Thursday, February 25, 2010

20 Questions

With limited time and material for blogging, I proudly bring you another episode of 20 Questions -->as always, courtesy of Dawn's blog.

1. What's the last sporting event you watched?

that would be the few minutes of the USA-Canada Hockey game a few days ago.

2. The world could do without:
mean people.

3. What is the farthest you have ever been from home?
Italy or Sweden, not sure which is farther.

4. What is your favorite kind of cereal?
It's a tie between Reeses Puffs & Captain Crunch Berries...both VERY healthy choices, I know.

5. Four sports teams you like:
Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Cubs...yeah, I guess there are only 3 that I like.

6. What is it time for right now?
some free time.

7. You wake up and discover that it's a rainy, dreary day out. Does this affect your attitude at all or do you tend to stay happy no matter what the weather is doing?
well, it likely bums me out a bit, especially if I have to go out in it, but if it's a day when I have nothing to do and can stay home in my PJs all day...I'm a happy camper.

8. What is the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon?
asleep.

9. What is your favorite appetizer?
Santa Fe Roll Up thingees...I think Chilis has them. *that is NOT the official name. :)

10. Why did you pick the outfit you have on?
it's all I could come up with this morning.

11. How sensitive are you to cool temperatures?
fairly sensitive. I don't like harsh cold...but cool is tolerable. if I had my way, it would be 72+ and sunny everyday.

12. What's your favorite blanket like?
soft. fuzzy. covered in cat hair (which is why I don't use it anymore) I guess it's the cats favorite too.

13. Did you go to public school?
yes. all 12 years. I was threatened with being sent to a girls Catholic school if I didn't make good grades though.

14. Are you scared of bees?
I certainly don't care for them especially if they are divebombing my head.

15. How many lurkers do you think you have that read your blog, but never comment? Have you ever been successful at getting them to say hello? Do you mind the lurking? Are you a lurker? Or do you try and comment every time you visit?
I have no idea how many lurkers I have because I never look at that tracking data, even though it's there. I don't have that much time these days. When I posted something that apparently many felt was controversial, I ended up with about 50 comments, but after that died down, I've not come close to that many comments. Eh...whatever. I lurk on some blogs but I blame it on Google Reader...it's just too easy to read there and not click over to the actual blog, although I am trying to do that more often. I comment if I feel like I have something to contribute.

16. Desktop or laptop?
i have both. I had been solely a desktop girl until Jan 2009 when I realized I needed a laptop in order to get studying done away from home. i only use it when necessary as I just cannot get used to the little mouse pad thingee, I hate it actually. I bought a wireless mouse which I haul with me on weekends for studying though. I also like my desktop monitor...nice and big.

17. What is your favorite kind of cheese?
PepperJack seems to be what I choose most of the time (at Subway anyway).

18. What is the oldest thing you own?
my grandparents wedding picture.

19. How did your car get that little scratch/dent? (Because let’s face it, we ALL have car stories, right?)
Ahhh, yes. That would be when I backed into the light pole in the world's smallest campus parking lot. I was NOT happy.

20. Which would you rather do: the dusting or the vacuuming?
Vacuuming. I was "forced" to dust EVERY Saturday morning as a child. If I dust again in my life, it will be too soon.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

it's your turn!

~I've been wanting to do this for a while...both Dawn and Fidgeting Gidget mentioned it on their blogs and FG recently posted some of her results....what is it you ask...

~Let me know what you want to see from my home, world, (i.e. front door, desk, my closet, etc) just keep it PG folks...this is a public blog. :)

~Send me your requests, I'll take the pictures and post them here for your viewing pleasure (or not)...

~Play along, it's fun. really. it is.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

20 *more* Questions

Another installment of 20 questions, lovingly swiped from Dawn's blog...she is the BLOGMASTER!!

1. What are three things that you are looking forward to?

going to WDW and meeting Dawn IN REAL LIFE (it's about time). finishing the 1/2 marathon, I have this slight sense of fear of not being able to finish haunting me. being DONE with graduate school & getting a REAL job!

