Here's the first ever Thursday Three. (via shadow runes.)

Onesome: Where did you first hear of a blog? Nick first mentioned the idea, a little over a year ago, that we should blog about our experiences while waiting for me to move here. We never got around to doing that, though. Too bad. It would have been good. I didn't get around to starting my own until August.

Twosome: The first weblog you read regularly? Other than family, the first blog I read regularly was the now-defunct bulletproof and bleeding. I came across it a fews days before Sept. 11 and knew the author was a flight attendant. I was definitely hooked after that, because her insights into the airline industry were interesting and unique.

Threesome: What keeps you coming back to a blog? That's a tough one. There's not just one thing, or even a couple things. It just has to touch me in some way -- make me laugh, cry, think, want to know more about the person.

My mom called Monday and told me my old high school (old, as in it doesn't exist anymore) is having a reunion this summer for all the classes from 1962 to 2000, when it closed. I'm not going. I've never been to a reunion for just my class. I certainly don't want to see people from other classes, most of whom I couldn't care less about. Anyway, as Nick and I were talking about this, our conversation somehow turned to weird things that our junior high schools and grade schools did. Then, I remembered in kindergarten we were divided into groups based on how smart/advanced we were. There were the blue birds (the smartest), yellow birds, green birds, black birds, orange birds and pink birds (the least smart). Although this was supposed to help the not-so-smart kids not feel bad so they wouldn't see how fast the "blue birds" answered questions, learned to write, learned the alphabet, etc., it didn't really work. It was blatant segregation actually. I mean, everyone knew the pink birds had to be the dumb kids because there's no such thing as a pink bird. Well, except for flamingoes and, let's face it. If you're pegged as a "pink bird" in kindergarten you're probably going to end up having a plastic flamingo in your front yard at some point in your life.

Here's Tuesday's This-or-That:

Dial-up or cable? Dial-up for now. We've talked about getting cable when we move to our house.

Wal-mart or K-mart? Wal-mart. They have a better selection, lower prices and, in my experience, friendlier, more helpful employees.

Butterfly or dragonfly? Butterfly

Plus or minus? Plus

Liberal or conservative? Conservative

Do you believe in God or not? Yes

Sun or moon? Moon

Do you exercise regularly or not? Not anymore

Coffee or tea? Coffee

St. Patrick's Day or Easter? St. Patrick's Day. Although to many non-Irish people it's an excuse to get drunk and act crazy, to me it's more than that. It's a chance to celebrate and show pride in my ancestory. I'll miss watching the parade in NYC this year, (It's always on WPIX Channel 11.) and I'd be interested to see how it's going to be because of Sept. 11. Anyway, I've always been proud of my Irish roots and St. Patrick's Day has always been a special day for my family. By the way, I'm not full-blooded Irish. As my Irish dad used to say, his kids are FBI - full-blooded Irish & Italian.

Which My So-Called Life Character Are You? Find out @ She's Crafty

via Linda

Here's my Monday Mission:

1. What part of your body would you most like to change? Explain. My butt. Do I really need to explain?

2. What are the Blogs you absolutely must visit each time you log on, no matter what? yet again, improper, hoopty, cerebral moloko, these folks, wallow. I think that's the short list.

3. What part of your (current or most recent) significant other's body would you most like to change? That's a tough one.

4. At what age would you consider yourself as "old?" Another tough one. 60?

5. I hear many stories about children who show potential in a certain area, only to have their spirits crushed by parents or teachers because they are told they aren't doing it right, or will never amount to anything. Was there a point in your life where you feel like you were discouraged in some manner that had an effect on your life? Not really. I guess I'm lucky. For the most part, I was encouraged to do whatever I wanted to do. I was given lots of opportunites as well.

6. Eek! I left home without my Visor today, I feel nearly naked! What item(s) make you feel naked when you walk off and forget them? Nothing now. I used to not be able to leave the house without a pen and notebook just in case I came across a breaking news story.

7. I believe we are all artistic in some form or fashion. Not just limited to drawing or painting, but carpentry, baking, music, gardening, collecting, you get the idea. What is it you do that best expresses your artistic side? Writing, although I rarely show it in my blogs. But I'll be changing that soon when this one becomes an outlet for creative writing instead of a blog.

