Random Thoughts

A few things rolling around in my head:

My office is not in the best part of town.  We've had drunk guys passed out in the parking lot, beggars asking for handouts and even things stolen from cars in the parking lot.  Yesterday, though, I was truly dumbfounded to see a drug deal take place right outside my window.  Unbelievable!

Reese starts school Monday.  I cannot believe it's time - it's passed by so quickly.  We're making cupcakes to take to daycare Friday.  We're going to throw our own little "going away" party.  She's getting very excited about going to school - to the point of crying about going to daycare - the same house she's been going to since she was 3 months old!

My Dad just turned 78.  I talked to him on his birthday and he told me he's going back to work.  Driving a school bus.  I love my Dad, and think I'd trust his driving, but do I want a 78 year old driving MY child to school?  Not in a million years!  He said that they told him as long as he could still walk, he could drive a bus...hows that for a job requirement?

5 weeks till we leave for Disneyworld.  I have never been there before - I think I'm almost as excited as Reese.  T is teaching her how to subtly make herself taller (tiptoes just a bit) because he thinks she's going to be a little short for some of the rides - this preparation for our trip is cracking me up!!

I had to look at dictionary dot com to see if subtly was really a word - it is...it just looks funny to me today.

College football starts in 3 weeks (at least for our team).  T and I have always tried to go to at least one game, but didn't make one last year.  Sure hope we can this year.

We haven't had enough rain 'round these parts this summer to keep a cactus alive, but today makes 4 days of rain - in a row!  We'll go from having crunchy grass to makeshift ponds in the backyard.

I've never seen any cactus in Oklahoma.

And with that, Reese and I are headed out to get school supplies and some new clothes!  

Have a great weekend!! 

Random Thoughts

Buying a block of cheese (ok, 4) for $1 each is quite a bargain.  Not so much when you leave said blocks of cheese in the car (it's 100+ degrees in these parts) and you end up with cheese blobs. 

Not that I did that or anything.

There's a klutzy spider that lives outside my kitchen window.  Last night, I watched him making his web for the evening.  He lost his footing and swung by a thread (literally) no less than 4 times in the 5 minutes I watched.

While driving down the street the other day, I saw someone drinking pop (coke, soda, whatever you call it in your neck of the woods) straight from a 2-liter bottle.  That's one serious addiction!!

I've been doing my daily walks at the mall during my lunch period.  Yesterday, I passed a "Treasures" shop that was housed in a little kiosk in the middle of the mall.  As I approached, I noticed the merchant with a mirror in his hands...it's the big mirror customers use to see how their potential purchase looks around their necks.  The merchant, however was using it to make sure he retrieved all the goodies from his nose.  If it wasn't so gross, it might have been funny!

Thursday was our last summer ballet class.  We will be enrolling for the fall session.  Reese isn't ultra excited about it, but I don't feel we've given it a fair enough shake to quit just yet.  Looks like there may be a few more manicures in my future :)

Did you know Nabisco is coming out with a Triple Double Oreo?   I just heard about it today.  3 cookies with 2 layers of creme...one chocolate and one vanilla.  Supposed to be out sometime this summer.



And with that, I'll call it a day!  

Ten on Tuesday

1.  Dear Ice Cream Man,


Please don't pass my house at 45 mph - it's hard to gather my money and my child up at that speed.

    Love, outta shape Mom who wants a happy kid


2.   Dear Reese,

Please eat the overpriced ice cream we just ran half way down the block for.

    Love, Mom who's tired of cleaning half-eaten ice creams out of her freezer

3.  Dear T,

Please don't go out of town for a whole week at a time again.

    Love, Mom who needs more sleep


4.  Dear Bachelorette,

Please get over Bentley...I'm really tired of hearing his name - he's NOT in to you!

    Love, Girl who's embarrassed for you

5.  Dear United Cerebral Palsy,

When I say put me on your list for a future donation, I mean a little more future than 1 week.   

   Love, Girl who's happy to give, but wants a little time with her stuff before she gives it away


6.  Dear Work,

Please go easy on me this week.  I'm getting ready for a few vacation days and would like to catch up

     Love, Girl with too many stacks on her desk


7.  Dear Pit Bull who lives across the street,

Please stop staring at me anytime I'm in the front yard.  I know I'm irresistable, but quit salivating everytime you see me.

     Love, Girl who doesn't want to be your next meal

8.  Dear Neighbor,

Please stop working in your back yard at 5:30 am.  I know it's going to be 100+ degrees today, but I still need my rest.

     Love, girl with bags under her eyes

9.  Dear House,

Please clean yourself while I'm at work today - I'll be your best friend :)

     Love, girl who wants to play with her daughter tonight

10.  Dear Friends I haven't seen in a while,

Let's do lunch soon!

     Love, friend who misses you!

Tuesday Tidbits

I've used the same girl to cut my hair for the last 10 years or so.  Last fall, she dropped me when she started teaching at the Beauty College...guess my $20 every 6 months just wasn't good enough for her -

the nerve!!