2. What is your favorite kind of tree?
since i'm not too savvy on names of trees, I will have to go with the Christmas variety.

3. What is the newest thing you own?
does it still count if it's not quite in my possession yet? if so, that would be the new messenger bag I purchased yesterday.

4. If I do anything well, it’s:
multi task.

5. What is your favorite dessert?
birthday cake & ice cream. or if I'm in a Mexican restaurant, I'm usually up for trying their Flan.

6. Do you use a planner?
yes and no. i have one all put together to use, but then I find that I rely on my Outlook Calendar for work functions and my Google Calendar for personal & school related items...really doesn't leave much for the planner.

7. What is your all-time favorite tv comedy?
I will have to go with Friends on this one. I also really liked Silver Spoons when I was MUCH younger.

8. What is your current obsession?
right now I am fully and completely obsessed with all things Disney in anticipation of my trip.

9. Three signs Spring is here:
baseball, smell of fresh cut grass, no need for a coat.

10. Do you balance your checkbook or wing it?
I balance it on the computer with the help of Microsoft Money. I was never able to balance it by hand and my dad always did it for me when we all still lived together AKA "the good ol' days"

11. What kind of grapes do you prefer?
green. seedless. cold.

12. What is your favorite store-bought cookie?
Oreos and ChipsAhoy.

13. What was your fifth grade teacher's name?
How bad is it that I cannot remember?

14. High school was:
loved it and wish I could do it again. I would do a lot of things different.

15. Describe your dream kitchen.
big. with an island for cooking. tons of cupboard storage. a handy & convenient place for cookbooks (i.e. NOT the cupboard ABOVE the stove that I can hardly reach). bar style seating for people to simply "hang out". a safe place for an iPod speaker to add some nice background music while I'm cooking or baking.

16. What was the last thing you purchased?
See #3.

17. How many of your friendships have lasted more than a decade?
Sadly, very few.

18. Are there times when you still feel like a kid?
yes. and I often wish I really were.

19. What teacher from high school comes to mind first?
Ms. Foley---HS Foods Teacher. I took all 3 Foods classes...funny since I don't really cook much...but baking, that is MY thing. She was a cool teacher and I loved her class.

20. What magazines do you read?
"read" is the operative word. how about...skim....I receive Martha Stewart (disclaimer: I don't care for her, but her magazine is awesome)...I think that is the only one I am currently receiving. There are many others I would like (Real Simple, People, Glamour), but time simply does not allow...

Monday, February 22, 2010

a good outcome

I was painfully dragged to the store Gander Mountain yesterday...for those who don't know or don't have one in your area, it's an outdoors store with all sorts of hunting and outdoorsy stuff...blech!! For me, it is PURE torture to go into this store...anyway, I was pleased to have a more exciting experience this time as compared to in the past.

My work/school bag has been dying a slow death and I've been on a (passive) hunt for a new one...not quite finding one that would work for what I need. It needs to be big enough to carry my (thick) school binder, my wallet, phone, iTouch, tube of lotion, pens, sometimes my laptop and my lunch bag-thingee everyday, which is "wide"...

I found THE cutest bag at the store yesterday. This bag in particular. Isn't she soooo pretty!?!?! I wanted it so badly. Then I saw the price tag and decided "no way"....I'm not spending $69 on a bag!!!
So this morning, I got on Ebay and low and behold I found the same brand new bag for more than $25 cheaper! Score!!! It is now en route to my house! And it was perfect timing since Uncle Sam returned the money that was rightfully mine on Friday. Hooray!

I love good outcomes!

20 Questions

Happy Monday (ugh) folks...here is another swiped installment of 20 questions... as usual swiped from Dawn.

1. What would you like to appear in your hands right now?

$25,000 would be nice, then I could AT LEAST take today off and pretend I'm a stay-at-home mom-->kind of consumed with this SAHM thought today.

2. What was the last thing you ate?
WW Blueberry Muffin.

3. What is your favorite episode of a tv show?
oh boy, this is a difficult one, but I think it would have to be the final episode of SATC...the look on Big's face when he & Carrie are hugging on the streets of Paris just gets me every time.

