25 Things

It has been a while since I have done a tag. Corrie shared 25 random things about herself on her blog and invited others to follow in her footsteps. How could I refuse (especially since she kindly mentioned me in hers). So, while I don't promise to be as witty as Corrie, here are 25 random things about me.

1. Right now I am eating leftover chicken cacciatore. I made the recipe up one day by just dumping things that sounded good into my crockpot. After I was done, I realized I'd come up with cacciatore. I often cook this way. It is much more a function of my laziness than it is my creativity. Well, maybe a little creativity...

2. I once killed a mouse in a bag with a hammer. You'll have to ask me if you want the details. (It was a mercy killing though.)

3. When I was young I wanted a daughter named Tiffany. I never considered the name "Eden" until I was about 6 months pregnant with my little Eden.

4. My husband once dated a girl who ended up marrying (someone else) and having a daughter whom she named Eden. (hi, Sarah) Ok, that isn't really about me, but an intersting fact, don't you think?

5. I LOVE to make snowflakes. You know, the paper/scissors kind? Above my computer desk I currently have approximately 35 snowflakes I've made (well, I forced Phil to make two of them). Snowflakes have six points guys. Just in case you didn't know. Yeah, my snowflakes are anatomically correct.

6. When I was growing up (well, getting older anyway) I loved that my mom crocheted us slippers every Christmas. I never learned how until I was in college. My cousin taught me how to do it (my mom taught her). Phil hates crocheted slippers.

7. I like red.

8. I love efficiency.

9. I have six brothers who are all high-achievers. Mark - MBA from Harvard; Michael - Master of Teaching (I don't know what the real title is) and a Vice Principal; Andrew - MBA from Duke; Paul - MBA from Duke; Jon - in Dental school (after getting an MS in biological engineering); Josh - attending USU, speaking Russian, and avoiding marriage.

10. I once wrote in my scriptures: "interesting idiom for a prophet to use prior the the birth of Christ." Yeah, that was in my intellectually snobby graduate school years.

11. I love going to youth dances. I'm the coolest, nerdiest chaperone ever! Oh yeah, I boogie (and I even get Phil to boogie with me sometimes).

12. One time a guy told me the best quality I had going for me was that I was "sly."

13. My parents are two of my biggest confidants, advisors, cheerleaders, and heros.

14. As far as I know, I still hold the record at West Gresham Grade School for hanging on the crossbar (chin above the bar) for the longest time. I think it was 2 1/2 minutes or something.

15. I love sweets and waffles and ice cream and cookies and bread and this cacciatore is gone and I'm having hankerings...

16. I had a crush on Little Joe (not Michael Landon though) from Bonanza.

17. I have three incredible sisters who are raising some amazing kids. I love that all of my sisters and SILs are awesome moms and that the men in their lives support them as stay-at-home moms. My sisters are some of my best friends.

18. I like to sing. I pretty much sing all day long. Phil didn't know this about me until after we were engaged. I was always very threatened by his skilz and so I wouldn't sing much around him. He asked me (after we were married) if I had ever thought about doing choir when I was in high school. I was like, "yeah! I was in ALL the choirs in high school! Show choir, madrigals, jazz choir, concert choir, symphony choir. I wasn't just some girl who was in a few choirs. I WAS the choir-girl."

19. I blog when I'm avoiding cleaning. Yeah, that is what I'm doing now. What I'm NOT doing is cleaning my bathrooms, cleaning the windows, and vacuuming.

20. I once came home from an elementary track meet with a 3rd place ribbon. My mother was so proud. Before I could sleep that night, I had to confess that there were only three kids in the race. I'm not much of an athlete.

21. I did play basketball for three years in Jr. High. The coach played me fairly often. I never made a point in a game. I'm not sure why she played me as often as she did.

22. At my Jr. High graduation, I was awarded some award that was something about being the outstanding physical education student of the class. Same coach. What was her deal? Did she really think I just lacked encouragement?

23. In my first job interview (to be a receptionist of a medium-sized corporation), the HR director asked me if I had any experience. My reply, "well, when the phone rings at home, I'm always the first one to answer it!" I was 18. I got the job. The HR director was not my former BB coach, I promise.

24. I love to laugh and I love hugs. Laughing with my husband and daughter is only second to hugs from my husband and daughter.

