We Want To Know Wednesday-Thursday Edition

Sue me--I'm late! In my defense, I don't get to blog until after the boy goes to bed. But I like these questions and the nice ladies who come up with them, so I try to participate when I can.

1. What is the best advice someone has ever given you?

As an introvert, I tend to get most of my advice from books and movies. One of the quotes that has stayed with me over the years came from the movie The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: "When you gotta shoot, shoot. Don't talk." That meant that people shouldn't just talk about doing things; they should just DO them. Actions speak louder than words! It drives me crazy when people sit around and talk about what they are going to do, but never put their words into actions(hello, Congress!).

The other piece of advice that has stuck with me over the years is that the secret to a happy marriage is separate bathrooms.


2. What is your greatest accomplishment?

Well, I haven't accomplished it yet, so I don't know! But in the meantime, I think that becoming someone's Mama has been pretty great. You really start to think about what you do, how you do it, and why you do it when you're the center of someone's universe. There are things that I've done that I regret now simply because of how I think that my son would view my behavior, even though those things helped make me into the person that I am now.


3. Who do you admire?

I admire my husband for his infinite patience, especially with our son. But I also admire anyone who refuses to be a victim, anyone who takes responsibility for their actions without whining, and anyone who is willing to work hard for their dreams instead of demanding that someone else give it to them.


4. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

I would like to be able to hide my feelings better. I am one of those people who does not suffer fools very well--it shows in my face as well as my voice. It would be better for everyone if I could keep that sort of information to myself. Since my son was born, I seem to burst into tears at the slightest provocation, or for no reason at all. This drives me nuts. Being able to hide my emotions would also allow me to play poker and win lots of money, and that would be pretty cool.


5. How do you want to be remembered?

I think that I would be happy to just be remembered, good or bad. Yeah, I know that is kind of morbid, but people die every day with no one to mourn them. That is just impossibly sad.

We Want To Know Wednesday: Thursday Edition

This is my first week back at work after having oodles of time to think of wonderful blog posts, and I have not yet adjusted my brain. I am a bit behind as a result. Please forgive me, and I promise to try to do better. Although the way this first week back has gone, with all the computer glitches and hysterical people calling me, I may end up breaking that promise. Then I'll feel bad.

{1} If you could be on any game show what would it be?
Jeopardy! I am a stone cold trivia geek, and I loves me some Alex Trebec. If I were on Wheel of Fortune, on the other hand, I would mock the other contestants for their choice of consonants, and they would probably rise up and smite me. That wouldn’t be good.

{2} If you could choose to stay any certain age forever, what age would it be?
That is a difficult one! In my head I still feel 26, although I have no idea why. Except when I was 26, I didn’t have my husband and my sweet boy, and I would not be the person that I am now. So I guess that I would like to be the age that I am now, with my 26 year old body that didn’t have high blood pressure and all the aches and pains and near death experiences. That would be good.

{3} What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
‘Hiding’ in the bathroom reading an Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novel. But don’t tell anyone!

{4} What would i find in your fridge right now?
Milk, cheese, ketchup, mustard, jelly, and apple juice. I need to go shopping, but I’m working 10 hour days.

{5} If you were a piece of furniture what would you be? why?
A huge, overstuffed, purple, comfy chair where a person could curl up with a good book and escape into a fictional world. Or take a little nap. Because I believe in the power of a good book to transport us somewhere else, and I think that you ought to be comfortable while you are on your trip.

We Want To Know Wednesday

{1} If you could spend a day with a blogger, who you haven't met in real life, who would you choose?
Lizbeth over at Four Sea Stars and Amanda at This Side of Reason and Andrea over at Maybe It's Just Me. Of course, I can't forget the person who got me blogging in the first place, Jillsmo over at Yeah. Good Times. All of these women not only give me lots of comment love, they are also hilarious. They make me feel that I am not alone in this mom-verse. Plus, I think they'd be cool to knock back some sangria with!

{2} What website do you check first when you go online?.
I always check CNN.com, and in the summer, various weather pages, then cracked.com.

{3} What is something you are saving money for right now?
Saving? Ha! We will be lucky if we survive the next year without resorting to eating squirrels and cacti! If I were able to save for something, it would be for a family vacation to England or Ireland.


{4} What is your go to silly face when a silly face is needed?
I do not have a silly face. I am completely serious all the time. In fact, I don't even have a sense of humor. I am the perfect straight man. Woman. You know what I mean.

{5} How do you relieve stress?
While punching the offending stressor in the face feels really great, it does tend to get you arrested. So while I often think about punching some one, I don't actually do it; the thought alone provides some relief. I had a friend who jumped out of perfectly good airplanes to relieve her stress, but I think that is just crazy. My stress relievers are sex, chocolate, wine, and a great comedy. In that order.

We Want to Know Wednesday

1.} What was the last thing you searched for online?

The last thing I searched for were these questions, as a matter of fact. Google is my BFF.

2.} If we visit your home state, what is one MUST we should do before leaving?

That is a hard one! This is Texas, after all, with it’s two time zones and five climate regions. You can float on a river in many states, so I don’t think it’s a MUST to travel to New Braunfels and toob, although the fly fishing is supposed to be first rate. The beaches here are not for the faint of heart, as many of them are still pretty wild. Nobody in their right mind should ever go to Houston. Palo Duro Canyon is interesting, but certainly not a MUST. The ghost lights of Marfa are really nothing ususual, especially not for the extremely long drive. The Hill Country is pretty enough, but certainly not a MUST, and I think it’s best if everyone just keeps away from East Texas. Dinosaur State Park? Nah.

