NaBloPoMo Day 18: 5QF

1. Do you have a go to song that always puts you in a good mood?

I don't really have a specific song. Anything upbeat, non-country, non-sappy usually puts me in a good mood. I have a philosophy, if you will, about music: If it isn't worth listening to loud, it isn't worth listening to at all. This is how I feel about music that puts me in a good mood.

2. Are you a real Christmas tree kinda person or do you go with a real fake one?

Definitely a real Christmas tree. I know this doesn't make me "green", but there is nothing like having a real tree to put you in the Christmas spirit. We didn't have one last year because I didn't want to mess with getting one in the house and set up by myself and the girls and I really missed it.

3. What are you thankful for?

I'm thankful for my husband and kids (today's yelling and screaming notwithstanding), Bailey, having my bills paid in full, three vehicles that have no mechanical problems, having a big head start on my Christmas shopping, and living in California.

4. Which fashion fad from the past do you wish you could wear today?

I can't think of anything off the top of my head. Most fashion fads from the past are the "new" fashions of today anyway. A better question would be which fads do I wish would go away and stay away for good.

5. Do you wait until the "low fuel" light comes on before you fill up the gas tank?

I do everything I can to fill up my gas tank before the light comes on. I hate driving around with any of my "dummy" lights on in my car including the maintenance, low tire pressure, check engine, and low fuel light. I'm paranoid and it drives me crazy. Back in September, my check engine light was on for less than 24 hours and it gave me a headache, literally, every time I drove my car until I got it fixed. It was only my gas cap too. Btw my maintenance light is flashing which is what it does before it comes on and stays on which means I need an oil change. That, too, is driving me nuts.

NaBloPoMo Day 17: Booking Through Thursday

Of the books you own, what’s the biggest category/genre?

Is this also the category that you actually read the most?

I'm looking at my bookshelves trying to figure out the answer to this question. I'm thinking that the most books of a genre we own would be historical nonfiction. We have a lot of American and European history books. Coming in at a close second or maybe even tied for first would be police procedural.

I can't really say what I read "the most" of late. I've been in a kind of reading rut. I just finished rereading a series this morning with no clue as to what I want to read next and I only read those books because I couldn't figure out what I wanted to read. Overall though, I would probably say that I read my European history books most often. Maybe. I guess.

NaBloPoMo Day 16: The Death of a Tree

Picture of the tree carcass that I took from my upstairs bedroom window

Landscapers came by today. There was a smallish tree on my neighbor's side of the fence. The root growth of the tree was causing the fence (it's a wooden privacy fence) to come apart and lean which was, in turn, causing large nails to hang out of the damaged part of the fence. So, the landscapers chopped it down today. It was no big loss. It was a rather ugly little tree-bush. But they didn't stop there.

Next, they went behind our chain link fence which borders the open canyon. There, they hacked down a very large, very leafy tree. We've seen any number of birds in this tree, numerous lizards, and we've even seen a hawk land in this tree. I don't know why they chopped it down. It wasn't dried out, it wasn't diseased as far as my untrained eye could see, and it provided lots of privacy and shade to our house and yard.

I'm going to miss that tree.

NaBloPoMo Day 15: Family Values

You know how someone said that families should eat dinner together every day at the dinner table as a way to connect and catch up with each other? Well that person either:

a) Didn't have teenagers
b) Had mute teenagers
or
c) Drank with every meal to make it tolerable to sit at the dinner table with their teen(s)

NaBloPoMo Day 14: Shopping!

I'm having so much fun shopping for the girls this year. We've already made a sizable dent in the girls' Christmas lists. I had tons of fun shopping online this morning. I'm trying to hold myself back so that we can take advantage of sales that are sure to come but it's hard. The Mister has the week off of work so we'll be able to go out and about while the girls are in school.

I've been getting clothing ideas from Polyvore via Pinterest which has turned me onto some new stores.

One is the Wet Seal. I think they sell clothes for just teens though. If you're a skinny minny, you can probably shop there too though. ;)

Another store is Gilt. They have daily deals and your shopping cart is timed so be careful not to lose out on the deals. If you decide to shop at Gilt and you have the patience to wait, I can send you an invitation and then I get $25 once your order ships. Let me know!

The last store is HauteLook. (I heard about this store on the Today Show too.) They are similar to Gilt in that they have daily deals. They have pretty deep discounts on clothes though as well as makeup and home decor.

Anywho, that's what I've been up to today. I'm also working on some crochet projects that I'm making as gifts. Fun for me!

NaBloPoMo Day 13: Lazy Sundays

One of my favorite things in life is a lazy Sunday. The only thing missing from today's lazy Sunday is rain. It positively poured yesterday but as far as I can see out the window, there's not a cloud in the sky today.

On the agenda for today: 

• Pinterest
• Read my book
• Make Dinner
• Go to bed

Maybe I'll add a nap in there somewhere but I can take it or leave it. Ahhhhh!!!

NaBloPoMo Day 12: Revelations

I learned something about myself the other night.

While the Mister was serving out his time as a recruiter in Vermont, he had a particularly nasty superior. This man played a major part in why those three years will always be a painful memory for us. He was devious and a liar to put it mildly. He enjoyed playing with people’s lives and making them miserable just because his rank gave him the power to do so.

I have always hoped that this guy would get his karmic just desserts. I’ve always wished that I would’ve had the chance to tell him what I thought of him face to face. Seems like I won’t get that chance as I have just learned that he’s dead.

Despite the very fact that I know with conviction that this person is the equivalent of the lowest slime that grows in the dark beneath a rock (I apologize to slime everywhere for the comparison), I wouldn’t have wished that he were dead. And he died of a particularly painful form of cancer to boot. I was surprised to feel…regret, I suppose, to hear of his death. He definitely had negative karma out there in the world coming to get him but this was shocking to hear. I hope he made some kind of reparation for all the wrongs he committed before he died though.

NaBloPoMo Day 11: 5QF

1. What's the last thing you spent too much money on? 

Wine on our anniversary vacation. We spent so much, that I would never say how much out loud. A better question to ask would be, "Do you regret it?" Nope. Not even a little bit.

2. What celeb chef would you want to make you dinner?

I was going to say Giada or Michael Simon because I like their cooking styles, BUT... instead I'm going to say Curtis Stone and I could care less if the dinner tasted good or not. I just want him in my kitchen.

3. Where do you hide things when visitors pop over or do you let them see the real deal?

If they "pop" over and give me no warning, they get to see whatever is out and about. This is why unexpected visitors tick me off. There are always shoes, coats, books, etc., strewn all over my house. I would like a chance to pick up first thank you very much.

4. Who is your oldest living family member?

I think, and I'm not entirely positive on this because I don't know all of my extended family very well, that my paternal grandmother is my oldest living relative. I may have great aunts and/or uncles still alive and older, but not sure.

5. What is your favorite DQ treat and/or Sonic drink combo (ie: cherry vanilla dr. pepper)?

This is so funny. We just went to Sonic for dinner last night and I got a vanilla coke. LOVE IT!!! As for DQ, my favorite thing there is a chocolate chip cookie dough Blizzard.