Friday 5 - Looking Forward

Because I'm not feeling that great this morning and because I have tons of work to catch up on, I'm following my own path and doing 5 things I'm looking forward to in the next week. On a side note, for those of you who read my post yesterday (see below), check out the comments that were left. Doug left some great perspective on the situation.

Anyways... five things I'm looking forward to in the next week:

1. Book Swap/Iron Chef Pot Luck on Saturday night with the Harbor gang.
2. Marie's Baby Shower on Sunday afternoon.
3. Pats/Chargers game on Sunday night (8:15 PM start... hopefully I'm not sick!)
4. Dinner with the Seeds next week on Wednesday.
5. Possibly/maybe getting Little Car back!!!

I have tons of stuff to make for the various things this weekend. I'm going to be a cooking maniac! Here are five things I'll be making this weekend:

1. Nana C's Homemade Mac & Cheese
2. Pita Chips
3. Roasted Red Pepper Dip
4. Blueberry Almond Sugar Cookies
5. Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

"Have you seen my stapler?"

This week's Friday 5 is all about office supplies. For those of you that don't know me - I have a secret love of office supplies. I don't really know why, I can't entirely explain it, but there's something about paper clips, post-it notes, and highlighters that just does it for me. I get a strange joy out of writing on the first page of a new notebook. When I was in school, it was one of the things I most looked forward to during the first week of September.

Now that the cat is out of the bag about my secret love of office supplies, I guess I should get on to the Friday 5.

What’s your favorite small office supply (like something that can fit in your top desk drawer)?
It used to be White-Out. It's a magical bottle of liquid that can make any mistake disappear with a swipe and seven seconds of drying. Especially when I was working at TSG and I learned that you could also get yellow-out, green-out, and pink-out (those were the colors we used for our contracts, and sometimes in the world of handwriting in pen mistakes are made).
Of late, however, I've changed my direction and my favorite top-drawer smaller office supply has become panel clips. In the wonderful world of cubicles, these things are a great thing. Never has it become so easy to post schedules, pictures, calendars, and important to-do items in plain sight. Besides that I can get them in some bright colors, white ones, or clear if I so desire.

What’s your favorite medium office supply (like something that can fit on your desktop)?
I've always been a huge fan of the pen-caddy. Even if it's just a cup, I like a place that all my pens, pencils, highlighters, scissors, and letter openers can be within reach. Just a quick stretch of my left hand and I have a pink highlighter. When I'm done with it, I can just throw it back in while continuing to do work off to the side. The pen caddy keeps me from losing pens and keeps my work utensils organized.

What’s your favorite large office supply (like a furnishing or a large tool)?
I didn't really care about this for a while, and then I got a flat panel monitor. I absolutely love having the extra desk space while I'm trying to get work done that I didn't have before. So for now, my favorite larger office supply is my Viewsonic 20" Flat Panel Monitor.

To which specific office supply do you have a particular personal attachment?
My steno notepads. I lost my pink one someplace in the plant and I feel odd about not having it. I'm worried that there are notes on there of a customer I'm supposed to get back to or something that I'm supposed to follow up on. I use the steno notepads for just about everything; I use it to take meeting notes, things I'm supposed to do, notes during telecons or general inquiry calls, notes of things that people mention that I should follow up on - just about anything I need to remember goes on the steno pad. It eliminates the use of multiple post-it notes on the monitor/cube which is what I had happen to me in a former life at TSG. I would be lost if I didn't have a steno pad tucked neatly under my monitor stand to be ready at a moment's notice.

Which office supply do you consider yourself something of an expert on?
Um... I don't really have an answer to this one. My co-workers seem to think I'm amazing with anything that ends in "and there's a paper jam that needs to be removed". I don't know that I'm an expert of office supplies as much as I am a giant fan of them. Maybe I should quit AMETEK and go work for Staples or Office Max so I can better answer this question.

Have a great weekend everyone!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: AC/DC, "For Those About to Rock"

Friday Five: Funny

Today's the last day of the month and so I won't have time to post answers to the Friday 5 at work. As a result, I'm making up my own. Here are five videos I watched on YouTube last night of Stand-up Comedians that I think are pretty funny. Enjoy!

Also - if you haven't voted in my poll yet, today's the last day so make sure you do!!

Jim Gaffigan: "Hot Pockets"


More Jim Gaffigan: Cake


George Carlin: Airplane Safety Lecture (I used to be able to quote this verbatim in high school and still kind of can... beware expletives).


Gabriel Iglesias


Bill Cosby: Noah's Ark (This is mostly just audio, so you can play this in the background - about 8 minutes)

Friday FOUR? Not FIVE?

I didn't like this week's Friday 5 questions. So I went to the meme webpage I use for my Tuesday memes and found a different Friday meme. The FRIDAY FOUR! I know, heresy. Oh well.