4. Have you ever ridden in a limo?
Yes. For a junior prom and my senior prom. We didn't bother for our wedding because (1) it was prom season & most were already rented, (2) those that remained were crazy expensive and (3) our reception venue was less than 3 miles from the church.

5. Which is better, your cursive or your printing?
printing by far and it's not even that great if you ask me.

6. What photos are living on your camera right now, waiting to be downloaded? And why are they still there?
Only about 5 that for some reason make me feel better keeping them there even though they are on a CD and my external hard drive. I've cleaned out my memory cards for our upcoming WDW trip....hooray!! Stay tuned for a great giveaway contest related to our trip...will be posted next Monday, March 1.

7. How many pregnant women do you know?
none.

8. Three things you did this past weekend:
went to Dick's Sporting Goods. Grocery Shopping. Studied.

9. If you could only visit three websites for the next month, which would you choose?
Gmail. Google Reader. Facebook.

10. What did your family do for vacations when you were a child?
we went "up north" in Michigan quite a bit. for a few years we had a cottage on a small lake up in Clare, Michigan, which was always fun (sometimes boring).

11. Law & Order or Boston Legal?
Boston Legal. no contest. <----agreeing with Dawn here!

12. Do you mind if guests show up uninvited?
I wouldn't mind, but some notice would be nice so I could pick up the gazillion toys that Ethan has likely strategically placed all over the floor.

13. When will you next travel by plane?
In June when I go to Dallas for my cousin's high school graduation!

14. What did the last text message you received say?
My inbox is empty... :(

15. When was the last time you got dressed up?
Ethan's baptism. Thankfully I do not have to dress up that often. I hate it. Gimme jeans or track pants and tennis shoes please.

16. The perfect sign of affection is:
a hug.

17. Do you use your real name online or do you go by a screen name?
some of both. it depends on the site. <---again same as Dawn here...apparently we are twins separated at birth. :)

18. What do you miss when you're away from home?
my kitties & Ethan if he isn't with me...but we are usually attached at the hip.

19. What are you completely & totally over hearing about, reading about, discussing ad nauseum?
Tiger Woods. <----could not agree MORE!!! And I used to really like Tiger....so so so disappointed now.

20. Do you reply to comments on your blog?
i do. usually right here, though occasionally i will email privately, if i have the person's email address & i'm discussing something i wish to keep more private. <----ditto.

Friday, February 19, 2010

all running

~only managed a 3.1 mile run today, but considering that I'm SO not 100% and only on day 3 of my Z-pack meds, I guess I can't be too upset. It's always better than nothing, right? That 6.5 miler last week just felt so good & yielded a sense of accomplishment (1/2 way)...oh well.

~On the bright side, today's run helped me to confirm my running outfit for the WDW race....and I know you were all dying to know...so...

~I am going with the new compression shorts, but with the old black shorts on top. They are just so much more roomy and I'm actually thinking about returning those (cute) pink shorts I bought because I just don't think I'll wear them much. The new moisture-wicking socks seemed fine so I'll stick with them. As for shirts, while I'm not keen on the slightly snugger fit of the new v-neck UA tee, I am going to wear it simply for the v-neck feature. I was always pulling down on the round-neck tee and that would be annoying for 13.1 miles! I'm certain that by combining that shirt with my beloved Champion 10+ year old sports bra (with exposed elastic on the edges), which goes down to my belly button & holds in my belly fat (yay!) that I will feel much more comfy in the new shirt. Side note: I wish I could find some new sports-bras of this style, but alas I have had NO luck to date.

~Latest dilemma: the iPod Touch armband to wear while running. I'm not even sure I'll listen to much music since I'll be running (and walking) with Meghan and possibly with Beth, but I'm thinking Beth may be leaving me in the dust?!?! Anyway, back to the armband...I have been contemplating buying one, but when I went into the Apple Store today I almost fell over when I saw that they cost $34.95!!!! Whoa!! That is crazy...especially when I don't think I will use it all that much. When I run on the t-mill, I just set it on the console, no need to wear it. I will look @ Target and WM and see if they have any alternatives, but not sure what I'm gonna do there. It's WAY too heavy to put in my pocket.

