Once I overcame my technological challenge, I borrowed Kristen's fun webtool find and added a map from Frappr!* to my page. You should go there, put your name and location and a picture of yourself.
How's that for Friday afternoon fun?
*I'm kind of embarassed to have any connection to something called Frappr!, but what can you do?
I have been randomly selected to play along:
1. Go into your archives.
2. Find your 23rd post.
3. Post the fifth sentence (or closest to it).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
5. Tag five other people to do the same thing.
Here goes:
"She called me and asked me to go by the hospital and pick up a copy of her X-ray so she could use it for her photography final."
Yeah, good story.
And I randomly select:
In an effort to be more jolly, I've already started to listen to Christmas music because, well, I really like Christmas music and it makes me jolly. It's not uncommon for me to pull out the festive tunes in mid November, but I'm getting in the spirit of few weeks early this year. I'm also trying to break the habit of waiting till the last minute to buy all my Christmas presents, but I'm having a hard time breaking tradition. I already know what I'm getting most people on my list, but when I get ready to make the purchase, I'm just not into it. I did order the one present that I actually have to order, so I guess that's a beginning. (I'm trying to make an effort to do business locally instead of online - for our economy and such, because every little bit helps, right?)
Anyway, last year I made a Christmas CD which I sent out to a bunch o' friends, and I think I'm going to do the same this year. So besides the extra jolliness the Christmas music induces, I'm also planning the playlist. Plus, I woke up this morning singing Mamacita, Donde Esta Santa Claus, which is (obviously) a good sign.
I try not to be judgemental about other people's fashion decisions, but white skirt, black tights and white Payless pumps (circa 1986)? How could you?
And while we're at it - to whoever brought the box of Krispy Kremes to the office today: for the love of everyone else in the building - please don't do that again! My powers are useless against a Krispy Kreme.
*That it's 85 today instead of 105
*That I'm acclimated enough to think 85 is chilly
*Fridays
*Anticipation
*Hope
*Water
*Undeserved Luxury
*Health
*That people are funny (whether they mean to be or not)
*Being encouraged
*Encouraging others
*A job I enjoy
*Unspoken communication
*The peace that passes all understanding
*Electricity
*Tears of joy
*Coffee (even bad office coffee)
*Gravity
*Puns
*Post-season baseball
*Lunch hours
*Accessories
*Flirting (which, by the way, I am very bad at)
*Community
*Infintite opportunity to learn
*Super bendy thumbs
*Telephones
*An endless variety of colors
*Uniformity of spelling (Yes, I am a geek, but I delight in consistency)
*Airplanes
*Babies
*The way people behave when they see bugs and rodents
*Job 5:17ff
*Warm socks for cold toes
*That mothers love faces only mothers could love
*Imagination
*Instinct
*Inside jokes that come up years later out of the blue
*That know-it-alls don't really know it all
*That there is a time to laugh and a time to cry
*Music
*The abundance of books
*Adverbs and adjectives
*Creativity
*Fashion
*Mobility
*Memory
*Parties
*Solitude
*That I could list 50 more things and still not be out of things to be thankful for
::Conversation overheard in the office on Leif Ericson Day::
"I'm bored."
"How can you be bored? It's Leif Ericson Day (orga borga inga dorga)"
"Who's Leif Ericson?"
"He discovered America."
"Then who was Christopher Columbus?"
"Oh, he discovered Florida."
"Oh."
I've done nothing but have fun lately. Long trips, short trips, day trips, night trips, one fish, two fish, red fish, and so forth. This past weekend, I went to Nacogdoches. Friday night was Gabe and Casey's wedding. Of all the weddings I've been to, it was the only outdoor wedding I've attended. Of course, April and October are pretty much the only hope for good outdoor-wedding weather in this region and I must say it worked out well. It was a tad chilly - as in 55 degrees or so - but it was a nice ceremony and a fun reception.
Saturday, Aaron and I drove to Houston and went to the Astros/Braves game. We were there with 43,757 other fans (record crowd) and I have to say, it was the most fun I've ever had at a pro-game. The crowd was so intense and excited. Super. Fun. I didn't even regret driving back to Nac in the wee hours of the night. I was not sorry to be a day too early for the 18 inning legend, either. That's just too much of a good thing.
