RD 12 for the Week of 8.30.10

Read today, post tomorrow and link here tomorrow.

1. What insect are you most afraid of? Feel free to post a picture.
2. What is the greenest/most organic thing about you or that you do?
3. Tell me about a recurring dream that haunts you.
4. Have you ever missed a flight? What were the circumstances?
5. What do you consider your best feature?
6. What was the last concert you went to?
7. Describe the most embarrassing church moment you ever experienced.
8. Are you a whistler, hummer or singer?
9. George Washington Carver said, "I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." What is God saying to you through nature today, or this very minute?
10. On September, 1, 1752, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia. What memorable event will take place in your life on September 1, 2010?
11. Taco Bell or the Liberty Bell? (You must choose.)
12. Do you believe men and women can have purely platonic friendships?

Catchin' Up After the Weekend

Wow, it goes so fast, doesn't it? No, I'm not talking about the weekend so much as the time between my trips to Wowmart. Yes, I spent part of my precious weekend at the Wowmarts.

Now let's proceed.

Friday night, I attended my own "Friday Night Lights" event: the two bitter high school rivals in our town suited up for the city championship. Jorge and I went with our long-time friends, Kris and Darrell, whose daughter's wedding reception table I set on fire recently. (May or may not have, the jury is still out.)

It was fun to sit next to Kris and reminisce about our cheerleading days, when we actually wore Spaulding saddle oxfords. LOVED my oxfords. Here we are on my parents' porch in Sept. 1978. We are sophomores. And here I am cheering at a pep rally. And here is the handsome Jorge wearing Rebel red.

"Our" team managed to beat the other team 54 to 6, but it was a shutout until the 4th quarter! Go, mighty Rebels! I'm happy to report to you that the school song moves are still intact. I could jump right up here and show you, just like I have shown my kids before, but I don't know if you could stand the 47 year old awesomeness that I ooze. I mean exude.

Saturday morning, I went to Kristin's cross country meet at a school about an hour away. Here she is, completely within the frame and everything! You'll recall last year I could not manage a single picture of my child completely within the frame. I might get a foot or flying pony tail or the complete person of someone else's kid, but not mine. Here she is, proving that my kid does indeed run XC. The reason you're seeing her in total here is that someone else took this shot!












This is Kristin's friend, Hannah. Look how sweet Hannah is, to lean in toward me as I hug her for this picture. What a nice girl, Hannah. Thank you for not seeing me as a leper.








Here is my daughter, Kristin, who performs a magic trick when I hug her, where she turns into an ironing board which cannot absorb any sort of embrace or emotion. She's like an ironing board covered in one of those Teflon covers, deflecting me and my motherly love. Oh well. I just keep side-hugging away at my cardboard cutout daughter.




Saturday night, I watched a movie I've always wanted to see, "Ubreakable," with Bruce Willis and Samuel Jackson. Spooky, but intriguing. I should have known when the credits showed M. Night Shyamalan why I was hooked from the beginning. It's all that "whisper" acting in his movies that gets me, among other things. Emotions are usually underplayed, which heightens the tension for me. All of his movies have a strong spiritual component. "Signs" is my favorite contemporary movie, written, produced and directed by Shyamalan.

Sunday, I went to church, then I went to an award ceremony where Kristin received a youth leadership award in our community:






Finally, I volunteered where I'm normally paid to work, Oneighty, because Jorge shared his life story, quite riveting and sad, with about 100 students. He did a great job sharing just enough information, God used him, and I was very proud to be his partner in life/helpmate.

After that, Dear Reader (conjures a teeny bopper with curlers in her hair lying on her polka dot bedspread in the 1960s writing in her diary), I came in to write just to you.

So that was my weekend--how was yours??

My Turn to Answer the RD12

1. What is your favorite Mexican dish?

Vegetable nachos. I order the same thing, at the same restaurant, every time. The restaurant is Puerto Vallarta, lovingly known around here as "PV," or the "Don't tell me what their last inspection rating was" place.

2. When you were a kid, did you get started on your homework right away after school, or did you procrastinate?

I can't remember homework when I was little, but in high school, I would come home, watch General Hospital, have a glass of Hawaiian punch (a drink to unwind from a stressful day??) and watch Merv Griffin. Then I worked until I got it done.

3. What is your favorite store for home furnishings?

For smaller items, Ikea, Hobby Lobby, and Target. That's 3, I know, but it's my meme and everything.

