Getting To Know You, Getting To Know All About You

You know them. We love them. And I can’t live without them. It is a getting to know you quiz!

YAAAAAAAAAAAY (In the voice of Kermit on the Muppet Show)

Please feel free to share your own answers to the questions. And yes, I know there are a lot, but I really want to know about you :)

1. What is your name and do you have any nicknames? Jennifer. I prefer Jenn and close family will call me Jennie. I will also respond to bitch or sexy.

2. What color are your socks right now? Gray with red and blue spots

3. What are you listening to right now? Yahooooooo Radio.

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Fresh cherries…..I am addicted to them

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Nope, but I have always wanted to learn

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Terry, yesterday

7. Last place you went on vacation? Um, New Orleans in 2004 :( Someone needs a vacation.

8. What Hobbies do you have? I love crafts. I enjoy crocheting, needlepoint, scrapbooking, and anything else that is craft related.

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? There are not too many I really enjoy. I do think snowboarding is fun to watch. (YAY winter Olympics soon!)

10. What is your favorite drink? Milk

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Oh please...yes, many a times

12. Favorite food? CHEESE PLEASE

13. What is the last movie you watched? Whip It (LOVED it!)

14. Favorite day of the year? Birthday

15. How do you vent anger? I actually really enjoy screaming loudly, throwing something, or hitting a pillow. I might have some anger issues. However, if I get really angry sometimes I will just completely shut up and not want to be around anyone.

16. What was your favorite toy as a child? My kitty stuffed animal has always been my favorite “toy”. I also loved micro machines, my little ponies, legos, my lite bright, and crayons.

17. What is your favorite season? 100% Fall

18. Cherries or Blueberries? Fresh Cherries…see #4

19. What is your occupation right now? Secretary

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? I think I am going to get my Masters in Recreational Therapy.

21. What state (or country for our international bloggers) do you live and what State or Country would you like to live some day? I live in Ohio. I actually do not mind Ohio because I enjoy seasons. I have always thought living in one of the New England States would be nice.

22. Living arrangements? Own a house with my husband. My sister also lives with us and is a lovely houseguest, when she unloads the dishwasher and does whatever I say.

23. Do you have any pets? Yes, two cats. Sebastian & Belle.

24. What is on the floor of your closet? The question is what is NOT on the floor of my closet. I just throw stuff in there, so really I have no idea.

25. What are three of your favorite items at the moment? I got a Y-peeler for Christmas and I seriously do not know how I peeled vegetables without it. Love it. Scarves, never leave home without one. Yahoo Radio….because it allows me to tune out all the annoying things I would hear during a work day.

26. What did you do last night? Cooked risotto with asparagus & spinach, and watched White Collar and the State of the Union.

27. Any news you want to share? I lost 28 pounds and am trying to lose more. Check out my blog HERE! (plug)

28. What do you like on your hamburgers? Cheese…see #12, avocado, tomato, mustard.

29. Favorite dog breed? Golden Retrievers

30. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

31. How many states have you lived in? 1 ¼ (lived in FL for only a few months for an internship)

32. Diamonds or pearls? Pearls if I had to choose one of those, but I really prefer gemstones.

33. What is your favorite flower? Lilies

34. Favorite meal you have ever had at a restaurant and which restaurant was it? Martini’s Italian Restaurant in Columbus. I think they have since changed their menu, but it was this pasta with a vodka sauce and chicken, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and this cheese I have never had on top. I seriously salivate when I think of it.

35. What music are you currently listening to? 30 Seconds to Mars new album, Wolfmothers new album, Kings of Leon, The Killers & Muse seem to be in constant rotation at the moment.

36. What is one fun thing you are looking forward to in the coming year? My sister in law (who I do not get to hang out with much), her sister, her mom, my sister and our mother in law are going to start getting together once a month in the evening to do crafts, eat and drink! This should be fun.

My Weight Loss Blog - PLEASE CHECK IT OUT!

I have a new(er) blog. It is a rather personal blog about something that I have been struggling with my whole life....my weight. I have been reluctant to make it public, but I feel that it is a good time as getting healthy is my new focus and of course any extra encouragement would be fantastic!

Please check it out HERE. I have noticed many bloggers who have been working to get healthier and I hope that if you are looking to lose weight and/or get healthier that you will share your stories and progress on the blog as well! I hope to share my success as well, 28 pounds down already!!!

