Flashback Friday With Mocha With Linda.

Today I am participating in Mocha With Linda's Flashback Friday. Usually her flashbacks are more of a "fun" topic with thoughts and antics from our youth but today's is a bit more serious in nature. However, as I realized, I don't have many memories from my youth so I haven't been able to participate very often. I am grateful for today's topic because I am curious how other people handle these difficult situations. Also, today's brings back memories of a wonderful young boy I knew.

"How old were you (approximately) when you attended your first funeral? Did your parents shield you from death and grief or was it viewed as a natural part of life? Did you experience any significant loss(es) in your growing up years? What were your early impressions of death and dying? And while I do not intend this in any irreverent way, are there any amusing memories associated with a death or funeral? If you have kids, how have you handled this subject with them? Feel free to share as vulnerably or as shallowly as you want!"

One of my grandmother's passed away when I was around 11 or 12 but as I mentioned earlier, I really cannot remember much of my youth until my late teens and early twenty's.

So, I am going to tell you about a sweet young man who passed away for too early in his life.

I got married the month I turned 18. It was a mistake. The man I married was 21 or 22. We were both too young and both came from troubled homes. The marriage didn't last. Although we both had issues, I must admit that I was more at fault than he was.

He had 7 siblings (8 kids total-wow). By far, the friendliest and sweetest of his siblings was one of his younger brothers, DJ.

DJ was about 16 and had just purchased a car. He was SO proud of this car but it actually had too much power.

One thing I'll never forget is that phone call we received that awful morning at around 5:00 AM. DJ had been out with friends, yes he was drinking, and was on his way home. His best friend, who was also drinking said he would follow him home to make sure he got there ok. More than likely, they were playing around, maybe racing or goofing off. Anyway, DJ wrapped (literally) his car around a telephone pole. He died on impact. Although I didn't know his friend that was following him, I've often wondered how that night has haunted him. Many of you probably either know someone who has, or have themselves followed someone home to make sure they got there ok. Well, DON'T. Give them a ride. Or if you aren't able to, find them a ride, call a taxi or just take their keys and make them stay.

I remember being "the strong" one". I've always been "the strong one". My husband was crushed. I didn't know how to deal with it. I had been raised in a home where we all hid our feelings until I had finally gotten to the point where I had convinced myself that I didn't have any at all.

I remember going to the funeral home and making the arrangements. DJ didn't own a suit and his family wanted him buried in one, so I was the one that went and purchased a new suit for him.

At the funeral home, I greeted people, hugged them, listened while they cried, and held my husbands hand. I never shed a tear. Afterwards, at his aunts house, I went into the bathroom and tried to make myself cry, but I couldn't.

I felt haunted.

For months I felt haunted but then God sent me a message...a miracle that helped me get through this.

He sent me a dream.

In my dream, I was in a grocery store. As I was getting ready to leave, I looked out the huge glass front of the store and there was DJ. He was standing there with his hands in his pockets. (I remember it like it was yesterday). Even though there was a wall of glass between us, I could hear him perfectly. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Don't worry. I'm OK". That is all he said. Then he gave me that goofy smile he had. He took his hands out of his pockets and saluted me, (that was something he always did when he was alive).

Then he was gone.

I woke up with a peacefulness that I hadn't felt in a long time.

I'm smiling now as I picture it.

A Very Random Random Dozen

A Very Random Random Dozen. I decided to go back and choose a different group of questions rather than do the ones from this week.
Why? you ask?
How should I know?
Why is in left field.
What?
What is on second.
Who is on second?
No, Who is on first.
Well, who?
Right.
What?
No, What is on second.

(sigh) I don't know.
....THIRD BASE!

1. How good are you at delaying gratification?

I've been told that "instant gratification" is my middle name. Not something to brag about. Actually I've been told that alot of things are my middle name. Well, I don't know if they actually said it was my middle name. That's just semantics. Otherwise my name would be ... MYADinstantgratificationHDMe. That would take too long to type.


2. Maybe a marshmallow wouldn't be too difficult a temptation for you. What food (or anything else) would be most tempting?

Maybe a marshmallow WOULD be a difficult temptation for me. Nah, it wouldn't be. I could probably go for years without having another marshmallow and would never miss it. On the other hand, it probably isn't so nice to pick on marshmallows. After all, I would rather have a marshmallow than beets.
The question is what food (or anything else) would be most tempting. It would be a drink. Diet Coke.

3. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being saintly) how patient are you?

See #1.

That is with myself. I seem to have lots of patience for other people....MOST other people...not all.


4. Have you ever waited for something in life only to be disappointed upon realization of the goal/object/etc.?

probably


5. Are you a person who takes shortcuts?

Only when I do.


