Odontophobia...

So, this is a nice two-part, manic depressive post. In the first part I tell you all about the gripping fear I have of visiting that most common of human fears, the dentist's chair. But don't you worry, because I'm hoping the second part will be a fun roller coaster ride of hilarity.

They say (they, meaning wikipedia, the source of all internet research of mine) that odontophobia in severe cases is typically brought about by traumatic dental experiences that lead someone to develop a fear that makes them avoid the dentist at all costs. I guess I have that in my history. I wish I could seriously post a pic of how screwed up my teeth were circa 1988. I had a constant stream of dental, orthodontic, and surgical appointments to give myself a big old pretty smile. It started out ok and I loved my orthodontist, but somewhere between getting my braces off at 17 and becoming an adult who had to figure out how to PAY for my dentist check-ups I just...stopped going.

And then I got really scared, remembering the shame and admonishment I felt when the dentist told me I didn't floss enough or brush enough or visit often enough. So then it became a fear of just-what-the-hell-will-they-say-when-I-tell-them-it's-been-seven-years kind of anxiety.

But finally, things clicked into place. I was going to get married, I had insurance, and I wanted to look good for my husband. I found an ad for a brand new one-man dental practice that not only specialized in high-fear, sedation dentistry, but also had a coupon for a free teeth whitening treatment. When I called to make the appointment, my palms were sweaty and I was already breathing heavy. I nearly passed out when the receptionist said "oh, well, most people don't need sedation just for a cleaning and exam".

I couldn't have felt like a bigger freak of nature. I was literally crying on the phone. When she told me there were options and that they could certainly help me out, I at least made the appointment.

I was 10 minutes early and sat hyperventilating and crying in the office, with the poor receptionist watching me with pity eyes. (I wish I were exaggerating, but my heart literally speeds up and I have a physiological reaction to seeing the dentist) I was almost ready to bolt when the next words out of her mouth were a balm to my beating heart.

Nitrous. Oxide.

My life has never been the same. I now see the dentist at least once yearly, and if I remembered to make the appointments and he weren't nearly 40 minutes away, I'd go every 6 months. I'm no longer scared of the dentist. At least not mine.

And now, I'd love to share my stream of consciousness (what I can remember of it) from being happily sedated during my dental appointment today.Please, try to keep up...

"Is this lady ever going to stop talking? I don't care where her daughter works. Say Yes to the Dress is on...I hope it's Katiekate's episode. I've been trying to catch it. Damn, this mask is blocking the TV. What's he saying about North Carolina brides? I feel kind of like I'm on a tilt-a-whirl at the fair. Falling backwards. I'm going to crash...just kidding...there's my head again. Whooooooooooo. Wow, I'm gripping this chair pretty tight. Strange, because I'm super relaxed. Katiekate...hmmm...maybe that's her sister there. Oh well, I can't really see it. Hey, these chair arms feel weird...I must be making a face, because she keeps telling me sorry and 'you're doing great'. It feels like she's using a super duper high powered water pic to clean my teeth. But I'm pretty sure they just scrape them, unless they have some really high-tech stuff at this office. I'm never trying another dentist again. Wait, did she just say uh-oh? What if that's blood spurting out of my mouth instead of just water. OK, calm down. That's not blood. Or if it is, I don't care, because I'm falling again. Breathe deeper. Am I grimacing? She thinks this hurts me. I wonder if they're rougher on people with nitrous because they know we don't really care? Hmmm...I could never do this without laughing gas. I MUST remember Katiekate. I should write this down as soon as I get in the car. I don't have a pen. Maybe I'll ask if I can take one. Is that weird? Who cares. I wonder if this is what ether feels like. Cider House Rules was really not the best of John Irving's books, not by a long shot. "Not...at...all" as Jacob says. They really do call this laughing gas. I wish this lasted longer. I think she's almost done. I bet I'm the only high fear dental patient to ever wish my cleaning didn't end. Oh, did he say Outer Banks beach wedding? It's pretty indisputable that North Carolina is the best state ever. Damn. She's almost done. One more deep breath, one more ride on the tilt-a-whirl and....

