End of ought-nine

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential. ~Ellen Goodman

In the spirit of the above quote, and because I missed TTT yesterday, I am going to list 10 things I'm happy to have experienced this past year.

1. Attended a fabulous class reunion and reconnected with some wonderful folks
2. Did some writing publicly, and grew from the feedback received
3. Moved into our dream house
4. Hosted a sleepover with a dozen little 2nd through 4th graders
5. Overcame my fear of driving to Chicago
6. Watched my daughter mature enough to fall in love with church
7. Volunteered my brains out
8. Gave to charity
9. Helped friends in need
10. Visited my brother-in-law's family in Florida for the first time
* Bonus - accepted and learned more about Asperger's and Cassandra's to more fully understand and appreciate one of my most important people.

I challenge you to put away your failures and instead of thinking how you could do better next year, find at least 10 things for which you can back yourself on the backk for accomplishing this year. Celebrate your accomplishements and enter the new year with your head held high!

TTT - Crimes I have recently committed

1. Clipping nails at 11 pm after having accidentally speared myself in my sleep.
2. Not allowing crazy relatives to have overnight trips alone with my baby (ok, 7 year old).
3. Wanting people to use their own PC's instead of mine at night when I would like to use it to help me wind down
4. Having feelings
5. Assuming that I'd get reimbursed the hundred bucks I paid out of pocket for a contractor deposit
6. Expecting to go along with hubster to his class reunion
7. Wanting quiet time
8. Not following a script of what to say to others
9. Failure to argue
10. Breathing wrong

Ten on Tuesday

Ten Things I'm Good At

1. Listening
2. Thinking outside the box
3. Napping
4. Commanding respect from elementary kids
5. Baking
6. Papercrafting
7. Keeping in touch with friends
8. Mundane tasks nobody else wants to do
9. Writing
10. Proofreading

I think I'll go practice #3 for a while!

Top Ten Lists

I got this prompt from Writer's Digest. How'd I do?

"You've been hired as a writer for "Late Show with David Letterman." Your first assignment is to come up with a witty, nonpolitical Top Ten list for him to read on air. "

Top Ten Reasons to Have a Pet Tiger

10. Snazzy stripes get you noticed in a crowd
9. Save time & money on toothpaste because nobody will be near enough to notice
8. Tigers LOVE to swim!
7. Solicitors will only come 'round to your house once
6. Neighbors go out of their way to be courteous
5. Small yappy doglets are quiet when you walk by
4. They hunt their own food (see #s 7 and 5 above)
3. Orange is a "happy" color
2. They always come running when they hear the can opener
1. Nightime snuggles!

Top Ten Reasons to live in Midwest America

10. Michigan OSU game rivalry is so utterly enchanting
9. Lakes much easier to navigate than oceans
8. Beautiful scenic . . . corn.
7. [sing] Gray skies are gonna clear up! Put on a happy face!
6. We get to rake leaves and shovel snow!
5. Winter sports provide job security for trauma center personnel
4. Food without all that pesky "flavor" them other states use
3. No messy beach sand tracked into the house
2. At least two months out of the year bug-free
1. No annoying accent!

TTT - Thankfulness issue

Seems too cliche' to do a Ten Things Tuesday about Thankfulness. Oh well, my cup runneth over these days and I will use it as an easy way out of my TTT this week.

I am thankful for

1. Friends, including those that happen to be related to me
2. My cool new church
3. My daughter's school
4. Opportunities to help others
5. My cleaning/organization consultant
6. Change
7. Literacy
8. Holiday baking!
9. A sustainable lifestyle
10. Freedom of expression

Ten Things Tuesday

Emotions I feel today

1. Grattitude
2. Happiness
3. Pride
4. Relieved
5. Appreciated
6. Hopeful
7. Relevant
8. Significant
9. Excited
10. Appreciative

TTT Random Thoughts for the week

1. This morning I was supposed to volunteer at dd's new school library. Yesterday I started feeling a little under the weather (as evidenced by the news article below) and this morning I had full-blown flu symptoms. I called in and left a message for the librarian, went home and slept a little more. Now I feel pretty good again. So was that some anxiety-induced illness or do I really have some sort of virus? I can never be quite sure of the level of my insanity.

