….Mindy may hunt me down if I don’t. LOL.

1. What is your favorite type of cheese? Are there any types of cheese you dislike?
** If it’s cheese, I love it. I think the only kinds I don’t like are the super stinky kind (I’m fine with a blue cheese) and – recently discovered – goat cheese in some cheese applications. After my cheese making adventure at my inlaws’ over the 4th, there is a whole world of goat cheese products that I did not know about.

I think I’m probably overdue for a post on that weekend. And this weekend.  *sigh*

2. What is the wallpaper/background on the computer you are using right now?

**One of the blogs for an online knitting store I like releases a monthly calendar wallpaper. She’s a photographer, so they are always really great. I use one version on my work computer (the flag, this month) and one on my laptop at home (the peonies).

3. If you had to choose one or the other, which would you watch: a crime/detective TV show, or a TV show with a medical/hospital setting?

** Medical/hospital. Private Practice. Grey’s. House. Can’t wait for September!

4. Are your ears pierced? How old were you when you had them pierced? Are you wearing earrings right now, and if so what kind?

**At one point, I had 10 holes in each ear…soooo – my first set I had done when I was 2 1/2. I actually remember it, it’s one of my only memories from that time. There are a few holes open in each ear now, but I only use one set. I have small white gold hoops in. When I travel, if I bring my diamond studs, I’ll put them in my second holes to keep them safe. LOL.

5. When in your life have you felt the most powerful?

** When I was in grad school. Finally taking my career in a direction I liked, and it was something I was GOOD at. When I lost weight a couple of years ago – I had self-control and could use it! There are quite a few little moments like these over my life that have been total self-esteem builders!

6. Do you like wine? If so, what is your favorite wine? Is there a certain wine you would recommend to a person who generally dislikes the taste of wine, but wants to find one they may like?

**I love love wine. I took a class in viticulture and enology for fun in my senior year of undergrad, and I was president of the wine club in grad school. I suppose I lean towards dry whites if I’m just having wine – right now I’m loving a good Viognier. With food, I usually rely on the waitstaff at a restaurant for a good pairing, or just follow the wine with the heartiness of the dish. I’ve been exploring dessert wines a bit. For people who don’t like wine – I agree with Mindy! Drink what you like!
7. If you drink at all with friends/family, what are the usual drinks of choice?

** My mom’s family – usually wine. Friends, more often beer, but it really depends on the setting.

8. Name 3 things you do well that come naturally for you.

**Hmm. Be crafty (sewing, etc.). Be a dependable friend. The rest requires work, it seems….

9. Name something you currently do well that did NOT come naturally for you, but was somewhat difficult to learn and/or master. (If you have several, feel free to name them!)
**Cook. Be a good wife. Manage my money.

10. Have you ever ridden an ATV/4-wheeler/other small vehicle designed mainly for recreation? If so, did you enjoy it?

** My inlaws have a Polaris – the “pickup” kind, so it’s more of a workhorse. But – a heck of a good time!

11. How old were you when you became sexually active (whatever that means to you)? How old were you when you felt truly comfortable having sex, expressing your desires, experimenting, etc (if applicable)?

**I was 15, almost 16. It sounds young, but I don’t regret my decision, and my boyfriend and I were very responsible. And still friends to this day. As far as comfort level – actually, not long after that. Maybe 17.

12. Are there any projects (work or home) that you need to tackle soon?

** The to do list has a to do list. LOL. Redo the kitchen. Roof. A/C. Windows. Get an attic fan. I think that’s the short list of big ones, and there are a lot of small ones, too: Paint the bedroom. Paint the living room. Stain and seal the banister. Stain and seal the bathroom cabinets. On and on and on.

13. Do you know the story of how your parents (and/or grandparents) met?

** My maternal grandparents met at a roller skating rink. After my mother’s father died in the 60′s, my grandmother married one of his friends. Oops. LOL. I don’t know how my paternal grandparents met – and they’re both gone now. I should ask my Dad.