6. Which line is hardest to wait in?

It doesn't matter. Whichever line I get in will have a computer problem, the printer will run out of ink or paper, it will be time for a shift change, or the person in front of me will take 2 hours. OK, I do have a hard time waiting in line. Usually I have to start singing and dancing or talking to myself....it's amazing how quickly the line starts to move after that.


7. Did you wait to discover the gender of your unborn child until its birth?

No, but I did wait until after he was conceived.


8. Are you more patient with children or the elderly?

It completely depends on the individual.


9. Did you ever sneak a peek at a present?

Only once. It was Christmastime. I was 18 and married. I had 2 presents wrapped under the tree. I decided to peek at one and then I would still be able to have a surprise for the other one. The one I looked at was a portable, battery operated tv....way cool back then. I could hardly wait until Christmas to open the other. Christmas morning came. I opened the other. It was 8 D batteries, (needed for the tv). Although very practical and thoughtful, there was no surprise Christmas morning. It was a huge let down....my fault completely....but still a huge let down. I have never peeked since.


10. What is the longest you've ever waited for anything?

Still waiting.


11. Who has more patience, you or your significant other?

I thought Who was on first...




12. Which of the following songs about waiting is your pick for the best? (OK, you may substitute another, if you like.)

A) Anticipation by Carly Simon
B) The Waiting by Tom Petty
C) Right Here Waiting for You by Richard Marx
D) Wait for Me by Rebecca St. James

Monday, Monday by The Mama's and The Papa's.
On Mondays everyone goes to school and work. not that I am anti-social or anything.....
BUT.........

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Random Dozen

Welcome to the Random Dozen. Hosted by Linda at 2nd Cup Of Coffee.


1. Have you ever fired a gun or shot a bow and arrow?

My gun is a hard worker and is very responsible. It has become a part of the family. I imagine I'll keep it until it retires.My bow and arrow, on the other hand, have been nothing but trouble. I need to go ahead and fire them....I think shooting them would be a bit extreme.



2. Do you know where your childhood best friends are?

I'm happy just knowing where my kids are.


3. Are you usually early, late, or on time?

It depends on whose time we're talking about.


4. Are you more of a New York or California type?

Neither. My typing stinks. I'm happy when I reach 30 wpm.


5. Do you have a special ring tone?

As long as it doesn't turn my finger green, I'm happy.


6. What is your favorite type of chip?

A chip off the ol' block.


7. Best comedy you've ever seen is ....

The funny ones.


8. Have you ever cut your own hair? To quote Dr. Phil, "How'd that work for ya?"

Rosanne Rosanna Danna Hair Fun Fact....You can't tell the difference.


9. If you were going to have an extreme makeover, would you rather it be about your house or your personal self?

Neither. I would kindly give it to my mother to use for herself....they do inner-self make overs don't they?


10. Are you allergic to anything?

Only the things that cause me to have allergic reactions.


11. Why is it so hard to change?

What's the big deal? You go to the closet, pick out another outfit and put it on.


12. One last question dedicated to February love: CS Lewis said, "To love is to be vulnerable." Please share one example of that assertion or share any thought you'd like to about this topic.

I'm sorry. I didn't hear the question.

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Random Dozen

Welcome to my Random Dozen. this is a meme from Lidna at 2nd Cup of Coffee......but I bet you already knew that!


1. Are you pleasant when you're ill, or are you a grumpy, fussy patient?

Pleasant....really. Of course it is easier now that the kids are older and I can actually rest a bit when I'm sick.

2. When you find out that school is canceled (due to inclement weather) what is your gut reaction?

Haha. Was this written just for me? Honestly it is ok when I turn off the alarm and go back to sleep....but then I have to get up...and there are people in my space.....
ALSO, it is fun the first day. Kind of like a holiday. The 2nd day is still a bit festive. On the 3rd day I was beginning to get a bit annoyed that no one knows how to hang up wet snow clothes and there are puddles of melted snow on the floor (wet socks...yuck). By day 4 my left eye started to twitch and I was feeling a bit jumpy but then on day 5 everything was fine. Nothing bothered me at all as I sat in my own little corner, rocking back and forth, singing incoherently to myself. Days 6,7,and 8 are just a jumbled memory.....


3. What is one domestic skill you wish you could improve?

As a Domestically Disabled woman, it is difficult to choose one. My family would probably be thrilled if I could improve my cooking.


4. Do you decorate your home for Valentine's Day?

WAHAHA! No.


5. What song is on your mind today?

Flying Purple People Eater.

OK, not really. It is actually that commercial....Call JG Wentworth 877-CASH NOW!!
I tried to post it here but it keeps ending up at the bottom of this post. At least you now have something to look forward to.

(oh great...now I'm humming Flying Purple people Eater!)


6. Do you prefer contemporary movies or classic?

Classic


7. How well do you "compartmentalize" your feelings? For example, how well can you put aside a really trying moment to deal with the immediate situation which is not related to the trying moment, e.g., putting aside a tiff with your spouse in order to finish wallpapering a room.

