Why did the Chicken Cross our Road?

To get to the junior high school of course!

I really love living way out on the edge of Queen Creek it's so quiet, pretty and pollution free. And every now and then I'm reminded of just how far out we live. Like when all traffic on Ironwood (one of 3 main roads into QC) is halted due to cows in the road. On occasion, I've seen the literal tumbleweed blowin' across a street. And the desert-scenic drive out to our home reminded Kim's boyfriend Steven of his many tours of duty in Iraq-same scrubby bushes but the mountains were too plentiful. Here's one to add to the isolated desert reminders...Coming home from work this morning, traffic once again was slow at the stop sign in front of the Jr. high school as a rooster was out taking a stroll. In the middle of the intersection. I couldn't help but laugh what's next? An old west stage coach driving down the street? By the time I passed the wayward rooster, he had made it safely to the other side of the street and was headed toward the hay(?) field. I get it, don't you? The grass was greener on the other side...

8 item tag!

Here are the Rules
Post the rules on your blog. Answer the six 8 item questions.

(Mine aren't in favorite order)

8 favorite TV shows

1 Law & Order SVU
2 In Plain Sight
3 Kim Possible
4 Robot Chicken
5 Gardening by the yard
6 Dragonball Z (orginally on TV but not sure if they are anymore...but it counts!)
7 30 Days
8 Reno 911

8 things I did yesterday

1 Took care of my kiddlets
2 Surfed blogs and other web stuff
3 Finally put Valentine's Decorations away.
4 Balanced checking account
5 Tickled and rough-housed with same kiddlets
6 A load of dishes
7 Talked on the phone to Mom and Kim
8 Worked on a story of mine

8 things I am looking forward to

1 Losing weight
2 Kim and Steven coming home for a visit...many times I hope
3 Backpacking!
4 Working Credit cards down
5 Camping in June
6 Ivy starting pre-kindergarten in the fall
7 A nice green backyard
8 A possible road trip to KY to visit Kim and Steven

8 favorite restaurants

1 Taco Bell
2 Subway
3 Red Lobster
4 Cafe Istambul
5 Panda Express
6 NYPD pizza
7 House of Egg Roll
8 Cold Stone Creamery

8 things on my wish list

1 happy healthy kids
2 To paint the walls in our house
3 A clean and organized garage
4 A weekend getaway with John
5 More energy
6 To see family more often
7 Peaceful and calm dogs
8 To finish my stories

Ok...it's y'all's turn! Get crackin'!

The things they pick up on

This was inspired by an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse...specifically the Mickey's comet episode. This one dealt with looking at things in a different point of view...from above, under something...and upside down. So Ivy got the idea to start looking at everything upside down and flipped up to a headstand on the couch. Then Riley had to get in on it too, but couldn't get his legs up the whole way. Ivy got too carried away and forgot to face the couch to flip up her legs, and faced away from the couch. Needless to say, she ended up on the floor. I couldn't help by laugh, which made her laugh too, instead of cry or whimper. All that from a MMC episode.

In trouble with John's cooking

Some of you may have noticed that my weight-loss ticker hasn't budged in the last week. I firmly blame John. Now, before you start ridiculing me for blaming someone else for my lack of weight loss...let me elucidate.

John loves to cook. I love letting him. The downside of this delicious affair with his cooking is that A) He's really good at it and B) Everything he cooks is so not diet friendly. Plus, he's been on a BBQ sauce kick lately, so now I'm in even more trouble. BBQ Chicken...BBQ Burgers with sauteed mushrooms & onions...BBQ Ribs...you see my dilemma? In his defense, he tries to make it all diet-friendlier by oven baking it all on a wire rack so the fat can drip off. But there's really no good way to tweak the Fettuccine Alfredo made from Whipping cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic and butter. Nothing redeemable about that plate full of heaven. At the very least, I behave myself during the rest of the day so the evening's sinfulness hasn't caused me to gain any weight back...Phew!

I know...poor me right?

My 25 things about me...

Yeah, I know everyone did this tag awhile ago, but it took that long to think of interesting things about me to post. And here we go...

1. Black socks seem more warm and cozy than white socks.

2. My favorite sodas are Dr. Pepper, Big Red, and Cherry Pepsi, but above all...I love water best.

3. I still love Dragonball Z (a Japanese anime) since John got me hooked on it while we were dating. Vegeta is the BEST character in the whole series, then Goku comes in a close 2nd. Just love them Saiyans...

4. Red Vines are way better than Twizzlers.

5. My favorite place in the world is Disneyland and a close 2nd is Blue Ridge Reservoir (camping spot).

6. I wanted to be a 3rd grade teacher, but realized that I couldn't handle the unsupportive parents, so quit going to school for it...for now.

7. I like to write stories, but since I can't think of an original plot, I just stick to writing fanfictions...Mostly Dragonball Z and POTC.

8. I hate coffee, but need it to function-working nights and staying up 24+ hours twice a week kinda mandates it. So I add hot chocolate to coffee for an extreme mocha.

