Thanks to all who asked me two questions. Part of me wishes there were more, but I think it will take me more than a few minutes to answer these! Thanks for the idea, Russ! Here we go:
Suzy asked:
1. The pic above 'about me'. Adorable...who is she?
That would be our daughter, Sweet Girl. I am known for being unwilling to post full face pictures of her on my blog, for safety's sake. This picture was taken for her third birthday when she was in her "American flag" obsession. She loved them and loved the shirt she is wearing in the photo. She's even cuter when you can see her whole face, but what can I say? I'm a protective mom!
Yellojkt asked:
1. What was the worst job you had?
This one is easy. Once, when I was about 22 years old or so, my pastor asked me to work as a personal aide to this older woman he knew. She needed someone right away and I was between jobs. He said he knew the person at the agency, so I should just get over to her place to help her out and he'd take care of getting the paperwork so I could get paid later on. Well, this woman was going senile, so her behavior was a bit erratic. I was there about an hour and a half when she wanted me to do something. I can't remember what anymore, but it was something that would have been bad for her, so I gently refused. Not two seconds later she got up and went calmly into the kitchen without a word. A moment later, as my back was turned, I heard her shuffled steps into the room and toward me. I turned just as she was about a foot away - and she had a 10-inch French knife raised to stab me!
I stopped being a personal aide right then! I ran out of the house and called the pastor to tell him he needed to come up with a plan b. Come to think of it, I was never paid for my 90 minutes of work, either!
Oh, and the worst job I ever had that I got paid for was working behind the snack counter at K-Mart the summer after I graduated from high school. I had to wear orange and brown polyester and cook stinky food. Enough said.
2. What was the last article of clothing you bought, and why?
That would be a pair of long johns and a package of undershirts. Why? Because this is Minnesota. I'm freezing my ass off, man!
Kenju asked:
1. How long did it take you to decide that you wanted stomach surgery?
I deliberated with my husband and my doctors for about 3 months and then got a referral to the surgeon. I had to wait 18 months for my initial consultation and then about another 16 months before the surgery. So, I decided in early 2001 and had it done in October 2003. There were a lot of times that I could have changed my mind (almost did before I was wheeled in) but I knew, with my diabetes and the kidney damage I was facing, that it was the best choice. My driving factors were that I wanted to have another baby but my diabetes was so out of control that I couldn't even consider it and that I wanted Sweet Girl to have a mommy that others wouldn't tease her about.
2. Have you ever been sorry that you did it?
Oh, Judy, that's a loaded question. I'm not sorry I had the surgery, but I am very sorry that I went with the surgeon I chose and that I had it done open instead of laproscopically. I almost died a month after the surgery and have suffered much as a result of the doctor's negligence. I was hospitalized something like 4 times in the first 2 months after surgery and I've had 3 follow up surgeries to correct issues from the gastric bypass. But, I am healthier. I still have diabetes and take insulin, but my kidneys are in great shape and I am able to run around with Sweet Girl. The great irony is that I had the gastric bypass so I could have another child, but the complications that arose from the initial surgery culminated in a tubal ligation during my last surgery. The risks of pregnancy are now too great for me. So, no more babies for Blond Girl. I don't talk much about it, but this breaks my heart on an almost daily basis. On Thanksgiving, Sweet Girl wrote me a letter saying she was thankful for her brother and her sister - a doll and a stuffed elephant she has that she pretends are her siblings. This girl was not meant to be an only child. And I know your next question; yes, we will consider adoption.
Russ asked:
1. If you could have any job you wanted, any where you wanted, what would it be?
I would be a stay at home mom in a beautiful home in Champaign, Illinois. I would volunteer my time to a number of charities and I would be starting a home-based beading business. It's my favorite dream, Russ.
2. If you won the lottery, who would you choose (besides your husband and kid) to share the money with?
I would secure the retirement of my mom and Champs' mom and step-mom. I would give to the church and to 5 or 6 charities I believe in. Then I would buy selected gifts (very expensive ones) for my family members and closest friends. If we won enough (and one always does in one's dreams) we would pay off the mortgages and car loans of all our brothers and sisters. Oh, and then there's that home-based beading business....