Haircut is on my mind because I need one -

 my hair is torrible! 

 Last time I had to go to SuperCuts (gasp!!).  Things must have improved from years past, because my hair was even and everything...

I'm not committing 100%,

but I may have even liked it better than before.

You know dinner is not going to be a success when your hubby asks if it's ok if he just eats leftover hot wings from the night before. 

 

Because he's been kicked, grabbed and run into on numerous occasions, T had to have a name for his privates so he could tell Reese what to watch out for.  He calls them his "frank and beans" -  yes, stolen directly from "There's Something About Mary".  Reese has now taken to calling her privates her "green beans". 

Sign on the jewelry store marquee on my route to work:  Sometimes it's ok to throw rocks at girls!!! 

 Can I get a hallelujah to that?

I saw a car hit a bird this morning...the implosion looked exactly like an "Angry Birds" reinactment.

Reese wanted to know if we could stop by her cousin's house to show everyone her new tap/ballet shoes.  I didn't want to say they really wouldn't be interested, so I told her they weren't home...

oh, the little white lies!

Blogger is still making me crazy.  I may or may not be able to see your blog and if I can, I may or may not be able to comment.  I'm trying to check on you...it's just been a little difficult.

Frustration

I really wanted to post today about the salsa I made this weekend...then I realized I had my camera with me but not my cord to download the pictures - so the salsa post will have to wait.

Then I remembered that I had pictures of my/Reese's trip to the dance supply store on my camera.  So, I downloaded the pictures but stupid blogger wouldn't let me upload them.

I had 2 great options to post about today, but they've both been busted 'cause I wanted them to have pictures.

Instead, I'll just say we had a great weekend even if it wasn't long enough!  Hope you did too!

Ten on Tuesday

1.  I've been trying to sign Reese up for the summer session of ballet/tap class.  She's more than excited.  I thought it would be a great way for her to see whether or not she liked it while keeping my commitment to a short 6 week period.  Problem is, I can't get anyone to call me back.  A friend of mine signed her daughter up online, but I wanted to talk to someone about their dress code.  Online shows very strict requirements for leotards (certain color purchased from certain store embroidered with dance co name) and I wanted to see if those same requirements would be in place for the summer session.  If I don't hear back, I guess I'll just sign her up online and take our chances that she doesn't get kicked out day 1 because of dress code violations!

2.  We decided we may have to enroll Reese in a 5 day/week preschool program.  I really only wanted her to go 2 days/week to get her feet wet.  I mean, she's going to have to go 5 days a week for the next 13 years already, why make her first year that extensive too?  The only problem is the cost.  If I enroll her in the 2 day program, I'll have to pay the full weekly daycare I pay now, plus the additional costs for the preschool.  T says why not let her go to 5 day...all she's going to do at daycare is sit around and watch movies anyway.  Point taken - must do more research now (or win the lottery).

3.  Why not send her to the free program at the public school?  Good question - here's my even better answer.  The 4 year old program at our public school is only 2 hours per day.  So, if you have a job, how do you get them to and fro every day?  I don't work close enough to daycare/home to swing it, so public school is out for us.  Plus, they don't offer before or after care for the 4 year old program, so I'd still have to have somewhere for her to go everyday.  My lunch hour just isn't that long :)

4.  They do offer a before/after school program for kindergarten and up, but not for preschool.  Now, preytell, what's the big difference between a 4 and 5 year old?  Are 4 year olds harder to care for?  Me thinks not, but we gots what we gots.

5.  Reese and I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean last weekend and now I'm hooked.  I had no desire whatsoever to see any of the movies before we went, but now I've seen all 4.  Seeing the 4th one 1st caused me to miss out on many inferences, but it was still enjoyable.  Captain Jack Sparrow - not at ALL what I expected - but he's grown on me.

6.  There are only 22 weeks until my Susan Komen 3 day for the cure event.  I have begun training for the 20 mile per day for 3 days event, but have done little on the fundraising side...I vow to change that this month.  In case you don't remember, I have to raise $2,300 in order to participate!  My co-workers say not to worry, but I'm worrying...and I'm not discounting the fact that I have to walk 20 miles each day for 3 consecutive days either!

7.  Saturday, Reese and I went to the community pool for the first time this season.  The edge of the pool was already caked with grime...thankfully Reese didn't try to write her name in it.

8.  We had the best time swimming, eating nachos and snowcones.  Can't wait to go back - grime or no grime!

9.  While we were in line at the concession stand, there were 3 teenagers behind us...don't know their ages but they were less than 15 because part of their conversation involved an encounter with someone who lived down the street who was 15 and was described as older and much more "experienced".  I'm guessing these kids were around 13.  Girl 1 looked at Reese and said, "she's so cute, I can't wait to have kids!"  Boyfriend said, "I could make that happen soon, very soon".  She giggled, 'cause let's face it...she's 13 (maybe).  She then proceeded to tell girl 2 about the one sexual encounter she'd had with guy down the street.  Girl 2 asked his name and girl 1 said, "Alex".  "Oooohhh, Alex what?" asked girl 2.  "I'm lucky I know his first name" was girl 2's reply.  What the...what??  I was floored.  It's not like I didn't think teens were engaging in this type of behavior, but she was just so nonchalant about it.  And talking whispering about it in front of her boyfriend like he couldn't hear every word?

