Just Another Quick Question

Retirement

2008-04-04T14:30:00.002-05:00

I'm going into retirement. Well, not me per say... This blog is. I've been so insanely busy, etc. Maybe I'll come back to it in a few months (years?).

I'm in the midst of trying to apply at different schools, which then means moving, and all the stuff that goes w/ that. I'm working 2 jobs: teaching full time and then retail part time. Plus all in there, trying to have some kind of social life.

Well, I just wanted to give JAQQ2 a semi-official end... well, more like hiatus.

Toodles for now.

Roses are red...

2008-02-14T08:53:00.003-05:00

Valentine's Day. That time of year when you are either:
a) intoxicated by the love of your life
b) wishing you had a different love of your life
c) desperately single and wanting a love of your life
d) livid by the whole idea of needing a love of your life

And of course, if you do have someone to share this special holiday with, what are you expecting from them? you know, even though you may not admit it, exactly what you want as a present. and if that significant other doesnt get it for you or gets something different, theyre in the doghouse.

so, what's your preference of v-day gifts?
1) it better be chocolate! i'm so sweet, and he/she should know it!
2) anything but chocolate... does he/she think i'm so fat that i just want food?
3) flowers. and they better be roses. beautiful roses, and lots of them. i'm worth the $$$
4) just a nice card. something from the heart. maybe a self-written poem...
5) dinner out. no distractions, just us enjoying champagne and a very elaborate meal.

for those single ones out there [just like abigail], think back to your last relationship that occured over v-day. either that or use your imagination.

Crystal Ball

2008-01-27T14:54:00.000-05:00

I find myself in the midst of great confusion. I have no clue what I'm going to be doing in 6 months. I'll be leaving the school I'm teaching at now, moving out of my apartment, and I have no clue where I'll be going. It's really frustrating. I don't know if I'll be moving in with my parents, moving out on my own in Delaware or some other part of PA. No clue. I hate not knowing things!

I kind of wish I had a crystal ball and could find out what's going to be happening. Though, I guess I should view it all as a growing and stretching experience.

So my question I'll pose to you is this: Would you really want to know your future, or do you like the not-knowing bit?

Gimme the Veggies

2008-01-22T16:13:00.000-05:00

So, I've decided to go meatless. Starting today, I am a vegetarian. The past week was a sort of trial period. Ease myself into it. I'm now a no-meat kind of girl.

Well, at least for a month. My one friend has recently gone vegan. She's been trying to talk me into it. For health reasons, not anti-cruelty-to-animals reasons. So I finally decided hey- why not give it a try. So for the next month I'm going to see 1) if I CAN do it, and 2) if it seems worth it. I'm not going to be hardcore vegan- w/ the whole no milk, eggs, etc. I'm still doing dairy, and fish once in a rare while.

We'll see!

Double O... 8?

2008-01-14T07:18:00.000-05:00

If you could give yourself a secret code name,

what would it be?

Let It Snow!

2008-01-10T10:32:00.000-05:00

What's your favorite winter snow activity?

I know it's short, but hey- at least it's something! The first question from me in months!

A little bird told me...

2008-01-09T08:50:00.000-05:00

You have your favorite cup of coffee [or tea or hot chocolate or whatever you prefer] and are so at peace while sipping away at it. You step outside to quick check the mail, carrying your mug with you. Sure, its getting a little cold but you just can't seem to part with it.

ALL OF A SUDDEN... PLOP!!!

Your coffee splashes over onto your hand. [ouch, its hot!] You look in the mug to see what the problem is, only to discover that some BIRD POOPED and it landed in your cup.

Your blessed drink is ruined! What do you do?

A. Fall to your knees in a weeping mess
B. Track down the bird and throw the scalding hot drink on it
C. Drink it anyway; a little doo-doo never hurt anyone
D. Resign yourself to the fact and just make another cup

Quick 'n Easy

2008-01-07T19:11:00.000-05:00

So, nowadays, things are made to be simple. Sometimes, the simpleness of it actually can make the thing itself less simple. Automatic this, automatic that. You know what I'm talking about!

Setting: Public bathroom.
Items: Automatic sink, flush, soap, paper towels.

What's next people?!

Share with me your true feelings about these things. Good, bad, or ok?

Where have we been?

2008-01-06T17:36:00.001-05:00

Abby has left the blogger world. She's gone, adios!
I've been busy over at Adventures of Mommyhood.

So, dear readers, what have you been up to?

***UPDATE***

This is Abby. I've come to yell at... I mean "correct"... my sister. I have NOT left the blogger world.

The problem is that I have three blogs. Two of them are vital, one is for fun. I just left the fun one slip.

I have a classroom blog that I keep for my students and their families. I post what we're learning, pictures, activities, anouncements, etc. That takes A LOT of time, and needs to be done. I also created a blog that works as an on-line portfolio. I'm in the process of applying to different schools (I'll explain why at a later date). So I spent a lot of time getting this on-line portfolio done. It is now finished. YAY! Now all I have to do is get a job :-)

So I let JAQQ2 slip. Sorry. I really am. Becky's overhauling the template. Maybe her effort will motivate me some.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T11:19:00.000-05:00

What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Playing Dress-Up

2007-10-28T15:20:00.000-05:00

Plain and simple question for today--

What do you want to be for Halloween.

Regardless of whether you "do" halloween or not. Maybe you think its "evil," stupid, or you just dont participate... What would you dress up as for a night? The SKY'S THE LIMIT! (well... almost.)

Think, think, think...

As for me, i would want to be the Chiquita Banana girl. I'd get to wear a cool blue dress with golden trim. Big hoop earrings. And a basket of fruit on my head! How cool is that?!?!?!

Trick-or-Treat... Give me something good to eat!

2007-10-17T23:15:00.000-05:00

Ok, imagine yourself as a 13 yr old, prone to mischief, and are out trick-or-treating.

You go door to door, ringing the bells and shouting "Trick or Treat!" and the nice home-owners give you gobs of candy. Yum, yum... a sugar high for the next month!

You come upon a house, ring the doorbell, and no one answers. The car is in the driveway, the inside lights are on, so you KNOW someone is home. You ring again. You ring again. You ring again.

Finally, some one comes storming to the door and grunts to you: "No candy here! Go away!!" Then, he slams the door at you.

Well... it IS trick-or-treat night. And technically, if someone doesn't give you a treat, you have the right to trick them... right?

What big-time prank are you gonna pull on them? How will you get your revenge???

[A quick word: This is just to be silly. I'm sure that we are all moral people out there who would NEVER dare to pull a big-time prank on someone who doesn't share an awe of Halloween. Nonetheless, be creative!]

Depressed and Excited

2007-10-15T21:40:00.000-05:00

I'm depressed...

Ok, not really depressed. More like bummed. I miss my kiddies from last year. They were so good! The perfect class! This year, I have more DP kids than I can handle (DP: discipline problem). Out of 17, a whoppin' 10 are DP's. I feel so bad for the 7 well-behaved kids. They aren't getting the education they're paying for b/c I have to spend all day handling these other kids. Oof!

And my car is sick! Blaah. Something's wrong with the transmission. I'm taking it in to the car doctor tomorrow. I'm scared... it's going to be pricey I fear.

I'm also bummed b/c I've resigned myself to the fact that my Crush doesn't like me back (or at least, I'm pretty sure he doesn't). But I'll be going down to DE this upcoming weekend to see my bro and family. I'll see him then... I need to wear a cute outfit to church.

Did I mention before that this is my last year at my school I've been w/ the past 3 years? Well, it is. I just can't survive on the pittely salary. Private schools pay crap. As much as I love the school, I just can't afford to stay. For example, look at my car problems. As it is now, my parents are most likely going to be paying all the bills for whatever is wrong. I just don't have the money! I'm broke poor. So I'm moving on to public schools. Starting salaries at public schools are, on average, $10,ooo more than what I'm making now. I'm not trying to be materialistic... I'm just trying to survive!

So I'll be applying all over eastern PA, as well as Delaware. My sister-in-law is trying to talk me into moving down there. I'm seriously thinking about it. And no, it's not because of Crush. I have friends down there. And if I'm going to be moving to somewhere new, why not to where I know people already? (I really hope Crush doesn't know about this blog. I can't see how he would, but if he does, and sees this, I'm going to be majorly embarrassed!)

I'm excited about the possibilities. Though it also scares me. If I get another grade, I'll miss Kindergarten... Though right now, I feel like shouting, "I never want to see another 5-year old again!" Oi- they are so naughty this year! Looking back, it's actually kind of funny the things they think they can do! But in the middle of a math lesson, I don't see the humor in it.

Well, that's just a quick, brief update. Life is so crazy. I miss blogging, but I have zero spare time. My bedroom looks like it threw-up all over itself. Such a mess! I can't see my floor! Just no time. Right now, I should be grading papers. I feel totally unmotivated.

If anything exciting happens this weekend, I'll let yall know!

Battle Wounds

2007-10-04T23:56:00.000-05:00

My husband likes to call his scars, scrapes, and bruises "battle scars." I guess its a male-thing, trying to make it sound macho.

So, what battle scars do you have? What's their story?

I'll share two:

1) I have a cut/scrape on my arm, just slightly under my elbow. The scar has been there for more than 6 months, so it couldnt have been a trifle thing.... EXCEPT, it was! So trifle that I don't even remember getting it! I have no idea where it came from. I just looked down one morning and saw it. Crazy

2) I have gray/blue-ish marks on my left knee. When I was a child, I fell on some small rocks and gravel near our driveway. I think that I didn't get all the dirt and gravel out, and the skin healed over it. I remember trying to cut it back open to clean it out, but I was such a wimp that I couldnt do it. Well, it didnt kill me so I guess its okay.

Where did that come from?

2007-09-22T11:24:00.000-05:00

Abigail and I were together with a friend last Sunday. And we were "shooting the breeze."

But what in the world does that mean? Where did that come from? What does shooting the breezey air have to do with talking about this and that???

What are some of your favorite "sayings?"

Hopefully we can get through this 'by the skin of our teeth.'

The Lone Stranger

2007-09-18T08:25:00.000-05:00

The farmer in the dell,

Hi-ho the dairy-o

The farmer in the dell

The farmer takes a wife, the wife takes a dog, the dog takes a cat, the cat takes a mouse, the mouse takes the cheese...

In "The Farmer in the Dell" the cheese stands alone.

Which kind of cheese is it?

*Bonus points if you know what "the dell" is.

Okay, Okay. I know this is lame

2007-09-15T08:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, this question is gonna be very very lame. I'm sitting here with my breakfast and coffee, while my daughter is upstairs with her breakfast and coffee.* And my question is this--

What is your favorite meal of the day?

And-- What would be your ideal foods for that meal?

*Okay, she's not actually drinking coffee.

New & Improved

2007-09-13T23:23:00.000-05:00

Do you like the New&Improved blog template?

I bow down and praise Becky for her job well done. Yes, that's right: BECKY put this together. Isn't she amazing?

So, what do you think? Should we change anything else? Colors, content, designs, etc? We will be adding a new picture of us... for some reason, it hasn't transferred over very well.

[PS: Okay, okay. I, Becky, am signed in under Abigail's screen name. I had to be in order to make all of the changes. So... I'm being a bit prideful in my exclamations. Oh well.]

Smells Like Teen Spirit

2007-09-11T13:15:00.000-05:00

Ah, the joys of Lancaster County, PA!

I'm sure that your knowledge of the place consists of things like Amish, horse and buggies, farms, etc. Well, where I live, there are an abundance of these things.

Unfortunately, that sometimes leads to NASTY smells. Yesterday, Erica and I were driving past a local chicken coup. And its not just a small one, like a single farmer would have, containing maybe just a dozen chickens. I mean, A HUGE ONE! A chicken farm. I try to avoid driving past it; but I had no choice that day.

It was so bad that even Erica covered her nose and cried: "Stinky!" Honestly, it smells like rotting meat. Which is quite an unnerving thought, considering most people actually eat those chickens. Ick!

What is the worst thing that YOU have ever smelled?

a. Freshly Fertilized Farmland

b. Mushroom Factory [can you say: Yummy! Cow manure fertilizer just baking in the sun!]

c. A very bad case of B.O.

d. An unclean bathroom [what an understatement!]

e. Other

Just a Quick Update

2007-09-06T23:00:00.000-05:00

When I've said in the past that things have been busy, I don't think I truly knew the meaning of the word! I think I know now!

