Quick Friday Fragments

So our state comes to a stand still when it snows. And it started a couple of hours ago and our office is closing shortly. Just enough time for some Friday Fragments.

At least it is pretty snow unlike the pellet snow we had earlier this week. 

Glad I wore my boots today since I have to walk to my car in it.

We provided refreshments this week for a meeting and have lots of cookies and brownies left over. I must stay away from them as long as I can.

I still have one box of girl scout cookies in my office. (Yay willpower)

Two sentences about cookies. I'd better hit the gym while I can.

Hodgepodge Questions and Answers

Joyce has some interesting questions this week for the hodgepodge.



1. Did you watch The Oscars? How many of the Best Picture nominees have you seen? (American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, Selma, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, and Whiplash)

Do you think actors should use their acceptance speeches as an opportunity to promote their political and/or social agenda? Does that sort of speech make you more or less inclined to change the channel?

We did watch the Oscars. We didn't get started until they had been on for 90 minutes so the DVR came in handy. We could scan through all the commercials and all the speeches. We didn't catch up until the last twenty minutes of the show.

I haven't seen any of the films and I doubt I'll see any of them. I'm not a big movie person.

I also don't think this is the appropriate place to talk about your agenda. Thank the people who helped you but I really don't care what your views are on any of a number of topics. Unless it is directly related to the move role maybe?

2. Speaking of the movies... are you comfortable going to a movie alone? How about dinner in a restaurant (not fast food, but an actual restaurant)? The second half of this question was posed by Carrie who blogs over at It's Not Easy Being Queen. Thanks Carrie!

I've eaten in many restaurants by myself and don't have a problem doing so. I usually take an ipad or a book and people watch. I've never gone to a movie by myself but that's because I don't go to movies.

3. What's the last home repair or home improvement project you had to pay someone to complete? In hindsight was this a project you could have done yourself?

We had two light fixtures changed last weekend and we paid someone to do it. It was money well spent.

4. Have you ever had Indian food? Like it or no? If you're a fan, what's your favorite dish? Have you ever prepared this yourself at home? Is there an Indian restaurant in your current hometown?

I am not a fan of Indian food. The one cuisine that I just can't seem to like. There are a few Indian restaurants in town. We are a college town after all.

5. A song that reminds you of your parents?

I've got nothing for this one.

6. The 26th of February is National Tell A Fairy Tale Day. What's your favorite, or one of your favorite, fairy tales? Do you have any childhood memories associated with a particular fairy tale?

I probably liked Cinderella the best. I had a Cinderella cake for a birthday that had a pumpkin carriage with moveable wheels. I thought I was pretty special that day.

7. What's a problem you solved yesterday?

I hear this and think how do you solve a problem like Maria? LOL. I don't think I solved any problem yesterday which is unusual because I normally solve lots of problems every day.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Two weeks until we leave for London and I've got nothing planned, nothing packed. I did find our passports so I guess that's something.

Cold Monday Morning

I don't want to be a complainer but it is a cold morning here. Wind chill near zero doesn't help. Nor does an office that was 55 degrees when I opened the door. But I have it a little better than my next door office mate who was at 51 degrees. It seems to be just a small section of the building because the bathroom was warm. My little space heater just isn't helping a lot.

The weekend was productive as we got two cars fixed for the airbag recall notice, two ceiling fans replaced and shopped for a dress for Whitney to wear to her last sorority formal. All that and made the best meatloaf ever and baked a cake. This weather makes me want comfort food.

Hodgepodge Time

I'm going to get this done early so it will post early on Wednesday and I'll be on top of things!

1. When did you last have to interact, either by phone or in person, with someone in a government run agency? On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the experience? (10 being fabulous and 1 being pass the Tylenol)

Well since I work with a huge federal grant, it was 10 minutes ago when someone from the government was in my office asking how to get money to someone. I was able to give him good news and the day started out great! So that was a 10. I can't say that all of my experiences are like that though. In fact I think I may have a 5 coming up later today.

2. The current governor of Wisconsin is considering a run for President next time around. Walker attended Marquette University, but never graduated. In terms ofany candidate running for the office of President (not asking here if you agree or disagree with Scott Walker's politics) would the lack of a college degree influence your vote or no? Would that be a factor in your support of any candidate running for public office, even a role less weighty than President?

I don't know if you need to be a college graduate to be President but it probably doesn't hurt. You learn a lot of stuff in college that is beneficial in life.

3. When did you last visit a place or site named for George Washington or Abraham Lincoln, and what was that place or site?

All of the elementary schools in town are named for President's and Whitney went to Washington Elementary. However I've been other places since the last time I was there. I usually see the Washington and Lincoln monuments when I'm in DC which will be next month.

4. February 16th was President's Day in the US, but did you know it was also National Almond Day? I didn't think so : ) Do you like almonds? If so, what's a food/dish/recipe you enjoy that contains almonds?

I'm not an almond fan. So I usually skip those dishes.

5.The television program Saturday Night Live celebrated it's 40th anniversary this past weekend. Were/are you a fan of the show? If so what has been your favorite (or one of your favorite) skits, sayings, or characters that came out of the program?

I wrote about the SNL anniversary show Monday. I remember watching in the 80's and early 90's. And then life got in the way and who wants to stay up that late when you have a little one. But there are so many good skits that came out of it. One of my favorites is Buckwheat is dead.

6. Anything purple within ten feet of you? What is it?

The closest purple thing to me is a box of girl scout cookies. The Samoas box is purple.

7. Back in December I asked you to submit a question for a future HP as part of a giveaway I was hosting. I grabbed this one from those entries, submitted by Zoanna who blogs over at Penchant for Pens. Thanks Zoanna!

