Randomness

Quotable Quotes by Connor

"Dad, you gotta start livin' it and stop sweatin' it." No idea where this came from.

"Mom, this will freak your brains out." Talking about a plastic toy bug.

"Mom, you feel like stuffing." Ouch! Weight Watchers - where do I sign up?

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Guy Stuff

This video had my husband doubled over in laughter. He watched it five times in a row before he made me sit down and view it. Still he laughed.

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Just Give it To Me

I'm sure some of you have already seen this music video by Jason Mraz. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this song. It totally sucks that he doesn't have it recorded on any of his albums! Come ON! What's he trying to do? It feels a little like musical foreplay. Like he's just toying with us. Just give it to me already! I want this song on my iTunes, on my iPod! He's already made it a hit on YouTube. Check it out, if you haven't already. Oh, and somebody pointed out that he's playing with some kind of sling or cast on one arm. Amazing!

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The Way to His Heart

I have found the way to my son's heart. Not so surprisingly, it isn't in the pizza I slave over or the owies I kiss better. Nope. It's much simpler, more basic than that. Here's how the conversation went.

"Hey, bud. How was your day at school?"

"Pretty good. Well, this one thing happened."

"Oh? What?"

"Well, two of my friends started fighting with the older kids on the hill. I decided to just go find other friends to play with because I knew it was wrong."

Insert proud mommy moment here.

"That's good. You can still be their friend, but I'm glad you walked away."

"Yeah. Hey, you know my friend, Josh, can make fake farting sounds. Like, it sounds like he farts, but it's not real."

Switching tracks. "Oh, how does he do that?"

"I'm not really sure. Just kinda like ..." and he tries to make a fart sound with his mouth and throat.

"Hmmm. Like this?" And I show him my special abilities.

"Wow!" His eyes go saucer round and fill with hero worship. Suddenly I'm cool and I'm Super Mom "How'd you DO that?"

So, I showed him. And became #1 Mom in his eyes. To think it was so simple all along.

Another Random Post

I was gently reminded that it's been a week since I sat down to blog. I can't believe the time has passed so quickly. Over the holidays I had all these things I wanted to share, but no time to visit my computer. My e-mail sat neglected for days at a time, something almost unheard of for me. And since I can't remember all the funny things that happened over Christmas and New Year's, I'm just gonna post what comes to mind. In other words, random.


* I unwrapped a present to find my ticket to Paradise. A cappuccino/espresso maker. And I also got a Bodum, which makes French Press coffee. Now, I have one whole length of my countertop filled with coffee paraphernalia. And those people who love me lots and know me well, also gave me books and pajamas! This is my kind of heaven!


* Our household seems to have an ongoing battle with an army of little viral invaders. We've been battling the flu off and on for about three weeks. I felt we had paid our dues and could remove the quarantine flag from our front yard when my oldest son crawled into bed with us at 4:15 a.m. I had climbed in around 2:30 and was just getting into a good REM cycle when his hot little feet scorched the hair off my legs. Yowsah, I thought, he must have been buried under mountains of blankets. He's a regular furnace most of the time, but a touch of my lips to his forehead confirmed that he was burning with fever.

I felt alarm course through me and I sat up to check him over. Hot face, hot head, hot arms and hands, hot tummy, and burning little feet. I don't worry much when he gets a fever because he's always been prone to them. In fact - and I do not lie or exaggerate - he has run fevers as high as 106.3 without convulsions. He does, however, sometimes hallucinate. This was not the case last night but I figured he was ranging around 103 - 104. I got up to give him some Tylenol and ushered him back to bed with strict instructions to come get me if he thought he was going to be sick.

Two minutes later he's in our room complaining of a stomach ache and feeling like he's gonna puke. I sat him by the toilet while I made up a bed on the floor. I got him nicely settled and spent the next hour tense and on edge, listening for that tell-tale gagging, whimpery sound that precedes the vomiting.