4. When you were young, did you like school lunches?

YES.

5. Is religion a crutch?

"Crutch" is a cloudy word. Sounds negative. In some ways, yes, it could be, in the sense of "using" a system for one's own selfish or inwardly focused reasons. It is not a bad thing to dependent on God; in fact, it's a good thing, but religion as an institution, I think not. So instead of the image of a crutch that you lean on, I think the ground under you completely supporting you is better. *For more intelligent answers to this question, please see the answers of all the other participants and theologians who have been addressing this question for many years!*

6. In your region, what is the "big" (most popular in the community or state) high school sport?

Basketball. Indiana = basketball. A hoop in every other driveway.

7. Do you consider yourself rich?

If a person walked up to me and asked me that point-blank, I would probably be put off and say, "Heavens, no." But the reality is, on the world's scale, I am extremely rich, materially speaking. This is hard to wrap my mind around, but it's a statistical fact. I listened to a great talk on this subject recently at my church, Commonway.

8. Which of these would you have the best chance for success in administering:
A) CPR
B) Heimlich Maneuver
C) Changing a flat tire

I still do not know how to change a flat. I have a mental block. So I'd say Heimlich.

9. Which dance would you prefer to learn & why:
A) Salsa
B) Hip Hop
C) Waltz
D) Swing

Waltz. They're beautiful. And not too intricate. 3/4 time works for me! Love the song "Christmas Waltz" with the lyrics "Merry Christmas
May your New Year dreams come true
And this song of mine
In three quarter time
Wishes you and yours
The same thing too
Merry Christmas to you." Can't you just hear Karen Carpenter singing that?

10. What's the worst news you've ever delivered to someone?

I had to tell my mother that her mother had passed away. I was only 16.

11. Name something you learned in college that had nothing to do with classes or academics.

Beware clingy friends. Beware those in authority (like teacher supervisors) who see college students in the classroom as an excuse to kick back and do absolutely nothing. Beware putting your boyfriend on a pedestal and making that relationship the center of your life. Should I go on?

12. New variation on an old question: If there's a song in your head that just won't get out, what is your favorite (or most repeated) line in that song?

Oh, half of my heart's got a grip on the situation
Half of my heart takes time
Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you
That I can't keep loving you (can't keep loving you)
Oh, with half of my heart John Mayer

Bet you thought I'd link to John right here, but no, I'm linking to Karen. The song actually starts at 1:50 into the interview. Makes me want to dance with someone.

This is the Day You Link Up, Not Yesterday.

I am not sure how to make the process more clear. Someone please help me.

There is still confusion about how to do this meme.

Here is the schedule:

Tuesday: I post questions. You post nothing. At least not the answers to the questions.

Wednesday: You post your answers on your blog. You click on your blog title. You go up to the address bar and copy the code for that post. You come back to my blog and paste that address in the Mr. Linky section. You go visit other participants and say nice things.

Thursday: Continue to visit those you missed, and usually I post my own answers.

I hope that is helpful. Otherwise, I'm about to "give up the ghost" as Grandma used to say in exasperation.

1. What is your favorite Mexican dish?

2. When you were a kid, did you get started on your homework right away after school, or did you procrastinate?

3. What is your favorite store for home furnishings?

4. When you were young, did you like school lunches?

5. Is religion a crutch?

6. In your region, what is the "big" (most popular in the community or state) high school sport?

7. Do you consider yourself rich?

8. Which of these would you have the best chance for success in administering:
A) CPR
B) Heimlich Maneuver
C) Changing a flat tire

9. Which dance would you prefer to learn & why:
A) Salsa
B) Hip Hop
C) Waltz
D) Swing

10. What's the worst news you've ever delivered to someone?

11. Name something you learned in college that had nothing to do with classes or academics.

12. New variation on an old question: If there's a song in your head that just won't get out, what is your favorite (or most repeated) line in that song?

The Random Prompts This Week 8.24.10

Well, I'm trying to catch up on life, which is why I didn't post yesterday. I spent the weekend at the lakes with my Girls Group, and then of course I had to go back to work bright and early Monday morning. But get this: when I came home Sunday evening from the lakes, Jorge had cleaned my house from top to bottom! Ahhh, the sweet smell of cleaner when you walk into your home after you've been gone!

