59 posts tagged “qotd”
What are you most looking forward to this weekend?
PACKING!!11!! w00t!
I'm feeling pretty good about being ahead of the game this time. When I was booking my flight out to Detroit where I'm meeting up with MomH, I thought about flying out tomorrow so I could see the family for a day and a half. As much as that would be, I'm really really glad I have all weekend to wrap everything up.
I'm headed out tonight to the fun that is First Friday, where thousands of people descend on dowtown Phoenix for one of the country's largest art walks. It's full of crazy fun artists, musicians, street performers and a stop at some of the coolest new bars and restaurants around. I usually get asked by First Friday newbies to give my patented AmyH Tour. I know a lot of the artists and the spaces and can give more background than you would get wandering around on your own. I really should start my own tour service one of these days.
So here's the rest of my weekend:
Saturday:
7:30 a.m. Hair appointment
11:30 a.m. Baby Shower
afternoon - return books to library, stop by bookstore for Rick Steves' travel book (I've been reading an old copy and must have it for the trip), clean house, create currency conversion cheat sheets, print out addresses.
Hoodies - if you want a postcard - PM with an address! Sometimes I'm good about sending them out, sometimes I just buy them and send them when I get home. But I promise to try and be good! I heart postcards, both sending and recieving. See? (I have a new, naked fridge right now. I'm going to start fresh with new cards so feel free to send any my way as well!)
The rest of the time will be spent getting my crap together and lovin' on Elvis. No last minute running around in the foreseeable future!
Except for today at work. Yikes - I forgot I had meetings all day Gotta run!
When was the last time you drove out of town?
My usual route to work was shut down today due to an accident on the freeway. So this morning I drove out of Tempe, through Scottsdale and into Phoenix.
Does that count? I took the scenic route, after all.
What is your "role" in your family?
Other than to nag DadH about his health and escort MomH around the world on vacation, it was to "get out and find a real/city job."
When I left for college, I never lived at home again - mostly by choice, but also because of my parents urging. I wouldn't say I was kicked out of the nest, but I was strongly encouraged to stay at college during the summer breaks and take classes/get a summer job. Part of that was to get in as many credits as possible before tuition hiked up again in the fall, and also because as my mom said at the end of freshman year, "There's no reason for you to come back."
Now, that's not because they don't love me or want to see me. Fact is, as much as I loved being on the farm, I was the one with the best chances to leave and actually make money.
Perhaps one day my role will be to support the rest of the family in case something happens to the farm. I think we'll be fine, collectively, but every so often something happens up there that makes me worry about their financial security. Farm life is hard and there are no guarantees for good health, good weather and good milk prices.
For now, I'm still referred to as "The One Who Escaped". It's difficult for me sometimes when I know everyone else is together for birthdays and holidays. I miss them all terribly when I let myself think about it, but this is where life has us for now.
We're a pretty stoic family and not given to emotional expressions, unless smart-assery counts. We all know we are loved even though the "L Word" is never uttered (except by SIL and the girls). So I was almost brought to tears when Dad put my suitcase in the car at the end of a recent Christmas visit.
"I always knew you would move away. I just never thought it would be so far."
How are you celebrating St. Patrick's Day?
I'm taking Elvis to the vet in a little while. Yeah, that's green-beer worthy because I could really use one right about now.
He stopped eating and drinking around Friday night. Being the paranoid cat-mom that I am, I took him to kitty urgent care yesterday. They gave him some fluids and tried to get me to keep him there overnight. It wasn't even the exorbitant amount they wanted to charge, it was my belief that if he's near his end, he's going to be near it at home.
Of course, it could just be a cold. Or something. But when a diabetic cat stops taking in fluids, it's a reason to be concerned. The urgent care people took some blood to check his glucose and that was fine. I haven't been giving him insulin the last two days because I know he's close to remission and I didn't want to add to whatever his body is doing.
The Luck of the H's hasn't been all the great these past few days. On the way to urgent care, I called home to get some Mom Love. Instead, I got DadH, who is always good for some sympathy where animals are concerned.
