Friday 5

LOL! I have been off work since Thursday and my days are getting mixed up. My first Friday Five in a while.

 Friday Five - Don't Touch that Dial

1. What was the most recent physical book you purchased and/or read? Actually last Christmas. We bought a MINECRAFT cookcook for the kiddos. Well actually, it's for all of us. 😁

2. What was the last compact disc you listened to? Goodness, I have no idea! I usually listen to all my music these days on Spotify or Prime Music.

3. What did you last watch on DVD? That one I remember. Renaissance Man.

4. Whom did you last speak to on a landline? The only "landline" phone I use these days is when I work the front desk at work. So, Monday December 21st.

5. What did you last purchase with cash? Last Wednesday when I pitched in some cash for a pizza party at work for my unit.

Friday Five

 It's time for Friday 5

1. How good are you at wrapping gifts? I think after 35 years, I have become proficient enough. I think I do a pretty good job and I love to match my bows and wrapping paper. 🎁

2. When are you likely to begin your Christmas shopping this year? I keep telling myself that I need to start shopping early. It never happens.

3. How do you feel about candy canes? Well, the only time we have candy canes is at Christmas when we buy a box or two to put on the tree. My son loves mint, but he prefers the chewy kind.

4. Have you been naughty or nice this year? I am always nice. Probably too nice.

5. In what way was today most December-like? It's not. Not here in Texas. December-like means cold, chilly weather. We have broken heat records here in Texas. 🔥

Friday Five - Re:

I completely forgot it was Friday, and now it's Saturday! 😚 I have been working on a project that I am doing for my daughter all day today. I am putting together a Photo/Scrapbook of her Girl Scout years and Cheer.

    It's time for Friday Five!

1. What's due for renewal? Probably game memberships, but they are automatic. I just check to make sure they post to my bank account.
   
   
2. When did you most recently replace something good with something inferior? Nothing recently.
   
   
3. What statement did you recently have to recant? Telling my niece that she never visits anymore. She was practically raised with my kids and she always "lived" at our house during summer and school breaks. She showed up this afternoon before going to work the Ren Faire.
   
   
4. What’s refreshed you this week? Actually getting some things done around my house. I have been going through old photos and ditching quite a few that are either doubles, or look horrible.
   
   
5. What’s a fond memory you have of elementary school recess? Racing one of the guys. LOL! I started running track my 4th grade year and I was the fastest girl in my school. We would race each other at recess and it was always quite fun! 
   
   
   

Friday Five - Aca-scuse me?

  It's time for Friday Five!

1. In What way you have recently been rebellious? LOL. I left those days behind a long time ago. 😂

2. What fond memories do you have of camping out? I haven't been 'camping' since my military days! One of my fondest has to be during Army Basic Combat Training when we were on Bivouac (camping military style). During training, we always had to have our weapon with us, and this means even at night. My Drill Sergeant tried to steal my weapon, but thankfully I had my sling wrapped around my arm. LOL! It was quite funny. The following pic is out of one of the training manuals. 

3. When did you last have a snow cone, or something similar? Gosh, I haven't had an actual snow cone in a couple of years. We used to have this little snow cone stand down the street and they had the best snow cones. Now ice cream is something that we constantly have on hand. We buy our milk from this store called Braum's, and we always end up with ice cream sandwiches and bars to stock the fridge.

4. Where do you have difficulty fitting in? Where do you easily fit in? Well, being the parent of a child with special needs seems to definitely affect real life friendships, even for the adult. Parents of neurotypical children tend to shy away from those of us that have kids that are considered 'neuro-diverse'. My daughter has Autism and General Anxiety Disorder. She has always had a hard time making friends and fitting in, which made me feel like an outsider trying to fit in with other moms. If the friendship with the child didn't work, then most of the time the friendship with the adult didn't either. At least that has been my experience. Now, I have managed to make a ton of friends online with some of these friendships lasting over 20 years. I am in a couple of mom groups relating to books and gaming, and I am also part of a Minecraft community that supports kids and families with Autism.

