Friday Fill In ..

1. When pigs fly _reminds me the flying pig I bought at the OWC Bazaar.. here's a picture and the story behind it .. I bought the flying pig because I knew it would remind me of that particular period in my life. If someone would have forecasted to me that I would one day move to Texas, as a new army wife, experience deployment, after 16 years of being a civilian wife, then leave Texas as a divorced woman .. I would have said "when pigs fly" ... ____.

2. _No WINE .._ seriously?!

3. Call me _doesn't that remind you of that Blondie song?____.

4. _I think you should stop by for some wine .. _ if you know what I mean.

5. The most entertaining person in my life is _my mom_ because _i love listening to her stories; there's always an element of drama.. maybe that's why I am challenged with my teenager girl.. she's just like my mom .. the story is always about them... at 75 it's acceptable, at 15 ... not so! haha!!__.

6. _Let's move on,_ who's next?


7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _doing a little more recuperating with a glass of wine__, tomorrow my plans include _hopefully some work hours, an easy workout, and maybe a glimpse of my honey_ and Sunday, I want to _get the house ready so that we can start this craziness again__!

Happy Friday!

Sunday Stealing

Shamelessly stolen from Sunday Stealing .. Click here to play

Cheers to all of us thieves!

45. Favorite color? In the summer .. coral
46. Have you ever slapped someone? I don't think I have .. I know I would have liked to ..
47. Is your hair curly? not curly ... noo
48. What was the last CD you bought? last CD bought?! .. that would have been in Texas .. and I would think it was Mama Mia soundtrack..it's been awhile!!
49. Do looks matter?  As much as I hate to admit this .. yes, somewhat
50. Could you ever forgive a cheater?  hmm.. forgive for what? I'm not a grudge holder ..
51. Is your phone bill sky high? Perspective ... in September my cell phone bill was $700.00 .. sky high yes, it was the situation..
52. Do you like your life right now? I don't NOT like my life! I have so much good going on, with a few struggles ..
53. Do you sleep with the TV on? no.. I couldn't sleep with it on
54. Can you handle the truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! One of the few lines from a movie I can remember! Yes, I can handle the truth .. I would rather the truth than to be lied to.
55. Do you have good vision? -2.25 ou.. I can function, but don't let me drive. Oh, and I'm presbyopic ... what the hell!
56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Not a hater ..  there are some folks I would like to have a piece of conversation with.. but would they listen?
57. How often do you talk on the phone? To whom? I talk daily
58. The last person you held hands with? hmmm.. that would be the one with nice hands!
59. What are you wearing? this question always freaks me out .. it's a stalker question!
60. What is your favorite animal? I don't have a favorite .. it would hurt too many feelings! .. haha .. I love polar bears
61. Where was your favorite picture taken at? once again .. this favorite thing .. I have many favorite pictures! What makes it a favorite is the moment, not the place ...
62. Can you hula hoop? hahaha .. kidding right? If I can't take a step class.. I certainly can't do the hula hoop ..
63. Do you have a job? yes, I work ..
64. What was the most recent thing you bought? Apart from groceries today ... two summer dresses a couple of weeks ago
65. Have you ever crawled through a window? hahaha .. YES ..my son's window ....  I needed to see why it was wide open when there was central air blowing  (it was 6 AM)... ..

happy new week!

Manic Monday .. very late!

 Okay ... a little late .. but trying to jump start my blogless mind! To play click here!

 Imagine you have a hundred dollars, but you couldn't keep it. You have to give it away to a person or charity. Who would you give it to? What would you want them to do with it?
Really ...? A hundred dollars? That's all? Well, I would give it to Teenager one, and ask him to give half to Teenager two. I'm sure it would be better spent at the local Red Cross, but I think I'm dealing with the guilt factor of taking the kids out of their 'luxury' life ... yes, perhaps I should have stayed, continued to live in a big new home, lived a double income life .. for another 20 years .. empty and alone .. oh wait, I digress ... yes, one hundred dollars to Teenager one, share it and don't buy food with it. (He tends to buy snacks ....)

If you could cook any meal for your friends or family, what would you cook?
I love to cook for friends and family ... it's so satisfying to make something and know that it is being enjoyed .. I know, a tad bit narcissistic .. (but hey, this blog is about me!) It's like Thanksgiving: spend all the time making food, then you have family and friends.. everyone enjoys the meal .. My mom used to make Chili Crab .. my dad would hand sew bibs .. friends would come .. everyone would enjoy! How fun!! My teenagers don't always like what I make .. either it's too weird or too healthy! I'm always looking through Asian recipes looking to make something .. one day, I want to make either Chili Crabs or Indonesian rijsttafel ....  something where we can all sit at a large table, have a small crowd and just laugh and enjoy and eat!



List 5 things you want to do in your life.
oh... just 5!! I'm feeling rather philosophical today!