I am The Queen of compartmentalization!!
(however, not so good at wallpapering...)



8. What is the first thing that attracted you to your spouse? (Or if you're single, to your best friend.)

Sorry, I didn't hear you. What did you say?



9. When was the last time your heart raced?

It was probably that time I drank too much caffeine.



10. What are your memories of Valentine's Day at school?

Making those mailboxes and passing out valentines to the other kids mailboxes. I don't remember all the valentines having candy attached like they do now.



11. If you were going to receive candy for Valentine's Day, which would you prefer?

No big preference but go ahead and wait until the day after and get it half off...better yet, wait a few more days and get it for 75%-90% off.

Oh, don't tell anyone, and I'm sure you couldn't tell, but I'm not big on Valentines Day.... hopefully I'm not big on any day ....... why? Do I look fat to you? DON'T ANSWER THAT!!



12. Red or pink?

1. Red
2. Anything that isn't pink.

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Random Dozen....whew

Time to jump on the bandwagon and try out the Random Dozen from 2nd Cup of Coffee.
Thank you to A&OX4 for trying to help me get the questions on my post so I wouldn't have to re-type them all....lol.......but seriously....

Still not sure if I did it correctly, but it all showed up so that was a good start.

Hhmmm, I probably should have read the questions before I committed to doing them. Oh well, too late now.

On your mark.....Get set.......Monkeys Are Funny!


1. When was the last time you craved a food--what was it, and did you cave?
Yesterday......Nutty Buddy......Yep

2. M & M's or Skittles?
I'm pretty sure that I am in the minority here....Skittles.

3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through?
No but I did read a layman copy which is a book that has the entire Old Testament written in the form of a novel but it is all factual from the Bible. It is called The Book of God.

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning?
I'll let you know when it happens......Way TOO long!

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? If not, would you like to?
No........No desire really......I much rather be in a burning building with a fire hose....(and some more firefighters).

6. Who is your favorite actress?
I have favorite actors but really no favorite actresses that I can think of.

7. ______ is something that I will just never understand.
Computers/technology

8. How much of a technology junkie are you?
See answer to #7.

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural "have to" for you?
I enjoy getting them for "off the wall" reasons or randomly but really don't like that feeling of "Oh No! Tomorrow is so-an- so's birthday and I don't have a card!

10. When was the last time you got a new style/haircut?
Hair Style? What's That?

11. What do you enjoy shopping for most?
Anything at Thrift Stores and or Consignment Stores.....Especially Books
I also love it when I find another pair of Chuck Taylor Converse Hi-Tops. I don't like the new ones but once in a while I'll find a very old pair that is still in good condition AND in my size......They were all marked in mens sizes so I wear a size 6 1/2 or 7 mens. SO, when my next birthday comes up, you can skip the card and now you know what to get me, My white ones are getting a bit ragged so white would be great. I also have black, black patent leather, denim, mustard yellow, purple tie-dye (when I got them they were purple only but they were too bright for me so I tied them) I like shoes. Mostly sneakers and boots. Beside my Chuck Taylors, my favorite sneakers are my Sam & Libby hi-top sneakers with a 2 inch platform. Also my White Leather lace up, hi-top sneakers......oh yeah, they have a 3 1/2 inch heel. haha. You can't tell by the picture but they really are sneakers. I'm almost positive that I'll never wear them but I couldn't resist buying them for all those times when people comment that I always wear sneakers. Plus, I don't own the sequins spandex mini-skirt that would surely go with them.




12. What's the last thing you think of before you leave the house?
Dog on Cable
Back in House.
Remember dog needs water to stay alive.
fill water.
where are keys?
Check to be sure all lights are off.
Blow out candles.
Close windows if needed.
Turn back heat or turn up air if needed.
Go to bathroom.
Re-Brush teeth
Re-Appy Lipstick
Look at hair, smile and shake head because there's nothing I can do with it.
Where are keys?
Grab water bottle.
Grab diet coke.
Put on watch.
Quick peek at email or blog.
Find keys.
Find cell phone.
Grab a jacket or sweater...just in case.
Go to car.
ooppps.
Go back inside.
Grab a few mints.
grab any needed lists..
Grab a book for if/when I need to wait.
Grab purse.
Where are keys? I JUST had them!
Yell at the kids to hurry up.
See kids waiting for me in car.
Find keys.
Start car.
Alberquando forgot the CD he wants to listen to.
He goes back in to get it.
He comes back to the car.
He leaves door not only unlocked, but open.
He goes back and shuts and locks door.
Where were we going?
Is that the phone ringing?
IGNORE IT!
um....what was the question again?

And the Truth Is........

Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for.......
I'm sure you all had trouble sleeping last night due to the extreme anticipation of finding out what the results would be. I must add that this was a fun post for me to write. I got it from Pam at A&OX4. She says she's going to be doing another one soon so we'll get to do this again...YEA!!
(aren't you thrilled?).

