Dime Bag?

Easter candy is on clearance at Albertson's.

A bag of my favorite candy is only 10 cents!

I only bought one bag. What self control (or foolishness!).

NASCAR and grocery shopping

I know you THINK the two are not related, but you'd be wrong.

When the shopping cart has a bad right rear wheel, the cart wants to turn left.

I spent the entire shopping trip doing left turn, left turn, left turn, CRASH!

So I bought myself a bouquet of the same flowers I had at my wedding.

Lunch with Ana

Ana has the day off of school today.
It's testing day for the Nevada Proficiency Exams.
A student doesn't start trying to be proficient until sophomore year.
So we had lunch at Panera Bread.

Ana had the Frontega Chicken Panini and the Broccoli Cheddar Soup.

They were both yummy.

But this is what she REALLY wanted;
Yellow Cake Batter Ice Cream with a Chocolate Frosting Swirl

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

This is Big League Weekend in Las Vegas.

This was our view of the field.

Our seats were directly behind home plate.

Toward the end of the game we went up to the press box. The view's not bad from up there either!It was a good crowd. About double what this park

sees for a AAA Dodger's Game during the season.

These people spent the whole game up here.

They're reporters.

It's what they do.

This was the taxi line after the game.

See all the taxis? Of course you don't!
There weren't any!!!

My Hero

My Guitar Hero, that is.

Mike has been playing Guitar Hero III

and is getting to be pretty darn good.

I passed...

...my black belt pre-test.

So I will be traveling to Utah in April
for my second degree test.

Keep on eye on the ticker at the right.

I like this philosopy

"A happy wife is a happy life"





Stolen (without permission) from Joke.

Lately...

I've been Lost.

Ana and I borrowed Seasons 1 and 2 from Joe and watched all of those.

Then we bought Season 3 and are watching that.

When we finish all of that, we'll watch Season 4 online.

Then we'll be caught up and can watch on Thursday nights.

Blue Eyes

Ana and I have been playing with Acuvue.

This is what we found.

This is Karen with all her gorgeous wrinkles showing the wisdom of her age.

This is Ana with her bright-eyed youth and amazing eye lashes.

And now with pictures...

Which I STOLE and am using WITHOUT PERMISSION!!!

Karen doing kata competition

Ana fighting Katie

Joe warming up...although how he is able

to concentrate with those two beautiful

creatures in the background is a mystery to me!

One year ago today...

I was doing this.

Region 2 Tournament

For anyone who follows our karate...



In the Region 2 Karate tournament today:

Ana placed 1st in kata and 3rd in fighting.

Karen placed 2nd in kata. No fighting.

Our instructor, Joe, placed 1st in kata and 1st in fighting.

Some of our fellow student competed and did really well, too.



And...maybe best of all...we won one of the raffle prizes. Some GREAT stuff from Pampered Chef donated by our friend, Janis.

More random things...

1. Are you taller than your best friend? Umm, no

2. Do you have a favorite type of pen? Sharpie extra fine point in green

3. Look at your planner for March 10th, what are you doing? Black belt pre-test
4. What color are your toenails usually? toenail colored

5. What was the last thing you highlighted? secret shopper form
6. What color are the curtains in your bedroom? no curtains, white blinds

7. What color are the seats in your vehicle? Grey leather
8. Have you ever had a black and white cat? Currently two; Magic and Guinness

9. What is the last thing you put a stamp on? entry envelope for Regional karate tournament
10. Do you know anyone who lives in Wyoming? Yes, several people in fact

11. Why did you withdraw cash from the ATM the last time? weekly allowance for the kids
12. Who is the last baby that you held? Baby? Hmmm....I don't know any babies.
13. Can you spell well? Yes

14. Do you like Cinnamon toothpaste? Not particulary
15. What kind of car were you driving 2 years ago? a 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser (red)
16. Pick one: Miami Hurricanes or Florida Gator? Sports teams...yeah, whatever
17. Last time you went to Six Flags? Went as far as the parking lot when I was 11 in 1977
18. Do you have any wallpaper in your house? No
19. Closest thing to you that is yellow? Post-it note
20. Last person you gave a business card to? I haven't had business cards since I was a travel agent in 1992 and I used them to enter drawings to win prizes.