14. What was your FIRST EVER experience with wearing “high heels” (any type)? BTW I got this Q from In Style magazine and thought it might be sorta fun
** I honestly don’t remember. Probably around 6th grade, and most likely for church.

15. Which amusement park is the last one you visited?

** I don’t remember. Is that bad?

16. If you won an all-expenses paid trip to a different country than the one you are currently living in, where would you go? (assume you can only choose 1 country)

** Italy

17. What’s the weather like where you are (today)?
** Mid 90′s, 110-billion%  humidity. Seriously, I could go swimming out there. It’s disgusting. I hate not being able to do anything outside. The dogs have total cabin fever since it’s too hot for them, too.

18. If you had to make out with one of your coworkers, who would it be? Please don’t take this Q too seriously, it’s just for fun!!
** None of them. Seriously.

19. When you were a kid, did your parent(s) ever drive a car that you found particularly cool or uncool?
** My mom always drove Volvos, which I loved. My dad had a truck that he babied, so his daily driver was a long line of beater cars. I think my least favorite was the Chevy Monza. Ick.

20. Have you made any new friends so far in 2010? Have you let any old friends “slip away” in 2010?
**A couple of new friends, via another friend. I think I have a couple of friends in the process of slipping away, but it’s not an active thing.

21. Name something that has annoyed you today.
** Nothing. But it’s only 8am.

22. Name something that has made you smile today.
**Loud music in the car on the way into work.

23. When you’re driving to work (or commuting whichever way you do), what kind of expression is usually on your face…scowl, indifferent, bored, tired, happy?
**Tired. Yawning. Usually singing.

24. Which do you use more often: paper clips or staples?
**Both about equally. I especially like my colored metallic paper clips.

In honor of Nancy & Steph’s anniversary, I’m taking the schmoopy quiz, too!

At some point, maybe I’ll have more to say – but for now, from Jenn...

1. What percentages of good & evil would you call yourself (I mean this in the lighthearted way, like a cartoon devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other…not a dead serious question)?

I’m probably 60% good/40% evil. Some days, closer to 50/50.

2. What do you typically put on a salad? Let’s say you went home tonight and made a salad for dinner from stuff you already had on hand…what would that salad be like?

I actually had a salad for part of dinner – arugula, chopped walnuts, goat cheese crumbles, tomatoes, pear, and a shallot/dijon vinaigrette. Yum.

3. How many kids under the age of 10 do you know personally (if any)?

Too many to count – from friends with little ones!

4. When you are driving down the street, do you usually have your car doors locked?

Yes – they lock automatically.

5. Do you like the flavor of dill?

I do, mostly. I’ve had it in a few things that I haven’t liked, but I can’t recall what.

6. What did your grandfather(s) do for a living?

My paternal grandfather was in the Merchant Marines in WWII, I’m sure he worked in his father’s butcher shop at some point, I know he was acting mayor of the town he lived in for awhile, and he was in management at a company called the Torrington Company/Torrington Needle.

I don’t know what my biological maternal grandfather did. He died from a seizure and a fall when my mom was just out of high school. The grandfather I knew served in Korea and I don’t know what he did after that. From what I remember, he owned health food stores, and after he closed those, he was an exterminator for awhile before he retired.

7. Have you ever dated a guy that others thought was ridiculously handsome and/or hot? If so, did you find it irritating in any way – or were you just pleased to be the subject of other ladies’ envy?

Yes. I married him. It was all awesome. LOL.

8. Name the last product/item you bought and thought, “wow I’m glad I bought this, it’s great”.

Goof Off. The people who owned this house couldn’t paint to save their lives and there’s sloppy, dried old paint all over – on cabinets, tubs, pipes. This stuff takes care of all of it. Yay!

9. Name the last product/item you bought and thought, “ugh, I wish I hadn’t spent the money on this”.

An Estee Lauder eyeliner – color good, but it’s not doing what I want it to.