BONUS: Stop, hey... what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down. ... It's ear shattering, wall rattling, make-me-want-to-strangle-someone, anxiety inducing sound of the kids next door. Thank God they were only visiting for the weekend.

Here are my positives .... a great way to start Monday.

*Nick
*a family who loves me
*the wheels are in motion for us to buy a house
*Jess is engaged and has a beautiful ring. Congratulations!
*I got good sleep last night
*Apolo was on the "Today" show
*I'm feeling pretty good for a change
*Nick

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hear you laughing.

Anyone who's been online for any length of time has probably gotten forwarded e-mails about telling the people in your life you love them before it's too late. There have been songs written about that. Sermons about it. Talk shows. Movies. You name the medium, it's probably been a subject in some way or another. So then, why don't I get it? I thought I learned my lesson right before my dad died. I thought I'd never again let the people in my life not know I love them. So, for the record, for all the world to see (or at least the 20-30 people who read this everyday) -- Shell, I love ya girlfriend. I can't imagine not having you in my life. Now, if ever you have doubts, come here and read this, okay?

	You are Kermit! Though you're technically the star, you're pretty mellow and don't mind letting others share the spotlight. You are also something of a dreamer.
Take the What Muppet Are You? Quiz!

Here's my Friday Five:

1. Hey, baby, what's your sign? Do you think it fits you pretty well? Virgo. Some parts of it fit, some don't.

2. What's the worst birthday gift you've ever received? Does "nothing" count? Several years ago, that's what I got. I did, however, get a card as an afterthought.

3. What's the best birthday gift you've ever received? It was more than one gift. Our family started a tradition last year: We go to dollar stores and fill up a big gift bag with all kinds of cool stuff. (Dollar Tree rules! lol) So, instead of one present, we get lots. Last year was the first time for me. It was great. *s* The same year, I got a birthday page from RAOK. RAOK rocks!

4. What's the best way you've celebrated your birthday thus far? It's a toss up. Last year was amazing because it was my first birthday with Nick. But my 21st birthday was awesome. I share my birthday with one of my best friends from college. (Another friend's birthday is four days before ours.) The weekend we turned 21, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes played a concert at our college and it was soooo cool! It was as if they were doing "We're Havin' a Party" just for us.

5. What are your plans for this weekend? I'm going to work a little and probably get caught up on some house cleaning. We talked about maybe going out to look at houses we want to buy, too. That would be cool. Beyond that, I don't think we have any plans.

I'm feeling much better today. I cooked dinner and baked cookies for Nick last night. That in itself was a big boost for me. Today, I actually have work to do -- and it's writing even. Yay! What I have to remember, though, is the last couple of times I started doing too much too soon. I'm not going to do that this time. Each time I feel worse and worse. I don't know if I can handle feeling worse than I did this time (I don't know if Nick can either lol), so I'm going to be smart and take it slow.

Thanks to Sandee for making me feel better, too. *s*

Doing these tests gives the impression that there's actually some content here. Uh huh.




Stormtrooper


You're brave, sexy, and loyal to the death. Some people might accuse you of
being a brainless follower, and a violent one at that... but since when is that a
bad thing?

Take the Imperial Test at Bucketheads!

"You would think a diagnosis of breast cancer would be bad enough, but despite wide-ranging medical opinions that women who have undergone mastectomies need at least two to four days to recover from the surgery, insurance companies continue to refuse to cover hospital stays. The result? Women are forced to leave the hospital before they are ready. .... If you agree that mastectomies require more than one night's hospital stay, here’s your chance to make your voice heard."

