Thunderstruck
It's 90 degree's right now and is 6:02 pm. It got up to 93 degree's today, according to the six o'clock news I can hear in the background. Feels more like Labor Day than Memorial Day!
Today I took the four (4) kids to Thunderstruck, a local swimming area, on the Little River. It was a nice little break for us all on a very hot day! We actually didn't get the "Thunderstruck" spot because fisherpeople were parked and fishing there, so we went up the road a little ways to another pull-off. The spot we picked was very muddy, but the water still as cool as a mountain river can be - so regardless of the mud, it worked. Becky's son was in the mud up to his nipples and was loving it! Truly a boy! Myself, Samantha and Becky's two girls got right through the mud, as quick as we could, to the deeper and more sandy areas. Once out there it was very nice and refreshing! The reason we love and wanted the Thunderstruck spot is because it actually is all sand. You don't have to deal with any mud! Oh well, maybe next time. You have to get out there early to grab the good pull-off's! We took Ruby too, who immediately got into a container of Chicken Livers left by a fisherperson. She had a blast! She also basked in the mud with the young boy... and she is a girl. I threw Ruby in the water a few times and sure enough she's a pro at the "doggy paddle". The first time she hit the water it shook her up a little, but beyond that first time she seemed to become a fish to the water. Samantha, who is also a fish, took Ruby out "deep" (about 5') and she hung onto Sam's shoulders and enjoyed the cool water. She eventually swam back to shore. It was so cute - she was like a little toddler, hanging onto her Mommy. I so wanted a picture of the whole scene but that would have entailed bringing my picture phone out into the water, which I didn't want to do. The one I took of the girls, I took from shore and it didn't come out too well, but you can get the idea. After about an hour and a half we saw the two cars that were parked at the Thunderstruck spot heading down the road and we knew they were leaving. We decided to go nab it quick, before anyone else did, but when we got there there were two young boys fishing, still..... Very annoying! We thought we had it for sure because when we pulled up there were no cars. I don't know if they walked, or how they got there, but they didn't have a car with them and you could only see them after we got out of the car - they were down the bank. We didn't swim because I guess it would be kind of rude to swim and scare the fish away from what they were trying to do. We were all a little bummed and decided to pack it up and head home. It was a good time though and I did tell the kids I would try to take them another evening this week, after work. (Yes tomorrow morning I start work) Maybe Wednesday evening because Becky is off on Wednesday too.

What do you think?

Becky and I met last night, as planned. We went to O'Charleys and had a few drinks at the bar. I had three white russians and she had two mudslides. On the way home I had to stop for gas and cigarettes so we pulled into a local Sheetz. I'll be darned if right across the street (going the opposite way we were, Thank god) was a Road Block, or as they call them around here, a "License Check". There were about 20 police and they were stopping each car that went by to checking for drivers license and other type such stuff. I was a little shocked. I mean.... yes I had seen them on some of the smaller roads in the past, but this was 460, a major highway going through the middle of town! We're talking a 4 lane highway.
In Massachusetts this type of thing is illegal.
My question to you is, do you think they should be able to do this or is it a violation of a drivers rights in some way or other?
"License Check" in the news

Bagels for Brunch
Mmmmm - yummy bagel. Just thought I'd throw that into the mix. I'm eating a bagel for brunch, as I blog. (It was Brunch time when I started this post, even though it's almost 2:30 now). When I was a kid I absolutely hated bagels. Funny how taste buds will change.
Oh how funny! As I was typing this entry my sister Molly, in Massachusetts, sent me a picture message of her bagel, of all things. I was on the floor laughing at the coincidence. We keep in touch by sending pic messages back and forth - mostly comical ones. We have a similar sense of humor so we keep each other laughing. I sent her back a picture of mine.
Well, today is my last week day without work. Tuesday I start my new job. It has been nice not working, I do have to say, but I also am tired of not having a paycheck.
I've had a lot of "me" time and will miss it.
Reflecting on what I did all week... hmmm
Unpacked a car load full of stuff I brought back from MA.
Carpet cleaned the rugs in my living area.
Worked on my cross-stitch quite a bit.
Watched lots of TV. All my favorite shows. My TV has DVR (digital video recorder) which is very dangerous for me because I love TV so much. DVR enables me to go in and tape all of the Televisions shows I like and then I can go back and watch them anytime I want. The DVR allows 40 hours of record time - I have used up about 30 so far! Needless to say, I've watched alot of TV while working on that cross-stitch.
I helped plant some in the garden. I've never done my own garden, my parents had one, but have never actually worked in one. I enjoyed it. I planted peas and carrots. Becky planted beans, pumpkins and watermelons. The rest: squash, tomatoes, cuc's etc., we are doing with flats (already grown plants).
I mowed the lawn again - not because it needed it, but because I love to ride the rider around in the evenings when its just the perfect temperature and spring is in the air!
I hooked up all the electronics I brought back from MA. Sam and Becky's 9 yr old got a TV, DVD and VCR in their room, Becky's 1st grader got a TV/VCR, I have TV/VCR and I put the nice new monitor from MA in place of the older one Becky and the crew had been using.
Did quite a bit of blogging... which might be kind of slow when I start work, as I will have to redesign my schedule.
Cooked American Chop Suey for everyone one night. (Becky, Sam, Becky's 16 yr old and I all take turns cooking)
I am half way through a great book called The Face, by Dean Koontz.
Constantly took care of our Ruby, our 3 month old German Shepherd puppy.
Made sure that my cat, which I brought back from MA, is settling in ok.
I listened and watched a very cool Thunder/Lightning storm last night, before drifting off to sleep.

