I'm Trivial, I'm Cheap, and I'm Looking for a Job

It seems that lately trivia has ended up a topic of several of the posts I've either read or commented on. Even of parts of my own posts. I does this make me a trivial person? Yes? Maybe? Who knows. Or cares.

I've stated previously about my Trivial Pursuit skills, that I kick TP's ass and take no prisoners while playing. All of this is true. With each game I win - which is rare, because, like I said, no one will play with me - my head swells more. This Thanksgiving my head is going to be in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! You guys will watch me on tv, right?

I've got a problem, though. I've been playing a trivia game over at WillowTree's place. And I suck. BAD. The thing is, it's timed. So being brilliant having tons of useless knowledge doesn't guarantee you a win. You've also got to be fast. Faster than everyone else. As of yet, I've failed miserably. Then he throws in the category Australia. Talk about guess, guess, guessing!

So I'm adding the game to my site, too. Will this help me do any better? Probably not. But at least I can see how slow I am compared to your guys. Maybe you'll have mercy on me. I'm thinking that my head might not be big enough come Thanksgiving, though. Sorry Macy's. Check out the link in my sidebar, right below the BlogHer Ads, and play along.
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I am going to a consignment sale today. Hooooraaaayy!! I'm actually working the sale - like 20+ hours so they better have some goooood shit! - so I get to shop early before most of the others. I always hated the idea of this kind of thing until I became poor unemployed a SAHM. Then the budget makes such things a necessity. When Punkin was younger the selections was huge. Now that he's grown ~sniff~ older the selection isn't as large, necessitating the working to shop early. Which really sucks ass. Working for free for the privilege of spending money? Just not right. Anyway, I'll post pictures of my loot if things go well.

Speaking of going well, wish me luck. As of Monday, when I'm not working at the freaking consignment sale I'll be looking for employment. I'm tired of not having money and also the damn power company keeps sending me bills. You'd think they'd give me a break, you know? Poor mom and all.

I've been warned to make sure any potential employers don't block Facebook, though I doubt the IT Nazis would let me play on Facebook for long, even if it's not blocked. But I promise to try. Though after being unemployed for the last year and a half I'll probably spend most of my time trying to remember when to debit and when to credit.

So wish me luck, my bloggy friends! Wish me luck at trivia (not so important I guess), wish me luck at the sale (because we want my Punkin looking super cute when he starts rockin' the daycare!) and wish me luck with my job search. Also wish me luck working 20+ hours for free while not wanting to kill all of the other cheap heifers looking for bargains for their punks.

Gotta go get ready to shop -

Haiku Friday

A month passes by
Still no bun in the oven.
Time to turn it off?

I blog, blog, blog, blog
My poor neglected baby.
Learn moderation.

He wants pop up book
Had to order from England
First one was destroyed.

I always talk poop
It's my Haiku Friday thing
Now I'm known for poop.

It's All About Me, Me, Me - Again

I have been tagged by Jessica at A Bushel and a Peck. So here we go. The challenge is to come up with facts about me...some weird, some random, but all devastatingly interesting...of course.

Does she realize who she tagged? Weird maybe, but devastatingly interesting? I'll see what I can do, but no one hold your breath...

1. Before getting my accounting degree, I got a degree in psychology. It was the major I declared when I started college and I never changed it. I always found the workings of the human mind to be so fascinating and wanted to spend my life picking said minds apart.

However, a year of grad school changed my mind, as what is presented as fact in undergrad turns out to be very subjective once in the "real world". Turns our my mind doesn't quite work that way. I was much better suited to work as an accountant where two plus two always equals four.

Though I'll still try to get inside your head if you give me half a chance and I'm normally an excellent judge of character and pretty good at reading people.

So don't try hiding stuff from me, ok?

2. Like Jessica, I also play a mean game of Trivial Pursuit. In fact, I am currently undefeated. This is partially due to the fact that no one will play with me anymore because I always win. I am a font of useless knowledge and I'm also a pretty good guesser for the sports questions. Though sports is always the last one I tackle. So find an online game and lets play. My big head could use some deflating....

3. After more than 20 years I found my roommate from my first year of college on Classmates dot com. People laugh at those kinds of sites, but it brought my dear friend back to me and I'm very thankful for it. She reads my blog very regularly, but never comments. And with me such a comment whore!!! Do yall think that I'm calling her out her? Addressing her lurking? Hell, yeah. If you'll help clean my house and stuff jalapenos for me, you could comment on my blog. Right?

4. I never really wanted children. Then one day I did. Just like that, like a switch had been flipped. Now I'm continually amazed at how much I love being a parent and can't believe I ever doubted that I wanted kids. At this point were age, money and my body not issues? I'd have ten! People who know me from way back assume I'm joking or have been body snatched when they hear this. Sometimes I think I have been. But I've found my niche in life and I love being a mom.

