Fours For Friday (err, Monday)

After seeing this meme float around the DOC (and especially after seeing Stephen participate, because I believe Stephen is a great example to follow), I decided it would make for a fun and light Friday post.  (Much better than downer rantings about scary low blood sugars.)  But then, Friday got away from me and no post got posted.  So Fours For Friday has become the much less fun title of Fours For Monday.

Four names people call me other than my real name.

• Chickadeedle - Mom called me this when I was little
• Bubsy - Dad called me this when I was little.  They called my brother Turkey Brain, so obviously I was thrilled with Chickadeedle and Bubsy.
• K.C. - My initials before I got married.  I always feel the need to point out that I did not name my cat K.C. - she already had that name when we adopted her.
• Puddin’ Pie - Pete calls me this.

Four jobs I’ve had.

• Grocery store cashier
• Secretary in a lawyer’s office
• Cable advertising traffic coordinator
• Cable advertising traffic supervisor

Four movies I’ve watched more than once

• Gone with the Wind
• The Godfather
• 40 Year Old Virgin
• Bridget Jones’s Diary

 
Four books I would recommend

• Gone with the Wind
• The Godfather - (noticing a pattern here?)
• Anna Karenina
• Anything by Agatha Christie

Four places I’ve lived

• My parent’s house (Connecticut)
• College dorm room (near Boston)
• College apartment (still near Boston)
• My own house (back in Connecticut again)

Four places I’ve visited

• Bacardi Rum Factory (Puerto Rico)
• Tabasco Factory (Avery Island, Louisiana)
• Bermuda Rum Cake Bakery (Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda)
• Where they make the Medtronic CGM Sensors . . . . ummmm The Sensor Factory? The Sensor Assembly Line?  I don’t know what to call it, but it was cool!!   (Northridge, California)

 
Four things I prefer not to eat

• Mashed potatoes - Ewwww.  Just hate them.  My mom does too.
• Any kind of bean except jelly beans
• Moldy cheeses (Blue, Gorgonzola, Camembert, etc.  Yuck!)
• Runny eggs (Over-easy, Sunny-side up, Poached, Runny Scrambled Eggs, etc.  Yuck!)

Four of my favorite foods

• Lobster anything (lobster rolls, lobster bisque, lobster pie, lobster ravioli, etc.)
• Fried mozzarella and a small Greek salad from a restaurant I’ve been going to since grammar school.
• Cheesecake.  Unless it has fruit on it.  I like fruit, just not on my cheesecake.  But chocolate or caramel are just fine.
• My Chicken Tortilla Soup

Four TV shows I watch

• Castle
• The Big Bang Theory
• The Blacklist
• The Goldbergs

Four things I’m looking forward to this year

• #dblogcheck day tomorrow!! - Are you in?
• The Diabetes UnConference this weekend.
• JDRF Government Day next weekend.
• Getting my laptop back. - Yes, that new laptop I bought in December died last month (on Friday the 13th, no less).  It’s gone back to Dell for repair and I feel like I’ll never get it back and I’ll be stuck trying to get by on my crappy netbook forever.

Four things I’m always saying

• So’s your Mama - Pete started saying this, then I started, and now we’re addicted.  It’s kind of annoying (so’s your Mama) but we just can’t stop.
• Random quotes from 40 Year Old Virgin -I’ve probably watched that movie way too many times.
• Fuck - Sorry, just being honest.
• Who’s the cutest kitten in the world?  Or Who’s my little baby good girl.  Or Kitten?  Kitten?  Come for a snuggle.  Or Hey!!!!  Stop scratching that. -  I could go on, but I guess you already understand I’m a crazy cat lady. And yes, she scratches the couch and armchair all the time.

Okay.  So.  Now that you know way too much about me, who want to do this meme next?

Invisible Illness Week Meme

Did you know that Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week is just a few weeks away?  This year it runs from September 13th to 19th.  I came across a post on WEGO Health about the annual meme 30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know and knew I wanted to participate.

I struggled somewhat as I filled my meme out.  Part of me wanted to type in the safe answers, the first things that popped into my head as I read each item.  But that won’t raise much awareness.  So I decided to really give each item some thought and type in the answers that were most honest.  Some may surprise you.  Some may sound overly dramatic.  Hopefully one or two will make you chuckle or nod your head in agreement or teach you something about diabetes that you don’t know. 

30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

1. The illness I live with is: Type 1 Diabetes
2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 1979.
3. But I had symptoms since: at least a few months before my diagnosis.
4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: realizing that sometimes, even if I do everything exactly right, my blood sugars will still go out of whack - and that this doesn’t mean I’m to blame.
5. Most people assume: I can’t eat anything with sugar in it.
6. The hardest part about mornings are: the same things that are hard all day long.  Diabetes is happy to mess with me at any time of the day or night.
7. My favorite medical TV show is: House M.D., although I suppose that doesn't count since it’s completely fictional.
8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: literally as well as figuratively, my insulin pump.  Okay, I could live without it if I went back to multiple daily insulin injections (between 5 and 10ish injections a day), but my diabetes control would surely suffer.
9. The hardest part about nights are: getting to sleep despite the fear that my blood sugar could go low and this could be the time I’m not able to wake up and treat it . . .
10. Each day I take __ pills & vitamins. (No comments, please) I take 2 pills a day, plus iron, plus a weekly dose of Vitamin D.  I also do finger sticks to check my blood sugar 8 to 12 times a day and am connected to my insulin pump at all times except while showering.
11. Regarding alternative treatments I: get so angry at “snake oil” cure claims that do harm by spreading misinformation.  There is no cure for Type 1 diabetes.  There is no seed, oil, berry or magic potion that will make my body start producing insulin again.
12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: an invisible one - I suppose that is partially because I have no idea how it feels to live with a visible one.  I also kind of like knowing that I can chose who gets to know about my illness.
13. Regarding working and career: diabetes was a big reason why I left the stressful and unhealthy environment of my former job.  As for my future, I am hoping to find a job that will allow me to draw on my passion for Health Activism.
14. People would be surprised to know: that I feel broken and I fear being a burden to my loved ones.
15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: the realization that a cure in my lifetime is not likely.
16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: live into my 40s and be free of complications.
17. The commercials about my illness: sometimes say “with our meter you no longer have to prick your finger for blood”.  What they don’t tell you is that you have to prick your arm instead.
18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: just sitting down and eating.  No weighing food, no timing insulin doses, no need for a freaking math degree to calculate carb grams and insulin units.
19. It was really hard to have to give up: the notion that a low or high blood sugar means I failed.  I’m still not 100% sure I have given that up.
20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: knitting?  Cooking?  Gardening?  I was 11 when I was diagnosed, so there are a lot of them.  However, I have given up playing with Barbie dolls.
21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: start my day off with a huge bagel, and maybe a donut.  Then I would swim and lay in the sun without worrying about my insulin pump.  I’d eat as much Mexican food as my stomach could take.  And follow it with ice cream.  I’d do this all without having to squeeze blood from my finger onto a stupid strip to see how this day has wrecked my blood sugar.
22. My illness has taught me: that I can be strong and weak at the same time.
23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: “You’re not supposed to eat that!” Can I give you another one?  Because a close second is “My grandmother / uncle / other random relative had diabetes and went blind / had to go on dialysis / had their foot amputated.”  Really, what would make you walk up to me and say something like that? 
24. But I love it when people: ask questions because they truly want to understand my disease instead of buying into the myths about diabetes.
25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be better than it was.
26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: you can do this.  Some days it will seem very very hard.  But some days you’ll just be on auto-pilot and everything will become a mindless routine.
27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is: that I’m not alone.  There is a huge community on-line who will love me and support me and know exactly what I’m going through.
28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: let me know he loves me, in good times and bad.
29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: I want to do my part to spread awareness of all invisible illnesses.
30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: a bit self-conscious but very grateful that you took the time to learn more about my illness.

