Was high school a positive or negative experience for you?

Hmmm, the BID from earlier ... high school.  My mother always told me, because my grades were horrible, that high school isn't a social gathering.  It was a place to learn, a place to grow.  High school was the most miserable experience, for me.  I was teased, ridiculed and treated like crap by everyone, including my boyfriends.  I walked around with my head down because no one liked me.  My mom STILL avows that it's because I had a HUGE chip on my shoulder, but she doesn't know that people were so cruel to me.  Social experience, I think not.  I had no friends.

What I wouldn't have given in high school, to be as popular as I am now.  :D

Since I suffer from insomnia most nights out of the week, I have to figure out new ways of getting tired enough to fall asleep.  Most nights, if I'm already in bed and i can't fall asleep, I think of something calming, like sitting on the beach or watching the rain.  If that doesn't work, I get back out of bed, reminding myself that in a half an hour, I need to try again.  I'll do something on my laptop that will get me tired, like doing the Jigsaw puzzle on msnbc, or playing a few games of freecell.  Most nights, something like this works, but there are times when I'm still up until 3 o'clock in the morning, no matter what I do.

I've had people recommend that I take an over-the-counter sleep aid, but I don't like the idea.  I don't want to become dependent on something like that, in order to sleep.  Others have recommended warm tea before bed, but I really can't stand tea.  Warm milk isn't something I would like, either.  So, it's either I give in and try things that I don't like, or I continue losing sleep.  oh well, maybe if I can keep my mind clear as I'm trying to sleep, it'll eventually help.

Was your Valentine's Day everything you hoped it would be?

Not at all.  We weren't able to do anything because Greg works nights and we didn't have any money in the bank account.  We're planning our celebration this weekend.  We'll be going out to dinner, a movie and then going to karaoke with friends.  It sounds like it'll be a fun time.  We've got a babysitter lined up for Saturday night and now, I've just go to get the house cleaned up!  LOL

Hope everyone else had a good Valentine's Day.

What has the hottest temperature been so far this year and how have you dealt with the heat?

i don't really know what the hottest temperature has been so far this year, but i do know that we suffered from temperatures over 100 for 11 days straight!!!

i tried to stay inside as much as possible, and if i needed to go out for something, i took bobby with me and we hit the pool when we got home.  it's nice to rent where there's a pool available during the summer.

What language would you choose to have as a second language?

I think I would like to learn Spanish.  Considering that almost everyone in Texas requires that you learn it, so that you can speak to all the Mexicans down here.  There are even jobs that require that you are bi-lingual in order to even be considered for a position.

It would be nice to be able to communicate with people down here, and I would be able to teach Bobby spanish. 

When was the last time you gave in to an indulgent pleasure, just for you?

 I think the last time I did something indulgent was when I went to the Great American Scrapbook Convention in June.  It was only overnight, but I was able to do some fun things and spend a little money.  That's the only "real" indulgent thing I've been able to do for a long time.

Greg helps me make sure I get some time away from the house every week.  During the fall, winter and spring months, I sing in the choir at church.  So, every Wednesday evening, I'm at choir practice until late.  Now that choir is over for the summer, I get Thursday evenings off and go to my mom's for scrapbooking or making homemade cards and then off to karaoke to hang with friends.  So, I'm at least able to get away for a little bit every week.

I would love to be able to go to a spa for a few days and get pampered, but it's too expensive and when you're living on a one-income budget, it's almost impossible to justify that kind of payout.......

Rainy, windy, sunny, snowy, something else? What is your favorite weather? Does particular weather bring back good memories?

Rain used to be my favorite type of weather.  I had a severe case of depression, and the rain would help cheer me up.  Now, I enjoy listening to thunder and watching lightning, but the rain doesn't cheer me up as much as it used to.

Now, I enjoy snow so much more!!!  Everything, when it's covered in white, and looks so clean.  I love seeing the clean earth!!!

