1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave acomment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

1.  I am terrified of spiders, but sometimes I can find the presence of mind to actually set a spider free.   Such was the case with two of the large spiders I found in my apartment last summer.   Inside, I am running away, screaming, but also am proud of myself for not mushing the spider on the wall with my latest copy of “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”  

2.  I was a summer school junkie most of my school days.   I took French/Spanish/German, Driver’s Ed and various art classes… for fun.

3.  I like to take things apart.. like telephones and computers and televisions…   If it’s a computer, I’m fixing it.  If it’s not, then.. not so much.  

4.  I played alto sax for a short period of time.   I started playing in my early 30’s.

5.  My first real pet was a rabbit.    He was a netherland dwarf, named FooFoo.   I was in my 20’s.

6.  I have a motorcycle license and I’m not afraid to use it.     I have better luck on motorcycles than in cars, anyway.

Tagging:  Irish Pisky, Melissa, Jennifer, Jenny, Flighty

My ex… Hmmm… I might skip this one for now, because I have nothing interesting to say about it.

Maybe I should… take a vacation or move to the beach!

I love… my family, Ian, Jane, strong coffee, all animals, gardening, cooking/baking, cuddling, walks on the beach, conversations over MSN.

People would say… I’m really patient.

I don’t understand… bigots, people who are intolerant (in general), people who flip people off in traffic, war.., how people do math in their head.

When I wake up in the morning… I need a shower and loads of coffee!

I lost… my grandparents entirely too early.

Life is full of… challenges and laid back moments..

My past is… relatively normal.

I get annoyed when… I get overwhelmed with work I don’t understand. This is a good time to walk away and take a deep breath or two.

Parties are… fun, but not a common thing for me. I did loads of parties in college.    I’d go with the right person.. to have fun!

I wish… for plane tickets.

Dogs… are fun, but need loads of attention.

Cats… are cool and keep themselves entertained.

Tomorrow… my dream might be closer than it is today.

I have low tolerance… for mean people and negativity

If I had a million dollars… quit my job, get rid of all my stuff, grab my daughter and move to England or the beach, make sure my family is “set”, give money to charity.

I’m totally terrified of… spiders, heights, enclosed spaces..

Five years ago, my daughter was two.     I was working a different job, making lots more money than I am today, but I was not happy doing that job.    That’s about all I remember, really.

Five snacks I enjoy

1. Popcorn

2. Apples

3. Crackers/Peanuts in the shell

4. Grape Tomatoes

5. Ok, Oreos, or something sweet.

Five things I would do if I were a billionaire.

1.  I would buy a plane and hire someone to fly it.    Then I would use the plane to go wherever I wanted (mostly England, and maybe Paris, Cyprus and Spain)

2.   Give to charity

3.  Retire, and then do work I really want to do, like brushing horses or something.

4.  Buy a nice house

5.  Share with my friends, of course, and family.

Five places I have lived

1. Peoria, Illinois

2. Council Bluffs, Iowa

3. Omaha, Nebraska

4. Denton, Texas

Hmm.. I think 4 is it!

FIve jobs I have had

1. A line cook at the hospital.     I made breakfast (mostly eggs), cashiered and kept the salad bar full.   

2. A ticket salesperson/concession stand person at a local cinema.    Free popcorn did it for me!

3. A call center PC technician  (that job from 5 years ago).

4. A farm worker…  I “rogued” corn.  In other words, I walked down the rows of corn and chopped down the volunteer corn.   ALL CORN MUST BE IN A STRAIGHT ROW.    I have no idea why.   lol

5. A summer camp counselor.    This was one of my first jobs.     It  was a fun job, and not very difficult.

4 movies I’d watch again:
Serendipity, You’ve Got Mail, The Shawshank Redemption, The Lake House

4 places I’ve lived:
Omaha, NE, Council Bluffs, IA, Peoria, IL, Denton, TX

4 TV shows I watch:
Friends, Medium, (the morning news), The View (I watch it mostly for the bickering)

4 people I email:
Jane, Ian, My Parents, Aileen

4 things I eat:
Cheese, Popcorn, Tilapia, Pasta

4 places I’d rather be:
England, Paris, Bahamas, Jamaica (mon)

(Just visiting? Take the free test and determine your personality type!)

