Wednesday Hodgepodge

What's your favorite time of day? Why?

I am someone who needs alone time. So at about 8:30 p.m., when everybody goes to their own rooms, I am able to just sit and watch the t.v. shows that I want to watch, read, look at blogs, and do whatever I want to do for a little while before going to bed. It is my wind-down time and I cherish it.

Waffle iron, toaster, coffee maker, mixer, blender ... which small appliance would you say most needs replacing in your house?

My microwave decides to just not allow you to push certain numbers, usually the 0 or 1. There is no rhyme or reason to the problem. It just decides that today is the day. So sometimes I have to get creative in punching in a time, like 75 seconds for 1 minute 15 seconds, etc. It stretches my math skills! Then later that day or the next the buttons will start working again. But overall the microwave still works so I will hold onto it until it poops out.

It's National Grouch Day (October 15) ... what's something that makes you feel grouchy?

Disorder. I am not particularly organized, but I cannot stand when my house is disorderly. I like my piles to be neatly stacked. I need things in their place (for the most part). As you read last week I cannot deal with my couch pillows being on the floor, and they are knocked off at least 50 times a day by dogs and kids. Chaos makes me grouchy in an instant. If I walk in the door after being gone for a while and there are things here and there strewn around the house (papers, pencils, shoes, dirty dishes), I feel my blood pressure rise. A quick pickup and I am back to feeling peaceful.

Ever been to Canada? Is that a country you'd like to visit? According to Trip Advisor the top ten best destinations in Canada are -- Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Victoria, Calgary, Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Falls, Whistler, and Halifax. Which city would you most like to see?

I have never been to Canada and I do think I would like to go sometime. Canadians seem so patriotic to their country. I know it has its problems like everywhere else, but it just seems peaceful to me. Plus I love snow! I don't know much about any of the cities mentioned but Niagara on the Lake sounded like someplace I would love. I looked it up on Google and realized that I would LOVE to visit there. It looks so quaint and sweet.

What was your favorite food (or one of your favorites) when you were a child? Is that still a favorite?

I loved the tuna casserole my mom made for us as kids. It was simply a box of macaroni and cheese, a can of tuna, and a can of peas. My dad didn't like it so I can always remember my mom making a big pot of it during the week that he went deer hunting. My kids don't like it, but I still do. Every once in a while I just need to make myself some. Yum!

Do you cry easily?

Man, I used to. I could bring on the waterworks in a nanosecond. Commercials made me cry. Songs made me cry. Even someone winning on The Price is Right made me cry. I think the world has hardened me. I don't cry easily anymore, usually only when I am mad.

Have you started your (gasp) Christmas shopping? If so when, and how much? If not, when will you even begin thinking about it?

Oh, I think about it all the time. I think about how we don't have even one penny saved for Christmas gifts this year. Every spare penny has gone toward attorney fees in the child support case. Honestly, I am not sure where the money will come from this year. I have a list of what I want to get most of the kids, and Rick. But I haven't bought anything yet. And I am not sure when I will start.

Insert your own random thought here.

The Judgment was entered in the child support case. Neither party won. Neither party ever does. It was a fair Order for all involved. We ultimately achieved what we needed to achieve. The kids will get some needed support. And Rick will continue to fill in the gaps as he has always done (love that man!). It sucks that so much money was spent to come to the conclusion I offered before we even had to result to going to court. But in the end our family came out of this with strong and lasting relationships. In fact, we are closer than we have ever been. We are excited to move on with our future plans without even having to think about any of those issues ever again. We have a wedding and high school graduation coming up. Life is good!