Jeez, what hasn't happened in the past two weeks?!

I'm still working part-time at a clothing store... but I got promoted to Assistant Manager... at another store. So I need to get to know this new store, and its procedures. I also need to be trained and learn the ins-and-outs of being an Asst.Man. This all started less than a week before my hours at school restarted.

I went back to school at the end of August. I needed to fix my room. The summer cleaning crew (students from the middle school) took everything out of my room to wash the floor, then just threw it all back in there. My poor room looked like it threw-up all over itself! Plus I've been helping out in the other K class, because they still didn't hire a teacher for that room! The K Department Head (my boss) is doing it for now, so I've been helping her get things ready. For almost 2 weeks, I'd go into school at 9 am, work until 4, go to my PT job, then go back to school at 10 pm, and stay until 2 am.

I'm tired just thinking about it.

Today was the first real day of school. I like my kiddies. They don't necessarily like listening, though! But it was just the first day. I'll get them into shape by the end of the month. They're all good kids. I don't know if they'll beat out last year's kids, though. I loved my kiddies last year!

I think the only thing not going on right now in life is romance. I know I mentioned having a crush a while ago... Nothing ever came of it. I'm kind of bummed over it. As much as it would be great if he realized that I'm awesome and would initiate something, I'm not going to sit around waiting, especially for something that likely may never happen. Don't get me wrong- I'd be elated if he actually did like me... but I'm sure he doesn't, so I'm only going to hurt myself by waiting. Too bad... his mommy really loves me (or so I've heard).

Well, I need to go pack. After school tomorrow, I'm heading off to Atlantic City with some friends. Party time!

Good Night!

2007-09-04T23:15:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not wishing you a pleasant evening.

My 'good night' is an example answer of what I will be asking--

What words/phrases* do you use when you are astonished, scared, mad, etc?

Sometimes, when I'm astonished or frustrated, I say "Good Night!" Kinda like saying 'good grief,' but for some reason I say 'night' instead. I picked it up from someone, I'm just not sure who.

Here's another crazy one. "Mahershalalhashbaz!" [Believe it or not, its actually a name. Not used anymore though. And I've possibly mispelled it.] I just love saying that word; its funny.

And yet another, one I'm not quite as proud about-- "Holy Crap!" Now, I ask you: what is holy about fesces? I have no idea. And I'm not sure where that saying came from. But tons of people say it, and it just rubbed off. I'm trying to quit it though before my 2 & 1/2 year old daughter picks up on it.

*If you are one of those who says something that is not suitable for around children, don't post it here. Not that children read this blog... But, we just don't need to hear it [or more accurately, read it]. Answers should not be vulgar, or you'll make me very mad and I'll yell "BLASTED!!!"

What?!?!? Where did that come from?

2007-08-28T18:41:00.001-05:00

I love movies. Especially those that make me go: "Where did that come from?!?"

When I can guess the end to a movie, it just seems like a waste of time to finish watching it. I like total shock; an unsuspected ending.

One that really got me was The Life of David Gale. Great movie; totally shocked me. My silly sister guessed the ending though. Hmph...

But we both were shocked at Secret Window. It was one of those: "Holy crap! What's going on?"

So...

Have you ever been shocked by a movie's ending?

Quikie

2007-08-18T08:15:00.001-05:00

I'm running out the door, but wanted to post a new ? first. So this is gonna be a quikie. Well, a few quikies.

coke or pepsi?
butter or margarine?
plain cheese or supreme pizza?
hamburger or hotdog?
original or rippled chips?
potato or pasta salad?
ranch or italian salad dressing?
TV or internet?

Road Rage

2007-08-15T21:57:00.000-05:00

You're cruisin' along on your way home from work. It was "that kind of day." You know the kind- bad, but not in a horrible way. Not necessarily bad, even. More like BLAH.

So, like I said, you're driving home, looking forward to a nice dinner. Mmmm! Being the good driver that you are, you're driving only 5 mph over the speed limit. Enough to get home a little faster, but not enough to get a ticket.

You look in your rearview mirror, and get a nervous feeling in the pit of your stomache. Someone is tailing you so close that you're afraid they might hit you. Jerks!

How do you react:

A) Drive faster... you don't want him to rear-end you.

B) Stay the same speed... You'll show him that riding your butt isn't gonna change a darn thing!

C) Drive even slower- 5 mph under the speed limit... That'll show him! Tick him off even more! Ha! You laugh an evil laugh, plus you wave at him. So evil!

D) Speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down... Keep him on his toes!

E) Pull over so he can pass you... You don't want to get in an accident. No way, sir.

F) You have no clue what I'm talking about... You would be the one driving 20 over the speed limit, and tailing someone else who you deemed as slow.

Back-to-School

2007-08-09T06:20:00.001-05:00

Okay, so most of us [besides the teachers out there] aren't going back to school. Those back-to-school sales don't do us much good at all-- unless you're looking to buy office supplies. [I just bought a whole punch, notebook, and folder for a cheap price.]

But I will pose the question:

What will you miss the most about summer?

What WON'T you miss about summer?

Road Kill

2007-08-03T06:05:00.000-05:00

Imagine this:

It's late one night... You're driving down some dark, deserted road. Its late... really late. You were headed to a party, but were given bad directions. You had gotten so completely and utterly lost: hence, the dark and deserted road. Needless to say, you never made it to the function. And you're starving. You skipped lunch that afternoon because you knew you'd be stuffing your face full of fantastic food that evening... but now you've missed out on that fancy food!!!

Your mind is racing with these thoughts... your stomach is growling and cramping in hunger.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, a tiny little rodent-like animal jumps out in front of you on the road. Do you...

A. Swerve to miss the animal, subsequently crashing your car into a tree. You suffer severe bodily harm, but at least the animal is okay.

B. Slam on the brakes! You don't stop in time, and your back tire ends up directly on top of the rodent, pinning him to the ground. Your car is covered in guts, but at least you tried.

C. Speed up and laugh to yourself while picturing in your mind the look of terror on its face... Hey, you're tired and grouchy; you need something to cheer you up.

D. Hit him straight on. Then, pull your car over, get out your lighter, and start a fire on the side of the road. Cook the little rodent... you're starving and don't care WHAT it is that you're eating.

[This is meant to be funny-- so have a little humor in your answers.]

We Didn't Start The Fire!

2007-08-01T12:48:00.000-05:00

I swear... we really DIDN'T start that fire! Promise!

I work part-time at a woman's clothing store over the summer, and some nights and weekends during the school year. The store is located at the end of a little strip mall. I love it, cuz there's a Starbucks at the other end... Though my wallet doesn't love it too much!

But I digress. We were working this morning, seemed like a pretty normal day. Well, around 11:30ish, a guy comes in and says in a surprised tone, "You have electricity?" Why wouldn't we? What's this guy been smoking, right?

He told us to go to the store's back door and look outside, which we did. To our surprise, there are three fire trucks, two ambulances, and three cop cars. What in the world?! Here there was an electrical fire two stores down from us!!! We were the only store that, for some reason, actually still had electricity.

They had the situation under control by the time this all had happened. Then they had to survey the damage, and to do that, they had to turn off the electricity for the entire strip mall... FOR SIX HOURS!!! So we then spent six hours working on shipment, tidying the store, etc. in the dark!

It actually was kind of fun. Though, the store did get quite hot near the end there. The best part was our lunch break at Applebee's! Score!

So, question time.

What would you do if this happened to you?

A) Ditch work altogether, and go home.

B) Go home, and come back in when the electricity is up and running.

C) Keep working.

D) Play Hide and Seek in the store.

E) Have Store Olympics, with events like box jumping, speed mopping, relay racing.

F) Something else.

Fizzle

2007-07-30T06:44:00.001-05:00

JAQQ2 seems to be fizzling out some. I'm trying to bully Abby into working more on this. Hmff...

In the meantime, I'm thinking of adding another writer for this blog. Hopefully then we wont have such gaps between posts.

Sorry that things have been lacking!

***UPDATE***

This is Abigail. I know I've been saying it for months, but sorry for the lack of blogging and visiting yal's sites. I dunno. I've been in a funky mood. I LOVE blogging, but I've just been kind of blog-depressed. Does that make sense? Like, I'm not depressed in every aspect of my life... just blogging. I dunno why. I need to just kick my butt into gear.

I'm gonna really, really, really try to be more faithful in blogging. I know I've said that seeral times over the past two or so months. But I really mean it. I'm gonna pull myself out of this funk!

"Harry Potter" - itus

2007-07-26T06:07:00.000-05:00

I've caught the bug. Well, I caught it quite awhile ago. I'm definitely obsessed with Harry Potter. A little while ago, we had a post about him. Well, I'm doing it again, but with a different twist.

Abby and I have been absent for awhile. We've been reading "HP and the Deathly Hallows." Yes, we were 'lame' enough that we went to Barnes and Noble Friday night in order to buy the book once midnight came along, bringing Saturday with it. We got our books at 12:45, went immediately back to her apartment, and began reading. I only got 1 1/2 hours of sleep, from 6:30-8:00.

The odd thing about my love of HP is that I'm really not into other books of that genre. Not wizards and magical creatures. Kinda odd.

Well, this leads me to the question.

What is your favorite genre? If you don't read much, then think about your favorite movies. Romance, comedy, drama, sci-fi? Please do share!

100 Already?

2007-07-19T06:34:00.000-05:00

Yes, this is our 100th post. Well, under JAQQ2. The original JAQQ had quite a few also. But that's besides the point...

Perhaps this question will be difficult to answer... but here it is:

What has been your favorite question so far?

Time for something thought-provoking

2007-07-16T00:03:00.000-05:00

"They can be funny, thought-provoking, and sometimes, just plain pointless."

This is what's written on the top of this blog. Well, we've had funny questions. We've had plain-pointless questions. But has there been a thought-provoking question? (That's one in and of itself.)

So, here we go...What is the greatest lesson you've learned in life? You can be as vague OR as specific as you'd like. (Though, no 500-word essays, please!)

Talk about provoking a thought! (or two!)

Sorry for the lack of updates. Beck and I were on a family vacation. A week at the beach w/ the whole fam- it was awesome!

Tanned and Relaxed

2007-07-15T23:11:00.000-05:00

Ah! I feel relaxed... and I'm looking quite tan! It's marvelous.

I spent all last week at Chincoteague Island with my family: parents, brother and his wife, son (2 yrs) and daughter (10 mo.), and my sister, her husband, and daughter (2 yrs). We go down every other summer and rent a house for a whole week. It was so much fun.

Chincoteague Island is in VA, and next to it is Assoteague Island. Assoteague Is. is a wildlife refuge- it was wild ponies that roam around, and it also has a beach. It's really a nice place for families. We did the whole beach thing (thank you God for tans!). We also went to see some wildlife, an aquarium, national park visitor centers, etc.

Top Right: My nephew and niece. It was so cute- all vacation, they wanted to hold hands and play. Adorable!

Middle Left: My nephew and niece being buried alive!

Bottom Right: My little niece discovering the sand. She loved it!

The answers revealed

2007-07-05T20:03:00.000-05:00

Didnt get many guesses. A bit sad.

here are the answers to the Lancaster County True or False:
[And remember... I didnt really research most of this. Its mainly from my personal knowledge, which can be slightly lacking.]

1) Amish people are really poor. FALSE. many of them make quite a bit of money. think about it: tourists come to the area (though i'm not sure why) and think "real amish people made this! i'm gonna buy it!" quilts are a big seller. the women make them and sell them for a huge price. They also breed horses, and also dogs, and other animals, and people buy them cuz they think they must be good quality. (which they arent necessarily.) and another contributing factor is--

2) The amish dont have to pay taxes. TRUE! okay, if they go out to the store, they pay sales tax. but not like income tax, property tax, local taxes or anything. I'm not really sure why that is. But, its true.

3) If you see a horse and buggy on the road, its an amish person. FALSE. The amish arent the only ones with horse and buggies. The strictest sect of mennonites do also. You can tell the difference b/c amish have gray buggies and old-order mennonites have black ones.

