Tunneling To China

Do you remember when you were little and it seemed like the greatest thing in the world to dig a really deep hole? And, do you remember people making cracks about digging to China? Well, I think my boys are taking that as a literal challenge. Although, as they pointed out, China isn't directly opposite North Carolina. I found out (courtesy of this site) that if they keep digging straight through the earth from here in NC they would end up in the Indian Ocean Kind of near AustraliaI think the inspiration for this feat of excavation was that I got excited about the fact that all the previous holes dug by the dogs and kids had almost filled in and the ground was smoothing out. The kids saw the satisfaction on my face when I contemplated not having to dodge holes with the lawnmower and that was all the motivation they needed to start digging again. Starting in late February/early March, the boys started to dig and dig and dig...At least, I only have one hole in my yard. That won't be too hard to dodge while mowing the lawn.

Anyone planning to to put in a pool or a garden? I have an expert team of diggers available.

The Gnome in the Closet

Y'all, this really happened. An honest to goodness case of truth is stranger than fiction.

I have a good friend who works as a nurse and she works a typical nurses schedule. This lovely lady also has an autistic son. Her son is older and, although he is severely autistic, functions on a high enough level that he can be left alone during the day but she typically calls several times a day to check on him. This system has worked well for them for quite a while. No problems or issues until recently.

A few days ago, A called home to check on her son, C. She asked C how things were going. C said "Everything is fine. I'm just feeding Skittles to the gnome in my closet." Well, this statement was strange enough that A's mommy radar started shrieking "danger, danger, danger." Luckily, A has understanding bosses and she was able to leave work to go check on C.

When A got home, she found a dwarf Census Taker locked in her son's closet. Yes folks, a real live little person was the gnome in the closet. See, when the Census Taker knocked on the door and C answered, his saw the little person and his brain processed this as "OMG, a Gnome came to visit." So, C grabbed a blanket, threw it over the poor census taker, bundled him up, and shoved him in the closet. Then, C shoved a chair under the handle because everyone knows that's how you keep gnomes from escaping. C spent the time from then until his mom got home slipping Skittles to the gnome he so luckily capture. Some one was looking after C and his mom because the gnome dwarf census taker didn't even call the police.

Honestly, my heart goes out to the poor man...but, that doesn't stop me from totally losing my shit every single time I tell the story. I guess I'm just warped that way. The first few times I told the story, I made it to the point when A got home and started laughing so hard I couldn't even talk. Seriously, I had tears streaming down my face and was just screaming with laughter.

So, every time you hear a story that makes you shake your head at the sheer fucknuttery of the situation, every time you hear a story that you just swear can't be true, remember the gnome in the closet! Truth is stranger than fiction y'all.

Sometimes it's hard to get back into the groove...

I was sick last week. It was the kind of sick where it felt like someone had parked an 18 wheeler on top of me and left it there...for two days. What made this sick worse was that my hubby was sick at the same time. Like I mentioned before, I honestly don't think this has ever happened in our almost 18 years together. It really sucked not having someone to pick up the slack while I sat on the couch being pitiful.

Now, I'm trying to play catch up...do the cleaning that piled up while we were sick, do the laundry that piled up while we were sick, etc, etc. Even though everything is slowly but surely getting done, I feel kind of out of sorts...almost like there is something I'm missing and need to be doing. I don't really know why I'm feeling this way. Maybe it's just that I'm trying to re-establish a schedule. Maybe it's something else entirely.

Do you ever feel this way after something shuts down your normal schedule? Or, am I just weird?

Hershey's Better Basket Blog Hop

Wanna have some fun, raise some money for a good cause, and make someone smile? Of course you do. Then join the Hershey's Better Basket Blog Hop and help raise $5000 for Children's Miracle Network.

All you have to do is follow these easy rules...

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES

• Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
• Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
• Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
• Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
• Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.
• Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
• Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

I found out about this fun fundraiser from the mucho fabulous Samantha over at And Baby Would Make 3! Thanks for the heads up Samantha.

I'm sending Easter baskets out to...

• JJ at Reproductive Jeans
• Sheliza at MOMFILES.com
• Heather at Geek By Marriage
• Erica at Diary Of An Infertile Madwoman
• Kym at I'm A Smart One
• Beautiful Mess at Life Induces Thought, Mostly Random
• Mrs. Gamgee at Hobbit-ish Thoughts and Ramblings
• Aunt Becky at Mommy Wants Vodka
  

Random Thoughts From My Almost Unfevered Mind

One way or the other, being sick screwed up Spring break. Sure, I'm almost healthy now but we will have to make up missed days of homeschooling next week during Spring break. Spring colds SUCK!