I also want to throw out there that I know there are a lot of people out there who are having rough weeks (or couple of weeks). I hope that everyone in my small blogosphere have great weekends, because the vibe I'm getting is that they're much needed.

Now... on to the Friday Four.

Q1 - Fighting: A recent poll found that U.S. citizens are now less likely to see the possibility for peace between the believers of Islam and Christianity. Of 1,029 people polled, 53 percent say conflict is inevitable between believers the two religions here in the United States. Regardless of your faith, would you engage in physical fighting on behalf of your religion/religious beliefs?
Absolutely not. I'm not much of a physical fighter to start with, but I don't see a need to inflict physical violence for my religion or religious beliefs. I'm of the understanding that most of the world religions are based on peace, and any of the sects or groups who consider themselves fundamentalists and engage in violence (the KKK, Islamic Fundamentalist Groups, etc.) are way off the mark. I'm a Christian, and we believe in Peace. If someone wants to engage in an intellectual debate about whether or not their religion is better - I'll take on that kind of fight any day. But in no way would I ever take up physical fighting for my religious beliefs.

Q2 - Going: Would you use a public toilet that was entirely encased in one-way glass (it's completely impossible for anyone to see in from the outside, but when you're inside it's like sitting in a clear glass box)?
Wow... this is a big switch from the last question. I guess it would depend on how badly I had to go. If I had to go badly enough, I would use it because they can't see me so who cares if I can see them walking by.

Q3 - Collecting: Jeremy Mehrle of O'Fallon, MO, recently made news for his pristine collection of Apple computers. The 30-year-old Mehrle has over 100 different models--all in excellent working condition--set up in his basement, and has no immediate plans to stop adding to his growing collection. For special events, like New Year's Eve, he plays videos on several monitors and sets up strobe effects on multiple machines, creating a rave-like atmosphere. If money was not a concern (meaning, you had enough to do it), what would you collect and how and where would you display your collection?
Let's assume if money is no concern that I can also buy a house where I can have my own little private room/area. That said, I would collect books. Lots and lots of books. I know that book sales are down because more and more people are reading on the internet or what have you, but to me there's nothing like curling up and reading a good book. And when you want to read a book, there's nothing better than opening up a book you own that you've pulled off the shelf. In this aforementioned room I would build all sorts of bookshelves into the walls so that I could fill them up. When they were full, I would hold a book swap to spread the reading wealth and get different books to read and fill my shelves with. Books; I would most certainly collect books.

Q4 - Jobbing: If you could have had any job in the history of all mankind, what specific job would you have liked to have had?
As much as I like the job I'm at now, I can't say that I would have loved to be a Customer Service Rep for an Aerospace Company. I think that I would have liked to have been an elementary school teacher. I love little kids, and I love the look that kids get on their faces when they are learning something and feel a sense of accomplishment. Every teacher I had in elementary school always seemed so happy, even the ones who were strict always had a smile on their face. Besides, education is so important in the rearing of children that I think I would have loved to be a part of that process. It would have to be after the one-room classrooms though, I don't think I could have kept that many "grades" straight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: Billy Joel, "You're My Home"

Friday 5 - After

I hope that everyone has a fun and exciting weekend coming up. Steve's sister is coming down for the weekend and then Sunday I'm going to a full afternoon tea hosted by my good friend Kristin, so I know my weekend is going to be pretty darn good!

And now... Time for the Friday 5!

What were your after-school hours usually like when you were in high school?
Well... the first couple of years I would watch The Cosby Show until 3:00 PM. Then I'd help out with chores around the house and babysit my siblings. Homework would usually be after dinner. Starting my sophomore year I added a bit of color guard practice into the mix; I'd either be going to practice or I'd be spinning away in the driveway/yard. Once my junior year hit I was working too. First at JC Penney as a sales associate, then at Tuscano's Ristorante as a bus-girl, then at Market Basket as a cashier. For a few years I was a member of the MHS Debate Society, which was super fun. And when I wasn't doing all those things, I'd hang out with friends.

What are the first moments like when you finally get home after a long day?
Put bags down, put dirty dishes from work in the sink or dishwasher, say hello to husband, start dinner. I'm settling into being a wife nicely as you can see. :)

Where do your thoughts normally turn after the December/January holidays have passed?
As a loyal Patriots fan and general enjoyment of Football - as soon as New Year's is over I begin thinking of what I'll be doing for the Super Bowl. Should we have people over, or will someone else have a party? What should I make? Will the Pats make it this year (if they're not already ruled out at that point)? Yes, my thoughts turn entirely to the Super Bowl.

When did you last allow someone to cut in front of you in line?
Um, I don't remember. If I have a lot at the grocery store I try to let people who don't have a lot of things get in front of me so they don't have to wait for me to cash out. *shrug*

What are you going to do right after you finish answering these questions?
Go to the bathroom, and then get some work done. Since I'm AT work and all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: Nickleback, "Photograph"

Friday Five - Extras

This week's Friday 5 are pretty interesting, I think, and were easier for me to answer than I had originally thought that they would be when I first read them. Feel free to comment or leave your own answers in the comments!

