Sunday, August 31, 2008

two hundred questions

200: My middle name is: given is Michele, legal is Temple
199: I was born in: July of 1966
198: I am really: tired
197: My cell phone company is: AT&T
196: My eye color is: brown
195: My shoe size is: 7.5
194: My ring size is: 8.5
193: My height is: 5'5"
192: I am allergic to: bee stings
191: My 1st car was: 1966 VW Bug, light blue
190: My 1st job was: Wendy's
189: Last book you read: Last Dance Last Chance
188: My bed is: in need of new linens but I can't find the colors I want
187: My pet(s): doggy, Gizmo and kitties, Magic & Guinness
186: My best friends: are always there when I need them, and sometimes when I don't
185: My favorite shampoo is: None of your frizzness
184: AIM name: I don't IM
183: Piggy Banks are: for other families
182: In my pockets: lint?
181: On my calendar: karate, open houses, doctor's appointments, guitar, Survivor & Heroes
180: Marriage is: comforting
179: Sponge Bob can: shrivel on a beach with Patrick
178: My mom: sounds just like me on the phone
177: The last three cd's I bought were: I download one song at a time from iTunes
176: Last YouTube video watched: information on state banquets at Buckingham Palace
175: How many cousins do you have? around 15. My uncle has kids I don't remember
174: Do you have any siblings: Yes, three brothers and one sister
173: Are your parents divorced: No, married 54 years this month
172: Are you taller than your mom? Just a little
171: Do you play an instrument? I played a trumpet in high school and I can still sort of play the piano
170: What did you do yesterday: Went to the 51's AAA Minor League baseball game with friends

I believe in.............
169: Love at first sight: Not necessarily, but love at first date; yes
168: Luck: no
167: Fate: yes
166: Yourself: always
165: Aliens: I'm open to the possibility
164: Heaven: yes
163: Hell: Where else would Hitler be?
162: God: yes
161: Horoscopes: no
160: Soul mates: I guess
159: Ghosts: I'm open to this possibility, too
158: Gay Marriage: I don't really care. I'm not opposed and I don't support.
157: War: sucks, but is necessary
156: Orbs: Is that a type of candy?
155: Magic: no

Which is Better......
154: Hugs or Kisses: depends on who I'm exchanging with
153: Drunk or High: I don't do high and I usually avoid drunk
152: Phone or Online: online
151: Red heads or Black haired: black
150: Blondes or Brunettes: brunettes (all little blonde boys look the same to me)
149: Hot or cold: hot
148: Summer or winter: summer
147: Autumn or Spring: Autumn
146: Chocolate or vanilla: chocolate
145: Night or Day: day
144: Oranges or Apples: Pink Lady apples
143: Curly or Straight hair: wavy
142: McDonalds or Burger King: icky
141: White Chocolate or Milk Chocolate: both, swirled together at The Melting Pot
140: Mac or PC: PC
139: Flip flops or high heals: flip flops
138: Ugly and rich OR Sexy and poor: Sexy and rich
137: Coke or Pepsi: diet Pepsi with lime
136: Hillary or Obama: given those choices, Obama
135: Buried or cremated: cremated
134: Singing or Dancing: I sing in the car and I don't care who listens
133: Coach or Chanel: Half the shoppers at Wal-Mart have a Coach bag. I'll pass.
132: Kat McPhee or Taylor Hicks: Who's Kat McPhee
131: Small town or Big city: big city
130: Wal-Mart or Target: Target has better stuff, but Wal-Mart is cheaper
129: Ben Stiller or Adam Sandler: Ben Stiller
128: Manicure or Pedicure: pedicure
127: East Coast or West Coast: west
126: Your Birthday or Christmas: Christmas (no one forgets that)
125: Chocolate or Flowers: high quality chocolate
124: Disney or Six Flags: Disney. Never been to Six Flags
123: Yankees or Red Sox: Dodgers