Joey's back at school. Vic is back at work. I am almost all better. But, Gabe and Marty now have the sniffles. I sure hope they don't get as sick as the rest of us did.

Joey is receiving his First Communion this weekend. If anyone is around, come join us at the 11 am contemporary service at Christ The King Lutheran Church in Cary, NC. If you promise not to look at the disaster that is my house (I was gonna clean but being sick took priority), you can even join us for chocolate pie topped with mousse(Joey's selection) afterward.

The Federal Healthcare Bill - I know we desperately need healthcare reform. You won't get me to deny that. However, I am not happy with the current bill that's about to be signed into law. If it is so wonderful, why is the President and his family, all our Senators and Representatives, and the Unions exempt? Also, a lot of people talk about how it empowers the people. I think it does more to empower the federal government. Honestly, I could discuss the mitutiae of the bill...break down all the issues and problems I think it has...but I don't feel like it. My brain is still far to fried for that depth of discussion.

I have lots and lots of yard work plans for next week. I hope I get even a fraction of it done. BTW, does anyone know when the best time to dig up and split daffodils is? And, does anyone know if crocuses can be dug up and split like you do with daffodils?


Since I obviously am not the only one with a warped and twisted mind around here (see the comments on the last post), I decided to add a poll...

What does Amigurumi Puppy's leg look like?

Instructions on how to use blogger poll widget to place poll inside post found on Dad's Battleground


And, last but not least, do you think anyone would be willing to buy crocheted animals like the dog and the pig that I made? The dog is about 14 inches tall in the sitting position and is a full 25 inches tall if you measure it standing up. Size would vary depending on what type of yarn I used. What do you think a fair price would be?

SHOW AND TELL: The Amigurumi Puppy

Welcome to our weekly expedition into the land of Show and Tell. Y'all know Show and Tell is wasted on the elementary schoolers. Join us weekly to show off an item, tell a story, and get the attention of the class. In other words, this is Show and Tell 2.0.

Last year, I made an amigurumi crocheted pig for Joey's friend. When Joey saw it, he asked me to make him a dog. I'm not quite done but I am pretty proud of the way it is turning out.



********************To see what everyone else in class is bringing to SHOW AND TELL, take a trip to visit the Miss Mel, Goddess of the Infertility Blogosphere.

3 down, no more to follow

At least, I hope no more get sick. Today, Joey woke up sneezing and congested. I really, really hope no one else gets sick.

Since my brain is fried, I don't think anything I write will make any sense. So, I thought I'd leave y'all with a joke. I laughed my ass off when I got this in my email. Enjoy...


I took my dad to the mall the other day to buy some new shoes (he is 92 years old).

We decided to grab a bite at the food court. I noticed he was watching a teenager sitting next to him. The teenager had spiked hair in all different colors: green, red, orange, and blue. My dad kept staring at him. The teenager would look up, and find him staring every time.

When the teenager had had enough, he sarcastically asked, 'What's the matter old man, never done anything wild in your life?'

Knowing my dad, I quickly swallowed my food so that I would not choke on his response, certain that he would have a good one. In classic style, he did not bat an eye in his response.

'Got drunk once, and had sex with a peacock. I was just wondering if you were my son…’

* * * * *

Don't mess with old people. They'll burn you every time.


So, do y'all have any good stories or jokes to share today?

The inmates are running the asylum.

My hubby is sick. I am sick. I don't think we have ever both been sick at the same time. The kids are all healthy. This is a bad, bad situation. Trying to function well enough to prevent total chaos is not easy. Thank God I have good kids (most of the time) or they could really take this opportunity to wreak havoc.

For all you ICLW people, I promise to try and be more interesting tomorrow.

Long distant smooches (don't want to get y'all sick).

Perfect Moment Monday: Flowers from your love

Lori over at Weebles Wobblog says that "Perfect Moment Monday is more about noticing a perfect moment than about creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between."Nothing quite matches having your little one (I still can't believe he is 4) bring you a bunch of flowers he picked and say "I picked these just for you."

Go check out the other perfect moments at this week's Perfect Moment Monday on Weebles Wobblog.

Quickie Time

Oh come on now...get your minds out of the gutter (you know who you are and that I'm talking to you...LOL). It's time for a quickie introduction for ICLW (if you don't know what ICLW is, click on that little green rectangle with the doggie on the right).