Anyway, here are your prompts, please come back tomorrow to post a link to your answers to the questions. Read ya later, Gater!

1. What is your favorite Mexican dish?

2. When you were a kid, did you get started on your homework right away after school, or did you procrastinate?

3. What is your favorite store for home furnishings?

4. When you were young, did you like school lunches?

5. Is religion a crutch?

6. In your region, what is the "big" (most popular in the community or state) high school sport?

7. Do you consider yourself rich?

8. Which of these would you have the best chance for success in administering:
A) CPR
B) Heimlich Maneuver
C) Changing a flat tire

9. Which dance would you prefer to learn & why:
A) Salsa
B) Hip Hop
C) Waltz
D) Swing

10. What's the worst news you've ever delivered to someone?

11. Name something you learned in college that had nothing to do with classes or academics.

12. New variation on an old question: If there's a song in your head that just won't get out, what is your favorite (or most repeated) line in that song?

Wham Bam Thank You Ma'ammogram

Well, I just completed the annual "Wham, bam, thank you, Ma'am-mogram." I rewarded myself with a mocha frappe for taking care of myself. Of course, I can always find a reason to reward myself with a frap. A mammogram is certainly as good a reason as any.

At the end of the procedure, the tech asked, "Have you lost weight in the last year?"

Proudly, I responded, "How did you know? Yes, I've lost between 15-20 lbs."

She said, "It shows. It shows."

"OH." [Insert sound of balloon deflating.]

Random Stall & Instant Vacation

On Thursdays, I usually post my own answers to the Random, but time got away from me. That's really bad: I don't have enough time to do my own blog meme. Instead, here is a little peek into my random head about how to get an instant vacation. I may or may not be back tomorrow with the Random answers--I'm getting ready for a weekend at the lakes with my girlfriends, so we'll see. Sometimes it takes me the equivalent of a weekend to pack for a weekend.


Look at this pristine white sand and these beautiful handiworks of God called shells. This is sand from the beach at Siesta Key and shells I collected from the shore.

Believe it or not, this is in my bedroom, soon to be at my desk at work.

How, you ask?

Simple! By putting my treasures in a fishbowl, I can take my beach anywhere I want to go. And guess what--no joke--if I stick my face right down into the bowl, I can smell the ocean!!


If only I could figure out a way, like Jeannie, to blink my eyes and be IN my "bottle!"




What would be in YOUR instant vacation "bottle" or "bowl?"

Link Up, Randomizers.

Today is the day you link your blog post where you answered these questions to the Mr. Linky below so that people can come and read your answers. Please be sure to visit a few and leave nice comments; it's the nice thing to do!

1. What is your favorite fair/carnival food?
2. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
3. What is your favorite gift to receive?
4. When was the last time you tried something new?
5. What is your favorite and least favorite book genre?
Memoir, Mystery, Political Intrigue, Romance, Humor, Historical Fiction, Historical nonfiction, Chick Lit, Self-Help, Other
6.Silver or Gold?
7. What makes you sigh?
8. If you didn't know how old you are, how old would you claim you are?
9. Would you break a law to save a loved one? To protect a loved one?
10. If you had to teach something, what would it be?
11. You're having lunch with 3 people whom you respect and admire. They begin to criticize a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. What do you do?
12. Which of the 5 Love Languages is your prominent means of experiencing love?
Quality Time
Physical Touch
Acts of Service
Gifts
Words of Affirmation

Not sure which is your most prominent love language? Take the quiz!

RD12 Prompts for August 18, 2010

1. What is your favorite fair/carnival food?
2. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
3. What is your favorite gift to receive?
4. When was the last time you tried something new?
5. What is your favorite and least favorite book genre?
Memoir, Mystery, Political Intrigue, Romance, Humor, Historical Fiction, Historical nonfiction, Chick Lit, Self-Help, Other
6.Silver or Gold?
7. What makes you sigh?
8. If you didn't know how old you are, how old would you claim you are?
9. Would you break a law to save a loved one? To protect a loved one?
10. If you had to teach something, what would it be?
11. You're having lunch with 3 people whom you respect and admire. They begin to criticize a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. What do you do?
12. Which of the 5 Love Languages is your prominent means of experiencing love?
Quality Time
Physical Touch
Acts of Service
Gifts
Words of Affirmation

Not sure which is your most prominent love language? Take the quiz!