10.  I know one thing, Reese will not be going to the pool without her Momma for a loooooong time - and I'm thinking we're going to start making the Jonas Brothers more center stage in our lives!

Dandelions

I am not a fan of dandelions...haven't been for a long time now.  To me, they signify that my yard is out of control.  T needs to get some weed killer down, I need to get my butt out in the yard and start pulling.  Nope, not a fan of dandelions at all.

Now, when Reese and I take walks, I'm more than happy to let her pull them, hold them close to her face, blow as hard as she can (while making a wish, of course) and disperse the seeds onto another's unsuspecting lawn - aren't you glad you don't live in my neighborhood? 

I can remember when I was a kid, I loved to do the same thing and often wonder now where my sense of letting go and doing something simply for the pure joy it brings has gone.  The first thing I think about when blowing on a dandelion now is how each seed will likely spawn another weed instead of thinking about which wish I'd like to have come true!

I was walking yesterday on my lunch hour and came across a dandelion that tickled my fancy.  I picked it and blew the seeds to smithereens!  Maybe my sense of fun is still there - maybe I just needed a new perspective on the dandelion...and I hope beyond all hope that more dandelions like this one turn up all over the walking trail.

Think you would have done the same thing?

Normal sized dandelion - please don't make fun of my torrible nails!



 This is not a joke, this dandelion is almost as big as my whole hand.

I think I've found my new favorite way to wish!

Observations from a Garage Sale - 10 on Tuesday

Following Junebug's 10 on Tuesday bloghop...wanna play along?  Click the link, you know you want to!

First (I guess 2nd technically), I can't post a comment to anyone's blog if it requires word verification...any ideas how I fix this?  I've been trying to comment since last Tuesday, but it keeps asking me to sign in even after I have...grrrr!


We had the big garage sale last weekend.  Getting rid of some of Mom's stuff was hard.  Seeing others rifle through items she had saved for years and then trying to jew you down from the already low prices was just sad.  But, we made it through and kept the things that meant something to us sentimentally.

Here's a little recap of the sale:

1.  I called a guy interested in an antique chair we had for sale on Cra.igsli.st for $75.  He asked if we'd take $50.  I said I'd come down to $70, but that was it.  He said if we'd meet in the middle at $65, he'd take it (I'm no mathematician, but $65 is NOT the middle, I'm sure).  He said he needed a chair because someone fat sat in his and broke it.  I told him it sounded like he needed to get new friends.  I texted my sister (I was at work and she was at the sale), but it had already been sold for $75...score!

2.  Someone was interested in the couch we had for sale.  Said he needed a new (cheap) one because his smelled like cat pee - really?  Did I need to know that?

3.  People on Cra.igsli.st are sometimes looking for the weirdest things.  Here's an excerpt from an actual ad I saw:
Ok so there are a couple diff things I would want or like to have, skeleton keys ever since I was a little girl me and my uncle use to go out and look for skeleton keys and well iv loved them ever since and have been on the hunt for more ever since he passed so if you have any please let me know they dont have to be new or perfect just whatever u have ill probably want lol
-too bad I didn't have a bunch of skeleton keys laying around...I could have made a killing!

4.  Kids selling lemonade/pop/water on the street corner can sometimes pull in more business than you do!  On the plus side, they were our kids so we benefitted by:  a) the "lemonade" stand kept them busy for hours, b) they spent their own hard earned money when the ice cream man came by later in the day!

5.  City workers are the best!  Both the mailman and the firemen stopped to partake of the goods offered by the kids - they were elated (the kids - I don't know about the mailman and firemen)!

6.  Your arms/legs can get really sore helping people load furniture into their vehicles - I was often left to wonder how they were going to unload without my help!

7.  Anyone holding a garage sale next weekend that I can help at?  I'm sure my muscles will feel better by then and I'll be ready for another round - it's like bootcamp for free!

8.  Advertising your sale on Crai.gsli.st is very beneficial.  I had numerous calls asking questions about items and how to find us.

9.  Having someone come pick up all the "leftovers" from your sale when it's over - priceless!  Someone who had been at the sale said her church was having a garage sale in June.  We told her that if she could be back to haul it all away when we were done, it was hers.  She came and 3 truckloads later, we had nothing to clean up!

10.  I guess I only observed 9 things because I can't think of anything else.

If anyone can help me with my posting "issue", I'd truly appreciate it!  I have been reading, I just can't leave a comment...



10 on Tuesday

I'm joining JuneBug on her inaugural run of 10-on-Tuesday.  Why not play along?


1.  I had to return a call to a broker in NY last week.  Before calling, my palms got a little sweaty thinking about talking to a New Yorker.  I worried that I would sound uneducated with my Okie drawl...but, he was very nice and appreciated the return phone call directing him to the correct person.  Don't know why I had those feelings of inadequacy...must be watching too much Selling New York on HGTV.  They can be brutal!