And I prayed. Well, 'prayed' sounds a little mild. I ranted and argued and pleaded with God to heal my son. I wasn't very eloquent. It went something like this:

"God, heal my son. This is so not fair! He's already had the flu. He shouldn't have to get sick again! Take all those yucky germs and blast them out of his body and out of this house! Heal him. Don't let him puke. I really, really don't want to have to do a mountain of laundry. And he's hurting. And it's not fair. So, please heal him....of course, Your will and all that. *sigh* Amen."

I managed to nod off sometime after 5:00.

I was ripped from my blissful slumber by an earth shattering scream. My heart jumped and I managed to pry open my eyes. There was a little body standing beside my bed.

"Mom, Connor's hurt. Can I have cereal?"

Well, duh, I thought, of course someone's hurt. At least that's what I had assumed the screaming was all about. The pounding of little feet rushing up the stairs and down the hall pulled me into a half sitting position. Connor ran into my room with tears coursing down his cheeks and muffled screams coming from behind his hands.

"What happened?"

"mshlybymyounne," he sobbed.

Huh. "What?"

"My young."

Okay. "Move your hands and let me see." I gently pulled his hands from his face. That's when I realized blood was running down his chin, hands and arms and was dripping off his elbows.

I flew out of bed, rushed him to the bathroom and made him rinse, swish, spit, rinse, swish, spit until most of the bleeding stopped. I am thankful I'm not a breakfast eater. Those Wheaties - oh who am I kidding? - that chocolate cake would have made a swift reappearance. As it was, my stomach twisted, turned and flopped, but I managed to soothe and clean him.

He had bitten right through his tongue in the same place he had bitten through it last week. He slipped while running up the stairs and hit his chin on the way down. Only now, both sides of his tongue have teeth marks.

Sidenote: All through high school I wanted to be a nurse. I had planned on going to university and becoming an RN. Then, I job shadowed for a day and learned I don't have the stomach for it. I can't handle the blood, spit, sweat, smells, sights and 'other' that go with the profession. So instead I became a mother. HA! Now I get all that and more...without the paycheck.


* Things that have made me smile:
Benen during supper - "Mom, this is deeeee-licious. Much better than yesterday."
Connor - "Mom, you're a princess."


* Yesterday I watched Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason. I LOVE the Bridget Jones movies. They're great. A little raunchy in some places, but still so hilarious. How can you not love the part where Mark Darcy (played by the incredible Colin Firth) says, "I like you, just the way you are." *sigh* Or the part in Edge of Reason where Bridget is getting dressed and she has the sheet draped over her for modesty.

Mark Darcy: What on Earth are you doing?
Bridget Jones: Getting dressed.
Mark Darcy: Why're you dancing around in that tent business?
Bridget Jones: Because I don't want you to see any of my wobbly bits.
Mark Darcy: Well now that's a bit pointless isn't it. As I happen to have a very high regard for your wobbly bits. In all circumstances.

I love that part. Makes me laugh every time. So. Funny!

Post-Christmas

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your families. I'll tell you right now, nothing sucks more than getting the flu on Christmas day. All that built up anticipation for turkey, stuffing and pie, and then phfft. Can't stomach a forkful. What a disappointment.

But we have Take Two (a.k.a. Christmas with my family) tomorrow and so far not a stomach pain to be felt. Please, oh please let me enjoy a turkey dinner.

Right now, it's 1:55 a.m. and I just finished planning music for Sunday. This is the first moment this week I have had the time to sit and plan out service. I am running on a serious sleep deficit. I was able to finally fall asleep around 3:30 a.m. this morning, thanks to a cranky baby. The night, or should I say morning, before was 4:00 a.m. I'm TIRED! And we have Christmas with my family tomorrow which means I have to be up early to get ready, load the gifts and kids in the car and get to my parent's by 9:00 a.m. I'm just glad they only live across town.

I don't think I'm making much sense right now and I've dosed off twice at the computer. I'm shutting down and am going to try and catch some rest before the mayhem of tomorrow.