You’ve always wished for it, and your wish has come true: There’s now a twenty-fifth hour in the day, but you have to spend it the same way every day on something you don’t have enough time for now, and it can’t be for sleep. How will you spend this extra hour every day?
I'll spend this time working on crafty things. I have a few different projects that are either still in progress or just need one more touch to be finished that could use some attention. I also want some extra time to be working on our scrapbook, a project that I REALLY want to do but has fallen by the wayside unfortunately.

As if that weren’t enough, an extra day has been added to the calendar, and you can insert it anywhere you want, except the day immediately before or after a holiday, and you have to spend it the same way every year. How will you spend this extra day each year, and when on the calendar will it appear?
I'd insert it in the Monday after the Super Bowl. This would give people an extra day to recover from staying up late to watch their team play, and would also allow people an extra day to clean up after the parties before they start their work week.

Someone is giving you an extra twenty dollars per week (or its equivalent, if your country uses a different monetary unit) to spend any way you want, but you have to spend it the same way every week, and it has to be on yourself (no charity or gift-giving, and no investing or saving!). How will you spend this extra twenty dollars per week?
This one took me a second to think about, but I think I have an answer. I'd combine it with another $10 of my own money and get a manicure every week. My nails could use it because I'm not so good at doing my own, and hands are one of the most noticeable things on a person.

Wow! When you woke up this morning, you noticed that someone snuck in and added a new room to your living space! The room is for your exclusive use, and it can serve only one FUN function (and it can’t be used as a bedroom or storage). What fun activity will be reserved for this new room?
MY use?? CRAFT ROOM!!!! It would get good use with that one extra hour a day that I got up above. Oh the things I could do with a craft room...

A magic backpack appears at your doorstep. It will hold any one thing you can normally carry by yourself, it will render that item weightless, and it will collapse to the size of a small pack of gum. What will you carry in it?
My laptop... provided that it goes back to regular size when I take it out of the bag. It wouldn't really fit on the dock if it was the size of a pack of gum.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: Billy Joel, "Big Shot"

Five W's on the Friday 5

Before I get into the Friday 5, if you haven't voted in my two polls yet please do so! There's my August poll in the sidebar and then a poll about what I should read next in yesterday's post.

Anywho... on to the Friday 5 after a few weeks of no Friday 5. Feel free to leave your own answers on your blog or in the comments!


Who’s your favorite of Looney Tunes characters?
This one is easy for me. Hands down, I love the Road Runner. My favorite cartoons when I was a kid were the Wyle E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoons. I would wait patiently for the end of the Looney Toons show every day, hoping to see one of their cartoons. The Road Runner was so clever, and super fast, and made the coolest noises. Cartoons were better then...

What have you done too much of lately?
Gone to bed late. It's been the number one cause of over-sleeping this week. Blasted West Wing. That will be fixed next week after we're done with Season 7.

When did you last play cards?
If you mean with a deck of cards... the last time I remember playing is Christmas 2005 in Tennessee with my parents and my brother. A nice, fun, rousing game of 45's. 45's is my favorite card game and no one I know of plays it except 1 or 2 other people, and you need 4 for a good game. I miss 45's. Other than that, I've played a lot of Skip-Bo and I also played Phase 10 with my grandmother recently.

Where were your keys the last time you couldn’t find them?
In my purse. I felt pretty dumb.

Why didn’t you do today everything you were supposed to?
Uh... because it's only 9:45 AM and the day's not over yet? Duh?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: Billy Joel, "Say Goodbye to Hollywood"

Friday Five - "Do It Anyway..."

Here's a quick Friday 5. The questions are kind of quick this week, but oh well. Feel free to comment with your own answers if you feel so inclined.

What’s a gross food you like anyway?
I don't really eat a lot of things that people would consider gross. I would say that the closest thing to this would be escargot. I really enjoy escargot, which for those that don't know is snails. I had it so much in Jamaica... mmmm... with garlic butter... mmmm....

Who’s an unlikeable person you like anyway?
Uh... I can't think of anyone right now. And for those readers out there, I don't want any of you to say "Well I'm unlikeable, and you like me!" because you're all likeable people. Knock it off. Yes, you too.

What’s an unpleasant task you enjoy performing anyway?
I don't mind cleaning the bathroom. Or organizing bookcases. Both of which I need to get done in our apartment oddly enough. :)

What’s a dumb song you enjoy anyway?
Oh there's a lot of these. But to pick out just one... hmmmmmm....... OK. Got it. Laura, you'll appreciate this: "Scatman" by Scatman John. It's not dumb per se, but not many people know about it which could make it be considered a "dumb" song.