2. A co-worker's hubby sells cookies for a living - you know a Nabisco, Keebler, etc. distributor.  Anyway, she brought cookies to work (samples, out of dates, discontinueds, etc) and was selling them for $1/pack.  Step aside girl scouts...there's a new sheriff in town. 


3.  Anyway, I bought some flax seed cookies - sounds delicious, huh?  Anywho, I chose them because I've heard that flax seed is supposed to be good for you.  I went to pay her and she asked if I was having a problem with irregularity.  Apparently, flax seed is good for that too.  I've had 3 cookies this morning and am feeling more regular already!


4.   I just read that each cookie, yes 1 cookie has 120 calories.  Now, I don't read labels all the time, but I can tell you for a fact that I can have 3 oreos for 160 calories, so what am I doing wasting my caloric intake on flax seed?  With all the flax seed and additional calories, there may be multiple things going on with my butt if I eat this whole package!


5.  Last night, Reese let out a little toot while T was rubbing her back to help her get to sleep.  He said, "hey, did you just toot on me?"  Reese said, "no, I think my butt just sneezed!"  I'm raising a very witty girl.


6.  Well, it's official...thanks to Storage Wars and Auction Hunters, tv has now turned into reality for our household.  We went to a delinquent unit auction at the mini-storage on Saturday.  There were 8 "lockers" up for auction and T was bidder #49 (he wasn't the last one to register either).  So, 8 lockers with 50 some groups of people thinking there may be something valuable in them...T and I amongst them.



7.  There was one guy who actually had his flashlight so he could see hidden items that may be lying in the depths of the unit.  It was very comical.  We would get our chance to peruse the items when they opened the door, then drift to the back of the crowd to discuss what our max bid would be.  We left without winning a locker...we left without bidding on a locker.  I'm hoping this time spent looking at rooms full of crap will curb T's curiosity.


8.  I'm making fun of the whole process, but it was really fun in a dorky kind of way - we laughed alot about some of the junk and  how serious some of the other bidders were.  The auctioneer opened one door and people started laughing.  We got to the front for our viewing and saw a 4x6 picture of a girl (with quite a bit of junk in the trunk) posing in a thong with her back to the camera.  Everyone ribbed the winner of that unit - teasing that he was just interested in seeing if there were anymore risque shots he could pin on his wall.


9.  T is always teasing me about how white my legs are.  I ask, "how do you get any sun on them if you're harassed to the point of not wanting to show them?"  Solution:  Self tanning cloths - I rubbed one all over yesterday morning and thought, "hmmm, that didn't do anything".  By 5:00pm, the tops of both feet were orange!  Now, they do warn you to be careful around ankles and elbows, but I never imagined one application would inflict such damage.  I'm not giving up though...as soon as my toes turn back to their natural "white", I'm trying again.  Practice makes perfect, right?


10.  Last night was Reese's performance at gymnastics.  Each class put on a show for their parents (I've never seen so many people there before) and then each gymnast received a medal.  She did a great job and was very proud of her accomplishment.  It didn't hurt that her teacher kept telling her what a stud she was!  After the show, T & I took her out to eat at a place of her choice.  She wanted Chinese Buffet (of course), but had to settle for Olive Garden since no one has taken over the vacant Yummy Buffet she loves so much.  T is not an "italian" kind of guy, but he grinned and beared it for the sake of his child.  He did ask me though, how often she'd have this kind of "ceremony".

The future Olympian



10 on Tuesday

Joining Marla again on her Tuesday blog hop...

1.  Why is it that Reese can totally rock the tennis shoes with capri look, but if I did it, I'd just look old and frumpy?


2.  Going to the OBGYN for anything other than pregnancy = not fun!  I don't care if you're just going for an annual exam (which I was), seeing all those pregnant women and women with newborns causes major jealousy!


3.  Add insult to injury when said OB asks if you're pregnant (and you're not).  Then he asks why not?  Hello....I'm 44 and didn't have it easy getting the one I'm lucky enough to have.


4.  It's really hard to stop drinking pop, soda, whatever you call it in your part of the world, when work offers it for a quarter a can.  I.just.can't.pass.it.up!


5.  Meteorologists are calling for rain tomorrow, so why is it pouring now?


6.  Now we know why Maria left Arnold - a secret child...and he kept the secret for 10 years?!?!!


7.  T left last Wednesday for his camping trip and got back Sunday, but Reese and I didn't get home until yesterday.  He was out of town last night for normal work stuff.  I miss my family being all together.  We'll all be home tonight, but I'm exhausted!  I haven't cooked in almost a week, but I'm wondering what I can pick up on the way home.


8.  I told Reese that we'd go see the movie Prom (teenage chick flick), but she told me she'd rather go see the movie that has Reese with her spoon in it - I smile just thinking about it.