And she switched me back to oxygen.

I'm counting down to March for my next appointment, with glee.

MOM-Demonium!!!

I am spending a chunk of my week shopping/working our local kid's consignment sale. I know that in a lot of areas around the US, these sales can be hit or miss, but the one I'm talking about is Ginormous. Seriously. It takes up two buildings of our State Farigrounds, and is 150,000 square feet. Hundred thousand, you read that right.


As in, an eyebgall estimate puts the amount of play kitchens selling b/t $5-55 around 140. As in, I checked out a family of 4 yesterday buying their entire summer wardrobe. It was 78 pieces of clothing, they probably spent around $200 total. As in, 36 aisles of clothing for children ages preemie through 9th grade.


I love some consignment shopping, and when I'm there I always want to kick myself for buying something at a store, like "why would have ever paid full-price for a lifejacket, when I can come here and find one with tags for $7?" My other finds? A very clean and solidly built toybox for $25, a Kelty hardframe backpack carrier for $30, an Aquadoodle that looked like it had been used 3 times for $2, lots of books and CD's for just a few dollars.


And my favorite: the super-cool and retro Fisher Price cassette player that was just like the ones my husband and I had as kids.



The best deal I saw all day from checking others out? A beautiful vintage Strasburg ivory chiffon overlay dress for $2.


Another reason I love going to these sales are to see the "serious" moms. Now, I'm still pretty much a novice at these events myself...I've only been to three or four. I know enough to go for the big items first, pay and have them reserved, then hit the other rooms. I brought two of my own shopping bags to carry things in, but made the mistake of hitting the books/media room first. No biggie, I needed the exercise of lugging 20 books and DVDs around. It was after I found the Aquadoodle and adorable purple butterfly baby doll stroller that folded up just like a Maclaren that I started to struggle. Specifically, trying to keep track of all of that while shifting through a table of cloth diapers for my sister. Luckily, just when I hit my breaking point I found the Kelty and all was good.


Some of the veterans amaze me, while I secretly judge them for feeling so superior with their fancy home-rigged set-ups. Lots have clothing racks that they wheel around, often with bins duck-taped to the bottom and/or top to put toys. Most have strollers (sans baby) or at least the big plastic Step 2 wagons. My favorite are the ones with rolling trash bins.

And as I contemplate the clutter in my own home and why I feel the need to buy this child even MORE clothes and books, I often wonder if any of the shoppers there are hoarders. I wonder if their children have more stuff than they know what to do with because mom just can't pass up a $1 Gap t-shirt for no other reason than "it's so cheap".


But unlike me, they are probably not so lazy that they don't weed through their own stuff and purge for the sale beforehand, pretty much breaking even.


Sigh. I could get more organized if I didn't sign up to work these events, right?

I'm Becoming the Woman My Husband Married...Again.

Yes, folks, I have changed.

My dear husband loooooves to talk about how "all the guys at work" warned him that his beer-swilling, sports-loving, foul-obscenity-at-a-hockey-game-shouting girlfriend would, within 3 months of the wedding, shrivel into a ball at the other end of the couch, engrossed in a magazine with a mug of hot cocoa and look up slightly annoyed at him when he asked her to watch that play again. I used to scoff. I mean, really, I was the one that talked my husband into spending the $1500 we planned to use on a honeymoon to Europe on Stanley Cup Finals tickets (and it was worth every.stinking.penny). I was the woman who made sure that if there were ever a day that her Sunday evening was clear, it was definitely Selection Sunday.

It was my idea to fill his brother's office with orange and blue balloons when the Tigers beat the Yankees in the playoffs. It was I who stayed up until after 1AM watching Dave Roberts steal a base and jump start the Red Sox on their way to coming back from a 3 game deficit to win the ALCS (shame on him for falling asleep, who DOES that?) I was the first one of us to participate in a Fantasy League (and win), the girl who bought a one-way ticket to DC a few hours before the flight on a whim to go watch NCSU play in the NCAA tournament, the girl who was excited to win a bus trip to an away hockey game on a dial-in radio show, the girl who once peed in a parking deck in Philadelphia.