Meme Monday - Movies

Last week Kerri was stuck for a quick post and sent out a plea for a good Meme she could grab.  Christopher responded back with a link to this Movie Meme. I couldn't resist grabbing it myself!

Name a film that you have seen more than 10 times.
I haven't counted, but I've probably seen Sleepless in Seattle at least a dozen times.

Name a film that you’ve seen multiple times in the cinema.
Believe it or not, I've seen my all time favorite movie, Gone With The Wind, on the big screen twice!  They re-released it in the theaters in for its 50th anniversary.  And a local theater in town showed it a few years ago.

Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a film.
Well, I'm suddenly a huge James Bond fan since Daniel Craig got cast!

Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a film.
I'm not keen on any of those action-adventure guys, like Vin Diesel or The Rock.

Name a film that you can and do quote from.
Well, of course, if you've seen a movie more than 10 times you are bound to quote from it - so I've been known to spout lines from Sleepless in Seattle.  (It's gotten so bad that even Pete quotes from it sometimes!)  I also love to quote from my second favorite movie of all time, The Godfather.

Name a film musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
Ummm, I used to know the all the lyrics to Rent, although I never saw the movie version.  I saw the original production on Broadway.

Name a film that you would recommend everyone see.
Of course I think everyone should see my favorite movies, but would they like them?  I guess The Godfather has a better chance of appealing to both males and females.

Ever walked out of a film?
Not that I recall.

Name a film that made you cry in the cinema.
Oh gosh, I'm a sap so there are a lot.  I know I balled in the theater when I saw Sense and Sensibility with my best friend.  I still cry every time I see it.

Popcorn?
Yes, with lots of butter!!  When Pete and I watch movies at home, we usually make Jiffy Pop.

How often do you go to the cinema (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
We don't go to the movies all that much.  Maybe a couple of times a year.

What’s the last film you saw in the cinema?
We saw Sherlock Holmes with my brother-in-law.  I really enjoyed it and I thought Robert Downey Jr. did a fabulous job as Sherlock Holmes.

What’s your favorite/preferred genre of film?
It depends on my mood.  I love a good comedy.  I like a chick-flick every so often.  A great drama can be so engrossing.  I can't watch slasher films though.  Ugh.

What’s the first film you remember seeing in the cinema?
The first one I remember seeing is Bambi.  I remember the part when his mother got shot.  I think the first movie my mom took me to see was Pinocchio or Cinderella, but I don't really remember either of those.

What film do you wish you had never seen?
When we were dating, I went with Pete to see some computer generated sci-fi movie that I don't even remember the name of.  It was so damn boring, it felt like it was seven hours long!  I could have done without seeing that one - but I'm happy Pete enjoyed it.

What is the scariest film you’ve seen?
I really try to stay away from scary movies.  Pete is a huge fan of Jaws, and he tends to watch it when ever he can find it on T.V.  So I guess I'll go with that one.

If you could be any character portrayed in a movie, who would it be?
Any good character usually has to go through some pretty horrific stuff.  I'd love the wear all of Scarlett O'Hara's big ballgowns, but I'd never want to go through everything she did.  Does my wedding video count, because I was perfectly happy playing "the bride" in that film!

Total number of films you own on DVD and video.
I'd say a few dozen.  I need to weed them out though, because a lot of them are pretty old and we don't really like them any more.

Last film you bought.
We don't buy a lot of movies - we usually just rent them from NetFlix.  I guess my most recent acquisition would be Casino Royale, which the Easter Bunny left in my basket a few years ago.

Last film you watched.
We watched The Sting over the weekend.  Pete asked me if I though Robert Redford was dreamy, and then was surprised when I said YES!!!  Sometimes guys just don't get it.

Five films that mean a lot to you.
This might be the toughest question of the whole meme for me.  There are movies I love and can watch over and over, purely for their entertainment value.  But I feel like for this question, I'm supposed to name deep, life-changing movies.  Instead, I'll just name five movies that I haven't yet mentioned, that I could watch any day, any time.  Most of them probably don't have any deep life-changing messages, but they are FUN!

Bridget Jone's Diary
When Harry Met Sally
Forrest Gump
Say Anything
and, it's stupid and silly, but I just love Airpane!

What are your favorite movies?

MeMe Monday

It's been a while since I've done MeMe Monday, but I saw this one over at hand eye crafts and thought I'd grab it too.

What are your current obsessions?
Getting the house decluttered and reorganized seems to be my obsession de jour.  I'm sure that could change at any time - I tend to be fickle about my obsessions.

Which item from your wardrobe do you wear the most often?
My flannel sock monkey jammies. Although you'll be glad to know I never wear them out in public.

What’s for dinner?
Tonight we are going to try Creamy Beef Over Noodles from my Make It Fast, Cook It Slow cookbook.  I smells so awesome right now, I can't wait for dinner.

What is your greatest fear at the moment?
Well, ever since the roofer came on Friday and found that the rain coming through the ceiling was not a roof problem but caused by our chimney falling apart . . .  . my biggest fear is how much a mason will charge us to fix the chimney.  But long term greatest fear has been and always will be diabetes complications.

What are you listening to?
Silence . . . and loving it.

If you were a god/goddess what would you be?
Well, I took this quiz and here is what I got . . .
You Are the Greek Goddess Demeter
You are an Earth Mother, provider of delicious food and beautiful children. You prefer the company of the young, but you have a decided wanderlust, which makes being tied down lead to periods of depression. You are conscientious, law-abiding, and spiritual.
Hmmmm, I do like to cook.

What are your guilty pleasures?
Oh gosh, are you really going to make me admit it?  Okay, okay, I've been kind of watching ABCFamily reruns of The Gilmore Girls.  I know, I know, but there is knitting in some of the episodes.  And they always order out or eat hamburgers and pizza and candy and they still stay so stick skinny and have gorgeous clothes.  And Star's Hollow looks like a lovely place to live.  I want to go to there.

Who or what makes you laugh?
My husband.  My cat.  My friends.

What is your favorite spring thing to do?
Clean.  And start hanging laundry outside on the clothesline again.  And take walks outside.  Oh, and clean.

Where are you planning to travel next?
We're hoping to go to Cape May for our anniversary.

What is the best thing you ate or drank lately?
Coffee!!!!!

