Hodgepodge--Thought Provoking

1. October 21, 2015 is Back to the Future Day. Did you see the movie? The sequels? In the second film, Doc takes Marty into the future to prevent Marty's future son from making a mistake. They leave 1985 and land on a 'skyway' on October 21st, 2015. So tell us, what were you doing in the fall of 1985?
I have seen the Back to the Future movies multiple times. My kids love them. I have only seen them on video and on TV. 
Now let's see fall of 1985...I was 12 and in 7th grade. I was a nerdy bookworm, the quiet girl in the second hand clothes that was totally not cool. The social jungle that middle school can be was not a good place for me, so I escaped into books. The library was my favorite hangout.

2.  If time travel were possible, would you want to go to the future? The past? 
I'm tossed on this one.  Seeing certain events of the past would be interesting, I do enjoy history, but the temptation to change things would be hard to resist.  As for the future, well, I'm not sure I would want to know what happened to me so much.  Again the temptation to change things would be overwhelming when I came back.  That's if there was a return trip on the mix.

3. We're not flying cars, but some of the technology imagined in the 80's film has indeed come to pass in real life 2015-flat screen TVs on the wall, tablets, fingerprint recognition, video conferencing, online banking, 3-D movies, motion controlled video games, drone cameras, and smart glasses (Google glass).  Do you worry technology is growing at a rate so fast we'll soon be unable to keep up with it's demands? Do you think the Internet does more harm than good? 
People are adaptable.  Technology will keep progressing as long as people have the imagination to ask the question and then go find the answer.
the internet does no more harm or good the TV does.  Look at the questions asked with every technology advance, radio, Movies, TV.  There are always critics that question the benefit and the downsides to each one.  The internet is a bit more pervasive, but still just a tool.

4. Your favorite dish prepared in a slow-cooker? Your favorite fast food? 
I love corned beef and cabbage in the crock pot. 
I love a good crispy chicken sandwich, from any of the fast food places really.  On occasion I like a burger too.

5. No time like the present, down time, face time, pressed for time, in the nick of time, make time, mark time, or just in time...which timely saying most relates to your life right now? 
No time like the present.  With the passing of my mother and looking at all the projects she left behind, going and doing the things I have on my bucket list hold a lot more appeal.  I don't want to look back and say if only...

6. Tell us about a place you went as a child or younger person that's no longer there or is now something else. How does that make you feel?
My high school is now a lovely grassy area.  My hometown built a new high school and demolished the old one. I feel a bit sad.  there was a renovation project on the high school during my freshman year.  Those renovations lasted less than 20 years. And the kicker is the new high school needs repairs and expanding already.

7. Describe your comfort zone.
I have a select group of friends and I like to get together with them regularly. I like being at home.  There is a nice routine we are getting back into and that is comfortable.


8. Insert your own random thought here.
It is a dreary, wet day here.  I'm not sure if it got cold enough for the rain to fall as snow last night.  It might have.  Honestly, I think we will have snow by Halloween.  We usually do. Beginning of November at the latest.  Of course it could snow for Halloween.  One year we got a foot of wet heavy snow in about 3 hours Halloween night.  There were some very wet trick or treaters that year.

Tuesday, Tuesday

So, on with Tuesday Randomness. 

• Parent teacher conferences went better than I thought they would. Bruiser got glowing reviews.  He is reading above his grade level and doing Math just fine.  He gets along with the kids and his teacher loves him.  All around good reviews.
• Turbo got better reviews overall than I thought he would.  He still has issues with focusing in class.  He tends to space out, but he's pleasant and cooperative in class.  He has a few classes to catch up in still, got to pull those Ds up some more, but he's working on it without much complaint. 
• The boys watch for VW Bugs all the time.  However, I put a stop to slug bug when Turbo slugged me while I was driving.  Now we call it. I did enjoy this though:

• Very good Question:

• I must admit, I'm looking forward to Halloween this year, as long as the weather holds. THe chances of snow before then are good though. We actually have a 50% chance of snow tonight.  It won't stick, but it will most likely fall.
• And now for the Halloween nod for the day: 

Everyone have a great day!
Join in on the random fun  with  Stacy.

