It was a chilly day today, but sitting in my car with my sweater on and the sun shining on me, waiting in the "car riders" line at the school to get my kids, I got a little warm. So I put the passenger side window down a little. I was enjoying the nice breeze when suddenly I smelled cigarette smoke. Ugh. The woman behind me, in her black SUV, was smoking a cigarette and the breeze had brought the offending odor forward. I quickly put my window up. Thanks a lot, lady.
Speaking of smoking, North Carolina is currently trying to get a law passed that would ban smoking in public places - restaurants, bars, work places, etc. It's about time. It's not like smoke can read "No Smoking" signs and stay in its area of the restaurant. There have been times when we've had to move from one side of the non-smoking area of a restaurant to another side because the cigarette smoke had drifted. Nasty stuff. I hate cigarettes/cigarette smoke. And I don't have a high opinion of smokers either. I cannot count the number of times I've had to hold my breath while entering or exiting a building because a smoker (or smokers) has been standing too close to the entrance puffing away on his/her cancer stick. They have no sense of courtesy (or appreciation for clean air) at all.
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Prior to today, I haven't been online since Wednesday. I've been so tired and no amount of sleep helps me feel rested. I've been going to bed earlier and taking long naps during the day, but still by evening (6, 7, 8:00) I can barely keep my eyes open. I also had a bad headache all day yesterday that wouldn't go away no matter how much medicine I took. That combined with my sleepiness made grocery and book shopping a little difficult. If I looked as tired as I felt, I must've been a pitiful site. lol
The kids and I went to Pizzeria L'Italiano for dinner in downtown Greensboro yesterday. It was exactly what I wanted. That first bite was heaven.
After eating, getting groceries and bringing the groceries home, we went to Borders. Kelly got two Magic Tree House books (one about volcanoes, the other about tornadoes), Sean got a big book about volcanoes and earthquakes, and I got a book about Ancient Rome (I think that upped my geek factor a bit) and Confessions of a Shopaholic.
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Charlie is still in Texas. If he's not done there by the end of the coming week, he's going to have his boss fly him home for mine and Kelly's birthdays. Mine is next Saturday (the 7th) and Kelly's is that Sunday.
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Kelly got a 100 on her project. She had to do a drawing or model of a lake and include the definition on the back of her project.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
What Kind of Reader Are You?
| What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Literate Good Citizen You read to inform or entertain yourself, but you're not nerdy about it. You've read most major classics (in school) and you have a favorite genre or two. | |
| Book Snob | |
| Dedicated Reader | |
| Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm | |
| Fad Reader | |
| Non-Reader | |
| What Kind of Reader Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz | |
It's not entirely accurate. I only read a few classics in school. Classics are what I'm most interested in reading now (currently reading Jane Eyre) and have many on my shelves I've yet to read.
Tidbits
Just a few tidbits.
Sean got a B+ on his science project.
Charlie left Iowa on Sunday morning and is back in Texas. He says he could be there for about a week and a half.
The six books I ordered from Amazon came in the mail yesterday. A day earlier than the estimated day of arrival, but that's pretty normal for Amazon. I like that.
I've been busy cleaning and doing laundry. Not much else going on. I was going to go to the video store today and rent Vicky Christina Barcelona, but I may do that another day.
Sean got a B+ on his science project.
Charlie left Iowa on Sunday morning and is back in Texas. He says he could be there for about a week and a half.
The six books I ordered from Amazon came in the mail yesterday. A day earlier than the estimated day of arrival, but that's pretty normal for Amazon. I like that.
I've been busy cleaning and doing laundry. Not much else going on. I was going to go to the video store today and rent Vicky Christina Barcelona, but I may do that another day.
Apparently, I'm an Audrey
Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...
You Are an Audrey!
You are an Audrey -- "I am at peace"
Audreys are receptive, good-natured, and supportive. They seek union with others and the world around them.
How to Get Along with Me
- * If you want me to do something, how you ask is important. I especially don't like expectations or pressure
- * I like to listen and to be of service, but don't take advantage of this
- * Listen until I finish speaking, even though I meander a bit
- * Give me time to finish things and make decisions. It's OK to nudge me gently and nonjudgmentally
- * Ask me questions to help me get clear
- * Tell me when you like how I look. I'm not averse to flattery
- * Hug me, show physical affection. It opens me up to my feelings
- * I like a good discussion but not a confrontation
- * Let me know you like what I've done or said
- * Laugh with me and share in my enjoyment of life
What I Like About Being an Audrey
- * being nonjudgmental and accepting
- * caring for and being concerned about others
- * being able to relax and have a good time
- * knowing that most people enjoy my company; I'm easy to be around
- * my ability to see many different sides of an issue and to be a good mediator and facilitator
- * my heightened awareness of sensations, aesthetics, and the here and now
- * being able to go with the flow and feel one with the universe
What's Hard About Being an Audrey
- * being judged and misunderstood for being placid and/or indecisive
- * being critical of myself for lacking initiative and discipline
- * being too sensitive to criticism; taking every raised eyebrow and twitch of the mouth personally
- * being confused about what I really want
- * caring too much about what others will think of me
- * not being listened to or taken seriously
Audreys as Children Often
- * feel ignored and that their wants, opinions, and feelings are unimportant
- * tune out a lot, especially when others argue
- * are "good" children: deny anger or keep it to themselves
Audreys as Parents
- * are supportive, kind, and warm
- * are sometimes overly permissive or nondirective
Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy
Sunday, January 25, 2009
25 Random Facts...
...about me.
1. I don't know how to swim, roller skate, ice skate or drive a stick shift. And I haven't ridden a bike since I was 14 or 15.
2. I've come close to dying three times. Once as a baby, once as a toddler and once as a teenager.
3. I've never tried alcohol (the smell alone gags me), cigarettes or drugs.
4. I was a virgin when I got married at age 21, a little over 14 years ago.
5. I hate vegetables.
6. I have a "triple threat" for getting diabetes. It's in my family, I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my daughter, and I have PCOS. And all it takes is one. Nice.
7. I've never been west of OK and TX. Or out of the country.
8. I got a black eye when I was 5. The high school kids rode the same bus with the elementary kids (very small town). One day a couple of them were horsing around and ended up accidentally kicking me in the eye.
9. I've become quieter and more introverted as I've gotten older.
10. I beat up a boy in my front yard when I was 10 after he slapped me in the face. The only fight I've ever been in or ever plan to be in. (Though it wasn't really a fight I guess since I had him pinned down and did all the hitting.) I'm really not the fighting kind.
11. I got glasses when I was 11, got contacts when I was 15 or 16, had to quit wearing them at 17 because they bothered my eyes. Then finally got Lasik eye surgery in May of 2007, when I was 34 years old. One of the best things I've ever done.
12. I hardly ever watch R-rated movies. Almost never, actually. Not if there's sex, really graphic violence or a lot of profanity. It just doesn't appeal to me at all. It really takes away from the movie, in my opinion.
13. I've lost my dad and all four grandparents.
14. I hate Asian food.
15. I'm a name nerd/name snob. I have a long list of favorites. I've thought about creating a list of names I hate. It would be filled with made-up names, kre8tiv spellings, clearly masculine names for girls, word/object names and last names as first names.
16. New York City didn't impress me when I visited there. I'm not a tall-buildings, crowds-of-people, hardly-any-trees/nature, lots-of-sidewalks-and-cars-and-roads kind of gal.
17. I hardly ever wear socks. Even in the winter.
18. Before getting pregnant with my son, I didn't want children. But I was thrilled when I found out I was pregnant. lol We didn't try for him, but we did for our daughter. I'd love to have a third, but Charlie thinks he's too old. :-\
19. It's lack of space that keeps me from becoming a crazy cat lady. That and my husband. lol
20. When we moved to TX from OH when I was 17 and a senior in high school, they told me I didn't have enough credits to "qualify" as a senior in TX. So my parents put me in our church's Christian school and I worked my butt off, staying up past midnight every night, doing paces so that I could get the needed credits and graduate on time. I graduated second in my class.....of four. lol *shrug*
21. I'm terrified of spiders, heights (even a little on the step ladder), and going fast (in a car; especially downhill). I'm also a little scared of stairs. More so coming down than going up. I fell down the stairs when I was 14 and have been very nervous about stairs ever since.