Who was your first ever crush?
A boy in kindergarten named Eric. He had black hair and light blue eyes.

What is you favorite ever film?
Gone with the Wind

What is the biggest life lesson you’ve learned from your kids?
Don't have kids, but can I count anything I've learned from my cat? In that case, never underestimate the value of napping.

What song can’t you get out of your head?
Usually the last song I listened to. Which today is a silly song called Ikea. It's catchy . . . sorry about that.

What book do you know you should read but refuse to?
Hmmmm, tough question. Pete reads a lot of non-fiction about American History. I should probably read more of that too . . . but I find is so boring.

What is your physical abnormality/abnormal physical ability?
I'm mega-klutzy. And I have a dead pancreas. But I can pop my jaw on cue!!

What is your favorite color?
It changes all the time, but I'm very into green at the moment.

Meme Monday - Christmas

Okay, I'll admit it. I didn't have a Meme lined up for today. So I Googled "Christmas Meme blog" and found this one . . .  ummm, somewhere.  I don't remember exactly which blog I found it on.  (How very Scroogey of me - sorry!!)

1. What is your Favorite Christmas Movie?
Hands down, it has to be A Christmas Story.  But I know that doesn't surprise you after my last post.

2. What is your Least favorite Christmas Movie?
I've never had any desire to see the newer ones, like Santa Clause or Elf or the Grinch one that isn't a cartoon.

3. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Carol of the Bells

4. What Christmas song(s) drives you crazy?
Grandma got Run Over by a Reindeer.  And Dominck the Donkey.  Yuck!!

5. What is your favorite Christmas Drink? (ie. egg nog, hot chocolate)
Sugar Free Gingerbread Latte from Seattle's Best, of course!!

6. What is your favorite Christmas Memory?
Having waffles by the tree while we looked at all our toys.  Christmas was the one time of the year mom would make us waffles for breakfast!

7. What is the best toy/gift you've received on Christmas?
I guess it was the little rocking chair I got one year.  I still have it in our bedroom to this day.

Rockin' the '70s red pants in my new Rocking Chair!

8. What is the worst toy/gift you've received on Christmas?
Last year my stocking contained nothing but anti-bacterial hand soap.  Not sure exactly what Santa was trying to tell me there.

9. What do you LOVE about the holidays?
The shopping and baking and anticipation.

10. What annoys you about the holidays?
The rude people you have to put up with during your shopping.

11. Do you prefer star or angel on top of a Christmas tree? Or something else?
A star!!  (See below)

12. What is your family favorite recipe at Christmas?
I don't really have one.  But every year at Christmas I make pizzelles, just like Grandma did.

13. Are you a Grinch or a Who at Christmastime?
A Who - although this year I've found myself having a few Grinch moments.

14. Christmas light displays - Love them or Hate them?
Love them!!!!!  But I hate all of those blow-up lawn thingies that are getting so popular.

15. Santa's at the mall - Fun times or Creepy?
Really good Santas are fun - but some I've seen venture quite into the creepy.

16. Christmas cards - do you send them, yes or no?
I do.  I will.  I swear they are going out this week.

17. What is the best thing about Christmas, in your opinion?
Spending time with loved ones.

18. What is the worst thing about Christmas?
It seems to become more and more stressful every year.

19. When do you put the tree up and take it down?
It varies each year.  This year, it went up yesterday.

Don't worry, ornaments are going on tonight!!  I'll probably take it down on the first Sunday of the new year.

20. Out of the 12 days of Christmas, which day and item would you want your truelove to give to you?
I guess I'll take the Golden Rings.  All of those birds would be awfully messy, and the maids and lords and drummers would put quite a strain on the grocery budget.

21. Why do you think that Grandma got run over by a reindeer?
She must have been trying to make time with Old St. Nick.  I'm sure those reindeer are very loyal to Mrs. Claus.

22. Who is your favorite reindeer?
I guess Dancer - since I do ballroom.  There isn't a reindeer named Knitter, is there?

23. Do you believe in Santa Claus?
I do.  I think we all should!

24. What is your favorite smell at Christmas time?
The pine tree - even though I might be allergic like my dad is.  And the cookies baking - which I am not allergic too!

25. What would make you happy at Christmas this year?
Spending time enjoying the season with my husband - it's what makes me happy every year!  Also, K.C. getting over feeling traumatized by the new decorations and smells and coming out of hiding!!

MeMe Monday - Honesty

If we're going to be honest, I should start by admitting this isn't actually a meme.  It's a note I was tagged with on FaceBook.  But isn't that kind of the same thing?  I never got around to filling this out on FaceBook, so I figured I might was well use it for MeMe Monday.

Can you fill this out without lying? You've been tagged, so now you need to answer all the questions HONESTLY.

1. What was the last thing you put in your mouth? An organic banana.

2. Where was your profile picture taken? It was taken on the beach in Westport on our wedding day.

3. Can you play Guitar Hero?  I don't know, I've never tried.  What do you have to do?

4. Name someone who made you laugh today?  Does K.C. count?

5. How late did you stay up last night and why? I was up until 10:30 wasting time on the internet.

6. If you could move somewhere else, would you?  I don't know.  I love my little house.  But a bigger house in a better neighborhood would be nice.  I don't think I'd want to leave New England though.

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks?  I don't specifically remember, but I'm sure Pete and I must have kissed while watching fireworks at Disney World.

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you on your FaceBook list?  My husband, of course!!

9. Do you believe exes can be friends?  I think they can.  Although I'm not friends with any of my exes.  At least not the ones I was very serious with.

10. How do you feel about Dr Pepper?  It's good, but I don't drink it often.

11. When was the last time you cried really hard?  Thanksgiving night.

12. Who took your profile picture? My friend Dave.

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of?  Person?  I guess K.C. doesn't count.  Hmmm, this is a tough one.  Probably the last time I took a pictures of a person was when I kinneared (it is a real word!!) Nikolai Morozov at a skating show in September.  Want to see?

14. Was yesterday better than today?  You bet.  Mondays are the worst.

15. Can you live a day without TV? I'm sure I could.  But why would I want to try?

16. Are you upset about anything?  Of course I am.

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? Of course they are.  What kind of stupid questions are these??

18. Are you a bad influence?  Probably not.  Unless you need someone to talk you out of eating chocolate or buying yarn.  Then most certainly yes!!

19. Night out or night in? Night in with comfy clothes and good snacks.

20. What items could you not go without during the day?  Probably my lap-top computer, my coffee and my cat.

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? My Dad's twin brother.

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say?  I don't text.  But my last email was from Harry, telling me I should spin K.C.'s fur into yarn.  Funny guy, that one.

23. How do you feel about your life right now?  Life?  What life?  I'd need to have a life to be able to tell you my feelings about it!

24. Do you hate anyone?  Hate is a very strong word.  I am displeased with a few people, but I'm not sure I hate them.

25. If we were to look in your Facebook inbox, what would we find?  A message from my brother-in-law.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass? Absolutely, unless they were screening for insulin or blood pressure and cholesterol medications.

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before? My husband, but he's very biased.  I am far from perfect, as is any one human.

