La la la laaaahhhh!

I've been tagged by Magirk, to do the 7 Random Things About Yourself. I think I've done this before but I'm too lazy to try and go through my previous posts to see for certain. SO! Without further ado, here's 7 TOTALLY Random Things About Myself.

1) I love to ski... but I can't go too fast because then I start to feel like I'm losing control. Therefore, I'll make myself fall down just to slow things up. I know, I know... it defeats the whole purpose.

2) I'm obsessive with pens. Seriously, I'll find a particular brand that I love and I'll stash up on them. Even hiding some in my jewelry drawer, my cargo box in my van, my nightstand, etc. I've even gone so far (ONCE) to hide some in the pantry. I mean, c'mon! It's part of "BEING PREPARED!" lol

3) Facial hair (on men) makes me anxious. When I was younger, it downright scared me. My mom had a theory about this... She figured that I had an association with beards from when I was a baby because all of my doctors had the full-on beards from the 70's. The association with pain.

4) I have somewhat of a hard time sharing recipes. Part of it is, I don't want others to make it better than me. I know, silly isn't it? I typically tweak recipes and when people ask for the recipes, I just give people the original recipes and keep the tweaked ones to myself. *OOPS!* I think some of my family is reading this... SORRY! I promise to let you know what tweaks I've done! Really! Ohhhh boy.

5) I have a really hard time eating leftovers. Seriously. It seemed that's all we ever had growing up. Now that I'm a "grown-up" (AHAHAHAHA!), I really try hard to not have leftovers.

6) I've always wanted to be a dance choreographer when I grew up. I hear music and I know exactly how it should be danced to. Nevermind that I don't know dance terminology, I just know how it should look like.

7) I majored in English & Gerentology in college. How those go hand-in-hand, I'll never know.

There you have it, folks!

TAG! You're it! If you haven't already, go blog about some 7 random facts about yourself! It's fun!

Do you know what being a highly functioning hard-of-hearing person is? It's being able to talk on the phone, listen to music, verbally speak with hearing people, etc. I am one of those. However, from time to time, I find myself woefully LOW functioning. I hate it.

I participated in a SWAP where people across the globe, exchanged some of their favorite things. My swap partner, Kate, sent me a lovely package. Among the items, was a cd of hand-picked songs just for me. (I'm assuming that were some of her favorites.) Anyway, I eagerly played the cd and found... I didn't really care too much for the music. That, WOW, we didn't really have the same taste in this sort of thing. That was okay, I appreciated (hugely) the time she took in putting the cd & package together just for me.

Time went by. Then, as I was talking to Hero, the subject of lyrics came up. He knows that I can't understand the words that are sung as there's no mouth for me to lipread. He knows that even if there was a mouth for me to follow along with, I still wouldn't get it as singing distorts the mouth (as opposed to speaking.) I'm sure that frustrated him to a small degree whenever he would exclaim to me, "Ohhh! This is in your music collection I have on my zen!" Let me explain, on his mp3 "ZEN" player, he has sorted his music into Boo's Collection, Sariqd's collection and I don't know what other collection he has. Anyway, he puts songs in there that make him feel a certain emotion. Boo's songs are about Father & Daughter. My collection has songs in there about us, me, life, growing old together, lovers, struggles, etc. etc. Now, to go back to our discussion, I didn't understand why the strong emotional ties he has to certain songs. At that point, he decided that he would pick out a song from "my" collection and send me the lyrics every day. When I would open the email, I could see the song and get it playing on napster and follow along with the lyrics. WOW. These songs had some PUNCH! I mean, some of these lyrics are not exactly eloquent. However, they convey the thoughts, the emotions, the LOVE that my Hero is trying to get across. I've come to look forward to these daily emails and regret (in a minute way of course) when he's home on the weekends as I don't get that visually, albeit printed words, affirmation of love. Don't get me wrong, he's wonderful in expressing his love for me. The songs however, are poetry in motion.

Now, I'm discovering what WONDERFUL lyrics there are out there. I'm also discovering, whoa, that song was about WHAT?!?! And much to my dismay on THOSE, I have deleted them out of my own zen player. *sniff*

What songs have touched you? Why? Blog about it, if you will. I'm going to... with the following:

Can we rewind the clock a bit? I'm FREAKING out that I have only a few days to shop for my family. YES... I know, I should've started a long time ago and typically, I do. It's just this year - it didn't happen. I wish we were back at Halloween. See the cute pic of me in my Tracy Turnblad bouffant wig & my friend Rozemary, the pirate? I would be happy if we could go back to then so I could begin my shopping & preparation then. *sigh* Ah well.

Huh. I was perusing my friend's blog, when I noticed she had a site meter on it. Oh how cool! And what a neat way of getting that self-gratifying feeling of being important enough to SOMEBODY that they check your blog! So, with a smile on my face, I went to the site and signed up for the free site meter. They asked what # I wanted to start at and I thought..."Well, I know that my link is on at least 3 blogs that I know of... so.... that means, I'm for real popular here! Let's just start out with "0" and see how many peeps come and check out my blog." And thus it begins... not the feeling of, "YAHOO! Wow, like 30 people checked out my blog today!" No, it was more like, "Oh. Only 1 person checked it today. I must be REALLY boring."

*sigh*

I'm going to leave the site meter #'s alone as I don't believe in inflating numbers in general (ha.) Well, okay. Maybe I'll pump it up to 722. ;-)

So many thoughts and so little time! I have had so many ideas for posts on my blog and yet I have NO TIME! WHATTUP? Well, I do have time. It's just that I should be finishing up a Christmas present or doing the dishes.... *checks dishwasher, nope - it's not unloaded, can't do dishes.* Or at the very least be productive in a way that would be beneficial to my home & family. Hm... I'm thinking that if I BLOG... it would be beneficial because I would've had my creative (hah!) outlet for the day and ergo, am happy and satisfied enough to face the drudgery of changing diapers, wiping up spilled milk, making dinner, blah blah blah.