22. I've been through a few hurricanes, a couple tornadoes (well, not literally "through") and a teensy, tiny, barely-felt earthquake lol (yes, in NC).
23. I voted third-party (Bob Barr) this past election for the first time. Maybe not the last.
24. I hate low-brow "comedy".
25. I can't stand the "word" ginormous. Ugh. It just sounds so ignorant and unattractive. No offense to anyone who might read this who uses that word.
1. I don't know how to swim, roller skate, ice skate or drive a stick shift. And I haven't ridden a bike since I was 14 or 15.
2. I've come close to dying three times. Once as a baby, once as a toddler and once as a teenager.
3. I've never tried alcohol (the smell alone gags me), cigarettes or drugs.
4. I was a virgin when I got married at age 21, a little over 14 years ago.
5. I hate vegetables.
6. I have a "triple threat" for getting diabetes. It's in my family, I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my daughter, and I have PCOS. And all it takes is one. Nice.
7. I've never been west of OK and TX. Or out of the country.
8. I got a black eye when I was 5. The high school kids rode the same bus with the elementary kids (very small town). One day a couple of them were horsing around and ended up accidentally kicking me in the eye.
9. I've become quieter and more introverted as I've gotten older.
10. I beat up a boy in my front yard when I was 10 after he slapped me in the face. The only fight I've ever been in or ever plan to be in. (Though it wasn't really a fight I guess since I had him pinned down and did all the hitting.) I'm really not the fighting kind.
11. I got glasses when I was 11, got contacts when I was 15 or 16, had to quit wearing them at 17 because they bothered my eyes. Then finally got Lasik eye surgery in May of 2007, when I was 34 years old. One of the best things I've ever done.
12. I hardly ever watch R-rated movies. Almost never, actually. Not if there's sex, really graphic violence or a lot of profanity. It just doesn't appeal to me at all. It really takes away from the movie, in my opinion.
13. I've lost my dad and all four grandparents.
14. I hate Asian food.
15. I'm a name nerd/name snob. I have a long list of favorites. I've thought about creating a list of names I hate. It would be filled with made-up names, kre8tiv spellings, clearly masculine names for girls, word/object names and last names as first names.
16. New York City didn't impress me when I visited there. I'm not a tall-buildings, crowds-of-people, hardly-any-trees/nature, lots-of-sidewalks-and-cars-and-roads kind of gal.
17. I hardly ever wear socks. Even in the winter.
18. Before getting pregnant with my son, I didn't want children. But I was thrilled when I found out I was pregnant. lol We didn't try for him, but we did for our daughter. I'd love to have a third, but Charlie thinks he's too old. :-\
19. It's lack of space that keeps me from becoming a crazy cat lady. That and my husband. lol
20. When we moved to TX from OH when I was 17 and a senior in high school, they told me I didn't have enough credits to "qualify" as a senior in TX. So my parents put me in our church's Christian school and I worked my butt off, staying up past midnight every night, doing paces so that I could get the needed credits and graduate on time. I graduated second in my class.....of four. lol *shrug*
21. I'm terrified of spiders, heights (even a little on the step ladder), and going fast (in a car; especially downhill). I'm also a little scared of stairs. More so coming down than going up. I fell down the stairs when I was 14 and have been very nervous about stairs ever since.
22. I've been through a few hurricanes, a couple tornadoes (well, not literally "through") and a teensy, tiny, barely-felt earthquake lol (yes, in NC).
23. I voted third-party (Bob Barr) this past election for the first time. Maybe not the last.
24. I hate low-brow "comedy".
25. I can't stand the "word" ginormous. Ugh. It just sounds so ignorant and unattractive. No offense to anyone who might read this who uses that word.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Inspection, Bad driver
After dropping off the movies I rented at the video store, Kelly and I went to my usual place to get the car inspected. (Sean was with my mom. They went to a Kurt Carr concert last night.) I wore my new denim skirt and green sweater and carried my pink purse. Kelly played with the Barrel of Monkeys they had while we waited. There were a few men around. Customers mostly. One came in and out a couple times. He looked at me and smiled, so I smiled back. Then when he was leaving he said, "How are you?". I said, "Good."
I thought it was kind of odd. Men never notice me anymore, it seems. Not that it really matters. It's just an observation. They used to notice me all the time, back when I was thinner, younger and childless. lol Maybe he was just being nice. Most likely. Perhaps the happy green color of my sweater made me seem nicer and more approachable. lol *shrug*
Anyway, the car passed inspection. (It better. It's a 2007.) There's some new law about inspections. No more inspection sticker on the windshield. I'm not sure how that works exactly. How do the cops know who's legal and who isn't? Surely they don't run the plates of everyone they see without a sticker. That would be a huge time-waster, I would think. Or maybe the sticker on the plate gives them a clue.
Kelly and I went to Target, got gas and then went to Macy's after leaving the station. I wanted to find a new sweater to wear over my clothes, but couldn't find anything I liked. :-\
We then went to Monterrey's. I was craving it. The chips and salsa were so good to me that I almost got too full on them to eat my taco.
On the way to Monterrey's, we got stuck behind a really annoying driver. It was around 5:20, so it was rush hour. This woman in front of me (who wasn't old, so she has no excuse) just couldn't bring herself to at least do the speed limit and stay there. She'd get close to 55, then she'd slow down to 45 or 50. Then she'd get close to 55 again, and slow down to 45 or 50. Drove me crazy! I kept saying aloud, "You have got to be kidding me!" I couldn't get over into the left lane to pass her because of all the traffic, so I was stuck. And there was no one close enough in front of her to slow her down. I don't know what her problem was.
Then she decided to turn her blinker on about ½ a mile to a mile before the exit. lol *shaking my head* As we were approaching the exit (I was still behind her), she decided to hit her brakes early, causing me to hit my brakes, causing the guy behind me to have to swerve to the right to keep from hitting me. *sigh* The light turns green and she turns her right blinker on again as if she's going to make a right turn at the light, but then goes straight instead, with her blinker still going. lol Wow.
From Monterrey's we went to Talbot's (got nothing) and Barnes and Noble. As usual, one book just wasn't enough. I bought The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson and a book of four novels by Ernest Hemingway - The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea. Both in hardcover, of course. Kelly picked out three childrens' versions of classics (3 for $9.99) - Heidi, The Secret Garden and A Little Princess.
Finally, we went to Food Lion before coming home. We were both pretty tired and fell asleep on the couch at a little after 10:00 while watching TV.
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Charlie is still in Iowa, still freezing his butt off. I'm not sure when he'll finally get to leave there. Maybe Monday? He still has to do some more work in Texas before he can come home though.
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Just got an email from Amazon that my order has been shipped. The estimated arrival is this Tuesday. Can't wait to get my new books. :-)
I thought it was kind of odd. Men never notice me anymore, it seems. Not that it really matters. It's just an observation. They used to notice me all the time, back when I was thinner, younger and childless. lol Maybe he was just being nice. Most likely. Perhaps the happy green color of my sweater made me seem nicer and more approachable. lol *shrug*
Anyway, the car passed inspection. (It better. It's a 2007.) There's some new law about inspections. No more inspection sticker on the windshield. I'm not sure how that works exactly. How do the cops know who's legal and who isn't? Surely they don't run the plates of everyone they see without a sticker. That would be a huge time-waster, I would think. Or maybe the sticker on the plate gives them a clue.
Kelly and I went to Target, got gas and then went to Macy's after leaving the station. I wanted to find a new sweater to wear over my clothes, but couldn't find anything I liked. :-\
We then went to Monterrey's. I was craving it. The chips and salsa were so good to me that I almost got too full on them to eat my taco.