28. What song is stuck in your head?  I didn't have one stuck in there, but when I read this question Brick House suddenly started playing in my head.  I don't know why.  (You didn't really expect me to link a Commodore's video, did you?)

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., a secret lover or George Clooney?  Couldn't George Clooney be my secret lover?  Okay then, I guess no one is knocking at 2 a.m.

30.Wanna have grandkids before you’re 50?  That is clearly impossible.

31. Name something you have to do tomorrow?  Get my blood work done.

32. Do you think too much or too little?  Way too much!

33. Do you smile a lot?  I think so.  I also glare a lot.

Bonus Round...

34. How many hours a day do you spend on the computer?  Far too many.

35. If you could be anyone else for a day, who would you be? Hmmm, that's a hard one. Hopefully some one really cool!

36. Facebook or Twitter?  I like them both, but for different things.

37. Chicken or Beef?  Yes please.

38. Mac or PC?  I considered both when I needed a new computer.  Finances made me stick with a PC.  I'm fine with that.

39. Have you ever punched anyone in the face?  Not intentionally, but things happen on a crowded dance floor.

40. Last music received or purchased?  Eeee, okay, I was feeling sentimental and bought The Rose from iTunes.  I'm slightly embarrassed about this.  (Also, no one skates to The Rose - so it's Bette in the link this time!)

Meme Monday - Couple's MeMe

I saw this MeMe over on Allison's blog.  It's probably more than you ever wanted to know about me and Pete . . . but it is MeMe Monday.  So here we go.

How long have you been together?
Our first date was on June 26, 1999.  We were married on June 26, 2004.  Because I'm dorky like that.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
We met in March of 1999.  It's kind of a long story, but also kind of amusing.  A friend of mine kept asking me to go to a Singles Group with her.  I wasn't interested - I was convinced there wouldn't be any "good" guys there.  She talked another friend into going with her.  They both used to pester me to go with them.  One week, the Singles Group meeting was going to be at a restaurant that made The Best nachos so I agreed to go - just for the nachos.  I met Pete that night and decided the Singles Group wasn't that bad.  The rest is history.  Oh, and those two friends who talked me into going to the group?  They are both still single.

Who asked whom out?
I gave him my phone number.  Actually, I was too chicken, so a friend gave it to him for me.  A few days later, he called and asked me out.

How old are each of you?
Oh geez, you would have to ask.  No snickers, okay?  I am 41.  Pete is 35.  Shut up.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
Pete's.  My brother is in Colorado and we only see him every few years.  Pete's brother was in Virginia.  Then he was in Utah for a while, so we didn't see him much.  Now he's renting an apartment a few towns away from us until the New Year, so we see him several times a week.

Did you go to the same school?
No.  Even if we had grown up in the same town, we wouldn't have ever been in the same school at the same time.  Unless I stayed back a few years or he skipped a few grades - or both.

Are you from the same home town?
We aren't even from the same home state.

Who is smarter?
I'm not really sure.  We both did really well in school.  Pete probably uses more knowledge on his job.  I probably have more common sense and a better memory.

Who is the most sensitive?
Most certainly me.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
I'm not sure we really have a favorite place.  It depends on what kind of food we're in the mood for.  We are lucky to have a bunch of really great restaurants in this area.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Probably to San Diego last February.  (Hi George!!)

Who has the craziest exes?
I don't know.  Me?  I certainly have the most exes.  (That doesn't make me sound trampy, does it??)

Who has the worst temper?
Me me me me me!!!!  Poor Pete, I don't know how he puts up with me!

Who does the cooking?
I do.  Pete's not a bad cook.  But he's a slow cook.  And a very messy cook.  So I do most of the cooking.  He usually makes breakfast on the weekends though.  And if we want chicken cutlets, he always makes them.  His are a lot better than mine.  Not sure why, but they are always so juicy and yummy.  (Great, now I'm hungry.)

Who is the neat-freak?
That's me again.  He is a slob.  When he had his apartment in New Jersey and we were doing the long-distance thing, I used to take a week of vacation time to stay with him a few times a year.  I always spent the first few days cleaning his apartment.

Who is more stubborn?
I was going to say me again, but he's pretty stubborn too.  In a battle of wills, he's usually the one who gives in though.

Who hogs the bed?
Not me this time!!!  He constantly migrates to my side of the bed in his sleep.  K.C. sleeps on my side too.  I have no room!!

Who wakes up earlier?
On week days, he gets up first and I get up while he's eating breakfast.  On weekends, I'm always the first one up.

Where was your first date?
Tavern On Main. After dinner, we walked on the beach and sat on a bench and talked.  Years later, he brought me back to the same bench to propose.  It's the bench I am sitting on in the picture at the top of this post.

Who is more jealous?
I think it's probably a tie on that one.

How long did it take to get serious?
We had been dating for 6 months when he got the job offer in New Jersey.  I told him the choice was his, but that I wouldn't do a long-distance relationship again.  (I had been in one with my college boyfriend after graduation and it ended in a mess.)  Pete decided the job was too good to pass up.  I decided being with him was too good to pass up.  I think the minute I decided to do the long-distance thing again, it got serious.

Who eats more?
I always give him a larger portion of dinner.  So I'll say he does. 

Who does the laundry?
Me.  But when I was working, we both pitched in and did it.

Who’s better with the computer?
Probably me.

Who drives when you are together?
He always does the driving.  We never talk about it though.  We usually use my car, and I just hand him the keys on our way out the door.

Meme Monday - Thanksgiving Meme

I saw this new Meme last night over at Lynne's blog. Is Thanksgiving really next week already?  Well then, I guess I'd better get this Thanksgiving Meme done!  I'll preface this by saying I have never cooked a Thanksgiving dinner.  We always go to my parent's house for Thanksgiving.  I don't know what I'm going to do when their house finally sells and they move to Tennessee.  I just keep telling myself it will never actually happen.  Denial is a great coping mechanism.

1.What are the traditional favorites?  I guess our only tradition is to start the meal with "macaroni".  When I was little, we had Thanksgiving at my grandmother's every year.  The first course was always home-made fettuccine and ravioli.  We still start our Thanksgiving meal this way - although it's usually with either lasagna or those fresh pastas you buy in the grocery store.  Maybe this year I'll make the home-made macaroni just like Grammy did.

2.What new recipes will you try this year? We don't usually try any new recipies for the holidays.  Do you have one to suggest?

3.What part of the meal do you never compromise?  Mashed potatoes.  I HATE THEM and will never ever eat them.  No compromise.  My mom hates them too.  She always makes them for the rest of the family and makes baked potatoes for the two of us!

4.Who gets to carve the turkey?  My dad carves it every year.

5.Family style around the table or buffet style and everyone sits wherever there's room?  We always do dinner family style around the table - but all of the food my mom cooks never fits.  So the salad and pasta is served buffet style from the hutch.

6.How many will be at your table this year?  Unfortunately we'll be smaller than usual this year.  My brother is in Colorado.  My aunt and uncle won't be able to make it down from Maine, because my aunt was recently diagnosed with leukemia and is going through chemo.  So we'll have 7 of us - me and Pete, Mom and Dad, my other aunt and uncle and Pete's brother.

