Eating and Sleeping...it's a vicious cycle

It seems like a lot of my posts lately have revolved around the hodgepodge so I thought I'd take today to talk about this and that. You know, as opposed to random stuff. Its not really that there is anything too exciting to talk about, yet talk I will.

I cooked dinner Tuesday night. That sounds so lame but honestly we haven't had too many home cooked meals around here lately. Hubs has had dinner out 11 of the past 21 nights. I've been with him for a few of those but many were work related...like tonite. Tuesday night I made meatloaf which is one of his favorites so he was a happy camper.

A happy tired camper. We got into bed Tuesday night and I looked at the clock which read, are you ready...8:58. I suspect many of you had not even managed to get your toddlers into bed at that hour. Quite often we're having dinner at that hour. Somebody needs a vacation in the worst way. Thankfully he will be taking all of next week off.

Some friends invited us out to dinner this coming weekend but we're going to have them come to our house for a cook out instead. I hope we can stay awake.

This past Monday night we met some other friends for dinner. Are you seeing a pattern...we eat and we sleep. This has been our life in recent weeks.

Anyway, these were not just any old friends. These were special friends. Friends who came all the way from England to eat dinner with us. Okay, not really but still, they were in a nearby town so we met for dinner in a lovely Greek restaurant. The restaurant is known mostly for its seafood dishes and the fish are kept on ice for you to peruse and select. For the record, I don't necessarily need to see the actual fish that will be cooked prior to its appearing on my dinner plate. We had a lovely evening catching up and comparing notes on our college aged children and life in general. Incidentally, hubs had grilled octopus for a starter...a few people in the Hodgepodge this week said they wouldn't touch it but I say don't knock it til you've tried it. It's tasty!

My neighbor and I carpool to a Bible Study on Tuesday mornings. When I pulled into her driveway this week she showed me the spot where, just a few nights before, she'd seen a bear lay down and go to sleep. Yes. In their driveway. They really do make themselves at home in our neck of the woods. There's going to be a bear hunt for the first time in five years in our area this December. I hate to think about it but the female population is out of control, especially right where we live. Incidentally our dog will be staying indoors and she'll be donning a bright orange vest when we have to take her out of doors. Wouldn't want someone to mistake her lovely black coat for a potential living room rug.

Speaking of bears, did anyone watch Sarah Palin's Alaska on Sunday evening? No matter your feelings about her I've got to think the Alaskan tourism industry will be booming after the series ends. The scenery was spectacular and there is such a sense of adventure there. I'd love to go to Alaska but hmmm....do I want to go with my hubs? We are not always on the same page when it comes to outdoor adventure.

In other exciting news, I discovered today that I've been driving around without my license. I put it in an evening purse the weekend before I went down to my moms and I never put it back into my wallet. I drove all the way to my moms and back without it. And then around town here for a few days too. Oops.

This time next week we'll be preparing fabulous turkey dinners...our dinner will be followed by a power nap. I told you people...its a vicious cycle.

Wednesday Hodepodge aka Button Button Who's Got the Button

A couple of bloggers last week mentioned they were having problems seeing the Hodgepodge button on their blogs. I did try to visit everyone who participated last week and the button seemed to be working everywhere. Can you let me know if you still can't see it? Daughter1 has a Mac and thinks it may have something to do with the way she saved it or some such technical nonsense...anyway, she'll get right on it and hopefully by the time you read this all is tres bon.

Hey, I told you I was going to throw some French into the mix every week.

This blog is nothing if not educational.

On to this week's Hodgepodge...answer the questions on your own blog then come back here to add your address to the Linky list at the end of this post. Don't forget to include the button in your post so readers will be directed back here to all the other blogger links. The button code is on my sidebar and I think I'm going to also add a blurb there regarding the Hodgepodge so I'm not giving out the directions every week. You're welcome.

Here are my answers to this week's questions...

1. What is the most amazing weather you've ever seen?

A crystal clear sunny day in London.

