100 things

I'm 11 days late and a dollar short, but I'm giving it a try.

1) The first guy I kissed outside of family was Jeff Sirrine in 3rd grade.
2) I love the Green Bay Packers (duh). My father imprinted it on me and now he's trying to renige! No fair!
3) I hate the Denver Broncos (sorry, I'm sports themed right now it will change).
4) I wish I'd gone to the University of Idaho.
5) For some strange reason, I like my alma mater. I guess it's because I made it out with a sheepskin.
6) My left foot is longer than my right foot. Blame my grandmother, I do.
7) I was supposed to be a boy.
8) I met Waylon Jennings three times. And Jessie. And Shooter (who's Drea deMatteo's baby daddy).
9) I love beagles.
10) I love Siamese cats.
11) I secretly wonder if I'm related to Princess Diana. (there's a long shot on it.)
12) I'm really glad I had two kids. I hated being an only child (most of the time).
13) I loved David Cassidy at age 3. I wonder about myself.
14) I looked so much like a boy when I was 6 people mistook me for one.
15) I hated living in Utah.
16) I felt bad that I hated living in Utah based on the fact it was my idea and I talked my family into it.
17) I tried to run away and get married before I actually did to the EHFH. Elko doesn't have wedding chapels which was a sign I ignored.
18) I wanted to major in range management at Idaho but I was scared of the math.
19) I kill house plants inadvertently.
20) I got made fun of as a child by my older cousins because I knew big words. I was perversely proud of that for some reason. Perversely is a big word.
21) I skipped first grade.
22) I hate the Grateful Dead.
23) I am clumsy as hell.
24) I was a cheerleader my senior year (see above, it must not have been a popularity contest - nope, it wasn't. But at least I knew who had the damn ball in football games.)
25) I like to mow the lawn (I'm sure you're all bored by now, it's all downhill from here)!
26) Halloween is my favorite holiday. (Closely followed by Christmas).
27) Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday (family tragedy years ago, will never go away).
28) I am secretly irritated my sons did not inherit my or my father's blue eyes.
29) I didn't get baptized until I was (I think) 21.
30) I wore size 0 jeans when I graduated from high school. If only now.
31) I wore a suit from Victoria's Secret at my second wedding. (It was tasteful).
32) I think people who have 18 kids have serious issues.
33) I'm more than a little scared by the health care bill but I trust my President. Not blindly, I just trust he's more like me than people think he is.
34) I am a fourth generation Idahoan and terribly proud of that fact.
35) I wish to this day I hadn't been so fair in my divorce and that Big Bit would have always lived with me. I did the "right thing". My fault totally.
36) I am very proud of the families I come from and the influence they have had on who I am.
37) I wish I trusted my own instincts more.
38) I love my house.
39) I am really horrible at keeping in touch with people and I feel guilty over it.
40) I am not a good housekeeper most of the time.
41) I saw Garth Brooks for free before anyone knew who he was.
42) I was listening to an AM radio station from LA when John Lennon was shot. I still remember the shock and amazement.
43) I remember man landing on the Moon (my grandmother and I shared this as a wonder. I was 2.5 years old when it happened but I do remember it.)
44) The first diamond I ever got was from a guy in the Army stationed in Killeen, TX (special resonance this week).
45) I love to read.
46) I am shy.
47) My nose is crooked. (broken, I believe, twice.)
48) I love Big Bit's pet rabbit far more than I wanted to or planned on.
49) I make a mean homemade (from scratch totally) pumpkin pie.
50) I am really going to miss my grandmother over the holidays. (duh.)