Shannin asked:
1. What song will remind you the most of 2005?
It is a tie, Shannon, between "The Beauty of the Lord" (by Jared Anderson and The Desperation Band) and "Held" (by Natalie Grant). But the winner just might be "Wrap Me in Your Arms" by Michael Gunger. Each of them reflect my faith and the trust I've had to put in the Lord through my surgery, Champs' corneal transplant and the disappointment of not moving to Hometown City, Another State when we thought we would. They also reflect the awe that I am in of His goodness to us in everything; the big stuff and the happy stuff and the day-to-day stuff...
2. What is your favorite quote?
I have so many and yet I can't think of anything to attribute to a single person! I think they mainly fall under “sayings” more than quotes. One of my favorites is “Only you can choose your attitude” and another is “If you do ask, you might get. If you don't ask, you won't get.”
Princiss asked:
1. Do you have any phobias?
Um, yeah. Spiders, thunderstorms and getting on down-going escalators. I've managed, for the most part, to hide most of these fears from Sweet Girl… I don’t want to transfer them too much!
2. You've mentioned that Champs likes to watch football and you have learned a lot about the game since you've been married. Is there something that Champs has taken interest in that he didn't before you two met?
Yes. He didn't watch figure skating before he married me. My favorite winter sport is figure skating, which is usually broadcast on Saturday. He has learned to appreciate the sport the way I've learned to appreciate football; he can understand it, he'll watch it with me and even get interested in the results. But if I weren't here, I don't think he'd turn it on to watch it himself. Which is fair; I don't think I would ever turn on football of my own volition (although I do have to know how the Vikings do against Detroit this Sunday….)
Paul asked:
1. When will you post a picture of your thin, mysterious self?
The jury is out on that one… I am a bit private about our pictures. Funny that I am that way, especially since I met Champs on-line, but I just want to be safe. Besides, Paul, when are you going to post a picture of you and the lovely first wife? Hmmmmm?
2.Do I have to ask two questions?
Apparently not – see Bug’s single question below!
Ranger (sorry, posted anonymously, so can't provide a link) asked:
1. Will you accept the praise that I really like your writing but am not a rabid fan of memes?
Of course! Not everyone loves memes and I get that. I enjoy them because it is a creative way to get to know people. Thank you for the comment on my writing, though! Sometimes when I read other people's writing, I am humbled. Take Geekwif, for example. She just did NaNoWriMo and I read her excerpt. I had no idea she could write that well and I'm not sure that I could, even though I write for a living. So again, thank you for the compliment.
2. Did you know about Champs' Nestea Plunge and did you laugh?
Oh yes. He told me the story the first time I racked him. Well, he told me the story when he could breathe again... My laughter was that sort of I'm-so-sorry! I-know-I-shouldn't-laugh-but-I-can't-help-it laugh that everyone has done at least once in life.
LR asked:
1. If you weren't Blond Girl, who would you be?
About 9 years ago, Geekwif and The Geek gave me my nickname, Cathreeno. If I weren't blogging as The Blond Girl, then I guess it would be "Cathreeno's Confessions" or something like that. Actually sounds like a fun idea, but I've built up the whole "Blond Girl" persona, so I can't give it up now...
2. Who do you think is the most important female historical figure of the last, say, 200 years?
When I first read the question, I thought it said "hysterical" and my first thought was "well, Lucille Ball, of course!" Then I realized what it really said. Darn! That's not as easy to answer! I think my answer would be Eleanor Roosevelt, Mother Theresa, Helen Keller or Rosa Parks.
OldOldLady of the Hills asked:
1. What is your favorite food to eat in the morning?
A fruit smoothie made with orange juice, frozen pineapples, bananas and strawberries. I put in my liquid vitamins and minerals and it gets me going for the day. Love it!
2. If you could choose another first name, other than your own, what would it be?
Wow, I don't know! I like Irish names, so probably Erin or Kendra. I actually like my name and have for my entire life. I can't remember even once wishing I could change it, so I guess that's why I have a hard time answering this one.
Lightning Bugg's Butt asked:
1. What's the most embarrassing thing you'll reveal on this blog given your family reads it?
Once, after my second hernia repair, I went in to see my 60-some year-old surgeon for a checkup. He had me lay back on the table and lower my pants. I had forgotten which underwear I had on. They were briefs with bright pink, magenta, purple and blue circles, squares and squiggles. They kind of looked like an inkjet printer had puked on my undies. To the surgeon's credit, he didn't say anything. However, he stopped in mid-sentence and his eyebrow shot up for a moment; then he went on. After that, I was careful to wear conservative undies to my post-surgical checkups.
