41.4

Things I have done I've done 41 (and 4 kindas)!

What Have You Done?

To participate, just copy and paste in your own blog and bold all of the things you have done.
It's kind of fun!! (No, really, I swear it is. Do it!!! peer pressure, peer pressure)

1. Started your own blog (x I don't even remember how many, 5 or 6?)
2. Slept under the stars (no thanks, I don't even like sleeping out in a tent)
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain (to the top? no. I've climbed ON a mountain before)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (Easy Home Embalming - what? it totally counts)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason (ahem, technically, everything has a reason, but I know what you mean)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (the one I am pictured with in one of my very first pictures)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (from a distance, it was night and raining)
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square (yay!!!!!!! I LOVE Times Square!!!)
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (from an airplane)
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (outside the gates??)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby (times 5)
95. Seen the Alamo in person (more than once!!)
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit (kind of, class action suits)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument

Weirdo Wednesday, Holiday Style

When I was in junior high, I was obsessed with the blender and would have eggnog (or orange julius) every morning for breakfast. I think this was before smoothies existed.

That's all I have time for today. Working, finish cleaning the hall (the downstairs is almost company-ready, as long as no one opens the closets or the office), goodie-making, Christmas tree putting up, laundry putting-awaying, dessert-making.

Love, peace, and joy to everyone!

I have nothing to say about this picture, except I made those skirts this week and E wanted to see them.

Weirdo Wednesday

My brain is a bit fried tonight and I know that last week I had other Weirdo Wednesdays in my head, ready to go this week, but they have been replaced by weariness. I'm beginning to see why playpens used to be so popular as kid watchers. Every waking moment (his, not mine thankfully) SPY is into something, climbing something, wanting up, wanting down, wanting to nurse, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. We've gotten to the point where when I say his name in a certain tone he says "No?" because that's what usually follows. (He is now chuckIing things off3
thede3s2k and hitting random keys.) It sounds like he's my first but either I don't remember or he's more AAAAAAAAAH or I was younger.... or I was working outside the house and let me tell you working outside the house is so much easier than chasing an 18-month-old. Ironically, when I worked in childcare I worked mostly in the 18-month-old room. But the thing about childcare is that they have each other and other things to entertain themselves and you have backup.

BTW, my cell phone works - THANK YOU Brilliant Rice Recommender (Recommendor?)

The story of how my cell phone got washed is a story for Weirdo Wednesday. Usually my cell lives in my purse, because it is safest there, I don't lose it as often, though I do miss about half my calls because I can't hear it - but that is fewer than missing all of my calls because it is somewhere missing with the battery dead. Anyway, for whatever reason, my cell was in my pocket.

Hub was off to take the girls to rehearsal and I walked them to the door where he gave me a hug.

I said "Don't squeeze, I have to pee." I'm an idiot. He can't resist that kind of thing. So, he squoze (that looks wrong, squoze??). And I peed.

He was like, "I didn't think you really would."

"I've had 5 babies."

"I thought you were doing those exercises or something."

"Yeah, but I'm still dead inside. Besides, you'd know if I was." (if you know what I mean, wink, wink)

"Oh, sorry."

Ha on him, I was wearing his sweatpants. But I did go directly to the washing machine with them. So, it's his fault that my cell phone got washed (see that logic, eh?)

So, fun fact for Weirdo Wednesday: I pee at the drop of a hat.

Anyone want to guess how many cups of water Sam dumped out while I was typing this? Three.

Yay, hub is home and I'm going to a meeting WITHOUT the kids.

Quick!

Someone tell me a nice story about how they washed their cell phone and it came out of it fine.

I might feel better if...

I won something from here.

You might too, whether you're having iron-related sadness or just the winter blahs. Actually, even if you're in a good mood, winning stuff is always cool.

All I want for Christmas

Or why I shouldn't do crafts, especially when the kids are home.

All I want for Christmas is a brand new iron
To replace the one
That is covered in carpet.

Oh, and also an iron-shaped piece of carpet would be nice.

Guess the Grandma and Me baking and apron set will be the Grandma apron with fun baking supplies (for the goodie auction at intermission tonight).

A bit ew

So, sometimes I do surveys online for fun and a little tiny bit of profit. Every once in a while, I get surveys that ask if I want to test a product. Last week, I had one that asked if my 8-year-old would like to test a new cereal. We said sure. It arrived on Tuesday and Bailey tried and really, really liked it. I'm contractually forbidden from telling you the name/details, but it wasn't really a new cereal, but a new and improved version of a cereal already loved at our house. Wonderful! It really was improved in texture and some other things. We all tried it. Today, I was completing the related survey and it kept asking me if I would like to buy this type of cereal if it contained more fiber, if I would pay more for it. Hmm, I guess that explains it. And by IT, I mean the not-so-nice side effect of cereals with lots of fiber. The kind of thing that other fiber-rich cereals warn you about right on the labeling - but of course, survey cereal has no labels (seriously, a pure-white cereal box, it's pretty cool unless you need some kind of warning). So, if you see a kid-friendly cereal touting it's extra fiber on the shelves at your supermarket, it WORKS. Which could be a good thing if you need to trick a child into eating more fiber. Or not if you don't.