OK, DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....

ANIMAL PLANET.......#2 is the Lie. I DO NOT have a monkey in my house. However, to be honest (and you know I must be), after I wrote this and read a few comments that were left, I thought of the stuffed monkey that LEA at The Shabby Potting Shed sent me one day, so there really is a monkey in the house, just not real. I've never been a huge animal person but with 2 boys I had to have a dog and over the summer I came home after spending a week at ET's house and my 18 year old had acquired a pet scorpion while I was away...yuck.

EMERGENCY ROOM........#1 is the lie. The only truth in the grocery store story was that I do latch my purse in the seat belt as an extra precaution.

TAKE THIS JOB........#3 is the lie. However, had I applied for the SWAT team, it probably would have happened that way.
Edie-I think you're right. Alberquando filled me in that SWAT uses a different kind of
artillery. (how does he know that??)
Beverly Yoo Hoo- Yep, that was me in that barmaid outfit. I was about 17 or 18 years old.
A&OX4- I saw that episode of The 70's Show. That is the one and only thing that I have in
common with Jackie!!

And that's the way it is...... Saturday, October 10th, 2009.

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Two Truths and a Lie

Good Morning. Pam at A&OX4 (Alert & Oriented X 4) played this at her blog. Looks like fun, so here goes.

There are 3 subjects. Under each subject I will write 2 truths and 1 lie.

Can you figure out which is the lie?

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ANIMAL PLANET
1. There is a DOG in my house.
2. There is a MONKEY in my house.
3. There is a SCORPION in my house.



EMERGENCY ROOM...and other injuries

1. I was at the grocery store. I always put my purse in the front compartment. Even though I keep my hand on it, I also hook it in with the child safety belt to be extra sure no one can just grab it quickly and run. This kid, who didn't notice it was hooked in, grabbed it and ran. Of course the purse wasn't the only thing to go with him. As he dragged the cart behind him while he was running with my purse, he tripped and fell, (pulling the cart on top of himself). Guess who the EMT was that helped set his broken ankle while we waited for the rescue squad AND the police. Ha, What comes around, goes around! He cried like a baby. (My trained sympathy mode must have been on vacation that day!)

2.We went to a friends house and they have a pit bull (yuck). They keep it in a cage whenever company comes over, but they weren't expecting us so they had it loose in the house. As soon as we walked in, it lunged at Alberquando (barking and snarling) aiming right for his stomach. I was behind Alberquando, I wrapped my leg around him to protect his stomach and threw the two of us backwards (which happened to end up throwing us down 4 steps onto a concrete garage floor). The animal's teeth landed in my calf. It took 2 grown men to get it to get it to release its teeth. It took 12 stitches to get my leg to stop bleeding. Alberquando was fine.

3. I was up in a deserted barn with some friends many many many years ago, (high school). There was an old bee hive up there. It was about 5 or 6 of us. One of them started hitting a bee hive with a stick. I told him to stop. He laughed and said it was old and there were no bees. A few seconds later there were 5 or 6 stupid teenagers jumping out of the second story hayloft. All together there were 2 sprained ankles, a broken arm, and 4 bee stings. Mine was the sprained ankle. Teenagers can be so dumb!

TAKE THIS JOB AND....well, you know...

1. I used to work in a little shop called Mr Dunderbox. It was a small restaurant (deli style). They also sold sausages, cheese and wine. My job was to dress up like a bar maiden and stand out front handing out free samples of homemade Champagne Cheddar Cheese. The outfit was a red and white bar maid out fit with puffy sleeves, black criss cross strings across a pretty tight bodice and a flouncy short skirt. Add the white knee socks and black flats and well, the cheese did always sell out. haha

2. I used to be the Customer Service Mgr for a furniture chain. My office was in a very large building that was half corporate headquarters and half furniture warehouse. Once a customer got very angry with me. He had come to pick up his furniture and a piece was damaged. He started to cuss me out as I tried to reason with him. I really thought he was going to hit me. I still was trying to explain to him that I could get the replacement out the next day and we would deliver it. Finally, I lost my cool and yelled back at him that if he didn't cool down, I was going to call the police AND just give him his money back because I wasn't there to take that kind of abuse. So there I stood in all my 20 -22 years of age, hands on hips, looking like I wanted to kick his butt. he suddenly changed his entire attitude, apologized, and accepted my offer. Let me tell you, I was pretty darn impressed with myself for being so tough. Yep, I was cool. Then I turned around to go back into my office, and there, leaning against the vending machine were 4 VERY large warehouse workers. They never had to say a word. They had heard the commotion, walked out and just stood there looking at the man. THAT is why he backed down. OK, Maybe I wasn't so tough after all, but I had friends in all the right places!


