If I Had A Million Dollars....

...which is really code for, "If I had so much money I could never spend it all," because we all know that million dollars, particularly after taxes, ain't going to get you very far in this day and age.

It's also one of my favorite Barenaked Ladies songs but I digress.

I'm not really sure I'd be all that inventive with the money actually. (Hence why I've never posted this entry.)

I would do boring things:

1. Pay off debts
2. Own at least two houses outright - one here and one in Alaska. Another house in Seattle with a car for Mia and the kids when they visit Children's.
   
3. Give money to family members.
4. Set up trusts for my children.
5. Sock money away for Rob and I.

And yeah, that's it.

Seriously.

Okay, I'd go a little shopping happy and buy books - so many books - and maybe have some built-in book shelves (because I love those too) installed so that I could store all those books. Or maybe build a library like the one in Beauty and the Beast because I've been in love with that room since I saw the movie.

I'd give lots of money away too. Maybe set up my own charitable organization. (Because we're talking about more than a million dollars otherwise I'd have been broke after #2.)

Hmmmm....I'd travel. Forget really cool indoor playgrounds and all that, I'd get passports for us all and see the world. I would really love to live for months or a year in different countries to learn more about the people and their culture. Oh, I would so love that.

Can you buy your way on to MoTab? Cause I'd love to sing in the choir. And maybe they'd wave the "living in Utah" requirement and just let me commute from another state, seeing as I'd have my own plane and all.

What about sleeping in the Lincoln bedroom? Would Obama go for that? Maybe I'll have to vote for Hilary in a few years so that can happen....

Seriously, I think that's it.

Maybe I'd take a class on expanding my creativity, apparently I need some help.

What would you do? (I figure I can get some great ideas or be comforted by the fact that everyone else is just as dull as I am.)

Cold Day in July

I found this and LOVED it so I decided to give it a whirl. I opened up all my songs (religious and non) on my mp3 player and shuffled everything and here's what I got:

1. Put Your iTunes, Windows Media Player, Winamp, etc on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Put the artist after a dash following the song name.
5. Put any comments in brackets.
6. Tag some lucky people to spread the disease.

How would you describe yourself?
I Can Only Imagine - Mercy Me

How do you feel today?
She Talks to Angels - Black Crowes

What is your life’s purpose?
Lord I Lift Your Name On High - Mercy Me

What is your motto?
You Raise Me Up - Josh Groban

What do you think about very often?
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes - Paul Simon

What is your life story?
Make Me Cry - Concrete Blonde (Could this be any more fitting?)

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Super Duper Love - Joss Stone

What will you dance to at your wedding?
After Ventus - Enya

What will they play at your funeral?
Annie's Song - John Denver (Will that be the name of Robert's second wife?)

What is your hobby/interest?
100 Years - Five for Fighting (I do want to live to be 100....)

If you could do anything right now, what would it be?
Miracle from Heaven - Kenneth Cope (Must be the year of miracles thing....)

What do you want most of all?
Soak Up the Sun - Sheryl Crow

What is your greatest fear?
If I Didn't Have you - Randy Travis

What is your darkest secret?
In a Little While - Uncle Kracker

What is your favorite thing in the world?
Follow Jesus There - Katherine Nelson

If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?
Man in the Sun - Kenneth Cope

What is your theme song?
Healing Water - Michelle Tumes

The next time you hear this song (aside from now, that is), you must dance.
Fairest Lord Jesus - Choir of Paisley (This is going to make sacrament meeting very interesting)

What will you post this as?
Cold Day in July - Dixie Chicks

Because I Just Can't Get Enough of Me

I haven't even been tagged and I'm doing this. Why? Because I just watched the recent episode of Grey's Anatomy but didn't really want to write (and didn't think anyone really wanted to read) another whiny piece on how surreal life is, death comes to us all and I just want to lie on my bed in the fetal position.