Here's What I Think About...........
122: War: I already answered this at 157
121: George Bush: will be out of office in 141 days
120: Gay Marriage: #158 Some one's not paying attention
119: The presidential election: Let's get to it, already
118: Abortion: Can't see why anyone would want to kill a baby, but I've not been in that position, so I won't say 'never'
117: MySpace: is dangerous and any parent who lets their children on there is putting them in harm's way
116: Reality TV: isn't
115: Parents: two
114: Back stabbers: are weak
113: Ebay: Sam would love to be there all day with unlimited funds
112: Sex: not with you
111: Work: not outside the home
110: My Neighbors: beats me. One set just moved in and the other is moving out
109: Gas Prices: are killing my budget
108: Designer Clothes: I'm too cheap
107: College: wasn't for me
106: Sports: love them
105: My family: eats dinner together almost every night
104: The future: is so bright I have to wear shades

Last time I.......
103: Hugged someone: last night
102: Last time you ate: 12:30pm
101: Saw someone I haven't seen in awhile: it's been awhile
100: Cried in front of someone: a few weeks maybe
99: Went to a movie theater: August 28th
98: Took a vacation: Girls Weekend with Ana, August 8
97: Swam in a pool: Aug 14
96: Changed a diaper: when Sam was a baby
95: Got my nails done: Friday
94: Went to a wedding: I can't remember it's been so long
93: Broke a bone: Jan 3, 2005
92: Got a piercing: when I was 11
91: Broke the law: other than driving, can't think of a time
90: Texted: this morning at the mall

MISC:
89: Who makes you laugh the most: Mike when he's on a roll
88: Something I will really miss when I leave home is: my animals
87: The last movie I saw: Wall-E
86: The thing that I'm looking forward to the most: my anniversary dinner
85: The thing I'm not looking forward to: potential knee surgery (I hope it's nothing!)
84: People call me: Madre, mom, Karen, Mrs. Crittenden, Molly, Ruby and Carmen
83: The most difficult thing to do is: tell my kids no
82: I have gotten a speeding ticket: never. I have no moving violations in 26 years of driving
81: My zodiac sign is: Cancer
80: The first person I talked to today was: Mike
79: First time you had a crush: 4th grade Cary Finberg
78: The one person who I can't hide things from: I don't usually bother to hide things
77: Last time someone said something you were thinking: a few days ago
76: Right now I am talking to: no one
75: What are you going to do when you grow up: I don't intend to grow up
74: I have/will get a job: only if Mike disappears and I have no income
73: Tomorrow: Labor Day. Going over some karate things with Ana and our black belt instructor, then to the pool, I think
72: Today: shopping with Ana and later I think I'll look at flooring
71: Next Summer: I think we'll take a family trip to the beach but I refuse to plan anything else
70: Next Weekend: calendar's empty but I see it's Grandparents Day
69: I have these pets: #187 doggy and kitties
68: The worst sound in the world: a swarm of (Africanized) bees
67: The person that makes me cry the most is: I try not to let other people affect me so much
66: People that make you happy: friends and family
65: Last time I cried: it's been a little while. Sometime in the summer, I think
64: My friends are: very dear to me
63: My computer is: older than I'd like
62: My School: Karate GGYM
61: My Car: PT Cruisers in red and blue
60: I lose all respect for people who: lie
59: The movie I cried at was: something I saw with Ana but I can't remember what
58: Your hair color is: I colored it Espresso just this morning
57: TV shows you watch: Heroes, Survivor and the Amazing Race when they're on
56: Favorite web site: I don't have one favorite. I like to read several blogs.
55: Your dream vacation: Maui on someone else's dime was pretty darn nice
54. The worst pain I was ever in was: post surgical
53: How do you like your steak cooked: medium rare
52: My room is: too warm in the summer
51: My favorite celebrity is: I'm really not star struck, but Chuck Norris is a nice man
50: Where would you like to be: right where I am, that's why I'm here
49: Do you want children: I want the two I already have
48: Ever been in love: yes
47. Who's your best friend: Joe
46: More guy friends or girl friends: both
45: One thing that makes you feel great is: a good hair day
44: One person that you wish you could see right now: I'm fine by myself at the moment
43: Do you have a 5 year plan: not specifically
42: Have you made a list of things to do before you die: no, they guy who wrote that book just died!
41: Have you pre-named your children: I named all four of my daughters before I had them and then I had a son!
40: Last person I got mad at: the Starbucks barista who made my drink wrong
39: I would like to move to: a smaller house
38: I wish I was a professional: martial artist