On the way to Monterrey's, we got stuck behind a really annoying driver. It was around 5:20, so it was rush hour. This woman in front of me (who wasn't old, so she has no excuse) just couldn't bring herself to at least do the speed limit and stay there. She'd get close to 55, then she'd slow down to 45 or 50. Then she'd get close to 55 again, and slow down to 45 or 50. Drove me crazy! I kept saying aloud, "You have got to be kidding me!" I couldn't get over into the left lane to pass her because of all the traffic, so I was stuck. And there was no one close enough in front of her to slow her down. I don't know what her problem was.
Then she decided to turn her blinker on about ½ a mile to a mile before the exit. lol *shaking my head* As we were approaching the exit (I was still behind her), she decided to hit her brakes early, causing me to hit my brakes, causing the guy behind me to have to swerve to the right to keep from hitting me. *sigh* The light turns green and she turns her right blinker on again as if she's going to make a right turn at the light, but then goes straight instead, with her blinker still going. lol Wow.
From Monterrey's we went to Talbot's (got nothing) and Barnes and Noble. As usual, one book just wasn't enough. I bought The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson and a book of four novels by Ernest Hemingway - The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea. Both in hardcover, of course. Kelly picked out three childrens' versions of classics (3 for $9.99) - Heidi, The Secret Garden and A Little Princess.
Finally, we went to Food Lion before coming home. We were both pretty tired and fell asleep on the couch at a little after 10:00 while watching TV.
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Charlie is still in Iowa, still freezing his butt off. I'm not sure when he'll finally get to leave there. Maybe Monday? He still has to do some more work in Texas before he can come home though.
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Just got an email from Amazon that my order has been shipped. The estimated arrival is this Tuesday. Can't wait to get my new books. :-)
Friday, January 23, 2009
Birthday Shopping
My birthday is a couple weeks from now. Since Kelly's is the day after mine, we go ahead and get my birthday presents out of the way early so that we're not buying presents for two people at one time. And also to focus on Kelly when her birthday comes.
So, I did some shopping yesterday for myself. I got some really cute stuff. Most of it on sale. Three cardigans - a purple, pink & red multi w/ some white and black (it's cuter than it sounds; kind of elegant actually), a white w/ black print (both from Macy's) and a green one (from Ann Taylor Loft).
I also bought a red faux-croc purse, a black knee-length skirt w/small ruffle trim around the bottom and black slippers at Macy's (my old slippers were wearing out), black Gianni Bini shoes (very little heel) at Dillard's, and a denim skirt at the Gap.
And now a short while ago, I ordered several books from Amazon (all in hardcover, of course) - Daniel Deronda, Middlemarch, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner (all by George Eliot), Doctor Zhivago, and You Can Do It!: The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls.
I'm thinking about wearing my new green cardigan and denim skirt today while I'm out getting groceries and getting the car inspected.
So, I did some shopping yesterday for myself. I got some really cute stuff. Most of it on sale. Three cardigans - a purple, pink & red multi w/ some white and black (it's cuter than it sounds; kind of elegant actually), a white w/ black print (both from Macy's) and a green one (from Ann Taylor Loft).
I also bought a red faux-croc purse, a black knee-length skirt w/small ruffle trim around the bottom and black slippers at Macy's (my old slippers were wearing out), black Gianni Bini shoes (very little heel) at Dillard's, and a denim skirt at the Gap.
And now a short while ago, I ordered several books from Amazon (all in hardcover, of course) - Daniel Deronda, Middlemarch, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner (all by George Eliot), Doctor Zhivago, and You Can Do It!: The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls.I'm thinking about wearing my new green cardigan and denim skirt today while I'm out getting groceries and getting the car inspected.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Temperament
| You Have a Melancholic Temperament | ||
 You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life. You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you. Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace. You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life. Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times. At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you. You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others. You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.
Found at blogthings.com. |
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Snow, Boring Inauguration day
Cardinals in a tree in our neighbor's yard.
Sean and Kelly had fun playing in the snow, but didn't play in it long. Temperatures were in the 20s with windchills in the teens when they were outside. They ran around, made snow angels and threw snowballs.
My car.
I tried to watch the inauguration yesterday, but it just wasn't that interesting to me. I watched a little of it in the morning before watching a movie (The Family That Preys - eh). Then I watched a little more of the inauguration, but fell asleep while Obama was talking.I woke up a couple hours later (I was very tired), did some cleaning and made supper. Then watched American Idol, got the kids in the bed, fell asleep again(?!), watched another movie (Brideshead Revisited - very boring), cleaned out the litter boxes, swept up the kitty litter and then got online.
Can you stand the excitement? :-\
Charlie is supposed to be going to Iowa today from Minnesota. He thinks they'll only be there a day or two before heading back to Texas. Not sure how long he'll be there again before he can finally come home.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
2009 Wishes
I've been doing a lot of browsing of people's blogs at expat-blog.com and of some of the blogs that are linked at other blogs. I've found a few I liked enough to add to my blogroll. At one of the blogs I came across (but didn't add to my blogroll), someone had a list of 9 wishes for 2009. I don't know if I can come up with nine, but here are my wishes/hopes for the year.
For 2009, I hope:
1. ...That our house sells by the summer. We'll be re-listing in mid to late February. (We've been off the market since the end of November.) I don't look forward to the anxiety of waiting for showings, positive feedback and trying to keep the house just about perfect all the time though.
2. ...We can finally get our new (to us) house. I have several in my favorites at listingbook and I often wonder if any of them is our future home. I sometimes daydream about getting the bigger house we need with four bedrooms, a den, fireplace, 2-3 car garage, and some land (around a half an acre would do) in a quieter area with better schools. And no open floor plan!
3. ...We get the new living room furniture we need. (This is very likely to happen by the summer.) The furniture we have now was bought in the spring of 1998. It's dark, so most people probably can't tell that it's not in the best shape unless they look closely. (Two or three cushions have holes in them, though you can't see them unless you flip them over or, in the case of the couch, push down on it or recline. If the hole-less sides get holes in them, there'll be no more hiding of them. lol) Plus, the style of it just doesn't appeal to me anymore. I want something without a pattern this time.
4. ...I can lose some weight. I have PCOS, which causes weight gain that's just about impossible to lose. I did lose about 13 pounds early last year without even trying (I tried for awhile with no luck, so I quit trying), but I've gained most of it back. And, no, I haven't been pigging out. It's that darned PCOS. *shakes fist*
5. ...I can find something to satisfy my craving for something new and different in my life.
6. ...Sean passes 5th grade. He's really struggling this year.
7. ...Charlie travels less with his job than he has these past few months. I've only seen him a couple times since early November. I'm tired of missing him. Maybe he'll finally get sick of it too and find a better job.
8. ...
Well, I seem to be stuck there. I can't think of anything for 8 and 9.
For 2009, I hope:
1. ...That our house sells by the summer. We'll be re-listing in mid to late February. (We've been off the market since the end of November.) I don't look forward to the anxiety of waiting for showings, positive feedback and trying to keep the house just about perfect all the time though.
2. ...We can finally get our new (to us) house. I have several in my favorites at listingbook and I often wonder if any of them is our future home. I sometimes daydream about getting the bigger house we need with four bedrooms, a den, fireplace, 2-3 car garage, and some land (around a half an acre would do) in a quieter area with better schools. And no open floor plan!
3. ...We get the new living room furniture we need. (This is very likely to happen by the summer.) The furniture we have now was bought in the spring of 1998. It's dark, so most people probably can't tell that it's not in the best shape unless they look closely. (Two or three cushions have holes in them, though you can't see them unless you flip them over or, in the case of the couch, push down on it or recline. If the hole-less sides get holes in them, there'll be no more hiding of them. lol) Plus, the style of it just doesn't appeal to me anymore. I want something without a pattern this time.
4. ...I can lose some weight. I have PCOS, which causes weight gain that's just about impossible to lose. I did lose about 13 pounds early last year without even trying (I tried for awhile with no luck, so I quit trying), but I've gained most of it back. And, no, I haven't been pigging out. It's that darned PCOS. *shakes fist*
5. ...I can find something to satisfy my craving for something new and different in my life.