That isn't what you were expecting is it?

Truly, there is nothing like a crystal clear blue sky day in the UK.

Its amazing.

And rare.

And experiencing one of those picture perfect days makes you feel happy just to be alive.

I don't think any other weather affects me in the same way.

2. What is a sound or noise you love?

a baby giggling

my daughter's sweet voices at any age

a British accent

the ocean

3. Do you like seafood? What's your favorite seafood dish?

I love seafood-all kinds. Of course I haven't tasted everything, but what I have tried I've loved. My absolute #1 favorite is steamed Maryland Blue Crabs.

Trust me...they are blue before they're steamed. And they must be eaten while sitting with friends at a picnic table beside the water with several rolls of paper towels nearby. Picking crabs is not for the faint of heart but the reward is huge.

There is nothing better. The end.

4. What part of your day requires the most patience?

My days are pretty much my own but I guess I'll say right around the dinner hour. My hubs generally calls and tells me when he's on his way home and I play that whole guessing game as to how much traffic there will be on his end vs. how much cooking time on mine. Plus I like to tell him about my day and pepper him with questions about his when he gets home. I know he needs a few minutes to get in the door and hang up his stuff and look at the mail and that sort of thing. Believe me, holding in all my many words at the end of a day requires patience y'all.

5. What's your favorite shade of blue?

In the decorating department it would be navy blue. My living room and dining room are both painted navy blue and I have many navy accents in my home. But in the clothing department I like to wear more of the brighter blues...turquoise and sapphire are probably my two favorites.

6. Do people underestimate you?

I have always looked younger than my age. Well, except for now. And the last five years too I guess if I'm being totally honest. But prior to that I looked young for my age and I think sometimes that caused people to underestimate me. I think I'm pretty much a what you see is what you get kind of girl these days.

7. When was the last time you had butterflies in your stomach?

If we're talking nervous butterflies then I'd say it was the last time I flew which was the end of October. I always get butterflies when I fly. Just ask anyone who has ever had the misfortune of sitting beside me on an aircraft experiencing turbulence.

If we're talking excited butterflies then probably the day before my daughter came home to visit in October. My stomach always does flip flops in the days leading up to a visit with my girlies.

8. Insert your own random thought here-

I was going to say something along the lines of how lately my hubs and I have been wondering why construction crews can put up a 15-story hotel in China in six days but the little bitty bridge in our town that is seriously about three cars long has been under construction since August and is still no where near being completed. Hubs sits at that light every single day. I sit there many days too. We do not get it.

Instead I think I'll just say that thinking about being in the kitchen this time next week, cooking a holiday meal beside both my girls, makes me incredibly happy.

Q and A-Volume 2 and actually this is just the Q.

You know, these Hodgepodge posts come around awfully fast when you are trying to come up with questions plus manage unfamiliar technology plus live life too. Even writing Wednesday Hodgepodge is a bit much...do you think Hewlett Packard would be upset if I occasionally use the abbreviation HP in my posts? I am imagining all sorts of brainy and capable computer types landing here to answer questions about whether they're a bird or a fish and what their favorite holiday dish might be and what's in their pockets (which are protected of course). No offense to brainy computer types....about this time every week I'm wishing I were one of them.

Here are the questions which you should answer and post on your own blogs tomorrow, Wednesday, hence the name, Wednesday Hodgepodge. Once your own post is up click back over here to link your blog to McLinky and visitors will come a-callin.

1. What is the most amazing weather you've ever seen?

2. What is a sound or noise you love?

3. Do you like seafood? What's your favorite seafood dish?

4. What part of your day requires the most patience?

5. What's your favorite shade of blue?

6. Do people underestimate you?

7. When was the last time you had butterflies in your stomach?

8. Insert your own random thought here, and remember...I have a wooden spoon and I'm not afraid to use it.

It's A Dog's Life

If a piece of gum falls in the woods will my dog find it?

Yes, yes she will.