1. I have a warped, twisted sense of humor. It saved my sanity when I was a paramedic and it definitely saves my sanity as a parent.
2. I'm a registered independent who wishes I could register as a Libertarian.
3. I am not politically correct. I will never be politically correct (see #1)
4. I really want a fourth child but we've been battling my husband's diabetes and related issues so it hasn't happened yet (and might not happen).
5. I'm a voracious reader. I've already finished 20+ books this year. Come join my 2010 Book Challenge. We have a totally kick-ass group this year (and there will be prizes).
6. I like curse words and try very hard to censor myself in front of my kids. It doesn't always work.
   
7. My friend who inspired the Fuck Cancer post got her MRI results back. The skin cancer on her temple has NOT spread at all. The headaches were caused by something else...woohooo!
8. If you feel the burning need or desire to learn more about me, click on any of these links...my family building/IF history and personal trivia (ABCs of me, show and tells, etc)

I have a few questions left to answer from the last time I offered to answer any and all questions. If you have any questions to add to the list, post them in the comment section.

HAPPY ICLW Y'ALL!

News and Questions and Updates...Oh My!

I'm so proud of my mommy. She got appointed to the NC Governor's Teacher Advisory Committee. The head of the NCAE recommended her for this appointment. I'm so glad she is getting the recognition she so richly deserves.

I am so excited. I have found a super cheap yet nice way to get to NYC for BlogHer. I did a search for bus fares to NY and found a site called GotoBus. They deal with charter bus services and I can get a round trip ticket from Raleigh to NYC for only $60 and travel time is only 9 hours one way.

I finished my first knit project. It's just a simple garter stitch scarf done with two strands of yarn but, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.
If any of y'all are on Ravelry, can you tell me what your Ravelry ID is? You can find me under the user name dragondreamer.

What's going on in your life right now?

The Fever Has Hit!

No, not spring fever. It's basketball fever. In the rest of the country, they refer to it as
but, here in North Carolina, that doesn't come close to explaining it. Basketball fever has the state in its grip year round. At that bastion of higher education, my alma mater, students camp out for weeks on end, we brave the bitter cold, all for the opportunity to see Duke stomp on our bitter rivals, the UNC Tarheels Tarholes. Honestly, I can't even begin to explain what it was like to be a part of the infamous Cameron Crazies. We had so much fun and even got covered by ESPN. Ya know, North Carolina may be right in the middle of the bible belt but, every spring, the whole state undergoes a religious conversion and we start to worship at the altar of the almighty roundball. Yes, come spring time, basketball reigns supreme. We don't even wait for the NCAA tournament. The religion of basketball reaches a fever pitch when the ACC tournament starts and isn't completely shaken loose until the last ACC team bows out of the NCAA tournament. I honestly believe it would save the state and certain businesses money if they shut down during the ACC tournament. Every break room has a t.v. tuned in. Thanks to blue tooth technology and online radio stations, people even listen while they pretend to work. Hell, I even remember teachers finding excuses to have t.v.s in the classroom during the ACC tournament. God I loved those high school days.

Duke plays their first game in the NCAA tournament tonight as a #1 regional seed. Forgive me if I'm a bit incoherent in the weeks to come. Basketball fever is raging here in the Cruz household.

GO DUKE!

Duke beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 73-44

The 10 Promises Of A Stitcher

All of you who are crafters of any sort will get a good giggle out of this. Crafting has a way of taking over your life and your house. If you do something other than cross stitch, just substitute in your craft of choice.

The 10 Promises Of A Stitcher (with thanks to Robin for posting this list on Facebook)

* I will not stuff embroidery supplies in every corner of my house. I fail at this.

* I will not keep 14 projects going at one time. I do not fail at this. I have many, many more than 14.

* I will not buy more threads, patterns, or books when I have a ton at home. I fail at this.

* I will not let my stitching space look like a condemned area. I fail at this.

* I will not relegate the kitchen table to needlework. I fail at this.

* I will not stock up on more stitching supplies just because they are on sale. I fail at this.

* I will not let my embroidery distract me from making dinner. I fail at this.

* I will not stay up all night stitching. I fail at this.

* I will not buy every embroidery magazine I see. I fail at this.

* I should not make promises I cannot keep.

So, tell me, do your crafts take over your life and your house? Have your supplies morphed into a stash and your stash morphed into *S.A.B.L.E. ? It's confession time...come on, it's good for the soul.


