Exceedingly Mundane

I’m going to cheat and piggyback off of yesterday’s post about calendars. I blogged about the fact that I’m a throwback to a previous generation. As much as I love technology and all of the geeky things available to us today, I still hang on to some older things. Case in point – calendars. I use electronic ones constantly, but I still have a paper one hanging on my wall near my computer.

Same with newspapers. I read news online, watch it on TV, listen to it on the radio sporadically, and still, we get a newspaper delivered daily. It’s something I’ve done since I was out of college and living on my own. I grew up in a household where you read the morning paper over coffee (and in my mom’s case, with a cigarette in your hand, while you worked the crossword puzzle). It’s something I’ve never completely let go of, although these days, I’m as likely to read the paper in the evenings as much as I am in the mornings.

I do love getting a paper for several other reasons. I love getting the localized news, the neighborhood kind of news. I love seeing the recipes and articles in our food section. I like our Entertainment section that comes out on Thursdays. I like being able to grab the paper and look up a movie time if we’re running out to a movie. But most of all, I love the coupons and circular ads on the weekends!!!

So, that’s today’s Question of the Day – do you get a newspaper delivered to your house? If so, it is daily or just on the weekends? If not, how do you prefer to get your news, on the computer, tv or what source?

Today’s photo over on my photoblog is of the calendar I have hanging near my computer. It’s from Local Girl, a very sweet blogger who lives in Hawaii. She gave away a couple of calendars earlier this month, and I was tickled pink that she drew my name out of a hat and sent me this beautiful calendar. The pictures are gorgeous and it reminds me of her, and of the state I hope to visit one day before I die.

But, back to the topic at hand – today’s topic is calendars. I’m a throwback to the old guard, I still like to have a paper calendar around. When I was working every day in an office, I had a daily calendar on my desk (Far Side, Dilbert, dogs, Bible verses, something with a picture or new thought every day), and also one hanging on my wall. Now, I like to have one on my wall in my office at home. I use the calendar on the computer a ton, and rely on it heavily; I’d definitely be lost without Outlook and the reminders and alarms. I also have my calendar synchronized to my PDA, which I take with me everywhere. But, still, I cannot completely let go of my paper calendar. Same with the newspaper (another topic for another day) and even a landline phone. I think I’m a throwback to the previous generation. I still want to hang onto those things, even though I embrace the newer things like electronic calendars I can carry with me, the ubiquitous cell phone and even reading my news online.

So, that’s today’s Question of the Day – how about you? Do you have a paper calendar? At home, at work or both? Do you use electronic calendars? Or both? What works for you? Leave me a comment and let me know… inquiring minds and nosy bloggers like myself would like to know!

I love these things! As seen here, a couple of weeks ago at Dawn‘s blog. Thanks Dawn, for letting me swipe it 😀

1. Name six things in your refrigerator. Skim Milk, Calcium fortified OJ, pepper jack sliced cheese, Coffee-mate flavored creamer (currently, gingerbread and low-fat cinnamon), Hoisin sauce, Wishbone FF Italian Dressing

2. Name six things in your freezer. boneless skinless chicken breasts, ground deer meat, ribeye steaks, frozen broccoli, Morningstar corn dogs, Boca spicy chicken patties

3. Name six things under your kitchen sink. homemade glass cleaner in a spray bottle, 4-09 cleaner, Cascade dishwasher gel, Palmolive dish soap, antibacterial hand soap refill bottle, Glad kitchen garbage bags

4. Name six things around your computer. Cordless phone, speakers, Dazzle card reader, PILES OF PAPERS!, remote to small tv, Saints cup with pens and pencils

5. Name six things in your medicine cabinet. Tylenol PM, Equate Tylenol (Walmart generic brand), Equate Advil, q-tips, Neosporine, Soft Lips lip balm

6. Name six things on or around your nightstand. Lamp, Guideposts 2007 daily book, iPod clock radio, Hallmark heart shaped thing Tim gave me one year, magazines, books

I won’t tag anyone specifically, but please let me know if you play along at your blog 🙂

I didn’t post a menu last week, and believe me, I’ll be glad to have one this week, so I at least have some idea of what to fix each day. We may not stick to it 100%, but at least I have an idea 🙂 I still have to finalize my Super Bowl menu, but I have the bulk of it figured out, I think. We’re having a lot of family and friends over, so I’ll be busy on Saturday, getting the last of the food, fixing dips and mostly – cleaning the house up 🙄

Hope everyone has a good week!