6. ...Sean passes 5th grade. He's really struggling this year.
7. ...Charlie travels less with his job than he has these past few months. I've only seen him a couple times since early November. I'm tired of missing him. Maybe he'll finally get sick of it too and find a better job.
8. ...
Well, I seem to be stuck there. I can't think of anything for 8 and 9.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Yesterday, Science project
I had no trouble getting to where I needed to be yesterday or finding my way back out of downtown Winston-Salem and onto Business 40. I did have some trouble finding a place to park though. I drove around about three or four times before I noticed a small parking lot near where I had to be. I had to pay to park (once we got out), but at least I found a place.
What I thought would be a quick in-and-out (less than 30 minutes, I thought) turned into over an hour. We (Sean & I) had to wait in a long line. I kept watching the clock and hoping we'd be out by 1:45 because I had to get Kelly from school at 2:30. We were out at almost exactly 1:45. And we got to the school about five minutes early.
After eating a small bowl of bite size Frosted Mini Wheats, I took a nap on the couch while Sean finished his times tables and Kelly did her homework. After a much-too-short nap (I'm very tired now), I cooked supper (penne marinara) and we ate while watching American Idol.
Sean got his science fair project done. It took less than an hour. He wrote down all the information (with his bad handwriting lol) on the poster board and we did the project/experiment together. (I cut and stripped the wire and attached it to the battery.) I took the pictures and after he went to bed (later than usual), I printed them out with our Kodak photo printer and taped them to the poster board.
Sean's project was water electrolysis. The splitting of water into hydrogen and chlorine gas. (The chlorine was from the salt that was added to the water.) After sharpening both ends of two pencils, sticking them through cardboard and into a glass of salt water, and attaching wires to the ends of the pencils that were sticking out of the top of the cardboard and onto the positive and negative parts of a 9 volt battery, tiny bubbles formed around the two pencil tips that were in the water. Sean thought it was very cool. :-) Hopefully he'll get a good grade on it.
Charlie is still in Minnesota in that insanely cold weather. A blizzard blew through a couple days ago. They try not to stay outside too long to prevent frostbite, but he did say that his face was stinging a little yesterday. Hopefully they'll be getting out of there within the next couple days.
What I thought would be a quick in-and-out (less than 30 minutes, I thought) turned into over an hour. We (Sean & I) had to wait in a long line. I kept watching the clock and hoping we'd be out by 1:45 because I had to get Kelly from school at 2:30. We were out at almost exactly 1:45. And we got to the school about five minutes early.
After eating a small bowl of bite size Frosted Mini Wheats, I took a nap on the couch while Sean finished his times tables and Kelly did her homework. After a much-too-short nap (I'm very tired now), I cooked supper (penne marinara) and we ate while watching American Idol.
Sean got his science fair project done. It took less than an hour. He wrote down all the information (with his bad handwriting lol) on the poster board and we did the project/experiment together. (I cut and stripped the wire and attached it to the battery.) I took the pictures and after he went to bed (later than usual), I printed them out with our Kodak photo printer and taped them to the poster board.
Sean's project was water electrolysis. The splitting of water into hydrogen and chlorine gas. (The chlorine was from the salt that was added to the water.) After sharpening both ends of two pencils, sticking them through cardboard and into a glass of salt water, and attaching wires to the ends of the pencils that were sticking out of the top of the cardboard and onto the positive and negative parts of a 9 volt battery, tiny bubbles formed around the two pencil tips that were in the water. Sean thought it was very cool. :-) Hopefully he'll get a good grade on it.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Nervous, Sean overloaded
I have to go to downtown Winston-Salem today to take care of some business for my husband. I've only been to Winston a few times and am nervous about getting lost. I got directions from the website for the place I'm going to and drew a map. I don't think I'll have too much trouble getting to my destination. Finding my way back out and to Business 40 could be a different story though. All those one-way streets. Hopefully the map will help.
I'll have Sean with me. His teacher sent home punish work because the class was talking. (Sean said he wasn't and that only a couple kids were.) They had to write their times tables (1-12) seven times. This in addition to all the other homework they had, plus finishing their science projects. I think Sean did his other homework, but only got the punish work done three times and still had his science project to work on when 11:00 came. I told him to brush his teeth and go to bed. I won't be sending him to school. He needs to finish the punish work (I think he said that his teacher told them they'd have to do it 20 times if they didn't do it at home) and his science project. He can do that after we get back from Winston.
I'll have Sean with me. His teacher sent home punish work because the class was talking. (Sean said he wasn't and that only a couple kids were.) They had to write their times tables (1-12) seven times. This in addition to all the other homework they had, plus finishing their science projects. I think Sean did his other homework, but only got the punish work done three times and still had his science project to work on when 11:00 came. I told him to brush his teeth and go to bed. I won't be sending him to school. He needs to finish the punish work (I think he said that his teacher told them they'd have to do it 20 times if they didn't do it at home) and his science project. He can do that after we get back from Winston.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Spanish, Education, DH
The kids and I went to Monterrey's for supper Friday night after getting groceries. (As well as two movies at Best Buy on Blu-Ray - The Italian Job and I Robot - to replace the DVD versions we have, and the strategy guide for the new Prince of Persia game.) We hadn't been in 2 or 3 weeks and I was craving it. Unfortunately, my taco had an odd taste to it. I ate it however. It didn't make me sick so I reckon it was fine.
As we were sitting at our table waiting for the waiter to come take our order, Sean asked me how to say "Happy New Year" in Spanish. Well, it's been years since I was in Spanish class and I don't remember much of it. I told him that it was either "Feliz Nuevo Ano" or "Feliz Ano Nuevo", and that I believed it was the latter. Sean asked our waiter when he got to our table and he told him that it's "Feliz Ano Nuevo". Sean then told our waiter "Feliz Ano Nuevo" when he came to our table again. I think he also said it to another waiter who came to our table.
Knowing Spanish could possibly be useful here in North Carolina. We have a lot of Mexican immigrants here. I probably couldn't learn it as easily now as I did when I was a teenager though. Funny, but I still have my Spanish folders filled with classwork, homework and tests in a box in the attic. I was looking through those papers some time in the late summer of last year and couldn't believe I was able to understand all those words, rules and sentence structures at one time. It looks confusing to me now.
Funny how life works. There are things you understand better when you're young and things you understand better when you're not so young. I read things now that I didn't get or appreciate when I was younger, or just didn't have an interest in. But I learned things easier then. And many of the things I learned as a teenager, I've since forgotten. Some of those things I'm becoming interested in again. Such as history, ancient civilizations and literature. I like the History Channel (and sometimes the Military Channel) more than I used to, and I would like to read up more on history and ancient civilizations. Especially ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt. And I'm much more interested in reading classic works of literature now than I was when I was a teenager. (As well as some modern novels.) I'm continually adding to my library and now have many books-to-read on my shelves.
Ah, if only I had been so interested when I was in school. Not that I made bad grades; I didn't. I made anywhere from passing to very good grades. But I can't help but wonder how much better I could've done, even if only a little, if I'd been more interested. Oh, well. You can't change the past.
Moving on.
I talked to Charlie yesterday, as I do a few times a day when he's out of town/out of state. He's in Minnesota now. Some small town called Austin. So much for going back to Texas after leaving North Dakota. He thinks they might possibly be done today and then they can go back to Texas. So maybe another week and a half or two before he comes home, as long as he doesn't get sent somewhere else.
Well, it's another early Monday morning coming up in a few hours. I need to get off this computer, perhaps do some more reading of Jane Eyre and then get in the bed.
As we were sitting at our table waiting for the waiter to come take our order, Sean asked me how to say "Happy New Year" in Spanish. Well, it's been years since I was in Spanish class and I don't remember much of it. I told him that it was either "Feliz Nuevo Ano" or "Feliz Ano Nuevo", and that I believed it was the latter. Sean asked our waiter when he got to our table and he told him that it's "Feliz Ano Nuevo". Sean then told our waiter "Feliz Ano Nuevo" when he came to our table again. I think he also said it to another waiter who came to our table.