Plans for the weekend anyone?

I did have plans to make another trip to MA for another load, but I think it will have to wait another week or so. Kevin and I are very burnt out from this last trip and it's going to be nice this weekend so I plan on enjoying the country.
Now whatever comes my way is what I'll be doing.
I have a few little plans, but nothing carved in stone. I want to go to the river sometime this weekend. There is a very cool (literally) river that I plan to visit on Saturday or Sunday. It's similar to one that I used to go to when I lived here before, only it's on the other side of the county and closer to where we are now. It's a mountain river with crystal clear water and rocks to slide down. If there is one thing I love about being around here is that there isn't 50,000 people all over the place. Everything is secluded - you usually won't see a soul (except cars driving by occasionally) the whole time while swimming.
We've also been talking about grilling out Saturday evening. But where the grill is actually going to come from, is beyond me.
Tonight Samantha is spending the night at a girlfriends so I am meeting Becky when she gets out of work. We are going for a beer or two at Applebee's or MacAdoo's. It should be fun. We rarely get to do such things without kiddles attached to us.
Oh and there are a few cool Memorial Day marathons that I plan on taping on the DVR!

May your Memorial Day bring many merry memories!

Optical Illusions - Thirteen of them
Topic: 13 Thursday

What is on a Mans Mind?

 

 

 

 

 

Puzzle Anyone?

 

 

 

 

A Couple? Or is it a skull?

 

 

 

 

 

A Duck? Or is it a rabbit?

 

 

 

 

 

Elephant?

 

 

 

 

 A Girl? Or is it a man?

 

 

 

 

Another Skull? Or perhaps it's another girl?

 

 

 

Trumpet Player? Woman?

 

 

 

A bird? Or is this actually an island?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you seeing double?

 

 

 

 Upside or Rightside?

 

 

 

 

Vace/Face - Ying/Yang

 

 

 

 

A woman's hair? Or a waterfall?

 

 

 

 

Thirteen Sites I visited today - all doing Thirteen Thursday

13 Strange State Laws

13 Thursday: Bless This Mess

I love word puzzles(so this T 13 this week shows you a bit of my habits)

13 Things Melli's HUBBY Loves About His Bike

People on my mind while I?m piecing together our family room this week:

Thirteen worries in our long distance relationship

Thirteen Things I don't "get"

Thirteen things I got done during my days off

thirteen things I'm looking forward to this summer

Thirteen Reasons Why Blog Friends Are Better Than Real Life Friends

Thirteen Ways people have Googled me lately

Thirteen of my reminders

13 Teas that the Red Queen Enjoys

This all happened in slow motion.....

I stood staring at the toilet, for what felt like an hour! Did that just happen? That didn't just happen.... But. It did.

I still stood staring at the toilet.... hmmm.... Do I dare. Yes - I did. I stuck my arm as far up the drain as it would go... which wasn't very far, thanks to an S curve pipe. I think I actually stuck my arm up there three times or so before I gave in to the fact that my keys were gone.

I left the stall and went out to the bench where Kevin sat waiting.... "Come here quick" - with an urgency in my voice. As he quickly followed I yelled over my shoulder how I had just flushed my keys down the toilet. He later told me that for a 1/2 a minute or so he thought I was joking, until he saw the tears running down my face. I don't know what it is I thought he could do about it, but I led him to the front of the woman's bathroom and told him my story. He just kind of looked at me with probably the same look I had when I watched the keys go down the drain... "We're f'd" was all he had to say. Me.... I still did not want to admit it was over yet. I went to the maintenance crew who had looks of disbelief, which quickly changed to looks of "no way I'm taking that toilet apart", quickly insisting that there aren't traps on the toilets. The keys, they said, were forever gone! One little old man did start to put on some gloves, bless his heart (gee I wish I had had those).