Another Weekend Bites the Dust

Yeah, so another weekend down and while we did stuff, not much of it was terribly spectacular. Our lives right now are sort of really mundane.
Bruiser did decide what he wanted to be for Halloween.  He has determined that a ninja is the costume of choice this year.  I'm OK with that.  No makeup to deal with. So we found a yellow ninja outfit for him to wear for the three events he will be hitting for Halloween.  Yep the kid has a busy run for Halloween Saturday.  Well, first there is the school party and costume parade Friday morning.  Then there is the downtown trick or treat Saturday morning.  And finally the main event, trick or treating with his cousins. That weekend will be busy.
Anyway, this last weekend saw us rearranging the kitchen slightly.  We put the icebox that came from my mother's childhood home in our kitchen.  I'm storing baking dishes in it. It looks really nice.  We also set up the TV and sound system my mother had in our living room.  Over all, we were happy with what we got done.

So MMMM is a freebie week.  Let's see what tricks my fancy:
Little Big Town with Painkiller:

Chris Janson with Power of Positive Drinkin':

Home Free (feat. the Oak Ridge Boys) with Elvira:

Have a great week!

Wednesday! Questions!

Let's Hodgepodge:

1. What's something that has recently 'tried your patience'?
Taking both boys to get dinner last night.  They just seem to spark off each other in the most annoying way when it's just the three of us.  Drives me nuts. I can take either of them out separately and have a fine time.  take them together and I end up snapping at them and they end up poking at each other and it has come close to tears at times. Mine and theirs.

2. Do you think patience comes to us naturally or is it something you have to learn as you grow? On a scale of 1-10 generally how patient are you? (1=I blow up at the drop of a hat and 10=I've got all the time in the world).
Some people are naturally more patient, but being patient can be learned. I'm maybe a 4-5 on the patience scale in certain situations (like what was mentioned above).  However in other situations my patience is more like a 6-7. Depends on the annoyances around and what I have to be patient about.

3. Share about a time when you felt like you could fly. Or a time you wished you could fly. Or a time you felt like you were flying.
Holding each of my boys for the first time was a flying moment. That first time meeting face to face is incredible.
To feel like flying--going down a hill on cross country skis, as close to flying as I'll get aside from getting on a plane.

4. Your favorite song with the word fly in the title or lyrics, or your favorite song that relates to flying in some way?
I like Fly over States by Jason Aldean:

5. What's in your fall picnic basket and where are we picnicking in your neck of the woods this time of year?
We would have the fixings for trailside burgers and hotdogs. We would find a place to stop and have a small campfire and cook up burgers and hotdogs.  They taste so much better in the mountains. We would of couse be headed up into the mountains:

6.  Carpentry, electrical, plumbing, landscaping...which skill would you most like to possess and how would you put that skill to use today? 
Electrical.  Ours needs to be updated in our house adn if we could do it ourselves it would save tons of money.  Nick can do the little stuff, but changing the whole service is more than he can do.

7. What's something you think is too expensive to justify buying lately? 
I finally broke down and got an ipod.  We have been limping along with an old mp3 player from Dell that's at least 10 years old.  We can no longer add music to it because the software isn't updated anymore. So I went ahead and got an ipod touch. Not a huge fan of Apple stuff, but admittedly, there is nothing else on the market that is close to them in mp3 players.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 
I was such a laundry slacker this weekend.  I finally got all the baskets folded last night.  Put away too. I still have towels to do, but that will hopefully get done tonight. This frees up next weekend for doing something fun. Now to come up with something fun to do.

Randomness

Whoot!  Monday is over! Let's get all random on Tuesday, shall we?!

• Bruiser's left heel is healing.  He still has a significant area that is lacking in skin, but it is healing. It isn't slowing him down at all.
• The boys get two and half days off school this week.  Parent teacher conferences are coming. Still not a fan, but Turbo has managed to catch up so he's not failing his classes now.  I gave him an incentive.  We have had a Playstation 2, but it recently gave up the ghost.  We still own several games, so if Turbo can get all his grades to a B or better, we will be replacing the Playstation 2 console. Turbo had a few Ds to better, but we are just thrilled that he's not flunking multiple classes right now.
• Not really concerned about Bruiser's Parent Teacher conferences.  He seems to be sailing along with flying colors.
• I live with guys:

• I need to have a conversation with the boys and see what they want to dress up as this Halloween.
• A protest I can get behind:

And with that, have a great week!
Join in on the random fun  with  Stacy.