And finally, my husband, Champs, asked (and commented):
I have been asked to leave my questions, which is hard since I know Blond Girl so well. I am jealous! Everyone else had it so easy. Yes, I could have asked something that I already knew but that would be the wimpy way out of the deal and I am not that way. So, here it goes:
1. If you were to catch Osama Bin Ladin all by yourself and no one was around, what would you do?
Well, I would use everything you taught me about fighting. I would let the fury of 4000 victims empower me and I would beat the crap out of him. Then I would sit on him until a soldier came to help. Then I would claim my reward. Of course, if I had a working cell-phone, I would call someone to help and I'd trail him. If I could get him alone in a room, tied to a chair, I have to admit that my darker side would come out and I could think of a lot of mean things to do to him. A full body dehairing with a tweezers comes to mind, as does a 24-hour Aaron Neville music immersion or other forms of torture (I'm not sure I want people to know what kind of mean things I'm really capable of doing)... I dunno! The bigger question is, how in the hell did Osama get to Minnesota without anyone noticing?!?! Or how did I get to Iraq without me noticing?!?!
2. If you were cast to be in a movie that you have seen, what movie would you want to be in and what character would you play and why?
I would want to be Danielle in "Ever After" because the costumes were so beautiful and the story is so wonderful and she is such a strong character. Or maybe Rose in "Titanic", because I love the movie and it was the first movie we ever saw together... Oh, and because the costumes were so beautiful!
Well, that's it... I have worked on this post for more than two hours! I hope you all enjoyed this.
Showing posts with label Meme Light. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meme Light. Show all posts
Saturday, December 3, 2005
Monday, November 7, 2005
Blond Girl's Firsts
First best friend: Jennie, who was 9 months younger than me. We grew up across the street from one another until I moved away in 9th grade. Jennie wanted to be popular; something I was clearly never going to be. In 7th grade, she told me that we could be friends before and after school, but not on the bus or at school. I gave that nonsense about 2 days and then told her we were either friends 24/7 or not at all. It worked; she decided I was more important than her bid for popularity.
Jennie was in my wedding and we did well for the first two years of my marriage. Then, in some I-still-don't-understand-what-happened misunderstanding (over a baby shower of all things), we drifted apart. She hasn't seen me since the operation or since my dad died. I miss her so much, but I feel so awkward that I don't know how to bridge the distance, you know?
First Car: Well, the first one I bought and paid for myself was a silver 1981 Ford Escort wagon. The hatchback was so rusted out that I called her "Lacey". I only owned the car a year and during that time it went through something like three or four headgaskets. What a pain! The first car I ever drove was a red 1975 Ford Pinto. I always wanted to have one of those bumper stickers that said, "Roses are Red, Violets are blue. If you backend me, then you'll blow up too!"
First kiss: My first kiss was when I was 20 years old. I was a bank teller and there was a customer who made it a point to visit my window every day. He was a good deal older than me; 34 years old, in fact. When I told him I was leaving the bank, it gave him the courage to ask me out to a movie and dinner. I don't remember where we ate, but the movie choices were "Howard the Duck" or a Rodney Dangerfield movie. We saw Howard. Afterward, he took me out to the Minnehaha Falls to walk around in the moonlight. At the bottom of the falls, we sat on the bridge walls talking. I was telling him about my dad when, out of the blue, he grabbed my chin and pulled me in, saying "are you feeling romantic?". After the kiss, I was so discombobulated that I started walking back up to the parking lot (100 or so steps) and when I got to the top, he asked me what that was about. I explained that I had never been kissed before and it scared me a bit. We sat in his car quietly for awhile and he just held me. After awhile, he kissed me again. I was ready this time. When he pulled away, he said "that was not the kiss of a woman whose never been kissed before!" But it was. I swear.