3. Before I joined the fire dept, I had decided to try to join our county SWAT team. (I know, sounds weird, but if you know me, then you probably aren't surprised). I went through the physical (VERY physical) training. Filled out NUMEROUS applications. Went back for NUMEROUS interviews. It was actually more intense and more physical than the fire dept. But, you know me, I LOVED every second of it. I even loved the uniform. It was actually fun running those obstacle courses, dressed sometimes in fatigues, sometimes all in black and sometimes wearing (what felt like) all body armor. Not to mention staying in contact with my team with a walkie talkie. Oh, and of course the gun NEVER leaves your hands, (we trained with something similar to a paint ball gun). The adrenalin was more intense than anything I have ever experienced. After all, not only was it an obstacle course, but you never knew if the "dirt bag" was behind the next corner, just waiting to shoot you. (and yes, I got shot quite often). HOWEVER, I ALSO made it through, got my bad guy ands finished WITHOUT getting shot on quite a few occasions. I passed the background checks, I passed the physical tests, I passed the written tests, and believe it or not, I even passed the mental tests. EXCEPT for one small thing (well, probably not so small). I was told that although I had the passion for the job, they were concerned I actually had too much passion. It was determined that I might not have the self discipline that was necessary once a criminal (dirt bag) was apprehended. For instance, if there was a hostage situation, child abuse, spouse abuse etc situation, the captain was concerned that I would shoot (or cause bodily harm) to the perp when there was the chance to apprehend him/her without deadly force. (He was probably right).*sigh* I yam what I yam.

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OK, each of the 3 sections has 2 truths and 1 that is a lie. As I re-read it, it seems pretty simple to me....oh yeah, I was there.

I'll post my answers on Saturday.

Have a great day!

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5 Words From Krippled Warrior

5 more words given to me.
Now what will I come up with?
These weren't random chosen words.
You know I'm not a wordsmith.

Krippled Warrior sent them.
"They're plain old words! " he'll say.
But, hey, that's cool it really is.
Cause turn-abouts fair play.

My Five Words From Krippled Warrior.

1. cetacean (si-TEY-shun)

2.corpulent

3. diabolical

4. eponymous (uh-PON-uh-muhs)

5. gallinaceous (gal-uh-NEY-shuns)


This summer I could not decide
Where I should spend vacation.
I read a book called Moby Dick.
And dreamed to see CETACEAN.

The whales and dolphins were so big,
No matter where I went.
They better not eat quite so much.
They'll end up CORPULENT!

I then went to the next place .
The noise could wake the nations.
No thank you, please, I like mine fried.
I left the GALLINACEOUS.

I did not like the place I chose
Was feeling oh so woeful.
This place had just as much finesse
Of someone DIABOLICAL.

I KNOW! I'll make my own resort.
What Fun! You wait and see!
So what if I've EPONYMOUS,
It's called MyADHDMe!

Lets Try Again --- 5 Words

Skipping the introductions and formalities, here I go.

1. SONG

I LOVE songs. I go through phases where I listen to different genres all the time. Music is something I am very (for the most part) open minded to. I think I leaned that trait when my oldest started playing a genre called Grind Core. After listening to that for months, you would be amazed how so many types of music sound better than they used to. Luckily, his style has changed a bit in the last 3 years. If you are brave, you can watch this clip of one of his rehearsals before a "Big Gig" at his high school. This is from about 3 years ago. He is the guitarist (and "vocals?") on the left side. He had that hair twirling down like a pro. Actually he IS very good. He writes a lot of his own stuff and the "grind Core" genre is slipping away. (crocodile tears). Oh yeah, all that long hair and face scruff is gone now too. (He looks older than 15 years old that he is in this clip.)
I'm quite sure you won't understand any of the words. And actually, that may be for the best. 15 seconds of this clip may very well be enough for you, (it may very well be too much!).

(What was the word I was supposed to be doing again?

Oh yeah...SONG.....well, that's what they called it!







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Now! Wasn't that special!!!

2. BLINK

Expound on the word Blink ( go ahead, try to tell me that 2Thinks didn't pick out these words just for me!)
OK, Blink.

Think of all the things we miss because we have to blink.
Add up the moments and you'll see. Just close one eye and think.
You'll note I said, "close just one eye". You thought I was a nut.
But how you can see anything when both your eyes are shut?

3 JOY

OK, 2 things come immediately to mind. One is a song from elementary school.

I've got that joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart.
WHERE?
Down in my heart.
WHERE?
Down in my heart.
I've got that joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart.
WHERE?
Down in my heart to stay!!!

And the other thing that came to mind was my darling little "Pride and Joy"!
















4. LIMIT

Perhaps a word that I need to do some more research on. You've heard "The sky's the limit!". People with ADHD seem to take that message to heart.
Limit.....Use it, Say it, Remember it!!!!!!

5. CHEESE

Oh Puleeze!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thththththththth....that's all folks!!









