Even When She's Driving Me Crazy

I still love my teenager. Oh, and God knows that's hard to say some days.

So, after a day filled with bloggy love courtesy of the SITS gals, I thought I'd share some momma love. As you may know, Jerry and I adopted Nicole on her 14th birthday. She was in foster care for about 7 years. Her life has been a hard one and she's endured things some of us can't even imagine.


Adjustment has gone very well for our girl. Don't get me wrong. There are still issues. Lots of issues, but because the transition has gone so wonderfully, we find ourselves forgetting to remember her background and filtering her responses to things through that light. We eventually lose amnesia.


So, indulge me as I share some photos of my kiddo:

Friday night football in Texas...a tradition embraced by our girl and a friend

Nicole loves her friends - they are like air and water to her - I love how much she values them
(l-r: Sam, Courtney, Nicole)

There is this "face" that Nicole wants to make in every photo...it's hard to get one where she isn't doing this. Oh, and she'd probably kill me if she knew I was posting her photo in her glasses - I think they're cute.

Oops! It's me trying to make that face, but I don't quite have it down.

Saucy SITS Blogathon!

Happy SITS Blogathon Day, everyone!

Is this fun or what? Today, one of my favorite sites, The Secret Is In The Sauce (SITS - see the cute button to the right!) is holding a blogathon for its myriad of members.

Part of today's task is to share with five sites I have found through SITS and have come to love.
Here you go!

1. The Scholastic Scribe - what an interesting site by a journalism teacher - so you know the writing is good!

2. I Know Where You Can Find It - Mrs. Who has the most amazing finds - check her out!

3. Eat Your Veggies - our amazing Pop'rs queen! No one ever had a better salesperson :-)

4. WepRuminations - I love Wep - her outlook and sense of humor are intelligent and witty!

5. Ritch In Love - what a lovely spirit and couple - Katie's posts are always so heartfelt and "real."

So, visit SITS and take a moment to discover my SITSa's! Oh, and how has SITS enhanced my blogging....sit down, and grab a cup of coffe - we gotta' talk.... seriously, it has directed me to new and wonderful blogs I wouldn't have found just "surfing" online. Check out the five I listed - each unique and interesting. And that's just scratching the surface of hundreds and hundreds of people linked to this fabulous site. Kevin Bacon has nothing on SITS... except maybe six degrees of separation, but I bet someone closer than that to him is linked to SITS somewhere along the way **wink wink**.

Gifts and Bonus Gifts

Although my flash was too bright and I had no zooming options using my daughter's little camera, I think you can see how great my little sugar bowls from Gary are.

Now, the longhorn sugar bowl has been packed up as it will be a gift, but I couldn't resist putting them together for the shot. And, the little yellow vase in front was a bonus gift!

We do bonus gifts in our family. We decided it was fun to get a gift at Christmas or your birthday, but it was even more fun getting two (or more). So, we give each other gifts, and bonus gifts. Bonus gifts are not expensive, but thoughtful or fun little items - a desk calendar, a key chain, a CD, a handmade item, etc...

Our favorite potter, Gary, has this idea down, don't you think?

Now, to veer off-track, the colonel (we all know and love him) is already bugging me and we haven't even spoken more than two sentences to each other this morning. I'll keep you posted if any weirdness happens today.

Happy Monday!

The Meme Of Last Resort

As you know, yesterday I was blank and was thinking about doing a meme found from one of you, but, quite frankly, I didn't feel like linking. That's so bad.

Instead, we created our own and here it is. Feel free to use it. No linking required. And feel free to leave your answers without doing this meme at your site, too. Who knows? Someone might be so curious about someone who answers the way you did, they'll just HAVE to come visit you.

I do, however, recommend all my bloggy pals to visit each other - you all have your own special coolness :-)

Here we go:

1. What word do you wish would disappear forever?

2. If you could be king or queen of a European country, which one and why?

3. Would you rather be deaf or blind?

4. What's something you collect?

5. What is your favorite TV show or movie you would never admit to anyone?

6. What is your favourite comfort food?

My Answers:

1. Frickin' (freakin', friggin').... okay, we know what you're meaning...choose again.

2. I would like to be Queen of Denmark. Anywhere that has a little mermaid for a symbol is okay by me.

3. Deaf. God forbid either, but I would much rather be able to still drive and read (and draw).

4. I collect copies of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - only unusual, older printings, etc... I just know that one day I will come across a first edition.

5. I have to go down the same path as Gary on this one - I love Leave It To Beaver reruns (along with The Brady Bunch, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and more)

6. My favorite comfort food would be my grandmother's chicken and noodles...grandma is gone now, but my mom has taken over making them and they are still fabulous.

Thanks for helping me out y'all...I look forward to reading your answers!

The Last Resort

Today, I am rearranging my office to become a bit better organized.

The colonel called in sick. Can you imagine? On a Friday of all things. I am truly shocked.

Do you ever have one of those days when you want to post something brilliant or funny or insightful and all you can think of is maybe someone has some new meme you can try? That's me today.

Hey! There's an idea... let's create a new meme together. I will give you one question, leave a comment with your answer and a question you would like to see on a meme, and at the end of the day, I will post them all as one meme. If you want, come back and get it and use it for that day when you can't think of a darn thing either. No linking required. It's too much effort (can you tell I am being lazy?).

The Last Resort Meme

1. What word do you wish would disappear forever?

(my answer to THAT question is "frickin")

Okay... off to actually do some work.

Colonel and The Flute

FYI, I am hearing, "I'd Rather Be A Hammer Than A Nail" wafting from the colonel's office...

it sounds like it's being played by a Native American flutist.

He cranked it up. I think he wants me to know how cool he is.

The Colonel Sells

I know I shouldn't post so much about my kookie coworker, the "colonel," but he gives me so much material, I can't help myself.

Now, the colonel is our sales supervisor. He is basically our only sales person, designated to drum up business. Other personnel in corporate are also sales-driven, but have various other duties while the colonel's only job is sales. So, you get the picture.

You're probably thinking, given his position, he should be very apt in the sales arena. Oh, my friends, let me assure you that cannot possibly be more false. Here is his sales plan:

1. Go to conferences and conventions of potential (and existing) customers.
2. Gather business cards and email addresses at venues listed above.
3. Spend the next 3 months (or so) before the next venue calling all the people listed on the business cards collected.
4. Using this spiel: "John Doe, this is the Colonel, with ABC123, I had the great pleasure of meeting you at the YouNameIt conference in September. How are you? blah blah blah I was calling you regarding our __________ service. Oh, you do? Are you happy with the service you are receiving? I see. I was wondering if you received the little package I sent you regarding our services? May I send you another? Sir/Ma'am, would you mind if I made a follow-up call to you in about a month? Most assuredly. Thank you.

Now, I am not a sales person, but I do know this....If I was THE sales person, I would be getting out of my chair and hitting the streets to make personal contacts with some of these people.

Once a potential customer told me they were satisfied with someone else's work, I would use that opportunity to jump in and ask to compare rates, quality, service, etc.... I would offer one free time, etc... something to open that door and get my foot in it.

And lastly, if I were "the" salesman, I would never, ever call my package little.