First big trip: In 1979 flew to Arizona by myself to see my sister, the Techno-goddess. I was 14 years old - and well developed for my age. I stayed for 5 weeks and while I was there, my sister got my hair cut, bought me new glasses, bought me my first pair of high heels (candies slides, remember those?), taught me to wear makeup and gave me a low cut dress. The effect was, um, dramatic. I wore the new outfit home on the plane. On the flight home, a steward offered me a glass of champagne. He nearly swallowed his tongue when I said was too young and asked for a pop instead. When I got off the plane, I walked right past my mom, who didn't recognize me. When she finally figured out that the young woman was her daughter (and not the child she'd put on the plane), she called my sister and yelled at her for nearly 15 minutes!
First flight: See above. I should have had the champagne.
First time skiing/snowboarding: OK, I am a native Minnesotan, so I should full of stories about this. But I've never skied. The closest I've ever come is once in 5th grade when our class went cross-country skiing at a local wildlife reserve. It was slow, quiet and 25 degrees in the middle of January. Perfect for my one and only skiing experience.
First Alcoholic Drink: When I was 15, my parents had their 25th wedding anniversary and we kids threw them a big party. Somehow, I was standing in as the bartender. I didn't know the first thing about mixing drinks. My uncle asked for a "JD & coke". "What's in it?", I inquired. He told me the ingrediants and I proceeded to fill a glass half full of Jack Daniel's and half full of coke. My brother intercepted the drink and explained I'd made it waaaayyy too strong. I took a big swig and said "what, it tastes fine to me". He poured half of it out and then filled it back up with coke and took it to my uncle.
This scene was replayed about 4 times over the next hour; each time I made a drink, I would make it half booze and half mixer. Each time my brother would intercept it and make me take a taste. Each time it seemed fine to me (this was my first indicator that I could hold my liquor). Later on, my brother tried to make me think I was drunk by swaying each time I looked at him. I knew better though; I wasn't drunk, he was just a joker!
First ticket violation: I got my one and only speeding ticket coming down off a bridge and going about 5 miles per hour too fast. The speedometer on the car was broken. I didn't realize then that I could have fought the ticket. Oh well; its the only one I've ever gotten. Notice I didn't say it was the only one I ever deserved.
First job: This, of course, does not take 6 years of baby-sitting into consideration, but after I graduated from high school, I got my first "time clock punch job" at K-mart working behind the snack counter. I wore the most hideous orange and brown polyester uniform ever designed by man. I'm surprised anyone even had an appetite after looking at me in that horrible outfit. I only worked there for three months, and I never went back to that kind of job again.
First date: This is scary, I know, but I think it was the date of my first kiss... I'm not sure! Yes, it was. The ill-fated fish date came later, but that's another post.
First memory: My earliest memory took place one rainy day when I was around 2 or 3. I was buckled into the car seat of my mom's baby blue VW bug, clutching my blue and white polka-dot stuffed elephant and reading a picture book about and elephant and a mouse in a very colorful jungle. I sure wish I knew what the title of that book was!
First crush: Ah, young love in the sun. During my 5 week stay in Arizona (remember, I was 14), I fell madly in love with my sister's 14 year-old neighbor, Billy Sjoquist. He had the cutest curly blond hair and freckles! Billy and I were inseparable and did everything together. We built a house out of 6 decks of cards and went swimming every day. Everything was great until the 4th week when he tried to touch my girls (it must have been the makeup and haircut and all that my sister got me). I made him stop. He mimicked me in a high-pitched sing-songy voice. I told him he was a child and that was that. We were done. I wonder what he's up to now?
First True Love: Easy. He's my first true love and he will be my last true love: Champs, the sweetest man I've ever known.
Jennie was in my wedding and we did well for the first two years of my marriage. Then, in some I-still-don't-understand-what-happened misunderstanding (over a baby shower of all things), we drifted apart. She hasn't seen me since the operation or since my dad died. I miss her so much, but I feel so awkward that I don't know how to bridge the distance, you know?
First Car: Well, the first one I bought and paid for myself was a silver 1981 Ford Escort wagon. The hatchback was so rusted out that I called her "Lacey". I only owned the car a year and during that time it went through something like three or four headgaskets. What a pain! The first car I ever drove was a red 1975 Ford Pinto. I always wanted to have one of those bumper stickers that said, "Roses are Red, Violets are blue. If you backend me, then you'll blow up too!"