25. I am one blessed girl!

Quirky Tag

The Rules:

1. Link the person who tagged you - that would be Charlotta the Great
2. Mention the rules on your blog - I'm doin' it!
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours - see below
4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them - I'm a rebel, so I'm not tagging anyone. If you wanna do it, do it.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged - can't really obey 5 since I didn't obey 4 (that is how great sins are committed, one small disobedient move at a time and pretty soon you don't have the choice to do some good things because you didn't choose the prerequisite good things previously, so let that be a lesson to you!)

The Quirkiness of ME

1. I listen to NPR pretty much all day long. I don't listen to our local NPR affiliate (except in the car), I stream KUER from the campus of the University of Utah. At times I am totally engrossed in the topics of the day and at other times it is like background noise but it is almost always on - although lately Eden thinks she needs to listen to these cheesy kids' CDs we have. Could someone make a really cool kids' CD please? (shameless plug for the new Voice Male CD - Kids Stuff - being released this fall. Sold where LDS books and music are found, or online at www.voicemalemusic.com - I told you it was shameless)
2. While I am listening to KUER I often have conversations with the hosts. They usually go something like this, "Diane, I agree with you completely, you are so insightful and such a good interviewer, good luck with your treatment** this next week, I'll miss you." or "Doug, you are such a wannabe sometimes, you're killin' me!" or "Terry, you are driving me nuts! Did you really need to ask that question? Are you serious?" or "Nina, that was most helpful, I've always been confused about that." or "Cokie, you rock, I want to be like you if I grow up." or "Scott, you are the most infantile person, are you a thirteen year old in the locker room? You could have written Dumb and Dumber (which I HATE), why do they even let you be the host!" or "Juan, I think you are absolutely right, you are so fair and balanced and not in the you've-got-to-be-kidding-me way that others say they are fair and balanced." These are just a few of my NPR friends.
3. Sometimes when Phil is in the other room but his gmail account is up, I will "chat" with his friends and pretend I'm him (except for one time, they always initiate the chat, I just answer). There is one guy that I don't even know but we've had full conversations. I like to be enough like Phil that they really think they are talking to him but different enough that they go, hmmm... Richard is on to me though and usually says, "am I talking to Heidi or to Phil." Smart guy, that Richard.
4. I don't think this next thing is quirky but Phil does, so you all can weigh in and tell me who is right. When entering the shower I get in then I pull up the lever and run to the end of the shower so only my feet get wet. Then when the water is the correct temperature I allow the shower to hit me. Quirky or normal - you decide. (He just turns the shower on and then gets in - BORING.)
   
5. I like to jazz up things. As has already been discussed, I jazz cook* all the time. What might not be known and is perhaps a little more quirky, is that I like to totally change the melody of songs - mid-song. It drives Phil nuts. Sometimes I just get him hooked on my version and then I change it (not on purpose, just cuz).
6. One time, about ten years ago, Charlotte and Phil commented on my widow's peak. They weren't necessarily teasing me about it but rather speaking about it as though it were somewhat odd. It totally stuck with me and I became subconscious about it. When bangs went out of style and therefore the peak became more noticeable Charlotte mentioned it again (this was about five years ago - so yeah, five years later). That very night I plucked it out. Seriously, I did. Then for about three years every time I waxed/plucked my eyebrows, I would also pluck my widows peak. I had a beautiful straight hairline. After we got married, I admitted this to Phil and he convinced me to grow it out (yeah, funny that the two who prompted me to get rid of it didn't even notice, huh?). (Check out the no peak in the picture with Phil, peak in the other one.)
   

It was one of those things though that once I had done it, it was hard to grow it out and un-do it because really who wants fifteen or so hairs that are stubby, then a bit longer, then a little longer, etc. So once again we see that it is so easy to follow up one mistake with more mistakes. It is just easier to make good choices from the start. (Do you think I've been serving in YWs too long????)

And that, my friends, is a lists of just six of my most quirky-yet-delightful attributes.

If you decide to do this tag, leave me a comment so I (and others) know.


*Jazz Cooking is the term for cooking without a recipe or drastically changing the recipe with your own improvisations. I first heard this term on ... wait for it ... wait for it ... yup, NPR!

**Diane Rehm has some disease that hurts her vocal chords and so she has to have these treatments every few months and so she is gone for a few days. I miss her when she is gone.

Tag from last February!

