Thought for the day

You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need ~ The Rolling Stones



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Flashback friday: what I was doing 1 year ago

This was actually 11 months ago, but close enough.

For our 14th wedding anniversary (and the 23rd anniversary of our first date), Husband and I dropped Child off at my parents' house and the two of us spent a lovely romantic weekend in the mountains at The Lodge at Kananaskis.


We stayed in a suite — with a sitting room! (It takes so little to impress me.)

The blue bag on the floor has a nightgown in it. I forgot to pack one, so we had to stop on our way out there so I could buy one — not that I actually expected to wear it (after all, it was our anniversary).


This gigantic bed is part of the reason I figured I wouldn't be needing that nightgown...


...and this luxurious whirlpool tub is the other part of the reason.


This was the view from our window. It was snowing and cold outside when we arrived, but inside the lodge it was warm and cozy.


The snow eventually stopped and the sun came out. ... I barely noticed. I was having too much fun in that tub!

Thought for the day

I love that you get cold when it is 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle in your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. ~ When Harry Met Sally



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Girl talk

Me [catching a glimpse of the cartoon Child was watching]: Did they just show that character naked?

Child: Yes, but they digitalized his private parts.

Me: They have to do that. They're not allowed to show boys' twigs and berries on TV.

Child: Ewwww!! Twigs and berries, that's so gross! ... What do girls have, a gopher hole?

Thought for the day

Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be. ~ Henry David Thoreau



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

I want to be a kid

(via: Incredimazing)



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Does this sound wrong to you (or am I just incredibly juvenile)?

On our intranet at work there's a little write-up about a different employee each week. It's supposed to be one of those morale-boosting things. Last week, this was the headline that introduced the profiled employee:

Animal loving is just part of the job

My morale was definitely boosted.

Thought for the day

If God wants people to suffer, he sends them too much understanding. ~ Yiddish proverb



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Slutty 40 year olds

Me: According to my site meter, somebody found my blog yesterday by googling the phrase "slutty 40 year olds"!

[co-workers laugh]

Me: In my defense, though, it was because I wrote something about slutty 40 year olds. It wasn't about me.

G [grinning]: No, it was probably about me.

Me: Don't be silly. You're not 40.

Thought for the day

Never say anything about yourself you do not want to come true. ~ Brian Tracy



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

I want to thank the Academy...

What would you win an Oscar for?



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Coffee, tea, or me?

Are you coffee or tea?

I may not allow myself to feel rushed or frenzied, but it manages to happen anyway.

And I'm not sure if I'm content with my life or just complacent...

Thought for the day

Someday I want to be rich. Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be. ~ Rita Rudner



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Flashback Friday: honeymoon in Disneyland

I'm participating in Flashback Friday!

Flashback to 1994...

My dad's a little old fashioned, so even though Husband and I had lived together for over 7 years, my dad still wished we would get married. To coax us toward matrimony, Dad even offered to give us a trip to Disneyland if we would wed!

Oddly enough (or should I say suspiciously?), not too long after that, Husband proposed to me.

It was the morning of my 26th birthday, a Saturday. Husband was acting very mysterious and asked me to go for a ride in the car with him. When I inquired about our destination, all he would say was that it was a surprise.

Husband drove to a registry office and parked in the parking lot. Then he turned to me with a serious look on his face and blurted, "Let's get married."

"Sure," I laughed. "When?"

Quite honestly, I thought he was joking. We had been together for a total of 9 years and for 7 of those we were living in sin. So this seemed a little ... unreal.

"How about Wednesday?" he answered.

I, of course, burst into tears and accepted.

Things moved very quickly. We got the marriage license that day at the registry. On Monday we contacted a marriage commissioner. On Tuesday we bought wedding bands. On Wednesday afternoon we asked a couple of friends to be our witnesses (we were newbies at the wedding thing and didn't even realize we needed witnesses until that day).

