Exceedingly Mundane

Feast One Hundred & Nine
Friday, September 01, 2006

Appetizer
What are some lyrics you have misheard (such as, instead of “Gettin’ Jiggy With It” you heard “Kick a chicken with it”)? I do this a lot, and I always try to “cover” for it and sing along with whatever lyrics I think fit. I can’t think of a single thing right now, but maybe something will click later 😆

Soup
What is the worst movie you have ever seen? Let’s see, recently we rented “The Matador” which was horrible. Probably in my lifetime, the two worst movies I have ever watched were “Reds” and especially “Any Given Sunday”. We thought it was going to be a good football movie and it was just horrible. Debase, excessively bad language, etc. I wish I could get that time back from watching those movies 🙁

Salad
Using the letters from your favorite number, write a sentence. Example: Tomorrow has really easy experiences. Well, my favorite number is eighteen, so let’s give it a whirl: Excellent Invited Guests Have Time Every Evening Night. OK, that was bad, I know it

Main Course
What was the most interesting news story you have heard this week? Maybe not most interesting, but I was glad to read about gas prices,they think they are going to come down more before the end of the year. The article I read in the paper said they would be closer to $2 a gallon rather than $3 a gallon by Thanksgiving. Yippee!

Dessert
Which word(s) would you choose to describe your wardrobe? Um, boring? Plain, tomboyish. I wear shorts, tshirts, capris, sleeveless tanks in the summer, jeans and sweatshirts in the winter.

1. Do you do dishes by hand or do you use a dishwasher? Both. I use the dishwasher for plates, bowls, silverware and glasses. I usually handwash things like my cookware (pots, pans, casserole dishes, etc) and all of the prep items. The one exception is that if something has touched a raw meat, I definitely put it in the dishwasher.

2. How many people have your cell phone number? I have no idea, about 20 maybe? Maybe more, not sure

3. Do you shower in the morning or at night? Morning

4. Do you ever have a song ‘stuck’ in your head? Yes, a lot! I will hear snippets of songs on the radio, TV, while surfing, and even reading them. My sister Gail uses song titles for a lot of her blog posts at her blog, and that will usually get a song stuck in my head!

5. Do you pay your bills when they arrive, or do you wait until closer to the due date to pay them? Closer to the due date, although the majority of our bills are setup on a draft from our bank.

6. Are you obsessive about anything in particular? Well, Tim doesn’t call me “Monk” for nothing! Yes, I am about little things – that keys are hanging on the key holder, that stuff in the refrigerator is in the right spot, things like that. I’m sure I could come up with a lot more!

7. What one thing would you say you have a zero tolerance for? People hurting children or animals

Friday, August 25, 2006
Feast One Hundred & Eight

Appetizer – If you could have a free subscription to any magazine, which one would you like to have? Hmmm, how about Cooking Light, Everyday Food or Real Simple Magazine. Or better yet “All of the Above” 😀

Soup – Describe your living room (furnishings, colors, etc.). Well, my living room recently changed into something I don’t like as much, since Tim bought his big screen TV a week ago. I still like the rest of the furniture, overstuffed couch, overstuffed chairs, one with ottoman (greens and browns, kinda earthy colors), cherry coffee table and end tables. I like my brick fireplace with mantle at one end, framed by windows. It’s the entertainment center that’s bugging me at the moment, but unfortunately, it’s a week old and we’ll probably keep it for a decade or so. Sigh 🙁

Salad – What does the shape of a circle make you think of? My wedding ring, which symbolizes God’s love for us, perfect and never-ending.

Main Course – Name 3 things in your life that you consider to be absolute necessities. Maybe my family, my home and food?

Dessert – What was the last really funny movie you watched? I am drawing a complete and total blank. I watched some of “The Princess Bride” last night, which I love, before the remote was taken away from me by you-know-who 🙂

1. Would you shave your head for any amount of money? If yes, how much? Probably not, I would look just pitiful without hair. I’ve often thought if I got sick or had chemo and lost my hair, I’d probably be the type of person who would go get a wig. I’d try to wear a bandanna or hat, but I think I’d cave and get a wig. So no, I don’t think I’d voluntarily do it for money.

2. What “whacky” thing might you do for a large sum of money? Probably nothing, I’m not adventurous at all, don’t like dares and I have so many phobias (heights, snakes, etc) that I wouldn’t even consider most things that would be considered “whacky” 🙂

3. What do you think is a “large sum of money?” $100,000 or more

4. Do you watch “reality” tv shows? Yes, we watch Survivor and Amazing Race and love both of those. We’ve been watching Treasure Hunters this summer and have liked that one also. I plan on watching “Dancing with the Stars” again this fall, and Idol next January. We don’t watch any of the others though

5. If so, which do you watch and in what order do you prefer them? If not, are there any you may consider watching? No order of preference, for the specifics, see above!

