Me, Me, Me

A small glimpse of who I really am...

I Am: sensitive, silly, passionate, scared of the dark, and a big hugger.

I Want: to have a full body makeover, starting with my ugly, stubby, thick-ankled legs. I also want to never have to want for anything...

I Have: brittle nails, dry skin, hairy legs, a gold tooth, cellulite, and a 1999 Subaru Outback Limited with heated seats!

I Wish: my hair was as blond as it was when I was five.

I Fear: snakes, guns, drowning, and being the last one left.

I Hear: SpongeBob's silly voice. (my 8 year old is obsessed with that show...)

I Search: every morning for something nice to wear, and the earrings to match...

I Wonder: how many grandchildren I'll get to spoil.

I Regret: being stubborn when my guidance counselor told me to go to college.

I Love: going to the beach, cuddling, tear-jerkers, and cotton candy.

I Always: say I'm sorry first.

I Usually: curse when I'm annoyed.

I Am Not: very good at anything, but I have decided life is too short not to try new things.

I Dance: like a nerd.

I Sing: out of tune.

I Never: have owned a dog, and probably never will. But if I did, I'd have a Golden Retriever or a German Shepard that I'd rescue from a shelter.

I Rarely: say no to chocolate. Let's face it... I rarely say no to food period.

I Cry: often... especially when I'm happy, when I'm sad, or when my heart is touched.

I Am Not Always: on time, despite my good intentions.

I’m Confused: about why the government doles out millions of dollars to people who spend it on junk food.

I Need: a haircut. And I also need to clean the house more often.

I Should: get more sleep.

You, You, You: What do your answers look like? :)

What would you do?

Yesterday we went to the resort to enjoy some skiing. It was a sunny morning and there was at least 7 inches of fresh powder. If you looked in the direction of the sun, you could see tiny snowflakes falling which looked like glitter floating in the air. Perfect day, excellent skiing.

So there we were on the lift going to the top, me with our youngest in the first chair, my hubby with our oldest right behind us. Then we smelled something weird. My son said it smelled like skunk. I noticed the two young guys in front of us had lit up; so now I conclude they aren’t smoking tobacco. The ride to the top takes about 15 minutes (if you’re real lucky) and theses guys smoked the whole time. Finally I said “You two almost done so we can breathe back here…” They nod but proceed to drag for another 3-4 minutes. Needless to say, I’m now fuming myself.

I decided that I was going to approach them when I got off the lift to let them know that if I saw them smoking anywhere on the resort again I would have them removed. So I do, but one guy starts giving me lip. What he didn't know was that he messed with the wrong mother bear! Then I tell him that I’m going to report him now.

Here’s the deal. He and his buddy were smoking either hash or pot, which means they're now under the influence and impaired. This is a family resort and they were on a "novice" mountain where the majority of people are beginners and first timers. So I felt that I needed to intervene so that they did not injure anyone (or themselves).

I don’t care what anyone chooses to do in the privacy of their own home, but when they are on the road or on the water operating a vehicle, on the slopes while skiing or riding, or in the woods while hunting then I will step up and take action against such irresponsible behavior. I hope that you will all muster up that same courage to step in and take action. It could save a life.

Honest Crap

I recently read a blog that outlined 10 Honest Facts about yourself. I hope you all expose your 10 Honest Facts somehow or somewhere, too. It really is quite liberating. Anyways here's mine:

1. Ongoing fact.
I have always lived on the East Coast and have only twice traveled to Colorado (to ski... surprise, surprise). It is my life’s goal to visit every state in the Union before I leave this earth, starting with all of the National Parks & Monuments. My goal is to retire to somewhere hot, scenic and cultured. I have currently set my sights on Arizona, but that could change as I am typically a bit indecisive.
2. Very resent fact.
In light of the New Year, I have yet again decided that it is completely pointless to make any Resolutions, knowing full well that I could never commit to keeping such empty promises or far fetched commitments.
3. A silly honest fact.
I talk in “voices” to my children & pets … a form of personification of the cartoon characters I have suppressed deep within my being.
4. Fact from the past.
I was dating a man in 1988 that I suspected of doing something illicit, so I tricked him to reveal it to me. It was my birthday and he wanted to know what I wanted, so I told him I wanted to “do a line.” He produced it, which confirmed my suspicion, and then I bent down to sniff. It was the first, last and only time I have ever done that. (oh and we stopped dating soon after)
5. Food fact.
When I was a child I hated maple syrup and strawberries… these days I smother my pancakes with both (not at the same time, though.) But the most notable fact about me & food is: I haven’t yet met a food (non-exotic, that is) that I wouldn’t try. I am a foodie to the core. That may be why I seldom loose weight and seem to gain those pounds others have lost…
6. Very Musical fact.
The band Phish is from my home state, yet I do not follow, like or even know any of their music. I do, however, like all types of music, from Madonna to Metallica, from The Beatles to The B52’s , from Journey to Billy Joel, from Streisand to Santana, from Lynard Skynard to Linda Edder , from The Tragically Hip to The 10,000 Maniacs, from Aerosmith to Supertramp, from The Allman Brothers to The Guess Who, from The Cars to The Stone Temple Pilots, from Kansas to Nazareth, from Styx to The Stones, from The Knack to Pearl Jam, from Sarah McLachlan to Janis Joplin, from Meatloaf to Creed. My list is endlessly eclectic.
7. Just a fact.
Ben & Jerry's gives their ice cream waste to local farmers who feed it to their hogs. The hogs seem to like every flavor except Mint Oreo. (I hope you all know what Ben & Jerry's is... and by the way my favorite flavor is Coffee Heath Bar Crunch)
8. Fact about me
I have always hated my Birth Day… which is two days AFTER Christmas. As a little girl, I vividly remember having presents wrapped in Christmas paper, and getting less Christmas presents than my siblings (or so it seemed). I think I was told that some of my presents were “combos” which, in effect, meant too expensive to buy for one occasion, so the money was pooled to buy it as a combination Christmas/Birthday gift. And when I got older, things didn’t change… in 1998 my husband nearly forgot my birthday and in 2006 I had to order my own birthday cake because my family forgot! And I detest the idea that I celebrate my "half birthday" in June.
9. Embarrassing fact.
So how do I admit this without blushing...? I have a potty mouth, I can swear like a sailor, and one of the curse words I use prolifically is the “f” word.
10. Strange fact.
I like snow, the deeper the better… I also like to shovel snow. And whenever I shovel, it has to be down-to-the-pavement clean. In fact when I drop my children off at school and the walkways are not adequately cleared, I feel this overwhelming urge to grab a shovel.