7.Three best pies for Thanksgiving dessert?  Although I don't like Pumpkin Pie, you have to serve it at Thanksgiving!  My favorite are Apple Crumb and Coconut Creme.  My mom usually has all three, and blueberry too.  Yes, that's right, seven people and four pies!!

8.Cranberry sauce...yeah or nay?  Nay - I don't like it.  And it always gets forgotten in the fridge - so even those who do like it don't get to indulge.

9.What time do you eat Thanksgiving dinner?  We usually go to my parent's house around 1:00 and sit down at the table around 2:00.

10.Favorite leftover?  That's a tough one, because I really like all of the leftovers.  I guess my favorites are the turkey and the pies.

Meme Monday - 40 Odd Things

I first saw this fun little meme on Lee Ann's blog and I thought I'd give it a go!  Enjoy.

1. Do you like bleu cheese?
Not at all.  I don't like the flavor and just the thought of eating something moldy grossed me out.

2. Have you ever smoked?
Unfortunately I can't because I don't own a smokehouse.  Wouldn't it be cool to smoke and cure your own bacon though?

3. Do you own a gun?
No and I don't want to.

4. Favorite type of Food?
That's easy, Junk Food!!  Just kidding . . . . kind of.  Anyway, although I'm a very picky eater, I  think I like all types of food.  Just not everything those types have to offer!

5. Favorite type of music?
I'm a Classic Rock girl at heart.  The other day, I pulled out four CDs for a road-trip with Pete, and without looking he could name three of them.  Eric Clapton, The Beatles and Sting.  I guess I'm predictable.  (The fourth was The Eagles.)

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
I love them.  But if I really think about them, they gross me out.

7. Favorite Christmas movie?
I don't think I have one.  Maybe The Grinch?  The old cartoon one - although I don't suppose that counts as a movie.
***** ETA: OMG, duh, major brain blip!!!  How could I have forgotten my all-time favorite Christmas movie, A Christmas Story??????   Can't wait for TBS to run it for 24 hours straight!!*****

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
COFFEE - the stronger, the better!!

9. Can you do push ups?
Yes, but only the cheater bent-knee variety.

10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry?
I have several and I wear them every day.  First, my engagement and  wedding rings.  Second, the emerald pendant Pete bought me on our honeymoon.  And lastly, the *cough* - small,  I could use a larger pair, Sweetpea - *cough cough* diamond earrings he bought me for our second Christmas together.

11. Favorite hobby?
Okay, do I really need to answer this one?  Can't you all guess by now?  Stamp collecting.  Hahaha, kidding - it's knitting, of course!!

12. Do you have A. D. D.?
Well, I think . . . oooooo, look, something shiny!!  Errr, umm,  what were you asking?

13. Do you wear glasses/contacts?
Yes.  I got my first pair of glasses in the Fifth grade and I've been wearing contacts since High School.

14. Middle name?
Like the vast majority of the female population, my middle name is Ann.

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment:
I wish I had more coffee.  I'm hungry.  Look how cute my little cat is.

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink:
Coffee. Pete's Pomegranate Cosmos.  Water.

17. Current worry?
I'll never figure out what I want to do as a job.

18. Current hate right now?
Snow - and I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of it in New England this winter.

19. Favorite place to be?
Where ever my husband is!!

20. How did you bring in the new year?
At our friend's Bob and Barb's house.  Just like I have for almost all of the past 20+ years.  The parties aren't as wild as they were 20 years ago, but they are still just as fun!

21. Someplace you’d like to go?
I'm dying to go to Italy one day.  And Russia too.  I'm always ready for another cruise.  I'd also love to go back to San Diego and Key West.

22. Name three people who will complete this.
Who knows . . . . probably the three people most desperate for blog content.

23. Do you own slippers?
Yup, my favorites right now are the felted slippers I made for me and Pete last year.

24. What color shirt are you wearing?
White.

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
I don't know but they seem like they'd be really cold.  I love my flannel sheets.

26. Can you whistle?
Not really.

27. Where are you now?
On the couch with my lap-top.

28. Would you be a pirate?
No, probably not.  They seem really dirty and smelly and I think their ships had rats.  Yuck.

29. What songs do you sing in the shower?
I don't think I sing any.  But I always sing along with the radio when I drive!

30. Favorite Girl’s Name?
Emma.

31. Favorite boy’s name?
Jared.

32. What is in your pocket right now?
Nothing, I checked.

33. Last thing that made you laugh?
The Daily Show and The Cobert Report.  John and Stephen are always good for a laugh-fest!!

34. What vehicle do you drive?
A 1994 Honda Civic.  It's long past time for a new car, and I'd like another Civic.

35. Worst injury you’ve ever had?
I've never done anything too bad, which is amazing considering how uncoordinated I am.  I've broken my little toe and sprained my wrist - not at the same time though.

36. Do you love where you live?
Yes and No.  I love my house.  I like my town.  I wish my neighborhood was a little bit better.  I hate a few of my neighbors and that our houses are sqeezed in so closely together.

37. How many TVs do you have in your house?
Two that are hooked up and working.  And one more that is just sitting in our spare room.

38. How many computers do you have in your house?
Pete has his desktop.  I have my new laptop.  We also still have my old, slow laptop but we don't use it.

39. If you changed your job, what would it be?
You are kidding, right?  Did you read my answer to #17??  I've been out of work and pondering that question for years.  I have no clue.

40. If you were granted three wishes, what would they be?
A cure for diabetes.  Enough money to never have to think about money again.  True happiness.

Meme Monday - Remember That Time?

I'm going way back to 2006 and rerunning a meme I've done before.  The catch with this meme is that this week YOU have to do the work!  Come on, play along, it will be fun!  I can't wait to see what my witty internet pals come up with!!

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, even if we don't speak often, please post a comment with a COMPLETELY MADE UP AND FICTIONAL MEMORY OF YOU AND ME. It can be anything you want--good or bad--BUT IT HAS TO BE FAKE. When you're finished, post this on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) about what people DON'T ACTUALLY remember about you.

Meme Monday - Karen Needs . . .

This is a really fun meme and it's also really easy to do.  Here’s how it works:

Google “[your first name] needs” in quotes so you will get that whole phrase strung together.  Share the first 10 results. That's it! It is that simple. But be honest!

1. Karen needs a man for no strings fun if interested call ###-####. - Oh my.  Just what kind of a girl am I?
2. Karen needs a VACATION. - I love vacations!!
3. Karen needs to crawl back in the cave she lives in and let the rest of the world progress towards the future. - Ouch, that's harsh.
4. Karen needs a friend...will u be dat 1? -Yo yo yo yo, here's the 411.  I needs a friend.  Dat would be phat!!
   