The Fire, The Biker, and the Bulldozer

They say things come in three's.

Proof:

3 Billy Goats Gruff
3 Times I have to wave at the person at the 4-way stop before he truly believes I mean "Please go now."
3 Times a Lady (Lionel Ritchie and the Commodores, who never should've split)
3 Pee-pees by my dog on her potty pad until I have to change it
3 Stooges
3 People in front of me (not necessarily Stooges) in the Wowmart line until they close it and I have to race those 3 to the next open line.
3 Open check out lanes at Wowmart out of 400.
3 Bee Gees. Plus Andy Gibb, the 4th, Gibb, but he and another Gibb Brother are deceased, so really, 2 Bee Gees. That is the only story problem I've ever worked correctly.

Anyway.

First I reported about setting the table on fire (maybe) at my friend's daughter's wedding reception. Then I told you about the biker who hit me from behind when I was walking.

I realized I have neglected to tell you about the 3rd incident this week: the day I knocked a toddler down.

Oh yes I did.

I was leaving the doctor's office where you get that annual appointment featuring paper aprons and humiliation, and as we are all prone do, darted out the exit as if I were being shot out of a cannon.

Ka-boom! I heard a thud near the bottom of the door, and realized, "I have hit something small. Probably not a cat. OHmygosh, I have hit a baby!"

A baby it was. In fact, it could not walk. He must have crawled away from his mom, pulled himself up on the door, and then had the surprise of his young life when the door flew open and knocked him backwards.

Oh, the agony. (Me, not the baby, who just seemed stunned.)

I apologized profusely (a theme in my life) as the mother apologized to me for letting him get away. We both felt awful.

All day long, I just kept thinking, "I knocked down a baby. I knocked down a baby. What kind of person bulldozes a baby?"

The only bright spot in this is that it was my 3rd "incident" in a week, so I should be good now.

Until next week.

And yeah, I know you think I make this stuff up, but I don't. I truly knocked down a BABY.

Flashback Friday: Back to School

Did your family have any back-to-school traditions when you were growing up? Were you generally eager or reluctant to start school? Was buying school supplies a big deal or did you order them through the school? Were there any school supplies you particularly loved? Did you take your lunch or buy it at school? Brown bag or lunch box/thermos? Does the first day of school from any grade stand out? Did you ride the bus, walk, or go by car to school? Do you remember how early or late school began/dismissed each day? Did you go to kindergarten? Half-day or whole day?

My child has indeed started school as of this week, and here is the picture to prove it. Here she is the first day of kindergarten, 1998, and here she is this week, first day of her senior year:



OK, but this post is supposed to be ensconced in ethereal memory mist, thus the title "Flashback."

I never looked forward to school starting, but I did love, and still do, school supplies. Crayons are the favorite; what a distinct aroma they have! I also enjoyed those cardboard boxes called "cigar boxes" that held the collection all together when I was little, simply called pencil boxes today.

My favorite non-academic supply, though, has to be the beloved Osmond lunch box. I believe I had this in the 4th or 5th grade. I thought it was wonderful. Usually I packed a peanut butter sandwich, Cheezies and a drink or I bought milk.



My least favorite, non-academic school supply was the plastic rain scarf my mom made me wear on the bus in kindergarten. Talk about setting someone up for teasing! Here I was this little girl in this giant woman plastic helmet scarf! OH, it was awful. But I survived, and I'm sure I've put my children through just as much torture, so it's all good.



So those are some of my memories--how about you? Thanks, Lid!

Tackling the Dozen Myself

1. When was the last time you laughed until you cried?

Three days ago, I was looking at Cake Wrecks and lost it. Then I discovered Museum of Bad Art and lost it. Literally-tears running down the cheeks-kind of "lost it." Cake Wrecks does this to me like no other. One day I was laughing so hard that Jorge tried to get out the video cam to record me, and my daughter just sort of stood in the distance with a half-amused, half-scared look on her face. She said it was the hardest she's ever seen me laugh in my life, and we do a LOT of laughing around here. It's the commentary that kills me as much as the pics. So here is one pic from MOBA, copied without permission, but I'm sending you there, so it's OK, right? But you'll have to go to the collection to read the commentary.

2. If you found $10 today, what would you do with it?

I would probably spend it on Starbucks. SURPRISE. If Sbux were out of the picture, I might end up at Hobby Lobby, as I am redecorating my bathroom, and that could purchase a candle or something else dangerous I could wreak havoc with in my home.