Monday, Again

And another Monday rolls around. I sorta slacked this weekend.  The laundry is sitting at home waiting to be folded and put away.  Yeah, didn't want to do it yesterday.
I did make a pretty good stew last night though.  Not that Bruiser ate any of it. Oh, well, 75% approval on dinner is doing pretty good. 
But now it's Monday.

Today's strike is my mouse batteries died.  At least I hope that's all it was.  Now the challenge is finding batteries to replace the dead ones.  The hunt is on.

As for MMMM:
Tim McGraw with Top of the World

Luke Bryan with Strip it Down:

Have a great week!

Tough Questions

Let's do the questions:

1. It's October so let's get this out there first thing...have you jumped on the all-things-pumpkin bandwagon? How so?
Not really.  Not a fan of lattes and such, so no pumpkin spice from that source.  I do enjoy making Pumpkin Pie bread, but am not motivated that way yet. Truly, I like pumpkin pie and the pumpkin bread I make, but that's about it for the pumpkins.

2.  "We have more power than will; and it is often by way of excuse to ourselves that we fancy things are impossible." Francois Duc De la Rochefoucauld  

What's something you once thought impossible, but in hindsight see as more a matter of lack of will?
Tough one.  I guess public speaking is one of these for me.  I like to think it's impossible, but It's more I just hate, loathe, despise it. I can do it if necessary, but I tend more toward avoidance if at all possible.

3. The rose is America's National Flower, but every state also has its own (click here to see the list). Are you happy with yours? If you were in charge what would you declare your state's flower? If you're outside the U.S. what bloom would you like to see labeled as your country's national flower?
For Wyoming the flower is the Indian Paintbrush.

It's a pretty flower and it grows just about anywhere.  Not a bad choice.

4. What have you lost interest in recently?
Cable TV.  Or TV with commercials.  We have gone over to the Netflix side.

5. In your opinion, who's the best living musician? 
I don't really follow music that close.  There are some amazing guitar players out there and some amazing singers, but I don't know who I think is the best.

6. S'mores-love 'em or no? Ever make them indoors? Last time you sat around an outdoor fire? Are making s'mores and sitting round a fire pit on your autumn bucket list? Do you have an autumn bucket list?
I don't care for S'mores.  Too sweet.  I like the marshmallows toasted but not added to chocolate and graham crackers. We only make them when we go camping. A campfire is necessary.
No real autumn bucket list.  I am looking forward to the first snow and making a big pot of chili.

7. Your favorite small town? Why? 
Define small town.  According to the Urban dictionary (yeah, highly credible, but let's go with it) A small town has 200-800 people in it. That is a very small town.  We have those littered all over Wyoming.  We call them blink and you miss them towns. I haven't been in any long enough to have a favorite.

8. Insert your own random thought here. 
Bruiser was chosen by his class to be on the student council at his school.  He was excited about it until this morning when he had his first meeting.  He was a bit upset, but he calmed down and did OK once he was there.  Poor kid hates doing new things until he's in the middle of it and then he's fine.  A bit of my introvert tendencies coming out there.

And Tuesday

So let's give Tuesday a bit of random funny:

• It's looking very fall around here.  I like it.  Now for the first snow to fall in town.  Won't be long now.

• This made me laugh--I like the song, it's fun , but really:

• There is some truth to this one:

• I have been loving Netflix and the binge watching of the procedural crime shows, Bones, CSI New York, CSI Miami, etc.

• I'm thinking that this weekend might need a bottle of wine.

• and last but not least, the english language is very weird:

Have a great week everyone!
Join in on the random fun  with  Stacy.

Grinding On and MMMM

Yep, the daily grind is still on here.  We are slowly getting back to a routine.  It still feels like there is a gaping hole in our lives, but that is only normal I guess.
Our weekend was laid back and casual.  Relaxing even.  Nick got to tour the new high school being built with an old friend he has recently reconnected with.  I got a girls night out.  Laundry was done--towels and sheets, easy stuff. Bruiser's ankle is continuing to heal. 
We are helping Turbo catch up in school. With any luck his parent teacher conferences will go smoothly.  Not sure why I dread parent teacher conferences, but they just make me nervous, even though I'm on the other side of the equation from when I was a kid.

And now for MMMM.  THis week's theme is songs about kids or songs from Musicals.  Let's got with songs about kids:
Trace Adkins with Just Fishin':

Kenny Chesney with There Goes My Life:

Rodney Atkins with He's Mine:

There you have it, have a good week!