So - here's some thoughts I've had:
1. Rules of the house. Are there rules that exists that canNOT be changed? We've got one for the dishes. I can't do the dishes unless somebody unloads. Seriously, I won't do the dishes.
2. Name of my blog. Should I change it? I like it but when I (uh-oh) start comparing it to other blog names, it seems woefully dim. Not clever or cute at all.
3. Things that get stuck in your head. I saw a 10-second clip of the tv show, "Friends" where Phoebe is married and she wants to have her last name be "BananaHammock." I didn't even know what it was until I asked Hero. Oops. Anyway - that word just keeps popping up at inopportune moments. Like, being at church and closing my eyes for the prayer. Ya. Not good.
4. (Possibly mundane) things you get excited for. New pens, blank notebooks, ribbons, yarn, jangly earrings, snowballs from Purdy's chocolates, eyeshadow (not that I wear much, they're just so pretty!), flannel sheets, true hot chocolate - french style, homemade marshmallows, books & cards written in francais, watercolor pencils, strappy sandals, and... when my friends leave comments!!! (That's not to say that the comments are mundane or that you are... lol!)

Because my blog has felt like a downer-place to be lately... here's something silly. Or possibly just something to bore you to tears... which I hope not because that would just really defeat the purpose of putting something silly on here for y'all to read.


1. What is your full name? Uh... Sariqd Eeka Woobadip. Nicknames: Sari, Sari-Mish, Sare-bear... and others which I do not feel inclined to share EVER. HAahahahah (Love ya Hero!)

2. Color pants are you wearing? Jeans... which are covered with various foods courtesy of my baby.

3. What are you listening to now? Computer is on its last leg... or maybe it's the hamsters wanting to take a break.

4. What was the last thing you ate? A coke. I rarely get one and after today's adventure, I NEEDED IT!

5. Do you wish on stars? Of course... when I'm pulling in after having run a midnight run to the drugstore for some children's tyenol!

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Blue/Aqua/Turquoise

7. How is the weather right now? I dunno, but I do know that it's dark & cold!

8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? That would be Hero - telling him that I'm in the ER waiting for a doctor to stitch up our son's forehead. Good times. Ugh.

9. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Well... there are moments of "oh hey YEAH!" And moments of "sure, YEAH!" and still other moments of "heck YEAH!"

10. Favorite drink? That would be...... sprite in a glass with crushed ice, or the hot lemon drink my mom used to make around the holidays, or coke with lemon (no, not that canned stuff. It has to be a fountain drink, with a wedge of lemon.)... It all depends on the season, the mood, what color socks I'm wearing.

11. Favorite sport? To do? Basketball, used to play in highschool. To watch? NONE. But I do watch occasionally to show loving support to my sport-fanatic. :)

12. Hair color? Brunette, brown, whatever. Finally got rid of those blonde hi-lites. Yay for moi!

13. Siblings? Too many and not enough.

14. Favorite month: October - it ties in with the windy weather which is my favorite.

15. Favorite food? Um.... um... that's too broad of a question. Ask me specifics.

16. What was the last movie you saw? Harry Potter - Goblet of Fire

17. Favorite day of the year: The day I actually sleep past 6:30am. My body is wired for not sleeping in anymore, which makes me weep with sadness. Well, not really WEEP per se, but rather - mope. But not really mope either... it's more of... @*#&$(*&@ why can't I sleep?!

18. What do you do to vent anger? Anger? Foreign concept. But if I get mildly upset - I bake... Baking is very therapeutic for me... hm... I spend a lot of time baking.... uh.....

19. What was your favorite toy as a child? Raggedy Ann that "Brother Fry" gave me. I still have it, but of course Raggedy Ann doesn't have all of her red-yarn hair, or her dress (she had to borrow another doll's dress.) Thanks... making me think of Brother Fry is making me sad... I miss him.

20. Summer or winter? What? Fall isn't an option? Who the heck came up with this? Grr!

21. Hugs or kisses? Hugs from clean-smelling people that I care about. Kisses from kiddies & of course my hubby. (Yeh mah man Hero!)

22. Uh... I'm putting #22 in as it was pointed out it was skipped. Oops. Here - go have some chocolate!

23. Chocolate or vanilla? These food questions are too vague. Chocolate ice-cream, vanilla milk, Chocolate pudding, cooked vanilla pudding, chocolate halloween candy, vanilla... um... something.

24. Do you want your friends do this meme? Not necessarily. I mean, after all, my life does not revolve around checking your blogs! Well... okay, they do... but just a tiny leetle bit. Ok, maybe a little bit more than that even, but not much more! I swear!

25. Who is most likely to do this meme on their own blog? Wow... don't know! Now I'm freaking out because I can't think of anything witty to say, and that's because I've had a hard life, which Hero just laughs at and that really hurts my feelings, and frankly? I just can't handle this kind of pressure and doesn't anyone sympathize with me on this? No one? NO ONE?!? I think.... I'm going to go bake....

26. Who is least likely to do this? Seriously? Everyone. I'm sure they all have better things to do.

27. When was the last time you cried? Well, I thought I was going to cry today when I scooped up my son to take him to the ER, but my mother logic kicked in and reminded me that if I were to cry it might get the kids more upset. Now that it's all over....hmm... which recipe should I try now?

28. What is under your bed? I think dust bunnies with short ears and long tails... Oh wait... those might actually be my cats.

29. Who is the friend you have had the longest? My sisters.

30. What did you do last night? I can't remember. Oh, watched SpyKids with daughter.

31. What are you afraid of? Jumping spiders. Scary movies - can't take them anymore. That goes double for anything with people dying or getting hurt.

32. Plain or buttered or salted popcorn? My personal preference is a perfect batch of my caramel corn. YUM!

33. Favorite car? A clean one.

34. Favorite flower? Peonies, they can be a gaudy flower but gosh - I love them.

35. What did you do on your last birthday? I don't remember. No, no happy juice was involved. I just don't remember.

36. How many states have you lived in? New Jersey, South Dakota, Colorado, Washington = 4

37. How many cities have you lived in? 7 total in my lifetime. Only 7 because I'm still young yet, I haven't LIVED yet.... er... um.... whatever.

Well there you have it folks. Some completely mundane, trivial facts about me. I hope I was able to entertain you in some small way.