1. Love Passionately -  I have let 20 years go by without having that passion .. I've had a taste of it, and for that short time, I loved it, and I know that I want to love like that for a long time... when I am ready ..
2. Like the Skin I am In - I've been having conversations ..and noticed that my constant theme was that I felt I wasn't good enough in past relationships ..I have been forced to be alone these last couple of months, and I am learning a lot about myself .. I can't love passionately if I don't appreciate the person I am ..
3. Give my teenagers the tools - I want them to be strong and confident ..I'm sure the whole divorce story wasn't the best path for them .. but I'm hoping that through our life's lessons, they'll take the good, and use it to be successful
4. Work and play near water - I realized in these last couple of weeks that I am a water person. I'm an energy believer, and I believe that water has my type of energy .. I never felt so out of place when I was in Texas, and I've come to realize that one of the reasons, was because I wasn't around water. I know most of you will think I am crazy .. I am so at peace on the water. So.. that's where I am going to be when the time is right..
5. Go to Australia and photograph a koala bear! (how tacky was that! I also want to go to the Golden Coast, I want to see the Sydney Harbor bridge .. kangaroos of course! )

 
 

The teenagers came home last night ... they were a bit delayed, and we didn't come home until 2:15 in the morning. The delay was due to the lightening at the airport. Of all days not to have my Rebel with me .. I took this with my IPhone .. the clouds were phenomenal ... I couldn't stop taking pictures; so ominous and scary. Mother nature was certainly in control .. it was truly a moment of realizing how small we are in this world.

Manic Monday

I haven't played this meme in a long time ... click here to play along!

As an adult, what is your favorite thing about summer?
Well, after getting over the fact that we don't get summers off??
Bring on the sunshine and the heat! I used to love camping with our pop up camper, because this chick doesn't do tenting on the ground! Of course I MAY enjoy a little bit of kayaking .. to me summer is about fun in the sun!

What was your favorite thing about summer when you were a kid? As a small child, summer was bitter sweet ... we loved where we went to school .. but summer meant that everyone left because we didn't live in the traditional ways .. so for every summer we would go to Holland for 6-8 weeks ... although it was great to see my grandparents ... our house was in this little town that we nicknamed Ghost town because it literally had nothing. As an adult looking back .... OMG .. the house was on a frikkin' LAKE!!!!!! ON A LAKE ......did we take advantage .....??? NOOOO!! We had a tiny little sailboat, which I did learn how to sail in ...we also had a little speed boat that my (cutie pie) neighbor (who was 20 when I was 12 and I had a crazy crush on him) would take me for a ride in ...
We would ride our bikes every where ... we would love it when our parents left because we would blast our music ..another plus: going to Holland also meant great food!  yummmmm!



In 2010, it will be the summer of _new adventures ______.

Tomorrow my teenagers are leaving for four weeks ... I'm a little apprehensive .. the longest I have been apart from them is when I left for Amsterdam for 10 days, and I left them at home with their dad. Now they are embarking on a whole new journey ... their dad has a new wife, with three of her own .. they are living in a different house, in a different town from what the teenagers are used to... away from friends they had met while in Texas. I hope they will  be okay. Neither of them are enthusiastic about going ... my heart is sad to see them go because they are not jumping up and down with excitement .... it's going to be weird to be home with only the cats and dog.

Thursday 13 ..

 

This idea was shamelessly stolen from Kristen .. thank you Kristen for the idea!

So Thursday 13 … here are 13 Random car stuff!

1. I took my driver’s test at 18, in a 5 speed .. and passed!
2. My first car was a Hyundai Excel, 1986 .. first generation!
3. I leased it for $176.05 per month!!!
4. Before ‘my car’, I drove a red Mercedes 190E … loved it! (I was borrowing it, and skimmed a UPS truck and NEVER fessed up!)
5. In high school I was in love with and wanted a Datsun 280zx..
6. Now I can’t wait to own a 350z or 370z by Nissan when I’m without kids
7. when I was married we leased a Nissan pathfinder … I loved it.. It too was a dream car of mine.
8. Now I drive a Chevy Avalanche … and love it too, but can do without the gas intake.
9. A deer ran into me while I was in the avalanche
10. After the Hyundai, I bought a 1990 Nissan Stanza .. that poor car had it’s share of accidents
11. In Feb 1993 I crashed it into a guard rail during a snow storm. In April 2000, during a snowstorm, my (ex)husband decided to run it into a plow truck and totaled it.
12. I’ve also owned a Mercury Sable and Ford Windstar van
13. The longest road trip I have done is 2100 miles (one way) in my Avalanche, five times! Texas to Maine, Maine to Texas, Texas to Maine, Maine to Texas and then Texas to Maine <final!>

350Z

Happy Thursday!!

list 2

So … since it’s Thursday and it’s list time … here is part two from yesterday!! What a cheat I am! Click here to play T13!