6. Which reality show have you thought about participating in? Why?I would like to be able to do Race, but I know my limitations. I would crack under the pressure. I’m not a seasoned traveler by any means and I think I would have trouble with the pace of the thing, and the challenges.

7. Share one thing you would like to do in life but have not yet done….. think about why you haven’t done it and share if you wish. My lifelong dream is to go to England and Scotland. I’m going to get there one day!

Friday, August 18, 2006
Feast One Hundred & Seven

Appetizer
What color is your car? Burgundy red. Got it a little over a year ago, you can see a picture here 🙂

Soup
If you could wake up tomorrow with full training in another occupation and a job in that field, what would it be? Paralegal or Chef 🙄 Or maybe a food critic, I think I’d like that job!!

Salad
How many times in your life have you had the flu (or something similar)? Hmm, maybe 2 or 3?? I can remember at least 2, and one of them was terrible. I couldn’t really even get out of bed for days. Total bummer.

Main Course
What is something that has happened to you this week that you didn’t expect? To eat out twice on Thursday! Ack, it was really good and I enjoyed both times, but oh my, the extra calories are going to do me in 🙂

Dessert
How old were you when you had your first kiss? Apparently it wasn’t very memorable, because I don’t remember!

1. How many “people” pictures do you have displayed in your house? A bunch. That’s mostly what I have sitting on tables and hanging on the wall. And mirrors, we have a lot of mirrors (easier to pick out than art or pictures). I would say there are at least a dozen, either hanging on the wall, sitting on my console table, in my book shelves, or on dressers/tables.

2. How many times a month/year do you rearrange your furniture? If our furniture would fit more than one or two ways, we would probably do it more often. Tim grew up with his mom moving furniture often; me, my mom probably never moved anything in 30 years. Our den furniture and one bedroom are the only rooms where the furniture will actually fit more than one way in the room. Still, we probably move something every year or so.

3. Do you check your email every day? If so, how many times a day?Good grief, do I. Every day, many many many times a day. I keep it up, so I just have to glance to see if I have anything new.

4. How often do you generally look at a clock/watch on any given day? Hmm, not sure. Maybe half a dozen times a day? Maybe more, I really have no clue.

5. How do you handle telemarketer phone calls? With caller id, we don’t pick up the phone unless we recognize the name or number. So I don’t have to hassle with them nearly as much any more. Thank goodness!

Friday, August 11, 2006
Feast One Hundred & Six

Appetizer
Tell about a toy you remember from your childhood.If you’ve read much of my blog before (or you’re one of my sisters, LOL), you probably know that I have this huge gap in my memory where my childhood should be. I don’t remember much of anything. When I do get a random memory in my head, I get all excited, thinking “I remembered something!”. I have no idea why, but I don’t remember much. However, I do have a little stuffed dog that I had in later childhood or maybe my early teenage years that I loved. I named him “Rayford” and I still have him to this day.

Soup
If you could make one thing in the world absolutely free for everyone, what would it be? Off the top of my head, probably medical care. I think it’s a basic need and would go great lengths towards helping solve some of the world’s problems if everyone was fed and taken care of properly

Salad
Approximately how many times per day do you think about your significant other? A lot! He’s working from home a lot now (2-3 days a week usually) and I think of him because he’s here, and I think of him when he’s not here because I miss him 🙂

Main Course
What is something you believe in 100%? That Jesus died on the cross for my sins

Dessert
Name one thing you have done this week that you would consider a “good deed.”How about that guy I let pull out in front of me the other day, even though he didn’t wave or smile his thanks in any way?

UPDATE: OK, I did a really good deed this afternoon – I was in Walmart picking up some household and grocery items. There was a very elderly gentleman walking around, pushing a buggy, looking lost. I asked him if there was anything I could help him with, and he said he needed ice trays. I very slowly followed him to the housewares section (he was in the groceries) and searched several aisles quickly while he waited at the end of an aisle. Then, when I found the right aisle, I went and got him and took him where the trays were. They were on a bottom shelf, so I got out all the ones they had, and showed him and helped him decide which ones to get (we got the Rubbermaid ones, they were thicker!). I felt really good that I stopped to ask him. He looked very frail and was moving so slow. I hope I saved him some steps 🙂

I missed this meme on Sunday and meant to do it. Sorry I’m so late Sindee! 🙂

~Let’s Go Shopping~

By the way…
When out shopping, do you prefer to use cash, check, or a credit card? Credit card. We put everything on one card that pays us money back and then pay it off every month.
Would you describe yourself as a budgeter or a free spender? Budgeter. Saver. Frugal. Cheap. You name it, I’ve been called it 🙂
Do you use coupons and watch for sales? Absolutely, all the time.
Where do you do most of your everyday shopping? For groceries and household items, mostly at Walmart. With some Sam’s Club and Target thrown in for good measure
Name a favorite store where you buy clothing. Kohl’s. I’ve been buying most of my clothes there since our store opened 1 1/2 years ago. Love that place!
If you could go on a shopping spree in ANY store, which would it be and why? Right now, I would like nothing better than all new appliances for my kitchen. So, I guess Sears for Kenmore appliances, or Lowe’s or Home Depot for comparable ones. As a second choice, I’d get Pergo laminate flooring for our house and pay someone to install it so we wouldn’t have to do the labor!