*S.A.B.L.E. = Stash Above and Beyond Life Expectancy

SHOW AND TELL: It's A Small World After All

Welcome to our weekly expedition into the land of Show and Tell. Y'all know Show and Tell is wasted on the elementary schoolers. Join us weekly to show off an item, tell a story, and get the attention of the class. In other words, this is Show and Tell 2.0.

I got the coolest email today. I don't know how many of you remember my show and tell post about my Grandpa last year...SHOW AND TELL: my first Marty. Well, today I got an email from the daughter of Salvatore Patrissi, the pilot of the plane my Grandpa flew on. Evidently, her sister was searching the web and stumbled across the pics on my blog. I was so excited about the email that I called my aunt to tell her about it. Not only was she excited about the contact too but she told me a story about my Grandpa that I'd never heard before. My aunt told me that as long as the original crew flew together, none of them got injured. The often limped back with the plane all shot to hell but they were ok. It's like that original crew were each other's good luck charms. Then Mac, the regular co-pilot, got pulled to fill in on a crew that had people out with injuries and Mac got injured during that flight.

England 1944
Celebrating the completion of 30 missions
Patrissi, Swede (my Grandpa, isn't he handsome!),
and replacement copilot (Mac was in the hospital)While Patrissi passed away within 2 yrs of my Grandpa, his wife and kids are still around. I can't wait to exchange pictures and stories with them.
********************To see what everyone else in class is bringing to SHOW AND TELL, take a trip to visit the Miss Mel, Goddess of the Infertility Blogosphere.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Fuck Cancer

First(years ago) we lost our friend Don, then Mary (she's healthy now) fought breast cancer, then my FIL beat cancer but died due to complications from the surgery, then Velda got her terminal diagnosis, then JJ found questionable moles...

Another person I know found a spot that might be cancer...and it was.

This spot was on her face near her temple.

This spot appeared about the same time she started getting wicked headaches.

They are worried the cause is the same.

She has to undergo a lot of tests and is scared.

FUCK CANCER...I'm tired of it hurting people I love.

Evil Mom Strikes Thrice

Did you know I was being mean and horrible because I wouldn't let him use the calculator to figure out percent equations during our math lesson today? Well, according to Marty I was. See, he had problems like...

Julius writes novels and receives 12% of the price of each book sold in royalties. To the nearest cent, find the royalty Julius receives on a book price of $7.99.

The equation used to solve these problems is simple... n = % x total or, in this case, royalty = .12 x $7.99

Those are not that hard but, from all the bitching and whining and moaning I got, you would have thought I was torturing him.

When he finally accepted I wasn't going to let him use it, this ensued...
MBMS: But, why did we even buy it?
EM: Because the school required it.
MBMS: They would have at least let me use it to check the work. Why can't I do that here?
EM: I don't know how they would have used the calculator in school. I'm not a teacher there. I am your teacher here. Writing everything out drills the facts into your head. Checking your work by hand does the same. DO YOUR WORK!
MBMS: But, Mooooooooom, if I make a mistake in one and I don't check it with the calculator then I won't know it's wrong and I'll make the same mistake on other ones.
EM: How can you think that? A multiplication mistake in one does not guarantee a multiplication mistake in the other problems. If you are having problems with the formula, a calculator won't catch that.

OMG, you wouldn't believe the pouting, the huffing, the puffing, and the moaning that followed. I came so close to saying we weren't allowed to use calculators in math class when I was younger, you don't need it either.

Then, EM followed it up by refusing to allow MBMS to print out a 6+ page walk through for a video game. I mean, my god, EM let him do it in the past. How dare she change her mind. I told him that if he wished to sit in front of a glowing screen, he could at least use his own brain power to figure out the game. I said that all having a walk through proved was that he could follow someone else's instructions. Of course, he continued to argue so I finally snapped and said he had a choice between almost non-existent glowing screen time with a walk through or more time without a walk through.

Then, MBMS argues with me about what he would eat for lunch. All he wanted was "rice with sauce. That's the only thing that sounds good." But damn, EM said no again. MBMS could not have just rice and sauce. EM insisted he have something else to help balance his diet...and, miracle of miracles, MBMS was in a much better mood after he ate the other things that EM insisted on him having. He went from being an argumentative pain in the ass to saying "You know mom, I think I was so grouchy just because I was hungry."

ARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH...maybe on days like today, I can video tape the days and sell the DVDs as the best source of no-hormonal birth control available.


