I'm still here!

I am just adjusting to the changes in lifestyle I have instituted lately. I am still (starting my third week! A couple more days and it will officially be a habit...) tracking everything I eat, keeping my daily total calories below 1,700 for the most part (I accidentally first typed 17,000 calories. That would be a really really easy diet...) and using the elliptical trainer almost every day. For an hour.

Lucky for me Thor hooked up his portable DVD player to the TV in the garage, so I can watch DVDs while I kill myself...Today I watched Hairspray! while I ellipticalled away. It was great. There is so much music and so much music with a fast tempo it helped me go faster.

The first time I saw that movie, during the scene between Christopher Walken and John Travolta as the Dad and Mom (Travolta plays a hefty woman in the movie, plays her really well in fact) I was distracted by the thought that "oh, man, they are not really going to kiss, are they? " I am very open-minded but that is a step too far even for me, I think. If you haven't seen it, I won't tell you if they do or not...

Anyway. Keeping track of everything (absolutely everything. Every bit of margarine on my toast, every tiny little Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Mini, even the creamer in my coffee.) and using the elliptical and cleaning out the closets (I started spring cleaning early this year, I guess) is using up alot of my energy. To the point where even looking at a blank "create post" page is too much work, never mind filling it up...

But Mark will be back from his latest trip to far off countries today, so life will be back to more or less normal (and I can sleep a little later in the mornings, since Mark gets up with Thor, who has to catch the school bus at 6:30 am. I know. It's crazy.) so I will be back to trying to post something, at least my daily Alaska photo, every day. You lucky lucky people.

(Plus I really need to catch up on your blogs. I have been neglecting them shockingly lately. I am all apologies.)

Terri tagged me for this meme. Fifth folder, fifth photo. For some reason my fifth folder only has one photo in it -- my digital photos are horrifyingly unorganized, chaotic like the rest of me, but it's one I really like. It's me and Mojo, the day we brought him home. Valentine's day, 2005. I think it was 2005. Pretty sure it was 2005. This was Mojo back then, back when he had been starved and neglected. He weighs about 20 pounds more these days, and is very secure in our home. He's such a good dog.

I need to get to the airport now, so I will hopefully be back in a couple hours to post my Daily Alaska!

The Daily Alaska...Thor and I were using snow to "clean" the back windows of the Suburban...and since we were standing there with all that grime blank slate...



Yup. It said "DIe CaPITalIsT PIg" for a couple days, until the road grime got too think. Oh, yeah, we are having a heat wave -- it's hovering around freezing -- and so we are dealing with grime and muck and slush and all that wonderful stuff.

Daily Alaska Photo

The clouds finally broke, and we had a beautiful and warm sunny day.

I have finished the questions...Feel free to answer them if you would like, except for Patsy and Kim. You two have to answer them...

1. What is your earliest childhood memory?

2. What is your dream vacation? Where would you go if you had unlimited funds and were excused from all responsibilities?

3. Where is your favorite place to be?

4. Tell me about your favorite book or movie or song or something.

5. If you were the supreme ruler of the universe, what petty little pet peeve would be a capital crime? And what would be the punishment? (Like, would people who suck their teeth at the table be banished to the outer rings of Pluto? Or maybe people who drive for miles with their left turn signal on might be allowed to only ever make right turns...)

Truly random photo. and the daily alaska.

Patsy tagged me for a photo meme...since photos are one of my favorite things, this is fun. I haven't actually checked which photo I will be posting yet, so it could be some horrible blurry photo of some random child's tongue or eye. Or the 8,000th photo of snow I will have posted on my blog.

Our snow is ucky and dirty and melting fast these days. No more winter wonderland for us. It looks more like that seedy carnival with the dodgy rides and the botulism corn dogs these days.

Big puddles of brown water, gray ice on the roads, all the leaves and dirt and road gunk and stuff that has landed on the snow and been buried is now on top. The nasty gray overcast sky doesn't help... Typical spring melt, but in January for some reason.

I think I prefer the really cold clear crisp days, especially since walking and driving wasn't absolutely treacherous. Last night I had a thing, and getting into my friend's car was the first challenge -- the sidewalk and driveway are sheets of ice. Then the parking lot when we got there was a sheet of ice. They melted the ice only on the sidewalk up to the front door, the rest of the sidewalk and the parking lot were solid ice and everybody had to walk very very carefully...like a bunch of creaky old women.

So here's the meme:
1. Go to your Picture Folder on your computer or where ever you store your pictures.
2. Go to the 6th folder, then pick the 6th picture in that folder.
3. Post that picture on your blog and the story that goes with the picture.
4. Tag 5 people you know (or don't know) to do the same.
5. Leave a comment on their blog or an e-mail letting them know you chose them.



This photo was taken in Tucson, at the Boneyard. The AMARG -- The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group -- is the final resting place for hundreds of planes. When the military retires a plane, or a group of planes, they park them here in the desert. They also buy obsolete planes, planes that are past their airworthiness date. Some of them are mothballed, and could be called back into service. Others are cannibalized for parts, and the government actually makes money with this organization -- when we took the tour, the guide said they were making around $12 for every dollar they spent. Shocking in a government agency, I know.

