Hodgepodge is Never a Chore!

Yea!  It's our Wednesday meeting place - Sally's blog for some fun Hodgepodgey-ness!

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 think we lost a lot of our naivete' on 9/11.  I think we all lived in a false sense of security, that no one would ever dream of attacking America in such a horrific way on our soil.  And I remember being oh, so scared, for the first time ever, visions of war-ridden countries going through my mind with soldiers wandering the streets to protect us.  And of course, being a military wife, the knowledge of an impending war became very very personal.

A lot has changed since then - air travel is no longer the semi-enjoyable experience it used to be, now that it consists of pat-downs, shoe removal, 3 oz bottles, not being able to take tweezers or a nail file in your carry-on, and paying for the luxury of having (imagine!) luggage.  OK, so I know that last one has nothing to do with the events of 9/11... I"m just saying it is ridiculous.

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

Hmmm... don't know that I can answer this one too honestly, since my mom reads my blog!  Suffice it to say that yes, when I was a child, I thought they were strict.  In hindsight, there were definitely things they were too strict on, but I understand why (mostly).  The biggest deal is, when you have boundaries for your kids, it is not just important to set the rules, but to explain why you are setting those limits.  Inconsistency is the worst.

3. Share one random but candid fact about yourself.

A candid fact?  ummm... when i was in college, my friend Christa and I had a housecleaning business called "The Scrubbing Bubbles"  and when we went to clean together, we would call each other "Consuela" and "Maria" which yes, I know is HORRIBLY stereotypical and racial and I really am ashamed of ourselves.  BUT... I hired new cleaners to help me out while hubs is gone, and when she introduced herself and her partner, she said her name is Maria, and it was ALL I COULD DO to not ask if I could call her partner "Consuela!"  But I figured they already probably thought I had a few screws loose since I chuckled when she introduced herself!

Another random antecdote, just for fun:

During one summer in college I went on a mission trip to Guatemala, and my brother went with the Boy Scouts to the National Jamboree in England.  My mother once got two calls the same night - my brother had just seen a Broadway play in downtown London, and I had spent the night seeking shelter from a monsoon in an aluminum chicken coop.  I can only imagine her sense of bewilderment.

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

Simply complicated? :-)  Ummm... I don't think I am complicated, I have a pretty objective view of things and I enjoy finding the humor in everyday situations.  My motto is "God is good... Life is good... and even when it's not, it will be eventually... because God is good!"  Pretty simple and non-complicated!

5. What is your favorite stadium or carnival food?

Fat and calorie counts aside... and never mind the indigestion that would surely follow such a meal...  Brats on a white bun, churros, and a cold imported draft beer...yum! 

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

I actually have been through all three of these - I grew up in southern California and had my first major earthquake while I was walking to school when I was 14.  Scary!!  You have no idea how psychologically startling it is to feel the earth move beneath your feet... it's supposed to be SOLID and STAY STILL!  Definitely scary!

When we were stationed in Mississippi we had a tornado go through our town.  My eldest C and I were trapped in a McDonalds bathroom for several hours, and what normally took 5 minutes took us an hour to get back home on base.  I had never seen the sky turn green or felt electricity in the air before.  Huge trees smashed through an entire subdivision, literally chopping homes in half.  I had never seen anything like it before, nor had I ever thought about the layout of my house and had to figure out which room was the most enclosed.  

Then, being stationed in Florida twice and in North Carolina, we definitely had our share of hurricanes.  (And the tornados that come with them)  And while they certainly aren't fun, at least you have plenty of warning to get out.  I think the scariest of these three is the earthquakes, simply because you have absolutely no warning whatsoever.  And, like I said... the earth is NOT supposed to move!  But it does.  

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?

Yes, we always had chores to do on Saturday mornings, and we were not paid.  Never got an allowance as a kid.  With our own children, we have a chore chart that works quite well in the summer when everyone is home and not quite so busy.  During the school year, it's a bit harder, not quite as organized, but the kids are pretty good about realizing we all need to work together and help out with dishes, putting laundry away, etc.  (Just last night, my eldest could see that I had had a really long, rough day, and he pulled the other two kids aside and said 'Hey, lets help mom out and straighten up the house!'  They weren't so enthusiastic, I'll admit, but I appreciated his attempt!)  They do get an allowance if they do the chores they are asked to do without fighting.  

8. Insert your own random thought here.

The quest for a new car is almost done!  Oy... what an ordeal.  Played dealer against dealer to get a better deal, and then spent 3 hours at said dealership yesterday trying to get the price back down to what I considered reasonable.  Lets just say, I was ready for a stiff drink by 2 pm yesterday!  (no worries, I didn't give in...)  But oh my, with hubs still deployed, I was the only one playing hardball, and I missed him so. much. Because you know, we just balance each other out... he calms me down, I get stubborn and fight for what I think is right... we just work!  But a huge HUGE shout out to my gal Holly, who was my texting vixen yesterday as I was negotiating... telling me to stand strong, to give in on some things, and eating Oreos in my honor!  Love ya girl!!!

All that, to come home and find that I could not find ANYWHERE the Power of Attorney hubs left for me before he deployed... which means that I can't sign his  name on the loan papers... and since I don't get paid monetarily in this job as professional C.E.O of this household... he's my sugar daddy!  :-)  SO... off went the frantic emails to Afghanistan, asking him to please get me a new POA ASAP otherwise I am SOL and all other sorts of acronyms.  Looks like he'll be able to get that for me tomorrow (Imagine that, he has to go fight a war or something today... :-)    But anyway... I will say, i love that we are able to communicate via Skype and email... we are so blessed... 

have a blessed holiday weekend, all!