First kiss: My first kiss was when I was 20 years old. I was a bank teller and there was a customer who made it a point to visit my window every day. He was a good deal older than me; 34 years old, in fact. When I told him I was leaving the bank, it gave him the courage to ask me out to a movie and dinner. I don't remember where we ate, but the movie choices were "Howard the Duck" or a Rodney Dangerfield movie. We saw Howard. Afterward, he took me out to the Minnehaha Falls to walk around in the moonlight. At the bottom of the falls, we sat on the bridge walls talking. I was telling him about my dad when, out of the blue, he grabbed my chin and pulled me in, saying "are you feeling romantic?". After the kiss, I was so discombobulated that I started walking back up to the parking lot (100 or so steps) and when I got to the top, he asked me what that was about. I explained that I had never been kissed before and it scared me a bit. We sat in his car quietly for awhile and he just held me. After awhile, he kissed me again. I was ready this time. When he pulled away, he said "that was not the kiss of a woman whose never been kissed before!" But it was. I swear.
First big trip: In 1979 flew to Arizona by myself to see my sister, the Techno-goddess. I was 14 years old - and well developed for my age. I stayed for 5 weeks and while I was there, my sister got my hair cut, bought me new glasses, bought me my first pair of high heels (candies slides, remember those?), taught me to wear makeup and gave me a low cut dress. The effect was, um, dramatic. I wore the new outfit home on the plane. On the flight home, a steward offered me a glass of champagne. He nearly swallowed his tongue when I said was too young and asked for a pop instead. When I got off the plane, I walked right past my mom, who didn't recognize me. When she finally figured out that the young woman was her daughter (and not the child she'd put on the plane), she called my sister and yelled at her for nearly 15 minutes!
First flight: See above. I should have had the champagne.
First time skiing/snowboarding: OK, I am a native Minnesotan, so I should full of stories about this. But I've never skied. The closest I've ever come is once in 5th grade when our class went cross-country skiing at a local wildlife reserve. It was slow, quiet and 25 degrees in the middle of January. Perfect for my one and only skiing experience.
First Alcoholic Drink: When I was 15, my parents had their 25th wedding anniversary and we kids threw them a big party. Somehow, I was standing in as the bartender. I didn't know the first thing about mixing drinks. My uncle asked for a "JD & coke". "What's in it?", I inquired. He told me the ingrediants and I proceeded to fill a glass half full of Jack Daniel's and half full of coke. My brother intercepted the drink and explained I'd made it waaaayyy too strong. I took a big swig and said "what, it tastes fine to me". He poured half of it out and then filled it back up with coke and took it to my uncle.
This scene was replayed about 4 times over the next hour; each time I made a drink, I would make it half booze and half mixer. Each time my brother would intercept it and make me take a taste. Each time it seemed fine to me (this was my first indicator that I could hold my liquor). Later on, my brother tried to make me think I was drunk by swaying each time I looked at him. I knew better though; I wasn't drunk, he was just a joker!
First ticket violation: I got my one and only speeding ticket coming down off a bridge and going about 5 miles per hour too fast. The speedometer on the car was broken. I didn't realize then that I could have fought the ticket. Oh well; its the only one I've ever gotten. Notice I didn't say it was the only one I ever deserved.
First job: This, of course, does not take 6 years of baby-sitting into consideration, but after I graduated from high school, I got my first "time clock punch job" at K-mart working behind the snack counter. I wore the most hideous orange and brown polyester uniform ever designed by man. I'm surprised anyone even had an appetite after looking at me in that horrible outfit. I only worked there for three months, and I never went back to that kind of job again.
First date: This is scary, I know, but I think it was the date of my first kiss... I'm not sure! Yes, it was. The ill-fated fish date came later, but that's another post.
First memory: My earliest memory took place one rainy day when I was around 2 or 3. I was buckled into the car seat of my mom's baby blue VW bug, clutching my blue and white polka-dot stuffed elephant and reading a picture book about and elephant and a mouse in a very colorful jungle. I sure wish I knew what the title of that book was!