She asks, "How often do you make your bed, and how do you like to make it-pull the covers all the way up over the pillows, tuck the covers in around the pillows, or place all the pillows on top of the covers?"

I don't make the bed mainly because my husband is still in it when I get up. On the weekends I try and make it but I'm not very good at it.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I love seeing all the snow pictures knowing that we don't have that weather. Keep posting them friends!

Weekend Update

And yes I mean the SNL version of Weekend Update. Because everyone I know was watching the show last night. We had it on the DVR and started about 1 1/2 hours late thinking it would be easy to catch up because of commercials. We were wrong about that but were able to skip a few things.

Highlights

The opening with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake. Those two together are just magical. I can never get enough of their rap songs.

Weekend Update with Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Jane Curtin. These women are all so funny and let them female sex dominate an otherwise male dominated field. Thank you for letting us see them like this.

Bass-o-matic remade. One of the funniest bits in the early years to see it redone was great.

Low points

All of the musical guests. Could you not have gotten better music? Paul McCartney can't sing anymore, Miley Cyrus is horrible and Kanye West...please just shoot me. We skipped all the music. I did appreciate Paul Simon singing the infamous turkey outfit song but that was it.

Eddie Murphy. Why the bowing down and kissing his feet from Chris Rock? There were so many other great comedians that were on the show that had great careers and started things. If I was Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray or Chevy Chase I would have been offended.

The Californians. Perhaps because I really haven't watched the show in the last five-ten years I didn't get this.


Overall I thought they did a great job. Most of the really funny stuff was shown. I enjoyed the mix of new and old stuff. So good job NBC.

Friday Fragments

Trying to get back to blogging. Why does life keep getting in the way?

So I'm in the midst of planning back to back trips right now. On Monday we spur of the moment decided to do a spring break trip. And by Wednesday we had tickets bought to go to London. WOW. So much planning to do now. And then two days after we get back I have to fly to DC for a meeting. Talk about back and forth. I'm going to feel like a bouncy ball I think.

Whitney is coming home today to do her taxes. Super easy but gives us an excuse to see her and talk about the trip. She's pretty excited herself.

My bible study isn't very exciting this time. Perhaps its because we met last week and just talked as a getting to know you thing and this week we watched an intro video and then just talked. I feel like these weeks have been wasted. 

Bought girl scout cookies and have successfully avoided eating them. Maybe I'll just use them for decorations? I remember selling them for $2/box and now they cost $4. Inflation I guess.

I went to a huge craft fair last Sunday and was so disappointed. There was so much that I wouldn't consider "crafty" there. It is held at the fairgrounds and is in 7 buildings although they tour one of them down and some people had to be in the barn area. It didn't smell that great there and I couldn't imagine having to be there for three days.

And with that my fragments are out of my mind. Guess being busy means I don't even have time to cram them into my brain.

Happy Valentine's Hodgepodge Day

1. Have you ever written a love letter? Have you written one recently? Had one written to you? Did you keep it?
Back when I was younger you had to write letters. Because long distance phone calls were expensive. And there was no email. So yes I wrote them then.

2. What's a movie that ends in a way you especially love?
Sleepless in Seattle because you get to come up with your own happily ever after ending.

3. Something that makes your heart sing? And for those of you who are parents, I mean something besides your children that makes your heart sing?
The dog every morning because she is so excited to be fed. Really if I had that amount of energy in the morning I could get a lot done.

4. What's the last event you had to attend, phone call you had to make, routine task you needed to complete, or meal you had to prepare, that you did do, but only half-heartedly?
Dusting. I only half do it anytime because I dislike it.

5. Tuna fish salad-yay or blech? If you said yay, how do you like your tuna salad prepared? Hey, this is the Hodgepodge, right?
I like tuna fish. Light amount of mayonaise and some dill relish. So it is pretty thick. Put it on some crackers and a delicious lunch.

6. What's something you 'know by heart'?
Account numbers. I run about 50 accounts at work and can spout them off without looking at a list. I also know my visa number and the code on the back. I'm not sure if that is good.

7. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, what two or three word phrase would you write on a conversation heart for someone you love? That someone could be a spouse, child, parent, cousin, bestie...anyone at all whom you love.
Together Forever

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Just booked a spring break trip for Whitney's last one. And it is a doozy. We are going to London for a week. Yikes. One month from now.

Month Three - Winter Reading Challenge

Rebecca Jo has encouraged us to keep track of the books we've read over the winter. I've been on a roll (as my last post showed) so this month I decided to try and clear off books that I downloaded months ago and just never got to read. The ones I always seem to skip are mystery/thrillers so I caught up on some of those.

Death by Honeymoon by Jaden Skye

Near Death by Richard Hale (this one was creepy and not anything I want to read again)

Justified Deception by Patricia Watters

London Falling by Emma Carr

Changes by Judith Arnold

Messages by John Michael Hileman (I really liked this one)

Flirting with Dr. Off Limits by Robin Gianni (I won this on a GoodReads giveaway)

Her Summer with the Marine by Susan Meier

Home to Walnut Ridge by Diane Moody

Molly Harper by Emelle Gamble

The Wager by Calista Kyle

The Greatest Gift by Jeremy Asher

Someone Else's Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts

Shackled Lily by T. L. Gray (this one was interesting)

Home is Where the Heart Is by Kimberly Rae Jordan

The Passion Thief by Anne McCarthy Strauss

I really thought as busy as I was at work that I wouldn't read as many books. But obviously my lunch time/work out time reading continued so I finished 16 books this month.