9.  I vetoed seeing Water for Elephants.  She's also been asking to see Pirates of the Caribbean.  I think my 4 year old is channeling a 24 year old.  What about Rio?  She's not interested!


10.  I'm withholding judgment on Orville's new pop up bowl until I have a chance to try it at home.  I popped some in the hotel this past weekend and while the flavor was delicious, about 1/3 of the kernels remained unpopped.  It made for a mostly empty "bowl" although the whole bowl concept is pretty cool.  The paper remained intact and the "lid" was easy to remove making eating it in a hotel room very convenient (since I didn't pack a bowl...ha!).  I want to try it in my own microwave to see if more kernels pop before I give it a thumbs up or not.

10 on Tuesday

Playing along with Marla's 10-on-Tuesday bloghop...why not join in the fun?

1.  So I brought all the crappy candy from home (ahem, I mean, stuff I don't like) and put it in the candy bowl at the reception desk.  It was gone by noon...good riddance!!  Reese will never notice that I took her goodies.


2.  Speaking of candy, T never eats any sweets except sweetarts.  I on the other hand, eat pop tarts at 2:00am (boo me).  He probably couldn't tell you last time he had a pop tart.  What's up with that?  Guess that's why he weighs 145 pounds and I don't.


3.  Update on Orville's - I received coupons in the mail for 2 free products!  I promptly put them in my purse and forgot to get anything when I went to the store Sunday.  I really want to try this new "pop up bowl" - so I'm kicking myself that I forgot.

4.  I don't like having Garage Sales.  Seems like so much effort for so little return.  I've had several in my life, but it's not on the top of my "to do" list - ever!  I don't go to Garage Sales either.  In my mind (kooky as it may seem), I think, "these people have spent a lot of time putting this all together, so I should buy something".  I don't want all that self-imposed pressure, so I usually just skip the sales all together.  Bet I miss out on lots of cool stuff.

5.  I don't mind going to consignment stores, so I guess I do get a bargain here and there.

6.  I also don't like to go into stores just to use their bathrooms - same concept I think.  They didn't put restrooms in for freeloaders, I need to buy something if I'm there.  Makes no sense, but that's my thought process.

7.  T leaves on Wednesday to go camping.  Shortly after we first met, he told me he was going on his annual camping trip.  Ok, who am I to say anything, I just met the guy.  That was May.  November rolled around and he told me he was going on his annual camping trip.  Now, I'm no rocket scientist, but I do know that annual means once a year and that May to November does not equal a year.  After some discussion, I learned that he actually has 3 annual camping trips - what?  Apparently, the trips are with different groups of guys each time, therefore making them each 1 annual trip.  Confusing...

8.  I don't mind that he goes on these trips.  It's good for him to have some "guy" time and some of these guys he's known for 30 years.  Plus, last year, I  implemented a Mother/Daughter trip that Reese and I go on annually (as in "once" per year) during his May trip.

9.  So, Reese and I are headed out of town this weekend to stay in a hotel, visit a museum, eat at a greasy spoon, swim in the hotel pool, shop, go to the kiddie park, and just hang out in general.  I'm looking forward to it.  Details will follow...

10.  I need to go to the store to get lots of snacks for our weekend get-a-way...maybe I'll remember the Orville's.

100th Post - Part 4

What I would have looked like if I'd graduated in 1966

Finally, the end:


76.  I've been the victim of a robbery...well, I guess the bank I was working for was actually the victim, but I was the one with the gun in her face.  He was 18 and will not see the light of day until he's middle-aged.  His gramma turned him in when she saw him on tv in the outfit she got him for Christmas.


77.  I learned a song in junior high that I committed to memory for the sole purpose of singing it with my own children some day.  I smile inside and out when Reese sings it now.


78.  My Dad used to take us to the heated docks to fish.  I'd take books and anything else I could think of to occupy my time besides fishing.  Now, I love to camp, but still despise fishing.


79.  When I was a kid, my Dad was in the Navy.  One summer when we lived in Spain, we tent camped through Europe.  I've been to Portugal, Germany, France, Switzerland, Morocco, Italy, Holland, and countless other countries.


80.  I was mad when my family moved from California to Oklahoma because it was the summer before we were going to get to take swimming lessons during school.  My Dad promised me a horse (I named her Winnie) I never got.  She's the premise for my blog name.


81.  I once wrote, "I love such-n-such" on the bathroom wall in Denny's.  The guy's name I wrote told me a few days later that someone told him his name was on the bathroom stall and wanted to know if I'd written it.  I denied being the culprit, but have never written on a bathroom wall again.


82. I have to wear glasses to drive.  My optometrist says I'm barely legal to drive without them.  I should wear them all the time because I can't see worth a crap, but I don't want anyone calling me 4 eyes!


83.  I once paid way too much money to have my Glamour Shots done.  I look back at them now (20 something years later) and think, "hey, you didn't look too bad!"


84.  I don't know the true color of my hair.  I suspect it's still the same dish water blonde it used to be 20 years ago, but now spattered with many greys.