This is a brief update for Her Royal Highness... Hero & I met with the teacher and it was encouraging. She told us about Boo and things she excelled in and what areas she could use some help in. Then she brought up the ... "incident" that had transpired between her & I. Apparently, the principal just really got after her that morning and she was put on the defensive. (Ya, not too impressed with the principal myself.) So, her feelings were all in a turmoil and so she lashed out at me. That night, she was able to calm herself down and it dawned on her that I was right. That yes, she didn't have control but that's up to the principal and it's up to the school district to enforce the rules on the substitutes. Meaning, have one that's on-call specifically for her class. The next day, she spoke with another Kindergarten teacher about it and they worked out that on the days that Boo's teacher couldn't be there, the other would be (she's a part-time Kindy teacher and her classroom is right next door... I don't get that situation, but whatever.) SO - they worked it out and we worked it out. All is well. Thank goodness and thanks for asking. :)

WARNING: This is a post for me to just vent. I don't want sympathy. I just need an outlet, and what better than my own blog?

I have been waking up every day for the past... oh, 2 months with a migraine. I know - FUN! Not. There have been several contributing factors. I'm the Activities Chair for my ward. Don't get me wrong just because I consider it to be a "factor" in my migraine status. I really do love the calling. HOWEVER, I have only had 1 couple on my committee for the past 2 months. Which meant, basically just us 3 putting on two major ward activities by ourselves. Yes - we asked for help. No, we didn't get much. Now, as it stands, my 1st couple - well, they have an 11-month old baby plus she just had her 2nd a week ago. Not much help there, understandably. The Bishopric were finally able to call 2 more couples to the committee. "YAY!" or so I thought. Couple #2 is of the hot/cold variety when it comes to church. I'm fine with that and have been hoping that they would seize this opportunity to branch out and get to know more people. Unfortunately, they seem to view most of the ward as the people who have wronged them. That's a whole other subject I'm not going to get into now. Which leaves me to couple #3. So now what? It's still only 3 people to pull off a major ward activity in less than 2 weeks. None of us have any money... so how we're going to buy food & such for the activity, I have no idea. It may be that I'm going to have to ask the Bishopric to either buy the stuff themselves or see if they could give me a check (ha! good one!) - which makes me cringe because 1) I'm embarrassed about this and 2) That means I have to give up some control, which to me, means quality.

I am so anxious about the activity - it's the first time that this ward has ever done any thing SPIRITUAL for Christmas. (We're doing the Night in Bethlehem activity.) So - I want it to be a success.

I am anxious also, that we are not going to have Christmas this year. Now, before I get criticized for thinking materialistically, hear me out. Hero & I, we don't need presents. We're totally fine with that. The only thing I look forward to every year is the annual Christmas letter he writes me. That doesn't cost anything. This year, I've been crocheting an afghan for him with yarn I already had. It's the KIDS. A 5 year old & a 20 month old. For the baby, really - all we would have to do is wrap some old things of his. He would get a kick out of ripping the paper off more than what was inside. But, for my 5 year old.... she believes in Santa and we are NOT about to dash that childhood fantasy. I have NO idea what we're going to do. None.

It's times like these that lead me into wistful thinking... What if some kind, old man just came up to me and gave me a check for $5,000? What if, somebody decided to give me half of their lottery earnings? What if, what if, what if? And then... much to my dismay, I am once again resigned to the fact that HAH! Like THAT's ever gonna happen.

I think I'm going to go give myself a good cry, play with my baby, and search through my storage to see if there's perhaps a forgotten present. Or at the very least, something that I can jazz up for Boo.

Don't you just LOVE the thought that this lady is sponsoring a "Holiday Goodness Giveaway?" I mean, C'MON! If you win, you'll get a gift at the beginning of the New Year and what a great way to start of the year! I mean really, I would LOVE to win this certificate just to say, "HAH! I won a $20.00 gift certificate and I bought this pendant!" I would wear it proudly at my 20th High School Reunion. It would give me confidence that I am wearing a product that is one of a kind. That people would be overwhelmed by the beauty of the necklace so they would forget that I was a geek back in the day. Well.... I don't know that it would help them FORGET, but I sure love me a pretty piece of jewelry. Check out Becky Sharp Designs as she's got a fabulous collection of jewelry. I've already got my eye on some jangly earrings...

I'm bored. So I decided to just waste, er... I mean, while away the time until my Hero comes home from work by subjecting myself to weird online personality quizzes.

I liked this one... "What Kind of Couple Are You?" By the way... I thought it interesting that the questions are based on BF/GF rather than DH/DW. Anyhoo!

Best friend couples make everyone feel warm and fuzzy. Aren't people always saying that it's best to start out as friends anyway? You two are like, "Yeah, it's great to stay friends, too!" The cool thing about best friend couples is that they don't disappear from the face of the earth when they get together. They can still be counted on to show up for group outings, and one won't have a panic attack if the other talks to someone else.

At the very least, I'm glad it states, "SECURE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP." Yes, I am! My hero is awesome and I'm so happy I get to spend the rest of eternity with him!

"Thank God every day when you get up that you have something to do that day which must be done whether you like it or not. Being forced to work and forced to do your best will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know." --Basil Carpenter

What's your design style?

I've always thought mine to be rather... all over the place. I like me a little kitsch, antique, minimalist, quaint, retro, etc., etc.

Turns out that according to hgtv, my style is: "SWEET"

"What's sweet is chic. Nothing stark and modern for you! You're drawn to cozy interiors and a welcoming palette (think soft, sun-bleached hues). You like your patterns whimsical and your buildings quaint. You enjoy heirlooms with sentimental value, like a rocker that once graced your grandmother's nursery."

Huh. I do NOT like shabby-chic which is what I'm getting from this. Yuck. (No offense!) I actually like a lot of light wood, a few pictures (with matching frames as to not detract from the actual pictures), and I also love browns and colors of the sea together. (Think blue, aqua, turquoise, green...)

Interesting. I'm going to do the quiz over and see if I can get one with a style that I actually like. LOL!

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners .

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care . Pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." (Charles Schultz)

To start off with, I stole this idea off of some friend of a friend of a friend's blog. Please forgive me for not giving the originator the credit for this... I truly can't remember where I saw it! So sorry!


Now, on to business. UNDERRATED PLEASURES!

• Floss. Really, nothing better than a mouth of clean.


• Little notebooks. I keep one with me always for quick notes such as a book to read, a quote, thoughts for organizing, etc.