EM = eeeeeevil mom
MBMS = much beleaguered middle schooler

Answers

A couple of days ago, I threw the door open and offered to answer any questions you had. Since WiseGuy sounds like she might explode if she doesn't get answers, I figured I'd answer the questions I have so far and, if I get anymore, I can update this post.

What would be a dream vacation?(thanks Meari) Hmmm, I guess this wold depend if we were vacationing with or without the kids. With the kids, I would love a vacation at an all services included resort (or a Disney cruise) where they have all kinds of activities and things for the kids to do round the clock. For just the hubby and me, I would love to go on a "world tour"...visit a lot of places, wander through the non- touristy areas, see the great museums, eat at the quirky little restaurants that only the locals know about, and spend the nights in a great hotel.


Are you actively TTC at the moment?(thanks Mrs. Spock for your 3 questions) well, sort of. Yeah, I know you can't be sort of TTC but that's where we are. I have never had a problem getting pregnant (my problem was staying pregnant) as long as we manage to hit that magic window of opportunity but, right now we are fighting complications of diabetes along with the sheer chaos that is our lives. While we have "enjoyed" each other, we haven't hit that magic window in months.

Who is the bloggy celebrity that you would squeal about if you got to meet him/her in person? Honestly, I don't tend to to get starstruck (at least not publicly). While I might internally be thinking "OMG, I can't believe I'm meeting her" or "OMG, OMG, I can't believe she reads me", externally I am pretty calm. I am far more likely to squeal over meeting people I've gotten to be friends with online but have never met in person...people like Mel or Kym or you or WiseGuy or Wishing4One or my friends from the cross stitch group or... Well, you get the picture. Meeting my bloggy and online friends would definitely make me squeal.

What is the WORST thing you have ever done? I lied to someone dear to me about why something happened. I screwed up badly and caused something negative to happen when I was in my early 20s. I was so upset and ashamed by what happened that I lied about why the negative event occurred. To this day, I hold that secret deep within me. Telling might make me feel better but it wouldn't change anything so why inflict pain on someone else. That major fuck up on my part is why I am such a stickler with myself and others about owning up to your mistakes.

Which 'three people' would you like to recall back from the heaven? (thanks WiseGuy for your 2 questions) My first thought was my daughter. But, if that pregnancy had succeeded, I probably wouldn't have Gabe. And, I can't imagine life without that precious boy.

So, skipping that option, I would bring back my FIL. His death was tragic and unnecessary. We miss him every single day. After that recall, I really don't know. All 4 of my grandparents are gone and I couldn't chose one set of them over the other. There aren't any other celebrities I value enough to recall. Hmmm, could I bank one of those recalls. I'd like to save one for when that bitch cancer finally takes my friend Velda(who is doing well right now, thank God).

What is that one invention by mankind that you believe has completely messed up the human race? Honestly, I think it's the human race that has messed itself up, not any invention. Even something invented with the best of intentions can and has been perverted from its original use (think about the story of Alfred Nobel and dynamite).

I'll still take any questions you want to ask. No topic is taboo.

Kitchen 101: Cooking lessons gone wrong

13 yr olds take you literally. Remember that. If you tell them to drop something in the crock pot, they will DROP it in...even if it's 6 lbs of frozen roast. 6 lbs of roast + a ceramic crock pot liner = disaster

When you can see through the bottom of your crock pot
and the interior of the heating portion looks like this
it is time to change your cooking plans and to go shopping for a new crockpot.

I'm swimming in books!

It's return of the contest slut, part 3...

I am so excited. It the last two weeks, I have won a boatload of books. First, I enter a contest hosted by two fabulous romance authors, Roslyn Holcomb and Lisa G Riley. I won 3 books from Ros, 3 from Lisa, and a $20 giftcard to Amazon. Man did that thrill me!

Then, last week I was reading all the Show&Tell entries and PandaBox 33's blog had a review of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls. She had a link to the contest being held by Quirk Classics. They were giving away 50 prize packs consisting of

• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Journal
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Postcards
• Audio Books of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
• An advance copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls
• A password redeemable online for sample audio chapters of Dawn of the Dreadfuls
• Dawn of the Dreadfuls Poster

Only 50 prize packs, 60 pages of entries, and I WON ONE! I am totally excited by this.

Now y'all, if you like romance novels, you HAVE to go check out Lisa's and Roslyn's books. They rock as authors and you won't regret picking up on of their books.