What’s a lousy restaurant you frequent anyway?
The only restaurant that I really frequent is T-Bones, and they're not at all lousy. A restaurant that a lot of people don't think is that great that I'd love to frequent a bit more often is the Grand China in Salem NH. I LOVE that place, but I know a lot of other people don't.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: Eddie Holman, "Hey There Lonely Girl" (Boy... this song is terrible...)

Friday 5 - You Make The Call!

Because I wasn't a fan of this week's short Friday 5, I went ahead and asked 5 people to each ask me a question. The questions, who asked them, and the answers can be found below. I should mention that no matter how humorous the question was asked, I took each one seriously and gave my serious answers.

Before I get to that though, I have to mention that I went to the Naked Fish for the first time last night. I tried coconut crusted calamari and liked it. Dinner was an appetizer (sesame ginger crusted popcorn shrimp) with two sides (red bliss garlic mashed and golden sweet plantains). Mighty, mighty tasty and we had a great time too. I would totally go again, and I know that Steve won't complain about that because he loves it there.

On to my improvised Friday 5:

Question 1, provided by Kimberly: What's one thing you want to learn how to do before you die?
This one actually is a question that I've thought about before. I'm "only" 26, going to be 27 this year, but you never know what's going to happen. Because of that, starting this year I've started a list of things that I want to do before the year is out (watch next week for an update on where I'm at with this year's list). However, this is a year-to-year thing, and I think that this question implies a bit more of a life-long "thing to do" before I head on up to the pearly gates. That said, I would say that one thing (out of the many) I want to learn to do before I die is to sing properly. To me, singing is such a great means of expression and the use of your voice in a beautiful way is such a wonderful gift from God. While I can hold my own in a round of karaoke, I'm by no means good enough to even consider auditioning for American Idol or to try out for a band or something to that effect. I would love to be able to sing properly, and if money provides (or someone volunteered singing lessons) I would love to take the lessons and time it takes to do so.

Question 2, provided by Steve: Describe the worst thing that could possibly happen to you. Be detailed, explicit and complete. LIke my answer would be: Get dragged across astro turf naked at 65 miles an hour, dipped in lemon juice and rolled in salt, all while being forced to listen to Britney Spears and Nelly sing an improvised duet of "My Heart will Go On" by Celine Dion.
Considering this was from Steve and the obvious answer is "You dying before me", I thought maybe I'd put the answer I've thought about a few times in the past. Please excuse the detail, the question calls for detail:

Getting into a horrid firey car wreck, caused by a truck carrying jet fuel that was driving way too fast on I-93. The truck hitting my small, poor, comparatively defenseless Corolla at 80+ miles an hour and hurling me nose over tail into a guardrail and exploding into a massive ball of fire. I am able to crawl away, barely, only to find myself lapsing into a coma from the pain and the burns and becoming a vegetable for the rest of my life. Meanwhile, my husband and my family are locked in a heated battle about what to do. I can hear every word, every single one both good and bad, and all I want to do is scream "PULL THE PLUG FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! I'M NOT ALIVE ANYMORE, I'M LIVING OFF OF MACHINES, AND WOULD RATHER BE WITH GOD AND JESUS ON THEIR TIME THAN LIVING IN THIS PERSONAL MUFFLED HELL!!!"

Note: I'm dead serious here. I've thought about this one before too, and this WOULD be the worst possible thing ever.

Question 3, from my mom: If you could live one year in someone else’s shoes, whose shoes would you be wearing and what path would you travel differently?
I wouldn't want to if I could, so we'll alter the question slightly to say "If you HAD to live a year... etc.". I would be a member of the paparazzi, only I would become an activist in it who rallys for the privacy of the celebrity rather than the blatent exploitation of every famous person who gets themselves into some sort of trouble or problem. I would work to change the culture of the group of photographers who have just brought these "poor" girls into the center spotlight at the risk of their own lives and repuations - all to make a buck. Put some heart into that line of work, make it less about the money and more about showing people's hearts.

Question 4, from Josh: What websites do you go to on a daily basis? What websites do you like that you want your friends to also enjoy?
Each day I visit Gmail, CNN, The Boston Channel Weather, SmarTraveler, and the blogs listed on the left. I think it would be neat if my friends began to read each others blogs more as they are all unique and give a bit of insight into different views of the world.

Question 5, from Mags: What is the craziest most out of character thing you've ever done?
I had to think about this one for a bit, because I don't do that many crazy things. I thought of a couple, but I don't know that they're that crazy or that out of character for me. Digging back in the vault, I would have to say that one of the most out of character things I've ever done was my freshman year in college. I went to a frat party with a friend of mine because we were bored and were friends with some of the brothers in the fraternity at the time. While there, this guy was chatting with us and was dancing with us, and while he didn't seem like a bad guy I was just not at all interested in a relationship (or anything else for that matter). At the end of the night, he asked me for my number because he wanted to call me sometime. So... I gave him A number. But it wasn't MY number. I reversed the last two digits on the number because I felt bad saying no, but didn't want him to call either. I felt bad about it even though I was the hero on my floor for a few weeks afterwards. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: Pearl Jam, "Jeremy"

Friday 5 - I was tagged

Rather than the normal Friday 5 this week, I was tagged by Mags to do this meme. And since it's in 5s, and it's Friday, we're calling it this week's Friday 5. So there.

