I just stole this. No I wasn't tagged. I'm just a thief.

As my many many readers well know, I am new to the blogging world. Yes I have commented on my Dear Daughter's blog and a few of my neices and some of DD's friends, but as for me, I'm new. I have actually begun commenting on stranger's blogs and reading the blogs of random strangers.

That being said, I have found a blog that I really enjoy. This young lady is whitty and sarcastic and funny but is crazy intelligent when it comes to finance and political issues. I love reading her blog. It makes me laugh. We all need somebody like this in our life to remind us not to take our lives so serious.

The phrases that are in a bold are true….

Appearance:

- I am 5′4 or shorter.

- I think I'm ugly.

- I have many scars.

- I tan easily. Yes I pay for it but it's easy

- I wish my hair was a different color.

- I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color. With my gray I live for my monthly appointment.

- I have a tattoo.

- I am self-conscious about my appearance.

- I have/I've had braces. Had them through jr and high school and getting invisaline soon.

- I wear glasses. again.... after lasix.... for distance & reading... grrr

- I'd get/have gotten plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free, scar-free.

- I've been told I'm attractive by a complete stranger.

- I have had more than 2 piercings.

- I have had piercings in places besides my ears. It was my Belly Button and I let it heal.

- I have freckles.

Family/Home Life:

- I've sworn at my parents.

- I've run away from home.

- I've been kicked out of the house.

- My biological parents are together.

- I have a sibling less than one year old.

- I want to have kids someday.

- I have children.

- I've lost a child.

Embarrassment:

- I've slipped out a "LOL" in a spoken conversation.

- Disney movies still make me cry.

- I've snorted while laughing. it happens often. its not pretty.

- I've laughed so hard I've cried.

- I've glued my hand to something.

- I've laughed till some kind of beverage came out of my nose.

- I've had my trousers rip in public.

Health:

- I was born with a disease/impairment.

- I've had stitches.

- I've broken a bone.

- I've had my tonsils removed.

- I've sat in a doctor's office with a friend.

- I've had my wisdom teeth removed.

- I've had serious surgery. I crashed my quad and tore my MCL a couple of years ago.

- I've had chicken pox.

Traveling:

- I've driven over 200 miles in one day.

- I've been on a plane.

- I've been to Canada.

- I've been to Niagara Falls.

- I've been to Japan.

- I've been to Europe.

- I've been to Africa.

Experiences:

- I've been lost in my city. Lost might be an overstatement but I had NO idea where I was.

- I've seen a shooting star.

- I've gone out in public in my pajamas.

- I've pushed all the buttons in a lift.

- I've been to a casino. I love Black Jack!

- I've been skydiving.

- I've gone skinny dipping.

- I've played spin the bottle.

- I've crashed a car.

- I've been skiing. Water & Snow

- I've been in a play.

- I've met someone in person from the Internet. Met and married Dear Husband

- I've caught a snowflake on my tongue.

- I've seen the Northern Lights.

- I've sat on a roof top at night.

- I've played chicken. In high school. We were stupid but played at LOW speed.

- I've seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Only bits and pieces but I'm sure all of it when you add the bits and pieces

- I've eaten Sushi.

- I've been snowboarding.

Relationships:

- I'm single.

- I'm in a relationship.

- I'm available.

- I'm engaged.

- I'm married.

- I've gone on a blind date.

-I've been the dumpee more than the dumper.

- I have a fear of abandonment.

- I've been divorced.

- I've had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.

- I've told someone I loved them when I didn't.

- I've told someone I didn't love them when I did. A bad time in my life.

- I've kept something from a past relationship.

Sexuality:

- I've had a crush on someone of the same gender.

- I've kissed a member of the same gender.

- I've had sex with someone of the same gender.

- I've had sex with more than one person at the same time.

- I am a cuddler.

- I've been kissed in the rain.

- I've had sex outdoors.

- I've hugged a stranger.

- I have kissed a stranger.

- I have had sex with a stranger.

Honesty/Crime:

- I've done something I promised someone else I wouldn't.

- I've done something I promised myself I wouldn't.

- I have lied to my parents about where I am.

- I am keeping a secret from the world.

- I've cheated while playing a game.

- I've cheated on a test.

