It's BYOC time!

You know the drill by now... I answer random questions and then hopefully you do the same on your blog! Two of the blogs I follow, Joanna and Drazil do this so of course I have to copy them...

1. What is the absolute worst thing you hate to clean or cleaning chore you hate the most? (vacuuming, dusting, laundry, toilets, floors, etc.)

I will start by saying that I used to enjoy cleaning. Something about cleaning our home and keeping it nice. Not so much anymore. I think because I seem to be so busy, I have to make time to clean and honestly, I’d rather be doing something else. So here is my list of hates:

Dusting the furniture – I have 2 Aussies who shed a lot and we have dark, almost black, furniture. Got the visual now? Yea…. I used to be able to get away with not dusting every time I cleaned but now I really have to dust weekly. Otherwise it looks like someone threw up dog hair all over the furniture. (at the same time I’d just like to say that I love my crazy-shedding Aussies very much and would not trade them for anything.)

Cleaning the bathroom – it’s just gross. The sad thing is it’s just hubby and I – that’s it. Really we aren’t messy people. But our bathroom is just gross when it comes time to give it a good cleaning.

Folding laundry – it’s just a pain. And again, it’s just the two of us. And we don’t have a lot of clothes. But I still hate folding laundry.

Gee, now I’m super duper excited about cleaning this weekend. I can’t WAIT to get started. Ugh.

2. Brown or Black? Fly or Drive? Hot dog or Burger? Gold or Silver?

Brown or black? Um, both. I always say black is my favorite color, it’s very slimming. I have a lot of it. My closet is pretty drab and boring. With that said, I also like brown, especially in the fall.

Fly or drive? Rarely do I have occasion to fly, but I am very excited about this Thanksgiving and flying to California with hubby and Mommy. It will be bittersweet as it will be our first Thanksgiving without my dad and it’s been many many years since my mom has travelled out there. But it will be very nice to spend time with the family and I am looking forward to meeting hubby’s cousin who he hasn’t seen in years.  As for driving… I do a lot of it and I am always happy to not have to drive. So if the question is which would I prefer to do if I had the choice on a trip? I’d probably say fly, but maybe drive. All depends on my moo.

Hot dog or burger? This is a funny question because when we cookout and we have both, I will eat both. Why have to make a decision like that? But if I had to choose, it would be a burger. As much as I like hot dogs, I always wonder why I ate it later on. Doesn’t always seem to sit right with me.

Gold or silver?  Gold. All my jewelry is gold. I like silver, I think it’s very pretty, but it doesn’t look right on me. So gold it is.

3. Repeat question: I’m going to pick a person not knowing your relationship with them or even if a relationships exists – and you then try to describe that person in 5 short sentences/words.
Maternal Grandmother

Funny

Loud

Full of laughter

Loving

Proud

My grandma passed away 17 years ago. She was such a character. I miss her laughter. Wherever she was, there was laughter and it was LOUD. I would love to sit and talk to her now and her that laughter.

4. Even if you don’t have kids, how do you feel about kids in multiple sports during their school years? Were you in MULTIPLE sports all during school? Forced or by choice?

Okay, so we don’t have kids. But I grew up always doing some sort of activity. Not always a sport necessarily, but something extra-curricular. When I was very young, I took dance – tap, ballet, gymnastics. I also played tennis and softball. I was a brownie and a girl scout. In the 4^th grade, I started playing flute in the school band and played all the way through my senior year in high school. I was always busy with something and I loved it. It worked for me – I was able to do what I needed to do with my school work and stay on top of things. I would like to think that if we were lucky enough to have kids and had the resources to do so, our children would be in activities as well.

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in real life and in blog land.

Whew, this was a busy week. Blog land was not as active as I’d like it to be, but that usually correlates with how my real life week is going. In real life, I got in another full week of walking/running (every day from Saturday – Wednesday and then I take Thursday and Friday off as rest days). I also decided that I REALLY want to sign up for a 5k to run in the fall. I think I can run a 5K at that point the way I’m going. It would make me feel great about what I’m doing. J Work was busy and despite a crazy rainy stormy day of not getting any work done, we still finished the week getting everything done I had hoped for. And when I weighed in this morning at WW, I was down another pound. GO ME!!! There was a lot of running, walking, protein, and water this week. It worked this week so I kept it up again. A successful week indeed.