INSTRUCTIONS: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so:
1. Opinion Minions
2. Freelance Cynic
3. Are We There Yet??
4. Ms Maggie Moo Talks 2 U
5. Danielle's Blog

Next select five people to tag (no obligations, but could be fun!):
1. Kimberly
2. Laura
3. Kiki
4. Dan
5. Steve

Then, answer the following questions:

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Ten years ago I had just finished my junior year in high school and was gearing up for an incredible summer with Citations Drum and Bugle Corps as a member of their color guard/sabre line. Ah, memories.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
A year ago I was working at AMETEK, and counting down the months to our wedding.

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. Cheez-Its
2. Seedless grapes
3. Red Delicious Apples
4. Cheese Curls
5. Reeses PB Cups

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
1. Garth Brooks, "Two Pina Coladas"
2. Salt N Peppa, "Shoop"
3. Jimmy Buffet/Alan Jackson, "It's 5-O'clock Somewhere"
4. Billy Joel, "Piano Man"
5. Rascal Flatts, "Bless the Broken Road"

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Invest half of it so that my money is working for me and making more of it.
2. Pay off all Steve & I's debt (car loans, student loans, etc.)
3. Set up education funds for our future children
4. Set up education accounts for our siblings (Casey, Dawn, Jim, and Becky)
5. Send my parents and Steve's parents on a two-week vacation of their choosing.

Five bad habits:
1. Procrastinating
2. Sleeping in instead of exercising
3. Forgetting my vitamins
4. Doing "fun" things and letting housework go by the wayside
5. Starting multiple projects and not finishing them

Five things you like doing:
1. Cooking
2. Reading
3. Hanging out with my Hubby
4. Hanging out with my girls
5. Laughing

Five things you would never wear again:
1. Stirrup Stretch Pants
2. Multiple pairs of socks at one time
3. Tee-Shirt Ties
4. Skidz
5. Giant hair bows

Five favorite toys:
1. Barbie dolls (Specifically Barbie & the Rockers, Malibu Barbie)
2. Legos
3. Crayons & Coloring Books
4. Matchbox Cars
5. He-Man Playsets
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: U2, "Where the Streets Have No Name"

Friday Five and One Other Thing

Before I get into the Friday 5, I just want to bring your attention to an interesting artist I stumbled across today. His name is Julian Landa, and the artwork he does is centered around tea. Some of it is very, very strange and a bit too dark in theme for me, but a lot of it is actually kind of neat. Check him out and let me know what you think.

Now... on to the Friday 5!

What’s something you were into before it became popular?
As silly as this sounds... not really liking Drew Bledsoe as a quarterback. I always thought that even though he had a rocket arm he was incredibly inaccurate, especially under pressure. I remember joking during the 1997 Super Bowl that if there were a broadside of a barn with his team jersey painted on it, he'd still manage to throw it to the chickens in the field. But then in 2001 when Tom Brady came on the scene and EVERYONE started saying how much better he was for the Pats than Bledsoe, I was accused of jumping on the bandwagon. That kind of aggravated me. :)

What’s something you were reluctant to jump on the bandwagon with, but now are totally into?
I can't think of anything to answer this question with. I'm not one to avoid something if it interests me, even if it is in line with what the popular culture likes.

What’s a current trend or fad you just don’t get?
Text messaging. It seems like it would be so much easier and quicker to just call the person.

If you could turn any current fondness of yours into a popular trend, what would it be?
I think it would be doing things to benefit those charities that help young sick/injured children. I would love to see more people volunteering their time or donating their money to St. Jude's and other organizations that assist those children who are forced to grow up and face their own mortality much sooner than any "normal" child. Every child deserves a chance to be on a Little League baseball team or take a ballet class or even just do something as simple as go to the beach with their family without having to worry about anything.

What’s something that’s totally uncool that you love anyway?
The Yankees. NO - I AM JUST KIDDING!!! I can't think of anything off the top of my head, I don't do anything that off the mark or that's "totally uncool" as I can think of. If anyone can think of something uncool that I love anyways, please feel free to leave a comment. And be nice. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: Candlebox, "Far Behind"

Friday Five - Sweet Tooth

As I typed "Sweet Tooth" up there I thought to myself, "Self, you haven't played that online game Sweet Tooth in a while. That's kind of a mindless game. I like things that are mindless when I'm stressed. Hrmph."

Anyways. On to the Friday Five!