First crush: Ah, young love in the sun. During my 5 week stay in Arizona (remember, I was 14), I fell madly in love with my sister's 14 year-old neighbor, Billy Sjoquist. He had the cutest curly blond hair and freckles! Billy and I were inseparable and did everything together. We built a house out of 6 decks of cards and went swimming every day. Everything was great until the 4th week when he tried to touch my girls (it must have been the makeup and haircut and all that my sister got me). I made him stop. He mimicked me in a high-pitched sing-songy voice. I told him he was a child and that was that. We were done. I wonder what he's up to now?
First True Love: Easy. He's my first true love and he will be my last true love: Champs, the sweetest man I've ever known.
Thursday, November 3, 2005
The 24 Hour Meme
If you haven't figured it out yet, I love memes. Not sure why; I just think they're fun. So, I decided to create one of my own and see how far it spreads.
Here's how it works: I'm going to list each hour of the day and then a reason why that hour (anytime in the 60 minute block) is significant. You can cut and paste the basic template and then fill in your own times. Then, comment here to let us know you've posted yours. Sound like fun? You know it! Challenging? Of course! Buckle up, here we go:
12:00 a.m. - Midnight is important for all the New Year's Eves - especially 1998, when I decided that, as of that moment, I was no longer waiting to meet a pastor to marry. Instead, I would just relax and have fun and date for the sake of dating, instead of finding a husband. I met Champs 31 days later.
1:00 a.m. - This hour is one of a fond memory. Our wedding reception ended at about 1:00 a.m. and our best man escorted us to our honeymoon suite (in the same hotel as the reception). He was there about 10 minutes, showing us the gift he'd prepared for us, taking pictures and reminiscing about the wedding. We finally, gently guided him to the door. It took us a few minutes to get him to understand that, now that we were married, we'd like to be alone, please!
2:00 a.m. - The first time I visited Champs in his hometown, I left the cities at 5:00 or so in the afternoon. I arrived in Hometown City, Another State at about 2:11 a.m. or so. Champs was waiting up for me. We got engaged two days later.
3:00 a.m. - This hour belongs to one of the saddest days of our marriage. Around 3:00 a.m. or so on 9/9/99, we got a call from Princssis, Champs' sister. Their father was dying and if Champs wanted to see him, he needed to get home. I had him on a plane by 6:00 a.m. or so and he was in Hometown City by 11:00 or so, but he was too late. He missed his dad by about an hour. That was the only other time I ever drove to Hometown City by myself.
4:00 a.m. - Once in a great while, by some miracle, Champs and I will both wake up sometime between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. and we won't go back to sleep. We will lay there, in the quiet of the pre-dawn hour and enjoy one another's company. With a mom and a small daughter living here, those few quiet, private moments are precious and I cherish them.
5:00 a.m. - Sweet Girl was born at 5:55 in the morning, weighing in at 5 lbs, 15 oz. Now she's 5 years old. That number and Sweet Girl are pretty connected.
6:00 a.m. - I better darn well be out to the bus stop by 6:00 a.m., or I'm going to be late to work!
7:00 a.m. - This time is special each day because it's when Smoothie and I go down to the coffee shop to get our morning fruit smoothies with vitamins. This is our gab time and it always energizes me to get a lot of work done after.
8:00 a.m. - Every Saturday and Sunday morning, Sweet Girl comes running into our bedroom and we three spend a good 45 minutes in bed laughing, tickling and talking. This started when she was a baby and we'd go get her and bring her in with us. Some day she is going to decide she is too old for this ritual, and a part of my heart will die with the passing.
9:00 a.m. - On a Saturday morning, this is the significant hour of The Family Breakfast. Be it waffles (Champs makes the best waffles!) or pancakes or my special cinnamon french toast, we all get together around the table and enjoy time together before the business of the day begins. Sweet! And I'm not talking about the syrup!
10:00 a.m. - SHOPPING TIME! Just ask Geekwif and Curly Girl. By 10:00 a.m. on a Saturday, we can be hot on the trail of the best consignment shops in the city.
11:00 a.m. - October 19, 2002 at about 11:20, Champs and I went to the closing of our home. This is the first home we ever bought. Man, we signed a LOT of papers!
12:00 p.m. - On 9/27/2003 my father lost his battle with lung cancer sometime after noon. I was planning to go visit him that morning, but decided to wait until after Sweet Girl had her nap. So I missed him. It happened to both Champs and I.