5. I breast fed my son for eight months. I had planned on doing it for a year minimum, but when his little teeth turned into fangs and I began to require regular transfusions I had to stop. When I told my family that I would continue letting him nurse until he, not I, was ready to quit, they called me weird. I believe they are probably most likely on Bill Mahr's side of the current debate over breastfeeding. My family? Well, just call me the blacksheep.

So that's it. Now I get to so some tagging. I'm supposed to do seven, so here goes....
You're are all tagged for the same reason. Because I couldn't think of anyone else think you are hella interesting and I want to know more.

Catwoman
Anglophile Football Fanatic
Mommapeas
Yankee Belle
Kim
Angel
Kathleen

I'm taking tomorrow off to catch up on my shambles of a house and to run many postponed errands so I'll catch yall Saturday.

Ok, Friday night. But during the day? I'm outta here.....

Thursday Thirteen #1 - The Inaugaral Edition

I've had a post in draft about Canada for some time. A post on Catwoman's blog got me to thinking I should finalize it and share my brilliance ideas with the world. Or at least with you all. I had also planned to start doing the Thursday Thirteen meme, so here they both are, rolled into one.

Thirteen reasons why I think Canada rocks.

1. Canadians rock the blogosphere. Have you checked out any of these Canadians who blog? There's Catwoman, Emma, Redneck Mommy, Kim, then you've got that whole bunch at Mommy Blogs Toronto. You can even get your freaky-deaky fix with Racy Red. I definitely look up to Canada, literally and figuratively, for blogging inspiration.

2. They have the good falls. Come on, you have been to Niagara Falls, right? Which side did you stay on? I'll bet the Canadian one. I mean the American and Bridal Veil falls are cool enough, but you went to see the Horseshoe Falls. Don't say you didn't. If you do, you lie. Don't lie to Blue Momma.

3. The Falls in winter. For details, see #3, but imagine it with ice.

4. Ice Road Truckers. Who the hell else has an ice road? Yes, a big long road across a frozen lake. To a diamond mine. Which they drive ginormous trucks across. And they have a tv show about it. When I finally run away from home I'm going to Canada to be an ice road trucker. No more sweating, humidity and frizzy hair for this chick!

5. They make Easy Mac! As I unpacked my latest super size box of Easy Mac from Costco, I happened to notice the label on the bottom of the box.

The makers of Easy Mac should be acknowledged as the true leaders of the free world because what mom with a toddler could live without Easy Mac? Not that I ever dip into Punkin's stash. No way. Not I. What? No, that's not cheese on my chin....

6. William Shatner is Canadian. What would our world be like without Captain Kirk? How would we ever know how to boldly go where no one has gone before? Who would lead us there? And don't even get me started on The Trouble with Tribbles. Add to that that he tell us where we can get the lowest price on airline tickets and hotels. Oh, and Denny Crane. Denny Crane.

7. Hockey. Ok, so I'm not a big fan. Or a fan at all. But Canadians? They love their hockey. This seems to have crept across the border into Detroit, where we lived before moving back to Alabama. Now I hate waiting. For anything. But to eat? Hell no. Which is a problems since that's my favorite thing. But on a night the Red Wings play? You can get into any non-sports bar restaurant in town. With no wait. At all. And that? Rocks.

8. Free healthcare. Our insurance went up in July. Not only did the cost per month go up, but they raised the freakin' copayment to $30!! Pretty soon it'll be cheaper to pay for an office visit than to pay the copay. But Canada? Free healthcare. For everyone. They look out for their own and not for the pharmaceutical companies and medical bigwigs. Of course, if hubby gets a job in medical sales I'll have to retract this one.

9. Nelvana. You're familiar with Nelvana, right? You can thank their cold, Canadian asses for The Backyardigans, The Berenstain Bears, Franklin, Max & Ruby, and Mrs. Spider. The list goes on beyond that, too. My favorite? Mrs. Spider. She rocks the Sunny Patch and sets a good example for us all. They are responsible for some of the best babysitters ever!

10. Trivial Pursuit . Yes. Those damn Canadians again. When I'm feeling low, unimportant, not so smart, I pull out the Trivial Pursuit game. And then? I. Kick. Ass. Then the world is mine! I'm smart, smart, smart ass, all is right with the universe and the ego gets the boost it needs. Where would us fonts of useless information be without Trivial Pursuit to showcase our genius? Jeopardy you say? Well, guess what? Alex Trebek is Canadian, too!