Okay, I'm not sure what the last one had to do with sports, but you get what I'm trying to say, right? I was a guys' girl.

Only they were right. Fast forward a little way into our marriage. Fights ensued over if we were watching Grey's Anatomy or the hockey game. I stopped watching the NFL playoffs, lost interest in the World Series unless the Sox were playing (or the Yankees were losing), and stopped requesting off the Thursday and Friday of the NCAA tournament. Over time, other things have grabbed my attention, seemed more exciting. I've become entranced in my world of blogging, literature, and let's face it, tabloid magazines. I will admit that a few times this season, I missed an entire NCSU football game, even once due to choosing to take a bubble bath. I have not owned up to my end of the "sport's wife" bargain.

But this week, something changed. I don't know if it was my husband's excited reaction when one of "The Bachelor" contestants mentioned that her entire life revolved around sports, or if it was watching our college basketball team annihlate an ACC opponent for the first time, um, ever, but my love for b-ball has gotten a swift kick in the rear. What has happened to me, I asked myself? I used to read the sports page, used to know who was in the top 25 in college basketball and football, who the points and goaltending leaders were in the NHL, who the Chargers had to beat to make the wild card (unfortunately, I know what the outcome of that one was this year). Whatever it was, I have found myself excited to watch basketball this weekend. More than excited...I left my family at the dinner table at my parents' house tonight to watch the Kansas-Michigan game go into OT. I am trying to wrap this post up as fast as possible so that I can go hopefully watch Duke kick some serious Maryland ass. I can tell you who the unbeaten teams are in the NCAA b/c I looked it up as soon as I got some internet time this weekend.

I'm already thinking about March Madness. And who will be in my Final Four. Madness. We call it that for a reason.

I have to go now, but my husband thanks you for sparing me. Despite the fact that I'm female and therefore will never know quite as much about basketball as he does, he appreciates having his sports-watching wife back. Sans magazine.

Black Friday, Scmack Friday...

Have I mentioned how much I love linking up to Fill In The Blanks Friday over at the little things we do? Every week is a different theme with 7 prompts. I like when blog posts write themselves. I can spend 15 minutes blogging, head over to Target to see if I can manage to score a Tag book and dress shoes for the little cousin I drew for Christmas, and be back to work in an hour.

So here goes: the other favorite American holiday in November.

1. Black Friday is Never going to go away. It will just get earlier and earlier each year. I actually am boycotting stores that chose to open on Thanksgiving Day. Some think that's dumb, but hey. I am activating my rights as a consumer.

2. Christmas shopping this year will include Lots of groceries, since most of the gifts for the adults in our life will be homemade this year.

3. Holiday shopping makes me Happy at first, but eventually the day turns grumpy as I try to maintain a lighthearted, Christian composure amid the stolen parking spaces, long lines, and people grabbing the last size 5 Robeez just as my hand reaches out.

4. This year my Christmas list will include Well, I have told our families that our budget is very tight and to not go overboard, but I always put "spa services" on mine b/c we really can't afford them, but I really enjoy a massage and if someone wants to provide that for me, I will never decline! Also, anything that lets my husband and I enjoy each other: restaurant and entertainment gift cards, offers to babysit, etc. are on there. And an insulated travel coffee mug. I need to break the Starbucks addiction for good.

5. Bargain hunter, or full price shopper? Definitely a bargain hunter. I literally refused to buy cold medicine when I was sick and working last week because I didn't have my coupons with me.

6. The best and worst things about shopping is I love shopping, but the worst is spending money on a credit card and knowing that means we probably shouldn't be buying something. This year, we are breaking that cycle and only shopping with money we already have.

7. Online shopper or in-person shopper? Both. I enjoy a trip to the mall now and then (and Target weekly) but I also love being able to browse and compare prices without having to drive around town. And if I get free shipping and often don't pay sales taxes, what is to stop me?

PS, if you have an extra minute today, could you please vote for me on Picket Fence blogs? I would so appreciate that!

I'm a Winner!