My Favorites.............
37: Candy: Snickers
36: Vehicle: I kind of want a small SUV (Hey! At least I didn't say minivan!)
35: President: Reagan
34: State visited: Montana
33: Cell Phone Provider: AT&T, but if you paid attention, I told you that in #197
32: Athlete: rather enjoyed Michael Phelps at the Olympics
31: Actor: Tom Hanks, but Matthew Fox is enjoyable, too
30: Actress: hard to go wrong with Meryl Streep, although I don't know that she's my favorite
29: Singer: whoever
28: Band: again, whoever
27: Clothing Store: Fashion Bug is usually pretty good to me, and fairly inexpensive
26: Grocery Store: Albertson's
25: TV show: The Amazing Race
24: Movie: Sense and Sensibility or Airplane
23: Website: #56. Look, if you couldn't come up with 200 questions, maybe you should have called the meme '196 questions'.
22: Animal: kitten
21: Theme Park: Disneyland
20: Holiday: Christmas
19: Sport to watch: curling
18: Sport to play: karate
17: Magazine: Reader's Digest
16: Book: I read a lot of different things. I don't have a favorite.
15: Day of the week: Saturday
14: Beach: Balboa
13: Concert Attended: I've only been to one; Huey Lewis and the News in college
12: Thing to cook: Chicken Dijon
11: Food: potatoes
10: Restaurant: Applebee's
9: Radio Station: I listen to CDs
8: Yankee Candle scent: Fresh linen (Oops, that's a Slatkin & Co. scent)
7: Perfume: Fleur du Matin by Miller Harris
6: Flower: Lilacs or Jasmine
5: Color: red
4: Talk Show host: Dr. Phil is the only one that gets watched around here
3: Comedian: Jeff Dunham
2: Dog Breed: chihuahua
1: Are you ready for this survey to be over? It's a lot of typing

Friday, August 29, 2008

ROTFL

The following posts caused me to belly laugh!!


It could be the 1/2 bottle of Chardonnay, but I like to think it was the content!
Go! Read!

1. The whole post was good, but the last sentence is where I lost it!!
2. I LOVE Michael Phelps from the neck down!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Happy Birthday!

Ana is 15
Only the highest quality giftwrap is used in our house.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Our Annual Tradition

I always take pictures of the kids on the first day of school. They're starting to begrudge it now that they're getting older.

Ana headed off to 10th grade

and Sam going to 6th grade

She gets cranky when Dad steps into her picture. It not his first day of anything!

Monday, August 25, 2008

What's cookin'?

Around our house this week, it's the following.
Monday - Poached Salmon with Creamy Horseradish Sauce*, baby red potatoes, green beans

Tuesday - Cincinnati Chili, spaghetti, salad

Wednesday - Fettuccine Alfredo, chicken, broccoli**

Thursday - Hungarian Hamburger Steaks, coleslaw, pan sauteed potatoes

Friday - Lemon Roast Chicken, brown rice, whatever vegetable is still hangin' around
*no one will eat the sauce but me
**This is Ana's special request. It's her birthday and she's taking her black belt pre-test (to determine if she should spend the money to test for her black belt).

Sunday, August 24, 2008

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

School starts tomorrow.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

...ology

Karenology

Let others know a little more about yourself. Re-post this as your name followed by "ology".

What is your salad dressing of choice? Newman's Own Family Italian
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? Applebee's for casual, The Melting Pot for no expense spared.
What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? Potatoes, in all forms
What are your pizza toppings of choice? Vegetables, except green peppers
What do you like to put on your toast? Cinnamon Sugar, but I don't usually eat toast

*TECHNOLOGY*
How many televisions are in your house? two
What color cell phone do you have? fuchsia

*BIOLOGY*
Are you right-handed or left-handed? Right
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? Wisdom teeth, endometriosis
What is the last heavy item you lifted? I try not to lift heavy things...bad for the back
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? Yes, at a karate test (I passed!)