10 years ago:
1. I was pregnant, heavily pregnant, with child #1. He was born December 30 and over Christmas all I could think of was poor Mary, riding on a donkey from Galilee to Bethlehem. All I could think of was how to maim my physician when I came in on the 22nd and announced that I was two days overdue and she argued with me. SHE ARGUED WITH ME!! That the 22nd was really my due date. Really, who does that to a seriously fat pregnant woman? Apparently Dr. Kay Taylor of Issaquah, WA (never go to her.) I went home and cried (I know, shocking) because I was no where near delivering. And I so, SO, wanted to be done.
2. Rob and I were living in a tiny (600 sq. ft) house with 2 bed and 3/4 bath. In the "master bedroom," one window looked out on the local hardware store's parking lot and the other was only a few feet from the train track. Toot! Toot! So much fun when you're trying to take a much needed Sunday afternoon nap!
3. Got my first job post college as a file clerk. I was a file clerk with a BA making $8.50/hour with a 1/2 hour commute to Bellevue in nasty traffic. And you wonder why I laugh when people ask what I majored in. (Liberal Arts)
4. I cross-stitched like a mad fiend to get my SIL Julie's Christmas present done - the prayer of St. Frances of Assisi. Literally. I sat my heavily prego butt in a chair for two days straight trying to get the darn thing done before Christmas.
5. Spent a lot of time alone in that little house because Robert was going to school and working. Blech. And I knew no one in this new town. Blech. And I learned that it's near impossible to make friends in a new Mormon family ward when you're working because everyone one else is having family time when you're not working. Double blech.

Five things on my To-Do List today:
1. Get out of bed.
2. Do some laundry.
3. Don't cry.
4. Get out of bed.
5. Kiss Robert

Five Six things that I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Pay off my house and keep as a rental property so we could move. Now.
2. Buy a house in Alaska with an apartment so my dad could live with us.
3. Let Robert buy more guns. And fishing equipment. And hunting trips. And cammo gear. And a boat - because the man needs a boat. And a quad or some other 4x4 vehicle. Maybe both. And a man cave. Because he needs a place to display his fabulous baseball cap collection (which is really more of a Snap-On/Mac hat collection - because they're free with a $500+ tool purchase).
4. Visit Europe (mais oui!)
5. Take the kids to Disneyland and Lego Land and somewhere where I could ride a real roller coaster for the very first time.
6. Buy some vomit bags for #5.


5 Places I have lived:
1. Juneau, Alaska - Amy had all these interesting things to say about the places she's lived. I'm trying to think of any thing noteworthy about Juneau. Technically, it's not even the state capital (that's Wasilla or Willow or some town in the greater Anchorage area) as voters chose to move it; they just never approved the funds to do so.
2. Santa Fe, New Mexico - it was brown. Very, very brown. I grew up surrounded by the very, very green. It took me four years (during which I acquired some HORRIBLE allergies) but I finally learned to love NM for the sunflowers and the amazing sky. And 10,000 Waves. Bliss.
3. North Bend, Washington - It was small. All housing was built either in the 70's or late 90's; there were LOTS of split levels.
4. Small Town, Oregon - I'm surrouded by Christmas trees, cows, pigs and sheep. And lots of scrubby oak trees that are draped with moss and lichen in the winter. If you drive by on I-5, I'll try and hit your car with a rock thrown from my front porch!
5. ? - umm...does it count if I lived there before my memories actually kicked it....Oooh, Even Smaller Town, Oregon where we lived with Rob's parents for 3 mo. It was the closest we've ever come to splitting. I'm so not kidding on this.