4) They are completely seperated from "the english." FALSE. they shop at walmart. COME ON! how dumb is that. and they go to the mall. and they go lots of other places. the thing that bothers me the most about it is that when they see you, they give you this look of distain. and i think: "you're the one who came here."

5) The PA dutch come from holland. False. A friend in college-- from Texas-- tried to convince me that PA dutch were from Holland. She wouldnt believe me... and I actually am PA Dutch. Though people speak dutch in holland-- the PA dutch originate from germany. they speak a dialect of german-- a lot the same, but with some differences. Though, most people today dont speak it. well, i think the amish/stricter-mennonite do. but besides that, most dont know it. i personally only know a few phrases. (gutenhimmel, and be bishta younga -- i think thats how its spelled.)

6) Red barns were originally painted with animal's blood. TRUE and FALSE. Okay, my husband swore to me that it was really true. So, i believe that once upon a time he heard someone say that. ... But i did some online research today and couldnt find it stated anywhere.

7) Some amish grow tobacco and marijuana. TRUE. not all of them do... Most dont; I dont want to give them a bad wrap with this question. But anyway... i remember this scandal from a few years back. Some amish kids were caught by police for it. But, they werent punished by "law" in any way. the police left the kids to their parents and community to punish. hmmm...

8) The mennonite are the same as the amish. FALSE. They do originate from that same PA dutch background. but, there are so many TYPES of mennonite. Like i said earlier, some even use horse and buggies. i think the only modern things they have are phones and electricity. (i could be wrong on that.)

9) The amish live only in Lancaster County. FALSE. there are some all over the place. Ohio and delaware for example.

10) Lancaster is mainly underdeveloped and farm land. FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE!!!! what you dont know is that Lancaster itself is a city. (ok, not near as big as Philadelphia-- but a city nonetheless.) it has all the problems that cities have: overcrowded, crime, poverty. I've gotten lost in there before. (haha, funny story.) but, many parts of the county are farms... just not all.

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

2007-06-30T19:18:00.000-05:00

[I suppose you could say that I'm cheating. This is a repeat post... but from my other blog: Adventures of Mommyhood. PLEASE, do not look up the answers. That would make me very sad.]

I must preface this by saying-- I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING, and I may make mistakes. I don't feel like doing too much research, so you'll just have to go by what I say.

So, here are some statements about the Amish of Lancaster County, PA. Yes, I live amongst them. Read the questions and then guess if they're true or false:

1) Amish people are really poor
2) The Amish don't have to pay taxes
3) If you see a horse and buggy on the road, its an Amish person
4) They keep COMPLETELY separated from "the English." [what they call non-Amish folk]
5) The Pennsylvania Dutch come from Holland
6) Red barns were originally painted with animal blood
7) Some Amish grow tobacco and marijuana
8) The Mennonites are the same as the Amish
9) Amish live only in Lancaster County
10) Lancaster is underdeveloped and mainly farm land.

Okay, I suppose that is enough for now. Have fun guessing! I'll give the answers later.

Full Moon Rising

2007-06-30T02:43:00.000-05:00

So, I'm wide awake. Have been. Last night and tonight. What's the deal?!

Hmmm... Hmmm... Oh! I got it! FULL MOON!

Deny it as much as you want, but I can say without a doubt that the occurrence of a full moon does something to people. You see it more readily in children.

For instance, one day my kiddies walked into the classroom bouncing off the walls, misbehaving, running around, not listening, arguing, etc. Now, this is not the norm for my kiddies. They are (were?) a great group of kids. Suffice it to say, I was shocked! I turned to my assistant and asked, "Mrs. J., is it a full moon tonight?" to which she replied, "Yes it is. Was last night, too." Ah-ha!

In my two years teaching, I've learned to always cut my kiddies some slack on days around the full moon. I give them a little more leeway than normal. Why punish them for something that really isn't within their full control? There's just something about it that affects people, even during the daytime. I don't know why- it just does.

Did you know that the word "lunatic" stems from the word "lunar," meaning moon? "Crazy" people are crazier during the full moon. Now, I'm not saying I'm "crazy." I'm just saying I'm wide awake, and I think it's the moon. I just hope I can get my sorry butt up in the morning!

Anyways, so a question...

Do you buy into the whole full moon thing? Do you believe it affects people, or am I making it all up? Feel free to share any stories, too.

Per Request

2007-06-28T00:35:00.000-05:00

On our sidebar, we have a "Help Wanted" link. We are open for yall's ideas

for new questions. Here at JAQQ2, we are all about our readers! Go you!

Well, a reader named Jenn has given us a good question idea.

There are SO MANY holidays. I love holidays for many reasons. One, it's a good time to get together w/ family and friends. Two, it usually means good sales at stores! I live to shop! and Three, many of them mean NO SCHOOL!!! Score!

Jenn wanted to know what your favorite holiday is. I'm going to build upon that, and ask why.

For example, I myself love Thanksgiving. Why? Because my WHOLE family gets together, and it ends up being a three or four day celebration. Family + Food = Favorite Holiday. Trust me, the math works. :)

So, how about you?

My MySpace

2007-06-27T23:40:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling guilty. I must confess...

I've gotten into the whole MySpace thing. *Gasp* Not MySpace! Anything but that!

Now, I must first state- it's not nearly as great as Blogger. Bloggerdom is my first and true love. I like the blogging aspect of it (duh!) No, but really. You share info about yourself, interact w/ others. You get to know people.

People don't seem to use the blogging aspect of MySpace (At least not those I've seen). I miss that aspect of it. I've posted a few blog entries on my page though. I couldn't resist.

Feel free to drop by my site. If you want to be MySpace friends too, super! But let me know here first. I don't accept people I don't know, and I don't read emails from people I don't recognize. Not after my virus problem. Just leave me a comment here w/ your MySpace name, so I know to accept you! Or send me a MySpace email w/ something like, "I know you from Blogger" in the title.

My site is MySpace.com/abigail_81.

Controversy!

2007-06-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

Some people live for controversy. Others will do just about anything to stay away from it.

Me? I tend to stay away from discussions that may become heated. I like peace. However, I thought I'd bring up a subject that is very touchy for some.

Harry Potter.

Where do you stand on the whole Harry Potter thing?

1) I LOVE HP! I just can't get enough of it! The books, the movies, all of it!

2) I like the books, but never saw the movies. (Or vice versa)

3) I never really got into the whole thing. It's just not my style.

4) EVIL!!! PURE EVIL!!!

5) Harry who?

Walking in a Winter-- I mean, Summer-- Wonderland

2007-06-22T07:25:00.000-05:00

I should have posted this yesterday. What was I thinking?!?!?!

In honor of the first day of summer, I'd like to ask: What is your favorite thing about summer? Or, do you actually hate summertime?

[I may have asked this previously; I'm having a sudden feeling of de ja vue. Oh well.]

You're so sick!

2007-06-20T12:24:00.000-05:00

Ugh... I want to die. Someone put me out of my misery. PLEASE!

As you can tell, I don't handle illness very gracefully. Even 'the common cold' makes me want to curl up and hide from the world.

Well, I'm a little worse off than a cold right now. I have some sort of stomach bug... Got it from Erica. She was sick Monday. I just wrote it off as what she ate and being in too much heat.

But last night I felt queasy. I fell asleep though and slept fine. I woke up this morning, so excited to go to Delaware to visit my brother's family. I headed downstairs to get Hubby's breakfast together. Put the english muffin in the toaster... And ran to the potty just in time.

I'm miserable. My daughter and I have spent all morning sitting on the couch watching TV. Elmo, Hello Kitty, Bob the Builder... Please don't judge me. I just don't have what it takes to chase her around today.

TO THE QUESTION...

I often think that common illnesses are just awful. Far from 'common' ... b/c they make you totally miserable.

What do you think the worse ailment is?*

*I'm not talking about major things. Not cancer, MS, heart trouble, etc. Just simple things that aren't gonna kill you but make you think you're gonna die!!!

I'm Feelin' A Bit Buggy

2007-06-18T19:40:00.000-05:00

Yes, indeed. I feel buggy for many a reason.

I have a computer bug. I'm pretty sure I got it at MySpace. My roomie and I have both been into the whole MySpace thing. Although I do like Blogger MUCH better, MySpace is still fun. But, I got a virus. So, my computer is at the Doctor's, aka my dad is trying to revive it. Right now, I'm at my sister's place. I'm checkin' my email, blogging, etc. Good times.

But that's just one bug. I've got another.

I've got the "Crush Bug" (sort of like a "Love Bug" but it's just a crush). I mentioned a few posts ago that I had a crush on this guy. I saw him Sunday night. *blush* We talked a bit. Nothing life altering or anything. But at least we talked. My stomache was all in knots. I'm so nervous about the whole guy thing. My mom was there, and she said that he seemed to be smiling quite a bit while we were talking. I'll keep you guys posted if anything else happens. A girl can hope, can't she?!

Anyway, back to my computer issues. It's rough being w/o a computer. I just don't know what to do w/ myself!

Which leads me to the question.

If there was no electricity, what would you do? Cry? No, not like that. What kinds of things would you do? If you couldn't blog, watch tv, listen to a cd or radio, etc. what would you do?

Maybe I'd take up knitting. Hmmm. Just maybe!

What's eating gilbert grape?

2007-06-15T12:48:00.000-05:00

[Okay, so I never saw that movie. But I'm stealing the title for this post...]

Abby will be on a short hiatus for a few days. Unfortunately, some bugs decided to eat away at her computer. Those nasty little viruses succeeded in shutting down the whole comp.

I suppose there are several ways I could take this topic. You can answer any [or all] of the following questions:

1) What's your LEAST favorite insect?

2) What's your MOST favorite insect?

3) Has your computer ever been infested with bugs? [of the computer variety or the real crawling things]

4) Are you faithful in searching your computer for viruses and/or spyware?

Thriller

2007-06-13T13:47:00.000-05:00

I'm insanely excited. My family of 3 is going to Hershey Park on Saturday. It's wonderful; the scent of chocolate just fills the air in Hershey.

But since I'm not a huge "chocolate lover," that's not the main reason for my excitement. I'm looking forward to taking Erica [2 years old] on her first amusement park rides! Of course she won't be going on any huge/scary rides. And unfortunately I won't be either. But I'm still filled with anticipation.

So, when it comes to big amusement parks, what do you prefer?

a. Water rides; you want to show off some skin and/or see some skin of other people!

b. Calm and soothing merry-go-rounds and Ferris Wheels; who wants to puke their guts out in front of strangers?

c. Huge thriller-rides that send you up, down, and inside-out; you like to feel the rush of adrenaline!

d. Handing over a pocket-full of coins in order to play carnival-style games in hopes of winning a huge teddy bear; you want to impress others with your fine skills

For All The Robert Frost Fans

2007-06-11T19:41:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I don't really know if there are any Robert Frost fans out there. I think his poetry is pretty cool, but I wouldn't call myself an avid fan.

Moving on.

I thought of another car question, along the lines of an old post. Towards the end of it, I talked about this one major highway being jammed because of horrible snow problems, and people were stranded in their cars for almost 2 days in the freezing weather. Stinks.

Well, I was driving on the Turnpike to my sister's on Saturday. The opposing lanes had a horrible accident, people were stranded for hours in the horrible stinkin' heat, and humid, too! I felt so bad for them.

So, I was inspired. Would you rather be stranded on the highway for 12 hours in the freezing cold or the stinkin' humid heat?

While you consider your answer, enjoy some poetry by Robert Frost:

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To know that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

Bittersweet

2007-06-08T15:45:00.000-05:00

As far as oxymorons go, I enjoy "bittersweet." It's probably the most commonly used one.

I had a bittersweet day today. It was the last day of school. I'm very sad. :(

Because we are a private school, a lot of families leave after Kindergarten and put their child in a public school. So, for at least half my class, I'll never see them again. Boo-hoo. I kept thinking, "I wish I had one more week w/ them!"

Well, today was BLOODY HOT!!! We had a noon dismissal. The morning was nice. But after noon, my room turned into a sauna. It was horrible! It was hotter in my room than it was outside. 95ish and humid. Gross! I had to hard-core clean my room in that nasty heat.