The lovely Helga over at My World (she lives in Iceland, y'all, check her out!) has nominated me for the Stylish Blogger Award. It's been a while since I've received a blog award, so I was very flattered and excited to participate in this one. I'm not sure how stylish I am lately, with my daily wet bun hairstyle and my over-eagerness at the chance to wear jeans to work 5 times this month, but hey, I'll take it! I did wear a skirt, tights, and boots yesterday, which is a major departure from my usual style and a step in the right direction!

Of course, these awards always come with a catch...this one being that I'm supposed to tell you 7 random facts about myself. Being that a blog is all about telling you about myself every day, it may be hard to find things that are interesting, but I will let y'all be the judge of that! I'm also supposed to nominate 13 people to pass along to, but with it being Thanksgiving week, I think I will skip nominations this time and just tell y'all about myself!

1) I used to say that I could live without the baby stage, and would be fine just adopting a 3 year old and taking the parenting from there. What did I know?

2) When we were little, I tortured my sister by telling her things like if she dropped a battery it would explode, or if she dropped anything down the central air vent our house would explode. I was not a very good big sister.

3) I have trouble with brevity. I tend to give people and overwhelming amount of info when I could just say/write one sentence.

4) I have a tattoo, I would say medium sized, on my back and want another one (really tiny) on the inside of my forearm or wrist but my husband says that would look like white trash, so I haven't worked up the courage to get a second one yet.

5) I introduced the man who introduced me to my husband to his wife. He was my best guy friend for a long time (we're still friends, of course, but 'couple' friends now) and we will always be grateful to each other for helping find a mate.

6) Growing up, even though I was 4 years older, my little sister was the bossy one and I was sensitive. It took us a long time to work through that. The only thing that explkains it is that I'm a Cancer and she's a Leo. If you believe in that stuff.

7) My birthday is July 7th. In college, I had a friend whose birthday was 7/7/77. I was jealous.

Fill In The Blanks...

It's time again for Fill In The Blanks Friday! I'm excited about today's prompts, but first I have a teensy little favor to ask...could you please, pretty pretty please click to vote me up on Picket Fence blogs? I would love to be able to get just enough traffic that I could do a few more giveaways, maybe once a month or so. Speaking of giveaways, I have a new one coming up that I will be posting this weekend. So, vote and check back! Thanks!

On to Fill in the Blanks!

1. The most spontaneous thing I've ever done... well, I'm not a completely spontaneous person, but I can tell you the most spontaneous act I've ever caused. It was New Years 2002, and I had plans to visit my BFF in New York for a week or so, and we found a great Bar off Times Square that was having a New Years night party for $40 and free drinks from 9-1. So in, and to make it more fun we decided at the last minute to invite some of our good friends (um, in North Carolina and Louisiana and elsewhere) to join us. My future husband and my best guy friend made the 9 hour trip by car to stay for two nights to party with us. Fun times, for sure.

2. The best gift I've ever received was... my son. No question. I'm sorry if it's a cliche, but he is truly a gift from God and I never imagined just how much life would hcange in the most wonderful ways once he arrived. For those of you that are pregnant and hearing everyone's horror stories about life in the future: don't listen! Every sacrifice made is worth it.

3. A time that I was truly and genuinely surprised was... I think I will have to come back to this one. I'm really having trouble thinking of something. I don't know if I am just unflappable or what, but I cannot think of an answer!

4. I can't leave the house without... my head. Even though half the time I feel like I do. I always leave a few extra diapers and wipes in the car, because I am that mom you see out at a restaurant without a bib or sippy cup for my son, because I just forgot to pack it in the diaper bag!

5. My favorite day of the week... Friday. This has changed over time. I used to work in retail and couldn't count on weekends off. Now, Friday is the night I come home without pressure to get the nighttime "routine" going, because we can all stay up a little late and sleep in a little in the morning. Friday is time to relax with my husband and son.

6. Something that can always make me laugh is... my silly, ridiculous hubby. Especially when he makes up new words to a song. He can get me laughing so hard it hurts!