Knowing Spanish could possibly be useful here in North Carolina. We have a lot of Mexican immigrants here. I probably couldn't learn it as easily now as I did when I was a teenager though. Funny, but I still have my Spanish folders filled with classwork, homework and tests in a box in the attic. I was looking through those papers some time in the late summer of last year and couldn't believe I was able to understand all those words, rules and sentence structures at one time. It looks confusing to me now.
Funny how life works. There are things you understand better when you're young and things you understand better when you're not so young. I read things now that I didn't get or appreciate when I was younger, or just didn't have an interest in. But I learned things easier then. And many of the things I learned as a teenager, I've since forgotten. Some of those things I'm becoming interested in again. Such as history, ancient civilizations and literature. I like the History Channel (and sometimes the Military Channel) more than I used to, and I would like to read up more on history and ancient civilizations. Especially ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt. And I'm much more interested in reading classic works of literature now than I was when I was a teenager. (As well as some modern novels.) I'm continually adding to my library and now have many books-to-read on my shelves.
Ah, if only I had been so interested when I was in school. Not that I made bad grades; I didn't. I made anywhere from passing to very good grades. But I can't help but wonder how much better I could've done, even if only a little, if I'd been more interested. Oh, well. You can't change the past.
Moving on.
I talked to Charlie yesterday, as I do a few times a day when he's out of town/out of state. He's in Minnesota now. Some small town called Austin. So much for going back to Texas after leaving North Dakota. He thinks they might possibly be done today and then they can go back to Texas. So maybe another week and a half or two before he comes home, as long as he doesn't get sent somewhere else.
Well, it's another early Monday morning coming up in a few hours. I need to get off this computer, perhaps do some more reading of Jane Eyre and then get in the bed.
Friday, January 9, 2009
My boring life. I bet that makes people want to read this! ;-)
It's been a dull, lazy week. We've been getting a lot of rain lately (not a lot at once though) and some cold days. (Well, cold to this Southerner anyway.) It was also pretty windy for a couple days. Makes one not want to be outside too awful much. I do want to get out and do something, but not while the weather is less than pleasant. Besides which, there's not a lot around here to do that's interesting to me. Plenty to do for those who are interested in the things that are available here though. Perhaps I just need to do a little more research.
They've finally started actually testing Sean at school for ADHD. They're observing his behavior in class and the counselor tested him at the end of the school day yesterday. Reading and math, I believe Sean said. His teacher left me a message telling me that they're going to send a form home next week for me to fill out as I observe his behavior. Especially while he's supposed to be doing homework.
I'm still feeling antsy. Wanting very much to travel and/or make some sort of changes in my life. However I feel hindered. It's difficult to explain. My desire to travel, see the world (well, Europe & New Zealand mostly) and experience other cultures is why I have several blogs in my blogroll of people who live in other countries. I added a few more recently and would like to add some more soon.
Charlie is still in North Dakota and expects he'll be there until some time next week. Temperatures there have been insane. Highs in the single digits with wind chills below zero. He'll be going back to Texas once they're done in North Dakota.
Earlier in this entry, I mentioned us having a couple windy days. Night before last, our neighbor to the left came to our door at around 9:00 PM to let us know that a bunch of our trash (wrapping paper & bows) was in our backyard and hers. So the kids and I went out back in the pitch dark, cold wind and wet ground with flashlights and picked the trash up. My earlobes and face were freezing by the time we came back in the house. Our shoes were a little muddy and the kids had a little mud on their coats (not sure how they managed that), so I had to wash their coats that night.
A friend of mine in Ohio called a couple nights ago. She's quite a talker. We were on the phone for just shy of 2½ hours. Whew. I enjoy good conversation. Even long conversations. However 2½ hours can be a bit much sometimes. She called again last night while I was trying to get the kids to finish their homework (they really drag their feet sometimes) and get ready for bed, so I didn't answer. Shortly after the kids went to bed, I fell asleep on the couch. I woke up about an hour later and didn't call her back. I still had some things I wanted to do online and a couple things around the house to take care of. I expect she'll call again tonight or tomorrow night.
I've made some little changes here on my blog. The most obvious (to those who pay attention to my blog, if anyone does) being changing the style of my blogroll. I've also done some editing of my profile information. I'm thinking about changing the style of my blog also.
They've finally started actually testing Sean at school for ADHD. They're observing his behavior in class and the counselor tested him at the end of the school day yesterday. Reading and math, I believe Sean said. His teacher left me a message telling me that they're going to send a form home next week for me to fill out as I observe his behavior. Especially while he's supposed to be doing homework.
I'm still feeling antsy. Wanting very much to travel and/or make some sort of changes in my life. However I feel hindered. It's difficult to explain. My desire to travel, see the world (well, Europe & New Zealand mostly) and experience other cultures is why I have several blogs in my blogroll of people who live in other countries. I added a few more recently and would like to add some more soon.
Charlie is still in North Dakota and expects he'll be there until some time next week. Temperatures there have been insane. Highs in the single digits with wind chills below zero. He'll be going back to Texas once they're done in North Dakota.
Earlier in this entry, I mentioned us having a couple windy days. Night before last, our neighbor to the left came to our door at around 9:00 PM to let us know that a bunch of our trash (wrapping paper & bows) was in our backyard and hers. So the kids and I went out back in the pitch dark, cold wind and wet ground with flashlights and picked the trash up. My earlobes and face were freezing by the time we came back in the house. Our shoes were a little muddy and the kids had a little mud on their coats (not sure how they managed that), so I had to wash their coats that night.
A friend of mine in Ohio called a couple nights ago. She's quite a talker. We were on the phone for just shy of 2½ hours. Whew. I enjoy good conversation. Even long conversations. However 2½ hours can be a bit much sometimes. She called again last night while I was trying to get the kids to finish their homework (they really drag their feet sometimes) and get ready for bed, so I didn't answer. Shortly after the kids went to bed, I fell asleep on the couch. I woke up about an hour later and didn't call her back. I still had some things I wanted to do online and a couple things around the house to take care of. I expect she'll call again tonight or tomorrow night.
I've made some little changes here on my blog. The most obvious (to those who pay attention to my blog, if anyone does) being changing the style of my blogroll. I've also done some editing of my profile information. I'm thinking about changing the style of my blog also.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Again!, Books, DH, This and That
I am so annoyed. I can't go into details on my blog. You never know who's reading. lol But my body is misbehaving again (we'll put it that way). Grr. It's so frustrating. I had planned on going to church tomorrow (today technically - I need to get in the bed) and then my body messed up those plans. I've been trying to get to church for over a month now, but either my body was doing what it's doing now or I was sick with a cold. Ugh. I would just love to go a month, heck even a week would be nice, with no physical issues. I can't remember the last time I had a week straight of feeling good.
Anyway, if what's going on now is still going on come Monday, I reckon I'll have to call my doctor again. *sigh* I really don't want to see my doctor again. Once a year is enough. He's a nice guy and all, but he's my doctor. lol
Well, enough whining about that.
Agnes Grey arrived in the mail on Friday. That sounds funny. As if an actual person came in the mail. lol I guess Villette will arrive on Monday.
The kids and I went grocery shopping yesterday evening. We dropped off the movies I had rented first and then went to Wal-Mart so that I could get razors. Both Target and Food Lion were out of the razors I use, so I had to go to Wal-Mart. :-\
We were going to eat at Olive Garden after that (it was only a little after 4:00 in the afternoon), but they were already packed. So we went to Macaroni Grill instead. I had been there once a few years ago and hadn't really cared for it. I ordered something different this time and still didn't care for it. Well, I gave them a fair chance and they failed to satisfy, so I won't be going back.