I just got home (3:30) and I cranked up the Air Conditioner. I want to curl up on top of my bed and sleep for days!

So the sweet part is, there's no more school days in a HOT room. I count my blessings that this was the first real hot day we've had. If school went another week, we'd all be wilting away, and I'd lose my patience w/ them because I'd feel gross, and the end of the year would end on a sad note.

So, it worked out perfectly! Yay! Though, I still will miss my kiddies dearly.

Well, I'm off to the comforts of my bed and pillows. While I'm off snoozing, answer this quick question:

What's your favorite oxymoron?

Ketchup Time

2007-06-05T18:05:00.000-05:00

It's ketchup time! Or more like, "Catch-Up!" When I taught 1st grade, on Fridays I would draw a ketchup bottle on the board, and write inside it the work that we did that week. The kids could have extra recess once they had finished all the "catch-up" work. I know, I know... I'm cute!

So anywho. I had all my parent-teacher conferences. They all went well, save two. So that was good. My little kiddies graduated! We have Kindergarten Graduation the Friday before the last week of school. The kids sang a bunch of really cute songs. It was great! I was proud of them.

So this is my last week of school. I'm excited, but I'm also rather sad. I really like all my kiddies this year. I'll miss them all!

Over Memorial Day weekend, I went to Delaware to visit my brother (Tim), his wife (Rachel), and their two kids (Nathaniel 2 years, Evelyn 8 months). Tim is a Pastor. Every time I go down there on a Sunday, I talk to this rather cute guy in their church (Matt). Very nice, too. But I didn't really let myself crush on him, cuz' he's my brother's parishioner! How wierd would that be?

Well, as I was driving down that Saturday, I was thinking how I really would like seeing him Sunday. I get to Tim's house, go inside, and guess who's there? Matt! I was kind of excited (understatement!). We talked and hung out, played a game. He stayed until 11:30. At one point, I was showing everyone a cool email I'd gotten w/ pics of planets. He asked me to forward it to him, gave me his email addy and all. So I'm thinking, "He can't be that interested in this silly email. Maybe it's a sly way to get my email addy!" Then Sunday I saw him again, and we talked some more.

I talked to Rachel about it all, and she said go for it. So I waited a few days. Then I emailed him. It was just a short email about having fun hanging out, and we should do it again. He emailed me back the next day, and said that would be cool, maybe we could all watch a movie and hang out next time I'm in Delaware.

So I'm thinking he's possibly feeling the same way.

Nope.

He talked to Rachel the day after that. He's had a thing for this one girl for like 3 years or something. But 2 or so years ago, she moved to Japan to teach English. She's not coming back anytime soon, and she's just interested in friendship. But he said to Rach that he's not sure he's ready to give up on the hope she'd change her mind. He also said, though, that he did enjoy hanging out w/ me, and would like to continue, just in a friendship way.

Sigh.

Oh well. That's my life. Didn't ya know the "S" in "Abigail S" stands for "Single?"

So, what to do?

Unusual Beauty

2007-06-04T06:17:00.000-05:00

Many people will think I'm extremely odd...

I like nature. It's so beautiful, calming, relaxing. Even under my JAQQ Profile, I've listed a scene of nature as my favorite under my Visual DNA.

But for some reason, I find Highways beautiful. Not really the highway... but when several of them converge and they pass under and over eachother. Whenever I drive thru a section like that, I can't help but think how beautiful it is.

So, here's the question:

What is your unusual beauty?

What do you find beautiful that other people would think: What?

I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys 'R Us kid

2007-06-01T07:04:00.001-05:00

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you "grew up?"

Come on, admit it... you probably had some crazy ideas. At one point, I wanted to be a clothing designer. Yeah right, like that was realistic! Then, I thought about being a nurse... But I get queasy when I see other people all gashed and bleeding. For awhile I considered being a librarian... though while working in the library at college, I realized that it was the worst thing ever! [I don't like cataloguing.]

I always thought I'd want to be a wife and mommy. Well, I'm a mommy now. Yeah. But I'd still like to have a career someday. Hmm... what should I be when I grow up?

I Just Don't Get It

2007-05-25T23:59:00.000-05:00

Honestly. I just don't get it. I think I never will. Makes no sense.

What am I talking about? I'll tell you what: Racism.

I just don't get it.

So what if someone looks different or has a different culture. Cultures can be completely different. But not in a better/worse way. Just different. Is it that people are scared of people they don't understand or relate to? If so, why?! WHY?!?!

Why do people feel that they are better than others based solely on color and nationality? WHY?! I lived in Georgia for a while. It was HORRIBLE down there. Everywhere you turned you saw it. It was suffocating at times. I worked at a summer camp in Georgia one summer. It was a predominantly Af.Am camper based, at 85% white staffed. The staff people were mean to the Af.Am. campers! C'mon now! Why work at that camp if you a prejudiced a**? The white campers were mean, too. So sad to see a 10 year old being that cruel.

It's not as bad in the North... At least, not as out there in the open. Not as blatant. I feel reluctant saying "not as bad." Maybe it is.

I love the school I teach at. It's 60%, or more, Af. Am. Then there's a large population of Indians (from India, not Native Americans) and Koreans. There are also some white, Hispanic, and misc. kids thrown in there. As far as I see, the 80% white staff is completely accepting of all kids and all cultures. The kids respect each other, the parents do, too. For instance, I had only one white boy, with 6 other boys of a wide array of nationalities: Af.Am, Jamaican, Korean, and Puerto Rican. The kid doesn't even realize he's the only white kid. It doesn't phase him at all. We are constantly having talks about how everyone is unique and different, and they are all equally awesome and wonderful. I want them to realize how important it is to view all people as equals.

My reason for this sudden outburst? ... I was accused of being racist today. I was shocked into complete silence. I had no words to speak. It came out of nowhere, and was completely unfounded. I'm still in shock over it. Especially b/c it came out of someone I never expected it out of. Someone I thought I had a good relationship w/.

After my initial shock, my next feeling was utter anger. But I handled it by saying that I'm sorry that they got that impression, and that that is really far from the truth. In my opinion, I'm one of the least prejudiced people out there.

I must admit that on one hand, I realize that I shouldn't be that upset. Because of the world we live in, I think Af.Am. are used to discrimination. It's very sad. And I think that at times people misconstrue things and see racism where it really isn't. Some people would say that Af.Am. people are "pulling the race card." I think that's hogwash. I think that, like I said, they are used to society putting them down. It's the human instinct to see that negative they've lived w/ for so long.

I think of it kind of like this. As a young teacher, I can tell a lot of people look down on me b/c of my age. They don't view me as a serious educator, and don't accept my reasonings and convictions. I'm so used to it, that someone may say something completely innocent, but I immediately read something negative into the comment. I think it's human nature. Unfortunate, but true.

So I'm trying not to be upset. I'm not so much mad at the person, as I am at society.

I know racism is a touchy subject. I hope no one reads something into this that I don't mean. Hopefully I was coherent enough to relay my true thoughts... But it is late. So who knows. So, if you do read something negative into this, please know it was not meant.

***Side note***
I know I haven't been asking question lately. More like venting! I'll put up some Q's as soon as P-T conferences are over Tuesday.

Thanks!

2007-05-24T20:14:00.001-05:00

When I typed up the previous post, I wasn't sure how it would be received. But I felt I needed to vent.

I'm thankful for yall's understanding and encouragement. It has really reaffirmed me, and I know I need to stick to my guns, so to speak.

I know I keep saying I'm back, yet don't really come back. I apologize for that. Report Cards were due this week- they're handwritten, so it takes A LOT of time. I have Parent-Teacher conferences next Tuesday. I'm stressing about two or three of them. The rest should be fine.

I think as soon as conferences are over, things will really settle down. There are only NINE DAYS of school left! I can't believe it! It went so stinkin' fast! I'm gonna miss all my kiddies. I had a super group this year.

I'll be back into the groove soon. Promise!

Is That Smoke I Smell?

2007-05-20T02:52:00.000-05:00

Liar, liar, pants on fire!

Yup, that's me. I guess I lied in my last post when I said I was back from my hiatus. Life got busy again.

It's the end of the year, so I'm busy writing up Report Cards, super-cleaning the classroom,having conferences w/ parents (more on that to come). Plus I'm working a part-time job nights and weekends. And, I've been on a HUGE reading kick lately. I'm reading everything I can get my hands on.

I will try, try, try to get back into blogging. I apologize for not coming around to yall's sites. :(

Ok, may I vent briefly about school stuff?

I teach Kindergarten. The K of today is NOT the K it used to be when we were kids. When we were kids, it was playtime and learning ABC's. Not today. Thanks to "No Child Left Behind" (don't even get me started on that!) and other things, children are being pushed too much, in my opinion. The need to be reading by the end of K. Most of my kids are at that point, and it is exciting to see. I love it! But a few just aren't ready for that developmentally. They are NOT "stupid." They just aren't where these new standards are saying they should be at. So I need to retain them, and explain to parents that they can't go to 1st grade. To which parents say, "How can my kid fail Kindergarten?!" They aren't realizing the drastic change of K from then to now.

So I'm having a rough time right now.

Now, may I also say: Parents, your child's teacher is NOT out to get you, and does not have a secret vendetta against you! (Or at least... most likely doesn't!) The teacher is just giving his/her professional opinion in hopes to best enable your child to reach his/her full educational potential. I want all my kiddies to succeed in life. And if I allow Betsy Lou-Who into 1st grade when she isn't ready, she will struggle her whole entire education career. She will hate school, and likely be a drop-out. She will definitely not be going to college. I'm not saying all my kiddies need to be rich career people. I just want them to love to learn, to become life-long learners. At the end of 1st or 2nd grades, that teacher may recommend retantion. Let me tell you- it is SO MUCH better to repeat K than an older grade. Kids are not as cruel (or observant) in K.

Now, conversely, if you, parent, attack that teacher's credibility and treat her in a demeaning manner, that will only make her start to have an unfavorable view of your child. I know, it's wrong, but that's reality. I try, try, try not to let that happen to me. I'm pretty much successful w/ that.

Please don't think I'm attacking parents. I'm not. I'm sympathizing that I know K is requiring much more out of kids than maybe it ought. Not all children are ready for that. I'm not saying the child is "dumb." I just want what's best for your child, and I know that there can be a difference between the views of a parent and of a teacher. I try to see it from both sides when I make final decisions.

I, myself, was held back from K. Back then, the cut-off was 5 by January 31st (today it's 5 by Sept. 1st). I was a late October birthday. My mom chose to hold Becky and I back, and to start K when we were a bit more matured. I think it was the best thing my mom could have done. Becky and I were always towards the top of our class. We loved school, it came easier for us than for many others.

Sorry if I offended any parents out there. I'm trying to be honest, yet also describing how I understand and respect the views and opinions of the parents. I want us to work as a team.

So, I guess you're getting a glimpse of what I'm struggling w/ right now. Not fun, let me tell you!

Well, it's near 3 am, and I have to be up for church tomorrow (I'll probably sleep in. Bad me!) ... G'Night!

Ready or Not...

2007-05-10T10:38:00.000-05:00

...Here I come!

Thanks, all, for your sympathies and understanding. I love, love, love being a teacher. But it's so stressful w/ end of the year stuff. It's enough to make one go mad!

I'll try to get around to everyone's blog tonight. If not tonight, then tomorrow.

I'll leave you w/ a quick question. What do you do to unwind after a long, stressful day at work?

(Did I ask this before? I can't quite remember... If so, well, you can answer again! Thanks!)

-OR-

2007-05-06T22:30:00.000-05:00

coke -OR- pepsi

diet-OR-regular

macho movies -OR- dramas [often called 'chick-flicks']

tylenol -OR- advil -OR- ________

radio -OR- CD

books -OR- movies

shoes -OR- barefoot

warm weather -OR- cool weather

chocolate -OR- vanilla

alone -OR- with a group

and any other -OR- that you have a huge preference towards

Life's Many Pains

2007-05-03T21:12:00.000-05:00

Life has so many pains, physical and not. I'm dealing w/ a few right now.

I've been REALLY stressed out lately w/ stuff going on at school. I had this huge anxiety attack at school Tuesday.

Add on top of that an excruciating pain in my lower back. I could hardly stand today at school. So I spent the day teaching sitting down. My kiddies actually did quite well w/ it.