85.  I used to have a rabbit as a pet...an indoor pet.  I taught him to use the litterbox and he had free reign of the place...that was, until he chewed the wires on my stereo.  ooooh, I just made that sound like he was electrocuted - he wasn't, but he wasn't allowed to roam free anymore unless I was home.


86.  Reese was due on my 40th birthday.  She chose not to come (or even to think about coming), so we went in and got her 4 days later.  Ironically, that makes my birthday on the 17th and hers on the 21st...my 2 favorite numbers - coincidence?  I think not!


87.  My sister and I once kiped my Mom's car while she was sleeping.  We rolled it out of the garage, started it in the middle of the street and drove to the local dance joint.  We weren't there 10 minutes before heading back home because we were fearful she'd wake up and we'd be toast.


88.  I didn't know how to spell kipe before looking it up on dictionary.com (because I'm such a good speller, you know!)


89.  My favorite dog (Cinnamon) was hit and killed by a car.  I was babysitting -  the little boy opened the door (no, I did not know he could do this), Cinnamon took off.  I was running after him when I looked back to see the boy toddling out the front door.  Dog or Kid?  I chose the kid...


90.  I have really strong fingernails - they're probably my best "feature".  My Mom always said I should have been a hand model.  And no, I never thought she said that 'cause she thought I couldn't make it on the runway!


91.  My driver's license says I weigh 135 - I don't.


92.  When T and I got married, we decided to live in his house and get rid of mine.  I really loved my house and lobbied to keep it as a "vacation" house even though it's in the same city.  I wasn't serious and we sold it, but we still refer to it as the vacation house.


93.  My Mom was homeroom mother when I was in 2nd grade.  We were writing stories about St. Patrick's Day and someone asked her to write leprechaun on the board so they'd know how to spell it.  I  corrected her when she spelled it wrong...I told you I was a good speller!  But, what a crappy daughter..


94. When I was growing up, I always wanted to have 4 kids.  Now, I don't know how I'd afford that many!

95.  I had to have surgery when I was little (5 years old) which meant an overnight stay in the hospital.  My dad called and said he was going to bring me a whole bag of candy and asked what kind I wanted.  I wanted circus peanuts, but didn't know that's what they were called, so I described them as orange and squishy.  He brought me orange slices.  I never told him he brought the wrong thing.

96.  I wanted to be a dentist when I was little...not a ballerina or a famous actress - a dentist!

97.  I didn't become a dentist and now don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

98.  I've been driving 28 years and have owned 12 cars - maybe I should be a used car salesman.

99.  I love amusement park rides - except for the ferris wheel!

100.  I'm glad this list is done - it's hard to think of all these things about yourself.

If you've read this far, thanks!  If you want to know anything else, just ask.

100th Post - Part 3

Lake Tahoe!

#51 - 75...can't hardly wait, huh?  Here we go...

51. I still have my Webster's Dictionary that I was required to purchase in college (circa 1985).

52. I was valedictorian of my high school class.  Not only is this something you didn't know, but something totally useless as well!

53. I've had a crush on Andrew McCarthy since I was in my early 20's.  Don't know who he is?  Google him...swoon!

54. I got in trouble on our flight home from Hawaii for talking too loudly in the galley (people are trying to sleep, you know!)

55. My favorite movie is "Somewhere in Time" with Christopher Reeve/Jane Seymour.  Great love story....No, Richard, don't look at the penny!

56.  I only threw up twice while pregnant.  Once because I ate too much garlic bread and once because I ate too many fritos!

57.  Someone from my past (who shall remain nameless) once spit in my face.

58.  If I had to choose my last meal, I'd choose tacos.

59. I still remember the one question I missed on my written test for my driver's license.  When is it safe to pull back in your lane once you've passed another vehicle?

60. Once you can see their headlights in your rear-view mirror.  I can't remember all the things I did wrong in the driving part, but I KNOW parallel parking was one of them!

61. I have alwayz consedered miself to be an abuve avarege spellr.

62. I still have the first diary I ever wrote my most secret thoughts in.

63.  I don't like pedicures because they tickle my feet.

64.  My favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip.

65.  I keep a diary for Reese and religiously write in it twice a week.  I want her to have something special when she's older that will give her an idea of our lives when she was young.

66.  No one else may laugh, but I constantly crack myself up.

67.  I once dated a guy named Biff, and another named Asa.

68.  When I was 2 1/2, I ate a whole bottle of baby aspirin (they taste so good!).  My Mom freaked out thinking they'd have to pump my stomach, but all they did was put me on a toilet and make me drink TONS of water.  I think that's why I have a water aversion today :)

69. I don't speak any language other than English.  T, however is half Japanese and doesn't speak any language other than English (unless you count the gross words like pee, poo, booger, etc. which I now know too).

70. I lived in Spain 3 1/2 years when I was little.  We had a maid, cook, seamstress and gardner.  Talk about a letdown when we moved back to the States! 

71. When we left Spain, I was in 1st grade.  When we got to California, I was in 1st grade.  For the longest time, I thought I had to take 1st grade twice!  It never occurred to me that we'd moved in the middle of the school year.