I'm usually not awake at 2 a.m. Even when I am, it's for a quick trip to the bathroom then I'm back to bed. But tonight I can't sleep. I hate to be such a whiner, but the pain is really bothering me. No, more than bothering me, it's keeping me awake. Obviously. Nick and I had a conversation the other day about me whining, being a wuss, being a baby, etc. We came to the conclusion that when it's something minor I whine. When it's something big, I usually tough it out. I tried to tough it out for the last hour and a half, but it's just not working. So, I came here to whine. I feel kind of guilty about whining when people like Sandee fight their battles with strength, courage ... and no whining. But sometimes I just can't help it. I'm sick of being sick. I'm sick of being tired. I'm sick of the aches and pains. Did I say I'm sick of being sick? It's not like I don't try to do things. I actually went out Monday, but it totally wore me out. And all we did was go to lunch. But Tuesday I felt better. I didn't even take a nap, and I helped Nick a little bit with dinner. Totallly wore me out again. Then the pain started. It wasn't too bad at first. I thought if I fell asleep fast I could sleep through it and be fine in the morning. But it didn't quite work out that way. The pain got worse and worse and worse. Now, here I am hoping it will go away, or at least ease up enough for me to get some sleep. I don't suppose writing about it is helping to get my mind off it though, is it? *s* Maybe it's time to try something different.

Here's Tuesday's This-or-That:

January or July? When I was in Pennsylvania, it was July. Now it's January. Although, our anniversary is in July, so that's a point in its favor.

Email or letters? E-mail. It's faster, easier and cheaper. I don't know what I ever did without it.

Milk or orange juice? Orange juice. I can't stand the taste (or smell) of milk.

Brunette or blond? Brunette

Digital or film camera? Film, but I'm sure that's because I haven't used a digital except at the old job.

Camping or hotel? Hotel

Pencil or pen? Pen, although I prefer a keyboard to both

Rollerblading or roller skating? Roller skating. I haven't tried Rollerblading.

Fly or drive? Drive. I hate everything about flying except that it gets me to where I'm going faster.

White or black? I don't think I have a preference. Depends on my mood, I guess.

My Mormon name is Aeynnee Celestial Glory!
What's yours?

What day are you?

Or is this one better? Hmmm?

Yay Hoopty!

Here's my Monday Mission:

1. What's the one thing you hope your Mother never finds out about you? If I posted it here, someone might tell her, so I better not say.

2. Hair can just out-of-the-blue start growing on the most unusual places on our bodies? What is the oddest place you've had hair begin to grow? My neck. *sigh*

3. What do you think happens to us after we die? I hope we go to heaven. But for anyone living in Georgia, it's hard to say.

4. Skydiving, mountain climbing, bungee jumping, these are all pretty extreme and exciting experiences? Have you ever risked your life for that type of a thrill? Does flying cross country on USAir count?

5. What (if any) illegal drug do you think should be legalized? Care to explain? Marijuana. It has many medicinal purposes.

6. Have you ever felt like you were under attack from a "dark force?" What happened? Yes. A friend told me how to combat the "dark force" by thinking about white light and other things. It worked, and the dark force never bothered me again.

7. Before my Dad passed away, we were all able to give some thought to his funeral together. At his service we decided to play the "Love Theme from Somewhere in Time." What music would you like played at your funeral? "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding." I know I've thought of others that would be appropriate, but I can't think of them right now.

BONUS:[slightly revised] There was blood and a single gun shot, but just who shot who? I'm not sure, but it was somebody at the Copacabana.

You are ELMO. You are cute, and everyone loves you. You
are a best friend that no one takes the chance of losing.
You never hurt feelings and seldom have your own
feelings hurt. Life is a breeze. You are witty and calm
most of the time. Just keep clear of
backstabbers, and you are worry-free.




Which Sesame Street Character Are You?

I'm glad they got the gold. They deserved it. But I also think Tim Goebel deserved the silver. Oh well.

The Friday Five

1. What was the first thing you ever cooked? I'm pretty sure it was scrambled eggs and toast for Mom & Dad's breakfast. Either that or Jell-O.

2. What's your signature dish? It used to be lasagna, but I haven't made it in ages. Now I'm into simpler things -- sloppy joes, impossible cheeseburger pie -- and they're a hit with the family, so that's all that matters.

3. Ever had a cooking disaster? (tasted like crap, didn't work, etc.) Describe. It was more of a baking disaster. I was making these things called snowball cookies, and that's all I remember about them. But instead of putting 1 tsp of salt in, I put 1 tbsp of salt. My dad was so excited that I was baking cookies that he was waiting in the kitchen for the first batch to come out of the oven. He tried to not hurt my feelings, but told me not to bother baking the rest.