5 Jobs I've had:
1. Runner/Clerk for Legal Aid - I had thighs of steel from running up and down the hills of downtown Juneau.
2. Barista - is it anti-Mormon to say I loved slinging coffee? And I was really good at it? (My boss asked me once if that wasn't like being a pimp.) I had regulars that even sent me money at college - they loved me that much! And when I left, they stopped going because the coffee quality went downhill. I've always wondered how much I would love being an actual bartender. It'd probably be great except for the drunks.
3. Customer Service Rep for a Cruise Line - this is how I met my hubby, learned to play cribbage (which I've since forgotten), was personally seranaded by a Barbershop Quartet and had to report that my "20" was in the bathroom. Good times.
4. Bus Driver/Tour Guide - same cruise line/better tips. I ran over my step stool because I forgot it was there and managed to have two accidents while driving a bus. (All with inanimate objects - is that a good thing or a bad thing? Don't worry about my driving unless you happen to be sitting in a parked car.)
5. Orthodontic Assistant/Appliance maker - I learned that soldering is much more difficult than it looks and that the mouth heals quite quickly. I also learned that dental smocks can cover up a pregnancy until well in the 3rd trimester.

*sigh* I'm feeling better already. Thanks for being indulgent so I could cheer myself up!

Tagged 8 by Mary Ann

Are you getting tired of me being tagged? Really? Yeah, me neither. It's so fascinating to talk about me. I love it. And you love to read it too. Know how I know? Because you're still here! ;)

8 TV SHOWS THAT I LIKE TO WATCH:

• Grey's Anatomy
• Eli Stone
  
• Pushing Daisies
• Samantha Who?
  
• So You Think You Can Dance?
  
• Jeopardy
• Life
• Bones

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY: (is it bad that it took me awhile to remember?)

• Woke up and got out of bed
  
• Worked out for an hour (okay, it was just a bunch of stretching but we did it for a WHOLE HOUR!!)
  
• Picked 8 boxes of apples for and with a friend (she has a crazy idea of making applesauce) and a few bags for my family to eat
  
• Washed a few loads of laundry
  
• Tried to figure out if Oregon has a Senator yet.
• Went to Cub Scouts and played Dodge Ball.
  
• Wrote myself a paycheck (and did some other work for the business)
  
• Held a crying friend
  

8 THINGS THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO:

• The Afterlife - actually being able to have all of my loved ones near (including Mom)
• Robert coming home every evening
• My house selling
• Christmas
• Bedtime
• Jesus returning
• Going to the temple
• Lulu's Birthday

8 THINGS ON MY WISH LIST:

• Traveling the world (not that there are any plans for this one but someday...)
  
• Learn another language
  
• Selling my house
  
• Enough money to visit Lizzie in California after we both move (ach, don't make me cry)
  
• My children's health, happiness, continued well-being and a close relationship with Jesus
  
• A new back for Robert
  
• That the move will go smoothly
  
• Becoming the person I want to be and loving who I am
• And yes, I can count, I know this is nine but still, to write a book
  

I'm too tired to chase after and tag anyone. Consider this a freebie.

My Quirks

I've been tagged!! Even after a year of blogging, being tagged still makes me smile. Thank you Zillah. You are so being added to my Christmas list!

So, I'm supposed to list my quirks. You'd think that I would have a whole novel to write wouldn't you but it's actually kinda hard to put all this to paper. Uh, computer.

1. I'm anal about spelling (although I make errors and still love those who can't spell, cough, DH.) and grammar. I'm forever correcting my children (Lulu gets a huge amount of this - it's gave not gived), my husband and even perfect strangers although I do apologize because I realize it's rude. Sometimes I just can't help myself.

2. I'm a little dramatic. Just a little. (Okay, maybe that last bit was a lie.) I use hyperbole all. the. time. I yell, I raise my voice, I cry, I laugh, I dance; I'm a regular after-school special. Is it saying something when you exhaust yourself?

3. I love being naked in between clean sheets. Feels so good.

4. I love being the same as those around me and I love being the odd ball out. I can never tell which is going to hit me at any given moment. But I like to fit in and at the same time I want to be a non-conformist. Is this just saying that, like so many others, I'm never happy? Or is this saying that Gemini was in the 7th house or something at the time of my birth? I may never know but I do occasionally wonder if my birthday should have been in June instead of August.