I plan on having some fun tips, articles, questions that will all be focused around being healthy. So check it out! And with any new blog, it is a work in progress :)

Thank You For The Obvious

This was on the pump at the gas station.

"Please Prepay in Advance"

I am SO glad this was there as I was confused as to when exactly I should Prepay for my gas. Phew, this sign saved me from look'n a fool.

Confession

I think, no I know, I have a crush on Adam Lambert.


This is him waving at me. Hi Adam, can I be your beard?!



Yes, I am aware I may not be the type of person he fancies but that does not matter. I am also aware that he wears an excessive amount of guyliner, that he is a bit on the glam side of poprock, and that his pants can be tighter than a pair of leggings but there is something I find extremely attractive about him. I love his voice, I like the clothes he wears, I like the glam/rocker edge, he is tall, I like that he is well-spoken in interviews, and YES I think he is really cute. I love him so much I even forced myself to watch Oprah so I could see his interview…that is serious.

I have yet to get his CD, but I have heard many of the songs and they are good…more so he is good. However, I think when he can make a CD he wants it will not be as “pop” and will be more rock and show his amazing vocal skills and that is what I want to hear. However, I did see the video for his single from the soundtrack 2012….awesome. See it HERE.

Here is his latest single.


Watch CBS News Videos Online

On a side note, I was thinking (as a lover of rock music) it is interesting how many women over the years have found those glam/rock artists very attractive and how both gay and straight men have tried that feminine look “for the music”. They have been wearing makeup, spandex and tight sparkly clothes, big hair, being overtly sexual and going to the extreme for years….and it is ok, right, because they are rock stars! People or bands like David Bowie, The Cure, Motley Crue, Poison, Twisted Sister, Kiss, Prince, Van Halen, Stryper (to name a few) have all donned some sort of the glam side and both men and women have adorn them. Of course, that is not to say that I need any justification for having a crush on him, I just be say’n it is interesting how so many people have found that sort of look attractive. I wonder what Freud would have to say about it.

And since I am in the sharing mood, you want to know another crush confession; I had a crush on Tim Curry when he was in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Yes, I know I may have issues.



I just wanted to be open and honest with my fellow bloggers as I feel that the internet is a safe place to share this information. ;) I also wanted to tell you so incase you come over and see teen beat sized posters of Adam throughout the house you will understand why.

I know I am not the only one with an odd crush. What are yours?!


And for the record, in case you have not met me and my husband and you wonder if I am with someone with that rocker edge, NO my husband is not anywhere close to that. He is a long haired, jeans & t-shirt wearing guy who refuses to even wear chapstick. I guess some weird fantasies should just remain that and not a reality….for now at least.

Talk To Me - Tax “This" Edition

So it is that time of year again….tax time. (insert groans of annoyance here)

I hate getting our taxes done and it seems for the past few years we have not got money back and at times have even owed which is just annoying. Of course we might get some money back if it wasn’t for the fact that last year it cost us $245 to get our taxes done from H&R Block. WHAT?!

We are trying to figure out how to get our taxes done this year. On the one hand I find it completely ridiculous to spend that much money to get our taxes done, especially when we are not getting anything or much back and also because our taxes are not that complicated. However, on the flip side, it is nice to know that they are taking care of everything and getting them done correctly and we do not have to worry about making mistakes.

So here is the question - where do you get your taxes done?

Do you go to a place like H&R Block and spend a little extra for the comfort and convenience of getting your taxes done? Do you do it yourself through a program like Turbo Tax with optimism that it is correct? Do you do it the old fashion way and go to an actual account…if so recommendations?

Hi, My Name Is Jenn and I Love TV

It is true, I love TV. I am not talking like I can not live without TV or I must watch it for 10 hours a day and do nothing else (though if I did choose to watch TV for 10 hours one day and do nothing else I would not feel ashamed); it is more like I find it relaxing and I like to be entertained for a few hours each night. Sure I could find other things to do during the week like working out, reading, cleaning, working on projects around the house but keeping up with the Kardashian’s, seeing another one of Michael’s stunts in the Office, watching House solve another medical mystery while trying to be devoid of any emotional connection with people, relating to the Theories of Leonard & Sheldon, or patiently waiting to see just HOW he met their mother seems far more interesting than anything I could do around the house.