*BULLCRAPOLOGY*
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? No
If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Today? Ruby
Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? No. I don't like hot sauce and money is not that important to me.

*DUMBOLOGY*
How many pairs of flip flops do you own? Four: black, brown, white and blue
Last time you had a run-in with the cops? My best friend is a former cop and I see him a few times a week. I've never actually had a 'run-in'.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Peaceful
Last person you talked to? Sam
Last person you hugged? Mike

*FAVORITOLOGY*
Season;Summer or Spring? Summer
Holiday? Independence Day
Day of the week? Friday
Month? October

*CURRENTOLOGY*
Missing someone? Not particularly
Mood? Ambivalent
Listening to? Olympics on TV
Watching? Computer screen, but the Olympics are on in the background
Worrying about? My friend, who has too much going on right now

*RANDOMOLOGY*
What can you not wait to do? Get a pedicure
What's the last movie you saw? Wall-E
Do you smile often? Yes, and I mean it

YOUR TURN!

Guest Blogger

My guest blogger never did sit down to tell our story, so you're getting it from me.

We left our home in suburban Las Vegas on Friday morning, August 8th, headed for Orange County. An uneventful drive, for sure.

We checked into our hotel at around two in the afternoon and were given warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in. We went about our afternoon activities; shopping, movie, dinner, watched the Olympics on TV and turned in early. We were in bed at 9:00pm and asleep by 9:15pm.

Just after 11:00pm, the fire alarm in our room went off. Ana slept right through it. I woke her up and she was annoyed at the loud noise. She thought I was crazy when I asked her if she was wearing pants. (Not everyone wears pants to bed and I didn't know which camp she was in.) She was, indeed, wearing pants. I told her to get up and put her shoes on and grab a sweatshirt.

We followed all the proper protocols for escaping from a hotel fire. We're from Las Vegas, so this is kind of a big deal based on this fire and this one only three months later.

We evacuated the hotel by walking down seven flights of stairs. I found it ironic that I actually paid extra to stay on a higher floor! We spent about 15 minutes out in the parking lot before we were given the 'all clear' to re-enter the building.

It turns out someone on the 7th floor (ours!) decided to have a romantic evening. They had scattered rose petals all over their hotel room and lit many, many candles. The many, many candles resulted in lots and lots of smoke, which set off the fire alarm AND the sprinklers in their room.

Guests on other floors were able to return to their rooms and head back to bed. Because our floor was involved in 'the incident', it was the last to be cleared, so we spent almost an hour out of our room hanging out in the lobby.

I heard the front desk clerk say the responsible party would be billed for this!!

How much does it cost to evacuate the top three floors of a hotel, anyway?

Saturday, August 16, 2008

A meme, even though I wasn't tagged

I've seen this in a few places. Among them are Same Thing, But Different, Say La Vee, and Being a Mom of 3 Boyz. I'm sure others have joined in, but I haven't read them.

Eye Color: Brown with greenish flecks
Hair Color: Brown
--Dyed or Natural: Dyed since my mid-twenties
--Curly or Straight: Wavy
Right- or Left-handed: Right
Tan or Pale: Pale, except where my freckles connect
Jeans or Khakis: Jeans, but usually only in winter
Country, Rap, or Rock: "Old people music" according to my teenager
Heritage: Irish
Shoes you're wearing today: Flip flops. Perfect for the long hot summer
Your weakness(es): Starbucks
Your perfect pizza: Pesto with chicken
Favorite color: Depends on the color of what, but I tend to like red
Favorite place: My home office
Goal you'd like to achieve: Third degree black belt
Your most overused phrase(s): What are you? Smokin' crack?
Your thoughts first waking up: My god, 5:30 comes early!
Your best physical feature(s): Now that I'm over 40 and have gained some weight, I have breasts. That's pretty exciting!
Your bedtime: 10:00pm
Your most missed memory: Kid's cones at Dairy Queen when Ana was a toddler
Pepsi or Coke: Either as long as it's diet, and I like it with lime, but lemon will do
McDonald's or Burger King: Not if I can avoid them. I do go to In-N-Out once a year, though
Single or group dates: I would love to go on a date
Adidas or Nike: Nike, but I only wear them when running
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Neither. I make a pot in the morning and ice whatever is left over
Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
Cappuccino or coffee: Grande Caramel Macchiato (iced in summer)