5. While I see myself as a bad housekeeper (or average depending on view point) they are somethings I cannot tolerate.

Videos must be alphabetized and arranged by viewers; there's a section for Robert, for me, for the boys and for the family and a whole 'nother section for "church videos" which are really Living Scriptures and Liken.

My books are organized as well. I have (or had when they weren't in tons of boxes) a section which is children's books that are mine that my children are not supposed to handle without my express permission or my presense, a section of educational books and then a section of picture books that I actually let them read and fondle (which, I must add, is far bigger than the section they can't touch). There is a section for kids' chapter books, a section for family history and then sections for literature, philosophy, child rearing, crafts and Harry Potter. Zillah has me beat on the color and size sorting - I think about doing that but then little hands destroy my work and well, I just get tired of so much sorting.

CD's should be alphabetized as well. Really, everything should be alphabetized. My children are even in reverse alphabetical order (R, Q, E).

My hanging clothes are sorted by pants, sweatshirts, nice shirts, every day shirts and dresses/skirts. All of the every day shirts are sorted by color so that they look a bit like a rainbow.

I think I have a touch of OCD. (which really, IMH, should be CDO).

6. I find/look for patterns in everything. You may think I'm kidding but I'm so not. My second son's birthday is six days after his aunt's (Robert's sister) birthday and her second son's birthday is six days after mine. Did you know facetiously is an English word that uses all of the vowels, including y, in alphabetical order?

7. I'm an incurable romantic who still gets a thrill out of romance novels. The thing is, I totally adopt the feelings of the heroine. I just read a book that I didn't like at all. The hero was, well, not quite so heroic and there was a lot of needless drama (being sold as a white slave, blah, blah, blah, keep it simple folks!). So the heroine felt all icky and I felt all icky reading it. Why did I keep reading? Because I wanted my happy ending! She should have dumped the hero's ass and moved on. Course they ended up reconciling (me vomiting) and I will end up returning the book to my library's paper back exchange section. Or burning it because (see quirk #4) I do like to burn books on occasion and have even (gasp) burned a Bible. (It's a long story but the short of it is that it was molded beyond use and needed to be burned.)

8. I'm the same way with movies. I will cry, I will laugh and I will yell at them not to get in the car or go down the stairs into a basement when the light switch doesn't work. (Hello?! Have none of these inappropriately dressed Barbies ever seen or heard of a horror flic? Don't they know Tommy's already dead and they're next?) I will hide my face or leave the room or change the channel if they are doing something really embarrasing. I love She's the Man but I do end up hiding my face quite a bit.

9. I like animals. I think every child should be raised with one. But I don't like to have animals living with me. I don't like finding hair every where and I don't like picking up poop. (Thank goodness my boys do that these days.)

10. I like to put my ear on DH's chest and listen to his heart beat. It means he's still alive. I do the same thing to my kids, when they let me. There's nothing in the world as soothing and comforting as a loved one's heart beat. I also like tummy gurgles.

11. When I'm sad or having a really bad day, I will go someplace quiet and imagine myself sitting on Heavenly Father's lap and just letting Him rock me and stroke my hair.

12. I see things move in my periferal vision ALL THE TIME. I'm convinced it's ghosts or other odd things. Or maybe just me glancing at something too quickly to properly process what I'm seeing. Whatever. (See #7) I prefer the ghost theory.

13. This is my favorite number. I also have a special place in my heart for black cats. (Maybe I'm really a witch.) But my real quirk is that I can keep houseplants alive and I can get (most) stains out of clothing. Not a big deal you say? Well, I couldn't do either of those when I got married and starting having kids but now, 11 years later, I'm pro.