So I say bring on the shows! Seriously, what is going on with new shows this week….it is f’n fantastic! I forgot new shows started up again after the first of the year and was pleasantly surprised Sunday night when I looked at the upcoming recordings and every day had new shows set to record! However, is anyone else’s DVR (’s) full because of all the new shows on this week, or is the H. household the only family addicted to TV? Seriously, if you need me I will be watching TV because I am at 85% on the DVR (’s)…dang HD.

So, what am I watching? Well since we are recording over 40 series between our two DVR’s (yeah, I know) I will just list my 5 favorite TV programs that are currently on.

1. Chuck – New season started this week. Three shows in 2 days, suh-weeeet! I love this show…. Oh, and I totally have a crush on Adam Baldwin. (Firefly/Serenity, anyone?!) Sigh
2. Supernatural – Second half of the season starts January 21
3. Bones – New episode tonight!
4. Psych – New season starts January 27
5. Fringe – New episode tonight!

Honorable mentions (did you really think I could just list 5 shows.)

Favorite reality show: Tough Love. This show is awesome. Steve is awesome!

Favorite new show: Modern Family. I just started watching this a few weeks ago and I love it!

Favorite program that is currently on air: Dr. Who. It is on BBC. It is the perfect amount of sci-fi, humor, cheesyness, drama, and suspense on TV. Just wish David Tennant wasn’t leaving.


What are your favorite shows right now?

Talk to Me – Don’t Be A Slouch Edition

So I don’t typically make resolutions but I think I have finally found a resolution worth making. Fixing my posture. Seriously, my posture SUCKS! I knew my posture wasn’t the best, but a few days ago I was driving in the car and Terry noticed my neck and said I had bad posture and my neck wasn’t straight! Um, what….I don’t want a curved neck!

I don’t know where my bad posture comes from, maybe because I am tall and I have felt the need to always slouch or bend over or maybe it is just because I am lazy or maybe I just have weak muscles. Whatever it is I need to fix it. So I started googling ways to fix bad posture. Of course there are tons of specialized books, pillows, and braces that are designed to help with your posture….all of which cost money and I am sure are not the most effective way to get the best posture. However, most websites did suggest some form of the following tips:

Becoming Aware (This is so true. The past couple days I have been trying to pay attention to my posture and when I slump at my desk. Let me tell you - I slouch over a lot! I have been constantly catching myself.)
Tone Muscles / Exercise (I need to do this. I have noticed that it actually hurts my back if I try to keep good posture for extended periods of time. Not good.)
Position your Head (Need to figure this out, Terry says my neck is starting to curve and therefore I can not keep my head straight. Sad.)
Position your Shoulders (Iactually like the feeling when my shoulders are back….it is like a nice stretch.)
Notice your Knees (This is hard. When I sit at a desk my legs are all over the place, I just can not sit still and sit with my legs and knees straight.)
Relax your Arms (I have monkey arms, so I am afraid if I relax them too much they will drag on the ground.)
Remain Active (Next.)
Relax (I do need to do this, Frankie said so.)

I know I am not alone in this, especially all of us that sit at a desk all day long! I have been thinking that yoga might be a good place to start, but not sure what positions are the best for helping my posture.

So I ask the question – Any tips, exercises, suggestions for getting better posture?! Anyone else have bad posture?

Project Runway – Please Don’t Disappoint Me Again

So I saw that Project Runway is set to return with a new season starting on January 14. Now my Owens friends got me into this show and I have been hooked ever since. I was truly sad when it moved to Lifetime and was off the air for so long. When the new season started I was excited for its return but I am going to be honest I was not that impressed with last season.

I didn’t think the designers were all that great. A few designed some really great items, but overall there was not one single designer that I thought stood out and did a truly amazing job. The entire season just seemed a bit dull. I also was annoyed because it seemed as though I typically disagreed with everything the judges were saying. I would think something was ridiculous and they would love it or I would love something and they hated it. My sister and I watched the season in the hopes it would get better but I think it just got worse.

I am still going to watch the new season this Thursday and I am excited about it, I just hope this season is better than last season!

Will you be watching the new season of Project Runway?

Meet the designers HERE.

Goodbye. Hello!!!