Back out to the car I went... Hunting for any possible spare set (ya right) in wheelwell's, behind the plate... any possible magnets get-ups? Nope.

My boss, who I bought the car from about 4 yrs ago, saved a set of keys. Could I possibly get them flown into the rest area via a FedEx airplane? Highly doubtfull.

Then I remembered the trusty locksmith. I called the 24 hr emergency locksmith man, who promptly came and took my steering wheel apart and made me a key.
$125.00 later (Thank you Kevin)! I was on the road again.... just couldn't wait to get on the road again!

The KEYS to my heart

Clearly a completely Chrissie moment!
I'm driving 81 N headed to Mass. to get some of my belongings. I stop for a bathroom brake about 1/2 was up 81 in PA - between Frackville and Scranton. I got into the bathroom, sit down, do my business, and I'll be damned if I don't drop the keys in the toilet. I'm sitting there stunned.... oh no - I have to put my hands in that toilet to retrieve my keys! Arggg, Ewww, and more! But it ends up that I don't have to put my hands in the the toilet to retrieve my keys because when I stand up and turn to look in at them........

THE AUTOMATIC F'ING FLUSHER TOOK THEM AWAY!

(Story to be continued on next post..... Hate to keep you waiting but I just got back from traveling 1400 miles in a day and a half and packing up half my apartment to boot)
)

Our Ghost
Ok - drum roll please... Here is the picture (see Thirteen Thursday if you don't know what I'm refering too)

I circled the face, which is kind of titled slightly to the right (facing him/her).
And yes... there is a hand too... as mentioned in a few of your comments - actually there are two hands - but as long as you can see the face you'll make me happy!

Let me know what you think!

I've been Tagged and you have too.....
Questions in Triplicate
Tagged by: Becky

3 Names you go by:
Chris
Chrissie
Christine

3 Screen Names you have had:
Chrissiemarie
Chrissc
Chrisdotsam

3 Things you like about yourself:
My sense of humor
My creativeness
My love for my family & close friends

3 Things you don't like about yourself:
I smoke too much
I eat too late at night
My recent grey hairs... age is creeping up on me fast

3 Parts of your heritage:
Irish
German
More Irish

3 Things that scare you:
Going to the dentist
Other peoples driving
Dying

3 Of your everyday essentials:
Cigarettes
Samantha
Television

3 Things you are wearing right now:
Socks
My sisters Salve Regina Dance sweats (they are comfy and she probably won't be getting them back -she left them at my house - whats fair is fair..... LOL)
Kevin's Amsterdam T-shirt

3 Of your favorite bands or musical artists:
Billy Joel
Ozzy / Black Sabbath
James Taylor

3 Of your favorite songs:
Taxi Driver - Harry Chapin
The Circle Game - Joni Mitchelle
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John

3 Things you want to try in the next 12 months
Pay off some debt obligations
Lose a little weight
Buy a house

3 Things you want in a relationship:
Love
Humor
Happiness

2 Truths and a lie:
I used to live in Texas
I have a 12 year old daughter
I recently had a seizure

3 Things about the opposite sex that appeal to you:
Butt
Strong Arms
Broadness in shoulders

3 Things about the same sex that appeal to you:
Beauty
Gracefulness
Ability to show emotion

3 Things you just cannot do:
Go near a spider
Hike up hills or anything elevated
Run

3 Of your favorite hobbies:
Cross-stitch
Television & Movies
Blogging

3 Things you want to do really badly right now:
Eat a couple of lobsters would be yummy
Peek in at my daughter sound asleep
(I love to see her when she's sleeping... especially now that she is twelve - when she's awake her mouth never stops)
Be over this cold

3 Careers you are considering:
Call Center / Customer Service work
(only because I just got this job)
Going back to School
Legal Secretary (again)

3 Places you want to go on vacation:
Alaska
Canada
Colorado

3 Kids names:
Emma
Jess
Harley

3 Things you want to do before you die:
Visit Beaufort SC (where he was born)
Move to Alaska or Canada
Travel, travel and more travel

3 Ways you are stereotypically a boy:
Mechanically inclined
Great driver and good with directions
I'm good at sports

3 Ways you are stereotypically a girl:
I'm emotional
I love to cook and clean
I can be sexy when I want to be

3 Celeb crushes:
Gary Sinese
Val Kilmer
Johnny Dep

3 People you would like to complete this quiz:

I AM TAGGING
Mom
Colleen
Brico Trout

THIRTEEN THURSDAY
Topic: 13 Thursday

 

 
Thirteen witnessed supernatural events, in no particular order, witnessed by myself or someone close to me!