Now the fun part, this is so much better then running around in circles and dying from hyperventilation and a heart attack, I get to tag other people. I would really like to hear from all my local friends: Elizabeth, Mary Ann, Carrie, Shelby, Gina and Lacey. I would also (but would really be amazed if they responded) like to tag BiV and Jill (consider this a possible post for NaBoBooBooMo or whatever). And Stephanie, and Mia, and On7 and any anonymous person. IF YOU READ THIS BLOG AT ALL, EVER, consider yourself tagged.

6 Word Encapsulation

I've been tagged by Zillah. I can't tell you how excited it makes me to be tagged. It means people like me. It means they want to read what I have to say. It means they know I'm cheap and easy and that I like to play games. Yeah. That would be Robert nodding his head vigorously to the last sentence.

However, do you know how hard it is to say everything in six words? Six words? I fell asleep last night trying to figure out what to post.

Mind numbing thinking...

I needed to add something about insanity because that's where I feel like I live these days; you know, when you feel like you're life is an out-of-body experience and that you're watching this person make choices all the while you're shaking your head thinking, "Will she ever learn?"

So: Mind numbing thinking, insanity of heart.

I figured it need to include something about being a mom, as that defines me in a huge way right now.

Insane curvy mother....or even better, insanely curvy mother

But I also needed to add my boiling emotions that swing me from one end of the spectrum to another.

So: Insanely curvy mother, rolling coaster emotions

OR: Happy, depressed, laughing, sobbing, angry, stoic

And then, in a flash, it came to me. Just now. Not as I was typing but as I sat upon my "thinking chair" aka my throne:

Holy mother of rolling emotional insanity.

Yup. I think that covers it. (If I were allowed 7 words, I throw back in the curvy because when I think of me, my boobs are never far behind.)

Tagging: Anyone who wants to play and feels they can encapsulate themselves into 6 words, no more, no less.

Interrogating My Children

I picked up this meme from some blog off Mormon Mommy Blogs (sorry I don't remember which one or I would totally link to you) and I thought it was fabulous. I was convinced my children were going to give horrible answers but they were surprisingly kind and loving. Maybe, just maybe I'm a better mom than I think.

Rhys gives the first answers, Quinn the second, and Little Lulu is last.

1. What is something mom always says to you?

"Hi."

"No."

"Please clean up your room."


2. What makes mom happy?

"Us being nice to her, like us listening to her."

"Ummm...Being dry."

"Picking up my food and throwing it away."


3. What makes mom sad?

"Us not obeying her."

"Yelling at her."

"If I don't clean up my room."


4. How does your mom make you laugh?

"Teases me."

"Tickles me."

"Tickling with a feather."


5. What was your mom like as a child?

"Um...um...nice?"

"I'm not sure."

"She was little in Nana's tummy!"

6. How old is your mom?

"She is thirty-*sigh*, thirty-four?"

"Twenty-three."

"(whisper) I don't know. Same age as Poppa."


7. How tall is your mom?

"4 foot...4 feet and 10 inches or 5 feet....5 foot 7?"

"I'm not sure."

(She raised her hands as tall as she could reach.)


8. What is her favorite thing to do?

"Play with us."

"Clean clothes."

"Make my bed and I get to help her make her bed. I always help Mommy make her bed."


9. What does your mom do when you're not around?

"She does just like a normal day, like she would do with me."

"Watch movies."

"Cry."


10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?

"Because she's the best mom in the entire world."

" 'Cuz she looks good."

" 'Cuz the do know you and they love you and they really know your name, Maraiya."


11. What is your mom really good at?

"Being a mom."

"Attacking kids."

"She's really good at thinking."


12. What is your mom not very good at?

"Nothing. She's not good at nothing. She's good at everything. She doesn't have anything she can't do."

"Biking, 'cuz she hasn't biked for a long time."

"Turning on TV's."


13. What does your mom do for her job?

"First she worked as kind-of like a lawyer for people who didn't have money to hire one and now she stays home and helps us."

"Nothing. She doesn't have one."

"Work."


14. What is your mom's favorite food?

"Anything?"

"Spinach?"

"Chinese food."