• Jewelry rack. Never had one before, but I just love seeing my (few) earrings all nicely lined up. So pretty!


• Chapstick. I can't go anywhere, even if it's just to go downstairs without putting on chapstick. Plus, it helps my lipstick/gloss go on smoothly when I'm jazzing myself up.


• Soft solid deodorant. I don't like gel because it's too sticky and I don't like solid because it pulls my skin. The soft-solid is juuuust right!

GUILTY PLEASURES:

• Hubby giving me pedicures. I really, really need to pamper him more than (the little) I do. It's just... so relaxing and it helps me sleep better.


• Chocolate ice-cream. Just plain chocolate ice-cream is lovely.


• Hours spent on blogging. I should cut back... maybe tomorrow.


• Trip to the library. By myself.

I can't think of any more of either underrated/guilty pleasures... I think it has to do with that "white spot" on my brain. (Inside joke with my sister Kays.) Anyhoo - if I think of anymore, I'll add them on to this list.

NOW - YOU! Natalie, Allyson, Sarah, Char, Rozemary, and all of the rest of you that peek in at my blog from time to time. You are now TAGGED with doing this meme! :)

"We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."Thomas S. Monson An Attitude of Gratitude

Last night, I was watching Oprah's show about YouTube. One of her guests was Paul Potts, a cell phone salesman. He sang opera... and it made me cry. Hearing his voice made me think of my Mom who loved opera. Especially loved tenor voices. I thought that if she were here, I would wager that she would love him as she loved Anthony Kearns who is one of the Irish Tenors.

Just listening to his voice brought up a myriad of feelings in me. Joy at discovering a new, beautiful voice that just lifts me to new heights. Sadness in that I couldn't share this with my Mom. Anxiety in facing the 2nd holiday season without her. (It was very difficult last year, although we spent it at my sister's with 4 other siblings and their families. It was awkward & sad. This year will be our first in spending Christmas Eve with just my own sweet little family.) Finally, comfort.... as odd as it may sound. It brings me comfort knowing that I can carry on the love of music to my own little ones as my Mother did for me.

I have songs on my ZEN and they're there because they evoke certain moods in me. The funny thing is (as in not so funny I guess,) is that I don't understand lyrics. That is, I can't understand lyrics on music where I don't see people singing - and even THAT can be difficult for me to lipread. So, it's been my experience with music, that when I see in black & white the words sung, it's TOTALLY different than what I originally perceived. I came to the realization that perhaps... it's better to just be in denial and just enjoy the music for what it is. Of course, my Hero is quick to point out a bad word or bad message in there. It makes me sad when I learn the truth of a song... it's like I have to break up with somebody.

I haven't figured out how to embed a music link so, if you're curious as to what the songs sound like, you'll have to do a search. Sorry, my friends.

1. All That I Want - The Weepies This is a new one for me. It's just whimisical and I feel like I should be in a beautiful green park, watching my daughter dancing around in a pretty white dress, holding ribbons in her hands for the wind to catch. Funny how it mentions "Christmastime" though...

2. Footloose - Kenny Loggins I saw this, yes, in the theater when I was a teenager. This song always makes me want to jump up and do all the "Footloose" moves. Happy, happy, happy!

3. Gloria - Laura Branigan This also makes me want to move... how sad I was to find out she died young.

4. I Will Survive - Aretha Franklin I always want to snap a little attitude and strut when I hear this song.

5. Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper I thought this girl was crazy and I wanted to be as free as I thought she was. This song always makes me super mellow though. I only listen to it when I'm by myself and it's raining outside.

6. Karma Chameleon - Culture Club I confess... I had this on a 45. And if you have to ask me what a 45 is, you're not my friend anymore.

7. Don't You Forget About Me - Simple Minds I love this song. No reason, I just love it.

8. You're Beautiful - James Blunt A friend of mine got me hooked on his music. This is my all-time favorite and it just makes me feel... beautiful.


What are some songs that move you? Why?

Hero & I are in a great, funny mood this afternoon. We've been witty, funny, and generally in a really happy mood (that comes from being done with the ward activity yesterday. More on that possibly in this lifetime.) Yet... there's nobody to appreciate it. Our daughter just keeps giving us looks as though to say, "OOOooookayyy...." My hubby and I keep cracking ourselves up and our "audience" isn't getting it! But of course, that just makes it all the funnier.

Ahh.... and you, the blog-reader, are you also having sympatico thoughts inline with our daughter's? Likely so, likely so.

I laughed a moment ago when I read Allyson's comment that she was here, checking out my blog. Her comment was posted under my entry about peeps wondering why people check out their blogs but never comment. Funny!

I went to check out Allyson's blog and I must say, was impressed! I really like how she talked about why she blogs. I'm going to have to watch Shall We Dance? movie again to find the reference she made about Susan Sarandon's character saying we want people to witness our lives. It's so right on.

The kids are downstairs, Hero is with our son watching tv at Grandma's house, and I'm here. At the computer checking out my friends' blogs. There seems to be a recurring theme amongst them lately. That being, people are reading but not commenting. (For example - Natalie & Lorraine )Well, I try my best to leave a comment but sometimes, I just don't know what to say so I just leave... the blog.

So... let me add my voice to theirs, are you checking things out here? If so, why don't you comment?

You know, as a mom, we should be immune to all sorts of sicknesses. Right? I mean, we are the ones to take care of the kids and keep the house running, right? I KNOW! So what was up with the frickin flu hitting me this weekend? I wanna know because dude! I had so many things to do and I didn't get a single thing done. NOTHING, NADA, NIPZIP!

Stupid flu.

I'm scared, nervous, even anxious. I feel like I should be wearing my best skirt & blouse, shave my legs, and make sure I have pretty, jangly earrings on. All this for what? To talk to my newfound online friends on the phone. I want to talk to Natalie because I want to see if I sound (to her) as French as her friend Vivienne. I want to talk to Tamila because, well - she knows me the best in the group so far. Plus, she won't show me pictures of herself and I'm negotiating with her that if I call her, she'll send pics. (Uh - let's clarify here - they're not, absolutely NOT nudie pics. They're just - you know, a picture so I can put a face to the emails!) I just think that perhaps, I should just let go of my hang-ups and be free. What's the worse that can happen? *click*?