~Happy Friday!!! TGIF!!!

Friday 5 - Rules

1. Be honest: what are some rules you have for yourself that don’t really make much sense?
I'm not sure I really have any strange rules for myself...I'm really quite simple & practical...I could have a rule to not be so hard on myself since many people tell me that I am, but I would likely break it everyday, so why bother even making it a rule?

2. What rules of questionable sense did your parents have for you when you were young?
Could it be true that I cannot think of a single questionable rule? I was really given quite a bit of freedom...almost a scary amount now that I'm an adult and think about the things my mom let me do. Yikes!!

3. What’s a rule most people (if not all people) seem never to obey?
To always be honest. You know...don't lie!

4. There are no rules governing the giving and receiving of Valentine’s Day gifts, but what rules should there be?
Oh I really couldn't care less about this one, but I guess it would be nice to at least give & receive a simple Valentine's card that day....flowers & chocolate I could easily do without.

5. If the Golden Rule says you should do unto others as you’d have others do unto you, what would the Silver and Bronze rules say?
The Silver Rule should be to always be kind to others and the Bronze Rule should be to have patience.

Friday 5 - Warmth

1. What is your favorite blanket like?
It's about a bazillion years old by now, predominantly yellow with flowers of varying colors throughout. It's likely covered in cat hair because it likes to hold on to all that fur despite being washed repeatedly. It's no longer used on a bed, but is folded up nicely in my linen closet...just can't seem to part with it. LOL!

2. What was the last thing you baked?
Box mix of brownies. They were delicious and while I typically don't do the box variety of baking...I'm blaming it on the "busy working mom" syndrome that I'm suffering from. Dont' judge. :)

3. What television personality gets you most hot and bothered?
I'm assuming this means "hot & bothered" in a good way and I've probably answered a similar question a billion times on my blog, but for those of you who may have forgotten or need reminding...it would be Chris Noth AKA Mr. Big from SATC! You can now find him on Tuesday nights the show The Good Wife!!

4. When did you last burn yourself?
It's been a while...definitely last year sometime. I removed something from the oven and bumped the edge of the door. Ouch.

5. What are your feelings about hot sauce?
Love it...not too hot, but hotter than "mild"

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

weary wednesday....

~if this were "I Want Wednesday" I would want to get into the school clinic & get some antibiotics to get rid of this mean sore throat & mega-congestion that I've had since Saturday now.

~i had NO luck getting in yesterday....long story.

~i will be calling there at 9am sharp to see about any cancellations...and they better have had one!

~i am not going to work today (hooray!), but I am attending my 9am class...too important to miss.

~i am also considering skipping my night class...it's kind of lame anyway...not worth being uncomfortable there.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

bullet point Tuesday

~i am at work/school today.

~i am NOT feeling any better today than yesterday.

~i am heading to the campus clinic at 2pm sharp.

~i have a 1pm commitment preventing me from going to the clinic sooner.

~i am missing my diet orange pop & diet dr. pepper...but my throat is not happy with cold beverages right now.

~i would not have come in today at all if I didn't have my 4:45pm tutoring appointment -->AKA cash in my pocket.

~starting to worry about that 13.1 miles i'm going to be running (and walking) in less than 3 weeks from today. i was sore for 2 days after my 6.5 mile run on Friday. I guess that means I'll be sore for 4 days after the 13.1.

~i am going to try very, very hard to NOT buy a single box of GS cookies this year. it will be very difficult. but i am determined. i love the GS, but I love my waistline more.

Monday, February 15, 2010

the monday blues

~So much for planning....what was supposed to be my scrapbooking day turned into a REAL sick day...i'm at home today fighting a mean cough, sore throat & lovely congestion.

~E is home with me but doing MUCH better than I am.