If you do your own BYOC, be sure to let me know so I can read it!

You know what time it is.... BYOC!!!

If you follow my blog, surely you know what BYOC is by now. I got this from my fave blogger Joanna, which she got from Drazil. I follow both of them. If you haven’t checked them out, now is the time to do so. After you read mine, of course. J Here goes...

I’m going to pick a person in your life – not knowing if you have a good or bad, existing or non-existent relationship with them – and your mission is to pick 5 words or traits or thoughts to describe them.
Your paternal grandmother.

      This is a really hard one….  She passed away when I was only 6 months old so I never knew her.  So,   this answer will be based on pictures I have seen of her.

Fashionable

Serious

Strong

Well-travelled

Stern

     I *really* wish I could answer this better and from actually knowing her. =(

What’s your all time favorite color to paint your nails? And your toes?

 My fave color for my toes is an OPI color, I’m Not Really A Waitress. I used to have a bottle at home and would take it with me when I had a pedi. I haven’t had a pedi in forever, not do I have the color anymore but I love it. It’s a dark red color.

I am a clear polish girl for my nails, when I have nails to paint. Color does not stay on me, it will always chip. When I used ot have my nails done, I would do French manicure but that requires nails other than mine. =)

Do you get along with your parents well?

This is an easy one – YES. My mom and I are best friends. We work together and get along very well and support each other in everything. =)

My dad and I were very close. I miss him so much. =(

Speaking of rainbows – rank the rainbow colors in the order you prefer.

Pink

Red

Blue

Yellow

Orange

Green

Purple

Pink is my first choice because it is my niece’s favorite color. Her whole world is pink and it’s adorable.

Repeat question. How was your week in real life and in blog land this week?

In real life, I busted my ass this week. I worked out hard, made some changes to my food choices, kept up the water, and it all paid off when I got on the scale this morning at WW and was down 2.4 pounds. I was ecstatic because I gained 2.6 pounds last week, so of course I had to get rid of those before I can move on. So now it’s time to move on to the next couple of pounds that is between me and my goal. Slowly but surely I will get there.

In blog land, I have been keeping up with my fave blogs although I have not had time to comment on them. I feel bad about that but working out hard means something has to give. But if I follow you, know I am reading up on your posts. J I wrote a pretty deep post on Wednesday about my dad. It was hard to write, I sat on it for a few days, but I’m glad I put it out there. It made me feel a little better. As I say each week, I hope to keep up with my blog this coming week and keep everyone entertained and coming back for more.

If you do your own BYOC, be sure to let me know so I can read it!

Time for a little BYOC!!!

It’s FRIDAY!!! TGIF!!! In blog land, this means it’s BYOC (Bring Your Own Crazy), some random question answering that helps you to get to know me a little better and have some insight into the silliness that is me.

Everyone knows I follow Joanna’s blog over at Diary of a Mad, Fat Woman and she does BYOC. We both follow Draz’s blog over at It's Just Me, Drazil, & Sheniqua, and she does BYOC. Hence BYOC here on my blog. I had to join in the fun.

1. Sun or rain? Roses or tulips? Romantic movie or comedy?

Given the fact that I live in Florida, the sunshine state, there is a lot of sun. But we also have a lot of rain, depending on the time of year. I prefer sun, does much better for my mood than rain, especially during the day. However,  if I am home for the night, I do love a good rain when I’m all cozy in my bed.

I’m not much of a flower person, but I would pick roses for sure.

I love both romantic movies and comedies. My hubby is a fan of both also and will watch the same movies over and over with me. (shhhh, I didn’t tell anyone that, especially the part about how he likes romantic movies). J

2.  Draz has been sick lately and hasn't eaten in two days - except for ice cream...which leads her to ask - what's your favorite ice cream flavor?