On Wednesday evening we were married in the commissioner's office. Husband wore jeans and I wore a chambray dress. It was casual and it was beautiful and we both cried like babies through the whole ceremony.

Afterward, we took our witnesses out to dinner at McDonald's (which is where we first met).

Dad kept his word and gave us the trip as a wedding present. And Husband and I honeymooned in Disneyland four months later. Like two giddy children, we rode every ride (at least twice), we saw every site, and we experienced every experience we could possibly cram into our visit to the happiest place on Earth. We were the happiest couple on Earth!



Many months later, Husband confessed to me that his original plan was to present me with a surprise marriage license to go along with his suprise marriage proposal. When he went to the registry to apply for one, however, the somewhat puzzled clerk explained to him that in order to apply for a marriage license you kind of need to have a bride with you! :o)

I want to wake up in Disneyland!

Disneyland ~ Five for Fighting

It's a nice day when you wake up in Disneyland...
It's a nice day should you wake up in Disneyland...
It's your lucky day should you wake up in Disneyland...
It's a nice day should you wake up in Disneyland...



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Say NO to boring chicken!

Husband, Child and I eat a lot of chicken (partly because Child and I don't care for fish). Child prefers her chicken totally plain, but Husband and I refuse to eat plain old chicken. We're constantly on the lookout for interesting, tasty chicken recipes and, as a result, I have a binder packed FULL of about 1001 different ways to prepare chicken!

Some nights, though, we don't feel like making a big, involved meal. For those occasions I have a couple of quickie chicken recipes.

Check out this fast and easy way to make flavorful chicken breasts on the barbecue (since it's winter, Husband has been using the griddle/grill I gave him for Christmas instead of grilling outside)!

Or, try this one that's similar, yet different.

Bon appétit!

Thought for the day

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not. ~ Mark Twain



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

dis maed me laff

The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

10 songs that describe my life

1. Unwell ~ Matchbox Twenty
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know, right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me

2. Call and Answer ~ Barenaked Ladies (this song always reminds me of my mother)
But I'm warning you, don't ever do
those crazy, messed-up things that you do
If you ever do,
I promise you I'll be the first to crucify you
Now it's time to prove that you've come back
here to rebuild

3. Echo Beach ~ Martha and the Muffins
From nine till five I have to spend my time at work
The job is very boring, I'm an office clerk
The only thing that helps pass the time away
Is knowing I'll be back at Echo Beach some day

4. Stay Home ~ Film Dialogue
I wanna stay home today, don't wanna go out
If anyone comes to play, they're gonna get thrown out
I wanna stay home today, don't want no company no way

5. Online ~ Brad Paisley
I'm so much cooler online.

6. Soak Up the Sun ~ Sheryl Crow
It's not having what you want
It's wanting what you've got

7. In My Life ~ Bette Midler (I always think of Husband when I hear this song)
Though I know I'll never ever lose affection
For people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think about them.
In my life I love you more.

8. In My Daughter's Eyes ~ Martina McBride (this song makes me think of Child — and it gets me all weepy)
In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I wanna be
In my daughter's eyes

9. I'm Beautiful ~ Bette Midler
I'm not too short, I'm not too tall,
I'm not too big, I'm not too small.
Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself!
Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself!
I'm not too white, I'm not too black,
I'm not too this, I'm not too that.
Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself!
Ooh, don't lemme start lovin' myself!
I'm beautiful, dammit!

10. The Change ~ Garth Brooks
And I hear them saying you'll never change things
And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so this world will know
That it will not change me

Join in the fun at Ten on Tuesday!

Thought for the day

To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed. ~ Bernard Edmonds



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Childisms

Child, 2007

***************

Child [picking something from between her toes]: I have plastic where my toe jam's supposed to be!

***************

Child [explaining the plot of an episode of Spectacular Spiderman]: The bad guy, er girl actually, got him to steal something once. She manipulized him.