7. My perfect day would include... a long lazy breakfast at our favorite place, some time at the park on a 70 degree day with the dog and baby, and somewhere in there a 90 minute hot stone massage.

The Inevitable Halloween Post

Well, after a 1 week + hiatus, I am back and blogging again.

I suppose I've had some combination of writer's block and well, real life, pulling me away from the computer screen and focusing more on work and home. It used to be that something funny would happen or I would make a wry observation and immediately think "oh, I have to remember this for my blog later". Now, I think I'm just trying to live more presently and not think so much about what I should be sharing with "outsiders" but what I should be sharing with my family! Not that I don't love this blogging community, just that I still need to find that balance.

Without further adieu...some observations from Halloween weekend:

1) Our daycare expected us to follow a "theme" when we dressed our little tyke up on Friday. Um, no, we've been planning his costume for over a month, we're poor, and we give you nearly half of my salary, so he will be a Cowboy, and not anything related to Peter Pan, thankyouverymuch.

2) Surprisingly, more of my Dollar Tree candy was swiped last night instead of the pricey Snickers/KitKat/3 Musketeers. I guess the novelty of candy sticks (what we used to call Candy Cigarettes before America got a conscience) trumped chocolate for once.

3) I am way more high-strung than I ever thought. We were running 14 minutes behind my Trick or Treating "schedule" and I was literally about to explode. I yelled at my husband, along with serveral eye-rolling episodes, before I finally calmed down enough to enjoy the evening. Luckily, he forgave me.

4) My son makes the cutest Cowboy EVER. (Pictures later, I promise I'll update the post.)

5) In this politically correct society, it is impossible to find a toy gun anymore.

6) I love Fun Dip. Enough that I was internally disappointed when one of our kind neighbors took the pack my son swiped from her bowl and exchanged it for toddler-friendly pretzels.

7) Old people are great. We have one older couple in our neighborhood we've spoken with once or twice, and Jacob walked right into their house. The lady thought he was the sweetest thing and wanted to take pictures with him. She also didn't just have a bowl of treats, she made treat bags with lots of little items in them.

8) My kid, lying on the floor with his mouth stained by M&M drool, acting like a crazy guy, is a really fun sight.

9) Jacob can now identify his first Sesame Street character: El-bow.

10) The expression on a Target employee's face when your husband asks "don't you have any guns for kids?" is absolutely priceless!

Free Association...

I'm still trying to find a consistent blog hop, but it always seems like there are different days each week I can take a time-out and participate, so it's hard to commit.

However, I love the free association prompt at Fill In The Blank Friday!

So, here goes...if you are new to my blog, welcome! You will soon learn that I'm kind of nuts, hopefully more than a little funny, true to myself, and purposefully use lots of incorrectly placed commas.**

I am...unique. And very picky about food. It would be nearly impossible for even my husband to consistently pick what I will order. Just when you think Eggplant Parmesan is my favorite Italian dish BAM! There I go ordering Gnocchi and sausage in vodka sauce.

I wish...that losing weight was a snap. I am trying, but again, it's hard to deny my cravings. Baby steps will work eventually, right? Please don't tell me I have to start sprinting, literally and figuratively.

I like...family. I am so, so lucky to have the best parents, in-laws, sister, right down to my cousins. Most Saturdays I would much rather spend at a 5 year old's birthday party with my family than out at a trendy restaurant. I also like Indian food.

I can...drive a stick shift like a madwoman. Our next car will not be a 5-speed, so I'm trying to get all the Zoom Zoom love in while I can.

I hope...that November 2 will be a wake up call for America that no matter what side of the fence we're on, it is TIME to start working together. (I also hope that a Libertarian candidate in any major race in NC will get at least 12% of the vote so we can lock our party into the ballot, debates, etc. It is time that our philosophy starts being recognized.)

I think...that I should start reading more nonfiction and less US Weekly.

I was...planning to never get married or have children, true story. Then I met my husband. Ten years later, I cannot imagine life any other way.

That was FUN! Here's to hoping I will make this a regular feature.