Tricky question… It all depends on where I get the ice cream. If it’s from Cold Stone, I love the Cake N Shake (yummy cake batter flavored ice cream, which I may as well apply directly to my hips). If it’s from DQ, I like their vanilla with cheery sundae topping – very simple and super yummy. If it’s from Toppers, a local ice cream shop close to my house, I like their birthday cake twist (evil) OR their sugar-free non-fat chocolate with bananas. And then there are the options of store-bought ice cream.  Ben N Jerry’s Smores or Cake Batter flavors are yummy and evil all at once. I also like Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Raspberry bars. And lastly, if I buy the Publix store brand, my favorite and most evil of all is Cappuccino Fudge Blitz – OMG, I could drown myself in the container.

You probably think I eat a lot fo ice cream given my lengthy answer, but I really don’t. J

3. Are you a door locker - in your house and car?

Oh yea, OCD door locker here...  I will check the door at least 3 times when I am the last one to leave the house.  My car locks itself when I start driving, but if it did not, I would do it.

Funny thing is, I am not OCD about locking the door when I am home. I mean, I lock the door, but I do it and it’s done. No double-checking and triple checking. Also, if I leave the house with my hubby and he locks the door, I have no question about him locking it. It takes the pressure off me to do it.

I know, I’M WEIRD.

4. In the spirit of Draz being sick and wanting to die - tell me your "go to remedies" for when you are sick?

Thankfully, I *rarely* get sick. I know, I am lucky. If I do or if I’m feeling under the weather, I have a few tricks up my sleeves that usually work. Take a hot bath (works for aches and pains), take Nyquil (usually knocking myself out will help me sleep and wake up feeling better), a humidifier works for a stuffy nose, and ice pack on the back of my neck will help with a headache.

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in blog land and in real life.

My week in blog land was almost non-existent, being so busy in real life. In real life, we have family in town which meant for a lot of fun, laughing, game-playing, and (sigh) weight gain. I am up 2.6 lbs. this week as of my WW weigh-in this morning. I knew it was going to be up and I don’t regret any of the fun we had that kept me busy and away from my much-needed routine of walking and eating well. But, I’m kind of getting tired of hearing myself say that I had a weight gain and oh yeah, I expected it. Blah, blah, blah. Tomorrow is day 1 of a what I will strive to make a week of healthy eating choices and activity, starting with a 10-mile walk with my sister-in-law.

I hope you all have a great weekend!! If you happen to do your own BYOC, please let me know so I can visit your blog and read your answers!

BYOC!!! (It is Friday after all....)

My new friend Joanna does BYOC on her blog every Friday and I have taken to doing it as well. It's fun. You can read Joanna's blog at Diary of a Mad, Fat Woman . Another blogger I just recently added to my list of faves does it as well, she goes by Drazil and you can find her at It's Just Me, Drazil & Sheniqua . You should take a moment out of your day to check both of them out....

1. Let’s do something crazy….I’m going to list the rainbow colors and you type the first FOOD item that pops into your head that symbolizes that color for you…..here’s mine:

Red - TomatoesOrange – Orange  (most boring answer EVER!)Yellow - PineappleGreen – Zucchini   (new recipe I read today has zucchini in it so it’s been on my mind all day!)Blue – Blue corn chips  (I am totally stealing this as this was mentioned in WW this morning, but man they sound good!)Purple – Eggplant

Brown -  Chocolate, duh. My mom says chocolate should be a vitamin and I whole-heartedly agree.Black – Black beans  (mmm, black beans and rice sounds fabulous right now)

**What is super funny about this question is we specifically discussed this at WW this morning in relation to fruits and veggies.
2. What is on your kitchen table right now?

Only thing on my kitchen table is an old-fashioned diner-type radio, salt/pepper shakers, and two candles. This table stays pretty clean. My dining room table, on the other hand, is the catch all for everything and it drives me INSANE.
3. What movie do you watch again and again and again? Not like what movie have you seen 5 times…but like what movie have you seen 30 times or more?

I love, love, love My Big Fat Greek Wedding, probably seen it at least 30 times. If I like a movie and if it comes on, I will watch it, no matter how many times I’ve seen it. Forrest Gump would be another one. Other than that, I am drawing a total blank. Ugh.
4. If Satan had a last name – what would it be?