One:
My Best friend Becky had a young brother pass away and we have always been under the impression that he visits her and her children quite often. He likes to turn things on and off and move things etc. One Friday evening we were hanging out and were actually talking about this very issue. Out of the blue we heard the toilet seat cover crash down onto the toilet seat - as if to acknowledge what we had been talking about. We were all in the living room together, including the children, making it impossible for one of us to have done it.

Two:
I was visiting Becky this past Easter and the first night I got there we were talking all about her new home and such. She was telling me about her visitors newest little trick. He would turn the x-tra TV, which was in her finished garage on and off constantly. It got so frequent and actually at times she would see it come on, walk into the garage to turn it off and would get halfway across the room before it would turn itself back off. So anyway, I got a little shivery about this story but she said not to worry, it hadn't happened in awhile - since the holidays. Neither of us thinking about the fact that the next day was Easter! That night (Easter eve but after mid-night) I had a clear view of the window connecting the garage and the living room when I started to see something glowing and then not. The TV had started to go on and off again. It did this all night long. On for awhile, off for awhile. It really was one of the most times for me (and I've had lots of experiences as you will read). It stopped the next day and has not happened again since. We are just waiting for the next holiday, which I guess would be Memorial day and probably quite fitting for a visit.

Three:
But... the visitor hasn't left, that's for sure. The other day Becky heard me shout her name "Bec" as I would if I were calling to get her attention from one room to the other. She came to my door and I was sound asleep. I had not said a thing.

Four:
This same thing happened to me once too. Samantha was about four and I was cleaning my kitchen cabinets while she was playing in her room. My back was to the doorway and I heard Sam walk into the kitchen and say "Mom" in her sweet little voice. I said "what" but got no response. I turned around and no one was there. I walked down the hallway to her room. It could not have been her because she was actually sitting inside her toy box which I could see was a feat for her to get in and out of.

Five:
I recently lost two uncles within one month of eachother. I was especially close to my uncle Jimmy. At his wake I wanted to leave a part of myself with him so I left the only thing I could quickly find. A penny from my pocketbook, which I placed in his right hand top suit pocket. Of course, I had to do the same for my other uncle when he passed a month later. A few months after the funerals, my grandmother was diligently working on the gravesites, when low and behold sitting on the stone were two pennies. No one knows where they came from or even why they were there. I don't think I need to tell you where I think they came from, do I?

Six:
My aunt wrote a book about my two uncles, called The Jim and Dan Stories (Buy her Book Here.... It's Great!!!!). My daughter Sam and I were visiting Colleen one evening. We had one of our normal short but sweet little visits and left at about 8 pm. It was dark. About a mile down the road my daughter looked at me and calmly said "Mom, your uncles are in the backseat, wearing tuxedo's. They got in the car at Colleen's house." Colleen and I had not discussed Jim and Dan during this visit - I know this because most of the time we were talking about a few problems I was having in one of my relationships and this took up most of our conversation.

Seven:
I totally believe that the young (and animals) can see so much more than we can. When my baby sister was about two, she was driving in the car with my parents. She was not yet talking fluently, just words here and there. She looked up and clearly announced "school" and pointed to an old empty lot. My parents were amazed because this actually was the site of her grandfathers elementary school decades earlier.

Eight:
My Mom heard three knocks, clear as day one night while she was laying in bed trying to get to sleep. She said they were very distinct and loud. They came from the top area of the wall that she was next too. One the other side of the wall was my bunk beds... The only problem was, I was not home and no one was on my bunk beds.

Nine:
I once saw what I thought was the Virgin Mary (could have been a ghost or an angel) when I was about eight years old. She was standing in the corner of my room glowing brightly. I was not dreaming. I closed my eyes because I was frightened, willing it to go away. When I opened my eyes again the being had moved to the bottom bunk of my bed. I could see the glowing springing out from the bottom bunk as if a bright light were lit below my bunk.

Ten:
One day I was driving to work when out of the blue I suddenly started to think of Timothy McVey. I really wasn't a big follower of his story at the time and do not know why I thought of him - but I did. Then I had a very strong thought.... something I would have no reason to even think of... but the Timothy McVey thought connected me to thinking about terrorists and I had a strong feeling something big was going to happen. I specifically remember where I was at when I was thinking all this... I was driving down Bent Mountain, not an easy road to forget. It was 7:30 a.m. A few hours later 9-11 happened!