(Ok, I know we are a number of days into the New Year...but I have been on a delay)

So the past couple years I have done a year in review type post to go over the highlights of the year. The past three years have been very crazy with many wonderful times like getting married and friends getting married, buying a house, anniversaries, many friends having kids, getting a job and so many other things, both good and not so good, that have made the years truly memorable.

I have spent the last few weeks trying to make a list for 2009 and though the year had some really great memories, for me, it was a fairly mellow year - which was actually nice. I think it was good my 2009 was more low key, for the first time in about 4+ years, because I am pretty certain the next few years and as we head into another decade, are going to be pretty great and I am really looking forward to the two thousand TENS. (However I do want to acknowledge the excitement that took place for many of my friends in 2009 as many of my friends had a truly memorable year with many pregnancies and beautiful babies born YAY as well as I had a few family members and friends get married!!)

Now, being a 1980’s baby each decade in the year corresponds with me moving into the next decade in my life…which I love! So, to kick off 2010, I am entering my third decade of life and turning 30 in April – YAY! Yes, I said YAY. I am very much looking forward to getting out of my 20’s and getting into my 30’s. My 20’s were fantastic and were full of so many great life experiences (both good and bad) and my 20’s contained an entirely different set of goals and/or expectations for what I wanted in my life. Some I met like graduating college, getting a job in my field, getting married, losing a lot of weight, becoming more comfortable with who I was and who I wanted to be, opening up more and being more sociable (can you believe that I lived in a shell, had few friends, and wasn’t very funny?! As if), making new and lasting friendships, becoming not just independent in my life but with my ideals, developing and expanding on my own beliefs and values, and overall just becoming a stronger and more well-rounded individual. Some things didn’t go like I had wanted like not getting my masters degree, losing and not keeping a job within my field, not having kids, not traveling – specifically to England & Ireland, gaining back the weight I had lost, not always keeping a positive body image, and losing certain friendships. And of course there were all those wonderful other things (both big and small) that happened that I just never expected like getting to live with my sister, seeing my husband go back to school to be a Mortician, visiting and falling in love with my favorite city, New Orleans, and experiencing their culture and food, learning to cook and actually getting to the point where I just love it and am pretty good at (in my early 20’s I called my mom to see how to boil an egg), meeting very special people in my life that I have the privilege to call friends, BLOGGING and developing relationships with people through the blogs, and of course so much more!

Now as 2010 approaches I am excited for the new year not just because of the 2010 year alone but because I feel with the start of this new year as if one chapter in my life is closing and a new one is opening. I feel that in my 20’s I really grew as an individual and now my 30’s will be for a whole new set of life experiences and trying to be the best person, wife, daughter, sister, friend, (someday mother) I can be and for experiencing as much of life as I can. I am looking forward to so many things over the next ten years like turning 30, having kids, getting out of debt (blech) and becoming more financially sound, having closer relationships with my brothers, seeing the path that my sister takes in her life, watching my husband graduate and start his new career, enjoying every moment with my parents, traveling, losing weight and finally being happy with just being healthy, taking an active part in charity events for MS, finishing our current house and finding a home for us and our children to grow up in, getting my masters in Recreational Therapy and starting a new career, forming even closer relationships with my friends and having the opportunities to see our kids grow up together, overall just staying/being happy, and I am looking forward to all the little surprises and moments along the way. Sounds exciting, right?!?!

So, not really a “year in review” but more so just a reflection on where I have come and looking forward to all that could come as we start this new decade. I know some people don’t like to think so far in the future or think like I do, but for me I find comfort and joy in thinking of all that could come even if it is 6 months, a year, five years or 10 years down the road. I have learned more to go with the flow and I try not to plan out the next ten years, but I do have a new set of goals for my 30's. I know life throws curveballs, that is just one of the great life lessons I learned during my 20’s but I also learned that you can make the best out of any situation and wonderful surprises you never expected can happen due to those “curveballs” in life! It truly is exciting to think about what is to come during the next chapter in my life.

So are you happy or sad to see 2000 - 2009 come and go? What were some of the highlights for you last year? What are you looking forward to in 2010 and the next decade?



P.S. Sorry for the lack of blogging and commenting on blogs. Just been crazy busy but I promise I will be catching up and already have a number of posts written for your reading pleasure!!