Narrow Minded Bigotry At It's Best

photo by rt69 on flickr.com

Today, I read a news story that first made me sad and then made me really fucking mad. The Itawamba County school district in northern Mississippi canceled the prom rather than let Constance McMillen wear a tuxedo and attend with her girlfriend. God forbid, the narrow little minds of that area be forced to acknowledge that there people and situations that might bend the stereotypical norm. I don't know about you but I would rather see two young ladies holding hands, treating each other respectfully, and dancing than the out of hand PDAs provided by the male/female couples at my prom (and homecoming dance and...well, you get the picture).

This whole situation combined with the fact that one of the biggest opponents to gay rights in California, Sen. Roy Ashburn (R-Calif.), just admitted he is gay makes me wonder if we will ever get to a decent level of acceptance, a level of equality we should all enjoy. The simple fact that Ashburn felt the need to crusade against equal rights for gays and, thereby, himself, and that he couldn't even admit what his own sexuality is tells you how damned far we still have to go.

Sigh, I'll keep working on this in my little corner of the world. Y'all keep working on it in yours.


*edited to add, I am damned proud of my boys. They heard me grumbling about this and were totally confused as to why there would even be an issue about this...after all "what's wrong with them going and dancing together." Then Marty asked me "Isn't it your friend P who is a lesbian?" When I told him yes, he asked "How are she and A doing?" I told him they were doing wonderfully and he said "Good. After that douchebag of a husband she had, she deserves a good relationship." While I don't condone use of the word douchebag by a 13 yr old, I love that he wanted to know about her relationship and that he is so supportive of it.

Random Me

I am more than a little brain dead today. Nothing is wrong but my brain has just decided to take a day off. I mean, I had a great idea for a post when I got up this morning and now I can't remember what the hell I was going to write about. Soooooo, I stole this list of questions from Monnie who got them in her email...

NAME SIX NAMES YOU GO BY (this is not easy!): Kristin, Krist, Aunt Kris, Pookie, Pooh Bear, Mom, Mommy, dragondreamer, K

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW: glasses, earrings, t-shirt

THREE THINGS YOU WANT VERY BADLY AT THE MOMENT: for my husband to be 100% healthy, for it to be August (BlogHer is coming), to be pregnant

TWO THINGS YOU DID LAST NIGHT?: cooked dinner, read (to my son and for myself)

TWO THINGS YOU DISLIKE TODAY: my yard (can I have a landscaper create a new one for free?), the carpet in my house

TWO PEOPLE YOU LAST TALKED TO ON THE PHONE: my mom, my baby sister

TWO THINGS YOU ARE GOING TO DO TOMORROW: make beds (yuck), finish crocheting a sock

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE DRINKS: peach iced tea, diet coke, frozen margarita

I'm also opening the floor for any and all questions. Ask me anything (about me; about someone else; about some random, esoteric fact) and I'll answer. If you want to join in the question fun, you can either answer in the comments or put it on your blog.

So, anyone have a question? Anyone? Puhleeeeeeeeze ask.

Just living is not enough...

I heard a quote today that appealed to me on so many different levels.

“Just living is not enough... One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.”

Hans Christian Andersen

It speaks to me of the need to live our lives to the fullest, to treat each moment as if it might be our last, and to not let things hold us back.

It speaks to me and says that our day to day routine is not enough. We need to make time for the things that bring beauty and joy into our lives.

It also speaks to me of spring...only 11 more days until it officially is here!

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

Today, we are making our first real forays into spring-like weather and spring attire. The sun is shining (74 degrees, woohooo!), the sky is blue, and short sleeves are the rule. This weather is truly heavenly and is a close to perfect as I can imagine. Gabe is in full blown welcome to spring mode today...

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

So, what quote speaks to you today and what are you doing to welcome spring into your world?

Kitchen 101

If you are ever cooking chicken to be included in another recipe (chicken salad, chicken fried rice, whatever) consider boiling it. It's a simple way to cook it. It's virtually impossible to over cook. And, if you throw the chicken (skin and all) into a stock pot, fill it most of the way with water, and add a few spices, you not only end up with flavorful chicken for your recipe but you end up with a potful of chicken stock that can be frozen for future use.

Venturing out again...

