50 Random things

OK, so you've seen this thing going around, yes? You all know that I am always looking for a way to kill some time between snack breaks, and dear Kirby has met me, so she knows I will freely talk, and talk, and talk about myself. (I swear I tried to let you get some words in Kirby.) 

And now...50 things you didn't realize you wanted to know about me, and may still not recognize the desire, but here we go anyway...

1. What are you wearing? One of my standard Meals on Wheels, who cares if I get it grease decorated ensembles.

2. Ever been in love? Yep!

3. Ever have a terrible break-up? Oh gosh yes. It still makes me cringe.

4. How tall are you? Shorter than my teenage daughter now and that seems to be all that matters.

5. How much do you weigh? Minus water weight?

6. Any tattoos? Do the temporary ones my niece shared with me count?

7. Any piercings? Two in each ear, but I only use one set

8. OTP (One true pair, favorite fictional couple?) Torn between Richie and LoriBeth or Major Hot Lips Houlihan and Major Frank Burns

  
9. Favorite Show? Of all time? I couldn't possibly choose! I sure did love me some Happy Days though...now, it's definitely The Goldbergs

10. Favorite Bands? Certainly not whatever that is usually on the radio. I need a little REM, U2 (most of the rest of the 80's as well), Fountains of Wayne or even Led Zeppelin to calm my nerves. Does Carole King count as a band? If yes, then her too...if not, then her too anyway.

11. Something you miss? The way Coke and Pepsi used to taste

12. Favorite Song? Just going to pick one...ummm...Piece of my Heart

13. How old are you? In dog years?

14. Zodiac sign? Would you believe I am on the cusp between Libra and Scorpio? I blame my indecisiveness on this....I think...

15. Quality to look for in a partner? Sense of humor!

16. Favorite Quote? "Fetchez la vache!"
 
17. Favorite Actor? Jon Stewart
 
18. Favorite Color? Purple
 
19. Loud music or soft? Depends how well I know the words

20. Where do you go when you are sad? First for the tissues and then preferably somewhere where I can organize something
 
21.  How long does it take you to shower? Not very

22.  How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? Depends where I am going which affects how long I twit over what to wear.

23. Ever been in a physical fight? Yep...think less eighth grade bad-ass and more eighth grade jackass
 
24. Turn on? The lights?

25. Turn-off? The lights...oh wait, liars!

26. The reason I started blogging? My facebook posts were getting long and I had so much more to say

27. Fears? Yes, several

28. Last thing that made you cry? Someone saying this was the last year our son would go apple picking with us. Not because it is necessarily true, but rather a reminder of how different things will be when he goes off to college.

29. Last time you said you loved someone? This morning when the kids left for school. I told the dog...um, no.

30. Meaning behind the name of your blog (Maybe It's Just Me)? No secret, just something I seem to say a lot

31. Last book you read? The Art of Fielding

32. Book you are currently reading? Shopaholic

33. Last show you watched? Brooklyn Nine-Nine

34. Last person you talked to? The guy picking up scrap metal on the side of the road

35. The relationship between you and the person you just texted? A friend I met when our sons were in kindergarten.

36. Favorite food? Pizza

37. Place you want to visit? Chicago (and not just for the bloggers)

38. Last place you were? Before I sat down at the computer I was in the kitchen. I feel like this was supposed to be something more glamorous...the grocery store? Yes, nailed it!

39.  Do you have a crush? Meh, I'm kind of over it
 
40. Last time you kissed someone? This morning when I told those folks I loved them
 
41. Last time you were insulted? Hmmm...I feel more shamed lately for my parenting skills, but not necessarily insulted.

42. Favorite flavor of sweet? I guess chocolate, unless it's ice cream, then vanilla with hot fudge on it, and maybe some caramel. Are we almost done because I need a snack now? 

43. What instruments do you play? I can play the violin, but not well.

44. Favorite piece of jewelry? Do any of you remember that beautiful bracelet?!?

45. Last sport you played? Badminton (totally a sport)

46. Last song you sang? The Wheels on the Bus (we had munchkins visit last weekend)

47. Favorite chat up line? One line? I am more of a nervous monologue kind of gal.

48. Have you ever used it? Oh, I've rambled for lots of people

49.  Last time you hung out with anyone? That's what I do. I panic when left alone.
 
50. Who should answer these questions next? Tina at Not Just Another Mother Blogger should definitely distract herself and answer these!

Superhero Monday?

It is school spirit week in our district, and today happened to be superhero day. Now I know you are all feeling pretty confident that at least one of my children paid tribute to the mother. One of them chose to go with her everyday person identity and the other...well, he did ask me which capes we had available. His sister was quick to point out that the red one had been written on. I am sure she meant to say "autographed by Pedomemom". Whatever. I was even going to offer my pedometer, but I guess he had something more basic in mind...