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5 Words + Many Many More

Ok, this 5 word meme isn't going to be as easy as I expected it to. I'm thinking, "5 Words, Simple, Right?". So, there I go, jumping in with both feet once again. "Me, Me! I'll do it!" All of the sudden I have flashbacks of "Pay It Forward".

After 2 Xanax and a short nap, I was able to get THAT memory out of my head, whew!

But, because she is just so darn sweet, and has jumped into our little blogging community, and diligently blogged with the sincerity, wit and friendship that makes her officially one of the neighbors, well, OK 2Thinks. Here I go.

So I'm supposed to "expound" upon these words that 2Thinks "randomly"-ha- chose just for me, in order for you to get to know me better. I think most of you already know me pretty well. Sometimes, perhaps TOO well.

But, after expounding on these words with my hammer for a good 15 minutes, I began to realize that perhaps she had a different idea in mind.

To Expound- To explain, interpret, to make a detailed statement. OK, that isn't one of my words. I was just verifying that expound does NOT mean to beat something to smithereens with a hammer.

My Word Expoundtions --(I realize that isn't a real word, but now that I have written it, I like the sound of it....so it sticks.)

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Oh shoot. Now I've lost my list of words.

Monkeys Are Funny

I'll have it tomorrow...really...I will!

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Simply Today

Wow, I'm impressed. I'm actually going to follow up my last post with what I said I was going to do.

The Simple Woman's Daybook....Otherwise Known as "A Daybook Entry, or Something Like That". Partially revised and written while at Kings Dominion Amusement Park.

OUTSIDE- It is getting late in the day and the lights are lit up on the rides. My favorite time of day at King's Dominion.

I AM THINKING- Although I've been here numerous times in the past, this year is significantly less crowded. We seldom wait over 2-3 rotations to get on a ride. Although this is great for us, I don't see how a place as huge and expensive to operate like this, will be able to keep running if the next few years don't get any better.

I AM THANKFUL FOR- Seeing "Alberquando" and his cousin JT having such a great time. I am also thankful for the short lines. I am also thankful to see my cautious son breaking away from me, going off with his cousin, and riding some rides that I thought he would never get on.















FROM THE READING ROOM- I brought "90 Minutes in Heaven" to read while I am here. I borrowed it from Chatty Kelly about 6 months ago and finally picked it up to read. God's timing comes through again. As I have been feeling sorry for myself because I am in pain and my back is preventing me from doing so many of the things I love to do, there was a part of this book that was screaming out at me. The man, who was terribly hurt, was complaining about what he couldn't do. His friend told him to make a list of everything he COULD do. As I read that I realized that there is A LOT more that I can do, than cannot.

FROM THE KITCHEN- Do I smell funnel cakes?

I AM WEARING- Blue Jean shorts and an Albany, Oregon Fire Dept t-shirt. Of course I am in Virginia. But, when I bought a strobe flashing red light for my car (for running calls from home) the guy that sold it to me on e-bay, also included the t-shirt as a bonus. Firefighters=Family.

I AM CREATING- Memories. (For myself and hopefully for Alberquando and his cousin)

I AM GOING- to do a lot of walking today. But that's a good thing.

I AM HOPING-Actually nothing right at this moment. Just enjoying the occasional breeze and the chance to do a little bit of reading and writing.

AROUND THE HOUSE- Can't think of that right now. Way too much work to get done....it will still be there tomorrow.

I AM HEARING- Screaming from the rides. Laughter. Buzzers and bells from the games, and the sounds of the rides. But believe it or not, I am also hearing nothing as I sit here reading and writing.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS- Well, while I'm here I'd have to say thrill rides. There is one called the Drop Zone. It raises you v e r y s l o w l y up in the air 275 feet. Then it just drops all the way down. It feels like a free fall and it is a fabulous and exhilarating ride. (wonder why my back is messed up). I won't be riding anything today.
To give you an idea of how high 275 feet is, When I went Bungee Jumping, they only have you go up 100 feet. Also, the huge tall ladder on our fire truck goes up 100 feet. THAT is a lot. 275 feet is INCREDIBLE!

A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK- Ha, who knows. I do know that when we leave here, we're going home. And JT is spending the night. As for the rest......we shall see!! .


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A Daybook Entry.......Or Something Like That....Just Not Today

I have seen The Simple Woman's Daybook at various places, such as Bonita's and Sue J's blogs....among other places. I believe it is originally from Peggy.















Anyway, (I'll get back to that in a moment...if I remember to). This year we bought season passes to Kings Dominion (Amusement Park). My sister ET did too. It was probably one of the best investments we've made in a long time. I doubt there is anywhere we could go for even one weekend that would have cost less and we have made it a point to go once or twice a week.