10. If you won $100 million TODAY, would you quit your current job? If so, would you give the usual amount of notice or just say “so long, suckers”? If you wouldn’t quit, would you work fewer hours and/or change your future career plans?

I would probably quit it eventually (soonish), but I would give the usual notice. And then, I would work part time doing something fun.

11. When you graduated from high school, did your graduating class have a “Class Song”? If so, what was it?

I think it was “These Are Days” by 10,000 Maniacs. Or Natalie Merchant?

12. Have you ever been to a drive-in movie theater? Are there any drive-ins currently operating in your area?

Yes, but not since I was younger. There are none here that I am aware of.

13. Read any good or interesting books lately?

I was totally addicted to the Southern Vampire series (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood) – they were pure junk food. I’m reading “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan now, and it’s fascinating.

14. Would you dive off a tall cliff? Have you ever done this?

No and no. I hate the feeling of falling.

15. Name an article of clothing that you think is strictly for over-60 ladies.

Thick synthetic materials. MuuMuus. Support shoes. Red hats.

16. Do you like classic rock?

Some – but I was pretty much through that phase in middle school.

17. When in your life have you felt the most attractive? Least attractive?

Most – when I was 20, thin, and recovered from my eating disorder. Least – when I realized I had put on way more than the Freshman 15.

18. Have you ever baked bread from scratch (without the use of a breadmaker, and excluding quick breads like zucchini and banana)?

No

19. Have you ever suspected that 2 of your coworkers and/or supervisors were having an affair?

Yes, one of the other cashiers when I worked at CVS when I was 16 was sneaking around with the manager.

Well, done for now. We still have designs on tiling the tub surround, but we’re ready to take a break. We’ve come a long way. Along with taking down a wall and attempting to patch it (the back wall is still not even. *sigh*), I fell in love with a vanity idea from my favorite home decorating/DIY blog. Components were ordered. I attempted to polyurethane in the kitchen when it was cold out – bad idea. I sanded. I poly’d more when it warmed up. And then, the assembly began:

I’m starting to think there may be a problem.

And, on closer inspection:

Yes, we DEFINITELY have a problem.

And so, with much yanking, disassembly, and occasional swearing, out the middle shelf came. Now, even with baskets under there, both the contents and the pipes are visible. I’m thinking I may make little curtains to cover it, but we’ll see. Regardless, the end result sink is lovely, and left us patting ourselves on the back for our awesome skeelz.

Taking a step back and having a look at our finished product:

The former “sink room” – taken from by the tub. Yay!

And the former “tub/toilet” room – taken through what used to be a wall.

On the top left, by the vent, you can see where the wall hit the ceiling. Our ceilings are the worst kind – not painted flat, not sanded/popcorn that you can buy premixed, but hand stippled with joint compound. We have the brush and the compound and have patched it, but needed a little break before we tackle attempting to get it to somewhat match the rest of the ceiling. Minor detail.

Jason took his first shower in there on Sunday night, and there was much rejoicing. This one’s (mostly) a wrap. I think I’ll do some painting next while we save for bigger things.

53 days.

Not that I’m counting or anything.

Much better than chocolate brown…one coat of paint on – 7 Apr 10

We’re finally past the non-level wall issue, walls are painted, and we have TILE!

OH! The end is NEAR! No more tripping on animals to go to the bathroom downstairs in the middle of the night. Jason and I can actually be in the bathroom at the same time! We’ve postponed tiling the tub surround – we think we’ve had enough for now.

Here’s to it NOT being another 53 days until it’s done!

Following along with everyone….

1. Pedicures – Once a month in the winter, once every two weeks in the summer. I try and convince myself that it’s a necessity, because I get the most excruciatingly painful ingrown big toenails that there is no way I’d be brave enough to dig out myself, but really? I lived without pedicures before.