You ever have a time where you really just want to be, "ALL ABOUT ME!" - ? Ya. I'm feeling that way today. I want peeps to tell me that I'm gorgeous. Funny. Talented. They love my parenting skills. They love my blog. I'm such an inspiration to them. Etc.

Well.... as none of ya are doing that, maybe I'll just turn this around into ALL ABOUT YOU!

Tamila -you so ROCK! I really love our email exchanges. I love how we both ask a question and then just start going on and on. I really am loving getting to know you.
Megan - In the short time we've known each other, your computer broke TWICE and now you're taking a short leave of absence. NOT COOL! But... I adore you and your kindred spirit-ness.
Rozemary - I just have wayyy too much fun chatting with you.
Natalie - You crack me up with your wacky sense of humor. Your frankness also, is inspiring.
Charlotte - You're amazing. You helped me at a time when I was so lonely. You saved me.
Stacey - my friend, and sister. I love you. You're an inspiration to me to "keep on, keeping on."


Yes... that did make me feel better. :)

Dear Crossing Guard Lady,
Thank you for always having a grand smile on your face every morning we walk by. When we get to your point, it's just then that my 5yo daughter starts complaining about being too cold, too tired. With your bright & chipper voice, you greet us with, "Good morning! OH look at you, just delightful!" It puts the spring back into our steps and smiles on our faces and we're ready to face the new day.

Yours Truly,
A mom

Dear Mr. Banker,
Thank you for greeting me with a big smile yesterday. Yes, I realize that part of it probably has to do with the money I'm bringing, but regardless, your smile was just what I needed to perk up a bit. Thank you for your warm manner and understanding as I struggled with balancing my 18mo son while trying to punch in my PIN on a machine that I had to stand on tippy-toes to see. Thank you for not counting my money out loud when you saw the gentleman staring over at us. Instead, you counted the money behind the counter and would look at me to make sure I had the same mental count. I really appreciated your service.

Sincerely,
Shortie

Dear Different Crossing Guard Lady,
I was not pleased at all with you trying to get me, my 5yo daughter & 18mo son to cross against the light even though there was no cars coming in our direction. I told you that we would wait for the cross-light to change for us and still, you tried 3 times to get us to cross. You told me that the cross-light was broken. When I punched the button, guess what? It worked. Please remember that we're trying to teach our children to be responsible and safe. Don't worry, I don't hate you. Hope you saw that in the smile and friendly, "Hello!" I gave you today.

Regards,
Safety-conscientious mom

Dear Mrs. Stephenie Meyer,
Thank you for the Twilight book series. I read the 3 books in about 4 days. At first, I was in love with Edward but now... I'm in love with Jacob. I'm finding myself worrying about Jacob's outcome which is frustrating as the next book in the series won't be out until sometime next year? Please... let there be a happy ending. Please. Please. Please!

Sincerely,
Happily-married-lady-who-sees-some-of-Jacob-in-her-husband

I really love the word, "delicious" lately. Why? I think it started when my baby sister called our new niece, "Delicious!" And really, the word was totally apropos. My niece is GORGEOUS!

Here are some different "delicious" moments that I love:
1. Getting out of a shower and wrapping up in a fresh-out-of-the-dryer-totally-WARM towel.
2. When my son runs to me with arms stretched out, saying "Momma" for the first time.
3. When a friend says, "I love you." Right after having spilled your guts about a not-so-proud moment.
4. When my husband & I are walking and he reaches out to hold my hand.
5. Electric blankets. Enough said.
6. Newly discovered blue-jangly earrings that make me feel... HOT! lol
7. Discovering a new song by a favorite artist... well, ok - hubby discovered it & shared.
8. Being DONE with crocheting a baby blanket that took 7 months to finish.
9. Having my 5-yo daughter bring me breakfast in bed... even if it's a limp eggo waffle & water.
10. Having the time to reflect on "delicious" moments that just make me smile & feel content.

Have any of you heard of the term, "PseudoInsomnia?" Apparently it's one of 5 sleep disorders that can "make sleep scary." Yeah, I know - had me intrigued! Um, not really... other than if they mentioned sleep apnea - I am all ears as my hero suffers from that. Anyway, my hero tells me that he thinks I suffer from pseudoinsomnia. That I'm really getting the rest I need and that my mind is just playing tricks on me, making me think I really didn't sleep well and therefore: tired. The cure? Once patients have been told they have it - voila! They've been cured! Healed! Hmph. I sincerely doubt that. I mean, c'mon! I think they were just embarrassed and didn't want their doctor checking out their sleeping patterns yet again.

Now that I have enlightened your mind as to what I possibly have... Last night. I couldn't sleep. For real! I was so cold! I had a sheet, fleece blanket topped with a down comforter. I was FREEZING! When I'm cold, I get restless and well, cranky. Hero gets up and puts another blanket on top of me and according to him, I immediately settled down into a deep breathing mode. (His nice way of saying that I don't snore, just breathe deeply.) ME? I think I'm still awake. I mean, I can't just turn off my crankies just because he thought to put another blanket on me. It was too heavy! I was still cold! I was still crabby! He said I fell asleep almost immediately after the extra blanket was added and that later, I turned to him at 11:38pm and said, "Well... my fake insomnia just kicked in!" Then turned back and promptly began deep breathing. I woke him up out of a sound sleep and he was then wide awake for a half hour. He thinks it hilarious now although not so much last night. I don't believe I really said that... it just felt like it took me the longest time to get warm & fall asleep!

*sigh*

I was thinking the other day... yes, I do think from time to time! Anyhoo - I grew up in the 70's/80's and I was thinking about the styles back then. I also began to feel the burning of the cheeks of my shame in some of the outfits I wore. SO - as I share my faux pas of the years gone by, what are some of yours?

2nd grade: Mom MADE me wear these ghastly red/green plaid WOOL pants. Oh, the itchies were horrible!

7th grade: Getting together with my girlfriends, we all wore the same button down dresses (that looked like a regular guy's shirt except went past below the knee.) We teased our bangs, put tons of make-up on and wore dirty old Keds. We thought we were HOT.

10th grade: Wearing pink, cabled, stirrup pants. But they were too long so the stirrup part just hung over the sides of my sneakers. Good grief.

