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I'm am sooooo loved (or, erm, tortured...not sure which) because I have been tagged for thsi meme TWICE - by the El Padre, and also by Missy, of Big Fish Stories.

1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1) I get up between 4:30 and 5:00am everyday - even Saturday and Sunday. I do this for self-preservation. This is my time to read, write and do my "me" things each day without interruption. If anyone wakes up early with me, MAN does it make me grumpy. My husband wishes I folded laundry and did quiet housechores at this time. I say, FEH! If I was a normal person, I'd be sleeping for at least another 1-1 1/2 hours. This is MY time, and I only do ME stuff at that time. Before I refound God, I used to exercise at this time. Since I have found God, and decided to do EfM and reintroduce my self to theology, exercise has fallen by the wayside. This isn't so good.

2) I am 5'0". My husband is 6'4". Nuff said.

3) My oldest child is adopted. We got Jacob Douglas (Jake) when he was 5 days old. He was born prematurely - by about 6 weeks, and he had some apnea in the hospital, so he came home "plugged" as we liked to say (on a monitor). It was a private, open adoption which we did through an attorney and it was the most stressful time of my life. His birthmom's rights were not terminated until he was 4 months old, and she was very conflicted about giving him up - up until her rights were terminated, she could take him back. At the hospital, she really wasn't sure she could go through with it. I took her aside, and told her, that she couldn't give up her baby to please Evan and me. It had to be that it was the right decision for her to make. I'd be hurt and upset, but that was my stuff to deal with. If this wasn't the right thing for all of us, she could take J. home (she had named him Joshua) and another baby would come to Evan and I. Those were the hardest words I ever spoke in my life, but, I meant them. (Although, in hindsight, I don't know WHERE that Eileen came from...the real Eileen was squashed somewhere deep inside me shouting "I WANT THIS BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T TELL HER SHE CAN TAKE HIM!!!!!!!!!!!) The words seemed to free her, and we did leave the hospital with Jake, who will be 10 in August. He's the child I never thought I'd have.

2) Since we couldn't have more children (and adoption is expensive) we decided to buy a slightly bigger house, in a town closer to where I worked, and a bit closer to where Evan worked (read more expensive town, higher taxes). Jake would be in school in two years, so we went for it. I didn't make one mortgage payment before I found out I was pregnant, with Jenna. When I did the at home test, I sat for 15 minutes in stunned silence in the bathroom. When I woke Evan up to tell him, his words were "I thought those tests didn't work for you." To which I replied, "No...they just have never come out positive." We couldn't even talk about it. Jenna just turned 6. We've never recovered our emotional or financial equilibrium, but, I'm so glad she's here. She's the pregnancy I never thought I'd experience, so you see, both my children are a miracle.

3) It took me 10 years to finish my MA in Counseling Psychology, simply because, as MadPreist so succintly said below, I can't make up my freakin' mind. I have no earthly clue as to what I want to be when I grow up, but, I know I like school, and I'd stay in forever. It seems to me that I probably should have been a rabbai.

4) I graduated from an all women's Catholic college located near a Yeshiva University in a the center of a VERY orthodox Jewish community. The hillarity of this never ceases to amaze me. Both of my degrees are from this college, now univeristy, and I worked there for six years. (Do you think I was having a hard time cutting the apron string?)

5) I lost over 60lbs with weight watchers. I've gained 20+ of them back recently and this really pisses me off (most especially with myself). Weight Watchers really works, and you can eat real food, etc. Exercise helps ALOT.

6) I prefer tea to coffee. I drink several cups of tea each morning, with Splenda and milk. I mostly drink Tetley or Red Rose brand, however, I can find a brand called Dublin Tea, which I love best of all. It's from Ireland, like many of my ancestors.

7) I studied French in high school and college because I was born tongue tied, and I can't roll my tongue. As an idiotic adolescent, I didn't want to speak Spanish with a speech impediment as a given condition of humanity.

8) I love animals. Right now I own a two cats, a guniea pig, and fish. I'd happily add a dog, some bunnies, a hamster, and a bird to this mix, but my husband will have further grounds to divorce me. (I sometimes don't think this would be a terrible thing...)

There you have it...me in a nutshell.

I tag the following well loved volunteers:

Mary Sue
Pisco
Jarred
Doxy
KJ
PJ
Kay
And Last but not least Catherine+

And anyone else who wants to play: You can post on your blog and link back here, or post here if you don't have a blog (This means YOU KJ!)

PJ put up some pictures of Alan Rickman, and Johnny Depp at her blog.

These were nice...but, I want me some Ed Harris. Soooo...Here's Ed.



And as a bonus...Ed and Paul "I'm 80 and Still HOT Newman":

Although...I'm not totally decided.

Please view the new location and give me some thoughts: Episcpaliem@Wordpress

So, I shall blather on about nothing.

I have to go to a dinner tonight. I have to say a few words at said dinner. I'd rather not.

I woke up with a headache, which, thankfully, two ibuprofen and a sudafed seems to have knocked out. I'm at work. I'd rather not be.

I'd rather be home, quietly reading. But even if I was, I'd really be cleaning and doing laundry. Feh.

I'm bummed that Kristin is out here, and I have no freakin' time to squeeze in a quick visit with her. Poop.