3. Do you volunteer anywhere?

Once a month, I volunteer at the place I'm employed by registering middle schoolers who come to Oneighty on Sunday nights. I enjoy it because I get to see their sweet teenaged faces, greet them warmly, and ask them to repeat their information 5 or 6 times because they mumble and I have OLD ears, and music is blaring in the background. This Sunday is our big season kick-off, big doin's. Very exciting.

4. What is your favorite summertime veggie or fruit, and how do you eat it?

I love Gala apples. I've been eating them with feta cheese and Brianna's poppyseed dressing. My children are making fun of me because of my apparent poppyseed addiction. I always have at least two bottles around, sometimes a couple more which are not quite empty. I just get nervous at the grocery thinking I might be out (Gasp!) and so I go ahead a buy a bottle, just for security. But I'm not addicted. I'm not. I've also been enjoying nectarines and peaches. How do I eat them? Raw, no preparation, which is just the right amount of exertion I like when cooking.

5. Is your social sphere (circle of friends) small, medium or large?







You know, I'm not sure anymore. In school, I had one good friend. In college and early married years, I had ... Jorge. Then a few years ago, I became involved with my Girls Group that I have spoken of so often which meets every Wednesday night. And then there's blogging. Yes, I consider some bloggers "real" friends. I do! They are precious to me; they share in my life, and I share theirs, only I forget their stuff because I'm

A)Old
B)Kind of self-centered

And they love me anyway. And then there are the Facebook friends, which are mainly old high school friends, who I'm talking to just about every day now. Sharing some pretty good stuff, too, not just surfacy stuff. So, social networking is broadening my circle, and while some relationships are infrequent and better described as "acquaintances," some are true-blues, capable of pinky swears and sleepovers, if it were possible through cables.

6. When was the last time you attended a family or school reunion? How did that go?

Dude! Last Saturday night I went to a multi-year reunion at a classmate's lovely home. It was a great time. I did indeed regress to high school, completely obsessing about what to wear, but in the end, it did not matter.

7. When you're feeling blue, what is the best way someone can cheer you up?

Well, I think the answer might be to show me Cake Wrecks or MOBA selections! Also, I think just shooting me a short message helps. Going out for Sbux is always good.

8. Have you taken a vacation this summer?













OH, how I love answering this question. Yes. Yesyesyesyesyes. I'm kind of still there in my head. In fact, I'm posting about my feverish obsession soon.

9. What is the most unnecessary item you carry with you all the time?

A GIANT bag, like a beach bag. It is unnecessary to carry that diaper-bag-in-disguise, and most of the stuff is unnecessary, yet I neeeeed it! If you know what I mean. But I always have something extremely weird in there. Today I was toting around plastic palm trees and a shell, which I will explain another day in a post.

10. What is the best summer flick you have seen so far?

Night and Day, while we were in Siesta Key. Fun flick. Pretty people in lead roles.







11. Describe a perfect summer day.


No work, no obligations. Get up, have coffee, check blog and facebook, run. Listen to music or pray while I run. Shower. Putter around house. Lunch. Pick up book I'm working on, lie on chaise lounge on deck, drift off to sleep for an outdoor summer afternoon nap. Wake, take Zoe for a walk, return, eat, backyard fire. My tastes are simple. I love routine, and I know what makes my mind, body and soul feel good. PS: If I still had small children, this day would be different, but I don't, and I'm adjusting to that.














12. Please a share a favorite photo from the summer so far!

Random Dozen Returns

Today is the day you link to your post here. Tomorrow I will answer the questions. Please make sure you visit a few people today and leave nice comments. We're all about building community here at the Random!

Here are the questions everyone has answered:

1. When was the last time you laughed until you cried?
2. If you found $10 today, what would you do with it?
3. Do you volunteer anywhere?
4. What is your favorite summertime veggie or fruit, and how do you eat it?
5. Is your social sphere (circle of friends) small, medium or large?
6. When was the last time you attended a family or school reunion? How did that go?
7. When you're feeling blue, what is the best way someone can cheer you up?
8. Have you taken a vacation this summer?
9. What is the most unnecessary item you carry with you all the time?
10. What is the best summer flick you have seen so far?
11. Describe a perfect summer day.
12. Please a share a favorite photo from the summer so far!