9. I love living in Arizona, but feel like I'm missing out on seasons that the rest of the country has.

10. I love weird food combos-tuna macaroni salad scooped up by nacho cheese doritos is the best one so far.

11. I am a Disney Nut. Obvious by #5. All things Disney...I love it.

12. The sound of dogs licking themselves (anywhere) drives me insane. Especially so at 3am in a otherwise sound-void darkened bedroom.

13. My favorite holiday is Halloween...duh. If you didn't know that about me by now, who are you and how did you stumble across my blog?

14. I tend to like the Villians over the good guys...Hence Vegeta over Goku if your're familiar. Don't really know why...I guess evil has more sex appeal than goodness?

15. I actually like my job. Scary huh? Hopefully one day I can get off of nights and onto days as a Dept. Manager of infants. Or Lingerie. Or Cosmetics, girls / boys wear, or HBA (soap/shampoo). Some day...

16. I'll watch kids shows...but SpongeBob, Wiggles, Boo-Bah or strictly banned from me home. I need to keep some of my sanity.

17. I am truly in awe over how far my sister Kim has gotten in her life by the age of 26. In the Army and practicing medicine definitely makes me so proud of her I actually tear up.

18. While I drive to/from work...I 'm learning Japanese. I'd like to get to a level where I can watch DBZ without subtitles.

19. My guilty pleasure music is ABBA and Ace of Bass. hehe

20. I am addicted to chapstick. If I don't have a tube in my pocket, it's gonna be a bad day.

21. I truly believe I am blessed to have such a amazingly smart, goofy, understanding, loving, talented, forgiving, patient, delightfully evil, warm husband...and that's not even the half of the ways he's special. I really don't know what I'd do without him.

22. I usually would rather what a movie versus TV.

23. My pantry is "inventory ready" as the Walmart backroom system dictates. After working there for 7 years, some things rub off and just stick with you. (John finds this to be one of my cutest quirks...)

24. I'd like to go to culinary school some day...just for fun.

25. I have several OCD quirks-like not being able to put lotion on my hands without washing them immediately before. Balance. I HAVE to have level balance in all things-from the number of candles to holiday decorations. Can get pretty irriating at times.

Well, there we go...finally did it! If anyone hasn't done this one yet...you are tagged!

Scattergories!

Rules: It's harder than it looks! Copy to your own note, erase my answers, and enter yours. Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real. . .nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You must put the first answer that comes to mind! You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Glitter Graphics Maker & MySpace Layouts

1. What is your name: Jennie

2. A four Letter Word: Jazz

3. A boy's Name: Jace

4. A girl's Name: Jamie

5. An occupation: Janitor

6. A color: Jade Green

7. Something you wear: Jumper

8. A food: Jelly

9. Something found in the bathroom: Jammies (post wearing)

10. A place: Jamestown

11. A reason for being late: Jumpy Children

12. Something you shout: Jiminy Cricket!

13. A movie title: Jack-Ass the movie

14. Something you drink: Juice

15. A musical group: Jabbawockeez (I had to look this one up...)

16. An animal: Jackal

Phew! That was hard! Alright...now I pass this fun along to you!

Thinking of you...

Here's something for John and Steve...the zombie-killing experts


and of course I'm thinking of you too Kim...


Don't blame me, I didn't find either of these (although they are funny). That would be John...while he's supposed to be working, might I add.

Playin' at the park

For Christmas, Grandma Cori got the kids a wagon. But this is no ordinary wagon! It has fold-down seat backs, 4 cup holders and best of all...seatbelts! We figured that it was time for a "roadtrip" and to test out the new sand toys. I swear that other neighborhood kids can smell the combination of sand and plastic buckets and beg their parent to go to the park! No one was there when we got there, then 5 showed up, then 2, then 3 more! (None with their own sand toys, might I add...) Ivy was so good about sharing her toys that she shared them all away, then looked a bit sad when she realized that she didn't have one to dig with! Poor sweetie! Perhaps I need to buy another set just to have extra?

Hair cuts!

Well, I finally did it. I got my hair cut! I had planned on doing it back around Halloween, but kept chickening out. Now it just was too long and couldn't do a darn thing with it but keep it in a bun ALL THE TIME. And thanks to my Mother-in-law Linda, it looks so cute! It sure is nice having someone in my family that gives John and I great haircuts for free! I kinda like that my hair is naturally wavy and don't have to put anything it in to be wavy. Whatcha think?

The before...

...And after!

And after again!

Hell of a splinter

I just had to share my adventures at Walmart...

So I was at work the other night pulling down pallets of overstock with a power lift jack. The pallet I had to get down was in a tight spot, wedged in between other pallets. I am very good (if I do say so myself) at the lift so this was no problem. Well, until I almost cleared the bin and heard a crack. A piece of pallet had caught a box on the neighboring pallet and impaled it. I had no choice but to keep going and break it off. Since the same pallet had to go back up in the same spot, I had to hunt for a tall enough ladder, climb up and then pull the wood piece out, resulting a in splinter in my hand! That's when you start twitching in irritation...thankfully no one was around to hear the cursing that insued.