I do have a rather delicious lunch waiting for me: homemade chicken salad, (with apples, celery and almonds), in a healthy whole wheat wrap, with sliced grape tomatoes, cucumber, and red onions dressed in olive oil and balasmic vinegar on the side. Plus, carrots and snap peas to munch on later, and a lovely peach. Oh...and a one point Weight Watchers chocolate snack cake. This is all good stuff. Oh..and the restaurant where the dinner is being held this evening is a decent one, so I am likely to get a decent dinner out of the deal, and maybe even a glass of wine. Enjoyed without any whining around me. These things are good.

I just had to buy a bunch of new clothes, because, at the moment, I don't fit in any of the ones I have at home. This sucks. I have NO ONE to blame but myself, and my own compulusion to fill my mouth with sweets when stressed. OH..and reading, instead of exercising. FEH. And double FEH. Finding God has been good for my soul, but bad for my waistline.

I have got to prep for the class I am teaching. I am not doing this. Class starts 7/2. I think I should get on that shit.

I'm hungry. This is all I got for now.

Ass + hat = ASSHAT!!

Maybe the hot male servers could wear this over a thong?


(Although, I do wonder why he sniffing his own armpit!)

Sen. Clinton: Faith got me through marital strife

Hat tip to Shakesville.

Kathy over there laments the good old days when candidates didn't need to publicly proclaim their love for the Lord.

Whatever happened to separation of church and state?

Oh, yeah. Jerry Fallwell.

Experts cast doubt on credibility of JFK terror plot.

Do you think Dubya's Wagging the Dog?

Weekend was busy. I can barely remember why, but it was. Saturday we ran errands (Rusty the Gray cat was in need of his yearly checkup), Jake had Sylvan, I had to try on a boatload of clothes I ordered (knowing full well I wouldn't be keeping them all), and boxing up the returns, doing laundry, and various other odd chores. Then the kids ended up in the pool, and we ended up eating with my next door neighbors - he made us Italian sausage on the grill - YUM. Enjoyed a few Corona's and shuffled home.

Sunday: Day of atonement for beers and sausage sandwiches. Got up and did 50 mins of weights and aerobics. The health bus has left the station. Went to church, went to 2 hour Christian Ed Director search committee meeting (with kids flying around Disciples Hall, AAAH!), headed home.

It began to rain miserably. Decided that pizza for dinner, and a movie were on tap. Did the mad dash to get food for the guinea pig (he needs fresh veggies, you know!), pick up pizzas, ate with my neighbor and her son, load all of us into the mom-van, and head off to see Shrek.

When we get to the theater, the electricity is out - which is weird. It comes back on, they sell us a ticket, we proceed to see Shrek 3. Greatly enjoying Shrek 3 - with our smuggled in Twizzlers and Hershey bars, when....BLAM. The electricity goes out again. Apparently there was a fire (yes a FIRE!) in a connecting restaurant, so we all had to evacuate. Well, after we waited on line to get a voucher to see the movie again. So, after a mere 50 minutes in the theater, we shuffled off home, in the pouring rain, not knowing how Shrek 3 ends. Bummer.

For the summer, I'm going to try working a bit later during the week, so I can take advantage of a 4 day work week we are offered. I'm not sure it's going to work out, but I'll try it. Yesterday, I had off, and ran around like a nut! Grocery shopping, banking, following up on Rite 13 rehearsal dinner invitations, visit to the parish office and the post office in the pouring rain. Home to unpack groceries, run the dishwasher twice, clean out the fridge, pick up in my daughter's room, take out the garbage, and arrange dinner. Off to bring Jenna to gymnastics, ran banking errand, got gas for the mom-van, and headed home to cook. Made kids pizza and salad (again) and made shrimp stir fry for me and Evan - delish.

Didn't even get to clean up (mess is still sitting there at home waiting for me),when it was time for online EfM. Supervise Jenna's bath while EfMing - try to prod Jake to do his homework (rassin'frassin' husband was "helping" my neighbor drink bee...erm, fix his pool pump) and supervised bedtime rituals - chased kids off to bed by 9pm.

10pm - Fell out. Tried to read some Ezekiel, and failed. Waaaay tooo tired.

That was NOT a relaxing day off. And I didn't accomplish even a quarter of what was on my list to do! lol

Some Coffee stands get steamier

I've heard of boobs and beer, but boobs and coffee?

THIRTY LINES TO MAKE YOU SMILE


1. My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God and I didn't.

2. I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.

3. I Work Hard Because Millions On Welfare Depend on Me!

4. Some people are alive only because it's illegal to kill them.

5. I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

6. Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.

7. You're just jealous because the voices only talk to me

8. Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

9. Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.

10. I'm not a complete idiot -- Some parts are missing.

11. Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.

12. NyQuil, the stuffy, sneezy, why-the-heck-is-the-room-spinning medicine.

13. God must love stupid people; He made so many.

14. The gene pool could use a little chlorine.

15. Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.

16. Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?

17. Being "over the hill" is much better than being under it!

18. Wrinkled Was Not One of the Things I Wanted to Be When I Grew up.

19. Procrastinate Now!

20. I Have a Degree in Liberal Arts; Do You Want Fries With That?

21. A hangover is the wrath of grapes.

22. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance

23. Stupidity is not a handicap. Park elsewhere!

24.They call it PMS because Mad Cow Disease was already taken.

25. He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless dead.

26. A picture is worth a thousand words, but it uses up three thousand times the memory.

27. Ham and eggs. A day's work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig.

28. The trouble with life is there's no background music.

29. The original point and click interface was a Smith and Wesson.

30. I smile because I don't know what the hell is going on.