while working for a construction company in Small Town By The Water. The workers had taught them words as they went along in the job, and he learned even more by taking classes the company provided. The first few pads were full of stilted English, but they progressively became more clear and fluent. I read about his thoughts and feelings upon coming to the US, his anxiety about how they had to live (in a converted chicken coop) when they first arrived, and his love for his family (which he rarely displayed openly). I read about my grandfather, and learned more than I could have ever learned by him telling me verbally. It was amazing, and beautiful. Only a couple of hours into my reading, my stepfather discovered what I was doing threw me across the room onto the floor. He called me a nosy bitch and other rather rude things, then tossed the notebooks I had been obsessively absorbing. I later confessed to my grandfather, because I thought I had done something awful. He hugged me and told me he was glad I had read what I did, and he wished I had been able to read the rest of his notebooks. They were not diaries, he told me, they were the story of his love. He had written it for us to read when he was gone. I will never have those pads of writings back, but I have the memories of reading a few of my grandfather’s thoughts.

5. Which one place you’ve never been would you most like to visit? What about to live?
I have always dreamed of visiting New Zealand. I dreamed of it long ago, when I was a child, and that dream was renewed when I first began talking to my friend Ian via IRC, ICQ, & Yahoo IM. (He could better tell you where, and when, we started talking. He helped m navigate my way around the net the first few years I was online!) He and his wife were incredibly sweet, and I loved getting to know them. I planned on visiting two years ago (in 1997, I said in “10 years”), but that still has not been feasible. Hopefully, though, I will get there in the near future! If I could live anywhere, it would be on a huge plantation with all of my friends and family surrounding me … and with plenty of green land and streams and ponds and lakes to keep everyone happy and healthy. Yes, a completely fictional place … but then again, I always live in a dream world.

Do you want to be part of it? Follow these instructions:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will answer the questions on your blog, and include the original post and your interviewer’s post.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

This week, my BFF’s brother (who took over their father’s painting/maintenance/remodeling business) has helped me out HOOOOGE by giving me a few days of work. We’ve been painting a couple of houses. They (BFF, her sister, and two brothers) have been doing this off and on their whole lives. I started right after high school, working an odd job here and there.

For some reason, I really like the work. I think it is because you can see the results instantly. It is calm work - no grumpy people to work with (other than me if I do not sleep well). Actually, that surprises me to read … I love people, which is why I went into the administrative assistant field to begin with - no matter where I got a job, I always met new people every day. Maybe I really am turning into a grumpy old lady!

Anyway … I’ll be painting again today. We’re working in a beautiful house out in Destin, and it is fun imagining what I would fill it with if it was a place I was moving into. By the time I leave at the end of every day, whichever house I am working in has been completely decorated in my mind, with furniture and wall hangings and plants and bold, beautiful colors. I even imagine the backyard and how I would fill it with different things. Ahh … the life of a dreamer!

This weekend will be busy too. Tween has a softball game in a nearby town on Saturday, and then I am re-delivering my nephew to Jacksonville, FL on Sunday. That means a 12-hour drive for me, but I always enjoy the half where he is with me. He likes to aggravate me, but we have so much fun! He is 14, and still is as loving and sweet (in between his bratty teenage boy moments) as he was when he was 6 months old and I first met him. Can’t help but love him completely!

I hope this posts … I have tried to post a blog 8 or 9 times and it does not seem to want tot take.

Have I mentioned that I love being interviewed?

I have done a few others, here (interviewed by Nancy), here (Interviewed by Ruprecht), and here (interviewed by my sweet Adelle, aka TopSurf to all you uninitiated).

Now, one of my dearest friends has stepped up to the plate to interview me. You can read where he was interviewed, here: Is This Like 5th Degree

Here goes nuttin, folk!

1. What job can you least imagine yourself doing?
2. What is your biggest life-goal/dream?
3. If you could switch places with someone for a day, who would it be?
4. What piece of writing has most affected your life?
5. Which one place you’ve never been would you most like to visit?  What about to live?
Have fun!

AND DO NOT FORGET THE RULES:
You have to link back to the original post (http://immoralmatriarch.com/questionsagain) and my post (http://beaver1224.blogspot.com/2009/01/is-this-like-5th-degree.html) and include the following in your post:
Want to be part of it? Follow these instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Have I mentioned that I love being interviewed?

I have done a few others, here (interviewed by Nancy), here (Interviewed by Ruprecht), and here (interviewed by my sweet Adelle, aka TopSurf to all you uninitiated).

Now, one of my dearest friends has stepped up to the plate to interview me. You can read where he was interviewed, here: Is This Like 5th Degree

Here goes nuttin, folk!

1. What job can you least imagine yourself doing?
2. What is your biggest life-goal/dream?
3. If you could switch places with someone for a day, who would it be?
4. What piece of writing has most affected your life?
5. Which one place you’ve never been would you most like to visit?  What about to live?
Have fun!

AND DO NOT FORGET THE RULES:
You have to link back to the original post (http://immoralmatriarch.com/questionsagain) and my post (http://beaver1224.blogspot.com/2009/01/is-this-like-5th-degree.html) and include the following in your post:
Want to be part of it? Follow these instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.