51) I wish my Dad would quit smoking. (duh part 2)
52) I remember my parents letting me out of my car seat ( I don't hold it against them, it was the 60's.)
53) I wish I was still in touch with the maid of honor from my 1st wedding. I'm not sure why we aren't to be honest.
54) Even on the days I want to strangle him I thank God for having TH come into my life. I m.ght have been okay without him - but I am not always sure about that.
55) I am thankful TH agreed to have Little Bit (even on the days I want to strangle Little Bit.)
56) I thought Little Bit was a girl and was (slightly) disappointed he wasn't, until he was born.
57) I hope my boys are close when they grow up, but I'm scared they won't be.
58) I love the show Mad Men on AMC.
59) Jane Austen novels are the best.
60) I tried marijuana twice but I didn't inhale. I believe Bill Clinton.
61) I cried today during the service for the Fort Hood casualties.
62) I can't sing karaoke.
63) I believe that God has a plan because there have been too many weird coincidences in my life.
64) I am okay if you don't believe #63. Honest.
65) Four Weddings and a Funeral is my favorite movie ever.
66) I think everyone's pretty much quit reading my blog because they disapprove. But, this is me, warts and all.
67) If I hit the lottery I might be Cele's next door neigbor, I love the Oregon Coast.
68) I've spoken to David Coverdale (lead singer of Whitesnake) on the phone more than once.
69) I was the boss of David's current wife (not Tawny Kitaen) when she first met him.
70) I love NASCAR, and Jeff Gordon in particular.
71) I have made at least three friends that I think I'll have for life. Hopefully more.
72) I wish Corey and Aaron at Cheeseheadtv.com would at least acknowledge my existence.
73) My grandmother thought that I was meant to be born in to my family.
74) I hate Lawrence Welk more than life itself.
75) I think Episode I-III of Star Wars (the later ones) suck!
76) I am a closet Trekkie.
77) I learned WAY more about the Mormon Church when I was in Utah than I wanted to.
78) I hate JarJar Binks (see #75).
79) I'm saying "I" too many times here, but I think that's a function of the exercise?
80) Sonoma Valley is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.
81) I love nice restaurants.
82) I have more of a problem being a woman in sole support of the family than I wish I had (I'm not right now, but was in the past for good reason).
83) I really want to be a stay at home Mom for the next 7 years.
84) I probably would go crazy being a stay at home Mom (see dichotomy with #83. Another big word, I'm on a roll!)
85) I had a crush on Michael Landon in Bonanza.
86) I killed Conway Twitty. Well, I went to see him the weekend before he died, and really didn't want to, so the joke (if there could be one, I'm sure he was a nice man) is that I killed him.
87) I'm cheap in ways I don't want to be and extravagant in ways I don't want to be.
88) I am eternally grateful my parents paid my way through college.
89) I like to proofread. (Just not on my blog.)
90) Las Vegas Rocks!
91) I won't lose more than $30 a night gambling.
92) I didn't see a Star Wars movie until I saw "The Empire Strikes Back" with my uncle and cousin. Then I liked it.
93) I hope Idaho beats Boise State Saturday. Sorry, I can't help it.
94) I went to see the Spice Girls willingly.
95) I still dance to "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go".
96) As big of a problem as I have with the Mormon Church, I have something of a really odd crush on Donny Osmond.
97) I like to ski.
98) I'm glad my aunt is hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year because I know it's a huge pain for her.
99) I can't believe a house build in the 1950's is as energy efficient as ours is.
100) I hope this didn't bore anyone who bothered to read it.