I probably have as much fun as the kids. I love roller coasters and probably all of the rides, as long as they don't spin. I can go speeding along at 80 mph on a roller coaster, but put me on a carousel and after 3 or 4 rotations I really feel pretty ill.










Unfortunately, roller coasters and degenerative disks in your back just don't go well together.

I am not very good at just sitting. I usually need to be doing something. (however, I have learned to occasionally Shut Up And Listen).

Now when we go to Kings Dominion, I take my "Goodie Bag".

It is a back pack with a book, a notebook, a puzzle book, and a camera . I still get the exercise of walking all over the park with the kids, but when they ride the rides, i sit down (with the other little old ladies) and either read, write, or take pictures.









One of the things I did, was copy out The Simple Woman's Daybook and took that with me to do there. I thought it would put a different perspective on things, since they are usually done from ones home. I was going to type it our here, however, it has taken an entire post for me to type out what I was going to do...SO, my NEXT post will be The Simple Woman's Daybook from Kings Dominion....you know, I'm not sure how I feel about calling myself simple. I'm very sure I have been called many things, but Simple isn't one of them. I liked it when Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee called me A Whirling Dervish.









Maybe I'll just call it Today, Here and Now, or My Daybook. Then again, if I do that but take it completely from The Simple Woman's Daybook, it may look like I'm trying to commit perjury .... wait ...not perjury, I mean plagiarism. Hhhmmm... maybe I SHOULD call it The Simple Woman's Daybook. I DON'T KNOW!! Perhaps I'll call it Post #267

Nope, after checking the Thesaurus, and choosing the Synonyms that I wanted (there were some in there that weren't quite as nice), I found that Simple can also mean:
Clear
Understandable
Easy
Intelligible
Lucid
Uncomplicated
Opposite of MyADHDMe

(Ok, I added the last one)

SO, My next post will be some kind of Daybook. On the other hand, I may forget all about this and write about something completely different...... whew..............


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Mission : A "One Word" Story

After I did the One Word post this past Sunday, Edie @Rich Gifts gave me a mission to write a story about my answers.....USING AS MANY WORDS AS I WANTED TO. You see, being the queen of rationalising, One Word answers were VERY difficult.

It may be boring. It may be random (shock there!) It may not make sense. I have no idea what I'm going to write, but here goes.

First, here is a list of the words I used. If you want to know the questions, you need to check here.

Bench
Wild
Football
Psychotic
Smiling
Teenagers
Diet Coke
Firefighting
Messy
Telling
Contented
Screen Door
Trees
Computer
Shorts
On
Buzzing
Disorganized
Procrastinating
AWOL
Driveway
Kohl's
Hot
Green
Yesterday
No
Edie
Pizza
Fire Engine

Oh, I need to add that I cannot dispute.....If there is a space between two words, then that MUST classify as two words. IE....Diet Coke, Screen Door, and Fire Engine. I BELIEVE that Firefighting can go either way.

A ONE WORD STORY - From An ADHD Point Of View

I was sitting here typing away on my computer, which happened to be buzzing, and trying to come up with a post to write. I could hear my TV, that was still on, playing in the background. I had been meaning to write all day but, being the procrastinating person that I am, I hadn't gotten around to it.

So here I sat, sipping on a Diet Coke, wearing my favorite army green shorts (and a shirt) trying to think of something to write.

As I looked out the window and saw my car in the driveway, my mind began to wander.School was almost over for the year. Soon it would be hot hot hot. That's when I decided to go shopping at Kohl's instead. I was smiling as I started out the door. I took a quick look in the mirror, saw my hair was wild, as usual, and I walked out the door. 30 seconds later I came back in to get my cell phone. After looking around my messy room, I finally found it on the bench beside the table. I looked around at the disorganized room and decided to do a quick "pick-up" before I left. While I was straightening up, I opened a few windows and decided I really wanted a screen back door.

Finally, once again I started out the door. I then remembered I hadn't emailed Edie in a while. I decided to do a quick stop at my computer, send her an email, and then be on my way. After finishing the email, I started reading a few blogs. I smiled as I remembered laughing aloud yesterday when I read a few of them.

The sirens from the local fire dept were wailing in the distance. When I hear them and am not there, I get a feeling that I have gone AWOL. My dream was firefighting and I am grateful that I got to do it. I love riding on the fire engine. Speaking of dreams, I had the weirdest one last night. Something to do with a bunch of teenagers at my house. I can't remember how it ended. Of course that isn't surprising as I can't remember what I had for dinner last night either. Oh yeah, it was my favorite....Pizza!

OK, Time to leave NOW, or I won't get back before the school bus comes. I stopped at the mailbox to grab the mail (why else would I stop there?). Inside was a letter from my psychotic mother. She sends me one about 2-3 times a year to remind me what a bad daughter I am. Not to worry. No tears about that. I do, however, dread the day that some psychiatrist comes looking for me and tries to force me to tell him about her.

