Natural Disasters and Chores

1. Do you think the world became a more dangerous place on September 11, 2001 or did we just become more aware of the danger? How has your own life changed as a result of that day?

I don't think it is any more dangerous. I'm not sure if we are aware of the danger anymore either. It just hit closer to home for a lot of people. Living near OKC during that bombing, I think we got a little taste of danger a lot earlier than NYC. And as much as I hate to admit it, that one still terrifies me more. I can't go to the bombing memorial museum eventhough I didn't know a single person who was killed. I'm sure I can go to the one in NYC and be moved, but not like here.


2. Did you think your parents were too strict when you were growing up? How about in hindsight?

I don't think they were too strict. I was an uptight child I think and followed rules pretty well. Not rebellious at all. So they must have done something right or else I just had that personality.


3. Share one random but candid fact about yourself.

I chose to attend OU because of their football team and the chance to win a national championship. Isn't that shallow? Lucky for me they did win one while I attended and they've won another one since so maybe I'm a good luck charm. It is important to note that I hadn't even been to the state of Oklahoma before coming to college and I know no one. I have no idea how my parents let me do this.


4. Would your nearest and dearest describe you as simple or far too complicated?

Oh, our favorite saying. High maintenance but think you are low maintenance (thanks When Harry Met Sally). I'm probably simple but people think I'm complicated.


5. What is your favorite stadium or carnival food?

I don't have any. The food is way overpriced and I'm a cheapskate so I won't pay those prices.

6. Tornado, hurricane, earthquake...how many of these natural disasters have you experienced? Which event do you think would be the scariest?

I've been in two hurricanes (Alicia, 1983, Houston and David, 1979, Orlando), one earthquake (Norman, 2010, 4.3 or 5.1 different reports) and near a lot of tornadoes (too many dates to count). Hurricanes are actually the easiest because you have plenty of warning and can get to a safer place. Tornadoes you might have some warning, although we had one form over our house and hit the next neighborhood just come out of nowhere. Earthquakes are totally unpredictable. I think that one is the scariest simply because you don't know it is coming.


7. Labor Day weekend is approaching so a work related question seems appropriate. Growing up, did your parents assign you regular chores? Were you paid for doing those chores? If you're a parent do you assign chores to your own children? Why or why not?

I'm sure we had chores I just don't remember. And we never got an allowance or get paid for doing them. We gave Whitney an allowance but it wasn't tied to her chores. Chores are something that you do because you are part of a family and you have to take responsibility for things around the house. If there was a special project I might pay her extra. But she was expected to do her chores, just like I'm expected to do my chores around the house. Nobody pays me to do the laundry but I have to do it.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It's the last day of August. Football is just around the corner and I for one am glad that I don't have season tickets because there are going to be a lot of hot, sweaty people at the game Saturday. Even with a 6pm start it is going to feel like 100 degrees in that stadium. But I do get to have Whitney come home for the weekend (yippee!)

Blazers and nice clothes

I got a panicked email from Whitney last night. Seems her scholarship (sponsored by a huge energy company) likes their kids to have matching outfits. They are ordering Brooks Brothers blazers for them. I looked at the price and realized that I haven't spent that much money on clothes for myself in a year and she is getting one for free. Of course I had to explain what a blazer is (she is a tshirt/jeans kind of gal). And then the panic set in. What size do we order? I don't want to get the wrong one and then have to PAY for another one. Luckily I just got off the phone and was told that if they order a size and it doesn't fit, they will return it and get the right size. Phew, I was afraid they were going to have it embroidered already with the company's name.

I think this is the blazer - $348

So now when she comes home this weekend, we have to go find a light gray skirt/pants and a white button shirt to wear with the free blazer. It's costing me money, but not nearly as much as a blazer would.

Diet Vanilla Coke

Years ago, there was a Diet Coke with vanilla. It was the most delicious drink ever. I was so hooked on it. And then Coke decided to stop making it. I of course did not know this until several stops at the store with nothing on the shelves and then I saw it online. Let me tell you, I panicked. I bought every single one that I could find. I almost killed the child (not mine) who drank my last one out of the fridge (and then she didn't even finish it).
Then I realized that I could get a Route 44 Sonic diet Coke with vanilla. The Sonic nearest my house makes the best ones (I think they add extra vanilla). But then I realized was it really worth spending over $2 for a drink that has so much ice in it I slurp the drink down before I know it. So I stopped getting them. But the other day I was out in the afternoon and it was happy hour, so I got a drink. Not the biggest size, I settled for a large. But they had one of those phone surveys afterwards to see how they were doing and you got a free Route 44 drink. I don't like doing those surveys but hey it was a good treat.