5. Karen needs a rest on Flickr. - I really don't think I abuse Flickr that much.  Although I have uploaded pictures of each and every skein of yarn I own.  So I guess I can understand why someone would think I need to give it a rest.
6. Karen needs a Lobotomy Fund. - Again, harsh!!  So I should crawl back into my cave and get a lobotomy?
7. Karen needs some gin. - Well, yeah.  You would too after those insults!
8. Karen needs to push herself, to give us the goods, the guts, the gore. - You want guts and gore?  And here I was blogging about yarn and glucose levels.
   
9. Karen needs your help. - Apparently I need an intervention after all that gin.
10. Karen needs to learn the basics of spending and budgeting. - Not true.  I'm organized and compulsive enough to have a detailed budget spreadsheet where I log our spending.  Right now, we've spent less than our allotment.  Even with all that gin I bought!!

Okay, Google away and tell me what you need!!

Meme Monday - I've Come To Realize . . .

I first saw this on Lee Ann's blog last week.  Then on Crystal's.  Then it seemed every blog I clicked on had it posted.  So,  being desperate for blog content  the follower I am, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and do it too. Spoiler Alert: If you manage to hang in and read my answers to all 35 questions, there's a cute kitty picture at the end.  

1. I’ve come to realize that my chest-size…
is something I'm okay with, but don't really need to blog about.

2. I’ve come to realize that my job…
will never happen if I keep convincing myself I will fail before I even try.

3. I’ve come to realize that when I’m driving…
I'm constantly singing along (off-key and loudly) to the radio.

4. I’ve come to realize that I need…
more yarn.  (I hear you laughing.  Stop that!!)

5. I’ve come to realize that I have lost…
the feeling that I'm actually contributing to society in any way.

6. I’ve come to realize that I hate it when…
a bad low or high blood sugar makes me feel so crappy that Pea has to cook dinner while I rest.

7. I’ve come to realize that if I’m drunk…
I shouldn't have had that second martini, but it tasted so good and I'm having fun!!

8. I’ve come to realize that money…
can stretch farther than you think if you budget carefully.

9. I’ve come to realize that certain people…
think they know everything even when they don't, and will proceed to tell you all about it.

10. I’ve come to realize that I’ll always …
contradict myself - I blame it on the fact that I'm a Gemini.  No, wait, I never contradict myself!!

11. I’ve come to realize that my siblings…
includes my brother-in-law, who is the bravest and strongest person I know.

12. I’ve come to realize that my mom…
has passed along most of her mannerisms to me.  Also, her butt and hips - gee, thanks Mom.

13. I’ve come to realize that my cell phone…
went from being turned on once a week at most (when I had the old, out-dated phone with the terrible calling plan) to being on all the time and used obsessively for everything under the sun . . . except phone calls (yes, I now have an iPhone).

14. I’ve come to realize that when I woke up this morning…
I had a head-ache . . . again.

15. I’ve come to realize that last night before I went to sleep…
my blood sugar was low . . . still.

16. I’ve come to realize that right now I am thinking…
that my answers are way too boring and I should go back and spice them up a bit before I put my lovely readers to sleep.

17. I’ve come to realize that my dad…
really needs a pet, and when he comes to visit he's actually coming to see K.C. instead of me.  :)

18. I’ve come to realize that when I get on Facebook…
I need to avoid all of those silly games and quizzes or I'll spend way too much time there.

19. I’ve come to realize that today…
is the only Monday, September 21, 2009 there will ever be, so I need to make the most of it.

20. I’ve come to realize that tonight…
is going to be so much fun but also kind of sad.

21. I’ve come to realize that tomorrow…
should always be something to look forward to.

22. I’ve come to realize that I really want to…
be finished with this stupid meme.

23. I’ve come to realize that the person who is most likely to repost this is…
probably going to be a knit-blogger.  I think all of the diabetes-bloggers have posted it already.

24. I’ve come to realize that life…
never turns out the way you thought it would.

25. I’ve come to realize that this weekend…
I'm really excited about because we are going to see Stars Stripes & Skates, and it feels like the weekend will never get here.

26. I’ve come to realize that marriage…
is even more fun than I could have imagined.

27. I’ve come to realize that my friends…
that I rely on most are the ones I know over the internet, rather than the ones I know in real life.

28. I’ve come to realize that this year…
is almost 3/4 of the way over and that Christmas will be here before I know it.

29. I’ve come to realize that my ex is…
not the soul-mate I once thought he was.   But he is just as hot as I thought.

30. I’ve come to realize that maybe I should…
make more of an effort.

31. I’ve come to realize that I love…
having a cat - and that's something I never would have imagined saying two years ago, before Charlie came along.

32. I’ve come to realize that I don’t understand…
a lot of people in this world.  And I think that might be a good thing.

33. I’ve come to realize my past…
has left me with a lot of baggage, but hasn't everyone's??

34. I’ve come to realize that parties…
always make me so nervous that I'm tempted to skip them, but usually turn out to be a lot of fun.

35. I’ve come to realize that I’m totally terrified…
that no one has been able to stay awake long enough to read this whole meme!  After all, it put K.C. right to sleep!

Meme Monday - Over the Top

I spotted this little meme over at Ballatrina's blog last week.
.

I'm not sure if my blog is actually over the top.  It probably isn't.  I'm also not sure if I've done a MeMe similar to this already.  I probably have.  But I don't have the ambition for much else today.  We lost both a great aunt on my father's side and a great uncle on my mother's side on Saturday.  My morale is a bit low.  One word is about all I can manage.

You have to answer these questions, only using ONE WORD:

1. Where is your cell phone?  Close
2. Your hair? Graying
3. Your mother?  Fabulous
4. Your father?  Awesome
5. Your favorite food?  Lobster
6. Your dream last night?  Non-existent
7. Your favorite drink?  Coffee
8. Your dream/goal?  Purpose
9. What room are you in?  Living
10. Your hobby?  Knitting
11. Your fear?  Lonely
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?  Happy
13. Where were you last night?  Parent's
14. Something that you aren’t?  Coordinated
15. Muffins?  Please
16. Wish list item? Travel
17. Where did you grow up? Here
18. Last thing you did? Tweeted
19. What are you wearing? Glasses
20. Your TV? Off
21. Your pets? Spectacular
22. Friends? Wonderful
23. Your life? WIP
24. Your mood? Sad
25. Missing someone? SweetPea
26. Vehicle? Old
27. Something you’re not wearing? Socks
28. Your favorite store? Several
29. Your favorite color?  Green
30. When was the last time you laughed? Seconds
31. Last time you cried? Today
32. Your best friend? Far
33. One place that I go to over and over? Crazy
34. One person who emails me regularly? Crystal
35. Favorite place to eat?  Out!!

MeMe Monday - I'm too old for MeMes

When Lee Ann from The Butter Compartment posted this MeMe last week, I knew I had to grab it.  It's supposed to be for those of us who are now adults.  Or at least, out of our teenage years - because I don't ever plan to fully become an "adult".  *grin*


1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
That's a tough one.  But I think it's the taxes I have to pay twice a year to my town for Sewer Usage and for owning my car.  We pay plenty of property tax to my town - I don't understand why I have to pay extra to flush my toilet and park my car in my own driveway.

2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
On the cruse!!  Not only was it our anniversary, but we were lucky enough to get assigned to a private table for two.  So we had romantic dinners every night!