- I've driven through a red light. Not on purpose!

- I've witnessed a crime.

- I've been in a fist fight. In high school but it was more like a cat fight. You know.. girls

- I've been arrested.

- I've shoplifted.

Drugs/Alcohol:

- I've consumed alcohol.

- I smoke cigarettes. In high school. It was gross

- I smoke pot. I was young. It was stupid & did nothing for me but make me giggle. A lot.

- I regularly drink.

- I've taken painkillers when I didn't need them.

- I've taken cough medicine when i wasn't sick.

- I've done hard drugs.

- I've been addicted to an illegal substance.

- I can't swallow pills.

- I can swallow about 5 pills at a time no problem.

Mental health:

- I have been diagnosed with depression.

- I shut others out when I'm depressed.

- I take anti-depressants. I don't take the perscribed meds, but started Sam-e

- I have had an eating disorder.

- I've slept an entire day when I didn't need it.

- I've hurt myself on purpose.

- I'm addicted to self harm.

- I've woken up crying.

Death:

- I'm afraid of dying.

- I hate funerals. But I go when it was somebody important to me or a loved one.

- I've seen someone dying. I worked on an ambulance, but sat with my dad when he died.

- I have attempted suicide.

- Someone close to me has attempted suicide.

- Someone close to me has committed suicide.

Random:

- I can sing well.

- I've stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant.

- I open up to others too easily.

- I watch the news.

-I don't kill bugs.

- I hate hearing songs that sacrifice meaning for sake of being able to rhyme.

- I swear regularly.

- I am a morning person.

- I paid for my mobile phone ring tone.

- I'm a snob about grammar. And spelling

- I am a sports fanatic.

- I play with my hair.

- I have/had "x"s in my screen name.

- I love being neat. I'm not always neat but love it when I am!

- I love Spam.

- I've copied more than 30 CD's in a day.

- I don't know how to shoot a gun.

- I am in love with love.

- I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.

- I laugh at my own jokes.

- I eat fast food weekly.

- I believe in ghosts.

- I am online 24/7, even as an away message.

- I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room.

- I am really ticklish.

- I love white chocolate.

- I bite my nails.

- I play video games.

- I'm good at remembering faces.

- I'm good at remembering names.

- I'm good at remembering dates.

- I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.

So Much For My Big Plan!

My day started out fine. I did a little, and I do mean LITTLE, work in the office, made my list of where I needed to go, got my deposit ready, grabbed my stuff to take to good will, Kohls, My Sister in Love's (SIL)and headed to pick up material for our customer. This was going to be a busy busy day.

I hit Starbucks on the way into town, hit goodwill and made it to pick up material. I was running a little later then I had hoped but the Starbucks by my house is SO SLOW! I swear I watched dude fill up the coffee grinder with beans, grind coffee and deliver coffee to inside customers and sweep etc while I was sitting at the window waiting for my simple little cup of Hot Chocolate. After atleast 7 minutes he finally brought me my drink and said "Sorry for the wait" WHATEVER! (Sorry had to rant).

Anyway, old friendly chattie guy at the parts place finally gets my Trailblazer loaded with material for 2 jobs/2 customers (bonus delivery) and I'm ready to go. I get in and start my car and throw it in reverse and it doesn't move. What the Heck!?!?! I put it in drive and it won't move. It's like somebody has me chained to the fence or like there are big tire chocks behind my tires. The engine roars but I'm barely moving. I could go into the many, many calls to my Honey, his best friend who I call my Spare Husband, Our Mechanic, AAA, Our Customer and the other folks that needed to be contacted but it would make your eyes bleed. I'll just say that I sat there for over 2 hours waiting for the tow truck to come get me and haul my sweet ride to the shop. I thought I could make it because while I was waiting for tow truck dude the car suddenly worked, but then after a few short blocks it literally ground to a hault with burning brake smell and squeeling. UGH. Dude gave me a ride in his freezing cold dirty truck and dropped me and my material off at home on the way to the shop.

Of course we have loaned my Dear Son's truck to my wonderful neice who is visiting from Michigan so the only thing I had to drive was a filthy, muddy service truck that needed diesel and air in the tires that really need to be replaced. NASTY. I think the inside was 10 times dirtier then the outside.