So now I sit with my coupon for a free drink. And I ask myself, is it worth going out in the 100+ degrees to get my drink. I am pretty sure the answer is no. Eventhough I really would like some caffeine and I don't have change for the vending machine. So I sit here drinking my water dreaming of a Route 44 diet Coke with vanilla.

Birthday Wishes

So today is my birthday. I think at my age they just don't matter anymore. I don't feel any older. I don't look any older. It's not some magic birthday number today. It's just another day in my life. I think we'll go out to dinner tonight (just Dan and I) but I went to work today. In the past I usually take the day off but I didn't have a reason to be gone.

Is this what getting older is supposed to be?

Thursday Thoughts

I had a couple of blog thoughts so I decided to combine them into one since they are random.

The first is Hurricane Irene. I've lived through two of them (one in Florida and one in Houston)  and while they were both minor on the hurricane scale (I slept through the Florida one) I think I've had enough. So yesterday I found out that our radar trucks are going out to chase the hurricane. Normally it is tornadoes but since hurricanes can produce tornadoes they have done this before. I had to do a couple of things with the truck before it went out, so as I was down at the vehicle bay checking the mileage, one of the students asked me if I was going hurricane chasing. I had to laugh and say no, that I was needed here. But can you imagine me in a big old truck or van chasing a hurricane. I don't think so. But if any of you are near Morehead, NC, that's where they are heading. I would say that you won't have the brunt of the storm there because they wouldn't put the radar truck in harms way, but you will be near enough for strong winds (but not super strong because that truck is worth a lot of money).

The second is I survived an endoscopy on Tuesday. I've had acid reflux for a couple of years and I'm on about as strong of medicine that you can have and it still isn't completely calmed. So my doctor wanted to check it out. The hardest part was that it was scheduled for 2:30 in the afternoon. And you can't eat anything after midnight or drink anything after 10am. Now I eat on a schedule, and that schedule does not mean not eating all day. And I drink lots of water. I was afraid that I would be cranky and pass out at work but I made it. And I slept all the way through the procedure (thank you demerol) and don't remember a thing. They did a biopsy but the doctor thought everything looked good. I did have to tell him about my sleepwalking incident over the weekend where I somehow emptied an entire bottle of my medicine (2 months worth) into a sink full of water. Ruined every single pill. So he gave me samples to tide me over until the insurance company will pay for a refill. Luckily there isn't really a black market for acid reflux medicine so me saying I dumped a bottle didn't raise a red flag like it would for lortab or oxycontin.

Hope you have a good Thursday.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What is something that bothers you if it's not done perfectly?

Interesting question. I think for me it is folding laundry. I have to have shirts, socks and underwear folded just right or it bugs me. And if someone else does it and it isn't how I would do it, I redo it.
2. Do you think a 6th sense exists? Explain.

Yes it exists. How else do you explain twins communicating with each other without speaking or that funny feeling you get right before something is wrong or right.
3. Do you say your goodbyes slowly, quickly, or not at all?

Probably quickly. It is much easier to just get it overwith and move on.

4. On a scale of 1-10, with ten being hot hot hot, what level of spice do you like in your food? What's your favorite 'spicy' dish?

Probably a 5-6. Too much spice and you can't taste it. Plus if it is really spicky, I get a coughing fit right away and it takes me five minutes before I can take another bite. I like our chili which has a lot of cayenne pepper in it. Another good dish is pasta with garlic and red pepper flakes.

5. What is one of your all time favorite commercial jingles?

Anyone from Oklahoma should say the BC Clark Anniversary sale.  It is so darn catchy and you know it is Christmas when you hear it. I remember when I moved here in 1983 and it was on tv. I didn't know what all the fuss was about and then every year it would play again and again. I love singing along with it.

6. Plane, train, boat or auto...your preferred method of travel?

Plane because you can get there faster and go farther.

7. What is something you take for granted?

Electricity. What did people do without that. So many things run off it. When the power goes out at home (luckily not very often) it gets so quiet without all the appliances running.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Whitney is loving college. She pledged Alpha Chi Omega, has been working at her job at the bookstore (with a 30% discount on clothes) and has met so many new people. She's added over 100 new friends on facebook in less than a week.

Outside Renovations

We finally had the lights installed that we purchased four months ago for the outside. It really makes quite a difference. The ones by the garage door hang lower than the old ones so it covers up the house number a little bit. But I love the look of them so anyone looking for our house will just have to deal with it.

Closeup of the light