**After re-reading my post, I should probably point out that I talk about food. A lot.

I Went Looking For a Thursday Blog Hop...

All morning, I scoured my friends' blogs for some way to make some new connections on the Interwebs. Thursday seems to be a good day for Blog Hopping, not sure why, but I still haven't found one that just seems to fit. Well, I hobbled over to my friend Angee's blog and saw she did a really neat one today:

I like when they come with nice, gentle, built-in prompts! We'll see how it goes this week.

Outside my window.. is a parking lot and gas station. Oh so thrilling...
The time is.. 4:07PM
Today I feel..hopeful for so many things.
I am thinking.. it's almost quittin' time!
At the moment, I am thankful.. for so, so many things. Mostly that I have a healthy child and a supportive family.
I am going..to pee when I'm done with this.

I am wearing..uncomfortable, too-big work pants, a too-short top, and a cardigan and cute scarf.
I wish.. that young children never had to die.
I am reading..lots and lots of blogs, with the Sunday newspaper and an occasional gossip mag thrown in.
I am working on..so many things I gave up for the rest of the day.
I am hoping..that my Scentsy party and Giveaway is a success!
I am hearing..the crappy easy listening station we have to keep on at work. Can't wait for my new mp3 clock radio to arrive.
I bet you didn't know..that this is the first year I haven't been to the State Fair in my whole life.
One of my favorite.. foods is Caprese (mozzarella, basil, tomato). Yum. I should have been Italian.
Weekend Plans.. Friday: some type of alcohol. Saturday: Dave Ramsey workshop. Sunday: the Scentsy party and hopefully some snuggle time.

Frugal, Fickle, or Felon?

You know those chicks in movies, magazines, and Hollywood who have a "signature smell"? Like, "I've been wearing Chanel No. 5 since 1986"? Not me. I like change, I like new, I like to be different and unique. So I wear different perfumes frequently.

And I have high standards for perfume. Nothing floral, it just smells like old lady on my skin. I go for the citrusy and clean scents in the summer and something a little more heady and sensual in cooler weather. I like the idea of smelling exotic or sexy. But, perfume changes over time and 4 hours later (or even 10 minutes later) smells completely different than when you first spritzed it on. Because of this, I always have to sample before I buy.

This used to entail going into Sephora and spritzing myself, then doing the rest of my mall shopping before deciding what I wanted to buy. (I buy perfume like once a year, don't get all excited thinking this is my Carrie Bradshaw shoe equivalent and I have a vanity covered in fancy perfumes bottles. I don't even have a vanity. I have a bookshelf leftover from college that just happens to fit in the space between my bathroom counter and the wall; that's where my girl crap gets stored.) But this didn't work well, because I usually couldn't commit after just one day. Perfume is, after all, a long term commitment, and that would be like moving with a guy you just met at a concert the night before.

So one time I asked if they had a sample, and lo and behold, the Sephora lady pulls out the drawer underneath the display and ::hallelujah:: there are thousands of tiny spritz bottles in there just waiting for her to fill with any of the hundreds of perfumes they carry. The first time, I didn't feel guilty.

But yesterday, after quietly asking "do you guys have samples?" for oh, I don't know, about the sixth time in three years, and then getting two to go, I did feel a little twinge of guilt, like I was ripping them off. (You can, too, all you have to do is ask nicely.) So, I'm considering buying Lavanila Vanilla Coconut if I get any money gifts at Christmas. It's quite lovely, actually, warm and sensual and I feel special when I wear it. That's what a good perfume should do. I highly recommend their line...it smells a little sweet out of the bottle, but give it a little while to settle in and it's not quite so cotton candy. It blooms very nicely. They also have a baby line...I'm thinking of trying it.

So, it's not stealing if they offer it, right? And to my credit, I always buy my perfume from there when I do decide to take the plunge. Hope this is a useful tip for any of you who have perfume-commitment issues like myself!

Free Movie Friday!

So, I'm sure a lot of you know this already, but the certain free-standing movie box that you find outside of some grocery and drugstores publishes free codes occasionally. And I am purposefully not naming the retailer b/c I don't know at what point I step into some kind of crazy legal territory here. I am not any kind of paid advertiser or endorser. I just know some trade tricks.