Monday – Slow Cooker Thai Chicken, whole wheat spaghetti noodles, broccoli or green beans, maybe a salad. We’re having a buddy over to watch 24 🙂

Tuesday – Soft tacos, pinto beans, spanish rice

Wednesday – tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

Thursday – Crockpot Chicken with Potatoes, butter peas, salad, homemade bread

Friday – Date Night or Spaghetti with Meatballs, garlic bread

Saturday – TBD or pizza

Sunday – our Super Bowl party, menu coming soon, but the bulk of it is taco soup, burgers, hot dogs, dips, chips, veggie platter, fruit platter, cheese and sausage platter, Li’l Smokies, and Tim’s prized bacon wrapped deer backstrap. I’ll skip that one 🙂

I finished another book this weekend, a small paperback I had picked up for 50 cents at a library sale last year, called “It Had to Be You” by Susan Elizabeth Phillips I had read one other book by this author, “Match Me If You Can”, last year, and liked it. This book had a lot of the same characters in it, but had occurred earlier in time, so it was nice to go back and see how this couple met and fell in love. I liked the book, but I’d have a hard time recommending it to most people. It had quite a few raunchy scenes in it, a bit more than I would have liked, so if you’re not into fairly explicit love scenes, then this book definitely wouldn’t be for you. The rest of it was good though, so I don’t completely discount it. 🙂

For the record, that makes #6 on the year, with a total of 1,737 pages read. I have been going through my pile of books, trying to decide what to read next. Tim saw me skimming the bookcases and said “when are you going to read some of my Ludlum books?” As in Robert Ludlum, the guy who wrote the stories that the Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy and upcoming Bourne Ultimatum movies are based on. Although, according to Tim, the books are totally and completely different from the movie. Anyway, he has some other Ludlums I have bought him through the years as Valentines, anniversary or birthday gifts. They are a little more stand-alone and he hand-picked one for me to try. It’s called “The Janson Directive” and it’s a whopper, nearly 600 pages. That’s almost too long for me, and I’m not totally committed to reading it. I’m going to give it 50 or 75 pages and if it doesn’t grab me or hold my attention, I am SO going to abandon it and go back to my “girlie books”. 🙂

P.S. I used my new booklights I had bought a couple of weeks ago last night. You can check them out over on my photoblog 🙂

Wow, I am totally speechless, completely stunned and otherwise, just tickled pink! We have been gone all day, and I arrived home this evening and as per usual, I thought I would check my email and see if I had any new blog comments. Then, I spied a comment from Heidi, saying that did I know I had been nominated for the “Share the Love” blog awards? Heavens no, I had no idea, and again, I’m totally and incredibly shocked and stunned!

Thank you to whoever nominated me, and in general, for all of you lovely ladies who come by to read my mundane little blog. I love blogging, and even though I started this as a project and a challenge to myself, and mostly, as a way to keep family and friends in the loop as to our lives — it has evolved into something much more. I truly feel that I have made so many blogging friends. Wonderful, sweet, incredibly gracious ladies who I know to be good friends of mine now, and who I know, that if we lived in the same part of the country, would be terrific IRL (in real life) friends as well.

Wow. I totally don’t know what to say. I truly am speechless, which if you knew me, you’d know is a feat in and of itself. 😀 I think I’ll go find some chocolate, and maybe make some hot cocoa, and celebrate!!!

Beau started some new food today… hopefully, it will help alleviate some of his itching, ear infections, etc. Read all about it and see the picture of what he’s eating now, over at my photoblog. 🙂

P.S. Ain’t he purdy?!

Stolen from Sadie. Thanks Sadie!

SILLY MEME

1.When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? Ugh, I’ve put on a lot of weight since Christmas 🙁

2.How much cash do you have on you? I’d have to go look, but probably about 24 dollars. I rarely keep over 25 or 30 cash in my wallet.

3.What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR? More, Core, Lore, Store

4.Do you label yourself? Yes, it’s that low self-esteem thing I have going on

5.Bright or Dark Room? Bright during the day, I like the blinds and curtains open. At night, I tend to close them, and turn on some lights, so mostly I like light. The only time I really like to sit in a dark room is when we’re watching a movie or I’m sleeping!

6.Why is there always a missing question? Huh? What question? Where did it go?

7.What does your watch look like? gold and silver, slim, Seiko

8.What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping!

9.Where is your nearest 7-11? Not a 7-11, but there’s a gas station with a convenience store about 1 block from our house

10.What’s a word that you say a lot? No! {to Beau, if he’s jumping or digging or generally being a bad dog}

11.Who told you he/she loved you last? Tim

12.Last furry thing you touched? Beau, the wonder dog!

13.How many rolls of film do you need developed? None, but don’t even ask me how many YEARS behind I am on printing out digital pics

14.Favorite age you have been so far? I have no idea! Each year with Tim is wonderful and a blessing for me. I spent far too much of my life without him, so I enjoy every single day we have together

15.Your worst enemy? Any chocolate hiding in the house, calling my name!