1:00 p.m. - This is the last one I haven't filled in yet. I can't think of anything significant about 1:00 in the afternoon. Wait, yes I can! In our city, at 1:00 in the afternoon on the first Wednesday of the month, every city in the metropolitan area tests their civil service sirens. The Twin Cities is HUGE and it doesn't matter where you are; you will hear sirens the first Wednesday of the month at 1:00. I remember it freaked Champs out a bit at first. I'll miss it when we move to Another State.
2:00 p.m. - We have a family tradition on New Year's Day. We have a late lunch/early dinner of soup and sandwiches. Then we eat again later in the day. What a way to start the year :-)
3:00 p.m. - This hour belongs to Champs. He was born at 3:29 p.m. His mom likes to tell me that his father took one look at the head full of red curls and said, "oh no!" I, on the other hand, am delighted by each red curl.
4:00 p.m. - Sweet Girl time! I leave work every day by 3:30 to that I can be home to meet her bus at 4:20. That's why I leave so freakin' early in the morning!
5:00 p.m. - Daddy comes home! You haven't seen joy personified until you witness a 5 year-old girl who is so happy that her daddy is walking in the door. She screams, laughs and jumps up and down - kinda like Dino when Fred came home on "The Flintstones". I love it.
6:00 p.m. - Nothing really special about this hour. What is significant, however, is how many different ways you can find to feed your family at this time of night. Especially when you don't really feel like cooking. Thank goodness for frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts!
7:00 p.m. - Champs and I were married at 7:00 in the evening on 10/09/98 in a beautiful candlelight ceremony. It wa beautiful and I loved every minute of it.
8:00 p.m. - This one is mine; I was born at 8:42 p.m. My mom went through 36 hours of labor!
9:00 p.m. - This is the soaky bath hour. For the next 5 months, I am sure that I'll be freezing cold. If I want to sleep at night, my only defense is to get in a tub of the hottest water I can stand and thaw out. I don't know why I'm this way, but since I had the gastric bypass I've been a human iceberg.
10:00 p.m. - Time for the nightly news. I have a love/hate relationship with the news. I always watch the same channel and I like the anchors on the news. I need to hear the weather and I enjoy the "feel good" stories. But with gangs in our cities and my brother-in-law, Tank, in Iraq, I'm really not fond of listening to national and world news.
11:00 p.m. - In spite of how early I get up every day, it's usually sometime after 11:00 before I actually get to bed. I need more sleep!
And that's 24 hours - spanned through my life.
Here's how it works: I'm going to list each hour of the day and then a reason why that hour (anytime in the 60 minute block) is significant. You can cut and paste the basic template and then fill in your own times. Then, comment here to let us know you've posted yours. Sound like fun? You know it! Challenging? Of course! Buckle up, here we go:
12:00 a.m. - Midnight is important for all the New Year's Eves - especially 1998, when I decided that, as of that moment, I was no longer waiting to meet a pastor to marry. Instead, I would just relax and have fun and date for the sake of dating, instead of finding a husband. I met Champs 31 days later.
1:00 a.m. - This hour is one of a fond memory. Our wedding reception ended at about 1:00 a.m. and our best man escorted us to our honeymoon suite (in the same hotel as the reception). He was there about 10 minutes, showing us the gift he'd prepared for us, taking pictures and reminiscing about the wedding. We finally, gently guided him to the door. It took us a few minutes to get him to understand that, now that we were married, we'd like to be alone, please!
2:00 a.m. - The first time I visited Champs in his hometown, I left the cities at 5:00 or so in the afternoon. I arrived in Hometown City, Another State at about 2:11 a.m. or so. Champs was waiting up for me. We got engaged two days later.
3:00 a.m. - This hour belongs to one of the saddest days of our marriage. Around 3:00 a.m. or so on 9/9/99, we got a call from Princssis, Champs' sister. Their father was dying and if Champs wanted to see him, he needed to get home. I had him on a plane by 6:00 a.m. or so and he was in Hometown City by 11:00 or so, but he was too late. He missed his dad by about an hour. That was the only other time I ever drove to Hometown City by myself.
4:00 a.m. - Once in a great while, by some miracle, Champs and I will both wake up sometime between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. and we won't go back to sleep. We will lay there, in the quiet of the pre-dawn hour and enjoy one another's company. With a mom and a small daughter living here, those few quiet, private moments are precious and I cherish them.