I often wonder how my dad, who was a high-school and college football quarterback, ended up with such a psychotic woman. She must have been relatively normal back then. But by the time we (the kids) came along, she was well on her way to crazy-dom. I wonder if the neighbors, who lived on our pretty block, with the trees making what looked like a tunnel over the road, had any idea?

Hopefully in the years to come, I will be contented. I hope my children will know how incredible they are to me and how much I love them and always will. I think they will.

Oh great. The school bus is here. I never made it to Kohl's. I never even came up with an idea for a new post. Oh well. There's always tomorrow.









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One Word

One Word. (which is actually two...)

Chatty Kelly and Edie both posted this meme a few months ago. It was on my list of things to post when my brain couldn't make complete sentences. So, here we are.

One Word....And ONLY One Word.

1. Where is your cell phone? Bench

2. Your hair? Wild










3. Your father? football










4. Your mother? psychotic















5. Your favorite thing? smiling














6. Your dream last night? teenagers

7. Your favorite drink? Diet Coke

8. Your dream? firefighting

9. The room you are in? Messy

10. Your Fear? Telling














11. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Contented

12. One of your wish list items? Screen-door

13. Where you grew up? Trees








14. The last thing you did? Computer

15. What you are wearing? Shorts

16. Your TV? On

17. Your computer? Buzzing

18. Your life? Disorganized

19. Your mood? Procrastinating















20. Missing Someone? AWOL

21. Your Car? Driveway

22. Your Favorite Store? Kohl's

23. Your Summer? Hot!

24. Your favorite color? green









25. Last time you laughed? Yesterday

26. Last time you cried? No










27. Someone who emails you? Edie








28. A Favorite Food? Pizza

29. A Place you would rather be right now? Fire-Engine






WHEW!! That was harder than I expected. There are so many questions, that one word is not a significant answer for! I had to put my ADHD on freeze in order to stop typing after one word.....of course the directions didn't say I couldn't add pictures!!

(yawn)

Have a great day!.




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Then Sings My Soul Saturday

Today I thought I would join in with the Then Sings My Soul Saturday theme.
I accidentally ran across this video while working on my Tuesday Guest Star day.
It's a fun song and if you are like me, you'll be humming it all day.

Have a terrific day....and Let The Sun Shine In!!">

To see more Then Sings My Soul songs, visit the meme at http://signsmiraclesandwonders.blogspot.com/

30 X 5 Recap.

Recap of 30 X 5.

Oh for goodness sake! 30 X 5. To "move" for 30 minutes, 5 times a week, for 2 weeks. EASY!!

Yep, that's what Linda, at 2nd Cup of Coffee wanted us to think.

I'm moving all the time. This was to be a VERY easy commitment to keep.
So why did I get that feeling in the pit of my stomach as soon as I hit the reply button on the comment section?

Well, I committed, so I would do it. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse.....there was a reply in MY comment section. It was Chatty kelly. SHE committed too. ACCOUNTABILITY! "Lets walk together!" she said.

umm..... ok.

Don't get me wrong. I love CK and love talking and visiting. It's that accountability thing. I love walking with someone too. It's just that darn accountability thing. Then there's that little factor of CK and I being the Heat Miser and the Cold Miser (literally AND figuratively).








CK- "Brrrr. It's cold"
ADHD- "Whew! It's HOT out here!"

CK -"Let's go 31 minutes just to be sure"
ADHD- "28 1/2 minutes. That's close enough"

CK.- " OK, Lets go".
ADHD- "WAIT...I need a water bottle. I should grab a t-shirt in case I get warm (those hot flashes can come out of nowhere). Where's my cell? Opps, I forgot to lock the car. ..." 20 min later...."Ok, lets go."

ADHD- "It's raining. I guess we'll do it tomorrow instead"
CK- "It's raining. Good thing the church has an indoor track".

CK-"I did an hour today. Extra credit, I guess".
ADHD- "I did an hour today. Does that mean I can skip tomorrow?"






So you get the idea.

DAY 1- DID IT! Worked HARD in the backyard stacking fire wood.

DAY 2- DID IT! Walked with CK.

DAY 3- Very Sore from moving firewood on Day 1. I'll skip today

Day 4- Migraine

Day 5- Migraine

Day 6- Migraine

Day 7- Had what I call a "headache hangover", when your headache is ALMOST gone, but ready to jump out and grab you it you move too fast.

Day 8- Maybe I'll walk tomorrow.

Day 9- 30X5, What was that again?

Day 10- Phone call from CK. "How is your 30X5 going"....I changed the subject (a typical thing for ADHD).

Day 11-Monkeys Are Funny.

Day12- I cleaned today. Does that count? Somehow, I think not.

Day 13- I only signed up because I thought there was a prize!!!

Day 14- I GOT IT!! duh. 30 X 5 = 150!!

Why didn't I just say that in the first place?