Last February my friend Sally tagged me on her blog. The problem is, I didn't know she had a blog (she probably told me and I forgot or something). Anyway, now I know and so here is the tag:

• How long have you been married? 2 years
• Who eats more sweets? Probably me but it is close.
• Who said I love you first? Phil, although I coerced him to "express his feelings"
• How old is he? 40 - and a dang good looking 40 year old at that!
  
• Who is taller? Phil (by 8 inches)
• Who is smarter? He says I am but I think he is - we are smart in different ways so I'm amazed by his smarts and he's impressed by mine. That works out pretty well!
• Who can sing better? ummm, that would be Mr. VM although Eden prefers my singing.
  
• Who does the laundry? Me.
• Who pays the bills? He.
• Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does and that puts him closer to the Bambino's room and therefore closer to a baby crying in the night (on those nights when that happens).
• Who mows the lawn? Totally him (I'm allergic).
• Who cooks dinner? Me but he does the dishes.
• Who drives? He does unless he is on some drug that makes him impaired, even then he drives if I forget to make him sit in the passenger seat.
• Who kissed who first? It was pretty mutual, he brought it up though.
• Who asked who out? Well first he asked Charlotte out! Then he asked me out.
• Who has more siblings? Me, I have 9; he has 5.
• Who wears the pants? We both wear the pants (both literally and figuratively).

Now I tag Alisha, Corrie, and Delvonna

Now I've done my A-B-Cs, this time Charlotte has tagged me.

A is for age: 41

B is for burger of choice: Those bubble gum burgers! So cute. j/k, but I'm not a huge burger fan.

C is for what kind of car you drive: Trixie the 2004 Matrix (Toyota - always Toyota) C is also for your favorite past vehicle: The 1982 blue Corolla because it endured to the end (and then some - I finally retired it in 1998).

D is for your dog's name: We had so many dogs but my favorite was D-O-G.

E is for essential item you use everyday: Diapers (not for me, for Eden).
F is for favorite TV show at the moment: We don't watch TV (we don't buy cable and have no reception otherwise) but I like to watch a few on the Internet. Right now I'm enjoying the shows on USA: Monk and Psych. They are a little similar and they'll probably get old soon but for now I'm enjoying that they are clean, humorous, and entertaining.
G is for favorite game: The one I win.

H is for Home State: Born: Montana * Raised: Oregon * School/Career: Utah * Currently: Alabama

I is for instruments you play: Piano (a very little - for FHE Phil plays the left hand, I play the right, and Eden bangs out the high notes).

J is for favorite juice: Kissing Juice: (This is the term of endearment for any kind of mixed juice that ends up being sort of tart and therefore makes you smack your lips like a kiss. My dad came up with this name. Our kissing juice is usually two kinds of generic-brand Crystal Light.)
K is for whose butt you'd like to kick: The parents of youth who are in desperate need of love, direction, discipline, and consistency but who aren't getting it because the parents are too self-consumed and/or damaged to give it.

L is for last restaurant at which you ate? PF Chang (in fact I'm finishing off some leftovers as I blog).

M is for your favorite Muppet: Beaker

N is for Number of Piercing: One hole each ear. (My aunt gave me some earrings while I was in 7th grade. My mom wouldn't take me to get them pierced so my friend came over and we stuck a needle through my ear. They got infected and sealed. In eighth grade my sister took me to the mall and I got them pierced again. They got infected and sealed. Finally I got them pierced again and realized that I can only wear sterling silver.)
O is for overnight hospital stays: For myself: one (when Eden was born) but I have spent MANY nights in the hospital for others.
P is for people you were with today: Phil, Eden, Dr. Green (our fabulous Chiropractor - bless him).

Q is for what you do with your quiet time: Work on YW stuff, blog.
R is for biggest regret: Sewing my own wedding gown - what a fiasco and now when I see pictures of my wedding I don't think about what a fairytale it was I think about what a fiasco it was (the dress, not the sealing).

S is for status: Happily married.

T is for time you woke up today: Seven o'clock.

U is for what you consider unique about yourself: I am quite comfortable being gregarious and "social" and therefore most people think I am an extrovert but in reality I am more of an introvert.
V is for vegetable you love: Is the cocoa bean a vegetable?
W is for worst habit: Eating my favorite vegetable too much and too often.
X is for x-rays you've had: Dental, shoulder (because of "the incident"), abdomen.