11th grade: Tried to plaster my hair down smooth for school pics. Only to find out a month later 1) that look just ain't good and 2) had little "wings" sticking out all over.

A co-worker of my hubby's had asked to see photos of our kids. He had her go to our family website to check them out. She... wait, I need to come up with some kind of code name for his co-worker Jamie. Er... how about "DynaGirl?" lol! Anyhoo - DynaGirl slipped over to my site (which is here, duh!) and proceeded to peruse my personal blog. She later told my hubby that she really liked my blog and wanted to be my friend. That I made her think of "comfort food." I looked at my husband as in, "Wha-huh?" He said, "She told me 'She gives you that feeling you have when you eat mashed potatoes on a cold day.'" And something about warm apple pie.

Now... I have to say that that is one of the most creative, unique compliments I have ever received. Especially as mashed potatoes on a cold day? YUMMO! And a DOUBLE YUMMO for warm apple pie!

DynaGirl? Are you reading this? 'Cuz you need to COME ON DOWWWNNN and be my new friend! :)

I read a blog somewhere that had a letter to her sister and it got me to thinking about when was the last time I ever shared with my sisters why I love them..... I'm afraid, it's been too long.

So, I'd like to say, "Thank you" to my sisters.... (be warned, it's short but what I'll say is important to me.)

1. Barbara aka "Bar" - For one word, "Rainblo." ;-)
2. Julie aka "JuJu" - Seashells from Myrtle Beach
3. Jenny aka "JenJen" - Your crazy laugh always makes me ALMOST pee my pants. Ok, ok... I confess... to NOTHING!
4. Stephanie aka "Stephanephanie" - For having a sweet spot for my Blythe and coming to her dance shows
5. Stacey aka "Kayser" - For picking out fabric at the fabric store with me, only to buy MORE fabric and then end up with a totally different project.

I love you guys so much!!!

Well! I'm back from a wonderfully relaxing vacation with my family to the hot desert known as Arizona. For the first time in many, many years, my face is finally tan. For some odd reason, every time I would get some sun, my face would just bleach out. It looked rather weird to have this pale face with tan arms. Hm. Anyway, I feel rejuvenated and ready to face the new adventures of my oldest daughter starting Kindergarten on Tuesday, and also getting back into routine of being HEALTHY. Wait, let me rephrase that last part of the sentence... I'm CONTINUING my new routine of being HEALTHY. Odd, isn't it? I go on vacation and ate healthy and played in the pool every day. I actually lost 6 pounds during my 7-day vacation!!! I know I'm not going to hit that high of a number every week and quite frankly, I'm not interested in numbers. I'm just finally feeling better... physically, emotionally & spiritually. I want and need to keep that going.

Jobs I've had (in chronological order):
1. Daycare provider
2. Piano teacher
3. IRS auditor
4. Telecommunications manager
5. Mother - that's a lifetime job. :)

Movies I can watch over & over:
1. North & South with Richard Armitage
2. Grease
3. Pretty in Pink
4. Chocolat
5. Little Shop of Horrors

Favorite T.V. Shows:
1. Hell's Kitchen
2. So You Think You Can Dance
3. CSI - Las Vegas
4. Numbers
5. Criminal Minds

Places I've been to on HOLIDAY:
1. Las Vegas
2. Disneyland
3. A hotel without the kiddos
4. Myrtle Beach, SC
5. Vancouver BC

Favorite Dishes:
1. Steak & mushrooms as only my hubby can do it
2. Lasagna
3. ANYTHING from PF Changs especially the dry ribs & honey chicken, YUMMO!
4. Fettucine Alfreddo w/chicken in Port Angeles...can't remember the name of restaurant...
5. Fish & Chips from Ivar's

Websites I visit:
1. Family & friends blogs
2. Local newspapers (Seattle P.I., Seattle Times)
3. Google
4. Cafemom.com - best site!
5. Gmail

Places I'd rather be:
1. In an organized house.
2. At the beach (MARINA BEACH ROCKS!!!)
3. On the computer... oh, wait. I'm here!
4. On a private jet plane visiting family across the US
5. In my hubby's arms, he always helps me feel better after a lousy day.

People I'm tagging: (Yep, it means you have to do this on your blog!)
1. Char
2. Abbey
3. Brant
4. Um... you that's reading this.
5. And you too, the one over there in blue.

Ever have a time when your heart just hurts? Mine is hurting now...

Well what do you know! A ray of sunshine was just delivered to me from the man in brown (UPS). My FAVORITE THINGS SWAP package came! How excited am I?! I took the package and the first thing that greets my eye is a cute label with my name & address on it. The 2nd thing was a sticker with a picture of 2 women jumping on a couch without their heads... I'm assuming that's to protect the guilty. lol Ooooh I am so excited! And ooooh so mad at Jihan for having the Swap & Meet NEXT WEEK! I don't know if I can wait... Ooh Ooh Ooh!

I wonder if I can get my daughter to "accidentally" open it.................

This is from an email I received today from my husband... I love him.

These are lyrics from one of the songs in my Sara Collection. I love you and will always be.
The Man In Love with You
I'm not the hero who will always save the day
I don't always wear the white hat; I don't always know the way
I may not even be the dream you wanted to come true
But I'll always be the man in love with you
I'm not the key that opens every door
I don't have the power to give you all you want and more
But when you're needing something special you can hold onto
I'll always be the man in love with you
I never could work miracles
There may be others who can do what I can't do
But no one else can be as good as me at loving you
So when the world won't turn the way you wish it would
And the dreams you have don't come alive as often as they should
Remember that there's someone there whose heart is always true
I'll always be the man in love with you.
Remember that there's someone there whose heart is always true
Someone there to help you make it through
I'll always be the man in love with you.

"There are things that music can do that language could never do, that painting can never do, or sculpture. Music is capable of going directly to the source of the mystery. It doesn't have to explain it. It can simply celebrate it." - Marsha Norman

I came across this quotation as I'm listening to a piano piece. Etude # 3 opus 25 in E Major by Chopin. This piece is my most favorite in the world. It makes me happy, sad, joyful and at peace. A big love to my baby brother Jed who introduced me to this wonderful piece of music.