I am totally borrowing that sweatband!

The Edge of Seventeen* - Dear Stew

* You know I cannot resist an eighties song reference!

So here we are at week 17, still chugging along in our quest to share the love with companies that matter to us. Sure, we may call it a contest, but when you are down a few points, you might forget...one of us might forget more things than the other...whoah, SQUIRREL! Moving on...

In honor of the guests we have coming this weekend, let's have some Stew (as in Stew Leonard's)!


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Dear Stew,

I feel like we should be on a first name basis, as you have certainly become one of the family, or at the very least, one of Grandpa Mike’s friends. Every time we get ready to pack up our car in Central New York to travel down to White Plains, I hear the question “Are we going to Stew’s?” They know the answer. Grandpa Mike will fit their shopping odyssey into the schedule for as long as these teens request it.

I remember getting invited on the Sprain River Parkway adventure once, several years ago, back when smaller children had more needs. Soon after, my help was not necessary and the Funseeker group was formed. This elite group of three has been making trips to your place at least quarterly for over seven years.

Mind you, my father is a regular shopper on his own in our absence, regaling us with stories of your sales flier…the crab legs, the rib roasts, the seltzer. He’s carved your pumpkins, roasted your turkeys and decorated your Christmas trees.

Breakfast is not my responsibility, nor any of my business, on “Stew’s Run” mornings. The menu is just part of the tale they have to tell when the trio gets back home. There always appears to be a bagel that I think acts as some sort of foundation for the mandatory chicken fries and ice cream. The report is not complete without a rundown of the day’s samples as well. A fine chicken wing assortment is always brought back to those of us waiting at home, along with whatever else they can’t manage to stuff themselves with at the store, but don’t want to miss.

My father spoke of the “attractions” once as a child might describe Disney World. The kids held back snickers as they confirmed the sightings of the singing butter and cow, dancing banana, fisherman doing tricks and the fog horn.

Your store has brought me so much second hand joy for how I have seen it through the Funseekers’ eyes. Some legends are more about the lore surrounding them. Thanks for providing a destination for two kids and their grandfather to share epic adventures and make lasting memories.

I see on your website that you are introducing crogels…the gang will be giddy with anticipation.

Fondly,

 Andrea 

So what did I hear back from Stew?

It's true

I'm blue 

No word

From Stew 

The Funseekers still will be seeking fun in those aisles though! 

Zero points for me this week, so I remain at 37 points.

Stop in to see the competition! 

Randomonkey!

Hey! Remember her?

Monkey in the Field (or near a lake)

Well, she has been busy! Prepare to be amazed and inspired, not only by how incredible this woman is, but by the possibilities this bra must hold...

...and to think I just wanted a bra that fit! Do I "do" enough to be the one who perseveres? 

Next, the gentlemen 'wears. The monkey in the field appreciated this fine male offering...

...however, she was disappointed that her fantasy was interrupted there with a reminder that he may have smelly parts. If you're going to let a girl dream, let her dream!

OK, I am going to need everyone to come clean on this one...

See how that says "bestseller" up there? I want a show of hands from all of you who bought this!!!!

Last, but not least, the credit was shared for this one. She was the spotter, but I had to get out of the car to take the picture.

Um...so this bump is a hump? Typo at the sign manufacturing place? Or are they offering something quick?

Superhero Sunday - Milestone

52 weeks ago today the cape was donned for the first time...in the name of embarrassing my children fitness, healthier habits and distracting myself from the awkward appearance of power walking. You may wonder how one commemorates such an occasion? Apparently by spending the afternoon on the couch and consuming decent quantities of sugar-filled goodies. I am a paradox of sorts.

Please note: My daughter did not make this cake FOR me today, as she stayed true to form in her usual attempt to ignore Pedomemom's existence. She just let me pose with her cake.

Sweet Sixteen - Got my armour up!

Time to rally for the contest! Click here if you aren't sure what that is all about. This weekend marks Pedomemom's one year anniversary - when I showed myself, and kids, that even the silliest sounding of ideas weren't necessarily bad ones. Here is my/her letter to Under Armour...


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Dear Under Armour People,

Not long after my ill-fated plan to take up jogging, my husband bought me a fantastic set of Under Armour gear. He had failed to realize that my body had lost interest in cooperating with all of the jostling and impact the activity caused, as these were clearly athletic clothes. Granted, that stretchy fabric looked really comfy. However, I already felt like a bit of a poser wearing yoga pants to sit on the couch after ten minutes of Wii Fit yoga as my only attempt at legitimacy. I just couldn’t pull the tags off. Deep down inside I knew I wanted to be the person entitled to wear the threads, and could not return the gift either.