~It snowed over night and while there's not much on the ground, I didn't feel like going out into the frigid cold just to take him to school.

~Looking forward to taking our nap together today! :)

Friday, February 12, 2010

Running Outfits...please vote!

~please leave your vote in the Comments!!

Option #1 - "old faithful"

OK - so pros to this outfit is comfort...sort of...the shirt is ROUND neck vs. Vneck and I find that i'm constantly pulling it down when I'm running, so that bugs me. The shorts have pockets and are ridiculously comfortable (and at least 10 years old). While the pockets may be handy, they are SO big that stuff would flop around in there and likely annoy me, so I probably won't use them anyway...although I do want to carry my small P&S camera somehow...word is that there are Disney characters throughout the race course & most people stop for pics...if I see Pluto...I will HAVE to stop!! How am I going to transport my camera?? Argh!!

Option #2 - All New
~So this is the NEW outfit...the shirt is UA and is V-NECK but fits a bit slimmer than shirt in Option #1....not too snug though, the tag info even says "loose" <---hooray!! It's also thin and wicking material, which will be nice since I sweat like a pig when I'm running. I also have no idea what the weather will be...it's only 3 weeks away and high temps right now have been 50s-60s. Oh and the race starts at the insane hour of 6am and I have heard that the corraling process starts around 5am or earlier...so it will probably NOT be 60 degrees at that time...ok that was a tangent....onto the shorts...no pockets...not sure that matters though...they fit a bit snugger than the black shorts but are tasteful...I am NOT one to wear skin tight things...BELIEVE ME...so I also wonder if this option is TOO MUCH PINK??? Or is there such a thing? Also, the pinks match much better IRL...not sure why the pic looks like they are off...

Other options I'm considering....a shirt from one more mile running like the one that says "i'm only doing this so I can post it on facebook" or "this seemed like a good idea 3 months ago" or my personal favorite "slow is the new fast"....if I get one of these shirts, I'm not sure how it will fit me and I'd have to buy White and for some reason that sort of scares me...and limits which sportsbras I can wear.

Oh...sportsbras...that's a nightmare in and of itself...as if buying regular bras wasn't bad enough. I have TWO ANCIENT Champion sportsbras that I wear over and over again...they are grey and go down to my belly button...I like that they hold it all my fat...but after I run a while, they roll up (cuz I'm too fat)...so i'm thinking I won't bother wearing one of them and instead wear one of the "regular" sportsbras that I have...I have a couple white ones, so not a big issue, I'll just need to run a few times with each to see which is more comfortable.

So you can see I have a MAJOR dilemma here picking out a silly outfit for this race....I need your help!!!!

Thank you!!!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

I Want Wednesday...

~I want: to be a speed-reader...i am forever trying to get "caught-up" on my school reading...and trying to do that in bed is not working well for me...i'd rather just go to sleep.

~I want: a better sense of balance in my day-to-day life.

~I want: a little more motivation in the areas of "running" and "studying".

~I want: the runny nose, cough & sore throat that all 3 members of my house are currently suffering from to go away and stay away for longer than one month. I have NEVER been sick so often in my life (thank you daycare).

~I want: a snow day tomorrow...and now that the "dusting" of snow has subsided, that will likely not happen...but the dusting was scary enough for them to release kids 3 hours early today!!

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

planning my escape

~well, maybe not my "escape"...but my next "mental health day" which will occur on Monday if all goes well.

Step 1: call in sick on Monday.
Step 2: drop E off at school.
Step 3: depending on time, proceed to nearest SBUX and relax until 9:30am.
Step 4: begin commute to local scrapbook store.
Step 5: scrapbook all.day.long and chit-chat with the other girlies there.

SOOOOO EXCITED TO HAVE A GIRLIE-DAY!!!

In other unrelated, but good news:
~i have secured 2 tutoring clients (Spanish) and lessons begin tonight!

Monday, February 08, 2010

Happy 2nd Birthday to my little guy!!!