11. The Doodlebops.

Don't try to deny the Doodlebops. They rule. And Moe Doodle? I don't care if you think I'm weird. He's mine. So back off!

12. Canadian Money. What is on the Canadian quarter? Some stuffy old dead Prime Minister? Why hell no. A caribou. And my Punkin will tell you - caribou rock! Then you've got the Canadian dollar coin. Do you know what it's called? It's called a Loonie. No, it's not in honor of our current president! Duh. It's named after a bird! And again, Punkin will tell you - that rocks! And their bills? Colored. So you don't even have to know how to count to use Canadian money. Wow.

13. Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Ok, I know Spike isn't a real person. Not even a real make believe person. He's a vampire. And he's American in real life (and I really don't care about him in real life anyway) and English in character. But he's so freaking cool. And I love him. Much more than I love Moe Doodle. And so not in a sweet way. Bloody hell, Spike! You rock! And because of that I'm considering you a Canadian. At least for purposes of the Thursday Thirteen. And again. I love you. Really. You're on my list.

So that's my Thursday Thirteen. I hope you liked it. I'll be back next week if I don't totally get flamed over my 13.

And, to be honest, even if I do!

Wordless Wednesday - Splash!!!

It's Meme Day

The lovely Jo tagged me for this Meme a while back. And from all from all the way across the pond. Of course, like the procrastinator extraordinaire I am, I'm just getting around to it.

I know, its surprising isn't it? Usually I'm all over a chance to talk about me, me, me, but me, uh, I mean I, haven't felt terribly talkative lately. Or it could just be that Facebook has rotted my brain and I no longer have the ability to do anything other than SuperPoke AAF or send buck toothers to Catwoman.

And lets don't even talk about Kim kicking my ass EVERY GAME at Scrabulous.

First, the rules:

1) You have to post the rules before you give the facts.
2) Players must list one fact that is relevant to your life for each letter in your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name then use a name that you like.
3) When you are tagged, you must write a post containing your own middle name game facts.
4) At the end of your post, you must tag one person for each letter in your middle name. Don’t forget to comment them telling that they are tagged and to read your post to get the rules.

If you look on my social security card my middle name is now my maiden name. It also starts with a K.

What the hell starts with a K? Besides Kangaroo. I'm sometimes a little jumpy, but wouldn't describe myself as a kangaroo. And it may look like I'm carrying something around in a pouch on my belly, but I promise you, it's all me.

Which leaves me with the middle name I was born with. So let's go....

Oh, the L's just start flowing immediately. Lazy. Large. Lethargic. Luminous. Oh, excuse me, I didn't mean to let that last one slip. Laughter. But for the past three years I'd have to say love. Because since Punkin was born there has been an abundance of love around our house. An overflowing. I want to tell him I love him a hundred times a day and I want to hear him say it to me twice as many times. I think once I had a child I really realized my capacity for love. And it is large. But not lazy or lethargic.

Ebullient. I know I just used lethargic in the last one, and ebullient is close to opposite of lethargic, but they both apply. One of the definitions of ebullient is overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; bubbling up like a boiling liquid. That's how I tend to be. I'm like the boiling liquid. I tend to just sit there, then start to bubble a little, then bam! I'm boiling. I get overly excited about things - like this blog, or a new cross stitch project or cake decorating and just bubble over about them for a while. Then on to the next thing...

Intelligent. Ok, I'm not Albert Einstein or anything, but I'm no dummy either. I always said I would never be rich or beautiful, but I was smart and you can't take smart away. I know some of you are thinking, yeah, right. Smart. Smart ass, maybe. But that's just so you don't feel inadequate, as, when I'm not thinking about myself, I'm always thinking of others! Oh, and most important of all? Smart doesn't sag when you get old!

Another hard one. Ginormous? Is that a word? No? How about great? Ok, let's go with gabby. I like to talk. I really do. I'll talk about anything. Anytime. Want my number? Cause I'm listed. The one thing I really miss about working outside the home, besides the paycheck, is the gabbing. So if you're the same? Email, IM, comment, call, smoke signal. I'm ready and waiting to gab.

Hard headed. I'm hard headed. I admit it. I always often think I'm right and you just may have a pretty hard time convincing me otherwise. Now if you do convince me, I'll be the first to tell everyone else that you were right and I was wrong. But you've got to convince me. I'm working on trying not to be so hard headed, but 39 years of something is hard to change. Especially when you're hard headed.

So, enough about me. I'm tagging:

L - Laughter, Love & Madness. Now it's all about you!
E - Ohio Blue Eyes. Eyes starts with E.
I - I'm A Mom. Whew. Finally one that starts with the right letter!
G - Buddha Girl. Girl for G.
H - AFF. Don't argue. She's an H, I promise.