And it doesn't matter how deep the leaves are, if there is a piece of gum out there she'll find it.

And chew it.

It's hilarious...why doesn't she swallow it?

It's like she watches us and knows you are just supposed to chew.

She doesn't limit herself to the already chewed variety either.

If there's gum in my purse and I've left it within reach she's been known to snag that too.

Hubs was out of town most of last week so I spent a few days with my mom.

My mom doesn't mind if my dog tags along when I come to visit because my dog is a very well behaved pooch.

Well, except of course when she has her nose in my purse.

Normally though, she is good as gold.

This past week?

Not so much.

She has allergies this time of year and they make her itchy.

And when she scratches her collar jingles.

Its hard to sleep with jingle bells playing all night long.

Only 39 days til Christmas by the way.

So I guess this week it is back to the vet we'll go.

I'm pretty sure my car can find its own way there.

We are quite well known at our vets office.

We were also quite well known at our vets office in the UK.

And our vets office in Maryland where she started life.

If ever a family should have purchased pet insurance it was this family.

It's not that she's sick a lot.

It's more like stuff happens.

We picked her up from the breeder in May of 2002.

Three months later she somehow managed to ingest a grass awn which then proceeded to abscess in her throat.

In case you don't know, a grass awn is what you see on the ornamental grasses people grow in their gardens.

Yeah, I didn't know they had a name either.

At least not until I saw it in black and white on the vet bill (s).

Seventeen stitches and one overnite hospital stay later she was good as new.

Did I mention it was a holiday weekend?

Of course it was a holiday weekend.

These things never occur during normal office hours.

We had the pick of the litter when we chose our pup and we got to meet her mama and her daddy and her granddaddy.

They were all lovely dogs with perfect teeth.

I'm guessing the perfect teeth gene must skip a couple of generations.

Everyone who knows her agrees that her teeth only add to her charm.

I think she is slightly embarrassed by them though.

Perhaps that would explain why she chewed up one of my Invisalign trays on Saturday night.

Fortunately I was only a day away from moving into the next set.

And truth be told she probably needs it more than me.

Picture it like this...

Hubs spent his Saturday night in San Antonio at a fun work event.

I spent my Saturday night wrestling a piece of plastic dental equipment from a 60 pound dog who thought it was all some kind of a big game.

Actually I do blame her behavior on the hubs being out of town all week.

She has not done anything like that since she was a tiny tot.

She was awfully cute back then, wasn't she?

Lucky for her she still is.

She's also a gentle dog who is friendly and loves people.

And she's a natural born bird dog.

We've never really encouraged the hunting thing but her DNA will not be denied.

She loves to stalk birds, squirrels, rabbits and the dreaded ground hog.

Oh what she wouldn't give to get her mitts on a groundhog.

Specifically the one living in our rock wall.

And I guess in that instance we might possibly be encouraging the hunting just a wee bit.

She's only ever managed to catch a bird she was stalking on two occasions.

Two out of thousands.

Tens of thousands.

Pretty much every time she's outside she is stalking prey of some sort.

Both birds she captured were already injured when she caught them.

Shh.

Don't tell her.

She thought she was hot stuff.

She is getting older.

I can hardly bear to think it.

She is the sweetest dog I've ever known.

Well, except when she's eating my expensive dental apparatus but you know, the rest of the time she's a sweetie.

A sweetie who thinks she's a lap dog...

She's not, but she thinks she is.

She's a lap dog who loves her walks...

and her naps...

and her rides in the car.

And most especially, a lap dog who loves the hubs...

where he goes, she goes...

When she hears his car pull into the garage after work she hurries over and scoots herself as close as she can possibly get to the door...she leaves exactly enough room for it to open.

Are you a dog person or a cat person?

I figure I can ask that question here because anyone who is neither one of those probably stopped reading many sentences ago.

If you're a dog person then you understand how a dog becomes part of the family...

that no matter what sort of day you may have had she is oh so happy just to see your face.