3. What do you really want to be doing right now?
Eating chocolate.

4. How many colleges did you attend?
Just one.  Bentley College (now Bentley University) in Waltham, Massachusetts.

5. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
Right now I'm wearing a little cotton work-out shirt I bought at Target.  Honestly, I chose it because it was the least expensive of their work-out cloths.  It's also comfy and cute though!!

6. What are your thoughts on gas prices?
They are way too high.  They probably won't ever go down.  There has to be a better way to power our cars..

7. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
How much longer can I sleep and still have enough time to feed K.C. and pack Pete's lunch before I have to drive him to the train station.

8. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
I hope my blood sugar behaves.  And if it doesn't, I hope my CGM catches it.

9. Do you miss being a child?
Sometimes, sure.  Don't we all?

10. What errand/chore do you despise?
Grocery shopping.  It probably wouldn't be so bad if other shoppers weren't so rude.  Or stupid.

11. Get up early or sleep in?
I'd love to sleep in, but I usually wake up early and can't go back to sleep.

12. Have you found real love yet?
You bet!!

13. Favorite lunch meat?
Boar's Head Buffalo Chicken Breast.

14. What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?
The Wal-Mart in our town is pretty icky.  I go to Target.  I always buy Archer Farm's Pepperoni Pizza for our Pizza and Martini Fridays.

15. Beach or lake?
Probably a lake.  Or a beach in the Caribbean.

16. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
No, I don't.  But I think it's a personal choice.  There is nothing wrong with just living together if that works for you.   I also see no reason why same sex couples shouldn't be allowed to marry.

17. Sopranos or Desperate Housewives?
Although I've never seen the Sopranos, I'm willing to bet I'd like it better than Desperate Housewives.  I love anything Mafia related.  I really should put The Sopranos in my NetFlix queue.

18. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
I know I should be all deep and go for a world leader or something.  But I'll be shallow and say Sting.  It's not just his hotness though.  He's also intelligent, writes some awesome lyrics and supports some excellent causes.  Okay, and he's really hot too.

19. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
Nope.  Please don't let that answer jinx me.

20. Ever use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
No.  I've never used a fire extinguisher for an unintended purpose either.

21. Ring tone?
I just picked one that came pre-loaded in my iPhone.  I do have a different one assigned to Pete's calls.  It's "Sci-Fi".

22. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
I don't think I've ever brushed my teeth in a strange place.

23. Somewhere in California you’ve never been and would like to go?
I'd love to see San Francisco.  Also, my brother lived in Half Moon Bay for a while and he said it was gorgeous, so I'd like to go there.

23. Do you go to church?
Only for weddings and funerals.

24. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
Definitely a new career.

25. How old are you?
Ugh, 41.  But I don't feel like I'm that old.

26. Do you have a go-to person?
I have several!!  Pete.  My best friend Heidi.  My parents.  You can never have too much support.

27. Are you where you want to be in life?
Yes and no.  I'm happily married and we have a house that I love.  But there are still so many areas of my life that are not where I want them to be.

28. Growing up, what were your favorite cartoons?
I think The Jetsons was my favorite.  I liked The Flintstones and Under Dog too.

29. What about you do you think has changed the most?
I'd like to say I'm less shy than I was when I was younger.  But maybe it's just that I hide it better.

30. Looking back at high school were they the best years of your life?
Most certainly not.  They could have been worse, but they also could have been better.

31. Are there times you still feel like a kid?
Oh yes, a lot.  Usually when I'm being silly with my husband.

32. Did you ever own troll dolls?
I did.  In the '70s my very first best friend and I used to walk to a gift shop down the block and buy them.

33. Did you have a pager?
Nope, never did.

34. Where was the hang out spot when you were a teenager?
In high school, everyone used to drive up and down Route 1.  Don't ask me why, but it was the thing to do on weekend nights.

35. Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with?
I guess so.  I was definitely a "follow the rules" kind of kid who never got in trouble.

Meme Monday - 6 Things I love

It's time to get back to Meme Mondays, and this week I'll start with this Meme that Evy tagged me with.

Rules of the game:

* List six unimportant things that make you happy;
* Mention and link to the person who tagged you;
* Tag six of your favorite bloggers to play along , and comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.  (I never tag anyone, but please feel free to grab this meme if you wish!)

1. A freshly vacuumed floor.  Somehow if my floor is clean, it seems like my whole house is clean.
2. Pizza and Martini Friday.  Every Friday for the past couple of months, Pea and I have been "treating" ourselves to an Archer Farms frozen pizza and Pea makes Cosmos.  It has become a way to kick off the weekend, and I look forward to it every week.
3. Goofing around on Twitter.  I've gotten to know a lot of great people through Twitter, and tweeting with them makes me happy.
4. Watching my "guilty-pleasure" soaps.  Yes, after all these years, I still watch All My Children and General Hospital.
5.   New shoes.  No explanation necessary.
   
6. Comments.  That's right, I'll admit it.  I blog because I like to, comments or not.  But each and every comment I get makes me happy.
   

Believe it or not, it was hard to come up with six UNIMPORTANT things that make me happy.  Because anything that makes some one happy is very important!

Meme Monday - 8 Things . . .

Just when I feared I was running out of Memes to do, Trina and Jill saved the day and tagged me with this fun one.

Here's how to do this 8 THINGS thing:
Mention the person that tagged you. Complete the lists of 8's. Tag 8 of your wonderful bloggy friends. Go tell them you tagged them!

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO

1. Our 5th anniversary cruise!
2. The Farmer's Market opening up again for the season.
3. Every morning, the minute I wake up, I look forward to COFFEE!
4. Picking Pea up at the train station each evening.
5. Snuggles with my kitty-cat.
6. Getting the laundry and housework DONE so I can knit.
7. Going to the casino again.
8. Sunshine and warm weather.
   

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY

1. Put in a new CGM sensor.
2. Watch TV with Pea.
3. Cuddle with K.C.
4. Shop for Mom's Mother's Day gift.  (Yes, I did have to wait until the last minute.)
5. Knit.
6. Have dinner at my parent's house.
7. Surf the web.
8. Yell at K.C. for jumping on the dining room table.  (I think I did that one eight times!!)
   

8 THINGS I WISH I COULD DO

1. Sing on key.
2. Be outgoing instead of shy.
3. Speak Italian.
4. Figure out some sort of career plan.
5. Just eat - without counting carbs, bolusing and checking blood sugars.
6. Exercise without feeling like it's pure torture.
7. Knit faster.
8. Right now??  Go back to sleep. 
   

8 SHOWS I WATCH

1. The Office
2. House
3. Chuck
4. 30 Rock
5. What Not to Wear
6. Ugly Betty
7. Burn Notice
8. Psyche
   

8 BLOGGERS TAGGED

1. I never tag other bloggers.
2. It makes me feel guilty.
3. What if they don't want to be tagged?
4. You just never know.
5. But I like to be tagged.
6. And I like to read meme's.
7. So if you want to do this one, consider yourself tagged.
8. And let me know so I can read your Eight Things!

