So, whatcha been doin'?

Dear blog readers (yes, all two of you). I must apologize for my sporadic postings of late. I think my mind went AWOL and I may have found it, but I'm still debating that one.

So, if you wanna know what I/we have been up to, here are a few highlights:

* I recently lectured my neighbors' children on birds, zoonotic diseases and the need to bleach out their swimming pool (long story worth it's own post)
* I worked in Indianapolis and went to the home of the ButterBurger and survived.
* Maya found a piece of metal shaped similarly to a plug and decided to remove the plastic plug cover, insert the metal into the outlet, see sparks and trip a circuit in our home... all without dying.
* Maya has moved from rebellious to just plain sneaky.
* Reili says, "Da-da" each time I try teaching her the word "ma-ma"... I secretly wonder if she is throwing this word in my face
* I have almost accepted that I am no longer a runner and I must move on to yoga or Pilates or something less stressful on my knees. Being over 30 is not for wimps.
* I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
* Jeff and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. We ate delicious king crab legs at Jay's Seafood Restaurant in Dayton.
* Our cool friends moved to VA and we are sad that they and their adorable Glitter aren't here in OH anymore.
* Thanks to my marvelous-looking friend, Debbie, I started some Obagi products and I am currently watching my face peel off.
* I am working on being more structured as a mom. So far, I have shortened the bed time routine and made a box for all of Maya's shoes....baby steps.
* We are planning on making a trip to PA for a week this month for a long overdue vacation.

Whew.

Lessons I've Learned...

Well, it has been a crazy few months. I moved up in my job and that reeked havoc on my home, my blog, and pretty much every aspect of my life. I have learned a hard lesson and that is that I should stay home more and focus more on my family.

I initially took a job outside of my home so that I could interact with others a little bit each week. I could have conversations with adults and I could get to know the locals in my new community.

I have learned that going to work so that I may have more sanity kind of backfired. I ended up dealing with others' neuroses and not dealing with my own! Every job I've had seems to have those that like to cause a commotion whether there be one or not. As I've gotten older I realize that I could change jobs, but the same "type" of person will still be there. I try to do my best and there will always be those that will try to bring me down. They aren't happy people on the inside. They relish in others' failures and are jealous of others' success.

I just want to scream out, "Focus on yourself and leave me out of it."

I think I will go back to dealing with my own crazy life and working a bit less.

Tagged by my high school bud, Evonne.

My friend Jane asked if I was okay since I haven't posted in over a month. I am alive and well (at least physically but not so much on the mentally side). So, for an easy post, here is some more stuff about me...just in case you haven't had enough...

Thanks, Evonne for the tag!

Here's what you do:
Link to the person who tagged you,
Post the rules on your blog,
Answer the questions about yourself,
Tag five people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs,
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog,
Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I was dating a guy named Ken, who was the kinda guy I swore I would never date... and he knew it. I was working in an Emergency Department in Birmingham, Alabama. I was also driving my first car, beloved Levar, a black Acura Integra.

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Almonds
2. Sharon's Coconut Sorbet
3. Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuts
4. Azuki (Japanese red bean)ice cream
5. Shrimp Flavored Chips


Five things on my to-do list today:
1. Pick up my new loveseat from Big Lots... yes, Big Lots. (I got the floor model for $130 off!)
2. Give the girls a bath.
3. Clean and organize the living room.
4. Catch up on friends' blogs and my blog.
5. Veg.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Go to medical school.
2. Build an energy sustainable house in Yellow Springs, OH. (Maybe an entire village of them!)
3. Take my entire family to Japan to visit relatives.
4. Set up my family and good friends for life.
5. Go on a humanitarian mission for my church (with Jeff of course).

Five jobs I've had:
1. Huddle House waitress
2. Bookkeeper/Office Manager for a lumber brokerage firm.
3. Assistant to Dr. Palmer (and ER doc)
4. Cardiovascular Disease research assistant at a university.
5. Lead Consultant for a health and wellness screening company.

Five of my bad habits:
Hmm, can I narrow it down to five??

1. Wasting vast amounts of time on the internet!!
2. Almost always being late.
3. Reading about exercise and not doing it.
4. Ignoring dirty dishes.
5. Trying too hard to fix everyone's problems.

Five places I have lived:
1. Tokyo, Japan
2. Great Falls, Montana
3. Piedmont, Alabama
4. Marlboro, VT
5. Dayton, OH

Five people I want to get to know better (yes, this means you are tagged!)
1. Ilona D.
2. Jennifer K.
3. Jane S.
4. Laura H.K.
5. Fauna S.

Why am I still watching this?

My brother found an odd yet mesmerizing TV show called "Yo Gabba Gabba"; Maya loves it. I can't stop watching it, even when Maya's not around. See for yourself.

Yellow Springs, Ohio

In our quest to find the "ideal" place to live, I think I may have found it. Jeff mentioned in passing that there was an area that was about the same distance as we currently are from the AFB. He said it was called Yellow Springs. A light went off in my head because I religiously listen to WYSO, which is our local NPR station. This is not just any run of the mill NPR station, it is the coolest one I have yet to encounter. I could go on and on about it, but you can check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Not only does Yellow Spring host the best NPR station ever, but it has wonderful qualities such as:
-It is home of Antioch University
-It is very diverse and rich in culture even though it has less than 4,000 residents
-It was the last stop on the Underground Railroad
-It promotes small business and does not have a Wal-Mart!
-Dave Chappelle lives there.
-It reminds me of Vermont in so many ways (I went to college in Vermont)
-It is safe.
-It would be a wonderful place for our children to be raised.
-They have contra dancing.
-Is host to the Glen Helen Ecology Institute
-There are endless nature trails and places to camp.
-As my husband so wonderfully put it, "It is a small town because it decided to be one, not because it is one."

I will keep you posted on my new found Ohio Mecca. Will Yellow Springs be my next stop?

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?

Recipe for Instant Weight Loss

1. Snuggle, bounce, and play with sweet (but sick) baby.


2. Allow baby to vomit on you and your clothes.


3. Let virus marinade for 2 days.



4. Simmer at 101 degrees Farenheit.

5. Have abrupt onset of gastroenteritis.

6. Check scale.

Raccoon Hair?

I went to the wonderful land of Sephora last night with friends Jennifer and Josephine. I went only intending to spend $20 but some how managed to "need" $40 worth of products. How many products for eyebrows can be in one store? Anyhoo, we were glancing over the beautiful array of brushes. One such brush was made of raccoon hair. Say huh? Yes, hair from a raccoon. I found this to be a bit of a step down from mink or even goat hair. I also thought I would research how they got the raccoon to cooperate with being shaved or plucked or whatever they do. Is it now "PC" or something to use a raccoon? Does PETA approve? Will the next step be squirrels? What do you think about this?