Postscript: Even though these were easy to answer, the real “me” didn’t come out. I actually don’t like to shop that much. I’ve been married to Tim for so long, and he detests going shopping for anything. The longer we’re together, the more I am like that. I only go out of necessity, 98% of the time. I do like going with my sister or friends though. It’s much more fun to go shopping with the girls!

1. Are you working on any big projects around your house right now? Not at the moment. I have a lot I want to do, but we haven’t found or made the time to start any of them. I also have a long to-do list for Tim, but he hasn’t touched that in a long time! 😆
2. If so, tell us about it; if not, do you have any plans to do so in the near future? We want to pull up the carpeting in the living room and dining room and put down laminate flooring. We’re also looking at rearranging the den, getting rid of some furniture, and getting a bigger entertainment center to hold the big screen TV that Tim wants to buy 🙄
3. How do you generally pay for merchandise at your local store? Debit, credit, check, or cash? Credit. We put everything on one card that earns us money back and then pay it off at the end of the month.
4. Which month of the year seems to go by the fastest? Probably December
5. Which day of the week seems to go by the fastest? Friday
6. Have you taken up any new hobbies lately? No, but I’m doing a lot of reading and loving it. I want to pick back up scrapbooking, but I can’t seem to make the time to dive in, between blogging and reading (and staying so busy with Tim at night and on the weekends)

Appetizer
Name an actor or actress you think is totally underappreciated. Well, this requires more brain power than I possess at this time of the morning 🙂 How about Clive Owen (King Arthur) or Christian Bale (Batman Begins)? I really like both, but I don’t think they got nearly enough press for those movies or others.

Soup
Impress us by using a big word in a sentence. {Spoken to Tim}… You’re trying to be very surreptitious, but I know what you’re up to!

Salad
What is something inanimate that you’ve given a name to (such as a pet rock)? I’ve named cars in the past. We bought a Pontiac Bonneville several years ago, so I named her “Bonnie”. Then, Tim got his big honkin 4×4 pickup and I named him Clyde. We traded in Bonnie for my new SUV (as yet unnamed), but Clyde stuck. 😀

Main Course
What color would best represent your personality and why? My favorite color is green, so I guess I’ll go with that. Green is rather calming and peaceful, earthy and homey to me. There ya go 🙂

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: ____________ is so ____________. Chocolate is SO Good!

1. Do you have a photo blog? If so, feel free to share the link with us!No separate photo blog, but I post pictures here frequently, I have a Flickr account on my sidebar to the right, and I post family and vacation pictures on our regular website, Hambones.

2. How many pets do you own, and what are their names? If none, have you had a favorite pet in the past? None currently, but I’m wanting to get another dog. We lost my beloved Sally too long ago and I’m ready for a new dog. On a happy note, my sister Suzanne just got a new dog, her name is Nevada and she looks so beautiful. Check out the top two or three posts on her blog, here.

3. How many times a week does the carpet in your house get vacuumed? No carpet? How many times a MONTH do your floors get mopped? Carpet gets vacuumed at least once a week, sometimes twice. Floors get swept and mopped once a week. Which, unfortunately is today, Mondays I do carpet and the kitchen floors. Tuesdays I do the bathrooms and bathroom floors. Yuck.

4. Which room in your house do you spend the most time in? That’s probably a toss-up between the den and office (where my computer is!)

5. Have you read any good books lately? I have read 43 books so far this year and enjoyed almost every single one of them, for different reasons. Of the last few that I have read, I probably most enjoyed Shem Creek and The Secret Life of Bees. You can check out all the books I’ve read this year and last year at the top of my blog, or click here.

6. What is your biggest source of news? (Newspaper? Television? Radio? Other?) Hmm, I probably would have to say a toss-up between the Internet and local newspaper.

Friday, July 28, 2006
Feast One-Hundred & Four

Appetizer
What’s the funniest dream you can remember having? I rarely ever remember my dreams, and what bits and pieces I do remember are never funny. More like weird, confused or even downright upsetting. I apparently do not dream happy or funny dreams!

Soup
If you were a dog, what breed would you be, and why? I would have to say a golden retriever. They are my favorite breed of dogs, what I’ve had all my life. They are sweet, lovable, devoted, loyal, always happy, always wanting to please.