Weirdo Wednesday

Ladies and gentlemen, it is that time again for the first time. Everyone's favorite: Weirdo Wednesday. I started out to call it Confession Wednesday, but we all know that kind of thing is NOT allowed. Anyway, every Wednesday, I will confess something that you don't know about me that makes me weird, strange, lame, crazy, or just plain silly. Or, if I can't think of something about me, I'll either make something up or share something about someone else.

Today:

I DVR The Martha Stewart Show every day. It started out innocently enough - the TV was left on whatever channel it is she's on and when I turned it back on later, what I thought was her promo for shows that week was on and there was PATRICK DEMPSEY, right there on TMSS.

Gratuitous PATRICK DEMPSEYage:


You're welcome.

Anyway, I thought they were sayIng that PATRICK DEMPSEY was going to be on some time that week, so I set the DVR to record. And then she sucked me in with her cute little crafts and all those recipes and stuff I'll never make, but apparently that doesn't stop me from watching.

Sometimes I fast-forward through most of the show, but sometimes I watch the whole darn thing. She's such a Bi$ch. Seriously stuck up and snobby and patronizing to her guests (like Kristen Chenoweth this week, dude!! oh and Seal's wife, what's her name again?) And every segment includes pimping of her new crafty products, several of which I MUST HAVE NOW. And so often it looks like she's just been handed the craft and doesn't have a clue what or why she's doing it and SHE even thinks it's lame.

AND PATRICK DEMPSEY has not been on the show one time. I don't think she's even mentioned him, not even when Kate Walsh was there.

Anyway, that's the lameness for today.

ETA: I googled it. PATRICK DEMPSEY was on TMSS a YEAR ago, not quite a year ago from when I started taping. The good news is that MS has the clips available online at her website. I haven't watched it yet, but it appears that he makes a very manly craft on the show.

Celebrating the end of the semester with a whatchamacallit

I smelled Chuck Norris because I'm cool like that.

You play too:

Pick the month you were born:
January-------I kicked
February------I loved
March--------I karate chopped
April----------I licked
May----------I jumped on
June----------I smelled
July-----------I did the Macarena with
August--------I had lunch with
September----I danced with
October-------I sang to
November-----I yelled at
December-----I ran over

Pick the day (number) you were born on:
1-------a birdbath
2----- --a monster
3-------a phone
4-------a fork
5-------a snowman
6-------a gangster
7-------my mobile phone
8-------my dog
9-------my best friends' boyfriend
10-------my neighbor
11-------my science teacher
12-------a banana
13-------a fireman
14-------a stuffed animal
15-------a goat
16-------a pickle
17-------your mom
18-------a spoon
19------ - a smurf
20-------a baseball bat
21-------a ninja
22-------Chuck Norris
23-------a noodle
24-------a squirrel
25-------a football player
26-------my sister
27-------my brother
28-------an iPod
29-------a surfer
30-------a homeless guy
31-------a llama

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:
White----because I'm cool like that.
Black-----because that's how I roll.
Pink-----because I'm NOT crazy.
Red------because the voices told me to.
Blue-----because I'm sexy and I do what I want.
Green----because I think I need some serious help.
Purple----because I'm AWESOME!
Gray-----because Big Bird said to and he's my leader.
Yellow---because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars.
Orange---because my family thinks I'm stupid anyway.
Brown----because I can.
Other-----because I'm a Ninja!
None------because I can't control myself!

I bet whoever made this one up was born on the 22nd too. If I owned a gray shirt a) I'd spell it grey, and b) i'd change in to it. I'm lying - I do have a grey shirt, but it's in the laundry, so I'm not changing in to it. Everything is in the laundry, mostly the laundry on my floor.

Note: An even better way to celebrate the end of the semester would be with a real Whatchamacallit, but I don't have one of those either. Really this time, I mean it.

Phew.

The semester is over. Everything is turned in. All the tests are taken. All of the classes are at least passed and should be A's and probably one B (argh History). AND the books are sold back to the bookstore (extra Christmas money!!!).

Phew again.

Dear Windows Media Player:

I hate your stinking guts. You make me vomit. You are the scum between my toes.

Love,
EF.

PS: I'm leaving you for iTunes. iTunes doesn't think that every CD in my Music Apprec. set is the same da%#$mn CD and overwrite the data I corrected every time I put a new one in. iTunes knew what CD I was putting in without having to tell it. Skew you, Cowboy.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMicrowave Fudge

2 1/2 C Sugar
3/4 C butter
5 oz. evaporated milk
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
10 1/2 oz. mini marshmallows
1 tsp. vanilla
optional chopped nuts (NOT)

Put the butter and sugar in a large glass bowl. Cook 60 seconds. Add evap. Stir. Cook 5 minutes. Stir. 3 minutes. Stir. 2 minutes. Add chocolate chips. Stir until melted. Add marshmallows 1/2 at a time, stirring until melted. Add vanilla and nuts (NOT). Stir. Pour into a wax paper lined 9x13 pan and spread evenly. Cool, then serve. Be sure to lick the bowl. DO NOT scrape the sides when you are stirring or it will turn out really grainy. The bowl gets really hot. Don't drop it (like someone did last weekend with my perfect-for-this-recipe-and-pretty-much-all-other-recipes-had-it-for-15-years bowl - not that I'm upset about it). Enjoy and consider sharing or you may also have to wax poetic.

English, Govt. and....

Principles of Macroeconomics. I can't wait to find out why I need this class as a 4-8 teacher - also I thought this would be a fun time to be in an economics class, world-situation-wise.