The dreamy idealist is very cautious and therefore often appears shy and reserved to others. He shares his rich emotional life and his passionate convictions with very few people. But one would be very much mistaken to judge him to be cool and reserved. He has a pronounced inner system of values and clear, honourable principles for which he is willing to sacrifice a great deal. Johanna von Orleans or Sir Galahad would have been good examples of this personality type. He is always at great pains to improve the world. He can be very considerate towards others and does a lot to support them and stand up for them. He is interested in his fellow beings, attentive and generous towards them. Once his enthusiasm for an issue or person is aroused, he can become a tireless fighter.

For the dreamy idealist, practical things are not really so important. He only busies himself with mundane everyday demands when absolutely necessary. He tends to live according to the motto “the genius controls the chaos” – which is normally the case so that he often has a very successful academic career. He is less interested in details; he prefers to look at something as a whole. This means that he still has a good overview even when things start to become hectic. However, as a result, it can occasionally happen that he overlooks something important. As he is very peace-loving, he tends not to openly show his dissatisfaction or annoyance but to bottle it up. Assertiveness is not one of his strong points; he hates conflicts and competition. He prefers to motivate others with his amicable and enthusiastic nature. Whoever has him as superior will never have to complain about not being given enough praise.

As at work, the dreamy idealist is a helpful and loyal friend and partner, a person of integrity. Obligations are absolutely sacred to him. The feelings of other are important to him and he loves making other people happy. He is satisfied with just a small circle of friends; his need for social contact is not very marked as he also needs a lot of time to himself. Superfluous small talk is not his thing. If one wishes to be friends with him or have a relationship with him, one would have to share his world of thought and be willing to participate in profound discussions. If you manage that you will be rewarded with an exceptionally intensive, rich partnership. Due to his high demands on himself and others, this personality type tends however to sometimes overload the relationship with romantic and idealistic ideas to such an extent that the partner feels overtaxed or inferior. The dreamy idealist does not fall in love head over heels but when he does fall in love he wants his to be a great, eternal love.

Adjectives which describe your type

introverted, theoretical, emotional, spontaneous, idealistic, dreamy, effusive, pleasant, reserved, friendly, passionate, loyal, perfectionist, helpful, creative, composed, curious, obstinate, with integrity, willing to make sacrifices, romantic, cautious, shy, peace-loving, vulnerable, sensitive, communicative, imaginative

Booze of choice: Toss up between Cuervo Tequila and any type of wine, preferably Cabernet.

Chore I hate: Cleaning the bathrooms is always loads of fun.

Dog or Cat: I’m a cat person who owns dogs instead (a golden retriever and a miniture schnauzer)

Essential electronics: Laptop, iPod (4gb Nano), cell phone

Favorite cologne/perfume:   If I do put something on, it’s a natural spray of some sort.  Normally,  I just like to smell like myself.

Gold or Silver:  Silver

Hometown: Born in Peoria, IL, lived in Omaha, Nebraska for much of my life.. oh, short stint in Denton, Texas during college.

Insomnia: Not really… although I do wake up quite early every day (shhhh)

Job Title:   IT Specialist

Kids:   One of my own; two stepkids.

Living Arrangement: A house, although I prefer apartments. 

Most-admired trait:   forgiving and understanding

Number of Sexual Partners:   Lol.   get lost.

Overnight Hospital Stays:  A couple, actually.  Once for severe headaches (migraines), one for dehydration when I was diagnosed with mononucleosis (just out of high school) and one when I had my daughter.

Phobia:   Heights, closed in spaces, spiders

Quote:   You must be the change you want to see in the world.   Mahatma Gandhi

Religion: Christian… mostly non-practicing

Siblings: Two brothers, both younger.

Time I wake up: 0430

Unusual talent/skill:    I can pick up things with my feet.  I am part monkey. 

Vegetable I refuse to eat: brussel sprouts.  blech.

Worst habit:   Getting frustrated with finding a place for things, and then just deciding to leave them where they are.       I’m so glad for online bill paying.   I at least get to not collect bills.   I just toss them in the shredder and use the online.   One less pile of stuff.      I have regular cleaning sprees, where a lot of stuff goes directly to the trash.  hehe

X-rays: Last one was a mammography, I imagine.

Yummy foods I make:   I pick pizza, green salad and a really good white wedding cake (from scratch.  I’m not kidding).   Veal parmesan, anyone?   Chicken cordon bleu?

Zodiac sign: Cancer, all the way, baby.  “To be a Cancerian is to be blessed with an infallible inner radar screen. It is to care, passionately, about the people who matter to you and the causes that have meaning to you. It is to know, always, what must be done and why – and never to be wrong. Yet it is also to feel your best is never good enough, even though it certainly is. “

What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now?

Dial

Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator?

Never!