5. How do you feel about bananas? I usually have to be in the right frame of mind to eat bananas. Because I have been trying to eat healthier and exercise, they are part of my daily diet now. I try to find them on the small side, and they have to be greenish yellow. Perfect ripeness! Not to hard to eat, and not chewy. 

Friday 5 - III III III III III

   It's time for Friday Five!
Yay! I finally get to participate again! The last few weeks have been crazy crazy for me and my family.

1. Who are your three latest celebrity crushes?

LOL! I don't really have celebrity crushes, but Nick Bateman pops up quite a bit in my Smoaksters book group on FB and he is absolutely without a doubt my Professor James Hunter. Well, aside from my hubby that is. 😉

2. What three strange things have you done during the pandemic?

I don't think I have done anything strange. I have always been a homebody, so staying home and not going places has not really affected me.

3. What three goals do you have for the weekend

#1) This weekend will be filled with cleaning. I have to clean, mop, disinfect, and bleach both bathrooms.
#2) Grade papers. Term 2 just ended and now I have to rev up the projects for Term Three. My daughter is not exactly happy that I added an extra month on to school, but with all the Dr. Appts, Therapy, and hospital visits - there has just been too much going on to slack off. The end of August is now Graduation month.
#3) Organize my desk.

4. What three things are you avoiding?

I really don't try to avoid things. But I guess you could say that I have definitely limited my contact with others because I want to try to stay healthy, and it's not just Covid, although I wish more people that I know would take it more serious. My son just got out of the hospital because of cellulitus, which is a bacterial infection. We have no idea how, as this usually enters through a wound or bite. I am also getting ready to start up a Blogilates program with Cassie and I want to be able to keep at it. I need energy to do this. LOL.

5. What three things are you feeling pretty good about

#1) Losing Weight and keeping my stress levels down
#2) Getting my house organized
#3) Making this year awesome

Friday Five - Just Vegging

  It's time for Friday Five! 

Yes, it's Saturday but...

 

1. What’s your favorite root vegetable, and what’s your favorite way to eat it?
   Carrots! I ❤️ me some carrots! I buy whole carrots only. The taste of the ones already peeled and cut is blah to me. LOL. I peel, wash, cut them into slices, and dip them in a cold ranch dressing for a great snack. They are also one of my favorite sides - steamed (tender with a bit of a crisp) and drizzled with garlic butter!
   
   
2. What’s your favorite leafy green, and what’s your favorite way to eat it?
   I am not a huge fan of leafy greens, but I do enjoy a good Chicken Caesar salad with fresh cut romaine lettuce (center cut out), and a creamy Caesar dressing. Oh, and add sunflower seeds!
   
   
3. What’s your favorite legume, and what’s your favorite way to eat it?
   Green beans! One of my fondest memories is picking fresh green beans from my grandfather's garden with my mom. Afterwards we would go home and snap them. My mom made the best green beans, and my daughter and I enjoy doing this together as well.
   
   
4. What’s your favorite vegetable to put on a pizza?
   Um, well, I don't really eat veggies on my pizza, but I have had a pretty good one that had roasted chicken and red bell peppers on it once. My favorite pizza though is of the Hawaiian style - yes I eat mine with Canadian bacon and PINEAPPLE. 😄
   
   
5. What’s your favorite fruit to eat in a green salad?
   I don't eat fruit on my salad, but I have eaten one with mandarin oranges.
   
   
   
   

 

Friday Five - Double Up I am late to the party

  It's time for Friday Five! 

I haven't been blogging much lately (gaming and reading mostly) so I figured I would backtrack and do a double, even though I am a day late. As they say...
Better late than never! 😁

 

Friday Five February 19: BRR ❄️

1. What will you remembrr about this past week? That we broke records here in Texas.
   
   
   
   
2. What’s trying its best to clobbrr you these days? Trying to stay strong for my daughter, who has Autism and GAD. This pandemic has really screwed therapy sessions up these days.
   