Okay, not always. I started by asking him how things were there. Usually a safe question. Brother Ray went in for some fancy new vision/eye surgery on Thursday at the eye clinic at University of Michigan. One of the top places to go. Thursday night, he was in so much pain he collapsed, had a seizure and paramedics were called to the house. Mom, SIL and Ray went to the hospital where he was pumped with fluids (dehydration played a part) and was given even stronger pain meds. He seems to be okay - except he can still only barely see. When I had Lasik, I could see the next day. And I was pain-free. We'll see how that goes.
Then Dad goes on to say that next morning Spencer, the mini Australian Shepherd, was found dead in the road. Spency was Amber's dog, my youngest niece. Dad dug a hole down by the pond and they had a little service for him. Saturday, Amber (8 years old), came walking up the driveway alone, went to the tiny grave and sat there for a long while. "It was enough to break a hard man's heart," said Dad.
Just for good measure, he added that one the orphaned lambs the girls were caring for died.
"It hasn't been good around here. So what are you up to today?" he asked.
I could barely speak. Bawling. Just bawling. I finally choked out that I was taking Elvis to urgent care. He let out the trademark H Family "doesn't that just take the cake" laugh that we use when life gives us more trouble than we think we should have at once.
I walked into the clinic blubbering and barely able to speak. The people there were sooo nice. "What's your baby's name?" They called all the humans as "Cooper's Daddy" or "Elvis' Mom". How sweet. I thought I had myself pulled back together when an older couple came in with their old dog for euthanasia. Gah.
After getting Elvis some fluids, we went home. I called Mom and was ready to get my Mom Love but niece Dani answered. Can't be a crying idiot in front of the children, after all. I called when the family was gathering for Brother Steve's birthday party (Happy BDay today, Steve!). It's always fun to talk to everyone gathered for a family event when I'm the only one not there. Gah again.
Anyway, there's life as it is today. Feeling like crap, not able to keep it together for more than a few minutes at a time and not ready to face any bad news about my buddy. I know I made the right choice about bringing him home yesterday. We went to bed curled up together and woke up the same way.
I hope that in a few hours I can come back and tell you that I got all worked up for nothing. I'm rooting for having the chance to apologize for my melodramatics and for shameless pandering to your emotions.
And I hope to have a beer later today in celebration of a good prognosis.
How do you feel about your birthday? Do you look forward to it and remind all your friends, or do you dread it and try to keep it a secret?
Did one of you suggest this question because it's my Birthday Month? And Jaypo's, too(morrow). You are so darn sweet.
I love celebrating my birthday. Maybe I'm just an attention whore. Maybe I just love cake. I enjoy celebrating everyone's birthday, especially when there is cake/booze involved.
As of yesterday, I was facing the sad situation of having nothing to do for my actual birthday *cough*this Friday*cough* because BDG canceled our plans. Sure, they were tentative plans but still. He's going to a Suns basketball game instead. I was not asked and although he said he wanted a raincheck, he was noncommital on setting something else up. Phooey on him. Over it.
So a good friend of mine cancelled her date with her douchebag ex-boyfriend and we're headed out for some fun and frivolity. She needs to not see that guy anyway, but don't tell her I said that. I'm proud of her for cancelling on him, because he always does that to her. She beat him to the punch this time.
Another friend took me out to dinner this past Sunday, another friend is taking me out tomorrow and Saturday is the big blow-out party with multiple birthdays to be celebrated (and non-scary cab drivers lined up already). Same goes for next Saturday as well. w00t!
The seventh season of "American Idol" premieres tonight. Will you be watching, or are you over it?
Seven years? It's been on this long? Huh.
A few years ago I was with a friend* in DC where I glommed onto her work trip and was staying in the posh Ritz Carlton downtown. We were waiting to be seated for brunch when she whispered, "That's Constantine in front of us!"
Me: "The Holy Roman Emperor? I thought he was dead."
Friend: "No! The guy from American Idol. You are probably the one person out of 6 million who doesn't know who he is."
I almost made it this far without seeing a minute of the show. But when I was home at Christmas, dear old DadH insisted on watching a RERUN of the show. I was trying to watch a bowl game and he wanted to watch this crap?? Old crap at that? AACK!