What’s your favorite goody at your favorite bakery?
I don't really have a favorite bakery, I just go wherever there is one. But, I will say that I am a huge sucker for the muffins from the Shaw's bakery. They are some of the best muffins I've ever had.

Someone’s visiting from out of town and craves something sweet: Where do you take him or her for an experience he or she can’t get at home?
By "out of town" I'll assume you mean "not from New England". And the answer is Mike's Pastry in the North End. Some of the best pastries and sweets in the North East, plus it also gives me and the out-of-towner a chance to hang out at Faneuil Hall, one of my favorite Boston places.

What’s your favorite order at your favorite ice creamery?
Frosty Boy in Dracut has a flavor "Toll House Cookie" which I love. But, at Friendly's I always get a Reese's PB Cup Sundae, no hot fudge/extra PB sauce with cookie dough ice cream. Mmmmm. :)

Oh no! You forgot to save room for dessert! What dessert item on the menu will you order anyway, because you can’t resist?
I usually don't have this problem. But when I do it's usually something with apples, crunchiness, and vanilla ice cream on top of some sort. Mmmmm.

You’ve got a craving for sweets, but it’s so late at night that only the corner convenience store is open. What do you get?
This is a no-brainer. I'm too lazy to go out that late at night, so I suck it up and don't go out. Oh, that's not an answer. Oh... in that case, then I get Reese's PB cups because I heart peanut butter. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: DJ Kool, "Let Me Clear My Throat"

Quick Friday 5

I'm in Six Sigma Green Belt training all week, so that's why I've been absent. Here's the Friday 5:

At this moment, how many rolls of toilet paper are there in your house?
96 I think? How ever many come in a giant thing of Charmin from Sam's Club.

At this moment, how many working flashlights are there in your house?
At least 3, possibly 4. All Maglites.

Do you know where some candles and matches are?
Candles yes, we don't have matches but I know where the lighter is.

If the power were to go out right now, how long could you probably get by on the food in your house?
Not long. I desperately need to go food shopping. I think all we have are a box of Cheerios, some snack food stuff, and some beef jerky. We also have some other things, but either a) they'll go bad if the power goes out, or b) you don't want to eat them uncooked.

It’s someone’s birthday, and you’ve GOT to come up with something to give him or her RIGHT NOW! What have you got?
I have access to lots and lots of yarn........ hope they like yarn! :)

And it's time for.... FRIDAY 5!!

Before I get to the Friday 5... just a note that we are getting our marriage license today!!!!!!!!!!!

Anywho... here we go:

We’re buying you a lifetime subscription to any magazine or periodical journal you want! What’ll it be?
National Geographic, and I didn't even have to blink about that. They capture the changing world and its culture better than most magazines, I think anyways, and the photography is usually amazing.

We’re buying you any existing non-chain, one-location-only store and giving you an expert lifetime manager, so that all you have to do is make decisions and watch them succeed or fail! What will be the store, and what will be your first change?
Lowmac's in Dracut. I'd make them a sandwich shop again since they got rid of it and now only do catering. :(

We’re buying you any house within a one-mile radius of your own! Which one do you want, and why?
There are a couple of houses up on North Policy street that I would not mind taking my pick from, that's for sure. They're good sized, and a few of them have that whole "I'm a bit older and have some character thing" going for them.

We’re hiring someone to take care of any ONE specific household chore (except cooking) for the rest of your life! Which chore will he or she attend to?
Cleaning the bathroom. It's the one thing that I absolutely hate having dirty, and I haven't found time to take care of it as much as I'd like to lately. Boo to that. If I could have bathroom maid service that would totally rock.

We’re providing the start-up capital for any crazy idea for a business, service, or product you can dream up, giving you total creative control while we finance your dream for five years, after which it must fail or succeed on its own merit! What will it be?
Nothin crazy at all. I would want a bookstore/coffee shop. One with lots of books, some light jazz, big comfy chairs, a few pastries and some simple hot beverages. I would want it in a downtown area, but nothing crazy like Boston. Maybe like a downtown Lowell or Downtown Andover. Somewhere like that. I'm sure that given 5 years and unlimited finances during that time, I could come up with something sustainable in that idea. Anyone on board?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No music yet today, but I should get in the shower... :)

Friday 5 & A Quiz

Friday Five

Whether you’ve ever been there or not, what are your thoughts on Texas?
I've never been, and I guess I don't have a ton of thoughts on it. There's always the Cowboys, and I like football. But I'm a Pats fan. Hrmmm... I guess now I have to go to Texas and make an opinion.

Who was the last person you sent a text message to? If you’ve never sent someone a text message, is there some reason?
I've never sent anyone a text message because when we got a phone plan that supported them, we had to block them from my phone. Some chick named Meghan had the number before I did, and if her "friends" pestered her as much as they pestered me the first 6 months I had the number - I can see why she changed it.