Then one day it happened! After starting a pedometer-induced walking regiment, I found myself returning home with chafed thighs due to my incredible speed (and possibly poor wardrobe choices). The arm pumping action of that power walking had also left my upper arms a bit red and burning. Clearly my “injuries” were not on the same level as torn ACLs or pulled hammies, but still stood as some small sign that I had accomplished something in the name of exercise.

I did what any housewife and mother of teens, thereby negating rational, would do. I ripped the tags off that spandex, stuck a badge on my chest, threw a cape around my neck and became…PEDOMEMOM! I had earned the right.

 

One step at a time,

Andrea

Mother, blogger, superhero

  

p.s. Do you sell capes?

So did they feverishly get to work designing a suit for me, you know, like E in The Incredibles? Perhaps not, but they did respond.

AND a 20% discount code! So psyched, and I think they even called me an athlete! 

TWO POINTS!

Current total = 37 points

Stop by Marianne's place to see who she loves this week!

Let's get ready to ramble!

Yes, it is Tuesday. I did Tuesday sorts of things, so there is no logical explanation for how I got so distracted. Was it losing my Starbucks latte virginity to a hot salted caramel number? Maybe. Now that my seat on the couch has been secured, let's just chat, shall we? No photos, sorry. I think I have some in the other room intended for your viewing pleasure, but if I move my feet I could very well stand to lose my seat!

Perhaps my sweeping attempts to strike items off the old to-do list sidetracked me from gathering my random thoughts sooner. I dropped one last piece of paper off at the car insurance agent's office so that they can go ahead and proceed to raise our rates, since we have a teen male driver in the house now. I might have forgotten to put that item on my list since the paper itself stood as concrete evidence and clutter that it needed to be handled. So desperate was I to scribble over words that I went to the DMV. I know, right! I got prompt and friendly service, aaaaaaand I have to check back in and visit them again Thursday. Wait, nooooo! This means I have to keep that item open? Rats. 

There is an August birthday present in the dining room that needs to be mailed, and probably would have been if I had entered the item on some cute lined paper. I need to sew some badges on my husband's referee shirts. I went so far as to dig out the needle and thread last week to get that done, but then got a text from the hubs that he didn't need them for that weekend's game. Critical error! He should have just let me stitch quietly in front of the television that Friday night. (Yes, I am fully aware that I would have cursed him in my mind if I had done that work "for nothing".) If I go put that agenda item in writing, I might actually do it. I wonder if I should just go all in and make myself a chore chart, complete with shiny star stickers.

The lists used to start as things I was afraid I'd forget and then started to shift to things I was just trying to ignore. Lately I have been avoiding the inclusion of tasks that are difficult. I don't need that kind of pressure staring up at me. I can see the brand new rug that I brought home, all rolled up, back in June. I do not need to actually document the fact that I should decide what I am doing with the floor that lives below where that rug will go. A major DIY project, that's what lies under there! 

Speaking of slightly larger projects, remember this one I was working on? That family room window thing was in my early summer productivity marathon. I replaced the black foam core boards that were so artistically and poorly cut and displayed. Boom! Item off the list, but then when the sun came out, I realized that since I used white foam core, there were some bad shadow issues that showed through. This caused "family room window thing" to remain on the list. I finally covered the back with some black posterboard about a month or so ago, and decided it looked good enough to cross the item off. Sunday afternoon, while we worked to cross "watch a full day of football" off the list, the whole damn thing fell out of the window. Is it wrong that I was most upset about having to put it back on the list? Forget that the thing could've taken out the dog.

Speaking of taking out the dog, he probably needs to be let outside...or taken to the vet to find out what the heck he is so scratchy about. I suppose I could add that phonecall to the list for tomorrow morning.

Superhero Sunday - Pink

When I saw this post go up the other day, titled The Battle Begins: The Prequel, I couldn't wait to see which superheroes had a new movie out. You see, my friend who is Not Just Another Mother Blogger knows way more about the Avengers, Justice League and those who hang out and battle them than I do. However, I was quickly and sadly mistaken to read that this battle is her own. This was her post telling us that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

I know she will gather all of the force of a superhero and fight this thing. She is not a force to be reckoned with. She could use some support, kind words, and probably a cape...definitely a cape! Time to get cracking...

Fleece may not be fancy, but could do in a pinch!

Week 15 - Dropping the Anchor

In honor of my husband's birthday today, here is my letter to the Anchor Bar, for the contest this week...

Dear Anchor Bar,

I grew up in Syracuse, New York and ate my fair share of chicken wings, or so I thought. There was not necessarily a lot of consistency in the products, but more like varying levels of good enough. Then, I married a man from Buffalo.