Where has the time gone? These past two years have flown by...I honestly think that once you have kids, time goes by 1.5 times faster than it used to...at least that's what it feels like.

2.08.08 - about an hour old...i love his hair here...
it has never stuck straight up like that since :(

5.10.08 - 3 Months Old

8.08.08 - SIX MONTHS OLD

2.08.09 ONE YEAR OLD: PRE-CAKE

2.08.09 ONE YEAR OLD: POST-CAKE

08.21.09-18 MONTHS OLD (one of my top favorite pics)

TWO YEARS OLD!!! (minus one day technically)

Ethan-I love you more than anything in the world. You are growing too fast...please slow it down a bit...I can't believe I can't refer to your age in MONTHS anymore (without sounding like a complete moron, anyway)!! :)

All my love -
Your Mom
xoxo

Friday, February 05, 2010

Friday 5 - Fried

Courtesy of friday5.org

1. When you come home from a long day of whatever it is you do and your brain is totally fried, what therapy do you normally seek?
None usually. If I'm lucky, I may sneak away for a bit of scrapbooking or sewing, but lately I have not been so fortunate. A toddler is calling for my attention and he is the priority.

2. Of the myriad of desserts made primarily of fried dough, what is your favorite?
I've always enjoyed churros or elephant ears, but can't tell you the last time I had one. I typically steer clear of the fried foods these days.

3. Most fried foods are best right out of the fryer, but what’s a fried food that you enjoy cold?
I've eaten fried chicken cold....again, a very very long time ago. Oh and every now and then a cold french fry comes my way.

4. What’s the most unusual deep-fried food you’ve ever tried?
I steer clear of the "unusual" fried foods...I've never had a fried Oreo or anything strange like that...I really don't plan to either, I prefer my Oreos drenched in milk.

5. Where can you get really good French fries?
ChickFila - they are the best in my opinion.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

randomness

~not too much blogging-mojo going on in my world right now.

~found out today that my dad is going into the hospital Friday for an angio-something-or-other on his kidney to remove the blockage there that is causing his blood pressure to go wacko. he will have a stint put in there. if it doesn't work or cannot be done, he'll have a bypass surgery (kidney area, not the heart). he's worried. I can tell. my (step) sister is driving to his place tonight to stay w/him & take him to the hospital in the morning. he may not make it to E's birthday party on Sunday. :(

~i have 3 regular girls i'm counseling at the high school now. i was supposed to have 8 kids, but alas the "permission slips" never returned. hopefully i'll pick up 1-2 more students over the semester. it's been an enlightening experience already. i knew i had an awesome childhood...but this just re-confirms it...these girls have ISSUES!! Girl 1 has a mom w/breast cancer, takes on the adult roles in her house and puts others before herself (like her loser boyfriend), Girl 2 took back her cheating boyfriend who is leaving for the military shortly...oh yeah and her mom is well, out there. Girl 3 mentioned that she may be pregnant by complete loser boyfriend...oh yeah and she took a test 2 months ago which was positive, then took another which was negative, then went to a doctor where blood was (supposedly) drawn and they told her they couldn't tell if she was pregnant...if you aren't confused now, you're doing good, because I was thoroughly confused after talking to her today.

~thankful for a 1/2 day at the HS tomorrow.

~going on a search for purple, green & orange M&Ms....you know, to match the Scooby Doo color scheme for E's party on Sunday!

~oh and I entered a football pool for the "big game"...ended up with some pretty good numbers so i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Monday, February 01, 2010

the wonderful world of weight loss

~so things have gone downhill for me on the weight loss horizon.

~i'm up 2lbs in the past 2 weeks. *sigh* total loss: 13lbs

~the past two weeks have been full of emotional eating for every and any reason...time to re-focus.

~time to get back on track.

~potential obstacle...next Sunday-->Ethan's 2nd birthday party...cake, food, etc..things I wouldn't normally eat...oh yeah AND it's Super Bowl Sunday so there will be chips, peanuts etc.

~i usually don't run on tuesdays but i am going to squeeze in a few miles after work and hopefully that will help me stay on track as well.