Well, I decided today was the day to put on my big girl panties and brave the fearsome world of knitting groups again. I'm sure my regular readers remember my post about the debacle that ended my last attempt to join a knitting group. Well, since that lovely day, I've taken a break from trying to find a knitting/crocheting group. Intellectually, I know most crafters are not like the shallow, vapid women in that last group. I have met too many wonderful people through cross stitching, quilting, and yarn groups to judge others by those twits. I don't know why I hadn't gone to any of the numerous meetings the group in Raleigh has held. Maybe I was just feeling a bit burnt by that last encounter. Maybe that last time around made me feel a bit too much like the high schooler(from eons ago) who lacked any confidence in herself. Or, maybe the Raleigh group was just too overwhelmingly large for me to feel like I'd find a home there.

Today, the knitting group here in Cary had their first meeting in a while. The two lovely ladies who run the group also happen to be the owners of a little yarn store here in town. Now, if you picture one of those wonderfully quaint stores with gorgeous yarn displayed in every nook and cranny, you have created a perfect mental picture of this store. There were about 9 women there and there was never a dull moment. The conversation was flowing and everyone seemed so warm and welcoming. All of a sudden, I realized that I really had to pack up and head home for dinner. Almost 3 hours had passed in the blink of an eye. I'm really looking forward to meeting with them again.

Oh, by the way, these ladies are not knitting snobs. 2 of them also crochet and they were oohing and aahing over the crocheted socks I was working on.

I need your help...

And, if you help me, you also have a chance to win something. No, I'm not giving something away. Susan over at She's Becoming DoughMessTic is giving away not one but two KitchenAid Mixers. The only thing you have to do to enter is blog, tweet, or facebook the giveaway and then go back and comment only ONCE that you did so (you do have to follow her on twitter or be a facebook fan). If you go enter, please, please, puh-leeeeeeeeeeze say I sent you. If you say I sent you and you win, then we both win.

So, go read the giveaway post...
Enter the giveaway and make sure you say I sent you.

Eye Candy Burn Notice Style

The absolutely incredible USA Network series Burn Notice just wrapped its third season. The series and story line seriously kick ass and, OMG, is the eye candy delicious. If you aren't watching, why the hell not? Seriously y'all, if you aren't watching, this is what you are missing...
Jeffrey Donovan as Michael Westen


Bruce Campbell as Sam Axe

So, what other series do you watch that combine a great eye candy content with a kick ass plot?

Bullets coming at you...(another HaBO added)

Go vote for me NOW in Lori's Limerick Chick contest...click on that nifty green button to your left.

This week, Joey's school has been celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday. One of the things they are doing is having Mystery Readers surprise the class. I'll be going in tomorrow as a mystery reader and I'll be reading one of the Skippyjon Jones books. I can't wait.

Marty almost didn't survive today's homeschooling session. We are studying Newton's Laws of Motion and he got so frustrated because he didn't instantaneously understand it that he became cranky, mouthy, and obnoxious. He's so lucky I have almost 14 years invested in him...grrrrrrrr.

I did something to my back the other day. I woke up stiff and then spent about an hour on the floor doing a puzzle with the kid. My lower back has been aching ever since. It sucks.

Only 5 months until BlogHer. I am so excited!!!! It's even better than it was before because my bestest buddy and sister by choice is going to be my roomie for BlogHer.

My baby sis totally rocks. She is going to watch the boys one night so Vic and I can go out to dinner and a movie.

A huge CONGRATS going out to Wishing4One who saw 2 beautiful heartbeats at 5 weeks 4 days!

A few HaBOs:

• Nancy found a weird lump and is getting it checked out tomorrow. Check in on her please.
• Hanen over at Sesame-Seed-Sized Dreams just received the birth certificate for her daughter who was killed at 34 weeks gestation in an auto accident. She could use some love and support.
• Eve at Pour Away The Ocean continues to grieve the loss of her son Will (lost at about 24 weeks gestation...not sure about the week) while she miraculously continues to carry his twin Abby. She is in the hospital fighting off pre-term labor that could cause the twins to be delivered before little Abby is ready. Let's rally around her.
• JJ over at Reproductive Jeans has had a biopsy done on possible skin cancer. Please go lend her your support.
  

Let Me Share My Fantasys With You

Hey y'all, The fabulous folks at Eden Fantasys gave me a chance to review one of their products. You can find that review on my brand new review page. Take a moment to read it and, if you have any comments or questions, leave them here.

I chose to put the review on another page because it is definitely adult content and the topic is not safe for work. Any and all adult products that are reviewed will be handled this way. Thanks for understanding.

SHOW AND TELL: Cakes R Us

Welcome to our weekly expedition into the land of Show and Tell. Y'all know Show and Tell is wasted on the elementary schoolers. Join us weekly to show off an item, tell a story, and get the attention of the class. In other words, this is Show and Tell 2.0.