Eleven:
Hmmm... talk about . Ok - I had a night of death dreams once. I was living in Florida and my boyfriend got up in the middle of the night, sleep-walking and sleep-screaming that there was something in our waterbed. When I finally woke him enough to get him coherent he remembered his dream and told it to me. He had thought that he saw a person where the water is in the bed, looking up at him. We were both too afraid to go back to the bedroom so I slept on the love-seat and he on the couch. Now it was my turn..... I dreamed that we were having a get together and we were all watching a Harlem Globetrotters basketball game on TV. One of our friends was someone lying on the floor, looking up at the game when the TV fell and smashed his skull. I could see his brains oozing out of his head. I woke up terrified but I did not wake my boyfriend. I finally got myself back to sleep and had another horrible dream. It was one of those where I was trying to drive a car but I couldn?t get control of it.... no matter which way I turned the steering wheel the car would go round and round. I finally got some control of the car and driving down the road I saw a girl lying in the road with dark hair. I drove by her and came upon a 7-11 store. As I was going into the store I noticed a woman giving a about the accident I had just passed and that three people had died in a horrible accident. She had three old fashioned wooden coffins as her backdrop for the report. Obviously, I again awoke terrified and never did go back to sleep that night. We had no telephone so the next morning I decided to run out and call home (Mass.) because I felt freaked out. I specifically remember the conversation. Me: "Hi Mom, how is everything there at home?" Mom: "Oh Ok, but I have bad news about Lynn." Me: "She's dead, isn't she?" Mom: "Yes, she was killed in a car accident last night?" Shivers ran through me and even worse when I realized the connections? 1. Lynn had died of head injuries 2. She looked like the person I saw in the road 3. There were three people involved. Two died and one girl broke almost every bone in her body.

Twelve:
My uncle Jimmy was an avid weather lover. The first snow storm that we had in VA after he passed I tribute to him. I was on the computer and my daughter asked me to take her sled out of the garage so she could sled in the snow that kept us home from school and work. We both trugged through the snow to get the sled. When I came back in - Jimmy's picture was sitting square in the middle of my mousepad!


Thirteen:
Lastly.... I took this picture the other night with my camera phone in order to show Becky some decorating the kids were doing upstairs.
I'd like to know if you can see anything?
Do you see what I see? Because I can see something clear as day!
While I was standing next to Becky at the computer showing the below picture. Someone or something clearly tugged at the bottom of my shirt. No one was behind me and the kiddo's were in bed. I felt two very strong tugs.

Note: For anyone interested, I will point it out tomorrow. I?d like to see what others see, if anything!

This is only the tip of the iceberg, I have so many more of these stories I could tell!

GOODNIGHT AND SWEET DREAMS!

Time Flies

I have already skipped another day... wow - how time does fly.

Yesterday I went for my job interview for a call center position and I got the job. I start on Monday. It is going to be different from the type of work I am used to.... I will be giving technical support to people that have problems with their Satellite television. Becky has been working there for four years now (is it four or six?) and she has done well. She likes to say that she never would have been able to buy a house without this job.
So.... I am going to give it a shot. I'm not sure yet how I will like it. I know I will love the work itself, but it is a very "structured" environment (re: scheduled breaks, performance monitoring etc.) and quite honestly I don't do well being so closely watched. I haven't been exposed to this type of work environment in many years... mostly my previous work experience has been very independent, where I'm essentially on my own, doing my own thing, and doing the work how I want to do it. It'll be very hard to break myself of this... I am quite sure. But.... I start immediately and that is my goal right now. I also got a few great callbacks yesterday and today for interviews which I will be checking into. One of them I'm really excited about, a Sales Support Position at a local newspaper! A very good company to get into.

After my day of interviewing and computerized testing, Becky and I ditched the children and went out and did some driving on the back, dirt, mountain roads that surround us. We had a great time just talking, tuning out and looking at the scenery. We also checked out a little country graveyard (which seem to be scattered everywhere around these mountains). The stones had some very very old born / death dates. I totally Love to look at the stones and situations of the people that have past.

Speaking of people past... Monday night I caught a picture of a ghost in her daughters room, while snapping shots with my phone of the decorating Sam and Val have been doing to their "shared" bedroom. My Thirteen Thursday tomorrow will tell much more about the ghostly image.... so stay tuned!

This morning I woke up sick as a dog. My throat is all inflamed, I have that yuck feeling in the back of my throat and absolutely no energy whatsoever. I feel like I just had this same exact thing a few weeks ago... Didn't I? I guess it's running rampant through the house - we all have had some form of something or other over the past few weeks. I can't wait for the warm weather so we can open the windows!!!!