72. I consider 17 and 21 to be my lucky numbers.  Neither, however, have done much for me in the lottery.

73.  I've been at the racetrack when a horse got injured and had to be "put down".

74.  If you asked my favorite kind of pie, I'd say cherry.  But, I made a cherry pie last week (thinking it was my favorite) and threw half of it away.  Cherry has ALWAYS been my favorite...what's up with that?

75.  I have an unhealthy fear of opening biscuit cans.  Not that I think they're going to explode, but something about that pop unnerves me.

Any interest in knowing more?  Let me know and I'd be happy to oblige!

10 on Tuesday

Joining in the fun with Marla at The Chronicles of Marla's 10 on Tuesday...wanna play too?  Go visit and link up...

1.  Why is it that gas prices go up in 15-20 cent increments, but come down one lowly penny at a time? 

2.  Is anyone else living in the world of man tv?  I think I might explode if I watch another episode of Storage Wars, Auction Hunters, Man v Wild, or Sons of Guns.  Can't I just turn it on HGTV and dream about buying my $1.2M vacation home?

3.  I thought I might be getting sick because everyone else in the family is and I had chills last night.  I mentioned to T that I had awoken with a sore throat.  He sarcastically said it could be because I slept with my mouth open and had been snoring.  Then he looked at me deviously and said, "don't you wake up EVERY morning with a sore throat?" - hmmmf...like I snore all the time or something.

4.  Reese and I were playing "movie theatre" a few nights ago.  She drove us to the movies and then proceeded to tell the guy at the window we wanted to see Dorothy from Candace a/k/a The Wizard of OZ.  She used a boy voice to tell herself the price of our tickets, then her own voice to tell him we also needed to get a snack.  Then back to the boy voice who said, "sorry, but we're out of snacks."  She turned and looked at me in disbelief...how could they possibly be out of snacks?  I suppressed my smile as well as one could.

5.  A guy at work asked me if I had a lunch date today.  I guess that was his non-sexual harassment way of saying I look nice - at least that's the way I'm taking it!

6.  Don't know what to say about the tornados in Alabama.  I was living in OKC when the May 1999 tornado hit and the destruction was absolutely devastating.  So many lives lost...my thoughts are with those struggling to put the pieces back together.

7.  I'm going to admit that I got sucked in to the Royal Wedding.  I can't say that I would have been devastated to miss it, but all the pomp and cirmcumstance - absolutely amazing.  I'm looking forward to watching their love story continue to develop.  T walked in the bathroom the morning of (Friday) and asked what I was recording.  He just rolled his eyes when I told him, then joked that I needed to make sure I didn't use up all the space on the DVR because he wanted to record some Wrecks to Riches episodes...ughh, another man show I forgot to mention earlier.

8.  Reese and I were in the grocery store the other night picking up supplies for the camping trip we're on right now (yes, we're out of town - tricky!).  A man who was missing an arm walked by and Reese whispered to me, "That man looks funny" (we've been working really hard on not saying things about people loudly so we don't hurt their feelings).  I leaned down and thanked her for speaking so quietly and then asked her what was funny about him.  My thoughts were that we could have a conversation about differences in people.  She leaned over (still whispering) and said, "he has weird hair".  I LOVE that she didn't even notice his body was a little different, but that his weird hair caught her eye.

9.  The NFL Draft was last week.  Can we really let it just pass us by without talking about it?  Why, yes, - yes we can.

10.  Silver lining to postponing the Disney trip:  If we were there, our trip would almost be half over right now.

Thanks for dropping by!

100th Post - Part 2

Here's part 2 of random facts you never wanted to know about me:

26.  My first childhood memory is of my sister being born (I was 2yr 3mo old).  The nurse let me pick out which baby I wanted from the nursery window (and then switched her with the real one on her way out to us).  I still choose to believe I picked my own sister - genius!


27.  My worst birthday was when I turned 27.  Why?  Because in my head's timeline, I was supposed to be married with a child by the time I was 26.  So, waking up single and not in labor on my 27th birthday was devatating.  To top it all off, I walked in the bathroom and found my first gray hair...it was NOT a good day!


28.  My personality makes me cuter than I am.  To know me is to love me, right....anyone?


29.  In high school, people thought my sister and I were twins - we never thought we looked that much alike.


30.  I have visited less than half the states in the U.S., but both Alaska and Hawaii have been covered.


31.  I was going to tell you how many of the 7 Wonders of the World I've been to, but just found out that the 7 Wonders have changed over time.  There's a list for "Ancient", "Modern", "Natural" and "New".  In all these lists, I've only been to 2 and neither is what made me think of listing them in the first place.


32.  I love to read.  Have since I was little and my Mom would take us to the library never limiting the number of books we could check out.


33.  I still frequent the library...


34.  My first boyfriend's name was Brett (4th grade).  He liked me 'cause we both wore glasses.   Same boy I opted not to kiss during truth or dare in 5th grade.