15. What makes you proud of your mom?

"She's very helpful. She's the best."

"She lets me stay up sometimes and watch movies."

" 'Cuz you are the best mom. Really best mommy."


16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?

"Pinky or the Brain."

"Avatar."

"Belle."


17. What do you and your mom do together?

"Have Family Home Evening and help each other do work."

"Watch movies."

"We play with Barbies."


18. How are you and your mom the same?

"She used to be nine years old like I am nine years old."

"We like playing on the computer."

"We can entertain ourselves and she's such a beautiful girl and she's really good at ballet."


19. How are you and your mom different?

"We're different ages."

"I like playing video games and she kinduv doesn't."

"Her hair doesn't match."


20. How do you know your mom loves you?

"Because she let's me read as long as I can in the summer."

"Because she let's me stay up."

"She really loves me. And types it on her computer."

And by the way, never been a lawyer. I worked for legal services as a high school student. It's interesting how kids interpret things.

Tagging Myself Because I'm Just Too, TOO!

A~attached or single~ Attached!
B~best friend~ Dead: my mom; Living: Lizzie
C~cake or pie~ Cake...mmmmm....chocolate cake with chocolate frosting - YUM! Black Tie Mousse Cake from Olive Garden (excuse me while I wipe away my drool.
D~day of choice~ Sunday
E~essential item~ hot water
F~favorite color~ Green
G~gummi bears or worms~ blech! none. I give them all to hubbly bubbly.
H~hometown~ Juneau, AK - that's Alaska not Arkansas
I~indulgences~ chocolate...rich dark lovely chocolate...and a trashy novel
J~january or july~ July in Alaska, January in Oregon
K~kids~ 3 - two boys and a girl
L~life in incomplete without~ Robert
M~marriage date~ Sept 13, 1997
N~number of siblings~ 2 both boys. I am the cream in our family's Oreo cookie
O~oranges or apples~ Apples - braeburns to be precise. Although I like oranges. Every time I have one it's like, "Ooh, I forgot how good these are!"
P~phobias or fears~my kids growing up and leaving me and thinking I suck; being a horrible mother-in-law; Robert dying; doing new things that I've never done before; taking risks
Q~quotes~ Seriously?! Fabulous!
R~reason to smile~ mi familia
S~season~ Hmmmm....I'll take them all. I best like the parts of the year though when there are no holidays and no birthdays and no extra work for Mom
T~tag someone else~ Robert, even if I have to fake your answers, Mia, Lizzie, BiV (just because I want to tag you), Jill...ah hell, play if you want and if you don't just promise to comment!
U~unknown fact about me~ I have a tattoo.....Just kidding. I thought about getting a tattoo while in college but I could never think of a place to put it. (I wanted a stylized infinity symbol.)
V~vegetarian or meat eater~ Meat eater. I think about being vegetarian but then I lie down until the feeling passes.
W~worst habit~ picking my nose and biting my fingers (but not after I've done the former)
X~ x-rays or ultrasounds~ What an odd question. I realize x is hard but couldn't they ask if I've ever played the xylaphone before (yes); if I've watched x-rated movies (no); if I'm xanthocomic (no); if I have xenomania (slightly); if I've ever had xenomenia (not that I'm aware of); or if I'm ever xerotic (in the summer, in Oregon, yes). But no, they ask "x-rays or ultrasounds." What does that mean? Which do I prefer? Have I ever had them? Answers: Ultrasounds (because usually there's a baby involved and it's fun to see them) and I've had both.
Y~your favorite food~ sushi especially the raw fish kind.
Z~zodiac sign~ Leo the Lion

Thought I'd try something I learned on CSI....see, TV can be educational!

By the way, can you tell that I'm totally trying to calm down and not think about packing and running errands...and oh, dear, my knots coming back!

Tagged! Again!! Wheee!!!