Dear Daughter (DD)to the rescue! She is anti-driving right now and so she offered her car to me. As soon as the sweet grandson woke from his name they drove over and picked me up. After dropping her off I drove to the customers and Sister in loves 45 minutes from home. Hit the bank and Costco and dealt with the tax advisor and the guy making some shirts for us while I was driving. I was told to spend some money and I LOVE spending money!!

By the time I dropped off DD's Costco needs and then dropped of a huge crate of oranges from SIL at a friends house and came home I was done. It's now nearly 6 pm! I am SO not in the mood to clean. Dear Son came home for his requested 2 days off for a trip and we went to dinner. We came home and the dog had marked on the ladder I had put in the nice freshly cleaned dining room. I like the dog but I seriously considered killing it when I saw it. WTF?!?!!? We've had the ladder longer then him, it's been in the house a million times and it's been in this time for atleast 3 days.

How can you dislike a face like this?? Normally he is referred to as Turbo the Wonder Dog or Bubby. Tonight he is "The Dog". That's all I'm sayin!

I need to go shop for office supplies and Honey is taking the "Spend Money" advice from the Tax Guy to heart and is trying to buy a new company vehicle in the next 24 hours. He also had me order a new office computer which we desperately need. Ours was bought used in 2001!

Big Sigh.... tomorrow is another day. I'll head to office depot in my little tiny borrowed Toyota and fill it with cases of paper, storage boxes and file folders for the new year. Hopefully my outing will NOT include driving to a car dealership and handling paperwork on a new service truck. That is SO not on my schedule of things to do! When I get home I'll dive into the new spot in the dining room, finish the living room and maybe do the office and master bedroom rugs. The floor can just wait. Hmmmm, maybe I'll have the heavy cases of paper delivered. That's a GREAT idea!!! :-)

Getting Ready for the New Year

I made a decision the other day. Since Honey and The Boy Child are both working out of town, and for the time being I don't have my sweet grandson, I'm going to shampoo every room in the house. I'm also going to super-duper clean the tile and grout in every room and then after it dries I'm going to seal it. Of course first I had to finish un-decorating Christmas.

So, this morning I packed all the Christmas stuff away and labeled each box. I put everything I really wanted into the garage to be loaded into the attic. Everything else went into the back of the car to go to Goodwill. Gotta get my tax credit!

When Christmas was put away I finished what I had started last night which was moving all of the furniture from the dining room and kitchen into the hall on The Boy's side of the house. Then I moved all the living room furniture to one side and vacuumed everything. I took a break to drop off payroll, meet my Baby Girl at Target for some Christmas returns, to pick up some cleaning supplies and to force feed her some lunch. I then did some banking, tanned my body and then came home to dive back in.

Accomplished tonight was shampooing the dining room and half of the living room. Not bad for an old lady!

The guys are totally gone until the January 10th and I'll drive South for a race with honey this weekend. I figure I can have all the floors done by New Years Eve so the grout can dry and I can seal it before leaving on Friday Morning. It can dry while me and the Puppy are gone.

Wish me luck!

Peace Begins Within

So, Christmas... it has come and gone. I have to admit that this year was a little off. Of course last year was a LOT off which may have contributed to this year being off. This holiday brought with it memories of last year's loss and the saddness we endured along with pressures and worries of the health and well being of my sweet girl child.

Getting ready for the holidays was strange this year because Honey and the Boy Child have been working out of town since the middle of November. They came home for Thanksgiving and a day or two here and there but didn't come home until the night before Christmas. Although the boy child hung my lights outside it was hard to focus on Christmas without them here harrassing me or encouraging me to hurry and get some presents under the tree etc.

We adopted a needy family this year so I managed to bury myself in shopping for 7 people that I didn't know. I have to admit that it was a challenge but it took my mind off of my own issues. It was really nice to be able to provide a nice Christmas for this family who truely needed help this year. They were so apprecitative. The kids all received things they needed as well as some toys. The lincoln logs were a HUGE hit with the little boys. I hope that we are in a position to do it again next year. Maybe we can adopt 2 smaller families and spread the joy.