Any ideas for tomorrow, people? Because I'm on empty here.....

Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!

I want to thank all of you who responded to my post about my Granny. I was so touched by your emails, comments and posts that words just can't express it. The emails to me and the cards to her mean/meant so much. I wish I was more eloquent and could get these feelings into some pretty words, but since I'm not I just want to say thanks, thanks, thanks.

Shortly after the cards started coming in, Granny was discharged from the hospital. The doctors say her organs are all in surprisingly good shape for a 90 year old and that the incision on her leg is looking great. She will have to stay on antibiotics for another month or so, until her ankle is healed and they can remove the hardware (which is causing the infection) from her leg.

The antibiotics she's taking make her nauseous, though, and she doesn't want to eat. Just yesterday she ate her first real food other than yogurt or applesauce (both of which we had to practically force feed her) since she was admitted to the hospital.

The problem is her will to get better. She has just seemed to give up. She perks up now and then, when the mail comes (again - thanks, thanks, thanks!), when she thinks about her grand kids, etc, but then she's back to feeling sorry for herself.

Right now, she is her own biggest obstacle to getting better. We are still hopeful and physically she has turned the corner. If we can just get the old Granny back mentally I think we'll be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

My mother has the envelopes from the cards so I can't thank each of you who mailed one personally (not yet anyway!), but I would like to thank the following bloggers who linked to me when I did my original post for Granny:

Violet Nell JJ Jennifer ChrisB Mommapeas Her Indoors

Elena Jane Jessica M Multi-tasking Mommy Cakehead JustMyLife Serina

Go by and visit their blogs and show them some of the support they showed for me. If I've omitted anyone it wasn't intentional and I'll add you to the list if you yell at me let me know.

And this whole thing about friends in real life versus online friends? Total bs. Other than you flying/driving/walking to Alabama and taking me to Taco Bell for lunch (OK, so I lurve Taco Bell. At least I'm a cheap date!), what more could I ask for?

I love you guys! ~smack~

Fun Monday

This weeks hostess for Fun Monday is Lisa from The Food Snob. Our mission for this week:

I want to see your favorite recipe, be it either because your grandmother wrote it, it's the easiest thing you can slap together that everyone likes, it makes you feel healthy, it's cheap, etc. You don't have to make it (although you could if you want) but let us see the index card, cookbook, printed paper from the web, and why it's a favorite in your house. If you have a lot, just pick one, I know I'll have to!

Let me start by saying that I love to cook. I love cookbooks

and I love trying new recipes. Yet I have to admit that having a three year old has put a damper on my experimentation - and often on cooking much at all other than Hamburger Helper and mac & cheese.

So my recipe is for the Moms out there or for those of you short on time, but who would like something flavorful, yet also quick and easy. I adapted this recipe from this cookbook
and I hope you like it. It is one of our favorites!

Without further adieu, here it is

Szechuan Barbecue Chicken

1 Bottle Kraft Thick and Spicy Honey BBQ sauce
1/2 cup (overflowing) honey
1/3 cup (overflowing) soy sauce
1 t. red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 boneless chicken breasts
cooked rice, as much as you'd like

The recipe originally called for snow peas and carrots,

but since I hate abhor despise don't care for vegetables, I've left them out. You feel free to add them in as you'd like. It was also originally made with pork, but since this chick likes chicken, chicken is what you get!

First, gather your ingredients.

Cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.

I like to use my kitchen shears. My MIL gave me the first pair of kitchen shears I ever owned. I still can't believe she gave me something so useful! They've been replaced by these, which come apart for cleaning. If you don't have a pair, buy. them. now! One more time, and loud : I. LOVE. KITCHEN SHEARS!

Cut off any fat that is visible, because, oooh, who wants more fat? This chick has enough of her own without help from a chicken tit boob breast.

Put the chicken into a deep skillet or saute pan and stir fry. If you want to use oil you can, but my pans are non-stick so I don't.

Give your chicken a stir every once in while so it doesn't get all stuck together like mine . When the chicken is just about done, drain fat the fat from the pan. I usually don t have much and just use a paper towel to get it up.

Add the BBQ sauce

soy sauce

and the honey.
Add as much red pepper as you think you can handle.

We have to skimp on it a bit since Punkin started eating table food, but we are slowly trying to up his love of the heat!

Stir together well and simmer over low to medium heat

until the sauce is thickened and bubbly.
Serve over cooked rice. It would be a little crunchy for my taste if the rice wasn't cooked.This is one of our favorite recipes, both because it tastes great and it is easy enough for a husband to prepare! Of course that seldom happens, but he could do it if he tried.

Now go on over and visit Lisa and check out the other Fun Monday participants. See ya next week!