Friday, May 30, 2008

The Eyes Have It


I started my morning at my annual appointment with the eye doctor. This is probably the only "check-up" I really don't mind going to. I mean, there is no pushing or prodding or taking your clothes off. There's no trying to answer questions while lying back with various tools in your mouth or drool running down the side of your face. You just get to sit there, fully clothed and in a normal sitting position, and read the letters on the screen or play optical illusion games.

My kids still talk about pinching the wings on the fly after putting on the funny 3-D glasses. Apparently, however, the eye doctor we had when they were younger is the only one who owned/used the fly trick because very few people seem to know what we're talking about.

Most of the games are fun, like find the number located in the circle of colored dots which always makes me think of Dip n'Dots and then makes me hungry for the ice cream created by NASA. Then there is the follow the dot game - this is the original video game where you follow the red light around the screen and then push the button each time you see the green or white dot appear. I'm great at this game test. They told me today that I only missed one! {Side note to Justin - this is not a challenge like Yahtzee or Bop-it}

The only down side is when they puff air in your eye - why is that always still startling even when you know what they're going to do - and the aftermath of them dilating your eyes. You come out with eyes that look like a Precious Moments doll and praying it's a cloudy day so you won't walk around squinting like the Wicked Witch of the West as she says "my pretty".

This is where the prizes come in handy. At my eye doctor's office I always leave with two prizes- a flat pair of sunglasses and an eyeball to eat. Yes, I said an eyeball to eat. My doctor has an interesting sense of humor so when you check out you get a chocolate eyeball to go.

I guess the dentist does give prizes too if you count the toothbrush. Still, for me, the eye's have it.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

13 Quotes

I really enjoy a well turned phrase (righteous indignation, detrimental aversion to reflection, an arrogant sense of entitlement).

I also enjoy a well stated thought, opinion, or philosophy. Following are thirteen of my favorite quotes -in no particular order. They are from a wide range of contributors.

“ ”

  • The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little. -Franklin D. Roosevelt
  • A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Muhammad Ali
  • What is right is often forgotten by what is convenient. -Bodie Thoene
  • Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear. -Mark Twain
  • Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away. –Elvis Presley
  • Freedom...is not an inconsequential chucking of one's weight about, it is the disciplined overcoming of self. - Iris Murdoch
  • Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced. - James Baldwin
  • If you have it (love), you don't need to have anything else, and if you don't have it, it doesn't matter much what else you have. - Sir James M. Barrie
  • Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite direction. -E.F. Schumacher
  • Sin would have fewer takers if its consequences occurred immediately. -C.H. Spurgeon
  • Technology is a way of organizing the universe so that man doesn't have to experience it. - Max Frisch
  • If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. – Mother Teresa
  • The most prominent place in hell is reserved for those who are neutral on the great issues of life. - Billy Graham


Monday, May 26, 2008

MEMORIAL DAY

In loving memory of my Dad who served in WWII.

Friday, May 23, 2008

FRIDAY'S FEAST???

The Friday's Feast chef is on vacation which seems appropriate since I am starting my diet again on Tuesday. Therefore, today's meal(which I've concocted myself)is pretty light.




APPETIZER

What is the easiest dieting tip for you to follow?

Eat breakfast.

SOUP

Where do you eat most often? dining room table, kitchen table/bar, in front of the TV, in my car?

Sadly, most often in front of the TV.

SALAD

What time of day are you most tempted to snack?

Mid-afternoon.

MAIN DISH

What foods are most difficult to give up or cut back on when you diet?

Chocolate and bread.

DESSERT

What is the one thing that once you start eating it, you have a hard time stopping?

Potato chips and dip - but only if there's dip.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

13 Things I Don't Like

I'm kind of in a bad mood today so here are thirteen things I don't like (in no particular order).
  1. Sauerkraut.
  2. Rude, pushy people.
  3. My nose.
  4. Most cats.
  5. Spiders.
  6. Cobwebs.
  7. When something in the refrigerator stinks.
  8. Tags sticking out of the neck of a shirt/top.
  9. Snobby people.
  10. Medical tests.
  11. The price of gas!
  12. Weeds.
  13. Clutter.