Salad
Continue this sentence: “I get confused when…” I have to figure out how to take something apart or put something together. I’m not mechanical and I don’t see how things go together.

Main Course
Name two things that need to be done, but you are procrastinating in completing. Oh my – just two?! I’m the world’s worst procrastinator. I need to clean out the coil burners on my stovetop (I have an old stove, I want a new smoothtop one, wah!) since they are really dirty. I also need to start decluttering and cleaning our home office. It’s a nightmare in there!

Dessert
When was the last time you tried something new, and what was it? The first thing that comes to mind is the alligator that Tim made me try! We went to Islamorada Fish Company in Bass Pro Shop and he ordered alligator for our appetizer. It was…. kinda chewy!

OK, I’ve seen this rather long meme posted on a lot of blogs, and I thought it was high time I played along. I swiped it from Dawn, who said she swiped it from Divine Reality. It’s long, so be sure to click the link to read them all, if you’re so inclined 🙂

Meme-ology

GRUB-OLOGY

What is your salad dressing of choice? Usually a balsamic vinaigrette or honey mustard

What is your favorite fast food restaurant? Sonic!

What is your favorite sit down restaurant? Tough to choose, maybe a local Italian or Chinese place

On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant? on average, about 15%

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? Not sure, but maybe some Chinese or Italian, a little more variety in there than say, maybe, pizza

Name three foods you detest above all others. Beets, oysters, turnip greens

What is your favorite dish to order in a Chinese restaurant? Either sesame chicken or a shrimp/cabbage dish at one place (but I’ve never seen it at any other Chinese place!)

What are your pizza toppings of choice? pepperoni and mushroom or ham and pineapple

What do you like to put on your toast? butter and grape jelly

What is your favorite type of gum? lately, I’ve been getting Trident strawberry-lime

TECH-OLOGY

Number of contacts in your cell phone? 60

Number of contacts in your email address book? about 100, didn’t count

What is your wallpaper on your computer? a beach scene, ocean, palm trees (came with Windows XP I think)

What is your screensaver on your computer? lakes, streams, waterfalls. Got a water theme going here right now!

Are there naked pictures saved on your computer? Heavens no. Unless you count a random picture or two of some niece or nephew having their diaper changed 🙂

How many land line phones do you have in your house? 5

How many televisions are in your house? 3

What kitchen appliance do you use the least? Hmmm, I have several I use only sporadically, but they still get used. Don’t use the blender that often. Haven’t used the Foreman lately because Tim usually grills out.

What is the format of the radio station you listen to the most? country

How many sex toys do you own that require batteries? None. Duh.

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1. I won’t eat past 8 o’clock in the evening. No later than 8 PM, if I can help it, and I really prefer to eat before 7 PM. I ate late with Don, Gail and Tim one night recently, at about 9 PM, and that was a huge mistake. I will do my best not to do that again

2. My favorite subject for photographing is Tim! It used to be our puppy dog Sally, and I still miss her. I want a new dog!

3. I use Kodak or Adobe Photoshop Elements most often to edit my photographs. Actually, I do very little editing of my photographs. I mainly only take out red-eye, sometimes a little cropping, and I size them down to include them on my blog. I need to learn to do more in Adobe, but I just haven’t taken the time to learn.

4. If I’m having trouble sleeping, I usually take a Tylenol PM.

5. When I’m hungry for a snack, I usually eat something sweet, or something salty!!!! This one is really hard to answer, it depends on how hungry I am, what is around for me to snack on, and the biggie – if I want something sweet or something salty. I normally choose sweets (chocolate, usually), but lately I’ve been snacking on sunflower seeds and soy nuts (roasted and salted).

Friday, July 21, 2006
Feast One Hundred and Three

Appetizer
Fill in the blanks: I ____________ when I _____________. I perspire along my upper lip when I cry! OK – explanation. I went to get coffee and asked my husband if he could help me come up with an answer to this one and this was what he immediately responded with. I know it’s weird. I’m probably the only person on the planet that does this, and it’s only when I really gear up and cry a lot, when I’m really upset. I don’t know why I do it, and frankly, I’m not sure why I posted this! 🙄

Soup
Name something you use to make your home smell good. Well, I love all of my Yankee Candles, and often burn them just for me to smell, or especially if we’re going to have company over

Salad
If you could receive a coupon in the mail for 50% off any product, what would you want it to be for? Well, these days, I really want new kitchen appliances, so 50% off would be reallly nice!

Main Course
Besides sleeping, what do you spend the majority of the hours of your typical day doing? Hmm, how about cooking, cleaning, running the house, along with some mindless TV/computer/internet thrown in for good measure?!

Dessert
What can you hear right now while answering these questions? morning TV, flipping between Good Morning America and the Today Show – Taylor Hicks is going to be on GMA, gotta hear him!