We celebrated the holiday with my side of the family on December 20th. It was strange to be celebrating without any of the men in my family. My dad passed 2.5 years ago and even though he pretended to be a scrooge he really loved the holiday and the many friends and family it brought together. Its still hard to celebrate without him. Honey and the boy child were gone working and the girl child let her husband "Off the hook" as he had friends here from out of state that he wanted to see. The day was very relaxing and we ate, visited, opened gifts and played a game. It was a nice day but it just didn't feel like Christmas without my true love by my side and all of my kids gathered round.

I found myself floundering on December 23, suddenly realizing that I should take the turkey out of the freezer, do some grocery shopping and maybe even wrap some presents. I didn't have most of the presents that I wanted to buy bought and the ones I had ordered had not arrived yet. I was just sort of "Oh well". I enjoyed the evening visiting with honey as I prepared everything that I could do food wise that night and wrapped presents. He couldn't figure out why I was wrapping stuff just so we could unwrap it in the morning. Silly man.. You just have to!

On the morning of December 24th Honey had to run out and work for a local client and the boy child was out running parts and gathering material to take back down south on Saturday morning. The girl child called around 9:30 and said that they would be late for the 10:00 am planned celebration. I realized there were a couple of gifts that I wanted to get and one was important enough to go out for and left the house to go get them.

As I drove through town I was amazed and joyful at the lack of stress I was feeling for once. Was it that I didn't care enough about our celebration to worry that nobody was on time and that things weren't done? No, that wasn't it. I think I found the joy in the holiday while I was out getting the one gift that I thought was important for my daughter, the one thing that I hoped would move her the way it moved me.

We put a lot of thought into the gifts that we bought for our family this year. I'm not sure if the kids found as much joy in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University as we had hoped they would, but we know that some day they will thank us. We bought the boys things for their jobs and the girl child things to decorate her room and make it someplace that she would feel joy and happiness. Then I ran across something that came in a sales catalog and knew I had to buy it.

I found my girl child, somebody who is struggeling with her emotions and her stress, a small ID bracelet that said simply "Peace begins within" and I knew I needed to buy it for her. I hoped that she would understand how much those three little words meant towards her getting better.

On the way home I realized that the lack of stress I was feeling, even though normally I would be losing it at 10:15 am on Christmas eve when everything was so un-organized for a 10:00 gathering that NOBODY was there for, was because I was at peace. At peace with the gifts I had purchased, the food I had prepared regardless of there being no jello salad or dessert, and the family arriving whenever they could make it. The entire day was spent visiting and eating and opening gifts and just hanging out. The plan was to eat at 1:00 pm so the girl child and her family could go to church before leaving to her family-in-loves home, but we sat down at 3:00 pm and she wasn't stressing about it so I wasn't either. I am so thankful for that time.

After all of the kids left, my sweet honey and I cleaned up most of the mess and relaxed in front of the fire before heading out to a movie. There was still a few dishes to wash but they would keep til morning. We had another celebration the next day with his family and some friends coming over. We knew it would be a long day due to the difficulty of picking up and delivery his father, but we went out anyway.

Our Christmas day started out less then peaceful as my husband tends to clean things that have been annoying him when he is nervous and having family over tends to do that to him. I was having a hard time understanding why he wanted to clean the garage and shampoo the carpet when there was food to prepare and presents to wrap. The carpet got cleaned, the presents got wrapped, the food got prepared and we were fine. His family was very late, which is common, so things got switched around a bit on our plans but we had a wonderful day anyway.

This year Christmas was different. It was peaceful even when it was hectic. We spent time with family who we rarely see and love and miss, our own little family who we adore, our childhood family and friends who we are thrilled to have close to us. I hope that your Christmas was peaceful regardless of where you were and who you were with. If it wasn't, remember that Peace Begins Within.

I Don't Get It

What?! Two posts in not only 1 month but in 1 day!? Yeah, well, Christie complained that first she didn't even KNOW I had a blog, but also that I wasn't posting to my blog. So here goes .... Why is it that even though I make great little proper paragraphs when I'm typing my post, that there are none when the post actually gets posted? Can somebody please 'splain this to me? I hate haveing run on sentences and a run on single paragraph post is WAY worse. Toodles!

An Early Christmas for Me!