Who’s usually the first person you go to when you have a tech-related problem, especially for computers?
If I have a computer issue I go to my Steve. Unless I'm at work, in which case I contact the IT department.

What was the best textbook you were ever assigned?
You know, I would have said no textbook until this semester. But the textbook that was assigned in my Microeconomics class is actually not that bad. The guy who wrote it inserts a bit of human element. For example, when the chapter on short-run production ended, he had a blurb about taking an intermission and spending time with people you'd been neglecting as a result of studying Microeconomics. Then at the beginning of the next chapter on long-run production he said "Welcome back!". It's just an interesting way to spice up an otherwise dry subject.

What are your thoughts on techno music?
Techno music is like any other genre of music. There's some of it that's pretty good, and there's some of it that's terrible. That's my story.

Drawing Personality Test

What does your drawing say about YOU?

You tend to pursue many different activities simultaneously. When misfortune does happen, it doesn't actually dishearten you all that much.
You have a peaceful mind, viewing the world with calm and serenity. To you, life is not about struggle and strife but about existence and co-existence.
You like following the rules and being objective. You are precise and meticulous, and like to evaluate decisions before making them.
You have a sunny, cheerful disposition.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: The sounds of the 90 gallon fishtank, by the filters.

Outside Questions on a Rainy Day...

This week's Friday Five is all about the outdoors. Of course, true to New England form, it's raining. Blah to that.

Anywho... here are this week's questions. Enjoy! Comment! Puddle Hop!

What is your favorite outdoor activity?
My favorite outdoor activity is probably just walking. When you're walking you can take in more than when you're running, you get some exercise, and because of that you're also forced to breathe. Now - when a truck drives by, that's not the nicest of smells - but if you walk by a rose bush or a lilac bush or something. Or fresh cut grass. Mmmm. :)

Are you outdoors not often enough, too often, or just often enough?
I am not outdoors enough, I don't think. It's something that I really want to work on. Picnic more. Walk more. Just be outside more. Inside is stuffy.

When was the last time you slept in a tent?
Probably about 6 years ago the last time I went camping in college. Good times.

Where is your favorite beach?
Definitely Hampton State Beach. It's relatively local and I have a lot of fun memories there. Good times with friends (girls, we have to do a girls' day at the beach again this summer...), good times with family (Dad used to just tell us to "get in the van" if we had nothing to do and we'd go on up). And the best memory of all there - it's where Steve asked me to marry him!!!

In what social, academic, or professional group are you on the outer fringes of? In what social, academic, or professional group are you right in the middle of?
OK, so this question has absolutely NOTHING to do with the other 4. And I guess I don't really know the answer? I kind of think of myself as just... myself... and not really belonging to any specific group of anything. I guess you could say that I'm part of a couple of different social groups... my friends from college and then my friends from church. And I guess academically I'm an Alumni from UMass Lowell. And professionally... I'm a young aviation professional? I guess? Does that answer the question??

**shrug**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: Cher, "Believe"

Friday Fivers

I hope you all have plans for the amazing weekend ahead! It looks like it's going to be a gorgeous one.

Oh... and here's a hot picture of me from my beach-themed bridal shower:


Anywho... here's my Friday Five for this week:

What’s something that used to be good but now is lame?
Something that used to be good (or "cool") but is now lame is probably Pop Rocks. I thought those were the coolest things ever when I was a kid, and now I'm like... guh. You can get the same effect from dry Rice Krispies in your mouth.

What’s something that used to be lame but now is good?
This is a hard one for me to answer because I always got a kick out of the lame things. I would have to say going to be early. I remember when I was a kid I thought it was so "lame" to go to bed at 10:00 or 9:30, now there are some days when I just wish I could hit the pillow that early.

What’s something you used to feel strongly about, but are now indifferent* about?
Hrmmm... I would say how I look. I used to do the whole get up early, do my hair, put on makeup, etc. Now I get up, get clean, put on clothes, and leave. I only ever do my hair and put on makeup if I'm in a wedding or going somewhere formal. Steve thinks it's because he didn't want me to wear makeup - but really it's because I got too lazy and realized I could do more valuable things with my time than cake my face and ruin my hair with heat and spray.

What’s something you used to feel indifferent about, but now have strong feelings about?
As bad as this is, when I was in high school I was pretty indifferent about abortion. Very much "to each their own" kind of thing and didn't really care. Now that I'm older and I understand life a little more and I realize how many people there are in the world that can't have babies, I'm very strongly against abortion and very much pro-adoption in the cases of aborting a baby because it's an unwanted pregnancy. I won't get into it too much here; if you want to ask me any questions about where I stand feel free to email me. :)

What’s something you used to dislike but now love?
Something I used to dislike is salad dressing. I've been coming around in the last view years and currently I absolutely love the raspberry vinagrette at T-Bones. Mmmm-mmmm good. :)

*For sake of writing here, I changed the word "ambivalent" to "indifferent". It allowed me to think less. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: Brad Paisley, "He Didn't Have To Be"

Friday Five

I've been a blog slacker this week due to heavy work volume and heavy home work volume. And a bit of stress mixed in. Next week might be a better week.