21. Who is the last person you wrote a check to? Bidwell Karate Club

22. Closest framed picture to you? Mike and the pirate in The Bahamas

23. Last time you had someone cook for you? Mike, last night. He cooks every weekend.
24. What do you hate about sleeping? That I'm not usually doing it between 3 and 5 am

25. How many emails do you get in your inbox daily (excluding spam)? 3 or 4
26. Last time you gave flowers? To both mom's last Mother's Day
27. Hey where is 27?? Again with the missing numbers? 28. Do you play air guitar? No, Guitar Hero is too expensive at the moment.
29. Has anyone ever proposed to you? Just once, sort of 30. Do you take anything in your coffee? I drink Caramel Macchiatos
31. Do you own any Willow Tree figurines? No, but I like the Nativity Scene
32. What is/was your high school's mascot? Raiders
33. Last person you spoke to from high school? Some guy I ran into at Kinko's in Salem about 15 years ago. I don't remember his name.
34. Last time you used hand sanitizer? When Sam was in 1st grade. I hate hand sanitizer!
35. Would you like to learn how to play the drums? No, I hate extraneous noise
36. What color are the blinds in your living room? white

38. Last thing you read in the newspaper? Baby kidnapped from Mexico by a woman being smuggled into the US who got deported but the smugglers kept the 7 month old baby and she ended up in foster care in Las Vegas until she was reunited with her mother three months later.
39. What was the last pageant you attended? I don't do pageants

40. What is the last place you bought pizza from? Little Caeser's
41. Have you ever worn a crown? No

42. What is the last thing you stapled? The balanced bank statement
43. Did you ever drink clear Pepsi? No
44. Are you ticklish? In some places

45. Last time you saw fireworks? 51's baseball game at the end of last season
46. Last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut? I don't like them and now we have Dunkin' Donuts in Las Vegas

47. Last person that IMed you, and you actually responded? I don't IM
48. Last time you parked under a carport? Can't recall
49. Do you have a black dog? No, he is fawn
51. Are you an aunt or uncle? Aunt to 7
52. Who has the prettiest eyes that you know of? Sam's are nice and Ana has great lashes!
53. Last time you saw a semi truck? Yesterday on the I-15 returning from Springs Preserve

54. What is the last song you belted out in the car? Taking Chances

55. Do you have a little black dress? No, I don't wear dresses

60 Things

60 Things You Possibly Didn't Know About Me

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now? Nothing but the seats
2. When was the last time you threw up? So long ago I don't remember
3. What's your favorite curse word? Mother of Pearl!
4. Name 3 people who made you smile today? Joe, Devin, the Starbucks barista
5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Laundry
6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Eating lunch
7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now? Taking the kids to Friday afterschool ice cream
8. Have you ever been to a strip club? No and there are plenty to choose from here!
9. What is the last thing you said aloud? Thank you.
10. What is the best ice cream flavor? Breyer's Mint Chip is pretty good
11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke
12. What are you wearing right now? Black sweater, gray cords
13. What was the last thing you ate? mini Snickers
14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? Just yesterday, in fact
15. When was the last time you ran? a couple weeks ago - I've been on the bike
16. What's the last sporting event you watched? SuperBowl
What happened to 17?
18. Who is the last person you emailed? Joe
19. Ever go camping? Not when it can be avoided
20. Do you have a tan? Never - I'm Irish, I freckle
Ok, now what happened to 21, 22 & 23?
24. Do you drink your soda from a straw? Only if it comes with one
25. What did your last IM say? I don't IM
26. Are you someone's best friend? Yes
27. What are you doing tomorrow? Saturday! Ana to chiropractor then the calendar's clear
28. Where is your mom right now? I'm guessing Phoenix
29. Look to your left, what do you see? My Chat Noir poster
30. What color is your watch? I have a few but don't usually wear them
31. What do you think of when you think of Australia? Mike might move there
32. Would you consider plastic surgery? for some things, but not to change my appearance
33. What is your birthstone? Ruby
34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Never drive thru - they don't get the order right
35.How many kids do you want? My two will do just fine, thank you
36. Do you have a dog? Yes, Gizmo
37. Last person you talked to on the phone? Norma the hair stylist
38. Have you met anyone famous? Chuck Norris every July
39. Any plans today? pick up both kids from school and then to Dairy Queen for Friday treat
40. How many states have you lived in? Four; Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Nevada
41. Ever go to college? Yes, long enough to get my MRS
42. Where are you right now? home office
43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now? it's cold and VERY windy
44. Last song listened to? Haddaway...What is Love
45. I see 45 is missing, too
46. Are you allergic to anything? Bee stings and sulfa drugs
47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? Black high heel slides
48. Are you jealous of anyone? Once in a while
49. Another missing one...Who wrote this thing?
50. Is anyone jealous of you? I can't imagine anyone would be!
51. What time is it? 12:47pm
52. Do any of your friends have children? Yes, most all of them
53. Do you eat healthy? about 90 per cent of the time
54. What do you usually do during the day? take care of the house, laundry cook dinner, drive kids around and drink coffee with my best friend.
55. Do you hate anyone right now? Hate is a wasted emotion. It eats you up inside.
56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily? No, I usually go with Good morning or Good afternoon
57. We should get a discount on this for missing numbers!! Sheesh
58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 42
59. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Yes, but the big roller coaster was closed so we left
60. How did you get one of your scars? My first trip to the Oregon coast when I was 11-years-old, I kicked my foot through the seawater and split my toe open on a seashell