16.What is your current desktop picture? one that came with XP, blue water, island with palm trees

17.What was the last thing you said to someone? “do you want some more coffee” to Tim as I walked past him into the kitchen

18.The last song you listened to? “Every Mile a Memory” by Dierks Bentley

19.What time of day were you born? I think around noon, on a Sunday. I think I was born when my grandmother was in church, but I’d have to look it up to be sure

20.What do you do when vending machines steal your money? Get upset 🙂

21.Do you consider yourself kind? I hope so, I try very hard to be kind and considerate

22.What’s your life motto? Ah, that a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a Heaven for. Or the one that Tim and I use on our website – “Choose to Be Happy!”

23.Name three things you have on you at all times. When I leave the house, I always have my keys, my cell phone and my wallet. Inside the house, I probably don’t have anything on me at all times except my wedding band and some form of clothing, hehehe!

24.Can you change the oil on a car? No, but I can keep track of it on our chart and tell Tim when it’s time for him to change it 🙄

25.When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it? Hmmm, a real letter and not a card, thank you note or something? I have no idea, it’s been a long time!

I won’t tag anyone specifically, but I’d love it if anyone out there would like to play along. Be sure to leave me a note and I’ll stop by and check out your answers to this silly meme!

Friday, January 26, 2007
Feast One Hundred & Twenty Eight

Appetizer
If you could take lessons to learn any musical instrument, which would you want to learn? Toss-up between piano and guitar. I’d like to learn how to play both of those. Unfortunately, I am not musically inclined. I can’t carry a tune and I don’t know a thing about notes and how to read music. I love music though, and singing, and have always wanted to learn how to play something.

Soup
Have you ever mistaken a person for someone else? Yes, but I don’t think I’ve ever gone up to someone and spoken to them, and been mistaken. I think I’ve just glanced at a distance and thought they were someone else.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets? I’m sure a lot of people would disagree with me, but I think I do pretty well if the secret is important. Probably an 8 out of 10. Now, if it’s not important or something I feel like I can talk about, then I will definitely spill to either Tim or my sister. It just depends on what it is.

Main Course
What’s the closest you’ve ever been to a dangerous animal? Not very close. Unless you count the zoo or the safari ride at Animal Kingdom in Disneyworld! 😀

Dessert
When was the last time you lost your patience? I couldn’t pin down the date or time, but {sigh} it does happen. I do get frustrated and upset and lose my patience more than I should. It’s a bad habit and one I’ve tried to work on. I think I’m a little better than I used to be, but I still have a long ways to go. Some things are just really ingrained in me 🙂

I’ve been doing the Project 365 every day this year, and so far I really like it. Some days, it is really hard to come up with a photograph, and I am so totally going to steal some ideas from some of the other participants for future photos. 😀 But really, one of the best things about this project is all of the nice new bloggers I have met. There are some really nice ladies who are doing this project, and I enjoy visiting not only their Project365 photo blog, but also their “regular” blogs. One of these is Tiggerprrr’s blog. She posted a photo yesterday on her photo blog of her new shoes. See, she has plantar fascitis, and it really hurts to walk, especially inside her house on her hardwood floors. Her doctor recommended she get better shoes and wear them inside the house.

Believe it or not, this is something I was going to blog about (I’m trying to keep a list of ideas as I think of them, not when I sit down to blog and I’m drawing a total blank about anything worthwhile or interesting to say).

Anyway, I’m a total homebody and when I’m at home, I like to be really cozy and comfortable. I wear sloppy clothes, I don’t usually put on make-up if I’m going to be home all day, and I don’t wear shoes around the house. I think the “Flylady” always recommends that you get up and get dressed first thing every day, as part of your routine. Now, I get dressed (although some mornings, you can find me sitting way too long at the computer, still clad in my PJ’s), but I don’t put on shoes. I just don’t like wearing shoes around the house. In the summer, I go barefoot. In the winter I put on socks. On really cold days, I might put on TWO pair of socks, but I don’t put on shoes.

So, that’s today’s Question of the Day – when you’re going to be home for a long stretch of time, say all day, do you wear shoes around the house? Do you just wear socks or go barefoot? Do you wear slippers or houseshoes, or what? Inquiring minds want to know!

TBR

How many unread books do you have in your house, right now? (Your own books, that is–not ones that belong to other family members–and not counting things like school books, if you have them.) Clearly, an estimate will do. OK, instead of an estimate, the OCD in me had to run into the den and my bedroom to look on the bookshelves and my nightstand. My quick eyeball count is about 35 books, but that does include all of the John Grishams we own in our collection, that I’m not sure I’ll get around to reading. That does include a few books I have borrowed from my mother-in-law and a friend, so the actual count is probably closer to 30, really. 🙄

To the best of your recollection, what is the OLDEST unread book in your collection? How long has it
been waiting? That would be some of the hardback John Grishams that we own, but I have not gotten around to reading. Some of those are 3 or 4 years old. I buy them new for Tim when they come out, and because we like to own all of the Grisham books in first edition, hardback (since he’s a local boy, “done good” and we both like that genre of legal thriller). After that, the oldest is probably some of the ones I bought last summer at the bookstore and haven’t gotten around to reading yet.