Okay, it took me longer to think of those than I would have guessed. Maybe my old, eternally optimistic self is still buried somewhere under all the "stuff happens" stuff.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Thoughts

Thoughts are cluttered-
Mind is racing-
No end in sight-
Time is wasting.

Friday, May 16, 2008

FRESH FROM THE OVEN




Appetizer

What is the nearest big city to your home?


Indianapolis









Soup

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?

I'd say a nine. I'm very protective of people who confide in me. I also like surprises so if it is a secret about a gift or surprise party my lips are zipped.






Salad

Describe your hair (color, texture, length).

Ugh! Clairol pale blond, very thin, very fine and about shoulder length.

Main Course

What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?

Sometimes courteous, occasionally aggressive when provoked, but never slow - usually fast. I'm also a very defensive driver. Although since the wreck and with the price of gas my driving has changed some.

Dessert

When was the last time you had a really bad week?


The last week of February-first week of March right after the wreck definitely qualifies. See my entry on April 3rd for more information on the wreck!




Thursday, May 15, 2008

Thirteen Games

Today's list is of 13 games I like to play.

The board games:
  1. Scrabble
  2. Boggle
  3. Trivial Pursuit
  4. Cranium
  5. The Great Dalmuti

The online/computer games:

6. Chicktonary (Live Search Club)

7. Poppit (Pogo)

8. Word Whomp (Pogo)

9. Free Rice (http://www.freerice.com/)

10. Roller Coaster Tycoon

11. Free Cell

Sports (?) games:

12. Putt-Putt golf

13. Badminton

Friday, May 9, 2008

Today's Tasty Treat







Appetizer

When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?
Almost always - smiles are contagious!

Soup

Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?
Carpet, hardwood, tile, laminate, vinyl - we have it all, flooring wise that is.




Salad

Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.
Dieters debate damage dessert does.

Main Course

Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?
Yes. A lady I worked with adopted a baby girl from Haiti. Also, when we went to work in an orphanage in Kahzakstan two of our team members decided to adopted daughters from there.

Dessert

Name 2 blue things.
Bluberries and blue jeans (almost sounds like the name of a country song, doesn't it?)

Thursday, May 8, 2008

It's Raining, It's Pouring, It's Thursday 13

It's raining today. A lot. So here is a list of good things to do on a rainy day.



1. Curl up in your favorite chair with a good book.

2. Bake cookies with the kids.

3. Plan your garden. (note that was plan, not plant)

4. Catch a bucket full of rainwater to water your indoor plants or to rinse your hair.




5. Rent a series of movies (ie. Shrek 1,2, & 3 or The Godfather 1,2, & 3 or Rocky 1-however many there are) and have your own movie marathon.

6. Play board games.

7. Sit on the porch and listen to the rain.

8. Test your new umbrella or raincoat.

9. Go outside and splash in the puddles like you did as a kid.




10. Try that new recipe that "will take hours" for dinner.


11. Put the radio in the window and dance in the rain with your sweetie.




12. Stay in bed all day and sleep.

13. Stay in bed all day and don't sleep.




Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Two For Tuesday-yadseuT roF owT

WARNING - I'm on my soapbox!


Today is the primary election day in Indiana and I have cast my ballot. This is not unusual, I do it every election. What is unusual is that it matters on more than a local level. I actually had to wait to vote! I used to work the elections so I know how truly unusual this is in a primary. There were occasionally lines for the general election, especially if was a presidential election year. Never, though, do I remember a line for a primary other than the three or four people who were there at 6:00 a.m. waiting for the polls to open. This time it was almost exciting. Hopefully this means there will be a good voter turnout. The percentage of Americans who regularly exercise their right to vote is pathetically low. That leads me to......