I remember a quote I read once somewhere that said,

"I want to be the person my dog sees me to be."

I think maybe we can learn a few things from a dog.

edited to add this post is linking to the synchroblog at Chaos Theory

Role Reversal

So in hosting a weekly random meme I knew I'd experience a teensy bit of stress.

I thought the stress would come with creating the questions every week.

I was wrong.

I say I'm not very good with all things technical.

Secretly though, I thought I was doing pretty good.

This week I realized my first thought was correct.

My daughter1 made a button for my hodgepodge posts.

She made a couple actually and I chose my favorite and she sent me the button and code in an email with instructions just to copy and paste.

Easy peasy, right?

I tried for several hours to get that code to show up on my blog.

I could get the button to show but no code.

So I called her with an SOS and she said,

"Moooooom! You left half of it off the page."

Oh.

While I had her on the phone I asked her to help me set up the McLinky.

And she said, 'Okay, let's iChat while we do that."

Huh?

For some reason once I added the McLinky my post immediately published.

I didn't want it to publish until midnight.

ARRGGH

Back to the phones.

"What are you doing mom?"

Hmmpfph.

Why does she automatically assume its me?

Probably because it is usually me.

We discussed and discussed but it continued to publish.

She said, "I think I need to see your screen."

What?

You're there and I'm here.

Many many states away.

"I'll send you a request to share your screen."

Um, okay?

Then she uttered the words that were to become her theme song for the rest of the afternoon. And maybe into the early evening.

And possibly the wee hours of the morning too.

"Just do what I say."

Wait a minute...

Wasn't it just yesterday I was saying those words to her?

Well, it sure feels like it was yesterday.

And daughter1 quickly discovered her theme song would need a second verse and it would need to sound like this-

"DON"T TOUCH ANYTHING!"

hmmm...

I'm pretty sure those were also words I used to say.

Yes she needed to shout.

Because when I see buttons I'm like a 2 year old.

Must touch.

I like to think I'll remember everything she showed me yesterday but who am I kidding?

I'm sure I'll be back on the phone with her again next Tuesday.

And that conversation will be almost word for word like the one we had this Tuesday.

And she'll sigh.

Because when it comes to all things technology I'm the kid and my kid is the 'parent'.

And just like parents the world over, she'll wonder why she has to say something fifteen times before it sticks.

And just like parents the world over, I know she'll love me just the same.

Wednesday Hodgepodge-The Initiation

Welcome to the Hodgepodge! Before I get started I must first send a big thank you to daughter1 whose patience truly knows no limits. Trust me, I tested it to the nth degree on Tuesday. Why is she so sweet? Why am I so technologically challenged? Sigh. Daughter1 I finally got the code sorted for our fabulous hodgepodge button and you'll find that on my sidebar. You can include it in your post as a link back here. If you'd like a cute bloggy button of your very own visit daughter1 and she'll create something fun for you too.

If you missed yesterday's post with the questions and you want to give your own answers before reading mine then click here. And if you have questions you'd like to see in future hodgepodge posts please send them my way. Thanks for playing along today...everyone is welcome to join in the fun.

1. Are you more like your mom or your dad?

I'm quite stubborn...hmmm...which parent wants to claim that one? I suppose I see bits of both of my parents in me just as I see some of both hubs and myself in each of our daughters. And if I'm being honest I see the good and I see the not so good. I have a lot of my mom in me and I think my sisters would agree they do as well. I want to value all the good things she has passed on to me but there's a few things I try to keep in check. I look at how I have mothered and that has definitely come from my own mom and has been a huge positive. But I also know my mom is a world champion worrier and I fight that tendency in myself.

2. Do you like roller coasters?

No. Wait, let me answer that again-NO! Actually I do have a thing for speed so its not that so much as it is the fact that my stomach cannot handle the dips, drops, and spins. And here's the thing about people who love roller coasters...they are constantly trying to convince those of us who don't that we need to ride them. Whyyyyy? If I never ride another roller coaster ever ever ever in my life I will not feel like I missed a thing.