News Flash

Yesterday morning we were greeted with a wondrous site. Since Mike worked all night, I had the pleasure of driving Sam to school. In the afternoon, I take the freeway but in the morning surface streets are much faster.

They're finally putting FOOD back in the McDonald's!!

On November 5th a driver gave new meaning to the words "drive through" when he did just that at a local McDonald's restaurant.

Page 123 Meme

Shamelessly stolen from blackbird whom I read AT LEAST once a day, but don't tell anyone because it makes it look as though I don't have anything better to do!!

The rules:
1. Pickup the nearest book (of at least 123 pages.)
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag 5 people.

My nearest book is Live It Up without Outliving Your Money! by Paul Merriman (a gift from my parents and a great one at that!)

Comment: This gives us some essential information. Money that will be needed in only a few years should not be exposed to large potential losses. On the other hand, an investor who won't need money for decades should not be obsessively concerned with short-term comfort.

Wow! A meme and good advice all at once! Who knew reading a blog could be so beneficial?
I'm not tagging anyone, but leave a comment if you do the meme. I'd love to come take a look.

Math Matters

At least to Sam...






Who participated in the MathMatters annual math contest for 5th graders.

About 130 kids registered to compete in the contest which was held at his school today.

Of the top ten winners, nine were from either Mabel Hoggard Math and Science Magnet School or the Alexander Dawson School (a local private school). Sam was the ONLY student from Coral Academy of Science to place.







Sam finished in Fourth place - just short of winning one of the "prizes" but was still rewarded with a new board game.





Another fine addition to Family Game Night.








Great Job Sam!!

Super Bowl

The family and I had a lovely time watching

Super Bowl XLII at the home of our dear

friends, Joe & Janis.

There has been only ONE lasting effect.

Joe introduced Sam to Fritos...

...and now he can't get enough of them!!!

The Good Old Days

Subject: 1967 vs. 2007

Scenario: Jack goes quail hunting before school, pulls into school parking lot with shotgun in gun rack.
1967 - Vice principal comes over to look at Jack's shotgun. He goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock-down and FBI is called. Jack is hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers


Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1967 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends.
2007 - Police called. SWAT team arrives. Johnny and Mark are arrested and charged with assault. Both are expelled even though Johnny started it.


Scenario: Jeffrey won't be still in class, disrupts other students.
1967 - Jeffrey sent to office and given a good paddling by the principal. He returns to class, sits still, and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is diagnosed with ADD and given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. School gets extra money from State because Jeffrey has a learning disability.


Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbors car and his dad gives him a whipping with his belt, plus makes him mow lawns to pay for broken window.
1967 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is placed in foster care and joins a gang. State psychologist convinces Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself, and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.


Scenario: Mark has a headache and brings some aspirin to school.
1967 - Mark takes aspirin in lunchroom and headache goes away.
2007 - Police called. Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. Car is searched for drugs and weapons.


Scenario: Pedro fails English in high school.
1967 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given a diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.


Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a fire ant hill.
1967 - Ants die.
2007 - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Homeland Security, and FBI called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates parents; siblings are removed from home; computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad goes on Terror Watch List and is never allowed to fly again.


Scenario: Jimmy falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher who hugs him to comfort him.
1967 - In a short time, Jimmy feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Teacher is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in state prison. Jimmy undergoes five years of therapy.

I received this as an email. If it weren't all true it would be funny.

Time well spent

Well, time spent.

I've been spending an awful lot of time on FreeRice and TravelPod taking the online quizzes.

Educational? Sure! Fun? Sure! A good use of my time? Better than the video games being played by other members of the family!