From there, we went to Target and Food Lion. (I bought the new Prince of Persia game at Target. I've been playing it for several hours now. It's currently paused. Kind of a fun game.) We then brought the groceries home, I put them away and then we went to Borders. Kelly got a Barbie wedding coloring book and a Tinker Bell bookmark, Sean got a book about space (of course) and a bookmark, and I got three books - The Scarlet Pimpernel (in paperback; I'll likely replace it with a hardcover version eventually), The Kommandant's Girl and The Diplomat's Wife. The descriptions on the backs of the latter two sounded interesting.
I reckon since I probably won't be making it to church that I'll finally take the Christmas tree down. I've been too lazy lately. I hate it when I get like that. It's so blah.
The kids go back to school Monday. Ugh. That means early mornings are back. Yuck. I very much want them to get a good education; I just wish it didn't require getting up early. I hate mornings.
Charlie and a co-worker are driving up to North Dakota from Texas. They left yesterday morning and are spending the night in Topeka, Kansas. They're supposed to be in ND for about a week, then go back to TX for about another week. If nothing else comes up, he should be home in 2-3 weeks. I hate it when he's gone this long. I really miss him.
Anyway, if what's going on now is still going on come Monday, I reckon I'll have to call my doctor again. *sigh* I really don't want to see my doctor again. Once a year is enough. He's a nice guy and all, but he's my doctor. lol
Well, enough whining about that.
Agnes Grey arrived in the mail on Friday. That sounds funny. As if an actual person came in the mail. lol I guess Villette will arrive on Monday.
The kids and I went grocery shopping yesterday evening. We dropped off the movies I had rented first and then went to Wal-Mart so that I could get razors. Both Target and Food Lion were out of the razors I use, so I had to go to Wal-Mart. :-\
We were going to eat at Olive Garden after that (it was only a little after 4:00 in the afternoon), but they were already packed. So we went to Macaroni Grill instead. I had been there once a few years ago and hadn't really cared for it. I ordered something different this time and still didn't care for it. Well, I gave them a fair chance and they failed to satisfy, so I won't be going back.
From there, we went to Target and Food Lion. (I bought the new Prince of Persia game at Target. I've been playing it for several hours now. It's currently paused. Kind of a fun game.) We then brought the groceries home, I put them away and then we went to Borders. Kelly got a Barbie wedding coloring book and a Tinker Bell bookmark, Sean got a book about space (of course) and a bookmark, and I got three books - The Scarlet Pimpernel (in paperback; I'll likely replace it with a hardcover version eventually), The Kommandant's Girl and The Diplomat's Wife. The descriptions on the backs of the latter two sounded interesting.
I reckon since I probably won't be making it to church that I'll finally take the Christmas tree down. I've been too lazy lately. I hate it when I get like that. It's so blah.
The kids go back to school Monday. Ugh. That means early mornings are back. Yuck. I very much want them to get a good education; I just wish it didn't require getting up early. I hate mornings.
Charlie and a co-worker are driving up to North Dakota from Texas. They left yesterday morning and are spending the night in Topeka, Kansas. They're supposed to be in ND for about a week, then go back to TX for about another week. If nothing else comes up, he should be home in 2-3 weeks. I hate it when he's gone this long. I really miss him.
Friday, January 2, 2009
You Might be from North Carolina if...
You know you're from North Carolina if...
(This is long and I add to it every now and then.)
1. You know Pepsi originated in New Bern.
2. You've taken trips to the mountains to look at leaves.
3. You watched as Dale Earnhardt was the only man who ever lived who could go 200 mph, spin somebody out, call them a you-know-what, and win the race, all in the last lap.
4. A tobaggon to you means a knit cap, not a sled.
5. You sold Krispy Kreme doughnuts for a school or church fundraiser
before those glazed doughnuts went global.
6. The local newspaper covers state, national and international news
in one page, but sports requires six pages.
7. Sixty degrees Fahrenheit is “a little chilly.”
8. You have no problem spelling or pronouncing “Topsail.”
(That's top-suhl.)
9. Your school classes were canceled because of a hurricane.
10. You know more about ACC basketball than professional basketball.
11. You think South Carolina was dead weight well shed.
12. You know tea (meaning iced tea) is served sweet unless you specifically ask for unsweetened and that sweetened is the only way to drink it.
13. You’ve ever had to switch from “Heat” to “A/C” in the same day.
14. Most of the festivals around the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, edible animal or tobacco.
15. You say "catty-wampus" and "ah-ite".
16. You can tell if another North Carolinian is from Eastern or Western North Carolina as soon as he opens his mouth.
17. You can spell words such as Ocracoke, Fuquay-Varina and Chocowinity.
18. You have actually uttered the phrase, “It’s too hot to go to the pool.”
19. You know what “cow tippin” is.
20. You say, “it don’t” instead of “it doesn’t.”
21. You eat collards and black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.
22. You sometimes eat country ham, grits and eggs for supper.
24. Every real man owns a truck, or at least dreams of it.
25. You know what a turkey shoot is.
26. “Onced” and “twiced” are words.
27. “Fixinto” is one word. So is "ustacould" and "ustabe".
28. “Backards and forwards” means “I know everything about you.”
29. “Jeet?” is actually a phrase meaning “Did you eat?”
30. Barbecue is a noun, not a verb.
31. You know that “barbeque” means cooking pork on an open pit and “cook out” means hamburgers and hotdogs or steaks.
32. You have a general idea where ”over yonder” is.
33. You know what a pig pickin’ is.
34. Getting the switch means you did something wrong.
35. You know what a cane pole is for.
36. You have sucked the juice from a honeysuckle blossom.
37. You know what a toadhouse is, and you know how to find doodlebugs.
38. You have spent the night on a fishing pier.
39. You go to the schoolhouse, churchhouse and kitchenhouse.
40. You do not have to wear a watch, because it doesn’t matter what time it is. You work until it is done or it is too dark to see.
41. You season your vegetables with bacon grease or pork meat.
42. You don’t think it’s weird to eat fried fish or pork chops for breakfast.
43. When considering marriage, Chevy vs. Ford ranks right up there with religious differences. (AMEN!)
44. There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in North Carolina, plus a couple no one's seen before.
45. It's not a shopping cart, it's a buggy.
46. You know what a "Tar Heel" is.
47. You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as "good pinto bean weather". (I say "good chili weather" or "good stew weather", but we did eat pinto beans a lot when I was a kid and we were poor.)
48. There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in North Carolina.
49. "Vacation" means going to a North Carolina beach.
50. You know Krispy Kreme was started in Winston-Salem and makes the best doughnuts!
51. You know the following: Duke - Smart Asses, State - Farmer's Kids, Carolina - Preps, ECU - Drunks.
52. You know NC is the birthplace of flight.
53. The weather man forecasts snow and/or ice and you go to the store for milk, bread, eggs and toilet paper.
54. You can name at least 3 of the 4 racing Pettys.
55. You've been to at least one of NC's lighthouses. (I've been to 5 of them. 6 if you count the Roanoke Marshes Light.)
56. You know that NC has two state flowers - the dogwood blossom and construction barrels.
57. You know what NC town Mayberry is based on.
58. You know that Andrew Jackson was born in NC, not SC.
59. Saying you're "so ill" usually doesn't mean that you're sick.
60. You call kids "yunguns".
61. You know that NC has the perfect balance of country livin' and city sophistication.
62. You welcome Yankees with open arms as long as they don't make fun or try to change you.
63. You've ever "heard tale" of something.
Some from eastern North Carolina:
* You say “tater” instead of “potato.”
* You say “skeeter” instead of “mosquito.”
* You say “hise” instead of “house.”
* Your tractor is under the carport instead of your car.
* You brag on your new John Deere.
* All your clothes are Dixie Outfitters.
* You know ECU can beat State or Carolina in football anytime, anywhere.
* You know what “mellow your head” means.
* You know what “momic it up” means.
* You know how much a “mess of fish” is.