I won't have the time to blog later today.  My mom is coming over and we are taking Bobby to a playground.  Then, we'll be heading to her house to make homemade jam.  They are spraying for cockroaches (again) in my apartment today.  This time, it's an actual pest control and they recommended that we remove things from our cabinets.  I asked that they bait for them, too.  They're so horrible.......

So, 3 blogs in one, so that you all have something to read today.

Personal Blog Idea of the Day:

Action, horror, comedy, romance, drama, slap stick, sci-fi (any other not mentioned).....what genre best describes your life?   I think romantic comedy best describes my life.  It's lovely, while remaining true to comedy.  There are things that are too funny to pass up and ignore, and things that are devastating.  All in all, it works out to be even.

I read this on Anastaza's blog yesterday, and asked if I could post it.  So, here it is.  Feel free to use it, if you'd like.

Innocent/ Guilty?

1. Dated outside your race? Innocent

2. Given a hickey? Guilty

3. Gotten a hickey? Innocent

4. Singing in the shower?  Guilty, I sing every chance I get

5. Spit in someone's Drink? Innocent - that's just gross

 6. Played with Barbies?  Guilty, but I preferred Hot Wheels

7. Made someone cry?  Guilty

8. Opened your christmas presents early?  Innocent - my mother would've killed me

9. Lied to a friend?  Guilty

10. Seen the "goonies" more than 10 times?  Innocent

11. Played a Computer game for more than 5 hours?  Guilty, I play World of Warcraft

12. Ran through the sprinklers naked?  Innocent

13.  Ate food that fell on the floor?  Guilty - it's the 10-second rule

14. Went outside naked?  Innocent

15. Flashed somebody?  Guilty, and I was arrested for it

16. Mooned somebody?  Innocent

17. Been on stage?  Guilty - lots of times

18. Been on stage naked or close to it?  Innocent

 19. Been in a parade?  Guilty - marching band in high school

20. Been in a school play?  Innocent, although I did try out for a few.  I did act in plays when I was younger, but they weren't school plays

21. Drank beer?  Guilty

22. Gotten detention?  Guilty

23. Been on a plane?  Guilty

24. Been on a cruise ship?  Innocent

 25. Broken into a house?  Innocent

26. Gotten a tattoo?  Guilty

 27. Gotten piercings?  Innocent, unless you count my ears when I was much younger

28. Gotten into a fist fight?  Innocent - she hit me and knocked me down, I got in-house detention for getting my butt kicked cuz she said I hit her first

29. Gotten into a shouting match?  Guilty

30. Swallowed sea/pool water?  Innocent

31. Spun yourself in circles to get dizzy on purpose?  Guilty

32. Laughed so hard it hurt?  Guilty

33. Tripped on your own feet? Guilty

34. Cried yourself to sleep?  Guilty

35. Cried in public?  Guilty

36. Thrown up in public?  Innocent

37. Lied to your parents?  Guilty - who hasn't???

38. Skipped class?  Guilty

39. Cried so hard you threw up?  Innocent

40. Had more than five bf/gf?  Guilty

I changed this a bit so for each 'guilty' you get add  5 dollars to your bank account!! That's a heck of a lot better than 1 year in prision! 

I will be in prison 23 years!!  With the change from anastaza, I will have $115

If you won the lottery for 1 million dollars, what would you do with it all?

If I won the lottery for 1 million?  Hmmmmmmm.......after taxes, I would bring in about $750,000 so let's figure out what I would do with that first.

I would buy the townhouse that we've been looking at, for $99,900.  Greg's co-worker, Charles, has a townhouse that he bought and fixed up and is trying to get us to buy.  That would be the first thing I would buy.  Then, I would pay my parents $1,000 of money owed to them.  My brother James would get $500 for patience in us not paying him back the $300 we owed him for 4 years.  I would pay off my 2nd case of child support for $300, so that I can be finished with the state of Idaho for good.  (my best friend, heart_reavor knows all about it)

Let's get a total, so far:  $101,800 to other people and the house.