Forever and a Day
Well Hello there and how are you? Haven't seen or talked to you in awhile. Hope all is well!

Yes - it's been forever and a day since I have "blogged". I've been out of the mood for it - which seems to happen to me periodically, although this has been the longest so far.

Changes, Changes and another address to add to my previous address list.

I came to Virginia for a vacation and never left (for those of you who don't know - I had previously lived in VA for about 10 yrs and had only been back in MA, where I had grown up, for about a year and half)! Pretty typical of me actually, I am a true Gypsy at heart!
I actually had a few good reasons to make my decision to stay a little easier. My live-in boyfriend had decided to come back to VA about 3 months previous, my temp job ended the week I left, therefore leaving me with no job to come back home to and the day before I left I got a notice that I couldn't have the puppy. Not to mention that I was paying 1,100.00 for a 2 bedroom apartment and since I got here I have seen numerous houses for rent, all of which were WELL below the apartment amount. I can actually afford to live here.
To top all that off - my best friend Beckles, who won't acknowledge her nickname, bought a house with some acreage a year ago and it has worked out rather well (so far) to "merge" our families - two single Mom's with four kids - each contributing when we can and each having different strong points on what we have to offer.
How long we will live like this? As myself and Winnie the Pooh like to say:

"You never can tell with Bee's"
I guess only as long as we all want it to be and as long as it is working out.
To top the top off with a cherry on top - I do have the option of buying a mobile and putting it on her land (finally making me a home owner of sorts) if I decide to go that route.

On that note I'll close, with love and promising not to be so long getting back to you!

post note: OK - I Lied - I'm not closing with that.... now I've got to direct you directly to the Video my Mom posted for Mothers Day.

Give me a V
Sorry - I've been neglecting you! It's been about a week since I've written. I am visiting Virginia this week and last week was filled with getting ready for my trip. (and I wasn't really in the mood for blogging).
Anyway....
Sam and I left for the 12 hour drive on Thursday evening, we stopped for the night in Frackville PA, where I religiously stop to spend the night. Frackville is exactly 1/2 way, to the mile, and home to my favorite little motel Granny's. The rooms are decorated as if your at visiting Granny's.

The food is down home cooking and to die for! We had one little travel snag. My alternator died but fate was with us, it could have been much worse. My battery light had flashed on at about midnight the previous night about 40 miles from the motel. When we went to begin part 2 of the drive it actually died as I was filling the tank and thank heavens before we got back on the highway! The gas attendant was able to point me to a little shop that was 1/4 mile from where we were... more fate in the works.... it actually was an alternator specialty shop!
Part 2 of our trip was uneventful. Because we got such a late start (thanks to the alternator) we didn't arrive in Virginia until about 10 pm.
We are staying with my best friend Becky. Becky has three kids, great friends of Samantha's. Sam, needless to say, is on top of the world right now. She is back in the country, being in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Floyd. And... to make matters even more impressive to her she is getting to see her father, which happens only once in a blue moon.
Yesterday (Saturday) Becky and I did some Easter shopping and then took the kids swimming at Thunderstruck - a swimming hole on the Little River.

Everyone had a blast. We called Kevin to meet us there and he brought his parents and niece and nephew - so it was a big ole get together. After dark we headed out - Becky back to her house with her kids and our puppy and Sam and I headed to Kevin's parents to spend the night so we would be here for Easter Sunday dinner. Sam has since been picked up by her father and I am looking forward to some yummy food!!!!
More later.... and With Love!!!!

68 Questions
1. What time did you get up this morning?
Work days - 8 or so (I'm not terrific about waking up)
Weekends - 10

2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe

4. What is your favorite TV show? Any Reality Show - right now The Apprentice & Survivor

5. What did you have for breakfast? I don't eat breakfast

6. What is your middle name? Marie

7. What is your favorite cuisine? I Love all food, but my most favorite is anything seafood.

8. What food do you dislike? Lima beans


9. Favorite chips? I'm not a big chip eater unless there is sour cream and onion dip with it and if so then it would regular flavored chips.

8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Billy Joel's greatest hits - still

11. What kind of car do you drive? Accura Legend

12. What characteristics do you despise? Hypocrasy

13. Favorite item of clothing? If I'm home I like comfy sweatpant types and if I'm going out jeans and a dress shirt.

14.If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Ireland

15. What color is your bathroom? Green and Whilte

16. Favorite brand of clothing? I'm not really into "brands" - anything that fits and looks good is fine with me.

17. Where would you retire? Traveling in one of those big Winnebago's holding up all the traffic behind me.

18. Favorite time of day? Afternoon

19. Where were you born? Beaufort SC

20. Favorite sport to watch? Football

22. Person you expect to send this back first? Becky

23. What laundry detergent do you use? Usually mid grade type detergent - Gain and such - if I can find Tide on sale I always buy it - I don't use the real cheap stuff anymore but I have in the past.

24. Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi

25. Are you a morning person or night owl? Night Owl

26. What size shoe do you wear? 5 1/2

27. Do you have pets? Yes - My Puppy Rubie & Cat Moody

28. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with your friends? I'm going to VA next week

29. What (who) did you want to be when you were little? An oceanographer

30. Favorite Candy Bar? Snickers

31. What is your favorite childhood memory? Wow - How do you pinpoint that one? I have so many. Going on weekends with my Dad was a biggy.

32. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Hostess, Dishwasher, Waitress, Cert. Nurses Aid, Medical Claims Processor, Legal Secretary, Project Management, Admin Asst

33. What color underwear are you wearing? Black

34. Nicknames? Chris or Chrissie

35. Piercing? just my ears

37. Ever been to Africa? No

38. Ever been toilet papering? no

39. Love someone so much it made you cry? YES!!!

40. Been in a car accident? yes

41. Croutons or bacon bits? croutons

42. Favorite day of the week? Saturday / Sunday

41. Favorite restaurant? The Venetian - used to be The Olde Mille Grille

44. Favorite flower? Tulips

45. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate Chip

46. Disney or Warner Brothers? Disney

47. Favorite fast food restaurant?

48. What color is your bedroom carpet? Beige

49. How many times did you fail your driver's test? never

50. Before this one, from whom did you get your last e-mail? My bank

Where are questions 51 & 52???

53. Bedtime? around midnight

54.Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire? not really curious about anyone in particular but I do love reading peoples answers to these

55. Last person you went to dinner with? Samantha

56. Ford or Chevy? Ford

57. What are you listening to right now?-- The rain and keyboard clicks

58. What is your favorite color? Red & purple

59. Lake, Ocean, River? River and Ocean!!

60. How many tattoos do you have? one - a small J on my for Jimmy McCoole one of my loves as a teen.

61. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The dinosaur egg

63. Favorite Cocktail? Gin & Tonic

64. Where would you go for a girl's weekend get-a-way? Skiing would be fun

65. What would you do if you had to select another career? Another career? I'm still waiting for a career to develop - Lawyer

66. Republican or Democrat? Democrat

67. Favorite Family Vacation? Disney World

68. All Time Favorite Concert? Ozzy Osbourne - I bought obstructed view tickets for cheap and it turned out to be 3rd row - it was only obstructed because it was right in front of the speakers but I could have touched the guitar player.

My Vanity Plate
My best friend Becky had her Vanity Plate on her Blog on Friday - here is mine:

chrissie's vanity plate:

RU CN NE1

'What will your vanity plate say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Teasers Answers
Melli Got Six corrent - She is the winner!
Check out her Blog

How quickly can you find out what is unusual about this paragraph? It looks so ordinary that you would think that nothing was wrong with it at all, and in fact, nothing is. But it is unusual. Why? If you study it and think about it you may find out, but I am not going to assist you in any way. You must do it without coaching. No doubt if you work at it for long, it will dawn on you. I don't know. Now, go to work and try your luck.

In the whole paragraph there is no E used – this is called a lithogram

Do you say "Loo-iss-vill" is the capital of Kentucky, or do you say "Loo-ee-vill" is the capital of Kentuckyn

Frankfort is the capital of Kentucky

Before the days of motor cars, a man rode into town on his horse. He arrived on Friday, spent three days in town and left on Friday. How is that possible?

The horses name is Friday

A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were not twins. How could this be so?

There are more than TWO babies. If three, they would triplets and if four they would be quadruplets. So, the rest were daughters.

How many animals of each sex did Moses take on the ark?

Moses didn't have an ark, Noah did!

Is there a Fourth of July in England?

Yes, it comes after the third of July!

A man dressed all in black is walking down a country lane. Suddenly a large black car without any lights on comes round the corner and screeches to a halt. How did the driver know there was a man in the road?

It was daylight

What happened in 1961 and will not happen again until 6009?

The year reads the same upside down

How could all of your cousins have an aunt who is not your aunt?

Your Mom is their Aunt

You are driving a bus. Four people get on, three people get off, then eight people get on and ten people get off, then 6 people get on and 2 more people get off. What color were the bus driver's eyes?

Whatever color your eyes are – you’re the driver remember?

What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Dinosaurs laid eggs long before chickens

If a daddy bull weighs 1,200 pounds and eats twelve bales of hay each day, and a baby bull, who weighs 300 pounds eats three bales of hay each day, how much hay then should a mommy bull eat if she weighs 800 pounds?