1. Every time you visit someone you’re offered something to eat and a glass of sweet tea.
2. You don’t use the expression “you guys” for females.
3. Yesterday is pronounced “yesterdee.”
5. You buy “Cheerwines.”
6. You’re more comfortable barefooted.
7. You know that “chunk” the ball means to throw it.
8. You can recognize a copperhead and your heart drops when you see one.
9. You gigged a water moccasin while after frogs.
10. You sat down to a black lady’s table (assuming you are white) and pigged out and didn’t even realize you weren’t kin folks.
11. You think that those “Yankee interlopers” from Virginia are carpetbaggers, when all they are is kin coming back home.
12. You have at least one relative who grows collards.
13. When you talk stock you’re talking chickens, cows, turkeys, and cars.
14. You know the definition of “onliest.”
15. You know what "nabs" are.
16. You know that Texas Pete is made in Winston-Salem, not Texas.
17. Your supper is cornbread and a glass of milk.
18. You blowed a tar, or caught somethin’ on far.
19. You know that “3” and Earnhardt are synonymous.
20. You meet someone and ask before ending the conversation, “What church do you go to?”
21. You call a garden hose a hose pipe.
22. Sure and shore are pronounced the same.
23. The kids have a day off from school because it might snow.
24. You always say, “Yes, ma’am", "yes, sir", "no, ma'am", "no, sir". Also, "thank you" and "please".
25. You know what “gimme some sugar” means.
26. You make friends while standing in lines.
27. You know that those brown and black furry cater pillars are called woolly worms.
28. You know that all of those bad drivers in Charlotte aren’t from there.
29. You know what drop cords are.
30. July meant picking wild blackberries and getting chiggers all over you in the process.
31. You eagerly waited for May so you could go pick wild strawberries.
32. You know that Junior means Dale Earnhardt Jr.
33. Your first word was “Da-Da” and you were trying to say “Dale Earnhardt.”
34. You consider Virginians Yankees.
35. Your grandmother swept the yard with a broom.
36. Two of your daily chores were to go to the garden and pick the veggies that were ripe and get the eggs from the chickens.
37. It used to take 30 minutes to get to the grocery store in town, and when you were there you usually got a box of Animal Crackers to keep you quiet.
38. You wash your clothes with washin' powder.
39. You’re just piddlin' when you’re working around the house.
40. You tell your young’ns to quit cuttin' up when they are getting into mischief.
41. You’re lollygaggin’ when you’re wasting time.
42. You know that wallerin' is something you do in the hay or in the bed.
43. Unruly kids make your momma’s hand itch.
44. You’ve ever been slap dab or right square in the middle of something.
45. You know the difference between sugar ants and fire ants.
46. You walk in public with your bedroom shoes on.
47. When you leave church, the whole family goes to mother’s or grandmother’s house.
48. You have entered or seen a hollerin’ contest.
49. You have kudzu growing in your backyard.
50. You’ve watched cloggers at a 4th of July celebration.
51. Your Sunday dinner is collard greens, potato salad, fried chicken and barbecue.
52. You know the word cruck means truck.
53. You know tearing up a tail has nothing to do with an animal.
54. You know all about sandspurs and licking your fingers before pulling one off your foot.
55. As a child you ran barefoot into the middle of a sandspur patch and had to be carried out, and still wouldn’t put on your shoes.
56. A textile plant was known as a cotton mill.
57. You called a slip a “shimmy.”
58. You’ve put lightnin’ bugs in a jar.
59. You know what it means when someone says they're "tarred".
60. You know the sound of a Whipporwill, a Bob White and a cicada.
61. Your grandpa or favorite uncle called you by silly, affectionate nicknames like "Sassafras", "Fish Lips", "Frog Legs", "Stink Weed", etc.
62. You know what "sand gnats" are.
63. You've ever picked pecans off the ground and ate them.
64. You've ever had to "live off the land" - deer your dad shot, chickens from your coop, eggs your chickens laid, vegetables from your mom and grandma's garden, fish & clams your dad caught.
65. You know that hush puppies aren't just shoes and are an absolute must with seafood.
66. You know it's not proper for a woman to wear pants to church.
67. You know what "I swanny!" means.
68. You've gone barefooted to the grocery store as a kid and had to run across the hot parking lot.
69. You grew up drinkin' sweet tea, grape soda, Sunkist, Sun Drop, and Mr. Pibb.
70. You know the difference between a hillbilly, a redneck, and a country boy/girl and that not every North Carolinian fits those categories. Yet any true North Carolinian has at least a touch of country in 'em.
71. You have used the phrase "that boy ain't right".
72. You've ever used the phrase "give out", as in "I'm give out".
73. You call a stomach bulge a "pooch".
74. You know that a gully washer or a frog strangler is a severe rain storm.
75. You were “in the bed,” not just “in bed.”
76. Your family sat out on the front porch after supper and sang hymns together.
77. After a good meal you say that it would “make a tadpole slap a whale.”
78. You say, “He loves peanut butter better than a hog loves slops.”
79. You say, “Ain’t he cute as a speckled puppy!”
80. You put sinkers (corn meal dumplings) in a pot of stew or collards.
81. You call sweet potatoes “music roots.”
82. You call lima beans “belly busters.”
83. You know the difference between “gee” and “haw.”
84. You have spent evenings calling bobwhites.
85. You know if something’s wompersided, it’s crooked.
86. You go to the horsepittle instead of the hospital.
87. You know the plural form of “y'all” is “all y'all.”
88. You know what a mader sandwich is.
89. You know that “Yaw get on” means please leave.
90. You know maypops are car tires ready to blow out.
91. You use the term “crank the car” when you really mean start the engine.
92. Wherever you go doesn’t stack up to home. (AMEN!)
93. Your mom or grandma ever said to you when you were a little girl, "Your underwear's shinin" if your dress came up.
94. You've pulled cicada shells off of trees.
95. You holler for the youngins.
96. You used to throw rocks in the air to watch the bats swoop down at them.
97. You rode on the back of a pick-up truck with your feet dangling off the tailgate.
98. Sun Drop, Sunkist, or Grape Nehi was a staple in your life.
99. You played games like hide-and-seek and tag with all the neighborhood kids on hot summer nights.
100. You can still find a dirt road to cruise around on.
101. You walked a mile to your friend’s house to play and when it was time for you to go home your mom would whistle for you.
102. You say that someone "just ain't got no sense" when they do something foolish.
103. The days of the week are Sundee, Mondee, Tuesdee, Wednesdee, Thursdee, Fridee, and Saturdee.
104. You say "puh-tay-tuh" or "tater" instead of potato and "tuh-may-tuh" instead of tomato.
105. You say "mus-kee-tuh" or "skee-tuh" instead of mosquito.
106. You say "catty-wonkered".
107. You know the right way to pronounce the NC city "Cashiers".
(Cash-ers.)
108. Most, if not all, NC cities ending in "-ville" are pronounced "-vuhl", not "vill".
109. Saying "y'all" isn't just a cute expression; it actually means something.
110. There are big dogs (usually labs) in the back of every truck.
111. You still see Dale Earnhardt tributes on cars.
112. You have a sunburn from May to October.
113. Your family has fried chicken once a week.
114. You can tell the difference between cotton fields and tobacco fields while driving.
115. Yankees are taking over your school, church, neighborhood and/or workplace.
116. You get your carbs from biscuits, rolls, pancakes and grits.
117. You own at least one surf shop or seafood restaurant t-shirt.
118. No matter what those people in Ohio say, we are still "first in flight".
119. The Coca-Cola 600 is as big as the Super Bowl.
120. You prefer Chick-fil-A to KFC.
121. You know pastry is a chicken stew, not a dessert item.
122. Your grandpa always wore overalls and your grandma always wore an apron.
123. You would rather eat at Bojangles than McDonald's.
124. As a kid, you went sledding in a kiddie pool or a trash can lid because a good snow was too rare for you to own a real sled.
125. You know what it means when somebody’s not studying you. "I ain't studyin' him."
126. You knew not to do anything bad when your mama couldn’t see you because Jesus was watching.
127. North Carolina will always be home no matter where you live.
128. You grew up hearing, "Quit slammin' that screen door!".
129. You either were related to someone whose house was haunted or you knew of a house or location near you that was haunted. No one could convince you otherwise.