I want to take a minute right now to thank God for coffee. Seriously, I don't want to know where I would be without it. How crazy do you have to get before they put you in a padded room? And would it really be so bad? Your meals brought to you, unlimited time to SLEEP, coffee all day. There's pills to wake you up, put you to sleep, pick you up, or calm you down. Actually, that sounds like a real nice vacation. Where do I sign up?

Random

Okay, here's the thing. I've been trying to find time to blog, but this week has been a write off. I finally decided to sit my butt down in a chair with my laptop and type until something came to mind. I really should be cleaning my house (we have company coming tonight) but I've been putting it off. No surprise there. So, instead of a well, or semi-well, thought out post, you're getting the crazy thoughts that pop into my head. Let's see.....

*Yesterday, my husband came home from work at 8:00 a.m. just to start my van for me. Isn't that sweet? He knew I was busy trying to get all three kids out the door, so he drove all the way across town to warm up my vehicle. And he stopped by Tim Hortons on the way and brought me a coffee and breakfast sandwich. I have never felt so loved.

*I'm leading some carol singing at our church banquet tonight. I haven't sung in a month and I'm woefully out of practice. Simon Cowell would laugh me off the stage. Oh, wait. He doesn't laugh.

*Connor's important questions:
Mom, what's Santa's other name?
Mom, do you feel like you're losing your mind?
Mom, how do you know everything?

*My son is special. I know every parent says that, but I can say it with a certain assurance that he is one-of-a-kind. I'm sure the teacher has never before seen anyone like him. He's intense. When he focuses on something, it's 100%. And he's obsessed with superheroes. Obsessed. He actually brought home an empty Kleenex box from school the other day because it had a picture of Venom on it. I can only imagine the conversation that took place:

"Teacher, that Kleenex box has venom on it!"
"Yes, Connor, I know."
"Wow." A pause. "I wish I had a box like that."
"It's just a Kleenex box."
"What are you going to do with it?"
"We're going to use the Kleenexes."
"Yeah, but what about when all the Kleenexes are gone?"
"I'm going to put it in the recycle bin."
"What's 'recycle' mean."

"It's where you put all your cardboard and plastic containers into a box so they can be taken to a place where they're made into new things. It helps save the environment."

"Oh. Well, I could use that box."
"But I need the Kleenexes."
"I mean after they're gone. I could take that box home and use it."
"Connor, I don't think you need-"
"But it's cool. It has Venom on it."
"I know, but I don't think your mom-"
"She won't mind. She knows I like superheroes."
A puzzled expression. A sigh. "Oh, alright."

*The thing that makes me feel most child-like is my love of candy rockets. Those yummy, circular candies that come packaged in rows and wrapped in plastic. They come out in mass quantities around Halloween. I'm hopelessly addicted.

*My hair is at that stage. Too short to do much with, too long to style properly. Ugh. I'm feeling shaggy and, to use Becky's word, frumpy.

Well, that's it. The house cleaning is calling my name. Or rather, Chad is calling my name and asking me what needs to be done. So I better go clear a path to the spare bed so my company has a place to sleep.

Backhands & Scoops

I received a backhanded compliment the other day. I was talking with a young lady from one of the high schools here and, during the course of our chit-chat, it came up that I had a husband and kids. She looked at me strangely and asked, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-seven."

"Oh. You don't seem that old."

Ouch. I didn't realize 27 was that old. On the other hand, I'm flattered that I seem....young? Younger? *shrug*

So, here's the latest scoop:

CHAD...
is upset about the picture I posted of him here. He says it makes him look like he's....not playing with a full deck? A few bricks short of a load? Not the sharpest tool in the shed? You pick one. To be honest, I agree; it's not his best photo.

CONNOR...
is trying to convince me to pack up all three of them and drive to the toy store so he can buy a present for his friend's birthday. Um, no.

BENEN...
made this brilliant observation: "When you poop, it looks like you have a tail."

KOLTEN...
picked a piece of cheese over a brownie! Who's kid is this anyways?! And where did I go wrong?!

ME...
I'm counting down the days 'til hubby and I leave for Costa Rica. No diapers, no demands, no sharing my food, NO COMMITMENTS! I'll fly away, oh glory.........