But... Here's the Friday Five!

What’s your routine when you sit down to read a newspaper?
Because I read most of my news online, when I get the newspaper I don't typically read the whole thing. Usually I'll get a copy of the Sunday Eagle Tribune when I do get a newspaper. First thing I do is sort out the sales flyers; I keep the coupons, I separate out the Best Buy, Circuit City, and CompUSA flyers for Steve, and then I pitch anything else I don't think I'll look through. Then I go directly to the Lifestyles section to see if anyone I know has recently gotten engaged or married. After that, I'll flip to the Local News section because there are often articles in there that I won't see on my normal online stops. Then I'll read through the "Magazines" that come with the Sunday paper. Lastly, I'll read the funnies, because to me there's no better way to end the Sunday newspaper reading experience.

When you fire up your web-browser on a typical day, what’s your browsing routine?
Gmail... various blogs (to see how peeps are doing)... CNN... sometimes MySpace.

It’s time to tidy up your living space! In what order do you normally tackle things?
Typically: Start a load of laundry, clean the bathroom, switch laundry, clean kitchen/living room, switch/fold/put away laundry, clean bedroom, tidy office area (this sometimes, er, recently, has not gotten done on my half of the office), wash floors/vacuum, finish up laundry. That can vary, depending.

Holy cow! It’s time to start thinking about Christmas shopping! How do approach this annual, sometimes-daunting task?
I don't really have an approach. I just start shopping sometime around the end of October and keep going until everyone on the list is done. Sometimes this is done by Thanksgiving, often times it's done around December 15th or so to give me time to wrap.

What’s your method for paying bills?
I pay everything online and it gets paid on-time. In two months, it will be however the Finance Guy (my future hubby) sees fit to pay the bills. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: Kenny Loggins, "I'm Alright" (Mike FM really does play everything...)

Friday Five - "How Is It?"

Time for this week's Friday Five...

How’s your car running?
Pretty well. Just gave her a 45K service recently, got her e-brake adjusted. I'd say she's running pretty well. She didn't like the cold, but she did OK. Almost 48K on her right now...

How’s your blood pressure?
Well it was normal the last time I went to the doctor. I have no reason to assume it's otherwise I suppose. I don't stress much, well, I don't stress as much as I used to.

How’s work (or school)?
Work is good. I just had my annual review and I'm valued. That's nice. :) School's not bad either... professor is a little crazy, but the class is interesting.

How’s 2007 so far?
So far so good. My spiritual journey has gone a bit farther already this year and I feel closer to where I want to be there. I got a whole bunch of new clothes which is always a refreshing feeling, especially since I wanted to start dressing a bit more professionally at work (it's Friday, so jeans are OK today). We've been busy with wedding stuff that I won't bore you with here because I bore you with it everywhere else. Been crocheting more, which is good. So far, it's been living up to the whole 2007 > 2006 that I said on Jan. 1.

How’s your hair?
Growing. Only about another year and a half before I can cut it off and send it to Locks of Love again. I don't dye it or anything, so it's just kind of there. I pull it back sometimes.

This was kind of a lamer Friday 5, eh?

Friday Five? Yes, please!

Here's my Friday Five for this week...

What’s something that’s generally considered bad manners that you don’t think is a big deal?
I've never understood why exactly it is that putting your elbows on the table is considered rude. I don't even pay attention to where people's arms are during a meal unless they are at risk of putting them square in their food. I'm sure that if I "Google it" I'll find a plethora of etiquette references as to why it's bad, but I still don't see what the big deal is.

What’s something you think should be considered good manners that you don’t think most people pay any attention to?
Saying "Please", "Thank You", and "Excuse Me". We live in a very demanding society and I don't find that these are used nearly as much as they should be. In such a hustle and bustle world a little bit of this level of common courtesy can be refreshing.

In what way are you especially well-mannered?
I try hard to always remember to say "Please", "Thank You", and "Excuse Me" on a regular basis. Another thing I try to do is when I'm a guest over for dinner or a party, I try to help with the cleaning even if just a little bit before I leave. My mom always taught me that it's rude not to clean up a mess you've made - especially in someone else's home.

In what way are you especially ill-mannered?
I don't always think before I speak, and sometimes that results in me saying something completely stupid and sometimes rude/hurtful. I also am not entirely well-versed on professional/fancy dinner table etiquette; if I see more than 4 pieces of flatware on a table it takes me a little bit to figure out the correct order to use them in.

If you owned a beautiful, enormous house high upon a hill, what would you name your manor?
I wouldn't name it. I think that naming your house (or manor, as it were) is extremely arrogant and I just wouldn't do it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Music: US3, "Cantaloop"