What would you change about your living room?

I would change the windows into windows that opened. Right now, they are just sheets of glass.

Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty?

Dirty.. waiting for a full load so I can clean them

What is in your fridge?

The standard stuff… milk, cheese, ribs for dinner, fruit, snacks for my daughter, tons of condiments

White or wheat bread?

white

What is on top of your refrigerator?

Boxed snacks like cereal bars and a couple boxes of cereal

What color or design is on your shower curtain?

It’s beige fabric with leaves and flowers on it

How many plants are in your home?

2 – an african violet and some other plant.. not sure what it is

Is your bed made right now?

yes

Comet or Soft Scrub?

I believe comet

Is your closet organized?

You’re kidding, right?

Can you describe your flashlight?

That’s the thing with the bulb in it, right? I think it’s orange. Don’t ask me where it is.

Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home?

either

Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now?

no

If you have a garage, is it cluttered?

Not TOO bad. We do manage to fit one car and two motorcycles in there, along with every tool and implement known to man.

Curtains or blinds?

Both

How many pillows do you sleep with?

2. One hard one and one really soft one

Do you sleep with any lights on at night?

If I am alone, I do sleep with the TV on. Otherwise, no.

How often do you vacuum?

Right now, all our carpet is torn up, so not at all. Normally, 2 times a week.

Standard toothbrush or electric?

Standard

What color is your toothbrush?

White and pink

Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch?

yes

What is in your oven right now?

a couple of racks

Is there anything under your bed?

no.. just cleaned it out

Chore you hate doing the most?

putting clothes away

What retro items are in your home?

don’t have any

Do you have a separate room that you use as an office?

yes. We call it “the computer room”

How many mirrors are in your home?

3

What color are your walls?

kitchen – cinnamon living room (downstairs) – brick bath and bedroom – light green bathroom – cream bedroom – purple (the little kid’s room) office – medium blue Everything else is white.

Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home?

Do kitchen knives count?

What does your home smell like right now?

Nothing in particular

Favorite candle scent?

vanilla

What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now?

bread and butter chips

What color is your favorite Bible?

black

Ever been on your roof?

no

Do you own a stereo?

yes. There is one in a rack

How many TVs do you have?

5

How many house phones?

3

Do you have a housekeeper?

No

What style do you decorate in?

Traditional, I guess

Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints?

prints

Is there a smoke detector in your home?

of course. Several

In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip?

My family and my pets. I don’t care about the rest.

Thanks for visiting Lisa’s Place.

1. What’s in your medicine cabinet? Well, the official medicine cabinet has vitamins (men’s, women’s, children’s), a potpouri of prescription meds, some Tylenol, Motrin, Aspirin and cold medication. Oh, and 2 large bottles of flax seed oil (not mine)

2. What’s in your wallet? credit cards, my driver’s license, and that’s pretty much it. I don’t carry cash.

3. What’s in your bag/briefcase/backpack/purse? My purse contains my wallet and hopefully my car keys. During the week, it could also contain my cell phone, my ipod, my ipod charger, a can of diet Coke and a Yoplait yogurt.

4. What’s in your glove box? My car’s owner’s manual and various repair and maintenance receipts.

5. What’s in your imagination? Right now, I am imagining being asleep. I’m quite tired.

Thanks for visiting Lisa’s Place.

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Cookie Dough Oatmeal

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
Janis (I used someone else’s name)

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Gray Dog

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Marie Peoria

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Anije (someone else’s name)

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Pink Margarita

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Andrew Howard

9.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )
Ann Earl

10. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Olson Ontario

11. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Autumn Lily

12. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Raspberry Tshirtie

13. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Pancake BlueSpruce

14. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)
The Crochet Lightening Tour

Thanks for visiting Lisa’s Place.

Soup
Name something that made you smile this week.
TLK and I made a diorama. I’ve never made a diorama before, but it was an interesting project. It is not every day that you see a rabbit, wolf, dog, cat and bird peacefully cohabitating.

Salad
What do you do to cool off when the weather is hot and humid?
Spend time in the air conditioning, or go swimming

Main Course
You receive $1,000 in the mail with a letter that says you can only use the money to redecorate one room in your home. Which room do you pick, and what do you buy to spruce it up?
My bedroom. I would have the carpet ripped up and put wood floors in. The walls would be repainted, the closets redone and furniture bought/replaced.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: My _________ says __________, but I __________.
My alarm clock says “Wake up”, but I would rather sleep.

a meme from Friday’s Feast

Thanks for visiting Lisa’s Place.