35.  The first guy I ever kissed now has a handlebar moustache.  And not just a little one...he's like Yosemite Sam!


36.  T and I used to go to Vegas twice a year.  Since Reese has been born, we've only been once.


37.  I listen to the Sports Radio station in the car.  Need to know something about any team in Oklahoma?  I'm your girl.


38.  Until I got my "work" phone, I carried around a flip phone with no internet connection - crazy, I know!


39.  I don't know how to text.  Maybe I'll learn now that I have this fancy smancy phone!


40.  I don't have any pets, but Reese is starting to ask for a dog.


41.  I have an unhealthy craving for chocolate.  Even bad chocolate if that's all we have.


42.  I went to college at OSU (Oklahoma State University), but am an OU (Oklahoma University) fan!


43.  I secretly wished for a girl when I was pregnant with Reese, but outwardly said I'd be happy with either gender (and think I would have been).  I just ALWAYS wanted a girl!


44.  I rarely wear any jewelry other than my wedding ring.


45.  I put my mascara on while driving to work.  I used to read while driving, but gave that up!


46.  I've never seen anyone critically or fatally wounded and never want to.  Where did THAT come from?  100 things are hard to think of...


47.  I have never broken a bone (knock, knock), but have had stitches in my forehead from a biking accident.


48.  I used to feed my brother's fish when he was at school, but never fessed up to it.  He thought it was my sister!  I have never come clean.


49.  I opted to take shorthand in high school intead of the one semester of computers that was offered (I know, way back in the olden days).  This may be the only reason I missed out on a lucrative IT career!  But, if you've got something to say, I can write it down really fast :)


50.  I am addicted to Diet Dr. Pepper.


Want to know more about any of the above?  Just let me know and I'll elaborate! 

100th Post - Part 1

Wow!  Can't believe I've made it to my 100th post.  Who knew I had so much to talk about?  I've heard that it's customary to list 100 things about yourself for this milestone, but even I don't want to read 100 random facts about my life in one sitting, so I'm breaking it up into 4 posts.  Here's #1:

1.  My favorite color is red.  I hadn't given my favorite color any thought in years, but settled on red when Reese insisted I have one.


2.  I first kissed a boy 6th grade.  In 5th grade, I opted to kiss the ground rather than the boy (truth or dare)!


3.  I make salsa every summer with tomatoes/peppers from my own garden.  T won't eat any from the store anymore.  For a man who hates tomatoes, he sure loves my salsa!


4.  My first conversation with T was on the phone and lasted 5 hours.  We went out that weekend!


5.  I don't think I have an accent, but get comments about it when I talk on the phone to people from other states.


6.  I'm left handed, but use scissors like a righty.


7.  I have one brother and one sister...but never hear from my brother.


8.  I was born in Guam - so I have dual citizenship (even though Guam is a US Territory).


9.  I'm the middle child.


10. I was the catcher on my softball team even though I was the smallest girl on the team.  I quit when the coach decided he wanted to try someone a little heftier behind the plate.


11. I played basketball in high school.  Back then, girls played half court and I was a forward.  That sentence sounds pretty dorky!


12. Growing up, we occasionally had hide-and-seek casserole for dinner.  My Mom would say that our dinner was hidden somewhere in the kitchen - whatever we found was what we were having!  At the time I thought it was lame, but now it's a cherished memory.


13. I don't eat blueberries.  I got sick on them once as a kid and haven't had one since.


14. I do eat hotdogs even though I got sick on them once as a kid too.


15. I like to try recipes with names I think are cool:  paella, ratatouille, cioppino - you get the drift - I secretly think saying I made xxxxx for dinner makes me sound like a gourmet chef.


16. Our cross country coach lied to us before our first "meet" and told us we just had to run 1 mile when in actuality the course was 3 miles.


17. I went to a park to tan (in college)...got my car stuck in the mud trying to drive across the park to the tennis court so I could listen to the radio while I "tanned".  I was by myself and cell phones didn't exist yet, so I had to run 5 miles to get back to campus.  It was the 1st time I ever ran 5 miles.


18. I've lived in Oklahoma since I was 10 years old.


19. I am not a collector of anything.  At least I wasn't until T came along.  I innocently bought a dragonfly once and now my kitchen is full of them (I get one EVERY Christmas!)


20. I chose not to find out whether Reese was a girl or boy before she was born.  Everyone at work was convinced I was having a boy...fooled them didn't we?


21. I ran a half marathon in November 2009.  Didn't stop to walk one time (not even at water stations).


22. I can remember where I was when Elvis died (even though I was too young to be a fan).


23. My parents got divorced in 1981 - back when it wasn't common for parents to do that.  My 7th grade English teacher wanted to interview me for her Master's thesis - "Kids of Divorce" - I declined the invite.


24. I had never been to a circus before taking Reese last year.


25. One of my favorite books growing up was "Are you there God, It's Me Margaret" by Judy Bloom.  Taught me a lot that my Mom never did.


Any interest in knowing more about one of my first 25?  Let me know and I'll expound.