No such thing as mommy bull

Why are 1968 pennies worth more than 1967 pennies?

Because 1,968 is one penny more than 1,967

Thursday (& Friday) Thirteen
Topic: 13 Thursday

Thirteen Thursday Teasers

 

I've got Thirteen Teasers for you today!

Do you see a face or a word?




One: How quickly can you find out what is unusual about this paragraph? It looks so ordinary that you would think that nothing was wrong with it at all, and in fact, nothing is. But it is unusual. Why? If you study it and think about it you may find out, but I am not going to assist you in any way. You must do it without coaching. No doubt if you work at it for long, it will dawn on you. I don't know. Now, go to work and try your luck.

Two: Do you say "Loo-iss-vill" is the capital of Kentucky, or do you say "Loo-ee-vill" is the capital of Kentucky?

Three: Before the days of motor cars, a man rode into town on his horse. He arrived on Friday, spent three days in town and left on Friday. How is that possible?

Four: A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were not twins. How could this be so?

Five: How many animals of each sex did Moses take on the ark?

Six: Is there a Fourth of July in England?

Seven: A man dressed all in black is walking down a country lane. Suddenly a large black car without any lights on comes round the corner and screeches to a halt. How did the driver know there was a man in the road?

Eight: What happened in 1961 and will not happen again until 6009?

Nine: How could all of your cousins have an aunt who is not your aunt?

Ten: What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Eleven: You are driving a bus. Four people get on, three people get off, then eight people get on and ten people get off, then 6 people get on and 2 more people get off. What color were the bus driver's eyes?

Twelve: If a daddy bull weighs 1,200 pounds and eats twelve bales of hay each day, and a baby bull, who weighs 300 pounds eats three bales of hay each day, how much hay then should a mommy bull eat if she weighs 800 pounds?

Thirteen: Why are 1968 pennies worth more than 1967 pennies?


Other TTers doing Thirteen Thursday

Thirteen Things a Little Bird Told Me

Thirteen Things About my Childhood

Thirteen Things About Me

Thirteen Things You Might Not Know About a Librarian

13 Authors Melli Likes To Read and at least one book that might be favorite...

Thirteen things that really bother Dariana


Also - I do my TT's a little different - I link the sites I visit and also link the people that commented on my TT from the previous week.

Tuesday is..... Self Potrait Day
Hi! This is my first Self Potrait Tuesday.
The theme for this month is "April Fools" photo's.

Did you ever hear of this April Fools joke?
It was 1962, Sweden. There was only one tv channel and it broadcast in black and white. Technical expert, Kjell Stensson, appeared on the news to announce that all viewers could now quickly and easily convert their existing sets to display color. To make this happen they only had to pull a nylon stocking over their tv screen - at which point they would be able to see their TV in color. He then demonstrated the process.

I rushed out and bought some nylons. Amazingly enough......

Apparently hundreds of thousands of people were taken in.

(Actual color tv transmission began in Sweden on April 1, 1970).

Want to Participate?

Samantha Says....

My Mom asked my daughter, Samantha

the ending of a bunch of popular phrases.

Her Hilarious answers are lited below and should bring a nice Monday smile to your face. She got a few right and the rest are priceless! They actually brought quite a bit of Laughing out loud on my end.


1. Don't change horses.....hooves

2. Strike while the.......flag is still up

3. It's always darkest before.....it's light

4. Never underestimate the power of.....positive thinking

5. You can lead a horse to water but ....you can't make him swim

6. Don't bite the hand that ....has already been bitten

7. No news is......the news

8. A miss is as good as a ....tomboy

9. You can't teach an old dog new ....tricks

10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll ....smell

11. Love all, trust ...in kind

12. The pen is mightier than the ...pencil

13. An idle mind is......a bored mind

14. Where there's smoke there's ....cigarettes

15. Happy the bride who....got married

16. A penny saved is .....good luck

17. Two's company, three's ...company

18. Don't put off till tomorrow what ......you know you have to do

19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and .....tears come out

20. There are none so blind as ......people

21. Children should be seen and not .......heard

22. If at first you don't succeed ....you try again

23. You get out of something only what you .....work for

24. When the blind lead the blind ....SEEers lead the SEEers

25. Better late than .....ever


Mom posted these back in January on her blog. I thought they deserved to be re-posted!

Happy Monday to all!

-

Give it a try

I stole this from my friend Brico Trout

What do you think of that?

Another Vacation?
Take this little quiz and see which European City fits your personality!
Leave the results in comments for me.

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.