In addition to the silent vow to root for the Bills and Sabres, I also may have unknowingly agreed to be more critical of all chicken wings served outside of the Buffalo zip codes. I was delighted years ago to find your product here on our Central New York grocery store shelves. Not only could I provide the right flavor chicken at home (except for that time I allegedly did not put enough sauce on), but we could bring a bit of Buffalo in a bottle whenever we traveled downstate to see other relatives. The newer plastic bottles have made me comfortable shipping your fabulous sauce off to other states to make sure they know what wing sauce is supposed to taste like as well. (They have also made this klutz more comfortable in her own kitchen.)

I have never tried to use a substitute for Anchor Bar sauce at our house. If we do run out, someone is heading to the store. The kids and I prefer to use your sauce on boneless flour dredged and browned chicken, that we then bake in the oven with your sauce on it. This alleviates the pressure of making sure we have cleaned the bones well enough. You know what I am talking about I bet!

Pass the celery,

 Andrea 

Did they take me under their wings? Nope, but you can be sure that the bottle of Anchor Bar wing sauce is still coming out for the husband's birthday dinner tonight! 

No points for me, but I will drown my sorrows in some bleu cheese!

Current total = 35 points

Don't forget to check out the competition!

 

Creepy random

Yes, you saw the title, you know what's coming! I considered getting us all up to speed on post-back-to-school life thus far. But really? How can I even concentrate with these soulful E.T. eyes gazing up at me from my desk? Whose soulful eyes you want to know? Why it's Eloise and Argyle...

Clearly the people at Ashton-Drake Galleries remembered when my birthday is this year, because they popped this gem out with just barely enough time for shipping. Last year I was left sans Simian! I do believe that Eloise has outcreeped her predecessors though. Perhaps it is her soft wisps of lifelike hair that are arranged in an artful bedhead style? So many creases and wrinkles? Her attraction to her own stuffed animal? I just...I can't...(strange urge for Reese's Pieces)

Sunflowers for Tina

Remembering Tina Downey...

Week 14 - Old El Paso

Next up in the contest, I have one of my family's Taco Tuesday essentials...Old El Paso hard shells, ¡olé!

Dear Fiesta Friends,

The cafeteria at my elementary school could have tarnished my vision of what crunchy tacos were meant to be for life. However, after over three decades (yikes) I have seen the light of what a hard shell taco can and should be. After some trial and error I also found that there is no reason for the shells to be shiny with grease, thereby making Old El Paso our favorite. Even when I inadvertently nearly burn them every week, they still taste delicious. I just realized that this could be due, in part, to the fact that I have never read the fine print right here on the box telling me not to use my toaster oven. Well, I have learned something new today.

I am sure it has been hard to perfect the taco shell packaging issue. I am typically impressed by how well your shells hold up with minimal extra packaging or plastic. However, please see the enclosed picture of our last box of Old El Paso yellow corn shells. Luckily we only use half of a box per meal, so we did have enough for one round.

Falling to pieces,

 Andrea Casarsa

Mother, blogger, lover of tacos

Did they think I was loco? Well, they certainly seemed to focus on one part of my letter more than the other...

...I thought I had sprinkled enough sugar with my mention of shell shards, but alas, I was categorized as a disappointed customer. Free taco shells though, yahoo! That's five points for me, bringing my current tally to THIRTY-FIVE POINTS!

Don't forget to check out the competition!

Not Tuesday?

Whoops! I guess the holiday put me one day behind schedule. Kind of like the rubbish removal company...hmmm, any similarities between that and bringing out some random? Perhaps. 

Just a couple of items as I have a fetal position to get into as I contemplate my son and daughter starting their senior and freshman years of high school tomorrow. Oh, and I start a new job on Friday (rocking back and forth now). Along those lines, this does seem like good news...

Canning season has begun. This was round one...

...rounds two and four were shuttershy. (Round three was the salsa.)

Can't forget a few NY State Fair pics...

Buttah!

The sand sculpture this year was a Dr. Seuss tribute. Here are a couple of my favorite parts...

 I am glad pigs can't read...

 ...as this was posted on his pen...

Let's see, I also tried that crafty new way to cut a watermelon without removing the rind.

Oops, I will stick to my usual, but it was kind of neat to see the other cubes fall out.

We had a heavy rain that left a dragonfly casualty in our driveway. I didn't realize he was dead until I ran out to take a picture. The asphalt made a terrible backdrop, so I brought him to a more natural final resting spot. (One teenager might have suggested that this was a bit much, the other one just didn't see it.)

Gotta run...Time for chocolate lunch chocolate!