I would get a new car and junk the one that we have.  It would be a nice VW Jetta or Honda Civic, both are excellent on gas mileage and small enough to where I would feel like I'm not above anyone else, but not smaller than anyone either.  So, we're looking at $32,000 maybe.

New total of money spend:  $133,800.  That leaves me with $616,200.

I would put away, a minimum of $150,000 for Bobby for college.  I would make sure it goes into an account that will accrue interest over the years.  The rest, I would buy scrapbooking stuff, toys, new computers with monitors (flat-screen) and other things.  What I haven't spent, will go into a savings account for future uses.

Gas prices seem to just keep going up. What does this mean for you and your family and friends? What would happen if gas hit $5 a gallon?

Well.......we already only use our car for necessary trips, so we can't exactly stop driving unnecessarily. I would have to get a part time job in the evenings, within walking distance of where I live, to help pay for gas. We live on a very tight budget with the fact that I stay at home full time. We could cancel our 1 movie channel on cable and get rid of the cell phones to pay for gas, but I don't want to have to do any of that.

Gas prices seem to gouge everyone but the rich and I'm reminded of lyrics to a song:

Affirmation
Savage Garden

I believe the sun should never set upon an argument
I believe we place our happiness in other people's hands
I believe that junk food tastes so good because it's bad for you
I believe your parents did the best job they knew how to do
I believe that beauty magazines promote low self-esteem
I believe I'm loved when I'm completely by myself alone

I believe in karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you can't appreciate real love till you've been burned
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

I believe you can't control or choose your sexuality
I believe that trust is more important than monogamy
I believe your most attractive features are your heart and soul
I believe that family is worth more than money or gold
I believe the struggle for financial freedom is unfair
I believe the only ones who disagree are millionaires

I believe in karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you can't appreciate real love till you've been burned
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

I believe forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness
I believe that wedded bliss negates the need to be undressed
I believe that God does not endorse TV evangelists
I believe in love surviving death into eternity

I believe in karma what you give is what you get returned
I believe you can't appreciate real love till you've been burned
I believe the grass is no more greener on the other side
I believe you don't know what you've got until you say goodbye

Money not being a consideration....what exotic place would you travel to?

I would love to go see Cancun.  Greg and I had wanted to travel there for our honeymoon, and my parents even offered, so that we could elope, but I wanted a big wedding and there wasn't enough money saved up for a honeymoon at all.  I've heard that it's just beautiful!!!!

I would also love to see the Bahamas.

Would you rather be plain looking but intelligent or gorgeous and dumb?

The only problem is that I believe we covered this topic with the last Grab posted BID.......hehe

I would rather be a little more beautiful than I am now, with more common sense.  I'm not truly dumb, although I feel like it sometimes.  I know I'm not gorgeous, just pretty.  I want to be something that folks like to look at, and be able to back it up with smarts!!!!!

Thanks, Kel!!!!  ((((((hugs))))))

Do you have a favorite number? If so, why is it special to you?

I don't actually have a favorite number.  I don't even understand the significance of having a favorite number.  I mean, I can understand a number that means something to you, like maybe a certain birthday (age is the number) that sticks out in your head more than another, but other than that, there's no favorite........

And, for those of you who don't know, I get these ideas from a friend of mine.  I don't create these on my own.  I just answer her BIDs and have fun with them!!  She's the best!!!!!

Boots, Shoes, Sandals, Socks or Barefoot? Which is your preference?

Considering that I HATE my feet..........I prefer to wear shoes most of the time.  However, I'm getting over my feet (so to say) and have begun to wear sandals on hot days.  I even have some high heeled shoes that are open-toed and kind of sandal-ly.  I really hate flipflops, but have been known to wear them once in a while.  I have light blue ones with a silver heart in the middle.

Pond, Swimming Pool, Lake, River or Ocean? Which body of water would you prefer to swim in? Why?

I would prefer to swim in the ocean.  Even though it's cold and frigid, the waves are wonderful to ride on, and the feeling of swimming in the vast ocean is just wonderful!!!!  It just looks sooooo beautiful.......