212/365

I never did Five Question Friday on Friday so I'm breaking the rules and doing it on Sunday.  I know, I'm a rebel.

1. Vow renewal ceremonies-yay or nay?

I'm more eh, than yay or nay.  Generally I would say nay.  If you got married on the fly at a courthouse or something when you were young and poor and say you make it 25 years and want a ceremony, sure go for it.  But if you already had one big hoopla, why do another?  Apparently you forgot what a PITA it is to plan a wedding. :)

2. What sounds annoy you the most?

Hmmmmm....  mosquitoes buzzing your ears and kids going "mom mom mom mom mom mom" and the parents ignoring them - I realize you're trying to "teach" your kid something but the proper thing to do is say "I'm talking, hold on."  For the love people.

3. If you had to pick, would you have only all boys, or only all girls for kids?

Boys.  Girls are drama.

4. Do you believe in alternative medicine?

Of course.  I haven't been seeing a chiropractor for almost 10 years for no reason.  I've seen acupuncture do amazing things for people too.  

5. Would you take a family member's children and raise them if they needed it?

Depends on the situation, but more than likely most definitely.

211/365

The lost day.  Ever have a day where you've been kidnapped by aliens?  I had one yesterday, except the aliens were my family and we were on Lake Minnetonka all day. :)

210/365

A Fun Friday post from Cassie at Back to Her Roots!

15 Years Ago (July 1996), I:

1. had just finished 8th grade.
2. had huge glasses
3. and I think I still had braces

10 Years Ago (July 2001), I:

1. was done with one year of college.
2. had been dating Lucas for 2 years.
3. Went on an airplane for the first time to Maui

5 Years Ago (July 2006), I:

1. was working at a spine clinic (not the one I work at now - the competition)
2. bought our house.
3. had been married almost 2 years

3 Years Ago (July 2008), I:

1. was now working for another spine clinic
2. had a pirate Murder Mystery Party (complete with hail storm)
3. took my niece to San Diego for Spring Break

1 Year Ago (July 2010), I:

1. had lost about 50 lbs
2. had an 80's murder mystery party
3. had foster puppy Ayla

Yesterday, I:

1. went to the doctor
2. slept good
3. did laundry

Today, I:

1. ate Applebee's for dinner
2. got an estimate for the damage on my car - $1000.  Uffda.
3. am watching "Sucker Punch".

Tomorrow, I:

1. am getting my hair done.
2. am going boating with my aunties, uncles, parents and family friends
3. will not be cooking dinner again.

In a week, I:

1. will have gotten groceries
2. will be heading to my parents for the weekend.
3. will hopefully see Harry Potter.

In one month (August 2011), I:

1. will be hoping for cooler weather.
2. will go see King Tut at the Science Museum.
3. will have lunch at the famous Tilia in Minneapolis.

In one year (July 2012), I:

1. will be moved to the city.
2. will have been married almost 8 years.
3. will be 30.  Yikes.

In five years (July 2016), I:

1. would like Lucas to have his own furniture shop.
2. will have traveled to Spain and Scotland to see our friends.
3. will still have Italian Greyhounds.

209/365

Dear Kids born after 1995:

Let me enlighten you on what life was like before everything was easy.   :-) 

See this:  

This is a PHONE BOOK.  We use to have to actually try to find people's names in this thing.  

And this contraption:  Its called a VCR.  You use to have to put a video tape in it and REWIND IT.  OMG it was such a pain waiting for that thing to rewind.....  we also use to have to get VIDEOS from a Video Store.   And some stores charged if you didn't rewind the tape - true story.

This is a TV.  I'm not even shitting you - these things were HUGE and heavy (the one we had when I was a kid took up like a whole corner of the living room).  And did NOT have a remote.  Shut the front door you say?   I'm for real.  You had to get UP to change the channel.  And the thing only went up to like channel 13.  Seriously!  I know, its crazy talk.

This is a "phone" - see the cord - yep, we had to stay within a foot of the phone when we were talking on it.   Eventually we came up with cords that were about 19 feet long so you could at least move about the kitchen (these phones were normally attached to a kitchen wall ya see).

Speaking of phones - this is a first generation cordless phone and that thing in the bag is a cell phone.  For real.  My mom totally had one.

This is a screen shot of a "video game" - it was called Pong.   This was exciting to us.