Cats, Skating & Emmys - Did you spot the lie?

I'm a terrible liar.  But last week for Meme Monday, I gave it a shot.  I told you two truths and one lie.  As promised, I will reveal the answer today.  But first, let's look at what you all thought, on both my knitting blog and diabetes blog.

Only two people thought that I didn't go to the Celebration of a Life tribute to Sergei Grinkov.  Three people said I didn't attend the last Broadway performance of Cats.  And a whopping ten of you said I wasn't in the audience when Susan Lucci won the Daytime Emmy.

Well, maybe I'm not such a bad liar after all.  I was absolutely in the audience at Madison Square Garden the night Susan Lucci won her Emmy.  A co-worker had tickets and invited a group of us along.  It was a lot of fun to get all dressed up in gowns and go to the awards, especially since I'd been watching All My Children and General Hospital since high school.  And when Susan Lucci won, the place went nuts!

I was also at the Hartford Civic Center the night that the biggest stars in skating gathered to pay tribute to Sergei.  My mom and I are huge figure skating fans and were heart-broken when Sergei died.  The tribute was one of the saddest shows I have ever witnessed and I think we cried the whole time.

But alas, I have never, ever seen the play Cats, much less the final performance!

I hope you had as much fun with this meme as I did!  And now, do you have two truths and a lie you'd like to post?  I'd love to guess your lie!

Meme Monday - Two Truths and A Lie

This week, I thought I'd resurrect an old meme that was going around a few years ago.  It's called "Two Truths and A Lie", and as you can probably guess, the object is for me to post two truths and one lie.  Then, you guys comment and see if you can spot the lie.  So here we go:

1. The musical Cats used to claim it would run "now and forever at the Winter Garden Theatre", but it actually had it's final Broadway performance in September of 2000.  I was there.
2. Figure skater Sergei Grinkov died of a heart attack in November of 1995.  That spring, his friends gathered for a tribute show called "Celebration of a Life".  It was the first time since his death that his widow, Ekaterina Gordeeva, performed.  I was there.
3. Susan Lucci was nominated for 19 Daytime Emmys, but year after year she would lose to other actresses.  In May of 1999, she finally won.  I was there.
   

Okay, so tell me, which one is the lie? I'll post the answer next week.

Meme Monday - some Crap that's Honest

For this week's edition of Meme Monday, Lee Ann has tagged me with the Honest Scrap meme.  Apparently I have to fill you in on some crap about me, but it has to be honest.  Okay, here are the official rules . . .

The Honest Scrap award comes with a caveat or two. Firstly you have to tell your readers 10 things about you think they may not know, but that are true. Secondly you have to tag 10 people with the award.

Wow, ten things about me. This is going to be hard. Okay, here we go.

1. I'm very shy.  You might not be able to tell that from my on-line activity, but that is because I find it much easier to write than to talk to people face to face.  I was even worse when I was younger.  I was the kid in school who almost always knew the answer, but never raised my hand because I hated talking in class.  Even now, I get really, really nervous in group situations.  Meet-ups cause me a lot of stress in the days leading up to them - even though I always have fun once I get there
2. I have way too much yarn.  I know that's not a surprise for most of you.  Right now, in my house, there are 117,795 yards (or 66.92 miles) of yarn in my stash.  Of that yarn, 49,015 yards (or 27.85 miles) of it is sock yarn.  I know this because each skein is painstakingly entered into an Excel spreadsheet I devised, complete with columns that total my yarn up for me and a graph that shows how my stash grows and shrinks each month.  Although it almost always grows and almost never shrinks.
3. I still think I don't have enough yarn.  When Christmas and my birthday rolls around, my favorite gifts are the gifts of yarn.
   
4. I get very addicted to anything to do with the computer.  Right now, I have 244 feeds in my Google Reader.  I used to spend a lot of time on Ravelry, but lately I'm on Twitter and FaceBook more.  I have a fake job at a fictional on-line paper company.  And Yahoo games (especially this one) has kept me from getting house-work done on more than one occasion.
5. Even with the computer addiction, I've been feeling some sort of computer burn-out lately.  I can't find inspiration to post.  I haven't been reading or commenting on blogs like I used to.  My e-mail is sadly neglected.  Although I think I'm starting to get my blog-mojo back again.  I guess we all just need a break sometimes.
   
6. I'm not really sure, but I may be in the midst of a mid-life crisis.  All that "40 is the new 30" stuff is a crock.  40 feels really old, and don't let anyone tell you any different.  Especially when you are trying to decide on a new career path.
   
7. I believe in things we don't really understand.  Like ghosts and guardian angels.  And that there is more to our dreams than most people believe.  I think there are a lot of psychics out there who are fakes, but I also believe there are real psychics who have a gift.  I also believe that twins have a special connection.  In fact, I've seen it with my father and his twin brother.  And I find it very fascinating.
   
8. I am extremely accident prone.  At any given time, I can find random cuts and bruises on my body and have no recollection of where they came from.  In fact, I just found a cut on my hand now, which prompted me to write this.
   
9. I am the worlds most terrible speller.  When computers began having the spell check feature, I found out that I was an even worse speller than I thought.  I was surprised at how many words I was spelling completely wrong.  In college, my best friend used to threaten to send my letters back with the spelling mistakes highlighted.
   
10. I like to do Memes and don't mind being tagged, but I hate to tag others with them.  I always think everyone else will think they are silly.  They have more exciting things to do in life than memes.  And they will get annoyed at me for tagging them.
    

Phew, there are my 10!  Obviously, I'm not going to tag anyone - but consider yourself tagged if you want to be.  And let me know so I can come read your honest crap.

Meme Monday - Letter Meme

Before I get going on my meme, I want to thank everyone for your comments and thoughts and concerns on my last post.  I'd like to try to answer each comment personally, but I haven't been able to work up the energy for it yet.  Please know your kind words mean the world to me and Pea.  We are still shaken, scared and upset, but we are starting to sleep a bit better each night.

On to the meme.  Today I'm sharing the Letter Meme that I got from Walden.  She gave me the letter D - so here are ten things I like that start with D, in no particular order.

1. Diabetes bloggers - they are one cool group
   
2. Donuts - yummy
   
3. DPNs (double-pointed knitting needles) - I really prefer these to circulars
   
4. Daytime television - my guilty pleasure is watching a couple of soap operas
   
5. Dancing ballroom - Pea and I have been taking ballroom lessons for about 5 years, which makes me feel like we should dance a lot better then we do
   
6. Diamonds (specifically 812 & 912) - what woman doesn't like diamonds (okay, besides my mom)
   
7. Dove chocolates - by far my favorite "grocery store chocolate"
8. Decaf coffee in the afternoon - I love coffee just for the taste, so a nice soothing cup of decaf is a great warm treat that won't keep me up all night
9. Derek and the Dominos - Layla is one of the all-time greatest love songs, but then again Clapton is God
   
10. Daisies, of the Gerbera variety - they are so colorful and pretty

Would you like to do the Letter Meme too?  Just e-mail me, and I'll send you a letter.  I promise I won't use a difficult one like Q or X.