Random, Part 3

Okay, this week has gone way too fast. I'm not complaining - it means the weekend is almost here - but I'm looking back at the past few days and realizing how little I actually accomplished. I haven't posted pictures of Benen's birthday (they're still in my camera) and I'm sitting here at 12:15 a.m. blogging when I should be making lunches for school. Oh, well. So, because this is going to be quick, it's going to be random.

*My baby's progression of disgusting habits (in order):

1. Eating off the floor - because food tastes better when he has to race the Swiffer Vac.

2. Eating off the ground - because dirt has minerals.
3. Playing in the toilet - because it's just a tiny splash pool.

4. Discovering the garbage can - because it's a trove of hidden treasures.

*Since my son discovered the wonders of the garbage can, I have had to rescue my Chapstick (the lid was on), a pair of Connor's jeans, Benen's underwear and Kolten socks. And all in two days. I'm not sure yet what is missing. I've also found him happily munching on scraped-off-the-plate macaroni. Blech.

*The other day, Benen stood on the toilet lid and watched me take out my contact lenses. He had a look of complete awe on his face as he watched me slowly pry the sheer film off my eye. "Whoa," he said. I milked it.

"Yup. Dad may be able to flip his eyelids inside out, but I can take out my lenses!"

He looked at me with complete hero worship and adoration shining from his eyes. Yes!

*A girlfriend and I once ate an entire (small) cheesecake. Nothing says "friendship" like shared gluttony without judgement.

Alright, I really need to get to bed and there are still lunches to make. 'Night.

Random, Part 2

I've been a bad blogger. Things around here have been crazy-busy and I find that every time I sit down to blog, my mind goes blank. Or there's so much mush inside it's hard to settle on one topic. So today, because it's really been too long since I blogged, you're getting another random post. A mish-mash of the things running through my head.

*I'm trying to organize a group to sing at a Drug and Alcohol Awareness night at the end of October. I've never organized something like this before. It's supposed to be "community" so I contacted the different churches and schools and asked for volunteers. I keep having this recurring nightmare of the big night arriving and it's just me standing on a black stage under the spotlight. Just me and a crowd of blank faces.

*Here is a list of things a mother never wants to hear:

Benen: "Mom, I punched a girl at church on Sunday." What?!

Benen: "Mom, this is awesome! Kolten can FLY!" Oh, no.

Connor: "Mom, you have a big booty." Yes, I taught him that word. Shame on me.

Connor: "Mom, Benen spit on a girl at church." Not again!

Benen: "Boxing........is for pain." Oh, brother.

Benen: "Mom, why are you so big." Should I answer that honestly?

Connor: "Mom, it was an accident." Isn't it always?

*Sometimes I secretly wonder if I could make it on American Idol. Then I think, probably not. The American contestants are really good. But maybe I could make it on Canadian Idol. Judging by past winners and finalists, the bar isn't set too high. Okay that's nasty, and some of the talent has been good, but mostly it's a mediocre show with mediocre talent. Not that there isn't good Canadian talent. It's the judges. Seems they cut all the great ones.

*I hate cats. Sorry if you're a cat-lover, but I just don't like 'em. They climb on your counters and table, drink from the toilet bowl, poop inside, scratch things and have serious attitude issues. Oh, and I'm allergic to them. My throat gets scratchy, my eyes get itchy and runny, my face feels tingly and my chest begins to constrict. It feels like I have a house sitting on my chest and I have to struggle for every breath. So maybe it's no surprise why I don't like felines.

The other day I ran into an acquaintance and we were discussing cats vs. children. She hates children. Fair enough. Maybe she has an allergy. LOL!

*I bought an elliptical trainer and we got it set up yesterday night. I lasted ten minutes before my legs and arms felt like jelly. It was a weird sensation to walk around and feel as though my appendages were not attached to my body.