BiV tagged me. Yea! I love feeling like I belong. Unfortunately, this tag does not so readily adapt itself to me. The last one filled me with thoughts - in fact, I still look at the 5th sentence of every book I read on the 123rd page but have yet to find a quote that I love. The new tag ( notice how this time I'm directly quoting from the tagger's blog?):

The "This is Just to Say" Meme takes its inspiration from Kacy's post at Light Refreshments Served blog. Read it! She has written some hysterical spoofs of the William Carlos Williams poem, This is Just to Say. Do you remember it from high school?

This is Just to Say
I have eaten the plums
that were in the icebox
and which
you were probably saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
They were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

Am I the only one who doesn't remember this from high school? We never read this guy. Sylvia Plath sure but why should we read anything fun? So I've been thinking, what can I just say that doesn't reiterate the ones I read and thereby tainted my whole thought process. (Although I loved BiV's - mwahahaha - and you really should check out Kacy's - too, too funny.)

So, hmmmm....

This is Just to Say
That I'm totally going to book club
even though the kids are still awake
and being rebellious
and whiny
and you have to get them bathed,
brushed and watered,
and into bed,
while I pretend to chatter about books,
but really share funny incidents,
eat pie and hang out with friends.
So. Fun.


Did I do that right? Is there a particular form to this poem? Like a haiku or a limerick? Am I overthinking all of this because I've been blogging too much this morning?

This is Just to Say
That I can't get you breakfast
or help you with your homework
and that I'm sorry
for duct taping you to your bed
because I stayed up too late
playing games
and I really just want to sleep.
Forgive me.
But my bed's so soft
and your voice so piercing.
and...zzzzz.....


This is Just to Say
that I am spending all my time
playing at the computer,
and eating the last of the ice cream
while you are working hard
to give me a paycheck
that I will have already spent
Forgive me.
It was all so delicious
so sweet
and so cold.

Now the fun part: I tag....Laura, Alexa, Carrie, Shelby, Maryann and Liz and Mia (but only if they want to). Oh! And Jill! How could I forget my hilarious emailing friend? And anyone else. If you don't have a blog, just leave one in the comments.

Oh, and BiV, supreme goddess of HTML, how do you leave a link in the comment section?! I've tried but to no avail.

Who Would Be You?

I have a friend, Trina, who likes to match her friends with potential actors, meaning "who would play you in the movie of your life?" She asked me this one time as she hadn't been inspired as yet by someone whom she felt could play me. I came up with nothing. Then, clearly this was a while ago, I discovered Callie (Sara Ramirez).

I've previously mentioned, several times in fact, my adoration for Grey's Anatomy, but Callie is one of my favorite characters. She's not a skinny little twig. She has dark wavy/curly tresses and is sexy as hell. But most importantly, and I'm not including her "George O'Malley episodes" where she became a shell of her former self, she is kick-ass. She is spunky. She's an orthopedic surgeon; she breaks and sets bones for her living. She danced in her underwear on TV. She's awesome.

So, in the movie of my life, Sara Ramirez would play me and I hope that she would interpret me/my character as having a bit of Callie in her.

What about you, my friends? Ever have anyone whom you would like to star as you in the movie of your life? Need not be famous but preferably with good acting skills. Then again, who am I to judge? Perhaps you would enjoy the movie of your life badly acted - at least you could be assured of good laughs!

123:5 Take Two

I'd like to blame my mistake on being born blonde but that's terribly unfair to the brilliant blondes out there. I really have to blame my mistake on an age old problem of mine: failing to read the instructions. In my excited haste from being tagged, I really didn't read everything she had written properly. One word can make all the difference - I thought "line," BiV typed "sentence." I kept wondering how people were getting these lovely fully developed thoughts out of the fifth line. Maybe their books were wider and allowed for a complete sentence? Then it dawned on me, I goofed up.

This reminds me of my first algebra quiz. I was the first one done, sure that I had completed everything right only to receive a D for stupid, hurried mistakes. I later slowed down. Apparently, though, this lesson needs to be repeated over and over again in my life.