2. Getting old sucks. Skin tags are one of the worst symptoms. They are just plain gross to me. There is either an annoying skin tag on my neck or I have sprouted another head. Just what I need: another mouth to feed. The little bastard is easily irritated by warm winter clothing, so right now he's covered by Mr. BandAid. I hope he suffocates because he (obvsiouly male) is driving me up a freakin wall!

3. Politics is getting old. Let's just get the vote over already. We all know that it doesn't matter who we vote for anyway. I got an idea: just to test out my theory, why don't we all vote for Obama and watch McCain win anyway? I'm sure he's got some friends on the board of the company (is it still Diebold?) who makes the ballot booths. C'mon, it'll be fun!

4. Soon it will be the day for juveniles around the country to go begging door-to-door for candy. How I love this time of year! I can't wait to raid my loved one's candy sack and remove all of those "unsafe" Reese's and Snickers leaving her only with smarties and blowpops and then hiding even those on a high shelf and dosing them out as if they are methodone. Hey - have you SEEN my kid after a large dose of RED#40? Don't judge until you do. That stuff should be outlawed for the safety of momkind.

5. Some days it just seems like I wait for the day to be over. Why? What am I waiting for? Shouldn't I actually be DOING something? Maybe like cleaning my house or oh, I don't know, making the world a better place? I need to get back into a good routine and make a difference around here on a daily basis. Now that I've said it "out loud" will I actually do it? Let's hope so. This place is trashed.

6. I like candy!

7. As much as I love animals, I have finally come to the conclusion that having pets just might not be worth the trouble. Really! Why did I think I wanted two extra things to take care of? All they do is eat and poop and poop and poop. I'm not a big fan of poop. Sure, the kitties are cute and have whiskers and freakishly mutant extra paws on their front feet - but hey, who needs all that poop?

8. I'm ready for a change and my hair is already pretty short, so a quick trip to FirstChoice is just not going to "cut" it this time. Maybe I should start thinking about going to college and being something when I grow up. What could I be? Maybe a psychologist or school counselor? Sounds interesting and rewarding, but writing a book or two sounds better. I'm no Jodi Picoult, though, or Keith Ablow. Probably I shouldn't compare myself to famous people like that. So many people get an education and then don't do anything with it anyhow. And really, what's wrong with that other than wasting thousands of dollars and hours on nothing? Perhaps I'll feel better after a nap. Or a Snickers. Or Paxil.

9. The Schwan man should be here any minute. MMMmmmmmm. . . . he's like Santa.

10. Now I remember why I rarely skipped school as a teen. All my friends would still be at school and I had nobody to play with. Because I have no voice, I can't have fun talking on the phone to the few who are home. At least not for more than about 20 minutes before I start "using my sexy voice" again. Mandy can only take so much. She's teasing me taking a day off work today because she's sick too, but neither of us are well enough to enjoy our sick days. Refer back to #1 - I was feeling pretty good when I started this post, but now I feel like hell again. Yeah, I think it's the flu.

TTT 10 reasons not to blog today

1. Don't wanna
2. Don't feel like it
3. Can't make me
4. Don't care
5. It's pointless
6. I don't hafta
7. You can't make me
8. Why should I?
9. What? You gonna tell?
10. Summer break is over and I can be childish if I want to!

TTT - ten ways I'm impressed with dd's new school

Mostly, I love these things because they were so glaringly lacking at our public school

1. They have a librarian there every day
2. The librarian actually helps children
3. Each grade group has a "publishing center"
4. They teach by theme (this year, insects)
5. Classes are small
6. No screaming lunch lady
7. Recess
8. Microscopes
9. Spanish lessons for all ages
10.They teach fitness, not "gym"

TTT - Sesame Street

Here are 10 of my favorite classic Sesame clips

1. No cookies in the library
2. You're it!
3. Jellyman Kelly
4. Two Little Girls
5. one two three
6. Suzy Kabloozie
7. Frustrated!
8. We are all Earthlings
9. The Mad Painter and Stockard Channing
10. The one that reminds me most of me and my BFF

TTT - Cedar Point: America's Roller Coast!