*Criminal Minds is on tonight. That was the best season premiere of last week. Awesome! I can't wait to find out what happens to Gideon. This is one of the best shows on t.v. right now, along with House and Grey's Anatomy. However, I thought the premiere of Grey's was rather weak. We'll see how this season plays out. I'm hoping it gets better.

That's it. I've used up all my mental strength putting together this pathetic post and now I have to go make supper. I need a coffee.

Random

Okay, I have nothing new and fresh, so I'm just gonna ramble on and see what comes to mind. If you're looking for deep insight or a refreshing outlook, this blog may not be for you. I don't claim to be a deep thinker or philosopher. Sometimes my most contemplative thought is what will get the poop smell off my hands. Seriously. Nasty. Diaper.

*Ever notice how, when you have a big family get together and there isn't enough room in the kitchen to seat everyone, it's always the men who go downstairs or to the rec room and the women get stuck eating with fifteen demanding little mouths. The men get to enjoy a hot meal while we women are bombarded with sticky fingers, juice spills, hungry bellies and empty cups. When we finally get to sit down to our now-cold meal, we hear a chorus of "dessert?"

*Lately, this is the conversation I have over and over with my boys.

Benen - "Mom. Connor kicked me off the couch."
Connor - "It was an accident."
Benen - "Nuh-uh. Purpose."
Connor - "Accident."
Me - "Okay, Benen. So Connor kicked you off the couch?"
Benen - "Yup. On purpose."
Connor - "No it was-"

Me - "Connor just a minute." I turn to Benen. "Connor kicked you?"

Benen - "Yes."
Me - "What did you do to deserve it?"

Benen - "Well, first I sat on him and then he kicked me and I fell right off the couch."

Me - "So you sat on him first?"
Benen - "Well, yeah."
Me - "Connor did Benen sit on you?"

Connor - "Yes, and I told him to get off but he wouldn't. So I kicked him off."

Me - "Benen, is that what happened?"
Benen - "Yup. And I fell off the couch."

*I'm on a diet. Well, technically I am not on a diet. My husband has decided to use this new eating plan and, since I couldn't persuade him out of it, I went with the old adage, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." So now I am eating mostly veggies and poultry with the occasional fish thrown in. And rice.

Travis over at One Word and I share a strong dislike and aversion to anything in the vegetable category. I've never met a vegetable I liked. Today is day one and so far I have thumbed my nose at the black coffee and added my 18% cream. I've dreamed of chocolate at least a dozen times and by accident (I swear it was an accident) popped half a Ritz cracker in my mouth.

We'll see how tomorrow goes. If the dreams turn to full-fledged fantasies, I may have to chuck the plan altogether. BTW, can you die from a chocolate craving?

*The shower tap in my bathroom is dripping. Actually "dripping" is too mild a word. What started as a slow "drip..........drip..........drip" increased to a "drip, drip, driiiiiiiiip, drip, drip, driiiiiiip." That was two weeks ago and now the tap just won't shut off. It runs at a constant "drrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip, drrrrrrriiiiiiiiiipppppp, drip, drrrrrriiiiiiip." You get the idea. Anyways, I called my hubby at work today and told him he needs to fix that tap tonight. It's driving me crazy listening to it all day. I've taken to shutting the bathroom door which cuts down on the sound, but with it being the hot water tap, my bathroom is actually warmer from the constant, running hot water. But tonight it gets fixed. Yeah!

***********Update****************

I wrote the above yesterday, so here's an update.

I'm off the diet. I lasted 15 hours. The thought of meat and veggies started making my stomach heave and life just didn't feel worth living if I couldn't enjoy my meals.

So today I've had coffee-with-cream for breakfast, eaten chicken, veggies and rice (bland, no butter or salt) for lunch, snacked on a donut in the afternoon with more coffee and had a McDonald's hamburger with a handful of fries for supper. I'm happy. I'm full. I'm feeling a little guilty.

I think it would be nice if my hubby had a wife who supported him......so RAH, RAH! You GO, Honey!!

Oh, and he fixed my bathroom tap. Yeah!