ALF!  You kids missed some stellar TV shows.

This is Orbitz - it was a funky drink with little tapioca like balls in it.  Weird..... but it was the 80's.  

This is CURSIVE.  Back in the olden days we had to actually learn to write like this - and we even had to do it well.   Because if we didn't - we did it again.  No lie!  Amazing you could actually read our handwriting.

Caller ID - totally ruined prank calling AND scaring the bejeezus out of people.

This is a "mix tape" - see people you to wait til their favorite song came on the radio and then you had to run to your radio and hit "RECORD" - it then recorded (a very crappy version) of your song.   Crazy I know.  

MTV - for real - it was around back in the old days.  HOWEVER... they played music videos.  I know, wtf right?  No Jersey Shore.  All we had was Real World when it didn't suck.

This is kind of what a car seat looked like back in the day.  If you had one.... :)  Its amazing we lived.  Now kids are in "booster seats" til they're like 12.  We were on mom's lap as soon as we outgrew the one car seat everyone used.  

This is a "camera" - looks weird doesn't it?  These cameras had film - you actually had take that film to a drug store and have it developed!  It took like a week to get the pictures back!  And if everyone had their eyes closed in the pictures, too bad.  There was no "delete" button.

So this is  small glimpse of my childhood.  And it was great.  :-)  So next time I hear a kid complain about how rough they have it I'm going to flick them in the forehead and throw their cell phone in the toilet. 

208/365

Worldless Wednesday:

I miss Mad Men (and the incredible clothes)....

Have I inspired any of you to start watching yet??  Its soooo good.

207/365

I was having this conversation with my friend Michelle last night, so it got me thinking - what's your favorite time of year?  Now most people would expect a Minnesoooootan to say SUMMER, duh.  Not this Minnesotan.   I like the months of September 1 - January 1.  First let me tell you first why I dislike the months of Jan-September.....  

January 1 hits.  You're in a food/family coma from all the holiday celebrating.... January is long, cold and dark.  It is nice to not be busy....  I mean we tend to get so bored in January that we go out on frozen lakes to look at art or ice fish.

February is short, cold and dark.   Period.  Usually lots of snow.   Its at this point driving in rush hour snow traffic is starting to turn us all into frozen zombies...  we do try to liven things up a bit with the "Winter Carnival" - aka standing outside frozen looking at ice sculptures or participate in bike races through the snow.

March - eh, March is ok.  I mean its my birthday month so that's all good, but overall its a tease - some days its 75, the next week we have 23 inches of snow.   

April is generally wet, cold and miserable.  

May can be a repeat of April.   With a hail storm thrown in.

Even June this year was a bit chilly.   

*Yes, once in awhile we get a stellar Spring (like 2010 - all my flowers bloomed so early and I remember it being super nice March, April and May).  2011 was not so kind.  We even had sweaters on at the Mad Men party in June.*

Then we get the dog days of summer known as July and August.  I'm not a fan of the humid or the 100 degrees.  Summer is almost busier for us than the winter season - we have so little time to enjoy the sun and warmth we pack in as much as we can.  It does get a little exhausting.....  now I'm not saying I hate summer.  I don't.  Minneapolis is lovely this time of year.

Ohhhhh September, how I missed thee - the weather is starting to cool off a bit - and when I say "cool" I mean like 70's - doable.  A few 80's here and there, even a 90 is possible, but much less humid and much more comfortable.  And its Lucas' birthday month.

October - DUH!  Come on - October is my favorite.  I lluuuuurve Halloween, Zombie Pub Crawl, haunted houses, pumpkins, orchards, apple pies, pumpkin pies, fall leaves, apple crisp, the smell of cinnamon apple cider and bonfires in the crisp fall air.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

November and December - I don't even mind November and December so much because for as much snow as we get in this state, its still kind of fun and a bit of a novelty the first few times we get a snow fall.  I like Thanksgiving and the hustle and bustle of the holidays.  Shopping,  the Macy's Christmas window display, sparkly ornaments, putting up the tree, watching family open gifts you've thought so hard about, being with family, the smell of stuffing and mashed potatoes, the warm glow of candles and Christmas lights.  Ahh... yes.  Busy, but fun.

And then its suddenly Jan 2 again...... I'm starting to think animals who hibernate are incredibly wise. 

What's your favorite time of year?