Am I going crazy or is it self inflicted?

This morning at 5:42 am our phone rang. Once my brain processed what the the ringing was, I immediately knew why I was getting a call at such an ungodly hour. School is closed today... much to my disappointment.

It's not that I don't want the kids home today (God knows I could use the day "off" to clean, launder and do other more glamorous household chores) but I have to work at the store today. Or so I thought! As it turns out, I am not on the schedule today (phew.. that means I don't have to scramble and make frantic calls to my friends, hoping that they will let my kids play with theirs while I earn a couple of bucks.)

But if I'm not working at the store today, what other day am I scheduled? The answer: tomorrow. Uh oh! That can't be right because I'm working at the resort tomorrow, as I've done every Thursday for the last month. So that means that on Thursday January 8th, I am on the schedule to work at 7:30 in Franklin County and 8:00 in Lamoille County. And so far, I only count one of me. So that leaves someone short.

I'm very annoyed that I made this blunder, or let this blunder go unnoticed until now. I have a pocket calendar that I record everything in, so how could I have screwed up this bad? Here's what I know: that I can only be in one place at one time, that I made a boo-boo somehow, that I am human, and that I will never make the same mistake twice. So today I will savor my "day off " and get my house in order, maybe play a game with the kids and probably have a leisurely lunch at my own pace. I'll worry about tomorrow later.

Games, games & more games

Every year my sons get games for Christmas, either card games or board game, and sometimes both.

Years past have brought us Othello, Mancala, Life Twist & Turns, Get Hooked, Scene It, Sorry, Uno, Swap, Hearts & Spades, Backgammon & Chess, Pro Draft, Mountain Climber, Quoridor, SpongeBob Life, Clue, Pictionary, Deal or No Deal, and Monopoly.

This year's new games are Apples to Apples, Cranium, Laser Battle, and NHL Ice Breaker. But the most fun games the boys have played were the ones that Santa made up for them in 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008.

In the past it was just a simple scavenger hunt which began with an original "Night before Christmas" type poem they found on the tree. Then each rhyming clue lead them to the next until eventually they found the last present, which has always been NHL tickets.

This year was a similar game, but because the boys are getting older, the game was more challenging. It was a series of puzzles, jumbles & itty bitty brainteasers which, once solved correctly, lead them to not one but two sets of tickets to see their beloved Bruins. Santa must have known way back in September that the B's would be #1 in the East, and that tickets would be in high demand, albeit scarce, come Christmas Eve...

Oh that Santa is one smart, savvy little elf!

And in case you're curious here's a "copy" of the 2007 poem:

There’s a special surprise
I’ve hidden wisely for you.
You first must hunt skillfully
to find each lost clue.

The clues that you find
will lead you closer & then
You will finally discover
the prize at the end.

Don’t try to guess
what I’ve hidden for you…
In fact there’s not one thing,
But, in truth, there are two!

Put your thinking caps on!
The clues may be tough.
If you work as a team,
You‘ll find the right stuff.

Once the puzzle is finished
It’ll reveal a fine treasure,
which is sure to give you
much joy & great pleasure.

As usual I’ve saved the
best presents for last
And it’s better than any
from Christmases past.

It’s a known facts that
you boys love baseball
plus many other sports
played in Winter & Fall

So I’ve made a few calls
to friends in high places
to give you something that'll
put smiles on your faces.

I hope you enjoy playing
this game that I made.
It‘s sure to be the most fun
game you‘ve yet played.

And remember, good things come,
from Rome to Atlanta,
to those who believe
in the Magic of Santa…