So, here are all the previous entries with the 5th SENTENCE.

BH&G New Cookbook, "Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface."

The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir, "Because the cause of the proletariat and that of women there was no such immediate solidarity as Bebel and Engels claimed."

Posterior Analytics, Aristotle, "Since it is evident that one cannot demonstrate anything except from its own principles if what is being proved belongs to it as that thing, understanding is not this - if a thing is proved from what is true and non-demonstrable and immediate."

A Season in the Highlands, "Fall from Grace," Jill Barnett, "'Tis said...' She paused for effect."

Blameless Desire, Jenny Cartwright, "'You've mended the tray,' she said."

A bit better results but I'm still disappointed in the romance novel offerings. Then again, I'm not sure I would have posted things about creamy bosoms and engorged manhoods.

For those whom I am tagging [Mia, Laura, Alexa, Lizzie, Genji] here are the official rules. Please read carefully lest you become a lame-o like me.

1. Pick up the nearest book (at least 123 pages).
2. Turn to page 123.
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the 5th sentence on your blog.
5. Tag 5 people.
6. [M's addendum] Feel no pressure about instruction #5.

123:5

Almost sounds like a scriptures doesn't it? I think only a psalm would fit the bill, but, oh! There is no verse five to Psalm 123. Doctrine and Covenants? "And all that are in the magazines and in the encyclopedias, and all the libelous histories that are published and are writing, and by whom, and present the whole concatenation of diabolical rascality and nefarious and murderous impositions that have been practised upon this people...." Not quite an inspirational passage now but important back in the day of persecution. I have to admit, though, that the phrase, "concatenation of diabolical rascality" is pretty fun to say.

OK, so what am I doing? I'VE BEEN TAGGED! Woo-hoo! A year ago, I didn't even know what that meant beyond running with my children until I couldn't breathe and thus becoming an easy target. BiV tagged me to go to my nearest book, turn to page 123, find the 5th sentence, post the 5th sentence and then tag 5 more people (at least it isn't 123 more people!).

Alas and alack, I have no book close to me when I sit at my computer. I looked to my right (bookshelf along the back hall) and to my left (cupboard above the stove which holds some cookbooks). I then measured - the stove is far closer. I selected my most used cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens NEW Cookbook) and turned to page 123. The first recipe is for Biscuits Supreme and line five reads:

"resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in center."

Scintillating, no?

In desperation, I turned back to my right and to the bookshelf, I wanted to select Aristotle but then I noticed my copy of "The Second Sex." Hmmm...I thought I had discarded that. I must have decided that I just couldn't give up my feminist literature. It should be good for a line.

"approximately twenty-five per cent less than a man for digging the...."

A bit more possibilities for discussion but still...I went back to Aristotle.

"only that it holds now." Darn the end of a paragraph!

At last I gave up all pretense of proximity and went for the book I was reading when I was tagged ("A Season in the Highlands" - five short stories set in Scotland),

"voice. ' 'Tis said...' She paused for effect. 'No bogey. No...'"

and then to the book I just started reading, ("Blameless Desire" - you'd think it would have something juicy in it)

"for as long as she could remember. Now it had been...."

Uncle! Uncle! I. give. up. Where's a good "bodice ripping scene" when you need one? I could not find a good line no matter how hard I tried. Perhaps I should review my romance novels (a/k/a smut) and find a good line and then issue my challenge. Perhaps it will be a 267:15. Who knows?

Anyway, these were all my results and at the end of this I'm still exhausted (maybe this is like the children's game of tag!). I'd like to tag five people but I'm not sure I even have five readers (BiV - uh, wait, no tag backs - ok, Laura, Alexa, Mia, Liz (ooh, I'm so close!)...and Genji!! - who knew I could do it?!) Please post in the comments or on your own blog. Let me know. BTW, Genj if you fail to participate...I so TOTALLY WIN!!!