One Year

One year ago, I was working my very last day in Utah.

One year ago, I was nervously walking into my new workplace, knowing only that I was very glad to be home whatever came. What a difference a year has made...and yet in some ways it hasn't. I can't speak for TH, but I know I've never looked back and said "why did we move back?" Yet, it took several months before I really felt like this was real and we were back. Now Utah seems like a pretty distant memory. I e-mailed last week with a co-worker from that job who got promoted when Sybil left - she had been named as the replacement shortly before I interviewed in Boise. The last year, for her, has been pretty hellish from the sounds of things. While I definitely felt for her, it made me so glad not to be in the middle of all that strife and bickering and defying the Mothership's not so good intentions towards employees.

I learned a lot in Utah. Some not so good, some good. I love Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz. I hate Utah drivers. I will not go into the whole "majority rules" thing except to say one thing I think Barack Obama did wrong is getting Jon Huntsman out of Utah, since he seemed committed to everyone living their own lives.

Being in Idaho has been a good thing for Little Bit. His teacher this year seems simply awesome. He's doing his homework without (hardly) any battling. It's been good for us because as we decompress from the high pressure atmosphere we get to look around more and say - "Wow, we're old!" Just kidding, but we do get to look around, at least.

Big Bit has turned into such a grown up. Which is really depressing, yet uplifting. His criticisms of the EHFH are spot on, and I suspect his criticisms of me are also, though he is kind enough to keep those to himself. But the one thing I've found, and I'm old enough to know this (one tends to forget things one doesn't want to remember) - what your problems are, they are. Some of them might be exacerbated by where you live, or where you work, or the friends that you have, but ultimately, they are YOUR responsibility. And I take that to heart, as I approach yet another (gads!) birthday. I've got lots to work on, but I've got lots of opportunity in this beautiful place to do so.

Oh yeah, and Purple Judas still sucks.

And I have seven months of child support left.

Just sayin'.

Happy Birthday

Update - per t2ed - since my real computer is not yet operational, I can't scan and publish an embarassing photo. However, I find this one of "Diddy" very fun indeed. So here's a photo to accompany the post.

Happy Birthday to my firstborn, Big Bit - who is 17 years old on February 5.

Damn, I'm old.

But I am so proud of you, my little Big One!

It's My Birthday!

I refuse to say how old I am, but suffice it to say that many years ago today a 4th generation Idahoan was born in "Twin" (that's for Shinshige) and it's quite nice to celebrate my day in Idaho again! Even if I have to work on my birthday for the first time in eons.

Thanks to Dad and Pattie for the gift card, Mom and the Aunt for watching Little Bit while TH was in Utah! Tonight - drinks and snacks at Murphy's with the gang and Big Bit arrives on the "big airplane" where he lives when he's not with us (that's what Little Bit used to think when he was a toddler. He'd see a Southwest jet, point at it and say "Bubba's up there").

Then on to Halloween! Seriously, can things get any better? Oh, yes, TH can get the job some guy at a software company contacted him about this week. It would be simply awesome, and at least it's lovely that someone contacted him when they heard he was coming back because they had a job in mind. A nice compliment.

Have a good day everyone!

BatKid! And More.

BatKid was out in full force this weekend in anticipation of his Boo at the Zoo haul. We didn't get to spend as much time there as we hoped, but we scored a year membership, so we'll be back to see more of the animals.

Many years ago, we began going to Boo at the Zoo, taking Big Bit in his Simba costume (Lion King) etc., and there were people there, but nothing like now. They were limiting tickets to 13,000. I don't think they quite sold out, but it was truly insane. Even worse than the last time we went, which was I think three years ago. At any rate, it was worth it, because BatKid was in his element and we were at a nice zoo, which is adding giraffes and lions! I remember when the most exciting thing there was a porcupine.

BatKid in various poses:


First, battling EvilCat in the privacy of his home (EvilCat as opposed to Catwoman):



Next:

I'm wondering why I can't see my enemy? Where did they go? Oh, my mask is in my eyes:



What else? I took some pictures of the leaves turning from the sixth floor of my employer. Kind of pretty. (Note, I am on the first floor. I am okay with that, I hate heights).

Pretty huh?

Next up - I have a birthday, Big Bit is here for Halloween (he got to go to the Obama rally in Reno Saturday, whether you agree with the man or not, seeing him in person is a historic moment) and then as to the weekend, TH comes home for 10 days Wednesday night and we have a big yummy dinner at Epi's Basque Restaurant in Meridian Saturday night. Celebrating Mom's birthday, mine and just being home.

Miss Cocoa the dog is out of the hospital and doing well so far....Dad has to go to Utah for an appointment Thursday and to see what's next...

Oh, and TH might be working at Bogus Basin ski resort for the winter. He has a 2nd interview Saturday. Getting hired could pay the rent and get him a free ski pass - and then we are all good until April. Fingers crossed, please!