***************

Child [quoting from Futurama upon seeing our new IKEA TV stand]: Bad news! The super-collider super exploded. I need you to take it back and exchange it for a wobbly CD rack and some of those rancid meatballs.

***************

Child [explaining the plot of a video game]: So Link met Tetra and she was a pirate and they went on adventures together, but then they discovered that Tetra was Princess Zelda ... and Tetra didn't even know!

Me: It sounds like Days of Our Lives.

Child: I don't know what world you're living in.

***************

Husband: Would you like me to carry you to your bed?

Child [barely able to keep her eyes open]: No, I can walk. I have two arms.

***************

This Childism is from about 7 years ago.

Me [frustrated from dealing with an obstinate 3-year-old all day]: Argh! You're so argumentative!!!

Child: No, you're argumentative.

Thought for the day

Careful. We don't want to learn from this. ~ Bill Watterson



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Frustration

I made this cool poster with the Swissmaker 1.0 at Anyone Can Swiss!



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Precisely

What's your Valentine's Day personality?

I heart my family

Happy Valentine's Day!





I made these nifty Valentine's Day word hearts at Neoformix!

Thought for the day

I don't want to live. I want to love first, and live incidentally. ~ Zelda Fitzgerald



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Flashback Friday: love, look at the 2 of us

I'm participating in Flashback Friday!

Flashback to 1985...

Some of my friends worked with him at McDonald's. They constantly gushed about how cute and sweet and thoughtful he was. They were absolutely certain he'd be perfect for me. I finally gave in and went to McDonald's to get a look at this Mr. Perfect.

He was soooo cute! I barely even noticed the bleak brown polyester uniform he was wearing (complete with ugly visor). I was already smitten with the tall, dark boy I saw at the back of the kitchen assembling hamburgers.

One of my friends introduced us and I started to conveniently be at McDonald's around the time I knew he'd be getting off work each day. And, since I was there anyway, I would offer him a ride home.

I began to think about him all the time. Just glimpsing him would make my heart skip a beat. It felt like we might kinda, sorta, possibly have some chemistry, so I was perplexed when, after a few rides home, he still hadn't asked me out.

Finally one day I couldn't stand it any longer. I screwed up my courage, and during the drive I asked him out. Me! Shy little me! It was the brashest thing I had ever done. And he said yes!! I was so astonished I almost drove off the road.

To this day I can't believe my father actually let me go out with him ... because he picked me up for our first date in a big black van with a bed in the back! But my dad did let me go. And the rest, as they say, is history.

This is us when I was 17 and he was 19. God, we were adorable!



He brought me a rose every time we went on a date. Surprisingly, a few of the ones I kept are still intact!



This is a Valentine he gave me — or maybe it was a "just because" card.



Husband and I dated for a couple of years and then moved in together. We eventually got married, on the 9th anniversary of our first date.

This spring we will celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary ... and the 24th anniversary of our first date!

I love you Husband. Happy Valentine's Day.

Happy Friday the 13th!

(via: Savage Chickens)

Thought for the day

I do not want people to be agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them. ~ Jane Austen



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

I want candy!

I took a quiz to find out which candy heart message best represents my personality. Sadly, the results are quite accurate (except I've already found my ideal mate!):

You scored 40%
"FAX ME"
Does business tend to come before pleasure in your life? "Fax Me," a more modern heart message, was recently introduced for the tech-savvy crowd, and this means you. Your ideal mate is someone who supports your lofty ambitions. But potential dates will have to work just as hard to win your attention because you are so preoccupied with your career. Be mindful of what they say about all work and no play. This Valentine's Day, consider leaving the laptop, cell phone and PDA at home and really painting the town red.

I would change the message slightly, though, to TXT ME. We in the "tech-savvy crowd" don't use fax machines very often anymore!


Make your own candy heart with the ACME Heart Maker!



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Me talk good

What kind of communicator are you?

I can't help wondering, though: What the heck is the picture supposed to be?!?!