I made a huge fuss and got my way, for a few minutes anyway, before he started back up and down the channels finding the most inane stuff ever produced. This, folks, is why I don't have cable. It's a rebellion against my father.
Or it's because I don't have time to watch TV on top of being too cheap to pay for the premium package. Either way works for me.
*I should add that my friend works in the cable industry so not only did her company pay for the room I was staying in, a rep from the Discovery Channel took us to what may have been the best meal of my entire life. Rock on.
Do you have an unusual talent that you are ridiculously proud of? If so, what is it, and why the smug look on your face?
Submitted by mo.
File this under "You can't take me anywhere".
I can fold a cloth napkin, the kind you find at nicer establishments or high dollar charity dinners, into the form of a chicken.
One cocktail in and I'm ready to do stand-up.
I'll ask if someone wants to see me make a chicken out of my napkin. Well, of course everyone wants to see that, why wouldn't they?
The kicker is, the finished chicken doesn't look like this:
But unexpectedly looks like this state of the chicken:
I crack myself up.
Have you ever backed out on doing something you promised you'd do? Did you have a good reason for going back on your word?
Submitted by enSue.
No.
This is a huge deal for me and part of who I am and how I was raised. If you tell someone you are going to do something, you do it. They are now counting on you to live up to your word.
"I changed my mind because I just don't feel like it" is not, nor ever will be, an acceptable excuse. Those people go on the Shit List from which they don't easily come off.
If you want to see my temper go from Zero to Ballistic, cancel on me at the last minute. And yes, cancelling Friday morning for a Friday evening event still counts as last minute. Now I need to spend my entire day on the phone finding a replacement.
I'm a pretty easy going person but if you leave me hanging and put me in a difficult position because of your flakery, you have hit raw nerves. If you ditch an obligation, death and/or destruction had better be involved in some way.
Seriously.
I'm a teensy more forgiving about some people's complete disregard for the social courtesy of punctuality, but not by much. I personally would never want my friends to expect me to be unreliable, but some people are perfectly fine with it.
Who do you want to be caught under the mistletoe with this holiday season?
Submitted by An Ebony Epicurean.
My love for Rob Gifford is known far and wide. Except for maybe in London, where my heart's desire dwells. Sigh. So this year is out for meeting up under the mistletoe.
But it never hurts to think ahead...
I've decided that if I have only one New Year's Resolution, it will be to finally write him a non-stalkery fan/love letter. No, no, I haven't written stalkery letters in the past. I mean I've made no effort to express my admiration and it's about time.
Barring that, I'm going to be meeting up with one of my best college friends while I'm home at Christmas. This particular college friend is the youngest sister of Don Gonyea, NPR's White House correspondent. Yes, there is a bit of an age gap, if you must notice such things.
So what if I ask Hollie if she can ask her brother to put in a good word for me if he runs into Rob around the NPR water cooler? They've probably never even met, but that's not stopping me from a nice daydream.
Nice, indeed. :-)
What is the best present you have ever given?
Submitted by quornflour.
For my fantastic grandmother's 92 birthday last year, I wrote to the Detroit Tigers and asked if I could send them a card for a few of her favorite players to sign. After all, she and my grandfather were lifelong fans and even moved to Lakeland, Florida, upon retirement because that's where the Tigers had Spring Training.
Instead, they sent her a certificate on behalf of the Tigers organization commemerating her birthday and thanking her for her dedication and loyalty to the team.
I didn't tell her what was going on - the Tigers were in the middle of the World Series run and were a bit busy at the time of her birthday. She got it a few weeks after the fact and was so excited, she showed it to everyone at 'The Home' (that's what she calls her apartment place, not me. Ha, funny Grandma!).
The first runner-up best gift evar were socks for my dad. He's always complaining about having cold feet when he's out doing farm stuff in the winter. Well, if you are wearing rubber boots and not proper winter boots, what do you expect? You expect to complain a lot.
Anyhoo, I bought him some high-tech socks last year and he thought those were the greatest things created in the history of mankind.
So this year he's getting two pair.