14. Other than family, who is the person that you love most? How could you “love the most”  ...  
15. What is the last thing you cooked? Cooked? Hmm .. does pizza count? If not, Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde.                       16. Name something you wouldn't want to buy used? Shoes …    17. Which shoe do you put on first? I think my left shoe .. but am not sure .. I’ll pay attention tomorrow… 
18. What is the last thing you remember losing? My mind… with a couple of other things ..
19. What is the ugliest piece of furniture in your house? Well, considering I don’t have very much furniture to speak of .. I don’t have anything  furniture ugly … I do have a bowl that I bought that was ugly ..                                                                                                 20. Last thing you bought and ended up returning? Blinds for the windows … duh… when the window measures 58” wide, and you buy (2) 30” wide blinds …. think they’ll fit?? 
21. What perfume/cologne do you wear? If none, why? I really don’t wear anything .. although sometimes I sprits on Honeysuckle from Bath and Body works .. I used to love Ysatis from Givenchy .. but something happened along the way and now I have very little tolerance for heavy scents … I think its the aging thing …                                                                                                     22. Your favorite board game? Boy, it’s been a long time .. we used to play Sequence …. does Yahtzee count?? .. I prefer card games ..                                                                                                                 23. What was the last board game you played? Probably Stratego …. it’s been a while.                                                                                          24. Where did your vehicle come from? Texas …. I drive a Texas truck …. i love my truck!                                                                               25. If a movie was made about your life what would the theme song be? I am Woman
26. You're sad, who can cheer you up easily? Cheer me up easily? … oh, that’s tough .. my teenager can sometimes!! .. wine and chocolate and a run cheers me up (not in that order!) … hahahaha!

My balls .. I found them!

As you all know, I just recently moved; and with my lack of furniture, I still have some boxes in tact because I don’t have a place to hide store my things. Today, feeling a little ambitious, I decided to empty one of the boxes. It brought me great joy, because in it I found my flying pig, my Texas boot … and my bowl. You see, knowing the bowl was in the box, meant that the blue balls would soon follow … but alas, I got to the bottom of the box, and my blue balls were missing!
What’s the big deal, you ask? Well … there is a little story behind my bowl and blue balls … let me explain .. right before we moved to Texas, four years ago, I had spotted these ceramic balls in a store, two hours from home … I fell in love with them .. of course I didn’t buy them. (Spending money stresses me out .. and goodness forbid I purchase something that isn’t practical!!)  So for several weeks I regretted the non-purchase. My ex (who wasn’t an ex then) had to go back to Portland .. and I gently said in passing that if he passed the store, and so happened felt the urge to buy me something .. would he mind ….
Well, that evening he returned with eight blue balls … he was quite proud, because he had scour the store, since they hadn’t placed the balls in one place. (Please understand that this man did not have a fondness for this store .. it was quite a feat for him!) At this point we were packing up the house, and getting ready for the big move to Texas, so I just put them away. Fast forward to arriving in Texas, and opening boxes .. there were my balls, nicely wrapped, ready for display. I knew at this point I needed something  to put them in, and found this gaudy bowl.
About a week before Anthony was to be deployed, I was cleaning the table, and inadvertently  knocked over the bowl with the balls. Well, let me tell you … ceramic balls and a ceramic kitchen floor just doesn’t result in anything positive when they meet by accident! I was devastated! I thought that surely this was a bad omen … the balls shattering right before Anthony leaving for Iraq .. I just bawled like a little baby!
Out of the eight, only two survived … and there sat my bowl, empty….
About a month into his deployment, the phone rang. On the other end was a woman, identifying herself as a customer service manager, from the store where the blue balls had came from. Apparently Anthony, in his free time, when he wasn’t dodging IED’s, had sent an email requesting new blue balls to be sent to me, but had forgotten to include the mailing address and would I please be so kind as to give it to her. She also added that since this man was in Iraq fighting for our freedom, she would like to send them to me at no charge. Once we were done with our exchange, I hung up the phone completely speechless ... ( and bawled like a baby again!)
Hence my panic today when I couldn’t find my balls. In my midst of great good organization, I had stored the box away, along with all my other boxes of photographs (yes before the digital times ..) what a great find!
Even though my marriage is over, I’m glad that I can reflect back and realize that we had moments of goodness ..

Friday Fill In

 

It’s time for Friday Fill In …

1. Salsa and _chips from Miquel’s___.
2. _fresh baked pretzels___ and you've even got mustard.
3. By the time I get home _I will have fed most of the teenager’s friends, since they all descent at my house after school. The proof is in the mess that is left behind on the kitchen counters__.
4. _While in Texas, getting fresh, made to order sushi from the sushi place in the commissary__ is what I look forward to most when grocery shopping.
5. And I was dreaming _until Tyson woke me up with his constant chatter … I swear it sounds like he is saying “hello”_.
6. _Deep fried ice cream from Miquels_...is there anything else better?!
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking the teenagers to … Miquel’s_, tomorrow my plans include work and cleaning_ and Sunday, I want to _make a nice breakfast for my Ex-MIL, and have a quick coffee with Cyn, possibly run ….. oh, and hopefully get to enjoy a strawberry pie made by teenager son_!

Happy Mother’s Day and happy weekend!