The Rant

*WARNING: Anyone who is easily offended or wishes to retain some nice thoughts of me may wish to skip this post all together. I'm about to get nasty!*

I'm gonna take a minute and rant. I haven't had many thoughts lately and so haven't been blogging. But when I came across this comment on a beloved author's blog, I was disgusted, appalled and furious. The author had posted a funny video that pokes a little fun at computers and why people may not read. Here was this jerk's comment:


"Yeah a funny video, but basically a waste of time. Hey, are you aware of the amount of times you use the word "I", "me" and "my" on your websites? No wish to be rude, but maybe you should try and sorta be more aware of other folk on your blog sites other than publicising yourself and your books own gain? Dammit, I mean, you're supposed to be a Christian, aren't you? I see very little here that would be of any advantage to anything or anyone but yourself. I don't wish to offend you, but as a Christian myself, I'm shocked by your total and utter lack of anything here that would be of advantage to anyone but you. Think about it and perhaps do something useful with your websites."


I'm sorry, did I miss something here??? I was under the impression that a blog is a place where someone can voice their thoughts, their feelings and details about their life!! Isn't that the whole point?? Obviously this person thinks the comments section is a place where HE can voice HIS!

And, yes, it was a "he", though I strongly question his proclaimed "Christianity"! More like pompous, religious, holier-than-thou, self-absorbed jerk!! Way to show some brotherly love! (sarcasm, sarcasm) I was under the impression that as Christians we are to love one another as Christ first loved us. It's that whole "love thy neighbor as yourself" bit!

And may I just say, he has some nerve, to suggest that someone should make their blog and/or website about "others". Hmmmmm, "others" being HIM??? What audacity!

Now, I'm gonna point something else out. When I visit an author's website or blog I'm EXPECTING to find information on THEM and THEIR LIFE and THEIR WORK!! I want to know a little more about them and the books they write. It's interesting to read about their journies, successes and, sometimes, failures. That's the whole point of a website!! TO SHOW PEOPLE THEMSELVES!! You'd think that would be obvious to a living, breathing person with at least 14 brain cells in their head! 'Course, maybe I should give the guy a break; he may only have 13 cells left!! And he probably used those precious few to write that garbage!

Now, am I being any nicer? No. But as my children would say, "he started it!" And since this is MY blog, I'm going to post MY feelings. He chose to use his voice to insult and criticize where he had NO CALL! His arguments are petty, childish and completely WRONG! They don't even make sense!! It's A BLOG and A WEBSITE!! Sheesh. Need I say more??!

Well, I'm going to. I was so furious when I read his comment I decided to click on his profile and find out who this guy was! And guess what? It came up "User Profile Unavailable". Surprised? I wasn't. Apparently along with being a complete jerk, he's also a coward! Doesn't even have the strength to stand behind his comments. He'd rather do it from afar. Well, I was certainly not surprised, though I was angry.

Also, remember this line, "I see very little here that would be of any advantage to anything or anyone but you"? I'm sorry, is he looking for some help? May I suggest he pick up a self-help book? Or perhaps see a professional?

I also want to say that this author handled the conflict with grace and smarts. Her reply:

"D****, that post made it pretty clear that you do wish to offend me. But taking offense is my choice, and I'm not in the mood to do that today.;-)Maybe you'd be happier reading somebody else's blog."

Now that takes class.

Rockin' Blogger & Random Ramblings

Wow! Jen at jenstersmusings just bestowed this "Rockin' Blogger" award on me. ME!! I am waaaaaay overwhelmed! Click here to jump over and check out her blog. It's the one I lusted after last week. LOL! And you'll see her reasons for bestowing this award on me. She's so funny, she makes me laugh!

So, now it is time for me to pass on this award to five people who I think ROCK! I didn't realize how difficult this decision would be, but here are my choices....

The women of Girls Write Out! These four wonderful, witty, wacky women never cease to amaze me! And they make me laugh out loud!

Brenda over at No Rules. Just Write. She is an amazing, talented author with a sense of humor that just gets to me! I love her blog, her website and her books. She claims that writing dialogue is easy for her. She just transcribes the voices in her head! LOL!