Despite all the good times, I am (as mentioned in the title) in the middle of my bi-annual funk, which is not as fun as it sounds. Every six months or so, I have a case of the blues (depression seems like too strong a term) that just takes me a while to snap out of. I went through this in April and it eventually just went away. I think more sleep would help, but then when it's time for bed, I can't sleep. I want to talk to a friend about it, but then when I have the chance to bring it up, I just can't do it. I can't pull myself together. To top it all off, I'm wearing an ugly skirt today, which doesn't help matters. Why did I put it on? It just seemed like the thing to do. Bad idea.
Okay, I'll stop whining now because really, life is good.
10 years ago: I started driving. I was 16 and in the beginning of my senior year of high school. Wow. I'm getting old.
5 years ago: I was enjoying my senior year of college. That was a super-fun year.
1 year ago: I had a cold. I was hanging out with friends from college. (You've gotta love blog archives.)
Yesterday: I worked. I did Pilates (which I'm aching from today). I jogged to the park to watch some AAPC softball and I learned two things: (1) it's fun to jog by a football field during a football game because it's like jogging to your own personal marching band and (2) don't take a short cut through the golf course because you just might get beamed by a golf ball. I didn't, but if I had been about 5 seconds faster...
5 snacks I enjoy: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Fuji Apples, M&M's, yogurt, lattes
5 songs I know all of the words to: "It's the End of the World as We Know It, And I Feel Fine" (R.E.M.), "Son of a Preacher Man" (Dusty Springfield), "Tiny Dancer" (Elton John), "The Luckiest" (Ben Folds), "Eternal Flame" (The Bangles)
5 things I'd do with 100 million dollars: hire a financial advisor, buy a first home, buy homes for all my family members, buy a second home (only as an investment, of course), give to worthy causes
5 places I'd run away to: England, Florida, Seattle, Italy, New York City
5 things I'd never wear: leg warmers w/ flip flops, short-shorts, a mu-mu, clothes that are two decades out of style, a short pleated skirt (trust me: it's not a good look for me)
5 favorite TV shows: House, Survivor, Seinfeld, ER, 24
5 biggest joys: Sundays, my family, stability, laughing with friends, the hope that is within me
5 favorite toys: my car, the stereo in my car, my computer, my bicycle, portable CD player (I know: I'm so out of touch with the iPod generation)
With less than 24 hours advanced planning, I made a quick jaunt to Chattanooga over the weekend to surprise Oriel for her birthday. I usually decline such impromptu trips because I like things to be planned in advance, but I've never regretted going on such trips - I've only regretted the times I haven't done things because I didn't have early notice. It worked out well with my work load to take the day off on Friday and I'm very happy that I went.
The trip was quick, for sure. It's about a 7.5 hour drive from Monroe - not a bad drive though, especially once you get past the bad roads of Louisiana and Mississippi. I got to Chattanooga Friday afternoon and spent a few hours wandering around by myself, so I didn't ruin the surprise. I just hung out downtown, going in shops, drinking coffee, reading and people watching. It's kind of fun to explore a city in anonymity - you should try it sometime.
O was definitely shocked to see me - first she was surprised in typical "surprise party" fashion, then I sauntered into the party late, walked up behind her and asked her if she had been surprised. I think she did a quadruple-take when she saw me. Fun times.
Though I left later than I intended to yesterday, the drive back was pleasant enough, despite the price of gasoline, and I was home before my usual bedtime. I think I could have made the drive home in under 7 hours since the traffic is lighter on Sundays, but I'm really careful about where I stop for gas, water, etc, when I travel alone. It's not uncommon for me to pullover at an exit and decide it might not be safe (or clean!), get back on the road and try the next exit. I know it's not practical and I'm probably overly cautious, but being the single white female that I am, I try to be extra careful.
Anyway, it's back to work now until this weekend when I'm off Friday (another vacation day) and Monday (Columbus Day). I won't know what to do when I have to actually work five full days in a row again!