I figure that as of right now, I have enough codes to get us through 3 weeks of movie reviews, and after that, we'll see. Here goes my first foray. It will be brief...I only have 9 minutes of a lunch break left...

By far, the single best movie I have seen in the last, I don't know, maybe 5 years? Maybe since Forrest Gump? Or Magnolia? That would be Crazy Heart. (Okay, actually that would be Rachel Getting Married, but since that is not yet available in the box of crimson that I speak of, I can't really include it in Free Movie Friday. But if you are a Netflixer, put it in your queue now!)

The Jeff Bridges hype is REAL. I was lucky enough to see 3 of the Best Actor nominated performances of last year, and this performance blew even the talents of George Clooney and Jeremy Renner away. He made every part of that role believable, right down to the idea that a late-20's-something gorgeous woman could fall for an old, on the edge of losing everything alcoholic. And his performance wasn't the only thing of note in this movie: the story, the music, the cinemetography, the performances by every actor in the movie; all of it was perfection, right down to the closing credits. It was like a gritty, less-polished, more real version of Walk The Line.

It doesn't matter if you are a fan of drama, comedy, country, rock, or Texas. This is a FANTASTIC movie. You will not be disappointed, although you will be moved. You may even cry. I bawled buckets, right in the theater and on the way to the car, but that's because the story touched a very personal nerve about my own family. In fact, I'm not sure how this film wasn't at least nominated for Best Film.

And if you'd like to see it for free this weekend: here is your code: DVDONME

Tag...You're It!

So my friend Ingrid (and I can say that...we've totally Skyped) over at her adorably pink blog Avery and Me tagged me in a fun bloggy-buddy game to "get to know your fellow blogger". I think today is the perfect time to respond, since I'm kind of busy and emotionally drained. It's a quick recharge for me and I don't have to come up with a topic!

So here goes:

1. What's your favorite flavor of ice cream? I am complicated. It changes from time to time, but I will admit that twice in the last 6 weeks I have had a double scoop of Ben and Jerry's Bonnaroo Buzz and Chocolate Therapy. I think Chocolate Therapy says it all.

2. What was the worst job you've ever had? Although I'm cheesy and think every job is a learning experience, it would have to be selling Cutco Knives. You know, like, the door to door presentation/referral based business. It was kind of high pressure and cultish, and they didn't pay me my last commission check, which caused me to literally flip my lid in front of my brand new college suitemates. After that I became known as "the one who kicked her shoe through the window."

3. Best vacation you ever took? My honeymoon. Best decision we ever made was to stay stateside and visit San Fran, drive up Highway 1 along the rocky beaches, cross over to Napa and Sonoma, and end up in a very high end boutique hotel in Sausalito. AWESOME vacation, and we're considering a repeat for our big anniversary next year.

4. What's your dream job/career? My dream career does not exist. I would LOVE to be a wedding planner/florist/decorator. I would be SO AWESOME at it. I deisgned and made the flowers for my own and my sis' wedding. But unfortunately, I gave up working weekends long ago and I don't know many brides that want to get married Monday-Friday b/t the hours of 9-5, so it really is a dream job!

5. Who was your favorite teacher and why? I had some really great elementary teachers, but I have to say my high school drama teacher, Doug Patterson, made the biggest impression on me. He took me to the big apple for the first time and introduced us to really cutting edge theatre (back then) like Rent and Stomp. I directed a full-length play in high school with minimal faculty participation and just had a wonderful experience. I learned a lot about myself.

Now I'm supposed to nominate some people to participate. I'm going to go out on a limb here and actually nominate a NON-MOM-BLOGGER!

1) Melissa from In The Short Rows (if you want a glimpse into the life of a real farmer, here it is.)
2) Also, my newest reader who is responsible for introducing me to the Working Mommy Network, D from Dearinger Diary
3) Finally, Christine from A Mama Stork Knows, b/c OMG! You guys HAVE to click and go see this pic of 10 month old Rosemary...