   
3. What’s going on in the neighbrrhood? Well, considering the ice and snow that we just accumlated, this is a BIG change. LOL!
   
   
4. When were you recently required to summon some brravery? I feel like this on a daily basis. I guess that is why I have been diving into books so much lately.
   
   
5. Over what will you happily labrr this weekend? Reading. LOL!
   
   I live in Texas and we had a doozy of a historical storm sweep through here. No way was my state even prepared for what happened and I hope this was a wake up call. Just because we don't get weather like this doesn't mean we have to be unprepared. Hope everyone stayed warm!!!
   
   
   
   Friday Five February 26: A Clubhouse ain't
   nothing but a Sandwich 🥪
   LOL! I remember all the chat rooms of the 80s/90s. I also remember getting all flustered with some guy when he wanted to get personal. I flat out told him I was 13 and too young for him, asking if he still wanted to chat. I think that was the last time I was able to venture into chatrooms. My dad had a fit. I think I will pass on the Clubhouse app. Besides, I have an android. =D
   
   

   1. What is the longest you ever spent on the phone on one call? Oh my gosh, I used to talk on the phone all the time, when I was in middle/high school. Probably three hours. 📞
      
      
   2. When you were a teen, how important was the phone in your daily life? This was a staple in my life! I was on the phone all the time. In fact, if I got in trouble, my punishment was having my phone privileges taken away. And when that happened, I just hoped that I had quarters! 💰
      
      
   3. How much do you use the actual telephone function of your phone today? Um, I don't own an actual telephone line these days. But even with my cell, I don't talk very much unless it takes 84 years to type out in text. Then a phone call comes in handy.
      
      
   4. How well do you handle phone calls at work? I am not working right now, but even when I was, phone calls were only during breaks/lunch unless it was an emergency.
      
      
   5. What are some good telephone-themed songs? Haha! The one that gets stuck in EVERYONE's head!
      
      
      
      
      

   
   

   
   

 

Friday 5 - Couples Therapy

   It's time for Friday Five!

 1. Which celebrity couple, past or present, do you find particularly interesting? I have always loved the relationship that Danny Devito and Rita have shared all these years. I was sad to hear that they had separated yet again

 

2. A couplet is a pair of rhyming lines of verse, one after another. In the form of a couplet, how would you describe your weekend? I read this years ago and it definitely applies to me. I have been averaging almost a book a day! Yay!

Books have powers over me,
Inside a book I am not free.

 
3. With what (or whom) have you recently, consciously uncoupled? It really is sad that in so many instances, once you are no longer a "visual" presence in someone's life, you kind of get pushed aside. This has led to many friendships that have been "uncoupled" and become acquaintances.

 
4. When did you last purchase something in a two-pack only because it doesn't come in a one-pack? Well, for some reason here lately, I have not been able to find my printer ink in black on individually. Walmart wanted over $30 for a two pack, so I turned to Amazon and found a tri-color/black ink two pack for $24.00. I think I got the better deal!

 
5. What were you doing a couple of hours ago, and what will you be doing in a couple of hours? I have been gaming. LOL! I am playing Minecraft will probably play for the next couple of hours. This is how I de-stress.

This is definitely therapy for me. 😆

Friday Five - Double

 It's time for Friday Five! I keep missing my Fridays, so you get the last two weeks! 😁

January 15th - Groovy, Rad, Lit

1. Which slang term from your youth, no longer in common use, do you remember fondly? LOL! "Talk to the Hand!" and "What's Your Damage?!"

2. What slang do you still use, ‘though it’s no longer in common use? Um, "Not Even!" I don't hear it much. 

3. Which current (or sorta recent) slang terms do you particularly like? Since I play quite a few online games (with and without my kiddos) and several have chat enabled, I hear slang constantly. I remember a few years back asking my daughter what a certain word meant and she "LOL'd me. Yeah, I have picked up quite a few terms. Lit and Salty are my faves I suppose. 