I saw this on my Swap Partner's site... it made me laugh out loud and it startled my baby. Sorry baby!

Check this out! This is nuts!

LOVE the color blue, aqua, tourquoise

HATE ... but HATE royal blue & slate. (No worries, I still can be friends with those who love them.)

LOVE going to the beach early in the morning. Sometimes I take my camera with me. Otherwise, I am perfectly content to just sit there and listen to the ocean.

HATE smokers at the beach (the smoke, not the people.)

LOVE old cookbooks, I read them like novels.

HATE that kindergartners can paint better than me.

LOVE love love ribbons, they're so pretty!

HATE the smell of grapefuit... although ruby-red grapefuit is okay.

LOVE old movies, movies based off of classics.

HATE finding an empty milk carton in the fridge.

LOVE being the first to open the jar of peanut butter (childhood thing).

HATE old-lady perfume, gives me a headache.

LOVE light perfumes that make me think of spring or summer.

HATE not having pen-pals as I love to write letters. There's nothing more thrilling than getting a letter in the mail from a friend. It's like, a little bit of sunshine in the mailbox. Email - is just not the same thing.

LOVE that I finally have my FAVORITE THINGS narrowed down to send to my swap partner, gosh - what a struggle!!! ha! :)

Why am I so NERVOUS? I got my swap partner (Favorite Things Swap) and all of a sudden, I feel shy about sending her some of my favorite things. Will she think they're dorky things? Will she think I'm just wacko? Egads, I feel like this is a first date or something. I know that it's just to swap things and really, there's no guarantee of "hitting it off" but... I would sure like to make a new friend!

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

Albert Einstein

For those of you that know me, you know that I LO-HOVE baking and practically anything associated with it. Here are a few (haha!) tools that I can't do without:

1. KitchenAid blender - my old blender had the plastic pitcher which has been forever ruined by my hubby's countless uses of making lemon-garlic salad dressing (which is to die for.)
2. Grandma Connie's hand-carved rolling pin - she, and her mom before her were quite the bakers... love having a little bit of them with me while I bake.
3. Microplane Zester - seriously, this is the BEST thing EVER! Anything with citrus peel - this is the only way to go.
4. Pitcher with plunger in lid - keeps the kids busy making Kool-aid or orange juice.
5. Dutch-oven - the best stews come out of this thing! Oh, and a chocolate cake too!
6. Jelly-roll pans - I no longer use the traditional "cookie sheet."
7. Parchment paper - it's just nice to use.
8. Aluminum foil - I use this over my jelly-roll pans to eliminate clean-up.
9. Oxo Pizza Cutter - dang this thing is SHARP! I love it!
10. Silicone spatulas (scrapers) - especially since they come in all bright colors now.

I want to open a bakery but don't want to. Why? because I see the waste at the end of the day. Yikes! I know it's part of the business but...I quite enjoy how my in-home and rather un-official baking business is going. People call me up and request particular desserts. If they have leftovers, good for them! One can always appreciate a cookie the next day, n'est-ce pas?

On a somewhat related note (in a roundabout way), I've been asked to teach a "Baking" class for some women. I'm in a conundrum as to what to do. Do I demonstrate a recipe that may have a particular method, such as egg-white whipping or do I just do a bunch of random baking tips that I use like never sifting flour or substituting applesauce for oil. Hmm... thinking about it... I think I'll do the 'Lemon Chiffon Cake.' Doesn't that name sound so pretty & dainty? It's a beautiful, light cake yet it uses some particular techniques in it. Well, I think I made my decision! haha!

Love - this whole Love/Hate list idea that I borrowed from Jihan's site who borrowed it from another gal.
Hate - that as soon as I start to make this list, my mind goes completely blank....

OOOOH! Here we go now!
Love - that the weather has been HOT lately.
Hate - that it makes for hot, sticky nights where nobody can sleep and everyone's crabby.
Love - my camera.
Hate - that I don't have much free time to go photo-shot (or is it shoot) hunting.
Love - painting and coloring.
Hate - that my art supplies run out so fast and it's not ME that's using it all up..
Love - my hubby as he'll sometimes surprise me with a PF Chang's take-home meal late at night after the kids go to bed.
Hate - that the leftovers stink up the fridge.
Love - living so close to the ocean.
Hate - the crazy ferry traffic you have to cross to get to the beach.
Love - the sound of kids laughing and playing.
Hate - that it takes a minute to realize they're fighting, not laughing.
Love - making this list and I think I'll do this again.
Hate - that I have to stop now... something about a fussy baby? ;-)

You ever have a time when somebody says something to you and it's only 20 minutes later that you come up with a brilliant remark? I HATE THAT! I was at target the other day when an older gentleman (one of those hip, tanned, fit yet older guys, ya know?) had just parked his car across from mine. As we started walking towards the store, there was a young dude walking in front of us. I was looking at my keychain for some odd reason when I heard somebody keep turning their car alarm on. Beep-Beep! Beep-Beep! Beep-Beep! Well, I just kept walking and ignored it. The older man walked up closer to me and said, "I saw you put your car alarm on and so I thought I'd keep doing mine so you'd turn around and just laugh!" I just smiled and said... "Oh." I KNOW! How stupid was that? It was only after he walked in a different direction in the store when I had the thought that I should've said something like, "You know, I thought it was the guy in front of us doing it and boy! What a goober!" Or even better, "You know - I'm deaf, so I guess the joke's on you."

I had what I would say, a humiliating experience. I went to the bank today to do some banking. The teller looked like he was 16 complete with braces & blue bands on them. Nice. Anyway, I couldn't understand him because of the braces plus he was chewing gum at the same time. I told him, "You know, I'm having a hard time understanding you because you're chewing gum at the same time you're talking. I'm hard-of-hearing so please either spit out the gum so I can understand you or get me another teller to assist me." He just looked at me and TUCKED the gum in his cheek and repeated what he said. At that point, I was mad - and the curse in my family is... when we're mad, we start crying. Oy vey. It didn't help that the other tellers just stood there and stared at me too. Not once did they offer to help, not once did they even just nudge my teller to do something, NOTHING! I was so mad because it just brought up all my insecurities of being deaf trying to fit in some way. Argh.
As it stood, I left without completing my transaction. I just left and thought nasty things to write in a letter to the bank manager. Now... whether I'll follow through with that is another story. With a very predictable ending of: she didn't do it. *sigh*

Not that I've even kissed any of these boys/men except for #11 - which would be my hubby, (see Men I've loved blog) but I suddenly remembered that there were other guys who have impacted me in some way in my life. Let me add to the list.