I think as a native I am genetically obligated to say that a visit to the Alamo is required. However, I truly believe that it is a MUST to locate the best bbq joint (not a chain restaurant!) around you and eat there before you leave. I’ve eaten bbq in many states, and this state has the very best. If you ask around, you will hear the names of the BBQ places around you, or check out Texas Monthly’s website, since they post a listing of the best places in the state.

3.} What do you think pharmaceutical companies should invent a pill for that isn't on the market yet?

I want a pill that would give me a perfect body for a couple of hours. It would make date night, class reunions, and taking my child to the pool much more pleasant experiences!

4.} When was your first kiss? Was it good or bad?

First kiss? I think I was 8 years old. A kid named Eric. I don’t remember if it was good or bad,

5.} What is your guilty pleasure TV show that you cannot miss?

It is a tie between Supernatural and True Blood and Castle. Nobody else I know, with the exception of my husband, watches Supernatural, which is sad, because it is an excellent show. Witty dialogue, intricate plot lines, tie-ins with established monster mythology, good guys always win--what’s not to like? (If you liked Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Angel, or Firefly, you will love Supernatural)

I’ve read all the True Blood books, but the television show is so much more vivid and exciting that I almost never mind that they veer from the books!

I like Castle because Nathan Fillion is just plain awesome.

We Want To Know Wednesday

{1} What is the best or worst pick up line you have ever been given?

I can't remember a single pickup line; it's been over ten years since anyone's tried to pick me up, and really, it would be a rare man indeed who could actually pick me up! I think that my husband got my attention by asking me about Star Trek.

{2} What is your most and least favorite day of the week?

My favorite day is Saturday, when it is my turn to sleep in. My least favorite day is Tuesday, because it is not Friday.

{3} How many hours of sleep do you require each night?

I must have at least 8 hours of sleep a night, but of course I don't get that. That is why, when I get a chance to sleep in, I almost always sleep until noon.

{4} Is there a song that takes you back in time? What song is it & what's the memory attached?

"Photograph" by Def Leppard takes me right to the summer of 1983 on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland with my bestow Michelle. It was my first trip away from home, without my parents. Let's just say that many oats of the wild variety were sown that week, I won't ever be running for public office, and leave it at that.

{5} What is your biggest guilty pleasure?

I have so many guilty pleasures, it is difficult to pick one. Pedicures. Cupcakes. Fudge. Soft serve ice cream from DQ. Great. Now I am hungry!

We Want To Know Wednesday-Evening Edition

I found this meme via Amanda over at This Side of Reason who I am pretty sure that I would like to hang out with because she is so cool. And since I felt sort of guilty about just leaving a picture in place of a blog post, I'm doing TWO posts in one day! Aren't you impressed? No? *sigh* There's just no pleasing you people!

{1} You have been asked to give a 10 minute speech to teenage girls. What is it about?
First: Don't depend on a man to come along and make all your dreams come true. Make your own dreams happen, and you will be happier for it.
Second: Keep your pants on. Having children is one of the biggest responsibilities out there, so wait until you are in a place where you can support, love, and truly be a Mama.
Third: Listen. Listen to what the successful women in your community have to say, and take their advice.

{2} Do you have a pet? Tell us about them. No pets? Why?
We have cats. We have three indoor cats: Morris, Pounce, and Zena. Morris first showed up and actually knocked on the door of my apartment in 1998. He is 16 years old. Pounce is 11, and is insane. Zena is a kitten, about 9 months old, who keeps the lizard and snake population around here hopping. Then we have a backyard cat named Lalo who spends his days on our patio or in the bushes. We aren't sure how old he is, or even if he's a he. We did have a yellow Lab named Sandy, who passed away last Easter at the ripe old age of 13. We would like to get another dog, but we want to wait until our son is older. We are generally animal lovers, but I just love to watch cats. Plus, cats can help us in our rebellion against our zombie overlords, should a zombie apocalypse occur.


{3} What is the biggest inconvenience about the place you’re currently living?
Everything is so spread out here, you pretty much have to drive everywhere, and lots of areas are not pedestrian friendly so you end up walking essentially on the side of the road in many spots. I would walk a lot more if I didn't have to worry about some idiot texting while driving.


{4} What do you think is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?
That's easy. The best decision that I've made so far was to decide to try one last time to have a child. I had one embryo left, I had a clotting disorder, and I had already almost died of pre eclampsia once. I had to see doctors every week, I had to give myself injections every day, and I almost died again from pre eclampsia, but it was totally worth it. Now my son is here, and he's beautiful and healthy and happy. Which is what I wanted in the first place.


{5} What are the THREE "nevers" of your life? (things you would never do or have never done)
I have lots of NEVERS. I have found, however, that whenever I use that word, NEVER, it comes back to bite me on the butt. But I'll venture to say that I will:

NEVER willingly jump out of an airplane.

NEVER eat caviar, bull testicles, sushi, snails, frog legs, or any animal's brains(including yours, should a zombie apocalypse occur), and

NEVER let you go talk to Bradley Cooper if you have spinach in your teeth.


Okay. How did I do?