4. Which slang terms, past or present, do you especially dislike? OMG! I absolutely despise hearing "Baby Mama" or "Baby Daddy". 

5. What slang terms are specific to your geographical region? Well, I live in Texas, y'all so a big Howdy! LOL! Bless Your Heart!  😄

January 8th - Watching My Figure

1. What are some figurines you own? Well, not many really. I do have some Santas around the world that my mom had started collecting. I am going to start collecting the diecast metal Nano Minecraft figures though. LOL.

2. What are you trying to figure out? Trying to figure out how the heck we are going to make it from Texas to Maine - permanently. 

3. Two circles or one continuous motion: how do you write the figure 8? Two circles like a snowman. LOL! I remember in school my teacher reprimanding me on drawing my figure 8's from the wrong direction. I still stuck with circles! 😋

4. How do you feel about Fig Newtons? Um. Not a fan. They taste like flavored cardboard. 

5. What’s a good metaphor to describe your first week of 2021? Grabbing the bull by the horn. LOL! Trying to stay positive!

Friday Five - The Year in Review pt 2

It's time for Friday Five! (I am a day behind!) LOL!

1. What did you learn in 2020? Um, I learned more about humanity and some of my fellow humans, the lacking of compassion and empathy, than I care to admit. Sad really. 😶

2. What do you regret doing (or not doing) in 2020? I regret having to resign from new my job as Coordinator (I had only been there a couple months) because of a foot injury. I worked with quite a few amazing people and my bosses were pretty awesome. I am getting ready to have all these tests run, x-rays, and MRIs done come the first of the year. I am not looking forward to it at all. 

3. What are you proud of doing in 2020? I am so thrilled to have been able to read more. I have been averaging a book a day almost since September. I definitely met my book challenge this year! 😁

4. Whom did you get to know better in 2020? Not really anyone. I am a homebody anyway, and most of my friends I talk to are online anyway. 

5. What do you hope to accomplish in the remaining days of 2020?
Well, we only have a few more days left so I don't know what I can really accomplish in that time frame. LOL. 

Friday Five - A Year in Review

It's time for Friday Five! 

1. Who made you laugh most this year? Well, considering that for most of the year I have been around mainly my hubby and my kids - it would have to be them. LOL! Although when I was working at Marshalls I did have quite a few very nice customers. 😊

2. In what ways was 2020 better than 2019? No. I would definitely say 2020 is by far worse than 2019. At least I had a job then. The only thing good to come out of this year was that my hubby finally got approved for Social Security Disability and that our JPS insurance finally kicked in! Maybe now I can have my foot looked at and we can finally figure out if I need surgery or not. 

3. What was the best movie or TV series you saw in 2020? Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir and Cobra Kai!!!

4. What was your favorite food discovery of 2020? Nothing really new. We have been out once to eat and that was for Father's Day back in June. 

5. What’s something nice you purchased for yourself or received as a gift in 2020? Either game memberships or expansion packs for Sims 4. 😀

Friday 5

This weeks Friday 5 - this is my first time participating, so here goes! 😉

1. What most recently made you feel elated?
My husband finally being approved for his Social Security Disability!!! The last several years have really taken a toll on our family. 

2. Where is the slowest elevator in the universe?
ANY elevator is slow to me. LOL! I do not like elevators, and if I can take the stairs, I will!

3. When were you most recently in an airplane?
In September of 2018 when we flew to Maine. Is is absolutely beautiful and we are hoping to move one day soon!

4. With what have you had it up to here?
Government. I don't care what level. I do not understand why everyone has to be so rude. There is absolutely no common courtesy these days.

5. What’s a good song whose title contains the word “sky?”
Pink Floyd's Goodbye Blue Sky  and I cannot forget the Skye Boat song from the series Outlander!!! My daughter learned to play this song on her keyboard just for me and her name is Skye. 😍