my rant on the fact that so few people vote. Yes, I know, sometimes it seems like there are no good choices. And yes, it is often hard to sift through all the political games and negative ads in order to make an informed decision on who will received your vote. However, this is what America is all about. The right to pick from those who are willing to do the job and have a say in how our country is run. Sometimes we, as a whole and as an individual, will pick the right person. Sometimes we won't. (This is when it is good to remember that God is ultimately in control.) Either way, our participation in the process, in my opinion, is the only thing that gives us the right to complain or criticize. Admittedly there have been times when I have cast my ballot for someone with great confidence only to regret that decision a few years later. It is virtually impossible to always make the right choice. However, if you don't vote, you've always made the wrong choice. You've given the choice for who governs you to your neighbor, or boss, or worst enemy who voted.
Be forewarned, if you start complaining to me about the potholes on your street, the price of gas, or the war in Iraq, I will likely ask you if you voted. I will not ask who you voted for- after the fact, it doesn't matter. If you did not vote, though, you have given up your right to any complaining and I will likely tell you so.

Friday, May 2, 2008

EAT UP!



Appetizer



What was your favorite cartoon when you were a child?
I think it was Casper The Friendly Ghost.



Soup

Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it?


Since I already have my Rotti I'd probably get a horse - a Friesian to be specific. And only as long as I can also pretend that I have someone who feeds it, waters it, turns it out to pasture, and cleans its stall.

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?
Probably an eight. I love getting all dressed up and going someplace fancy. I hate it, however, when I have to go shop for a dress for a specific special occasion - meaning there is a time limit for finding the perfect dress.



Main Course

What kind of music do you listen to while you drive?
Either Christian or country.



Dessert

When was the last time you bought a clock? And in which room did you put it?


Wow! I apparently prefer not to know what time it is. The only clocks in my house are alarm clocks and the ones on various appliances/electronics. I guess that would make it my alarm clock and it is at least 10 years old.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Another Year Closer to Half a Century!

In celebration of my birthday, today's Thursday 13 is all about me. I know Rick Warren says its not about me, but just for today-for brief intervals of the day, it is.


  1. Today is my birthday! (Just in case you didn't catch on to that already.)
  2. I've decided to start counting backward for my age after this year.


  3. I get to share my birthday with Tim McGraw!!! (Okay, technically just my birth date, but a girl can dream, can't she?)


  4. I am the youngest of four girls. (This is important at family gatherings when I can't win the "who weighs the least" award - I can always say "but, I'm still the youngest!")


  5. I love surprises! (Like last night when my husband took me to dinner and a group of family and friends was waiting for me there. He did it a day early so I wouldn't catch on to the surprise.)


  6. I've always liked that my birthday is in the Spring.


  7. I remember a birthday when I was little and Mom made a paper cake with curly ribbon coming out of it and all my little friends and I got to pull on a ribbon and there was a gift tied on to the other end.


  8. I remember my 13th birthday when I got to have a "boy-girl" party and my sister spent all kinds of time decorating for it. I didn't get to see it until right before my guests arrived. It was "totally awesome". She had pink and purple foot prints leading down the stairs and then all around the room. Even though that hints at how old I am, at the time it made me "way cool". It was a "groovy" party.


  9. I spent my 16th birthday at the prom. I remember my really pretty navy blue dress and that my friend (who is now my husband) told the band it was my birthday. I was soooooo embarrassed when they announced it and then played "Birthday" by the Beatles.


  10. Another memorable birthday was my 21st. No, not for any reason you might be thinking... I was nine months pregnant with my first baby. She was born twelve days later.


  11. For my 30th birthday I was taking finals. I went back to college after the kids were born and graduated just after turning 30.


  12. At 40 I was still in the newlywed phase of my second marriage. You've just got to love that first six to nine months when you get to be together all the time but are still both on best behavior.


  13. Last year, this year, and several more in the future no doubt, are all about grand babies! The first granddaughter was born last June. The first grandson is due this June. I sure don't like my age in number form but if that's what the count has to be to get to enjoy these grand babies, I can deal with it.