2. People magazine – Like Nancy, I am all about the gossip. People is my favorite, and the subscription price is ridiculous, but there is something so mindlessly fun about unwinding on a Friday afternoon with a glass of wine and that week’s junk food reading.

3. Diet to Go – I just get the lunches, 5 days a week. Healthy, freshly made, and one less thing to worry about buying, planning, or packing the night before a workday.

4. Cars – You all know I love my cars. I couldn’t bring myself to part with my Mini Cooper, but wanted something slightly more practical and still fun (read: has four doors). So, I kept the Mini and bought the GTI. It’s still in my Dad’s garage outside of Atlanta, and he gets out for regular spins. Does one person need two cars? No way. But I love my Oliver.

5. Clothes – Specifically, work clothes and jeans. This includes shoes for work. I think of clothing on a cost-per-use basis, thanks to one of my favorite blog reads, Cardigan Empire. If I’m going to wear something day in, day out, for a long time – like my jeans, which I live in, year round – they are worth extra money to me. Ditto with work clothes, particularly classic cut dress pants. If you feel like a million bucks and love how your clothes fit, you project that attitude and in turn, are more confident and professional at work.

6. Hair Color/Cut – Shocker, right? After getting my first hair cut and color by someone really good when I was 19 – thanks to my mom – I firmly am in the camp that a good hairdresser is worth their weight in good. I used to do my own color experimenting, but when you do it with someone who actually knows what they’re doing and isn’t guessing at the back of a box? So much more fun, with much more reliable results. And a good cut? I spend less than 5 minutes on my hair every day. I wash it every other day, but all I have to do is blow dry my bangs straight, put some product in my hair and scrunch – or spray with water the second day – and go. My hair looks awesome 90% of the time.

7. Pets – Maybe we just have big hearts, but having 5 pets and being able to do so and be able to take care of them, give them good lives, love them. They’re a guilty pleasure. Five is a lot. But we can, we want to, and when there are so many who need a loving home, why not? There is no better home for a pet to end up in than our home, because we treat them like family and would do anything for them.

8. My Job – I am paid well, work 40 hours a week on the nose, is virtually 100% stable, and have little to no stress. It’s not my dream job, but to be able to have this job and be good at it is totally a guilty pleasure.

9. Dunkin Donuts – Small iced blueberry coffee, skim milk, two Spendas. Every day, sometimes on weekends. I could make it at home, I know.

10. Generally….I honestly don’t deprive myself of much. I save, but I should save more. I have debt that I’m paying off pretty quickly. Other than that, we’re fortunate to have stable jobs with good pay and no kids to worry about. Having a good amount of disposable income in and of itself to do things (like renovate a bathroom or go out to eat whenever we want) is a guilty pleasure!

Hopefully we’ll have an update on the bathroom soon. It’s been a month and a half now, and it took a lot of work to get the walls level from the removed wall sections. I finished painting on Saturday, and once Jason gets in and starts the tile, I should get some better pictures.

I really want my master bathroom back. I pretty much have gotten to the point where I just hold it if I wake up in the middle of the night and have to go to the bathroom rather than actually get up and walk downstairs to do so. LOL.

Watching Grey’s Anatomy tonight with J and I said I identify with Torres and Arizona. “It’s my life.” He got angry and said I always bring that up. (I don’t – I haven’t in awhile. Frankly, I go back and forth.)

One of the characters was shot and lost her uterus in the cleanup.

I found myself wishing the decision was made by something out of my control. Kept this thought to myself. I was already sorry I’d brought anything up, because it clearly irritated him.

It is out of my control. And it’s a painful place to be to feel forced to sometimes wish that decision came from somewhere physically permanent and not just your husband. It would hurt less. There would be less “what if,” maybe.

He left me to watch the last 15 minutes of the episode alone.

Most of the time, I’m OK with this. Most of the time it’s not what I want anymore, and the ache is gone.

Most of the time.