A few years ago I was in Disney chaperoning a school choir trip and I ended up riding the Rock n' Roller Coaster. When the ride ended I was so dizzy I seriously thought I was going to need to lay down in the infirmary. Don't you just know Disney has an awesome infirmary? Anyway, the dizziness lasted for hours and I was responsible for children who most definitely needed chaperoning. I am not designed to ride roller coasters people so enough with the peer pressure already.

3. How did you name your blog and do you now wish you had thought about it maybe another five minutes before hitting publish? Would you change your blog title if it were not a huge pain in the derriere? (French makes everything sound a little nicer doesn't it?)

Oh oui. La langue francaise est belle! I just decided that I'm going to throw some French into every hodgepodge post I write. I think that would most definitely add to the hodgepodgedness of it all, don't you?

I was living in the UK when I started blogging. I had absolutely no idea what I was signing on for or that anyone would ever actually read what I wrote. I wanted to call my blog 'the other side of the pond' but that name was taken. I fiddled with the phrase a bit and came up with my current title which actually suits me better since we moved back to the states less than a year after my first post. As titles go, its kind of long but I don't think I'd actually change it given the chance.

4. What is the best wedding gift you received? Not married? Didn't get any gifts? Then what is the best wedding gift you've ever given?

I've been married for 26+ years so its a little hard to remember but I know one of my faves was a quilt that hubs sweet grandma gave us. We've been to a couple of weddings recently and it seems that everyone wants cold hard cash these days. We certainly could have used some cold hard cash when we married but instead we got mostly dinner plates to our china and goblets to our crystal and other such items. And I'm glad...I love pulling out all our special things and seeing my wedding china on my dining room table. They are items we might never have purchased for ourselves so I'm glad we have them now.

5. What bill do you least like to pay?

Property taxes. If I told you what we pay in property taxes you would want to curl up in the fetal position and suck your thumb. Oh wait, that's me. Seriously, the number is that bad. We are appealing them this year so we'll see how that goes. A reduction of any kind would be the equivalent of a lottery win.

6. Is the glass half full or half empty?

always brimming to overflowing...I'm an eternal optimist

7. What is your favorite word? Okay okay, calm down. How about one of your favorite words?

Y'all know I can't do one.

I know I came up with the question but still...

Hodgepodge

There. That's my favorite. Or close to it anyway.

You thought I was going to say gobsmacked, brilliant, cheeky, gutted or knackerd didn't you?

8. Insert your own random thought here-

Last weekend we came within mere millimeters of taking out two sweet and lovely deer standing in the middle of the highway. First of all, deer, why are you in the highway when there are woods to the left of you and woods to the right of you and essentially woods all around you?

More importantly, why, when you are standing on my back hillside and you happen to catch a tiny glimpse of me many feet away watching you from inside my house, why do you run away faster than a speeding bullet, but when we are close enough to literally tap you with our car bumper you stand stock still and stare at us like...a deer in the headlights? Hey, I think I might finally understand where that expression came from.

Don't forget to add your blog to McLinky before you go visiting other hodgpodgers. And tune in every Wednesday for more of the same. Only different. You know what I mean, right?

Where are we?

Are you as confused as I am? If you read my blog in google reader then I'm guessing the answer to that question is yes. Blogger and I had a misunderstanding this evening and my personal IT department, aka my daughter1, finally diagnosed the problem. She also resisted leaping thru her computer screen and shaking me although I'm pretty sure she wanted to.

Anyway, it seems my blog wasn't sure if it was in England or America and since the clock was saying England it posted. It's okay blog...sometimes I forget I'm not in England anymore either.

The first Hodgepodge post will go up just after midnite tonite. Hopefully McLinky will be there too. Hopefully. That's the one you will link to with your own Hodgepodge.

Sorry for any confusion. Or maybe I'm the only one who was confused?