Marty has reached an age where he no longer wants a typical birthday party and he doesn't want a typical birthday cake. Over the course of the past year, I've shown him a few different cakes on my friend Susan's bog, She's Becoming DoughMessTic. He fell in love with her Best Birthday Cake Ever but decided he needed it with Chocolate Raspberry Mousse instead of Chocolate Orange Mousse. Mine isn't quite as pretty as Susan's cake because I don't have all the piping tips she has. but I think it turned out pretty damned wonderfully. Even though I made two of these, they were gone by the day after his family birthday gathering.
Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake


I also recently made a cake for the cake contest at the Dr. Seuss birthday party Joey's school held. One of the categories for the cake contest was The King's Stilt Cake for the tallest cake. Of course, that was the category Joey decided we should go after. The cake wasn't much to look at but damn did it taste good. I was running out of time and I could either assemble it all or make one layer of it look pretty and, since he wanted to go for the tallest, I tamped down my perfectionistic tendencies and put the biotch together. We did win and here is what it looked like (thank God they served almost all of it there and I didn't have to bring it home)...

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

If anyone wants the recipe I used for the Raspberry Mousse, let me know. Other than that, I followed the recipe and instructions on Susan's site.********************To see what everyone else in class is bringing to SHOW AND TELL, take a trip to visit the Miss Mel, Goddess of the Infertility Blogosphere.

Go Me...I'm actually on the cutting edge...

Remember my post about Vajazzling...well guess who also posted about it...click on the pic and look under recent goodness to see the link (or go here to see the article)...
I was over at Toy With Me reading Aunt Becky's latest column and figured I should check out the main page. What should I notice but their own article on Vajazzling and I beat them to publication by 2 days.

GO ME!!!

It's a Seussical Day

Happy Birthday Theodor Geisel! In honor of your birthday and the wonderful contributions you made to our childhoods, I took a stab at a rhyme about you...

There once was a doctor named Seuss
who I'm told looked not at all like a moose
his rhymes were unique and funny
and maybe just a little bit punny
but his imagination taught us all to let loose.

I remember with great affection reading many Dr. Seuss books when I was little...The Cat In The Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, The Grinch, and both Horton the Elephant books. I love reading these books to my children today. While I was looking up a few things for this post, I rediscovered some information I had learned last year. Did you know Green Eggs and Ham was written because of a bet? Geisel's publisher bet him $50 that he couldn't write a book using only 50 words. 50 years later, this 50 word book is still going strong.

Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book or are you just a fan in general? Two of my favprite Seuss books are ones that go against his normal format. I really enjoy The Kings Stilts which is written in prose instead of the rhyming verse that is his normal style. I also really adore You're Only Old Once! You're Only Old Once is Seuss's second adult book. His first adult book was The Seven Lady Godivas and it flopped rather miserably. In fact, after this book flopped, "he stated that he would 'rather write for kids', who were more appreciative, and was no longer interested in writing for adults. Indeed, his general contempt for adults is evident in his oft-repeated quote: 'Adults are obsolete children, and the hell with them.'" I think we reaped the dividends of him immersing himself in children's literature. Without that focus, we would have missed out on a lot of wonderful books.

Despite the light-hearted, fun nature of many of his books, they offer many wonderful quotes that really apply to our every day life. My favorite quote from Dr. Seuss is “Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.” Not a bad way to look at life.

Look what we rescued...

Sometimes I operate under the maxim that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than get permission. Today was one of those days. I knew my hubby wouldn't object if I mentioned getting another cat but I also knew he would hem and haw about it. So, we just went and did it. Here's the whole story...my oldest son's cat has decided that he belongs out doors. Anytime we manage to get a hold of him, he is happy for a few days and then he stalks the doorways. It doesn't matter how hard we try, he gets outside. I know he has at least 4 other houses he has conned into feeding him and at least one house who has brought him inside often enough to give him a flea collar. Now, I know some of y'all are probably asking "Why doesn't he have a collar? Then he would always come home." Well, Snoopy is an escape artist and he has gotten out of every collar we have ever put on him. So, Marty has been missing having his own kitty and asked if he could use some of his birthday money to adopt a kitty from the shelter. After school today, Marty, Gabe, and I headed over to the animal shelter and he picked out a kitty. Meet Freddy...

He is the sweetest 2 yr old cat who was surrendered by his owners when they had to move. He is healthy, has had his shots, is neutered, and microchipped. Marty is delighted.