DO YOU:
Smoke: only when on fire
Cuss: Hell, yes!
Have a boyfriend/girlfriend: Mike won't let me
Take a shower: Daily
Have a crush(es): Not my thing, but I do have "a list" for anyone who watches Friends
Think you've been in love: currently am. It helps the marriage.
Want to get married: BTDT. 22nd anniversary next month
Believe in yourself: Have since I was in my 20's
Believe in God: Yes
Believe in your government: It's better than most
Get motion sickness: Sometimes, but I know how to stave it off
Think you're attractive: Children don't scream and run away in horror
Think you're a health freak: Freak, no, but I do make an effort
Get along with your parents: Yes, very well. Maybe it helps that I only have two
Like thunderstorms: Yeah, mostly, but they can cause flash flooding here

IN THE PAST MONTH, HAVE YOU:
Drunk alcohol: Yes.
Gone on a date: Alas, no
Gone to the mall: Not only did I go to the mall, I drove to another state to go to a mall!
Been on stage: No
Eaten an entire box of Oreos: When I was 9, but I threw up so now I don't like Oreos
Eaten sushi: Yes
Been dumped: No
Gone skating: Nope
Gone skinny dipping: No
Stolen anything: Nope

HAVE YOU EVER:
Played a game that required removal of clothing: Sure
Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Not since my twenties. I'm a quick learner.
Been caught "doing something": Not visually, but aurally
Been called a tease: No
Gotten beaten up: Uh, hello! Second degree black belt. I pity the fool...
Age you hope to be married: I was 20. It was young, but it worked for me.
Number of children you'd like: Just the two I have, thank you very much
Describe your dream wedding: If I were to do it again (I won't), I'd go with something small and rather casual.
What do you want to be when you grow up: Young at heart

WHAT YOU LIKE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX:
Best eye color?: brown
Best hair color?: brown, again, but flecked with grey
Short or long hair: Short
Height: Anywhere between 5'7" (taller than me) and 6'5". Anything taller is too hard to kiss!
Best first date location: My last first date was in August of 1984. Pizza and a movie. That works.
Best first kiss location: Again...1984!

IN THE NUMBERS:
Number of people I could trust with my life: Only two (three if you count me)
Number of CD's: too many to fit in the current storage
Number of piercings: two; one in each ear but I don't wear earrings anymore
Number of tattoos: None
Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: A bunch in high school, but not since
Number of scars on my body: three, two surgical, one from a childhood mishap

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Girls Weekend 2008

Let's start with our hotel.
The Doubletree Irvine Spectrum.
It was NOT spectacular, but not bad, either.
It was just okay.
The location was just where I thought it would be,
but that turned out to be rather inconvenient.
Lesson learned.
Next year it's back to the Hyatt Regency Irvine,
or maybe somewhere nearer the ocean.We shopped at the Irvine Spectrum Mall.
Again, not spectacular but okay.
Ana's favorite store was closed for renovation,
so we ended up back at Fashion Island.
That's where she spent all her money.
Saturday was beach day.
I didn't feel unsafe as the earthquake was the week before.

Skin cancer abatement.

Sunscreen, clothing and a big umbrella.

Ana was ready for the ocean.

We were very near the Balboa Pier.

Do you see my umbrella down there?

We left it while we went to lunch,
and walked on the pier.





On the drive home, we stopped in Baker to see the Mad Greek,

which turned out to be a Mad House, so we left.

I'll turn the post featuring Friday night's activities over to a guest blogger, since she tells the story better than I do. She's always been so good with embellishment!