Cheryl at Squirrel's Treehouse. She is an amazing woman of God whose outlook is inspiring. Her blog makes me laugh and, when I read her posts, I totally get why she's soon to be published! She has such a fun, unique way of writing.

Angela at lighten up. She has such a wonderful sense of humor, her kids are adorable and funny and her stories about her husband's antics just crack me up! She's an aspiring author who, I know, is going to make it!

Marianne at Reading, Writing and Stuff That Makes Me Crazy and LASR. How she manages to maintain her blog, website and the review blog just boggles my mind. She's been a great help as I've ventured into new waters and she still manages to find time to write great stories!

So there you have it. Those are my choices.

So, today I was sitting downstairs and my kids were playing superheroes...naturally. I heard my 5 year-old, Connor, say to his 3 1/2 year-old brother, Benen, "Come on Agent double 'O'." And then they leaped over the couch. Now, I know for a fact my children have never seen a Bond movie, which begs the question, where did he learn this?? It just proves my theory that these traits are woven into a male's genetic makeup. They're just born with it!

What do you do with a spoiled baby? I thought it ridiculous when someone would say the baby of the family always gets spoiled. Apparently it's true. I have a baby with 'tude! It's not that we haven't set boundaries and rules. We have! We just haven't enforced them as strictly. And now we're really having to crack down. *sigh*

It's hot. I mean hot, hot, HOT! And I'm watching my children bounce around and climb over furniture with an abundance of energy. Where do they get it? And could someone please find a way to bottle it?? I'd like a little for myself. And I'd like to save some for when they're teenagers and realize the luxury of laying around. LOL!

Long Weekends

Aren't long weekends great?!

Canada Day is on Sunday, with the holiday being Monday. I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend. And it feels like my weekend is beginning early.

My DH came home this morning to finish some paper work...and he brought me a coffee! So right there my day started off great. He had to head back to hand the papers in, but he's coming home so I can go for lunch with a girlfriend! YEAH!

I think I may spend a little time browsing the bookstore today. It's so exciting walking through the store, books piled high on shelves. Just seeing all those beautiful covers and smelling that new-book smell (fresh paper and ink) is invigorating!

I think I'm going to try and get a photo up on my profile. That is, if I can get my hair to cooperate. I generally don't like cameras, but I'm beginning to feel like The Woman Without A Face.

I have "tunnel vision." A condition that allows me to see and hear only what is right in front of me. When I'm on the computer, reading a book or watching a movie, the rest of the world ceases to exist...much to the frustration of my hubby! I come by it honestly, though. My dad has the same infliction. I've tried telling my hubby that I'm not ignoring him when I'm reading, it's just that I can be across an ocean, in the wilderness, lost in a past century or fleeing for my life...and it just takes a little while for me to return to reality.

Well, I'm rambling today as you can see...er read. I'm just typing whatever comes to mind. What's on your mind?

Lines

There are lines everywhere. We wait in line for food, groceries, money, service. We wait at the stop sign, red light, left-turn. Products are built in assembly lines and women avoid panty lines. We live in a world where we are surrounded by lines. Most places you go require you to wait in line. The bank, the cashier, the ferry, the airport, the restaurant. The list goes on. And the toe-tapping, foot-shuffling, horn-honking begins.

I waited in line at Tim Hortons the other day for twenty minutes to order three coffees. Twenty minutes! I found myself huffing, shuffling and tapping, but I was determined to get that cup of rich brew! I was annoyed at the slow service and frustrated with myself for putting up with it. But what was I to do? There was no way I was leaving without my coffee! I was a slave to the line.

A couple of months ago I was waiting in line at the bank. It was a long line. There were two men there who obviously knew each other and they were chatting back and forth. One guy said to the other, "Boy, this is sure taking a long time." I found myself nodding my head.

The other guy replied, "Yeah. But not as long as Tim Hortons."

I burst out laughing. Truth is truth! So tell me, where do you find yourself waiting? And how long are you willing to wait?