I'm sure yall have noticed I haven't been by blogs lately. I'm really, really sorry about that. I haven't even been posting here. (If you see a post "written" by me lately, it was actually Becky hacking into my account to make it look like I am active. She's even been leaving comments under my name.)

Well, one of the MANY huge things going on was finished tonight, so now I only have 99 more things! I will try, try, try to get back into blogging soon. Hopefully I'll be set by Monday. Please know that I do miss yalls blogs. I love catching up on things. Please forgive me.

I need sleep. I'm so worn out emotionally right now. My kiddies are having free play tomorrow! (Not really, but I wish!) Night!

Hmmm...

2007-05-03T06:41:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here, drinking my coffee, trying to think of a ? for the day. And I'm coming up blank.

So, I would first like to invite you to share your own ?s with us. We have a previous post where you can share ideas.

But, I still need to come up with a question. As Winnie the Pooh would say: "Think, think, think."

A-HA!

Great idea! It just came to me... What cartoon-type character can you relate to the most. Which seems the most like you? I'm not asking "Who is your favorite;" there's a big difference. One of my favorites is Sleeping Beauty... her dress is just so pretty. But I'm nothing like her... except that I like to sleep.

But the one most like me... I would say Eeyore. [He comes to mind b/c I was just thinking about Pooh.] No, I don't lose my tail frequently. I sometimes can be a pessimist. And I like to mope around. Though, he also has lots of compassion for his friends... and I'd like to think that I do too.

So, who do you relate to?

Mmm Mmm Good!

2007-05-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Pay day! What a yummy candy bar!

Oh, wrong kind of pay day! Oops! So, you get your paycheck. All you need to do is take it to the bank and cha-ching! You're rolling in the dough! (And I'm getting hungry!)

Only problem is... You, for some stupid reason, thought it was a great idea to to get a checking account at a bank that is 30 minutes away... Very smart! And going on with your smart tendencies... You let your gas tank go down to just about empty. You'll never make it there w/out filling up. BUT you have no cash on you! Just $3.00 in dimes and quarters in your change purse. AND your checking account is currently at 76 cents. Good Job!

So what do you do?

1) Go to the gas station and buy $3.00 in gas, and get strange looks from the cashier.

2) Pump gas, and drive away w/out paying... Rules are meant to be broken.

3) Beg the cashier to spot you some money... You're a pretty cute girl/guy.

4) Try to make the trip as is... What's life w/out taking risks, right?!

5) Use your Debit card anyway... Maybe it'll work, and you'll just pay the overdrawal fee later.

6) Your own ideas.

The moral of the story is... Get direct deposit. It's so much easier!

(Now... Excuse me while I go in search of some sort of sugary treat!)

Sidebar changes

2007-04-30T08:51:00.000-05:00

What do you think of the new labels: About JAQQ2, About Us, Other links and things

Is it too big? Not good font? Not good colors? Or is it really great?

How much is that doggie in the window?

2007-04-28T08:50:00.000-05:00

So, we're going to the store to get a pet.....

So I peruse all the options.... dog, cat, bird, mouse, snake.... too many stinkin choices!

And then I saw it..... I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

What pet is better than a pet peeve!

Oh, and I could go on and on about my dear pet peeve. Actually, I decided to buy multiple pet peeves. They're just so darn cute! .... Some big, some small. The biggest is a beast of a pet. I named it "Walmart shopping carts."

I absolutely HATE it when lazy people go do their shopping, take their cart full of junk to the car, unload it, and then leave the cart inthe middle of the parking lot! Or worse... half way in the cart-corral ! How lazy can these people be! Like it'd hurt them to take an extra 5 steps to the corral ! Jeepers! So, yes, that is my biggest peeve of a pet. Can I hear a "what-what" ?

If you had to go to a pet store, what kind of peeve would you buy?

Hmmm... too many to pick from!

Up Close and Personal

2007-04-28T08:49:00.000-05:00

You may have realized by now that JAQQ2 is not a personal blog. It doesn't focus on who Becky and I are, or what we do. Every now and then, we'll have a post where we tell a true story, then ask a question. But often, it's just a completely silly, made-up story and question.

We decided to give you all a little more info about who we are and what we are like. Of course, you can always go to our Blogger profiles to learn more. But that's limited in things we can share. So Becky and I, Abigail, each wrote up a post that explains more of who we are. (You can click here, or you can click on our names on the sidebar, under "About Us.")

We each created one of those "Visual DNA" things. Then we wrote up a "My 100 Things" list. Let me tell you... That was difficult! I found that the first 50 were challenging (to say the least). The nest 50 were a bit easier. Then when I was done, I kept thinking of all these other things that I could have mentioned.

I hope you enjoy learning more about us!

LOST

2007-04-27T06:18:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm sure everyone HATES these questions. It's so overdone! But, here we go anyway...

If you were going to be stuck on a remote island, what would your choices be:

-What 1 person would you want to be stuck with?
-What 1 food would you want to have with you?
-What 1 thing would you want to take along? [No, there isn't wireless Internet, so if you take a laptop computer, you still can't blog]

I feel so honored!

2007-04-26T23:54:00.000-05:00

So, I'm up late, working on my class newsletter. (It's a lot of fun... Though depressing, 'cuz I spend hours on it and know that maybe 2 parents actually read it. The rest just throw it away.) Just before turning in for the night, I decided to check in on JAQQ2, read any comments, etc. I got a surprise!

Skittles has written a surprise review of JAQQ2 on a site called Critique My Blog! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside! I even get a cool little button for my sidebar.

I'm tired, and it is dire that I head to bed. (hehe, I rhymed!) You know I'm tired when I get silly/goofy laughing at rhymes I make!

Tomorrow I, or Becky, will post a new question. I'm just too tired to think this moment!

Oh come on! Get sirius!

2007-04-25T10:46:00.000-05:00

[*Yes, the spelling is on purpose]

Okay, this question is a bit more thought-provoking. Not in a sirius* way, but in the fact that this is not a multiple choice question.

Everyone loves music. [Well, almost everyone.] Many of us have favorite songs. But I don't really care about your favorite song today.

What I want to know is... If you could pick an "entrance" song, what would it be? Do you get me? A song that you'd play as you enter a room.

If I actually had a wild and crazy life, I'd probably pick Pink's "Get the Party Started." Or some thinks-he's-so-cool guy may pick Chamillionaire's "Ridin' Dirty."

Unfortunately, my life is pretty boring [by some standards]. Sometimes I think it would be nice to be rescued from the monotony. So, I'll go with Rihanna's "SOS:"

S.O.S. please someone help me.
It's not healthy... for me to feel this way
Y.O.U. are making this hard,
I can't take it, see it don't feel right

Okay, so the concept doesn't fit at all. Well, deal with it! I still think it's great.

DO NOT DISTURB!

2007-04-23T18:00:00.000-05:00

Its just been one of those days. You know what I'm talking about. Work was killer, your boss was a real jerk, the person who works next to you kept talking on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about her latest boyfriend, you missed your lunch break, and traffic was awful and took you twice as long to get home.

A sigh of relief escapes your lips as you enter the house and slouch down on the couch. But you gather together your last reserve of energy in order to make dinner. Not that you want to cook, but you're so hungry b/c you missed lunch.

As you stand up, the phone rings. Hmm... maybe it's a friend wanting to share the latest gossip. You pick up, and to your disgruntlement its a tape-recorded message from some stupid company. Grrr. You hang up with a grunt.

Trudge to the refrigerator. Scan what's inside. Maybe some leftover pasta...

RING RING

With another deep grunt, you trudge once again to the phone. You pick up. Someone asks: "Hello, is this Mr [or Mrs or Miss] _______?" You are so annoyed. If they can't pronounce your last name, they obviously don't deserve your time. You're not gonna buy what they are trying to sell. Slam down the phone.

Once again you return to your fridge. You pull out the leftovers and then sulk over to the microwave. Just as you are about to press "START," the phone rings again. It's another telemarketer.

What will you do?

A. Pretend like you're going to buy their product just to play a cruel joke back at them
B. Use some vocabulary that a 2 year old should not hear
C. Without hanging up, slam the phone onto the counter so that they hear the loud THUMPing.
D. Scream on and on until they hang up on you
E. Throw away your phone and never make a phone call again.

[FYI-- the US now has a National Do-Not-Call list. Just dial 1-888-382-1222 in order to put your phone number on the list. After a few weeks, you should stop getting telemarketing calls. And if they DO call, you can report them and get them in trouble. How wonderful is that?!?]

Dinner and a Movie

2007-04-22T17:55:00.000-05:00

So you're on a blind date. You go to dinner... talk about awkward! During dinner, he goes on and on about himself. You can't get a word in edgewise. Plus, he looks kind of creepy! In your mind, you call him "Creepy Guy." You just want to get away from this horrible date!

But sadly, you are obligated to also go to a movie. You show up to the theater. All the movies have already started. Well,... all but one. It's an R rated movie full of sex and such things. That's all you need, right? Watching raunchy nastiness with Creepy Guy. Ewww!

So, do you:

A. Buy tickets for the G rated show that started 20 minutes ago. Tell Creepy Guy, "The beginning is always unimportant anyways."

B. Buy tickets to the next G movie, which doesn't start for 45 minutes. While you wait, go grab some coffee at the nearby Starbucks. Prolong the date even longer... But, hey, caffeine can help any situation.

C. Just go see the nasty movie. Close your eyes, and pretend you're in a happy place.

D. Lie and say, "I've seen that already. It's dumb." Then ask Creepy Guy if he could just take you home.

E. Something original

If you're a guy... then just reverse the scenario. She can be "Crazy-Girl-With-Stalker-Like-Tendencies."

One Last Winter Post

2007-04-21T00:05:00.000-05:00

Let's travel back in time to the good old days of high school! Ah, the memories.... Ok, enough of that.

Wednesday night, the weather man announces that there will be a HUGE snow storm that night. There can be up to 2 feet of snow. So, you decide to skip writing your 10 page research paper (which should have been started last week) and stay up all night watching the "Scream" trilogy.

Out of habit, you wake up at 6:30. It's still dark outside. You creep to the window to look out because you always love the way the moonlight reflects off of newly fallen snow....

OH, CRAP!

There is not a flake of snow on the ground! Oh, boy, are you in trouble!

So what do you do?

I) Lock the bedroom door, pull the sheets over your head, and ignore your mom when she starts pounding on the door.

II) Kneel on the floor by the bed, and pray that God will send a huge storm that will drop 4 feet of snow in the next 10 minutes!

III) Go to school, and tell your teacher your dog ate your research paper.

IV) Run away.

V) Create your own plan.

(I just HAD to get in one more winter post before it gets so hot that we wither and fade away into nothingness. The weatherman is saying it'll be in the 80's this weekend! But, as this post points out, he very well may be wrong!)

Gimme That Sub Now!

2007-04-19T22:50:00.000-05:00

Everyone craves different things. It could be chocolate, ice cream, tacos, fries... Practically anything. I lived w/ my cousin my Sr. year in college. She was pregnant during the first semester. Her big craving was Pizza Rolls. Just about every night, she'd send Hubby out to buy more. We ALL gained weight over those months.

Me? ... I crave hot foods. Something of substance. I don't want that chocolate. Give me a meatball sub or hamburger, and I'm in heaven. Every once in a while I'll crave Taco Bell. Good stuff! I try to stick to my diet, but it's hard staying away from those things at times. I give in to it every so often. Ah well... You only live once.

What do you crave? Do you give in to those cravings?

Cry Baby

2007-04-18T21:05:00.000-05:00

Call me a complete girl, but I love movies that make me cry!

No, not chick flicks. I hate chick flicks. They're all the same: boy meets girl. They fall in love. Boy does something stupid. Girl gets mad. Boy does something sweet. Happily ever after. BORING!

I mean movies that are deeper than that. Dramas. Sometimes I cry because it's really sad, sometimes because it's so wonderful I'm overwhelmed.

There's one movie that I absolutely LOVE! I cry every time I see it. The ending is so amazingly wonderful, that I burst into tears. I'll cry and cry and cry for an hour. It's so sweet! It's called "I Am David." It's not very well-known. It's post-WW2 era. There's a boy trapped in a Soviet concentration camp. He was separated from his mother. His father died. He had no one. The kid is an amazing actor for being so young. He perfectly portrayed a child who had no emotions, who had shut down and did not know love or trust.