It's amazing to see from the air (the link above has an aerial photograph). There are dozens of rows of planes, and at night it is the enormous pitch black area on the edge of Tucson.

One day we took the kids to the zoo, and all day we heard and saw Army cargo planes flying overhead. It was a fleet of planes that had developed cracks in the wings, so they were being mothballed. And the next few times we drove past the Boneyard, we saw them sitting there.

It was a really interesting place to take photos. I took a bunch of photos, and then I played with them with the Photoshop CS3 free trial I had downloaded (and which program I am still lusting after, but at $650, lust is all I will do.) This photo is part of that batch of experimentation.

The Daily Alaska Photo...



The visit from the pigeon-toed duck-footed man is captured for all time (or until we get some salt or ice melt) on our driveway. (I edited this, because Lou is right...pigeon-toed feet point in. See the comments.)

The Interview...

I guess it started with Maria at Immoral Matriach, who asked Maggie some questions, who then asked Lou some questions, and now it's my turn.

So here are Lou's questions and my answers. I didn't go for short answers.

1-What is your favorite childhood memory?

My family went to Washington, DC, when I was four. I remember bits of it -- there was a cop directing traffic who was dancing while he was doing it. At Mount Vernon there were silos or pits or something where they stored food on ice, I think. When I lived in Virginia, we went to Mount Vernon. They were just like I remembered. I got giggly every day around four, because I got really sleepy (yes, I am that awesome that when I get really really tired I get giggly instead of cranky. Mostly.) Lots of monuments, Vietnam War protesters, because it was 1968.

Also, I peed on the carpet because I was so excited about a Christmas present when I was really little. In my own defense, it was a set of toy dishes. Women in my family are insane about dishes. Really. I have dozens of dishes. Little sauce dishes -- an especial favorite of ours. Why? Who knows? -- dinner plates, platters, serving bowls, bowls up the wazoo, coffee cups, teacups and saucers. Not much china. I like pottery and earthenware. Our dinner plates are various colors of FiestaWare, because who could choose only one? And I have dozens of pieces of Polish pottery, because I went to Poland many many times, to buy more. Seven, I think. I don't actually remember this Christmas, but I remember being teased (nicely) about this, and my parents of course took a photo of me and the dishes and the wet spot.

2-Who is the person you most admire - that is alive today?

Woo. You ask tough questions, Lou! I don't have heroes, I am not a big fan of people, I just cannot care about celebrities and politicians and public figures private lives. I just don't care. I mostly care about my family and friends and want to know what is going on with them. Britney Spears? Brangelina? Anyone who has ever been on the cover of People Magazine? I just don't care.

Public figures, I would say Jimmy Carter. I like what he has done since being President. I like that he has been involved with Habitat for Humanity. His work on peace in the Mid East, his efforts towards helping eradicate diseases in the third world, his love of the outdoors. I find him very impressive. I know he sucked as President, but since then he has done amazing things. Plus he seems like a very stand up guy. People walking their talk is very important to me. The fastest way for me to lose respect for someone is for that person to be hypocritical.

Personally, my parents impress the hell outta me. They have hit their 80's, and yet they are still busy and active and volunteer at church and a local nursing home, with the local Sons of Norway. They taught us that it is our responsibility to step up where we see a need. Somebody needs help, you don't look away, you don't judge, you don't pass the buck, you help them anyway you can. They also taught us to take responsibility for ourselves, to be independent. They are truly awesome parents.

3-If you could live anywhere - where would that be?

Aaarrgggghhh. Life would be much easier if I knew the answer to that question...Minnesota, close to or in the Twin Cities. Or Olympia, Washington. Or London, but just for a while. The only place I have lived I didn't particularly like was Oklahoma (sorry Maggie!). It was very hot, it was my first move out of Minnesota, I think I eventually would have liked it better, but we only lived there six months.

This is the big question of our lives these days, since Mark has aborted retiring from the Army twice, but eventually he will retire. And then where do we go? We still own a house in Tucson, I love the people in Tucson, but it is so hot. But I love the dry. But the medical coverage for us in Tucson was not great, and that has to figure largely for me.

But if this is not real life, just talking on a blog...London. I love London. London was the place I went for a long weekend away from the stresses of living in Europe, because London is more like the US than the Netherlands, and they speak English there. And they have fabulous museums and the Underground.

4-What do you like to eat when you're feeling 'down'?

Chocolate, I guess. Carbs, like pretzels, or multigrain chips from the company Food Should Taste Good, with Artichoke and Parmesan dip from Costco.

When I feel lousy, when I feel like anything I eat will make me feel worse -- I think I am allergic to alot of the food chemicals, the preservatives and artificial flavors and coloring -- I can eat a McDonald's cheeseburger and feel better. This is so weird, because it's white bread and American cheese, and they really don't taste that great, but they don't make me feel ucky. Total comfort food, I guess.

And because I liked this question best when Maggie asked me -
5-What do you like most about being a woman?