I try to be a good "Pit Wife" and take great photos of my husband as he is putting his life on the line racing at dangerous speeds down the quarter mile track. I stand near the wall, my body vibrating from the power of the combined engines, feeling as if my ears will begin bleeding any second from the intense noise from two 500 plus horsepower engines reving up less then 10 feet from me and I wait for just the right moment. The light turns green for Don and I snap the shot as he shoots away from the starting line and races down the track. I watch as he finishes the race and then look at my photo display only to see nothing but track. Where's Don? Where's the guy in the other car? Why are there no cars in my photo?! Oh, it's because they were half way down the track before my little point and shoot actually recorded the moment I was trying to capture. No the perfect light isn't there. The little wheelie that made me cringe isn't visable. There is nothing but blacktop and wall to prove that there had been a race. What a dissapointment.

I love taking photos of our sweet grandson Sammy. He is starting to get into things he shouldn't and it's usually something that is too cute to pull him away from before taking a photo of it. The last great attempt was when he had somehow worked himself under my bed feet first. He was trying desperately to wiggle OUT from under the bed and didn't know that anybody was watching him. I quietly told Uncle Jerry to grab my camera off the counter and bring it to me. There was still time, although Sam was nearly out, he was still struggling and it was getting funnier. I turn on the camera, I point, I shoot.... Certainly I got it!!!! Nope, Sam is walking away from the bed proud that he had escaped without harm and my camera recorded his back as he walked out of the frame. Another photo oppurtunity foiled by a slow camera.

We took a wonderful trip to Tennessee in October and I was complaining to my dear sweet husband that the camera was having issues. Of course it picked a perfect photo moment to again act up by the lense not opening up all the way as I tried to shoot some wildlife during our side trip to the grand canyon.

Fast forward to mid November. I get a pre-recorded call from UPS saying they have a red label delivery for me and that an adult must be present to sign for it. Hmmmm, I hadn't ordered a thing but..... Christmas IS just around the corner. It's probably just material for a customer so no need to get excited. The day drags on and I'm forced to stay home waiting for the package. What a drag. If I didn't have a package to sign for I would have WANTED to stay home, but since I couldn't leave I wanted to! You know you've been there too. :-)

Anyway, half way through the day my DH (Dear Husband) calls to say hello. Before I hang up I ask him if he has any idea what is coming red label that I need to sign for. He pauses for a long time and then says "I'm sorry. This is going to ruin your Christmas suprise. It's something for you but the order got messed up and I need you to fix it." (The fix it story is long and boring so I won't go there but I fixed it.) So, my DH proceeds to "Ruin my Christmas suprise" by telling me that he purchased me a wonderful new camera. I have to send it back and get the order fixed so when UPS arrives I refuse the package. Bummer.

A few days later I go visit him for the weekend where he is working out of town. We grab a bite to eat at a fast food place as he is working sun up to sun down and hit the hotel. As soon as we finish dinner he brings me a BIG bag and tells me that he hates to ruin my Christmas but wants me to have my present since I sort of know about it anyway. This is where I grin like crazy and clap my hands together in anticipation for my new toy. Just like my daughter I can't always control this little quirk.

It's WAY better then I imagined!!!!!!!! We had glanced at Canon D40's while shopping for a replacement stereo for the broken one in his work truck but this was WAY WAY WAY BETTER!!!! My amazing husband purchased me this little baby along with lots of do-dads to go with it.

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/08/canon-makes-eos.html

Now, keep in mind that I have NO CLUE how to work this thing. There are SO many settings and things to learn. It's really complex and I have my doubts about my ability to absorb it all but I assure you I am going to give it the Ol' Navy Try. I've taken a gazillion shots, mostly of Turbo the Wonder Dog because he will usually stand still or at the very least not run away like Sam does. I have a funny little sequence of him (Turbo) rolling around scratching his back. Since the camera takes 6.5 frames per second its a cute little "Movie" of him. Anyway, I'm learning and will be looking for a photography class where you can use a digital camera in the very near future.

Can you imagine the amazing racing shots I can take with 6.5 frames per second?!!?

Hopefully I'll find the time in the next week to download the better photos off the memory card and then a few more minutes to figure out how to upload a few of them to my blog.