Thought for the day

On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time. ~ George Orwell



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

10 favorite children's movies

I adore "children's" movies, so it was really tough to narrow my list down to only 10! I've decided to list just my 10 favorite animated movies (these are my favorites today; tomorrow my list could change completely!):

1. Enchanted (I know, not totally animated, but I'm still counting it)
2. Spirited Away
3. Howl's Moving Castle
4. The Incredibles
5. Finding Nemo
6. Toy Story 2
7. Kiki's Delivery Service
8. Wall-E
9. Beauty & the Beast
10. The Little Mermaid

edited to add: Whoops! Looks like I did last week's topic instead of this week's "10 favorite places to shop". That's typical for me; can't follow directions and always a step behind!

Anyway, my 10 favorite places to shop are Etsy x 10. There, that was easy. :o)

This made me grin

Spotted this photo on Flickr. Thank you to the photographer for making my day!


(image credit: designwallah)

Thought for the day

After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say "I want to see the manager." ~ William S. Burroughs



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Thought for the day

If you don't get what you want, it's a sign either that you did not seriously want it, or that you tried to bargain over the price. ~ Rudyard Kipling



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Thought for the day

There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second. ~ Logan Pearsall Smith



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

Fer sure, fer sure

What's your 80s karaoke song?

True, very true. Times have changed, though, and while I still adore the song, I prefer the Saturday's Child version of it now (have a listen!).

The Pope wants us to spend less time on Facebook

"It would be sad if our desire to sustain and develop on-line friendships were to be at the cost of our availability to engage with our families, our neighbours and those we meet in the daily reality of our places of work, education and recreation. If the desire for virtual connectedness becomes obsessive, it may in fact function to isolate individuals from real social interaction while also disrupting the patterns of rest, silence and reflection that are necessary for healthy human development." ~ Pope Benedict XVI

Don't worry, I'm sure he just meant Facebook, not blogging. Blogging good. Facebook bad.

(Link. via: The Poptimist)



The NaBloPoMo theme this month is: WANT

That's me alright

What office supply are you?

Would you be at all surprised to learn that I am an analyst?

Friday fill-ins

1. Please don't tell Husband that I ordered one of these for him (I just had to tell someone because I'm so excited I managed to get one of these amazing little gems!).

2. Can you sleep late in the morning?

3. The color chartreuse makes me want to weep! (it's a putrid color)

4. I have a craving for a change of scenery career-wise.

5. If my life had a pause button, I'd pause it when Child was a toddler. Life moved way too quickly back then and I didn't get enough time to enjoy it!

6. Eyes are the most honest part of a face. A mouth may lie, but eyes don't.

7. And, as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to pizza and a Slurpee, tomorrow my plans include a much-needed haircut, and Sunday I want to take Child to the new Coraline movie!

Join in the fun at Friday Fill-ins!

Flashback Friday: remember it's inner beauty that counts

I'm participating in Flashback Friday!

Flashback to 1982...

When I was 14, a new hairdresser set up shop in the small town where I lived. In a town where all the hairdressers were frumpy, middle-aged, gossipy women with over-teased hair, a new, cool young MAN (named Bruce, no less!) was a huge deal.

The super-chic high school girl with the asymmetrical haircut who modeled after school and weekends went to Bruce, which was good enough for me. I made an appointment.

When I sat down in Bruce's chair and started to tell him what I wanted , he stopped me and told me he knew what I needed. I had reservations, but I was a quiet, timid teen and he was cool, so I didn't argue. Big mistake. I went home afterward and cried for three days.

It was horrible. Bruce had given me a travesty bordering on a mullet! And he must have sensed that I was self-conscious about the pimples on my forehead because he made sure to eliminate my bangs almost completely! I was miserable, as you can no doubt tell from the photo.

My 14-year-old self thought that haircut was the worst thing that ever happened to me. Oh, the humanity!