130. You woke up to the jingle, “Nothing Could Be Finer Than to Be in Carolina in the Morning.”
131. Your mama says she's going to knock you slam out.
132. You've ever taken scraps out.
133. Cement is pronounced cee-ment.
134. You eat black-eyed peas on New Year's for good luck throughout the year and you eat greens (collard greens, mustard greens, etc.) on that day so that you can make more money that year.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Monday, Books, Searching
We got a late start Monday with the grocery shopping and other things. Once we (the kids & I) finally got out the door, we went to the bank first and deposited the money my mom gave me for Christmas. I had ordered Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte and Villette by Charlotte Bronte late the night before from Amazon. The books are due to arrive by January 5th, but I'll be surprised if they're not here sooner. Things always arrive sooner than they say when I order from Amazon.
After leaving the bank, we went by the video store and rented three movies - Ghost Town (good movie), Eagle Eye (it was okay) and The Duchess (also just okay). Then it was on to Belk to exchange the leather jacket I got Charlie for Christmas (he wants to try a larger size), Target for some groceries, Borders for a couple books (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte and Tales of Angria by Charlotte Bronte - I got them in paperback, but will replace them with hardcovers whenever I can find them) and then Food Lion for the rest of the groceries.
It's been a rather dull week, spent lazing about for the most part. Ugh. I really need to get motivated. Don't know why I've felt so blah and lazy. I suppose I should take the tree and outside lights down now that the holidays are over. I'll try to get that done today.
For the past couple years, I've dealt with wanderlust and an antsy feeling coming over me every few months or so. The feeling returned again last night. I want so much to travel and get out there. To live a more interesting life. I know that I'm kind of bound up and held down being a mother of young children, so I can't really get into travel just yet. Regardless of how greatly I desire it. Not to mention the lack of funds. But I can make my life more interesting, if I could ever think of what I'd like to do. I'm not looking for excitement really. Certainly nothing wild or crazy. That's not the kind of person I am. I just want something more.
I was thinking again about the kind of home I want us to have if we ever sell this one. (Our house is currently off the market, since the end of November, but will be re-listed in February.) Not just what I want it to be like inside (4 bedrooms, living room, den, fireplace, formal dining room, more square footage, etc.), but about its surroundings. I don't want to live where we'll be surrounded by other houses, as we are now. I want us to be surrounded by trees and hills. A few other houses is fine, but not a lot and not close together. I want space and nature. A place where I can go for a walk in the woods and/or over the hills, if I wanted, without having to worry about coming across too many other houses or people. And where I'd definitely not have to worry about any busy roads or places of business. I want peace, quiet, nature and space. Not in the middle of nowhere really, as in many miles from town.
That brings to mind places I've been through in eastern NC. (Though I'm sure they exist in other parts of NC somewhere, especially the mountains.) Places like Spivey's Corner. Nothing but flat land, farm fields and trees as far as the eye can see and beyond, with the occasional old farm house. Fayetteville's the closest big town and it's quite a ways off. I don't want to be that far out. I think about ten to twenty miles from the nearest big town would be good.
Right now we live about 1-2 minutes from the nearest Wal-Mart shopping center (also has a Lowe's, video store, couple fast food places, a Cracker Barrell, a couple other small shops/places of business, with some vacant retail spaces), which wasn't here when we bought this house over 10 years ago. All that was built, after tearing down trees, just a couple years ago. We live right off a busy road, about 10-15 minutes from downtown, in a neighborhood full of cookie-cutter houses that just seems to keep expanding. *sigh* We've wanted out of here for a couple years now. I hope and pray it happens by the summer.
So I've been dreaming of a more peaceful, off-the-beaten-path, place to live and, well, freedom I guess. Freedom to roam, freedom from the mass of humanity that's so close to our door, and freedom to be me. Here I am almost 36 and I feel like I'm still trying to figure out who I am. I mean, there's a part of me, a big part of me, that is very clear to me. In that part, I know exactly who I am, what I value and what I believe (spiritially, morally, etc.). Those things will never change. But I feel like somehow I'm not completely me yet. That probably doesn't make sense, and I'm not sure how or where to find it.
I don't make new year's resolutions, but if I did, I suppose that's what mine would be. To sell this house (though it's mostly out of my hands), to buy a house that's better for us in a quieter place, and to find the rest of me. lol That sounds funny, but I'm not sure how else to put it.
After leaving the bank, we went by the video store and rented three movies - Ghost Town (good movie), Eagle Eye (it was okay) and The Duchess (also just okay). Then it was on to Belk to exchange the leather jacket I got Charlie for Christmas (he wants to try a larger size), Target for some groceries, Borders for a couple books (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte and Tales of Angria by Charlotte Bronte - I got them in paperback, but will replace them with hardcovers whenever I can find them) and then Food Lion for the rest of the groceries.
It's been a rather dull week, spent lazing about for the most part. Ugh. I really need to get motivated. Don't know why I've felt so blah and lazy. I suppose I should take the tree and outside lights down now that the holidays are over. I'll try to get that done today.
For the past couple years, I've dealt with wanderlust and an antsy feeling coming over me every few months or so. The feeling returned again last night. I want so much to travel and get out there. To live a more interesting life. I know that I'm kind of bound up and held down being a mother of young children, so I can't really get into travel just yet. Regardless of how greatly I desire it. Not to mention the lack of funds. But I can make my life more interesting, if I could ever think of what I'd like to do. I'm not looking for excitement really. Certainly nothing wild or crazy. That's not the kind of person I am. I just want something more.
I was thinking again about the kind of home I want us to have if we ever sell this one. (Our house is currently off the market, since the end of November, but will be re-listed in February.) Not just what I want it to be like inside (4 bedrooms, living room, den, fireplace, formal dining room, more square footage, etc.), but about its surroundings. I don't want to live where we'll be surrounded by other houses, as we are now. I want us to be surrounded by trees and hills. A few other houses is fine, but not a lot and not close together. I want space and nature. A place where I can go for a walk in the woods and/or over the hills, if I wanted, without having to worry about coming across too many other houses or people. And where I'd definitely not have to worry about any busy roads or places of business. I want peace, quiet, nature and space. Not in the middle of nowhere really, as in many miles from town.
That brings to mind places I've been through in eastern NC. (Though I'm sure they exist in other parts of NC somewhere, especially the mountains.) Places like Spivey's Corner. Nothing but flat land, farm fields and trees as far as the eye can see and beyond, with the occasional old farm house. Fayetteville's the closest big town and it's quite a ways off. I don't want to be that far out. I think about ten to twenty miles from the nearest big town would be good.
Right now we live about 1-2 minutes from the nearest Wal-Mart shopping center (also has a Lowe's, video store, couple fast food places, a Cracker Barrell, a couple other small shops/places of business, with some vacant retail spaces), which wasn't here when we bought this house over 10 years ago. All that was built, after tearing down trees, just a couple years ago. We live right off a busy road, about 10-15 minutes from downtown, in a neighborhood full of cookie-cutter houses that just seems to keep expanding. *sigh* We've wanted out of here for a couple years now. I hope and pray it happens by the summer.
So I've been dreaming of a more peaceful, off-the-beaten-path, place to live and, well, freedom I guess. Freedom to roam, freedom from the mass of humanity that's so close to our door, and freedom to be me. Here I am almost 36 and I feel like I'm still trying to figure out who I am. I mean, there's a part of me, a big part of me, that is very clear to me. In that part, I know exactly who I am, what I value and what I believe (spiritially, morally, etc.). Those things will never change. But I feel like somehow I'm not completely me yet. That probably doesn't make sense, and I'm not sure how or where to find it.
I don't make new year's resolutions, but if I did, I suppose that's what mine would be. To sell this house (though it's mostly out of my hands), to buy a house that's better for us in a quieter place, and to find the rest of me. lol That sounds funny, but I'm not sure how else to put it.
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