It seems like we made a day-trip about once every summer vacation when I was a kid. I loved it. I didn't ride rollercoasters until I was in 7th grade and went with my friend Stacey Beauprez and her mom. The Gemini was the first rollercoaster I ever rode. Tomorrow it will be the first one of the day if I have my way!

Here are ten of the many things I love about Cedar Point amusement park.

1. The Gemini!
The Gemini roller coaster at Cedar Point gives riders an opportunity for bragging rights to the fastest train, as not one, but two trains run simultaneously on parallel tracks and race for a first-place finish. Guests cheer on either the red or blue train down the mammoth first hill, around wide bends and down the famous "low beam" hill that you must experience to believe. Even those who have ridden Gemini 100 times in one day say that no two rides are ever the same.

2. Ocean Motion
Ocean Motion is a 43-foot-long steel and fiberglass boat that rocks its passengers forward and backward through the air. The boat is attached to four steel uprights that make the ride look and feel like a giant swing set. As Ocean Motion picks up speed, riders begin to experience a weightlessness sensation. The tip of the boat swings to a towering height of 65 feet.

3. Water rides! Especially Thunder Canyon:
Thunder Canyon is a 1,600-foot-long white-water rafting ride. Guests ride in 12-passenger rafts that are sent through churning rapids, propelled by the powerful wave action of an elaborate pumping system. Located along the Frontier Trail, Thunder Canyon is one of the park’s two full-sized water rides


4. Camp Snoopy!

5. The Skyride

6. The Happy Friar Snack stand
Cheese On-A-Stick, Fresh Garlic Parmesan Fries, Fresh Homemade French Fries, Frozen Carbonated Beverages (Cherry or Blue Raspberry), Hot Dog On-A-Stick, Mini Corn Dogs 12 pc., Mini Corn Dogs With Fries, Soft Drinks (Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Orange Slice, Sierra Mist, Unsweetened Tea, Pink Lemonade, Code Red), Toppings (Double Extra Cheese Sauce, Extra Chili, Extra Garlic)
YUMMY!



7.The Shows! One time we saw this hilarious comic magician who inflated an enormous balloon and got inside it and did all sorts of silly stuff. He was a riot! This year's must-see is Snoopy on ice!

8. The landscaping is amazing. I can't even manage to mow my yard weekly (or weakly) and these people plant flowers in the shapes of all things imaginable. Sure, they are nothing compared to Disney topiaries, but still quite impressive for a place in the armpit of the great lakes with growing season approximately as long as the lifespan of a common mayfly. Wish I could find a good photo of it! I guess I'll have to try to take one myself!


9. Cedar Downs Racing Derby. Call it my competitive nature, but I have always loved this carousel. I don't think I've ridden it with my daughter yet. Maybe this is the year to start! Sixty-four horses race four-abreast around the track on the Cedar Downs Racing Derby, one of three carousels at Cedar Point. The horses move back and forth producing a racing effect. The momentum of the ride increases until it reaches a speed of approximately 15 mph.

10. Yay! It's only an hour and a half from home!

(due to technical diffulties, I may end up posting this when I return from CP on Thursday. We appear to be experiencing connection issues tonight!)

Ten Things Too Late for Tuesday (teacher apprec)

Teacher Appreciation ideas for this week - Teacher appreciation week - or any other time.

1. Basket of flavored coffee. We also gifted our teachers with a coffee maker by Cuisinart on Monday.

2. "Thank you for MOLDing the future" gift bags including tiny play-dough packets

3. "Thank you for planting the seeds of success" gift card including flower seeds

4. Organize a potluck or cater in lunch

5. Teacher's Hall of Fame: Each class makes a poster regarding how much they appreciate their teacher, and they are all hung in the hallway.

6. Fill photo album with pictures of the class and tie it with a bow!

7. "we are so FORTUNE-ate to have you as a teacher" label on box of fortune cookies

8. Have children make special card for teacher

9. Don't forget your "specials" teachers

10. Gift certificates - you can't go wrong!