For Karyn...and only because she's so faithful at blogging her life.

Karyn tagged me in a Q and answer thing. I think I can do it! I have supper on the go, all my laundry is done, I have finished canning my relish and don't have to drive anyone anywhere for 15 minutes!

1. What was your most embarrassing moment? I always have trouble with this question. I guess it's fun to know other people's most embarrassing moments so we can feel better about our own moments when we wished the earth would open up and swallow us. There have been many of these moments in my life. I guess the one that comes to mind now was when I went to the wrong funeral.
Yes, yes I did.
I was attending as the official presence of the church I belonged to, and for whom I was temporarily acting as secretary. I am NOT good with addresses, and I did not know my way around the part of the city (I thought) the church was in. I may have reversed the avenues and streets.
The deceased was an apparently sweet old lady who had no family, but friends who attended the church I went to had adopted her and were the only people really close to her.
The church thought I should attend, take a card, and offer condolences on behalf of the congregation. I agreed, I felt a lot of compassion in the circumstances. I have a huge family and the thought of someone having a funeral in an empty church made me sad, even though I had never met this lady.
I arrived early, as I always do for any function, and was surprised to see quite a few people in the pews of the old church. I didn't know anyone there, so I took a seat in the back and waited for the service to begin. More and more people started to fill the church, some in obvious distress, and as they did I remember thinking, "Wow, for someone with no family, there are a lot of REALLY upset people here". Strange.
Finally, a few moments before the service started, to a full house I might add, I went back to the funeral director and asked if Mrs. Whatzitts (I mean no disrespect, I have forgotten her name) had a family that had been in hiding when she was alive.
He took me aside and informed me that I was at a funeral for a completely different deceased person, and then he looked up the obit for the one I was supposed to be honoring and sent me on my way, with Godspeed.
He was quite unruffled, unlike myself, who found I was on the opposite side of the river from where I was expected.
I wonder if that happens a lot?
I comfort myself with the belief that it could happen to anyone.
Right?
Right?

2. Do you recycle? Why or why not? I certainly do. I hope it makes some difference, because I feel a deep sense of responsibility to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as I can.

3. What is the most dangerous thing you've ever done? Probably driving down the trans-peninsular highway in the Baja, Mexico. It may not have been so bad if we a) had more time b) had a clear idea of where we were going (I had booked a house I found on the internet and send money to a bank account in the U.S. After doing so I had this funny little thought, "What if there is no house?"
Too late! I booked flights for 11 of my family members and we flew to L.A., drove like maniacs down to San Diego that afternoon(further than it looks on a map!) to get to the van rental place before it closed. (THAT was one wild ride! Our Motto: "To Brake is to Admit Defeat.")
Then we picked up a huge, 15 passenger van and headed across the border at 5 am the next morning. None of us had been to Mexico before. None of us spoke Spanish. We had 4 kids with us and none of us thought to stop at the border for the required Visa needed to travel more than a few miles inside the country. We were there illegally. Not a big thing going in, but at the armed military check-points every few miles on the way out it would have been a bigger deal. It's a long story , but we managed to bribe an official to sell us Visas in Ensenada. THEN we set out on the scariest road trip of my life, and I've driven on the back roads of BC, the winter highways of northern Alberta, the Trans Canada north of Lake Superior.
The Baja is something else, and we drove like mad to not end up on the road at night. There are not many places to stop, and it's hundreds of miles of just desert, rock, steep drop-off's and cactus. Throw in a few buzzards circling and it's very scenic.
Two 9 hour days and 800 MILES of that, with Levi (then about 11), announcing every few minutes as we squealed around another hair-pin turn on a cliff edge with no guard rail "Oh look! Another burned out car at the bottom of that gorge!"
We did end up where we were going; the house rental was legit and was so much more than we expected, the holiday was grand, and then...the drive back...duh duh duh!
Crazy. Loco. Dangerous.

Oh. And then there was this. Same trip.

4. what is your favorite movie and why? The Blues Brothers, for reasons I cannot articulate. I LOVE the music, Aretha slays me every single time; Jake and Elwood's dance numbers, menu picks, and that hilarious scene with the Penguin when Jake is stuck in the desk?? ROFLMHO!!! There are SO many great one liners in that movie that we all quote frequently...
"The use of unnecessary violence in the aprehension of the Blues brothers...has been approved"
" It's 106 miles to Chicago, we have a full tank of gas, a half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses. Hit it!"
"Are you the Police? No Mam, we're musicians"
"Where's my Cheeze Whiz, Boy?"
"Elwood: Four fried chickens and a coke. Jake: And some plain white toast"
"Reverend: Do you see The Light??? Jake: Yes!! Jesus H. Tap-dancing Christ! I have seen the light!"
"Me and the Lord, we have an understanding ..."
And of course the amazing tag line, "We're on a mission from God".

*warning. Apparently there are 26 incidents of the F-bomb in this movie. I don't really hear them, except when watching the movie with people who have never seen it.
Yes!
I know!!!
Can you believe there are actually people who have never seen this movie??
We actually made up Blues Brothers Bingo cards and played them at our recent screening of this movie.

5. Do you follow a sport on TV? Does cooking count? I have occasionally had to admit I've been "Eatin' for sport".

6. If you could live at any time in history for 1 year, when would it be? I'm pretty sure I am living in the best time possible. I don't have romantic illusions about historical periods. I like the fact that antibiotics and insulin are readily available should they become necessary.

7. What was/is your favorite school subject? If you asked any of my teachers, it was definitely "socialization".
amen.
Now I love math and science and am enjoying studying with my two boys as they start their serious scholar days.

8. What game do you most enjoy playing with a group? Every time we have a family gathering with my family, mom, sisters, nieces and nephews we play Scattegories.
It's a riot.
Literally.
The police have been called. (I kid).

Dawn, can I tag you on this... Kim?

Here is your mission, should you choose to accept it:
Tag some friends, make up some questions, comment back here if you accept and have fun!

1) What is the nicest thing someone has done for you in the past week?
2) Have you ever made a "mix tape" for a boy who broke your heart?
3) Where is your favorite place on the planet, where you feel most at rest?
4) Do you get up and dance at weddings, or sit out the congo line?
5) Did you write your own wedding vows?
6) How did you meet the love of your life?
7) Which would you choose, a road trip or to fly away to an exotic land?
8) What local business do you like to support?

Have fun!

Kitchen Floors!

Oh My! I love this. Dawn was doing some *ahem* Research and Development today and sent a link which led me to another blog and then to yet another blog and before I knew it I found this blog and this idea linked and I am loving it. I've seen it done a bit differently where you paint the lines on for the planks, but this looks so authentic and with not quite so much crawling around and trying to get the lines straight I'm thinking.
We are in the midst of considering a kitchen reno, and this is on the top of my list for things I want to do. I love it! I'd put on a few coats of poly-urethane because I am messy in the kitchen, and I think I'd be good to go.
As the Mr. makes plywood for a living, I'd say the chance of actually convincing him to do this is better than average!