5:00 a.m. - Sweet Girl was born at 5:55 in the morning, weighing in at 5 lbs, 15 oz. Now she's 5 years old. That number and Sweet Girl are pretty connected.
6:00 a.m. - I better darn well be out to the bus stop by 6:00 a.m., or I'm going to be late to work!
7:00 a.m. - This time is special each day because it's when Smoothie and I go down to the coffee shop to get our morning fruit smoothies with vitamins. This is our gab time and it always energizes me to get a lot of work done after.
8:00 a.m. - Every Saturday and Sunday morning, Sweet Girl comes running into our bedroom and we three spend a good 45 minutes in bed laughing, tickling and talking. This started when she was a baby and we'd go get her and bring her in with us. Some day she is going to decide she is too old for this ritual, and a part of my heart will die with the passing.
9:00 a.m. - On a Saturday morning, this is the significant hour of The Family Breakfast. Be it waffles (Champs makes the best waffles!) or pancakes or my special cinnamon french toast, we all get together around the table and enjoy time together before the business of the day begins. Sweet! And I'm not talking about the syrup!
10:00 a.m. - SHOPPING TIME! Just ask Geekwif and Curly Girl. By 10:00 a.m. on a Saturday, we can be hot on the trail of the best consignment shops in the city.
11:00 a.m. - October 19, 2002 at about 11:20, Champs and I went to the closing of our home. This is the first home we ever bought. Man, we signed a LOT of papers!
12:00 p.m. - On 9/27/2003 my father lost his battle with lung cancer sometime after noon. I was planning to go visit him that morning, but decided to wait until after Sweet Girl had her nap. So I missed him. It happened to both Champs and I.
1:00 p.m. - This is the last one I haven't filled in yet. I can't think of anything significant about 1:00 in the afternoon. Wait, yes I can! In our city, at 1:00 in the afternoon on the first Wednesday of the month, every city in the metropolitan area tests their civil service sirens. The Twin Cities is HUGE and it doesn't matter where you are; you will hear sirens the first Wednesday of the month at 1:00. I remember it freaked Champs out a bit at first. I'll miss it when we move to Another State.
2:00 p.m. - We have a family tradition on New Year's Day. We have a late lunch/early dinner of soup and sandwiches. Then we eat again later in the day. What a way to start the year :-)
3:00 p.m. - This hour belongs to Champs. He was born at 3:29 p.m. His mom likes to tell me that his father took one look at the head full of red curls and said, "oh no!" I, on the other hand, am delighted by each red curl.
4:00 p.m. - Sweet Girl time! I leave work every day by 3:30 to that I can be home to meet her bus at 4:20. That's why I leave so freakin' early in the morning!
5:00 p.m. - Daddy comes home! You haven't seen joy personified until you witness a 5 year-old girl who is so happy that her daddy is walking in the door. She screams, laughs and jumps up and down - kinda like Dino when Fred came home on "The Flintstones". I love it.
6:00 p.m. - Nothing really special about this hour. What is significant, however, is how many different ways you can find to feed your family at this time of night. Especially when you don't really feel like cooking. Thank goodness for frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts!
7:00 p.m. - Champs and I were married at 7:00 in the evening on 10/09/98 in a beautiful candlelight ceremony. It wa beautiful and I loved every minute of it.
8:00 p.m. - This one is mine; I was born at 8:42 p.m. My mom went through 36 hours of labor!
9:00 p.m. - This is the soaky bath hour. For the next 5 months, I am sure that I'll be freezing cold. If I want to sleep at night, my only defense is to get in a tub of the hottest water I can stand and thaw out. I don't know why I'm this way, but since I had the gastric bypass I've been a human iceberg.
10:00 p.m. - Time for the nightly news. I have a love/hate relationship with the news. I always watch the same channel and I like the anchors on the news. I need to hear the weather and I enjoy the "feel good" stories. But with gangs in our cities and my brother-in-law, Tank, in Iraq, I'm really not fond of listening to national and world news.
11:00 p.m. - In spite of how early I get up every day, it's usually sometime after 11:00 before I actually get to bed. I need more sleep!
And that's 24 hours - spanned through my life.
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