You're not getting links, becasue I'm just too tired.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

I'm back

...and I didn't really eat very poorly. I had about 10 french fries, some potato chips (at the beach) and today, on the drive home, a Bacon Cheeseburger at the A&W in Baker, California. I was all set to eat poorly, but everytime I went to a restaurant, the good food looked better. I guess I'm gettin older (and healthier!).


Pictures to follow, but I for got my camera, so had to buy a disposable thingy. Now I'll have to pay to get it developed and buy a CD to upload to my PC as well.

Friday, August 08, 2008

Just thought you'd want to know

I plan to eat poorly this weekend.

But I do eat a heart-healthy diet 95% of the time, so I'll be okay.

I'll be sure to let you know what 'poorly' consists of when I return on Monday.


by the way...18 days until school starts!



Look at my post time and date.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Stalkers take note

Ana and I are doing our 2nd Annual Girls Weekend in California on Friday.

On the drive down, I'm stopping here for a milkshake and maybe lunch.
We're staying here.
Eating dinner at this restaurant.
Going to this movie.
Spending Saturday at this beach...or maybe this one.
Sunday is my shopping time here.
And then the drive home.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Where my mind is

I was perusing Google Images for a new desktop design.
I like images that help me feel relaxed.
Based on one of the images I saw on Leelee's Visual DNA, I decided to go with sandy feet.
The photo I chose came from spaindex.com.

I saw spain dex and wondered what that could be.
And then I clicked on the link.

Yeah. It's Spa Index.

I guess I don't spend enough time thinking about spas, but I'd really like to go to Spain.



It also has to have nothing along the left side as that would interfere with my desktop icons.

Grimaldi's Pizzeria

Two new strip malls have been built not far from our house.

It seems to be an International invitation for food.
There is American, Italian, Greek, Thai, Indian, Ice Cream, Smoothies, Pizza, Cake, Sushi, Seafood and even a Chili Restaurant.
Last weekend, we ate at Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria. Excellent pizza and the salad was pretty darn good, too.

I've since come across reviews that say it's terrible. I disagree.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Corrected correction

And I can't spell.

Sergeant

I stand corrected.

Apparently, I'm only a Sargeant.

Southern Nevada Lifeguard Games

The Jr. Lifeguards waiting for their events.
The first of five events is the cardiac relay where four rescuers swim 50 yards while performing scenarios of a cardiac emergency rescue.
The second event is a timed and scored shallow water spinal injury management scenario.
Ana didn't compete in the first two events. She is a Jr. Guard and these events were only for 'real' lifeguards.

The third event is a female and male gauntlet where individuals swim 75 yards total, carrying a brick for 25 yards.
In this event, Ana dropped the brick to the bottom of the pool, and had to retreive it to finish. Even with that, she holds the state record for Jr. Guard Female Gauntlet.




The events are capped with two relays.




During the rescue tube relay, each member of a four-person team swims 50 yards, including 25 yards of breaststroke approach stroke and 25 yards of freestyle approach stroke.
Ana's team won this relay.

The competition finishes with a T-shirt relay where four-member teams transfer a T-shirt in between 50-yard swims.
Ana's team won this relay.

You just know she wasn't going to let something like a 10 pound brick defeat her!!

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Mmmm....pie

Simple Simon met a pieman going to the fair;
Said Simple Simon to the pieman "Let me taste your ware"
Said the pieman to Simple Simon "Show me first your penny"
Said Simple Simon to the pieman "Sir, I have not any!"

I asked Sam if he'd like to do some baking earlier this week.

He decided to make Pumpkin Pie. (I know, my kids are odd.)

Mike taught me how to make pie crust a few years ago, and I passed that knowledge on to Sam.

It's almost impossible to screw it up.

He made the crust and while it 'rested', he made the filling.

I don't have pictures of the end product, but it was delicious.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Life

Friday night is sometimes Game Night in our home.
The kids picked Life and amazingly, Mike agreed to play.
I was the police officer. The kids were amazed that I was paid so much to be a cop. I think this pay scale probably makes me a Lieutenant with more than 20 years on the force, or maybe even a Captain. But only if I could get past all the political crappe that goes on, and I know I couldn't.

Even Magic joined us for awhile.