He manages to escape the camp, and follows directions given to him by someone else at the camp. It is an amazing journey he has. Slowly, you can see him changing, he starts to smile, starts to trust. The ending is perfect. I don't want to say what it is, because I want you all to go rent it! It's worth it!

I also enjoy books that make me cry. I don't know why, really. I find it refreshing almost. It helps me to release some of my pent up feelings.

How about y'all? Do you enjoy a good cry now and again? Or do you try to avoid movies like that? Also, what movies/books have caused you to break down and cry like a baby?

Blogger is acting up again! Grrr! I've been trying to add pictures to this post, but it won't let me! I wanted to add a picture from the movie. Maybe I'll try again later... Also, some of my pics from previous posts aren't working. Blogger and I have a love/hate relationship at times!

UPDATE:
I finally was able to add pics! Awesome! The top pic is of the movie cover. Yes, Jim Caviezel is in it. However, the picture is deceiving. He has a very minor role. I think they put him on the cover thinking it would attract more people. I've got to admit, that is why I rented it originally!

The bottom pic is of the boy in the movie. I love that one. It perfectly portrays how he has learned to shut off his emotions. That kid is an amazing actor. He's better than many seasoned adult actors. Y'all need to rent it this weekend!

To sleep, perchance to dream

2007-04-17T06:14:00.000-05:00

You are tossing and turning in your bed. Sweat is pouring out of your pores. Within your mind, an odd and freakish dream is playing out--

In the middle of a dark, disgusting forest, you have been caught in a trap. Unbeknownst to you, your foot stepped in just the wrong spot. A rope tightened around you and began pulling you through the woods at an alarming speed. Ferns, mud, rocks, sticks-- All of these [and more] left their impressions on your body. The dirt was the least of your worries; big cuts were beginning to ooze out.

If things could get any worse! Oh they were about to. Up ahead you see an old, hollowed out tree trunk laying on the ground. And your rope was going to pull you straight through it! As you entered it, all light disappeared and you were surrounded by darkness. And then you felt something crawling on you...

As you exited that hollowed tree, you realized that a ravenous possum was on you... and he began gnawing at your face.

SCREAM!

You darted up in your bed. As you shook your head back to reality, the image of that possum was still in your mind: you could still see him right in front of you.

***

No, this wasn't really your dream. It was mine. Honestly, every bit of it. The first night I was home from the hospital after Erica was born, Hubby took care of her when she would wake up so that I could sleep. Thankfully, she woke up screaming right at the perfect moment... I would not have wanted to see where the dream would have went from there.

I shared my most bizarre dream. Now it's your turn. It can be freaky, scary, funny, romantic [ooh la-la... but not too ooh la-la], or any other sort of dream.

Sweet dreams, everyone!

My Birthday is SPECIAL!

2007-04-15T22:51:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged! Rapunzel from Rapunzel's Castle tagged me for this Wikipedia Meme. What fun! But don't fret! There's still a question for all to answer!

This is the way it works:

1. Go to Wikipedia and type in the month and day you were born.
*For me--October 22nd.

2. List three events that occurred that day:
*4004 BC - Date the universe was created according to British Archbishop James Ussher after using the Bible's chronology to calculate the date. (Yay! God created the world on my birthday!)
*1844 - The Great Anticipation: Millerites, followers of William Miller, anticipated the end of the world in conjunction with the Second Advent of Christ. The following day became known as the Great Disappointment. (I'm glad they were disappointed, or else I wouldn't be here!)
*1964 - Jean-Paul Sartre is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, but turns down the honor. (Can you imagine turning down a Nobel Prize?!?! I know he was doing it for "noble" reasons, but still! [pun intended!])

3. List two important birthdays:
*1942 - Annette Funicello, American actress (I learned how to spell "mouse" from watching the Mickey Mouse Club!)
*1968 - Shaggy, Jamaican musician (I LOVE his song "It Wasn't Me!" It was O-The-Rage in college!)

4. List one death:
*1934 - Pretty Boy Floyd, American gangster (b. 1904) (Crime don't pay!)

5. Tag five friends to do the same: (If they want to!)
*Becky (yeah, I know we have the same birthday, but there's lots of other people/evetns to choose from!)
*Raj (Since you mentioned enjoying Wikipedia!)
*Silverneurotic
*Liya
*Skittles

Since we're talking about birthdays, share w/ us your best birthday memory. Oh, wait! In a manner just like Jeopardy, that must be phrased in a question! How about this:

What is your best birthday memory? (Much better!)

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

2007-04-14T10:17:00.000-05:00

Every now and then, I get a brilliant idea for a question from someone else's blog. (Especially when I am not feeling creative myself!!!) Don't feel sad if I haven't quoted your blog yet. Hang out here long enough, and I'm sure I'll dedicate a question to you some day!

When I started back up w/ the whole blogging thing, I turned to the "Next Blog" button to make some new blogger pals. This tactic is hit or miss, more often miss than hit. During this "Next Blog" era, I came across a certain blog that I found amusing, and it still to this day never ceases to make me laugh my a** off... Michael C, this one's for you!!!

Every Friday, Michael comes up w/ a "Top Ten and a Half" list. This week, he focused on things to do when suffering from insomnia. Funny stuff. I have to say, my favorite one is:

9. Sew a mask and cape and patrol the streets at night enforcing the law and repelling evil as Insomnia Man. Remember to recreate the bags under your eyes on the mask.

I also enjoyed:

2. Call your coworkers around 3AM and when they or their angry spouse answers, apologize and say that you dialed the wrong number in a deep eastern European accent.

Here's your assignment. Go visit Michael's blog and laugh at his Top 10 and A Half list. Then come back here, and tell us what you do when you can't seem to fall asleep. Have fun!

BFF?

2007-04-12T22:02:00.000-05:00

I know we all have our "Best Friends Forever." Those whom we can confide in, spend time together being silly and serious. Gotta love those BFF's.

But what if your BFF doesn't consider you a BFF?

I see it quite often in Kindergarten. Suzy and Riana are mutual BFF's. However, Molly wants Riana to be her BFF. Poor Molly deals w/ it by crying, hitting, yelling, conniving, lying. By golly, she's only FIVE! Riana likes Molly just fine, but not as a BFF. She could take her or leave her. It's kind of sad.

As we get older, it's harder for us to express our feelings. We really can't go around crying, hitting, and yelling. However, the conniving does get more developed! What crafty, naughty people we all can be!

Have you ever had a situation where you considered someone your BFF, but later found out the feeling wasn't mutual? Or did you ever have a mutual BFF, but were replaced? How did you react? How did you cope?

I figured we had a lot of silly, funny questions lately. It was time for a serious, thought-provoking question! We'll get back to the silly ones soon enough!

Spring Cleaning

2007-04-11T06:42:00.000-05:00

Even though it may still be brisk outside, you are looking forward to Spring. Put away those snowmen and get ready for something new...

Break out those bunnies! Find as many bright and flowery decorations as you can-- they are just what you need to brighten your mood. Butterflies, rainbows, small little plants [fake or real].

Come on! Get ready! Head down to your basement and bring out the boxes...

AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Outpouring from the boxes comes hundreds of cockroaches. What are you going to do with them?

a. Get out the fondue pot! Poke a stick through them and dip them in chocolate. YUM!
b. Unfortunately you have no shoes on, but you decide to stomp on them, letting their guts squish between your toes.
c. Run like a crazy man/woman away from them!
d. Call the police-- this is an emergency after all.
e. Set the house on fire. That should kill each one of them.

This is a serious problem, not to be taken lightly. Really, what would YOU do in such circumstances?

I'm Dreaming Of A White Easter

2007-04-08T13:58:00.000-05:00

Ok, so we've all heard the song "I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas." A cute song. I know I love snow on Christmas Day.

Now, snow on Easter? That' s a completely different thing altogether. Who wants snow on Easter?! Well, it's here anyway.

I woke up this morning, was singing some Easter songs, and peeked out the window in hopes of seeing a glorious Easter morn, full of sunshine. What did I see? SNOW!!!

It's not enough snow to stick to anything. Just some flurries here and there. But still, it's April! This weather is messing me up. Hot, cold, hot, cold, back and forth, and back again! It needs to get warm and stay warm!

Well, I am having a nice Easter regardless of the lack of warm sunshiny goodness. I just finished mixing up the hash brown casserole and stuck it in the oven. Now I'm killing some time, waiting for everyone to come over for Easter supper. I'm waiting for my sister, her husband and daughter, my cousin and her husband and daughter, my aunt, her son and his girlfriend, and my mom. My dad's already here. Sadly, my brother and his family can't make it.

Question time! Tell me about your Easter traditions. Do you do anything, or nothing? I know not everyone who comes here is of the same religious background as I am. That's fine. We'd still like to hear! Do you do Easter eggs and candy?

Happy Easter to all! Enjoy that chocolate!

2007-04-06T21:10:00.000-05:00

So there's this guy. Code name: Shannon. Tonight he came and sat aside of me in church. What to think. .. Does he like me, did the seat aside of me look comfortable, was it just the closest seat to Andrew (his hero), did my sister put him up to this to confuse me. So many thought, no conclusions. What do you think?

Cha-Cha-Cha-Charmin! Hiking Part 2

2007-04-06T10:44:00.000-05:00

So, you're out hiking with a group of friends. Talk about fun!

Oops! You forgot to go to the bathroom before y'all started the hike. You search for a bathroom, but all you can find in the woods is a lone outhouse. You open the squeaky door... Inside you find spider webs, flies, and God knows what else! Scary!

So...

Z. Do you use the outhouse... and risk your life in doing so?

Y. Do you find a nice spot outside to squat... wait, is that poison ivy?!

X. Do you "mess" yourself... and hope the flies don't come callin'.

W. Or do you find an alternate solution?

Whatever you decide, decide it quick! This can't wait! Nature's calling!

Of course, You could always say "Depends"

Can You Hear Me Now?

2007-04-03T23:42:00.000-05:00

Well, hello blogger friends. I'm not sure if you noticed, but I've been gone for a few weeks. Becky's the one who's been running things. I've been on this HUGE reading kick. I come home straight from work and read until 2 am, when I pass out from lack of sleep. Usually, that's how I am w/ blogging! Well, I'm done w/ the book series that I was reading. I'm taking a reading break now.

Moving on to the question! If you had to lose one of your 5 senses, which would you give up? For those who didn't make it through Kindergarten, the 5 senses are:

Sight
Hearing
Touch
Taste
Smell

Or conversely, which would you hate losing?

For those who already lost a sense, would you trade it for another?

Don't get caught with a bear butt: Hiking- Part One

2007-04-02T06:33:00.000-05:00

So, envision this:

You are in the middle of the woods with your significant other, in a most "compromising" situation. To your horror, you hear a not-so-distant sound of crunching leaves and realize that someone is coming closer and closer to you. You look around and give a sigh of relief, followed by a sudden surge of terror...

BEAR! BEAR! BEAR!

Think quick: what do you do?

a. Do a little dance for him; maybe it'll make him happy
b. Leave your significant other to deal with the bear, and make a great escape by yourself
c. Faint-- at least if you're passed out, you wont feel him mauling you
d. Go at him with sticks and stones-- maybe they WILL break his bones, before he breaks yours
e. Something else that quick runs through your mind

Obsessive Compulsive

2007-03-31T12:34:00.000-05:00

Let me tell you about my 2 y/o daughter. Sometimes Erica just seems so O.C.

[Bear with me; I'll get to the ? soon]

She likes things a certain way, and it must be the same way... or else...

Example: all of the crayons must be point up in the box, and if one gets put in the wrong way, she dumps them all out and starts over.

I almost had another World War in my house, trying to get her to take a nap. She always must put her baby's pillow down, put the baby on the pillow, cover the baby with a blanket, and put the baby's cup next to her. THEN, Erica follows the same steps herself.

The problem this afternoon was that I had put Baby's blanket and pillow in the wash, and it wasn't dry by nap-time. After crying and whining, I pulled it out of the washer, still wet.

Now, to the question...