I've Been Randomized!

Last week I volunteered to be “randomized” by Marianne. These are the random questions she came up with for me to answer.


1. If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose and why?

I would have to say Sleeping Beauty. She’s beautiful, never ages and gets to sleep peacefully and undisturbed for years before finally being awakened by the kiss of a handsome prince. That must have been some kiss! With three boys…well, I could use some sleep right about now. LOL! And I like the anti-aging thing she has going on.


2. Share one thing you love and one thing that drives you batty about your spouse/significant other.

Wow, only one, huh? I mean, that I love. LOL! Well, I would say I love the way my husband pitches in around the house. He does pretty much anything – laundry, dishes, vacuuming, bathrooms. You name it, he’s done it. Except cook, that is. As for something that drives me batty…okay, here’s one. My hubby works in the oilfield and because of the boots that he wears, he finds that his socks tend to fall down and get bunched up in the toes. To prevent this, he has taken to wrapping black electrical tape around the ankles of his socks (while they’re on his feet) to hold them up. When he takes the socks off, he never removes the tape. So, when I’m doing laundry, I’m forever having to pick the end of the tape and peel it off the socks. Drives me CRAZY!


3. If you could go back to high school and repeat one particular day, which day would you choose? Would you change anything about the day? Why or why not?

Hmm, this is a hard one for me. I was boring in high school and can’t, quite honestly, remember much that happened. I’m having way more fun now.


4. Death penalty – are you for or against? Why? Convince me to agree with you.

My first thought was, “definitely for it.” I would love to see the world rid of the murderers and rapists, the psychopaths that kill without conscience and the sickos that prey on women and children. But as I got thinking, I began to question. Who am I to judge? Nobody. Do I really believe that taking a life, even a psychopath’s, will make the world a better place? Maybe. But there will always be evil and what if, by removing that one person, we take away the chance for them to find salvation through Christ? Could I live with that? I think not. So my answer is I’m against the death penalty.

However, that being said, I believe that we need much tougher laws and penalties. I believe that people who commit heinous crimes should not be allowed back out into society. We have become so concerned with the “rights” of the prisoner (or felon) that we have devised ways to “get them off the hook” on technicalities. Convicting evidence that isn’t gathered “properly” is not admissible in court. That’s just wrong. If that evidence proves beyond a shadow of a doubt the guilt of the person, it shouldn’t matter the manner in which it was obtained.

Anyways, I’m going off on a tangent. Sorry.


5. What’s the earliest memory you can recall? How old were you?

My earliest memory is walking from the apartment where we lived to the bottom of the hill to get a Big Gulp. My mom would take us three kids every day. The apartment sat at the top of this hill and there was a corner store at the bottom. My older brother and I would walk while my mom carried my younger brother in the snuggly. I was probably around three at the time.


Thanks, Marianne. It’s been a blast!

Random Ramblings

I'm sitting here trying to think of something to post and I'm coming up blank....mostly. The only things on my mind are random, weird thoughts. So, I'll share those.

I have a twitching thumb. I don't consider myself a nervous, or uptight person by nature...well, okay sometimes. But I've not been feeling stressed or anything and yet my thumb has been twitching and feeling sort of tingly since yesterday. It started in the morning and lasted all day. I thought a good night's sleep would take care of it, but instead it seems to have got worse. Strange. It doesn't hurt, though...just feels rather weird. *shrug*

I love the show Criminal Minds. A new episode was on yesterday and I think the show is brilliant! It is about the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) of the FBI and how they profile criminals. Love the uniqueness of it! I find it interesting to watch them process a crime scene, finding the smallest details from which they will construct a profile. Fascinating!

I bought more books yesterday. I have 20 in my TBR pile, and yet I bought 9 more. I just can't help myself. Oh, well. There are worse addictions. LOL!

Well, I'm thinking it's time to get myself a cup of coffee and some apple crisp. The perfect breakfast! Of course, you could substitute chocolate and it would still be just as perfect! LOL! Anyways, feel free to share some of the random things on your mind.