9a. Michael. Lol - I moved up from Mike to Michael! Seriously though, I didn't love him. My mother actually got me to write to him as he was serving a church mission and he was deaf and he was from Seattle. We pen-palled for a year or so. He came home and wanted to marry me. Kept asking me over and over and over. It was always in the company of others and... I think he was just a lonely guy. Last I heard, he's still not married.
9b. "First, you move your thumb." I met this guy during a local production of "My Fair Lady." He was one of the characters in the musical and he was studying his alphabet sign during rehearshal. I happened to walk by and noticed he was doing them wrong so I offered to show him the correct way. Since then, he became my best friend. He helped me shed the shyness & angst that I suffered through highschool. We had a blast together for a few years and then he went on his way. I have some awesome memories of our time spent together.
10b. Brent. He used to have a purple suit. Was a loner but always hung around me. He once tried to take me on a date on a ferry. We got to the dock late so - apparently we missed the ferry that would "ride off into the sunset." Hm. So, we went on a passenger ferry that doesn't have observation decks. He took me to the end of the ferry and he tried to make it a romantic thing by pointing out the sunset through a 12-inch open window. Um.... ok. Things just went downhill for him I guess. Me - I love ferry rides so it didn't bother me, besides, when I can't figure out what's going on as to the other person's intentions? Fuhgeht about it. Anyhoo - then I noticed that he only wanted to talk about my friend Buffy. About the mistakes she was making in the guy she was dating. You know... call me crazy, I just don't think that's really conducive to setting up a relationship with me.
10c. Skippy. We fought a lot... but in a nice way... and through letters. He had me meet him at the airport during one of his transfers. He also had me meet his family while he was gone. Lovely family and awesome friend.
10d. Danny-boy. While we didn't have any interest in each other beyond just being friends, he became one of my best friends. We would talk for hours and hours. He taught me the power of reflection.

Well, there you have it. I'm sure there are others but really... not as consequential as the ones I've listed. They have all in some way taught me things about myself and helped me to be more aware of others.

1. Mike. He was a 3 year old boy in my class who was deaf. I loved him! He had brown curly hair and the cutest smile. I remember at one point that he came to class in pretty much a full-body cast. Why? His dad didn't want a son that was deaf so he set the house on fire with Mike in it. It was the first time I experienced grief that my beloved friend Mikey would hurt so badly. And I also felt confusion as to why somebody's dad would do such a thing to their own child. Pretty deep for a 3 year old.
2. Mark. I met him in elementary school. I was in Kindergarten and he was in 2nd grade. We were boy/girl-friends for the next 3 years. It was nothing more than chasing & saving each other in Tag. We would also hang out after school by the principal's office waiting for my bus. Oh... and he called me. "Foxy."
3. Joe. I met him when I was mainstreamed into a "hearing" school. We were somehow always assigned to be desk partners. Our form of showing each other that we had a crush on each other was by always one-upping each other on what our mom's could bake. "My mom makes cinnamon rolls. " "Oh yeah? Well my mom can bake bread." Later, when we went into 6th grade, he had a 45 (that's a record) that played "Put Another Dime in the Jukebox Baby." He would play that during our lunch break... over and over and over again. It's a miracle that our teacher Mrs. Woodman didn't just break the darn thing!
4. Mike. Another deaf boy who I met during Deaf Arts Camp. I liked him... but I liked a guy Mark better (What's up with the Mark/Mike thing?) Mark was ultra-cool, guess he would be a skater in today's world. Anyway... Mike... well, he made a literal bust of me in our pottery class. Literally. Boobs included. I was mortified and could barely look at him. Hello - we're supposed to be making coil-pots, remember?
5. Red-head guy. I met him when I was 14 and he was 16. The attraction between us was WHOA! I SO wanted to be his girlfriend and apparently, he wanted to be my boyfriend. But... a friend of mine (ha, not anymore then) did um... favors for him so they ended up being the couple. I was heart-broken because we made a cute couple and we had so much FUN together. *sigh* But... doing "favors?" Um... no.
6. Casey. I met him the same time I met the Red-head. He was a leader like I was. We gathered the gang together to have tea in the morning before early-morning exercise at Whidbey Island. (This is Deaf Arts Camp thing again, I went every year for 5 years.) We had a great time together. I later found out after several years that he's gay. Ah well.
7. Ricky. Ah... here's HOTNESS. We were both 16. He was nice to me, hung out with me & my friends... but *sigh* he wasn't interested in me. But... this is the first time I realized that the smell of a certain shaving cream is sexy. Hm!
8. Mike... again. Remember the dude in # 4? Yeah, I met up with him again and we became interested in each other and he did the moves of putting his arm around me but that's as far as it went. I guess the stars were not in my favor to ever get kissed by a boy.
9. Craig. I SO thought we had a connection. Then... I realized he had a thing for my friend Suzy and he in a way, used me to get close to her. Stupid man-boy. He got my hopes up when he invited me over to bake cookies with him. We went grocery shopping and went to his apartment. We baked cookies and then he made me a sandwich... with horseradish on it. I almost threw up. Then he puts the cookies in a bowl and asked his roommate Jeff to take me home. He was on his way to deliver these cookies to another girl.... Ya. I crashed & burned on that one.
10. Rocker-man. This is a special one. It was really the first time that somebody would watch out for me. Protect me from harm in any shape or form. I have a special place in my heart for him... I loved him and he loved me but we didn't love each other in the same way. I loved him as a friend. He loved me more. Hmm... I may just have to write about him some day as he deserves more than just a bullet-point note here.
11. Hubby. He helped me lock up a building one night after volleyball when I was there by myself. It took him all summer to get the nerve to ask me out on a date, but it happened. He was the first man... alright... the only one of the male sex, to kiss me. We literally had sparks when our lips touched for the first time. We married 7 months later. Still married 12 years later. I've truly been blessed with him being in my life.