I have a hard time with this one. My friend Joanna thinks Satan should just have one name, it doesn’t sound right to give him a last name.
5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in blogland and in real life.

Blogland has been good, although I had hoped to update my blog a little more than I did. I have really enjoyed reading the blogs I follow this week. I especially look forward to BYOC, it’s fun to answer random questions.

In real life, the week definitely got better as it went on. I walked an extra day this week (still one day short of my goal, but one day more than last week) and I got my water back to 64 oz. of water a day. I weighed in at WW this morning and I am down the 1.2 lbs. that I gained last week. I was so happy with that. I still say when I really stay on top of the water, it really makes a difference.

Work was exhausting as usual but it’s now Friday afternoon and I survived.

Life with my two crazy Aussie’s has been fun this week. They are just the cutest things and I love it when they are all snuggly. I can’t get enough of them.

I am doing an 8-mile training walk with my sister-in-law tomorrow morning which will be great. I am excited about it. The last one we did together was 6 miles. I am up for the extra 2 miles – BRING IT ON.

Two of my fabulous aunts are coming in from California late Tuesday. To say that I cannot wait to see them is a huge understatement. I want them to get here now. Lots of fun and togetherness planned…

If you do your own BYOC, be sure to come back and share the link here so I can go read it. HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

p.s. please forgive the weird spacing on this post. for the life of me, i cannot fix it. gggrrrrr..

BYOC - Bring Your Own Crazy

Again following the lead of my hero-blogger Joanna, I'm starting a new Friday tradition here on my blog. I answer random questions so you can get to know me better. Hopefully you will follow my lead and do the same so I can get to know you better. See, it can work for both of us!

If you were asked to symbolize yourself as an animal – which animal would you be?
I think anyone could probably answer this for me.  I would be a dog. It’s no secret that I love dogs, I’ve been a dog lover for as long as I can remember. We have always had dogs and they were all very special. So, why would I be a dog? That’s easy… I could love everyone around me unconditionally and not be judged. I would make people feel better just by being around them. I wouldn’t have to worry about anything except when my next nap would be. I could go to the bathroom just about anywhere outside. I wouldn’t have to worry about when or what to eat because someone else would feed me. And, I would be super cute. Dogs are adorable.

Did you ever play an organized sport – with coaches, rules and scoring? Tell us about it.
Let’s see… I’ve played tennis and softball. I loved tennis, I wish I had not stopped playing it. I also enjoyed softball but I don’t remember it quite as well as tennis. I was a pretty active kid, always doing something whether it was dance, tennis, or softball. In the 4^th grade, I started playing the flute and played all the way through high school. (Joanna – I, too, was a band geek!) I was in marching band and concert band. For two years, I was a squad leader in marching band. One year I also took choir, and I took music theory. Band was my life, I loved it and wanted to be a band director. Clearly that didn’t happen.

When did you start shaving your legs?
Geez, I don’t really remember. If I had to guess, I was probably 13 or 14??

When you’re in a crabby – pissy – want to stab everyone you see kind of mood – what do you do to get out of it or do you revel in it?
I do my best to TRY and hide my bad moods, but they usually become apparent when it gets to be too much and then I just become a real grouch. If I’m REALLY crabby / pissy, I just cry because I can’t keep it in any longer. This is why walking is so important to me. I say it a lot, but it’s just as much for my mental health as it is for my physical health. It clears my head and I’m able to shut things out and just not think about them.

5. Summarize your week in blogland and in real life.
Blogland has been good. I’ve been pretty active after a couple weeks of not having much to say. I am trying to get more followers so hopefully my blog is interesting to people. I know I love to read blogs, surely there is someone out there who likes to read mine.  =) Real life has been busy. Why is it that short, holiday weeks seem so long??? I mean, I only worked 4 days (technically 3 ½) but the week seemed to go on forever. Lots of crap happening at work, bad weather, had to drive 200 miles round trip yesterday…. Yea – it’s been a busy week. This morning was my WW meeting - tomorrow's post will be about that. I am SO glad it’s the officially the weekend.

If you happen to do your own BYOC post on your blog, be sure to post a link here so I can read it!