You probably don't have O.C.D. But, everyone has one or more things that they do a certain way; only that one way will do. What do you do that has become almost ritualistic?

Withdrawal

2007-03-27T14:38:00.000-05:00

I'm going through "Heroes" withdrawal. They're taking a 6 week break, and it's pure torture.

My beloved TV show has inspired this next question...

Name someone [or more] who has impacted your life. They were [and still are] your heroes.

Follow The Cheater

2007-03-24T21:35:00.000-05:00

Anyone who ever went to elementary school knows that cheating is wrong. Whether it is cheating on a test or cheating at a game, it is WRONG! Me and you know this to be true.

Scenario: You're spending your Saturday socializing with some co-workers. A friendly game of monopoly is started.

In the midst of playing, you realize that your boss is cheating. He's dipping into the petty cash of monopoly money. Talk about a dilemma.

Do you:

1) Ignore it- you don't want to risk losing your job!

2) Confront him on it- cheating is WRONG!

3) Cheat yourself- two wrongs make a right?

4) Give me a creative answer

I Think, Therefore I Am

2007-03-24T10:42:00.000-05:00

The ever-lovely Cathy has awarded JAQQ2 with the "Thinking Blogger Award." That's what we here at JAQQ2 aim to do. As our description says, our questions can be thought-provoking. Though, a lot of them are just silly! I feel inspired to write up some serious questions... Maybe later!

So, now I'm going to mention some blogs that make me think. Hmmm.

1) The Thinker from Theory of Thought. Her name alone is perfect for the award! Even though she's a teen, her posts are well written and often thought-provoking. Love it!

2) Liya from To My Pen, Forgive Me For Typing. She's a fellow teacher, and she gets me thinking about the different sides of education. But she also talks about life, love, religion, art, etc. She entertains her readers, while making them think about an aray of things. Good job, girl!

3) Mother Of Invention from Spilling Out! She's also a teacher. She, however, is on the opposite spectrum from myself and Liya. Liya and I are newbie teachers, whereas MOI is a seasoned teacher. It is great to see the experience she has, and that she survived it! That gives me hope! MOI also uses a lot of poetry, which is fun to read and analyze.

4) Klu from Get A Klu. This will take some explaining. This blog is written in the perspective of a Teddy Bear. The Kindergarten teacher in me loves it. It makes me think because I want to write children's books one day, and it helps me to exercise my imagination.

5) Silverneurotic from The Post College Years. I love her posts. Some of them start or end w/ famous (or not-quite-so-famous-but-still-thought-provoking) quotes. I'll spend a few minutes mulling each quote over. I enjoy giving my brain the workout! There are days that I really need that!

The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote.

Irrational Fears

2007-03-21T12:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, true story:

I used to work at a children's camp as a counselor. Of the girls' cabins, two were nasty, two were so-so, and two were great. I was SOOOO happy when I was placed in one of the good cabins. Everything was nice-- not worn down at all.

Well, one day I was in the bathroom doing some cleaning. The toilette paper was just about empty, so I decided to change it. Obviously. Well, as I picked up a new individually-wrapped roll, I proceded to take off that paper covering.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, a SPIDER jumped out. It had been living inside the toilette paper tube.

Ever since, I have been very scared to change toillette paper rolls. When I do, I always pick it up and hold it far away from me, checking to make sure nothing is inside.

So, to the question:

What are YOU afraid of?

-- something that is absolutely ridiculous and shouldnt REALLY be a fear.

Vocabulary 101... part 2

2007-03-19T06:58:00.000-05:00

We havent even made it to 50 yet! there are plenty more that we can come up with.

your mission again-- Come up with 101 uses for a tissue.

here is what we have so far:

1. Blow my nose
2. Dry my tears
3. Clean out my ears
4. To pick up a dead bug.
5. Blot my lipstick.
6. To use when I run out of toilet tissue.
7. To get the hair off of the shower drain.
8. To wipe the kitty's eyes.
9. To do a quick swipe in the bathroom when guests are coming over and there's toothpaste on the counter.
10. To make art carnations
11. To wrap up kids' teeth that have fallen out at school!
12. To clean up kid's marker messes and exploded pens!
13. To wipe off my glasses.
14. To blot my finger after I do a blood sugar test! OUCH!
15. Wipe off the computer screen dust!
16. Wipe up coffee small spills at my computer desk.
17. Set my night mouth guard on.
18. Squish spiders that are crawling up my wall or counter!
19. Shred it up whenever you get an obsessive compulsive urge.
20. Use it to cough politely.
21. Use it to protect your hands from germs in a public bathroom.
22. Try to stop blood when you get a paper cut.
23. Use it with nail polish remover if no cotton balls are handy.
24. To line my sandwich box before putting food in the box.
25. To wrap up my dainty items like pendants or brooches when travelling.
26. Cutlery stand: to absorb the water from the forks or spoons or knives after washing...if you know what I mean.
27. Wipe that lipstick off of your teeth. talk about embarrassing.
28. put on the ground with some tape/glue on it so that when someone steps on it, you can laugh at them walking with it stuck to them. hehe.
29. use as a potholder when you dont have one. yeah, i've done this. say, you have a cup thats super hot! hold it with some tissues in hand.
30. To wipe my puppy's tushy.
30. To make 'wedding dress' outfits for Barbie Dolls (hey I used to do that when I was a kid!)
31. To leave lying around your room so that an annoying sibling doesn't want to come inside for fear of being contaminated.
32. To hold in hand all day and pretend to be sick so that people feel sorry for you and are nice :D
33. To dab at your eyes in the movies when we get to the sad parts.
34. This works for eyes that get teary eyed chopping up onions too!
35. To stuff in shoes that hurt to make them more wearable.
36. To removed excess oil from some fried food item
37. To wrap a McDonald's burger in
38) to whipe gunk off your face after picking a zit
39) for girls--to stuff your bra
40) for guys-- same concept, but elsewhere
41) To Stuff your HAIR (lol...ne one seen that commercial? lol)
42)To blot your nose/T-zone (oily skinned ppl should be able to relate)
43) To use as "toe-separaters" when applying nail polish and you cant find the actual separator.
44. diaper for a baby doll
45. wave as a peace sign after fight w/ husband
46. bookmark
47. coffee filter [hey, if you're desperate for coffee, anything will do]
48. [up above, 30 was used twice, and instead of changing all the #s, we'll just throw this one in here to make up for it]

OKAY-- someone pick up now w/ #49! We can do this!!! believe me, it is possible... when we had the original JAQQ going, we used this exact same question. Some of these answers are the same, some are totally different. Therefore, it is definitely possible to get to 101.

[if you are clever enough to find this question at the original JAQQ, feel free to pilfer some answers!]

Vocabulary 101

2007-03-16T13:05:00.000-05:00

This is going to be a hard one!

You need to be VERY creative, and I'll need a lot of answers. Can you handle it?

I want 101 ways to use a tissue. Should I rephrase that into a question? How about: Can you [as a group] come up with 101 ways to use a tissue. List as many ideas as you have, and continue counting from where it was left off.

Confused?... I am!

Example:

abigail s. says "1. blow nose"

becky l. says "2. dry tears"

abigail s. says "3........" and so on.

Get it? Got it? good! I want 101 uses for a tissue! Make me proud!

Major Downer

2007-03-16T12:55:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts/visits to yalls blogs. I'm currently at a teacher's convention thingy. It really is a lot of fun. Well, for the most part. There are several one-hour sessions where we get to learn new ideas about teaching. I've been to some great ones and gotten great ideas about teaching math and reading. But some are just BORING!!! We get to choose what classes to go to based on descriptions. I took this one because the description sounded good. I was all excited... IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE DESCRIPTION!!!! I was not happy. I mean, it wasn't a horrible class. I was just really disappointed.

Sorry for the rant. I feel better now!

This conference is at a really ritzy hotel place. Luckily they a free internet lobby. This is the first opportunity I've had to get to it. I wanted to last night- but no way was I going to be all alone at a secluded place. This girl ain't stupid!

The major downer of this blog is that I feel limited in what I can post. Since it's a question blog, I feel unable, at times, to talk about myself. There's got to be a question!!!

I wanted to post about this conference, and I thought- heck, I'm just gonna do it!

So there's no question here. But I will write up another post right away that is a question. Sound good? (I guess that can be my question!)

Zoom, Zoom!

2007-03-13T15:07:00.000-05:00

Let's keep this one short and simple!

What's your dream car?

Marketing Mahem

2007-03-12T11:59:00.000-05:00

For whatever problem or situation you face, there's always a product for you to buy that will fix everything. Everyday, something else is introduced to the market. What is a buyer to do? Which product do you buy? Can you really tell which one will be best by looking at the container it is in? Are the commercials on TV really accurate? Did 9 out of 10 people actually prefer it over the other brands?

You could make a lot of money by coming up with some bogus product. It doesnt actually have to work. You can just put it in appealing wrapping, write some nice lines about it, and make promises that may or may not be true.

What would your "invention" be?

Night Stalker

2007-03-11T07:54:00.000-05:00

I used to work at a summer camp... Did for 6 summer.

Many times, I had to walk across camp in the dark. I can watch scary movies and not be scared at all. But in real life situations.... I scare very easily.

The one night, I was walking along, all by myself. I'd forgotten a flahslight, so I walked by the light of the moon. I was crossing through a covered bridge. When I was just about to the end of it, someone jumps down from the rafters! I about crapped myself, I was so scared. It was one of the other staffers out playing practical jokes. From that day on, I was terrified of that bridge!

Well, one night I was walking across camp at night. I was passing by some trees. I got this eerie feeling that something was in there, lurking, waiting to attack. Like I said, I scare easily... But this time, I really did have a strong, bad feeling. I wasn't sure what to do. What would you have done?

Kept right on walking... You're not taking any chances.
Stop and peer in... See what you can see.
Call on in... "Is anyone in there?"
Get a friend, and go back to investigate.
Your own creative idea.

After a few answers from yall, I'll let you know the rest of my story.

~UPDATE~
Since I've had several answers, I'll tell you my story.

There WAS a guy hiding in the trees. He was on staff that summer... I guess his way of flirting is stalking. (Note to guys- that DOESN'T work!) Well, I was going to walk on by w/out stopping. When I passed him, he came out of the trees and started to follow me. I saw a friend on the other side of the field, so I ran over to her.

I told my boss about it. He gave a stern talking to Stalker, and that was that. I personally think the guy should have been fired. Don't you think?

After that, the stalking ended... but he did start writing me these creepy little love letters. Gross!

I got my revenge... I started dating his best friend! I'm awesome!

Sassy!

2007-03-09T11:58:00.000-05:00

I said a little while back that I was really into grapefruit lately. REALLY into grapefruit! I've been eating grapefruits, drinking grapefruit juice, using grapefruit lotion and perfume and soaps. LOVE IT!!!

I picked up my grapefruit juice at the store the other day, and started laughing. On the carton, it read, "Sass In A Glass!" I found that so humorous. My drink is sassy!

So then I started thinking, what kind of drink really depicts me as a person. Unfortunately, I cannot say grapefruit juice, 'cuz I'm really not that sassy. What am I? There are too many choices!

Dr. Pepper, which has too many flavors to distinguish any one.
Water, which is pure.
Coffee, which is 100% pure energy, leading to crankiness and sleep-depravation.
Martini, which is all dressed up and somewhere to go!
Smirnoff Twisted... Enough said!

Share your drinks. Now, I'm not asking what you like to drink, I'm asking what drink is like your personality. You may hate Smirnoff, but it may fit your traits.

I'm not sure what I am yet. I'll post a comment later if I think of one!

Malfunctions

2007-03-08T11:43:00.000-05:00

You let out a slow, thankful sigh. The past 30 minutes of free time you had, you worked on the computer. And you are proud of yourself for getting so much accomplished.

As you save your work, a malfunction occurs!!! CURSED COMPUTER! Trying to remain calm, you decide to just do it all again. It shouldn't take too long since you already know exactly what to do.

After several more minutes of redoing your work, you sigh out of relief again. As you go to save your work, your computer freezes up... AND THEN SHUTS DOWN!

