Fun Monday Quirks

Lisa's Chaos is this week's hostess for Fun Monday, and did I miss something here? I know I've been a negligent blogger, but did you notice that stuff has changed A LOT at her place? I could have SWORN there was some black/pink fontage going on over there...and yet...today...white and green...

Smack me.

Well, she wants to know about our quirks, and I've got enough blog material right there that I should be ashamed about posting so infrequently.

1. I whistle Christmas songs and military songs all year, especially at work. Why military songs? Well, I got hooked on them in college when watching the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band march and play. I know, Band Geek.

2. I absolutely cannot leave the volume level of the television on an odd number, unless it is a multiple of 5. JUST. CAN'T. It must be 12, not 11. It mustn't stay on 23, but at least be 24. I could handle 25, but that would probably be too loud.

3. I listen to new music every week, and when I find that song? OMG...I will drive anyone within listening distance of my vehicle absolutely BONKERS by playing that thing ad nauseum, at ear-splitting decibels. (I don't care about my ears - they were split years ago.) I know the locals think my daughter and I are psychotic from the way we sing and thump around town like a couple of heathens in my car. But every week, there will be a song or two we are junkies for. This weekend? It was Robyn:
Now, go to Lisa's pyschedelic place and check out the other Fun Mondayers!

Back from LA

So, I made it back from LA in one piece...though I'm not sure LA will be the same without me.

The worst part of the trip? The possibility of not getting out of Little Rock on time. We were all on the plane, ready to fly to Memphis, when the pilot mentioned a wee problem. Some light was on that shouldn't be on - a malfunction of sorts. We were already on the tarmac, so I figured someone could hit a button, get rid of the annoyance and we would be on our way. No such luck.

After idling for a while, we were sent back to the gate, b/c evidently this is a SPECIAL LIGHT that only the GROUND CREW can fix. Too bad they took away our hammers during the security screening, or I would have saved ground crew the trouble.

Those with connecting flights (yes, that's us) were told we might want to exit the aircraft. After dealing with a few people at the terminal who were NOT so gracious about rebooking our flight and/or getting us to LAX, I was about to lose it. Finally, we are back on the plane, with no way to make our connection from Memphis to LA. Can you believe that they couldn't even book a flight out of DFW to LAX? Not after 6PM? Yeah - they were just wielding their power. Luckily, the airline held our connection, since there were 14 of us they didn't want to buy hotels rooms for that night...and we made it to LAX, albeit a tad late.

It didn't matter to me at that point, b/c after our ordeal in Little Rock and we were FINALLY on a plane to LAX, I found some in flight therapy:

Yeah, that's four drinks. You know, the planes are LONG, and who knows when the flight attendant might be able to return with that magical cart of beverages? It could be an hour or more, and I was NOT going to run out of therapy.

One day, we made our way to Santa Monica Pier, and just HAPPENED to wander onto a movie set...and just HAPPENED to see Eddie Murphy:In all my trips to Southern California, I've NEVER been that close to a celebrity. I could have TOUCHED the man, if I had wanted to be escorted out of the area in handcuffs.

Oh, and yes, I got to hold hands with Matt Damon:And as an added bonus, I took a train from downtown LA to Laguna Beach to see my mom and dad on Father's Day:I'll have more to tell about my adventures in coming days...but now, I gotta catch up on work and REST!

LA Twitters

Well, the Tigger is headed to the West Coast - wish me luck as I join the rest of the crazies! At least I'll feel right at home. I know I have been a bad blogger, and one of my Mid-Year Resolutions is to start blogging more regularly. However, I CAN'T blog while in LA! There is a solution, for those who need their Tigger Fix, and that is TWITTER. See that in the sidebar? Yeah, instant updates. I plan to Twitter the entire time I'm on this trip. I'm traveling with five other women, one of whom has NEVER FLOWN BEFORE. And she's older than me - can you believe it? Should make for some GREAT Twitters!

So...if you miss me, check the sidebar, and I'll be twittering away while I'm gone. Feel free to run amuk in the comments, and respond to my twitters.

Off to LA, and Laguna Beach!

Fun Monday Memories - A Little Late!

Once again, I'm a bad Tigger/Blogger. I just can't seem to get on this computer, and then when I do? It's all about WORK! Plus, I'm getting ready for a trip, so my life is in overdrive. Molly was kind enough to host this week's Fun Monday, and she wanted to know about our fondest childhood memories.

I wish I could narrow it down to just one thing, but I can tell you that my relationship with my mother was very special. We have the same sick sense of humor - which was bad enough when I was growing up that my father had to relocate to the living room during dinnertime. We would get a fit of giggles and start talking about gross stuff at the dinner table, driving my father away.I also have fond memories of "Ugly Shopping," where we would try to find the most hideous piece of clothing (VERY easy during the '80s) during a shopping excursion. Then we would laugh hysterically as other shoppers would ooh and aah over the same monstrosity. I also remember learning to drive with my mom in the car. In particular, there was an incident during a Houston rainstorm where I was behind the wheel, and Mom was my passenger. I couldn't see a thing with the rain pounding down so heavily, so I took my hands off the steering wheel and closed my eyes. My mother screamed at me until I regained my senses - probably fearing for her life! How she survived raising me, I'll never know!

I grew up in a stable home, which is so rare nowadays...and for that, I'm SO grateful. I look around at my daughter's friends who struggle with the challenges brought on by divorce, remarriage, and so many other problems - and I realize just how blessed she and I are to have grown up in this way.

Now go check out all the childhood memories - and happy Fun Monday! OH...and I WILL be commenting back to all of you soon - by tomorrow, at the latest. Thanks for your patience!

Fun Monday Talents

Karisma is this week's hostess for Fun Monday, and she wanted to see what we make with our hands! Well, my main "craft" in the last few years has been making Victorian Christmas ornaments. This one is from a kit, and it is the prettiest one I think I have ever made. It even won a blue ribbon in our local county fair: This is one I designed on my own - not quite as fancy, but all those pins and sequins are a real pain to get just right:Another talent I have is drawing with pastels. I haven't done it in a very long time, but I am very proud of this piece. It is the Texas A&M Mascot, Reveille:Oh, and does making kick-ass margaritas count for something?Now go check out how talented our Fun Monday participants are!