Y is for yummy food you ate today: Anniversary cake (I'm done with the PF Chang leftovers and now I'm eating some cake that Phil ordered with which to celebrate our anniversary).

Z is for zodiac: Gemini (I think that the sign of the "twins" indicates that I'm a little "moody" - which sounds better than "bipolar").

Life in Numbers

1 - Child (Eden)
2 - Degrees (BS-USU; MA-MSU)
3 - Sisters (Merilee, Heather, Emily)
4 - European countries I've visited (Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy)
5 - Teeth in Eden's mouth
6 - Brothers (Mark, Michael, Andrew, Paul, Jon, Josh)
7 - States in which I've lived (MT, AZ, OR, ID, UT, NH, AL)
8 - (and 3/4) Years Charlotte and I were roommates
9 - Years Phil and I knew each other before we married
10 - Years I worked for USU (post-degrees)

This isn't really a tag but I would love to see you do this too. It is kinda fun. You can do it in your own blog or leave a response with your life in numbers.

Eden Tagged!

Eden has been tagged by "Pinga" and "Superman" so here are eleven things about Eden:

• She is the most extroverted kid I've ever known. She loves to seek out the person in the room who hasn't noticed her yet and make sure that little problem is solved.
• She instinctively knows what foods are sweet. She can see a packaged candy bar that she's never seen and knows that she wants it (and wants it NOW!). (here she is enjoying her first choc-chipcookie)
  
• She is very opinionated. She knows what she likes and what she doesn't and has a way of communicating that.
• She loves to swing in our backyard or the park or the community center but especially our backyard.
• She is a crawling machine and is finally showing some interest in walking (oh help her mother).
• She LOVES, LOVES, LOVES her daddy. Mom's "okay" but daddy is the bomb! Actually she prefers men in general. Especially tall men. Daddy says "we're locking her up!"
  
• She has silent reflux and so has been on Zantac since about 6 weeks. She gets very excited when she sees the red Target bottle and knows she gets to take 1 ml of the nasty stuff. Seriously, she thinks it is rather tasty.
  
• She is quite dependent on her binky and blanky but only at sleeping time and when she is stuck in her car seat. When she gets up from a nap she takes her binky out and hands it to me. That means, "this nap is over mom, get me out of this cage!"
• Patience is NOT one of her virtues. She came exactly a month early and has been impatient ever since. (That would have been a year ago tomorrow - happy b'day Eden.)
  
• She likes to boogie. Sometimes our lullaby singing prompts boogies instead of sleep.
  
• She has been on four airplane trips (8 if you count the tos and froms).

And now Eden tags Isaac, Little John, Erin, Cecily, and Trey.

Funniest Tag Yet

Ok, I wasn't even tagged with this but Charlotte posted this tag and it cracked me up so I'm doing it even though she didn't tag me.

This is what you do:

1. Pick up the nearest book (at least 123 pages)
2. Turn to page 123
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the 5th sentence on your blog
5. Tag 5 people

My book is 1001 All-Natural Secrets to a Pest-Free Property by Dr. Myles H. Bader and the 5th sentence on page 123 says:

"In hot weather flies can multiply in 2-3 weeks, especially if they have a good supply of fresh warm excrement from a family pet."
(I think that goes well with Charlotte's - don't you agree?).

Now I tag Alisha T., Corrie, Layne, Jenny M., and Amanda.

Have fun! :)

RandomTag

Alisha just tagged me and I'm accepting. What follows is a list of 7 Random Facts about Heidi Jo:

• I have a scar on the big toe on my right foot. When I was a toddler my toe got caught in the spokes of a tricycle that was being pushed. I have no memory of this incident.

• Phil was my first (and last) blue-eyed boyfriend (unless you count Kelly Bateman from 7th grade).

• I have lived in 7 different states, some of them multiple times: MT, AZ, OR, ID, OR, UT, NH, OR, UT, MT, UT, AL.

• I have a Masters in History (my research was on slave literacy and my focus was Antebellum America) from MSU.

• I LOVE Phish Food ice cream (Ben & Jerrys).

• When I was little I felt compelled to use every crayon on every page in the coloring book and then I put the crayons back in the box according to "families" (red and blue were the parents of pink and sky blue, orange and green were married, yellow and purple, etc. I hated getting the really big boxes because it was just too hard!).

• I would love to visit South Africa and Greece someday (not necessarily on the same trip).

And now I tag anyone who would like to be tagged...