I loved being pregnant. I love the whole Mom thing.

I am not a big fan of dressing up and high heels and all that, not a girly girl at all, but I love what I call "pink" stuff. Female literature, otherwise known as chick lit, and romantic comedies.

I also love that I can wear girl clothes and guy's clothes. That I can and do raid Mark's half of the closet for big comfy sweatshirts and baggy sweaters.

And I love that I can plead ignorance and Mark takes care of all the car stuff. I don't have to know about changing the oil and why it's making that weird noise and what to do about it, unless of course Mark is out of town...I mean, I can and do deal with car problems and maintainance, but mostly I don't have to because I am the girl.

*****

And because this is the internet, and the blog world, there are rules I must follow. Or really, that I choose to follow because Lou already typed them all out and all I had to do was cut and paste 'em...

Want to be part of it? Follow these instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone
else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them
five questions.

*My kids have pretty much given up on asking me to help with their math homework, so you are probably safe from Algebra questions.

Friendship Chain...

Chuck has these things on her blog, and I could never figure out how to do them...until today I looked at her page source (it's in the view menu) and actually figured out how to grab the html for this stuff. I am shocked I pulled this off. You should be too.


~~Begin Copy~~

This is the easy way and the fastest way to :

1. Make your Authority Technorati explode.
2. Increase your Google Page Rank.
3. Get more traffic to your blog.
4. Makes more new friends.

Rules :

1. Start copy from “Begin Copy” until “End Copy” to your blog.
2. Put your own blog name and link.
3. Tag your friends as much as you can.

1. Picturing of Life 2. Juliana’s Site 3. Hazel-My Life, My Hope, My Future.4. Jeanne-The Callalily Space 5. Colin from Life 6. Foster Me Up 7. causes rats in laboratory cancer 8. Put your link here

~~End Copy~~

Hey, if I figured out how to do this, a half-trained drunken chimpanzee can do it...(actually, if you want to do this the easy way, drop a email address in the comments and I will email you the html code, and you can do a cut and paste thingie.)

Tag! You're It!

Maggie tagged me for this one...

THE RULES:
1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post THE RULES on your blog.
3. Post 7 weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.


So. Seven Random Facts...

1. I lived in four different apartments in four years in West Germany. Three in Mannheim, and one in Baumholder.
2. I play the flute. Not well, and not very often anymore.
   
3. When Tess was born, I asked the doctor if she was sure it was a girl. I really wanted a girl.
4. I can do that Woody Allen forehead thing -- raise and scrunch together the eyebrows at the same time. It makes you look very worried. It's kinda painful, like using muscles you don't use all the time.
   
5. I went to Mexico City in tenth grade with my high school marching band. I had been to Canada before that, but I wouldn't leave North America til I moved to West Germany after college.
6. I love being on and in and near water. I especially love the Pacific Ocean.
   
7. I like hotel rooms, even though I always think there are various bodily fluids in them...Thank you very much CSI. So I always wear socks even though I go barefoot all the time. I know, it's weird and pointless, but it makes me feel better. I like hotels. It's interesting to sit in the lobby of a big city hotel room and watch the people.

I am going to tag Lou and DA, because I think they could come up with some very interesting facts...And anyone else who is desperately searching for a blog topic, due to the insane Blog365.

It's Thursday...

I got nothing, so I will finally do that meme that Tasina tagged me with...I must answer each question with an word starting with the first letter of my name...J...should be a cinch, right? Ha.

Famous singer: Janet Jackson. Or maybe that would be a better answer for the question famous person who happens to sing...

2. Four letter word: Jail

3. Street: Jump...as in 21 Jump Street. Vintage Johnnie Depp!

4. Color: j...j...juniper. Some clothing designer somewhere has named a green "juniper".

5. Gifts/presents: Jewelry

6. Vehicle: Jeep, of course

7. Things in a souvenir shop: Junk! easy one.

8. Boy name: Johnnie. Duh.

9. Girl name: Janine. The name of Zach's car.

10. Movie title: hmmm...I am thinking of cheating at IMDB...Finished the rest of them, still no J movie...J...Jack...Ooh! Jumping Jack Flash! Whoopie Goldberg starred. That's two J's, Tasina!

11. Drink: Juice

12. Occupation: Janitor

13. Celebrity: Johnnie Depp.

14. Magazine: JLA...Justice League of America (So it's a comic book. Sue me.)

15. U.S. city: Junction City, Oregon.

16. Pro sports: Jumping. Horses. Or horses jumping over things. I don't know.

17. Fruit: Juicy. Juicy Fruit. It now comes in Strappleberry and Grapermelon, in addition to it's original flavor...

18. Reason for being late for work: Junk food coma.

19. Something you throw away: I want to say junk. But I have used that before. So Jello. I don't know why you would throw it away, but maybe it got all dried out and crispy around the edges, or it's lime Jello with carrots shredded in it, or it has fruit cocktail in it...

20. Something you shout: Just say No!!!

Since I have to tag somebody, I will choose Veronica and Kim. V and K should make interesting lists...