4. If skill and money were no object, what would make for your dream meal? There are so many things I'd like to try that I don't even know where to start.

5. What are you doing this weekend? This is becoming a recurring theme. I'm going to try to get rid of this kidney infection once and for all.

The reasons I don't like Valentine's Day are it's so commercial and it puts undo pressure on people (especially men) to show their partners they love them. Hey, if you need a dozen red roses on Valentine's Day to know your husband loves you, there's something wrong. And while I'm at it, I think there's something wrong with a guy who would pay the inflated price for roses on Valentine's Day to prove his love.

I'm lucky because my husband shows me and tells me he loves me every single day. Tomorrow won't be different than any other day for us, and that's just perfect.

Take the Hey Hey, Which Monkee Are You? Quiz.

Which Action Star Are You? Find out @ She's Crafty

What's Your Style? Find out @ She's Crafty

What is YOUR Highschool label?

Tuesday's This-or-That:

Picnic on the beach or picnic in a park? As much as I love the beach, I'd have to say the park because I don't like sand in my food.

Atlantic ocean or Pacific? Pacific. I've loved the Atlantic Ocean since the first time I saw it when I was about 12. But I saw the Pacific Ocean up close last summer and now there's no contest. The Pacific is awesome!

Museum or the ballet? Museum. I get too antsy at the ballet.

Lots of pillows on the bed, or just a few? Well, at least 2, but preferrably more.

Home body or not? Home body. I think about going out, but when it comes down to it, I'd rather stay home, watch movies, play Boggle or Scrabble, Dominoes or backgammon, talk and spend time with my family.

Introverted or extroverted? Introverted.

Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise. There's nothing like waking up to a beautiful sunrise to give your day a great start.

Do you prefer ceiling fans or light fixtures? Ceiling fans. My godparents had one in their kitchen and I just loved it when I was growing up. I've never had one anywhere I lived, but I'm hoping to have a couple when we get a house.

Lions or tigers or bears? Tigers. They're breathtakingly beautiful (although the lion is my fave in "The Wizard of Oz).

The Beatles or The Monkees? Although I like a lot of the Monkees songs, I'd pick The Beatles. No question.

Oh yeah. I'm a hooptygirl and I'm singing about it (to the tune of "Super Freak"): I'm a hooptygirl, hooptygirl. I'm hoopty girly.

What Pattern Are You?

Do you hate Mondays? Well, there's a good way to get over that. As early as you can in the day, think of as many positive things you can. Thanks for the idea Jess!

participation positives... a way to start monday

*Nick
*a family who loves me
*Vinnie and these folks won Anti-Bloggies.
*I feel good about doing raoks
*the sun's shining
*the book I'm reading, The Talbot Odyssey, is getting really good
*it's not windy
*I had a good weekend (for the most part)
*Nick

Congratulations to Vinnie and to "the folks down to the trailer park". You rock! I love you guys!

I'm really not all that into Valentine's Day, but I did do a Valentine's page this year. It's not much, but if you'd like to see it, it's right here. (It'll open in a new window.)

I'd like to say hello to my neighbors in the I love to blog webring. They are Lisa on my left and Cynthia on my right. (This idea was totally stolen from Jish.)

This is pretty cool. It's the most detailed true-color image of the entire Earth to date.

Hmmm? This has possibilities.

Which Sex and the City Player Are You? Find out @ She's Crafty

*Take This Test!*

In RAOK, we're doing this thing called The Chain of Love for Valentine's Day. It's so cool! I love going to my guestbook and seeing the chain. *s*

The Friday Five

1. What's the most romantic thing you've ever done for someone else? Moved across the country to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him? lol

2. [pardon the cosmo question] What are your erogenous zones? Just about everywhere. lol

3. How old were you the first time you had sex? Care to expound? 21. Uh, no. lol

4. What's the most unusual place you've ever had sex? on a soccer field at night.

5. Do you have plans for Valentine's Day or is it just another Thursday? It's just another Thursday. Actually, it's not. Because the Olympics are on, none of the good shows are on. Anyway, I do have a gift for Nick.

It's not taking me as long as I thought it would to do the graphics and set this up. I must be getting better .... or something.

I think I really like this. yay me! lol I do like the colors a lot. Thanks Nick!