Do your TBR books (that’s “To Be Read,” if you didn’t know) haunt you, make you feel guilty that you haven’t read them yet? Just a little, but not really. I like having books here on hand to read, when the mood strikes me. I usually get the majority of books I read from the library, but sometimes I like not having to go and get them and return them. But, I think the library really helps me. Checking out a book and knowing it is due back in 3 weeks really propels me to read a lot more, as opposed to knowing I own a book and it’s in my TBR pile and I can read it anytime. Something about a goal, or a deadline.

Oh, and library books don’t count . . . not unless you absolutely don’t have ANY other unread book except what you checked out last Tuesday.

Last week, I blogged about singing in the shower, and whether or not you actually got *in* the shower to clean it. I made a reference to the fact that I sing when I’m driving in my car. Usually only if I’m in there by myself, and sometimes, depending on the song, I get sort of loud and really start belting it out.

So, that is today’s Question of the Day – do you sing when you’re driving in your car?

I saw this at Dawn’s and also at my sister Gail‘s blog. Thought I would play along… I won’t tag anyone specifically, but if you do play, please let me know so I can come check yours out.

Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following…They must be REAL places, names, things…NOTHING made up! If you can’t think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Your name: Stacy

1. Famous Athlete: Steve Young, Steve Smith
2. 4 letter word: Surf, Snow
3. Street name: Sunflower Avenue, Saddlebrook Drive, State Street
4. Color: Sage green, Sky blue
5. Gifts/presents: Scrapbook supplies, Scrabble game
6. Vehicles: Saturn
7. Tropical Locations: Solomon Islands, South Seas, South Pacific
8. College Majors: Sociology, Special Ed
9. Dairy Products: Sour Cream
10. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Spoons, Snowglobes
11. Boy Name: Scott, Steve
12. Girl Name: Sandra, Susan
13. Movie Titles: Superman, Spiderman, Sleepless in Seattle
14. Alcohol: Scotch
15. Occupations: Seamstress, Science Teacher, Stewardess
16. Flowers: Sunflower, Snapdragons
17. Celebrities: Sandra Bullock, Suzanne Sommers, Sharon Stone
18. Magazines: Southern Living
19. U.S. Cities: Seattle, St. Louis
20. Pro Sports Teams: SAINTS!, San Francisco 49’ers
21. Something Found in a kitchen: Strainer, Skillet, Spatula
22. Reason for Being Late: Sleep late
23. Something You Throw Away: Single Socks
24. Things You Shout: Stop, Stay
25. Cartoon Character: Snoopy, Spongebob Squarepants

Believe it or not, I didn’t really take a lot of pictures while we were gone. We really only went for the Saints-Bears game and we didn’t get to do any sightseeing while we were there. We had two days of traveling and one day for the game and that was it. I hope we can go back another time and do all of the “touristy” things in Chicago. Neither of us have ever been there before, and it looked like a really nice city.

My overriding memory of Chicago in January will be of how cold it was! Tim, on the other hand, was fine and loved every single minute of it. But, I’m pretty cold natured, and even though I had on a lot of layers, I still got cold. We left for the game (2 PM game) at 11 AM and got to Soldier Field around noon, so we had two hours before the game even started. Then, it took a while to get back out, so we were out in the cold for about 6 hours or so all together. After about 3 hours, I started getting pretty cold. In the third quarter, my feet and hands started getting numb, so I felt cold all over. I think it would have really helped if the Saints had been winning, I would have been a lot warmer! LOL 🙂

I have a few pictures and will post them on the extended page. I discovered that it’s a hassle to store your camera in its case under your coat, or in the pocket of your sweatshirt, under a few layers of coats, gloves and scarves. It takes a while to get to it, and then to put it back in its warm spot. So, I didn’t take a whole lot of pictures at the game since it took some much effort to get my camera in and out! 🙂

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s always so good to get back home, at least to me! We’re back from our trip to Chicago, snow and a sad loss at Soldier Field and all. 🙂 I still have to unpack and do a bunch of other things, but I’ll try to come back and blog soon, and also load a few pictures over on my photoblog soon. Not sure if it will be tonight (there’s Jack that I have to watch!) or tomorrow. But I hope soon! I missed my computer and my doggie while we were gone

Hope everyone had a great weekend!