What is your response likely to be:

a) Fall to the ground in a weeping heap

b) Hit your head against the desk

c) Calmly reboot your computer, holding on to the faint hope that your work can be redeemed

d) Pick your computer up, carry it outside, and THROW IT IN THE STREET, shattering into tiny pieces everywhere

Like a Moth to the Flame

2007-03-07T19:29:00.000-05:00

I hope you enjoyed the previous post! I also hope you weren't too tortured by waiting to hear the whole story! This is how it went down:

Guy and I were walking across a field, a little later than midnight. Could hardly see a thing. We were talking about the dark- I shared that I don't like being out in the dark (too many bad experiences, which I may share in future posts). He was teasing me about that, and couldn't understand why I wouldn't like the dark. It is right in the midst of this conversation that we see the aforementioned white floaty thingys. They were so blurry, we couldn't figure out what it was. Now- I don't believe in ghosts, but there was the smallest millisecond that I wondered if there really were ghosts!

We both were curious. That was my major feeling, not so much scared. I tried focusing my eyes, but it just wouldn't get clear. So we both started to slowly walk forward, drawn to it, whispering about if the other had figured it out yet.

What happened next seemed to happen too fast to almost be real. I heard this sound like thundering wind, coming closer and closer. I no longer saw any white, but could sense something coming at us fast, and the thundering getting louder. The ground shook. Then they were next to me, then past me, then gone... quiet. (Any guesses yet?!)

I'm not sure at what point I realized what they were. I think it was when they were right next to me... Boy, did I scream!

It was a family of deer! White-tailed deer, to be exact. It was their white tails reflecting the moonlight that we saw in the distance. They were so close, if I had stretch out a hand, I could have touched one.

So then I turned to the guy and said sternly, "THAT is why I'm afraid of the dark!"

Nothing ever happened w/ that guy. Ah well. That's the story of my life!

Midnight Rendezvous

2007-03-06T22:42:00.000-05:00

You and your friends decide to have an immature moment, and go out late at night to play at a park. The kind that has lots of trees, hills, fields, etc. The perfect place for a rendezvous w/ your latest crush!

So the two of you slip away, and take a stroll together. Now, at this point in time, yall are just friends, but who knows what may happen this magical night?!

You take a stroll along the bank of a creek, then across a field. You're having a deep conversation about things that seem to be important. The whole time, you have butterflies in your stomach! This is the moment of truth... You get the nerve to ask that all important question...

What is THAT?!?!?!

You look ahead, and there are 4 or 5 white things seemingly floating in the air. They're oval shaped tall-wise, not length-wise, though with no defined edges. It almost looks like white lights dancing along, about 20 feet away and floating oh, maybe 3 feet off the ground. They aren't large, which makes it even harder to see. What could it possibly be?

Do you:

Run away, screaming! Who cares about looking cool in front of your crush? You're not getting attacked by any ghosts or aliens!
(If you're a girl) Cling to your guy, and ask him to protect you! Make him feel all manly, plus be able to be close to him!
(If you're a guy) Be all macho, even though you're shaking on the inside. You want to impress this chick!
Stay put where you are. You don't want to draw attention to yourselves!
You are extremely curious, so you walk towards the white floaty thingys, leaving your crush behind. Who cares about him/her?! You need to find out what's up!
Your own creative answer!

This is actually a true story! It happened to me... Eek! Leave an answer, then tune in Wednesday evening to hear what I did, and what it was. You'll never guess! (Becky, you can't give away the answer!)

Sorry, No Question Here!

2007-03-06T21:35:00.000-05:00

I don't have a ? to ask... Just wanted to vent my "I'm scared and need to share" mood.

I think I have one of those skin cancer mole things. Eek!

(Sory if the following grosses you out. Feel free to not read)

For years, I had this freckle/mole thing on my arm. It was light colored and flat. Well, over the past year, it has gotten a bit discolored, w/ dark splotches around the rim. Over the past two or so months, it has started getting bigger, and is a bump instead of flat. Over the past week, it's gotten bigger still, and a bit darker, and it hurts if I touch it.

This morning it was only partly dark brown. I haven't looked at it all day... I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt. Just changed into my jammies... HOLY CRAP! It's now entirely dark brown. Eek! (There are some other things, but I don't want to gross everyone out)

Good thing I called the dr yesterday to make an appt. It's not until next week. I hope it doesn't swallow up my whole arm by then!

***UPDATE***

I was just doing some "research" online, and came across this. Now I'm all scared it's the worst kind of skin cancers- melanoma. From what it described, this may be a late-staged thing... Like it may have spread to my lungs, heart, and brain. I have had trouble breathing the past few days... Aaaahhhhh! Why did I wait so long to have this checked out?! I feel like such a hypochondriac!

I'll Keep You...

2007-03-05T19:52:00.000-05:00

Have yall ever come across Post Secret in your blogger-roaming? People mail postcards telling their "Dirty Little Secrets," and the person uploads them to his blog. I find it really interesting to read some of the cards sent in, though some I kinda think are TMI... But that's what makes them a DLS.

Then that got me thinking about a post idea. What are some things about me that most people don't know... Not the DLS kinds of things, just general things. I thought of a few that I could share w/ yall:

1) I LOVE vampire things- books, movies, etc. Anne Rice is awesome. I don't tell a lot of people, cuz I'm afraid they'd judge me.

2) I used to watch "7th Heaven." Not a single person on that show can act, yet for some reason, I was addicted to it!

3) I once was fired at a job, but I cried so much they felt bad, and changed their minds! How embarassing!

4) I tell everyone that I'm fine w/ the whole being single thing... But really, I'm quite depressed. I'm worried that I'll never meet a guy, fall in love and get married, and people will always look at me and wonder what's wrong w/ me that I couldn't get a guy. (Anyone know any nice single guys in the 25-35 age bracket?)

5) I can be a very spiteful person. I try to supress it around people I know. But when I'm driving, I can be quite a jerk!

6) Most people in my life don't know about this blog. I take it as my chance to be a bit immature at times, complain about some things personal or work related, and be completely free to open up w/out worrying about judgement. If fellow bloggers want to judge me, well, ok then. So we won't visit each other's blogs. But if it's someone in my life, I have to face them everyday. Not good.

So, now's the question for you. Look at #6. Are you the same way? Is your blog hidden from the people you know, or does everyone in your family and office know about it? Why?

Supa Fly

2007-03-04T20:15:00.000-05:00

I always wanted to create my own license plate thingy. You know, instead of getting the standard "ABC 1234" I'd get something cool, some sort of saying. But that costs extra money (I think).

It would be cool to have a tag that says "Supa Fly," cuz I am super fly!

If you could have any license plate number, what would you have?

***If you haven't noticed yet, I write a lot of posts about cars. I think that's because I get most of my ideas while driving. I get inspired by something, and quick write the idea down on a napkin. I keep loads of napkins in my car for such instances! ***

Rude or much

2007-03-02T14:20:00.000-05:00

On our trip to NYC to see "Wicked" on broadway, we ran into quite a rude lady. She was much older, but dressed very fancy and looked like she was "old money." And definitely better than anyone else.

Well, during the intermission of the play, we ran to get in line for the potty. It was quite the long line, and there were only 6 potties, and the room was really really small. We finally got in and did our business. After I washed my hands, i went to leave. This lady was standing IN THE DOORWAY, making it hard to get by. She gave me a nasty look, like "stay out of my way." I found this absurd-- how does she expect to get in if no one can get out?

i waited for abby to come out, quite ready to tell her my little story. Unfortunately, Abby had a story of her own, about the same lady. When abby went to leave, there was absolutely no room to squeeze by. the lady was taking up ALL of the space. Abby nicely asked: "can i get by?" The lady looked at her, then looked away as if she hadnt heard abby at all. So, abby had to just stand and wait... and quite a line formed behind abby trying to get in.

Extremely rude!

?What's the rudest thing that a stranger ever did to you?

Ketchup Time

2007-03-01T23:31:00.000-05:00

So, the look of JAQQ2 has been changing over the past few days. A fellow blogger, Nevins Manafe, is quite handy at web design. I've been all into changing the look of my blog, and I asked him if he could help. The little thing I had before I had thrown together. This new one, he made for me. Isn't it awesome?! I'm a fan. Thanks Nevins! I'm quite in awe of how talented he is. I'll probably tinker around with fonts and colors of the main text for the next day or so. (Maybe the sidebar should be gray, and the post be white? Hmmm...) Bear w/ me, all.

I went in to that store nearby my house. I am going to transfer there... but only as a regular associate. I prefer it this way, really. I don't know how I could have handled the stress of being associate manager! I'll be working the same 15 or so hours a week... But I won't be spending all the $ on gas now!

Sorry I haven't been around to yalls blogs lately. I am SOOOOOOOOOOO worn out! I mentioned a few posts back about being so stressed out at school. Yes, the stress has passed, which is good. But now I'm left feeling dead tired! I feel like crap, and I just want to sleep all the time!

Check out Becky L's blog for info on what cool stuff we did Wednesday! Yay! (yes, it was exciting... But I did sleep the whole 3 hours to and back from New York rather than talk to my sis... Sorry Becks!)

At school, most Fridays are "Ketchup Days." ... or "Catch-Up" as in getting it all done before it's too late... Hence this post is a "Ketchup" post. Just wanted to let yall know what's up! I will be back to blogging full-force Saturday. Promise! I'll even try to visit yall during my lunch break at school tomorrow!

The most important part of this post is... Check out Nevins' Blog! Tell him good job for me!

Bye!

Problematic... Too... Two... To?

2007-02-27T21:50:00.000-05:00

A few posts ago, I mentioned a dilemna of the financial variety.

I appreciate everyone's input. I agreed w/ the general concensus that I should drop that job. A no-brainer, really.

Well, I gave notice to my manager last weekend. Then yesterday, I had to work again, and she shocked me! She said that she could get me transfered to the store location closest to me (which is only two blocks from where I teach). She ALSO said that she could most likely get me a promotion to part-time Assistant Store Manager.

AWESOME! ... Or is it? I'm not sure what to do! Will it be too much added stress? Will the responsibilities be too much? What if they say they'll keep my hours low during the school year... but then BAM! start working me every night shift under the sky, plus all weekend!

But it would be so cool to be able to get the pay raise, and work 40 hours over the summer. I can save up A LOT of cashola for a car!

I don't know what to do!!! I'm going in Thursday to talk to the store manager of this new location (my current store manager told me to wait a day or so till she could pitch it to the district manager). What to do, what to do?

Any help guys?

Thanks For Your Sympathies!

2007-02-25T16:26:00.000-05:00

Sorry if I worried anyone w/ my last post!

I've been SOOOO stressed out the past few weeks, and Friday was the worst! In February, all the classes at my school study a different country. We have to decorate the entire room to look like that country. It takes a lot of time and hard work. My class studied Japan (hence my Zwinky in the sidebar looks like a Japanese geisha).

February is the worst month of the year for this. We have Groundhog's Day, Winter Festival, the 100th Day of School, Valentine's Day, President's Day, and various snow days. Horrible month!

Anyway, Friday night was the culmination of it all. That night, there was a huge performance, then the parents, etc. went from room to room to look at the decorations. Which means my classroom needs to be super-cleaned! Eek!

Thursday night I was at school until half-past midnight! Then Friday, I worked up until the minute of the beginning of the performance. Stressful!

But the end result was great! I did have fun, and I feel MUCH better now.

And the best part is...

It's snowing now, which is going to change to sleet later today into Monday midmorning, which means...

NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!!! (hopefully)

Question time...

If you could live in any place in the world, where would it be?

***Social Studdies Lesson***

The top left picture is me in my kimono, standing in front of the 3-D cherry blossom tree that I made. I squirted the paper flowers w/ cherry blossom perfume so it would smell real. The tree took me about 3 hours to make.

The top right picture is of a volcano. Japan has several active volcanoes. Mt. Fuji is actually an inactive volcano. This took me about 45 minutes to maketo make.

The bottom left picture is my classroom door decorated to be a Japanese house. By the house is a pole w/ fish kites attached. These kites are flown on "Children's Day." This house took me SIX HOURS!!!

The bottom right picture is of the door of the second Kindergarten class. They also studied Japan. The door decorated to be a torii, or a gateway into a shrine.

I'm So Stressed Out!

2007-02-23T17:44:00.000-05:00

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!