1. What is your favorite vacation spot?

I really love to visit Rochester, NY. Mark's family is a lot of fun and they have always made me feel welcome and part of their loving family. It feels like a home away from home when we go there. I suppose it helps that Rochester, NY is a lot like Minnesota in many ways; similar trees, similar temperatures, farms dotting the countryside. I've also started enjoying our camping trips more than I used to, we go north for the 4th of July to my great uncle's home in Backus, Minnesota and we head to Turtle Lake, Wisconsin for family birthday camping in August.

2. What is the first record, cassette or cd you remember buying or receiving as a gift?

Wow, here is where I bust out exactly HOW old I am. I remember buying/receiving RECORDS. I got my first record player for Christmas, 1980. I also received some records. The record player was a Bee Gees model and the album Santa brought was the soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever."

3. What is your favorite picture from last month {March}?

Hard to narrow it down to one picture since my cousin sends me several of Joey every day! This one is cute! :)



4. Last month, I asked you what your favorite piece of furniture was. What is your least favorite piece of furniture in your home?

Right now, our couch situation. The cushion seam has split and the arms are weird. I'd love to have a nice microsuede couch in a neutral color. I keep an eye on Craigslist so I have faith that we'll find something eventually.

5. What was your first job?

I worked for Dairy Queen beginning the summer before 10th grade.

6. What is the last thing you purchased on-line?

I bought some things from Target with the last of our gift money for baby, Joey. His nursery motiff was on clearance so I ordered the hamper and some wall hangings that match his bedding etc.



7. Does your family have any nicknames for you?

My husband calls me "honey" or "Jenny." I usually prefer "Jennifer" but I guess I answer to "Jenny" too (dad calls me Jenny and so do my siblings).

8. What is the newest blog that you have discovered that you love?

I used to follow this blog way back when and just recently rediscovered it. I spent some time today reading through articles (and in fact, stole this meme from there)

This Blessed Life

9. What is your favorite post that you wrote last month?

Hmmm, I didn't post anything last month? I really need to try to post more often.

10. What is one thing that most of your readers don't know about you?

I'm an introvert. Shhh don't tell anyone.

Some of these are repeats...but still fun!

1. Can you fill this out without lying? Yes

2. What was the last thing you put in your mouth? Coca Cola

3. Have you ever kissed anyone named Matthew? Yes, it was awesome! I kissed him all over his neck! He couldn't stop giggling and shouting "STOP, AUNT JENNIFER!!!"

4. Where was your profile picture taken? Stolen from the internet

5. Can you play Guitar Hero? Doubt it, I have no musical skillz

6. Name someone that made you laugh today? Mr Marcos, he's hilarious. Then I made him laugh when we went to urgent care for his back pain and I used the stirrups as a drink holder and set my can of Coca Cola there.

7. How late did you stay up last night and why? I went to bed around 2am and then Telly woke me up around 6 to go potty. He's 5.5 years old, when will he be able to make it through the night without going outside to go potty?!?!

8. If you could move somewhere else, would you? I'd prefer to stay in Minnesota but I wouldn't mind living near Rochester, New York where my husband's family lives.

9. Ever been kissed under fireworks? Yes

10.Which of your friends lives closest to you? Mr Marcos...we have the same address!

11. Do you believe exes can be friends? Possibly but it would be complicated

12. How do you feel about Dr Pepper? It is the only acceptable Pepsi product

13. When was the last time you cried really hard? Last week, still mourning my kitty, Tony.

14. Where are you right now? In our den

15. What bed did you sleep in last night? My own

16. What was the last thing someone bought for you? Mr Marcos bought us some new video games and lunch!

17. Who took your profile picture? again, stolen from internet (the Mr Owl pic)

18. Who was the last person you took a picture of? Uh...I don't use the camera

19. Was yesterday better than today? No

20. Can you live a day without TV? Sure, but why?! Is the TV broken?!?!

21.Are you mad about anything? Not yet, but day is not over! ;)

22. Are you upset about anything? Still upset over Tony, other than that, pretty content

23. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? Certainly!

24. Are you a bad influence? Depends on who you ask! ;)

25. Night out or night in? In, most of the time

26. What items could you not go without during the day? Mr Marcos, Coca Cola (in that order)

27. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? Mr Marcos' aunt, Kris

28. What does the last text message in your Inbox say? something from mycokerewards.com

29. How do you feel about your life right now? Content

30. Do you hate anyone? I have a list, would you like that sorted by name or date added to list?

31. If we were to look in your Facebook Inbox, what would we find? An email from Aunt Peggy...and a few others I need to get to

32. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass? What kind of drugs are we talking here? I'm going to need a lawyer.

33. Has anyone ever called you perfect before? Obviously

34. What song is stuck in your head? "Overcome" by Live

35. Someone knocks on your window at 2am, whom do you want it to be? Santa

36. Wanna have grand kids before you’re 50? I'll settle for kids...not worrying about grandchildren at this point.

37. Name something you have to do tomorrow. Let the dogs in and out 47 times.

38. Do you think too much or too little? Well, when you're as brainy as I am you tend to do a lot of thinking.

39. Do you smile a lot? Yes, for as much as my dad shelled out for the 3+ years of braces, I'm contractually obligated to smile as frequently as possible.

40. Who was your last missed call on your Mobile phone? Mr Marcos

41. Is there something you always wear? Pajamas, every night!

42. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Surfing the web

43. Did you have an exciting last weekend? Honestly, I can't even remember

44. Have you ever crawled through a window? No

45. Have you ever dyed your hair? Definitely

46. Are you wearing a necklace/chain? Yes

47. Are you an emotional person? Yes

48. What’s something that can always make you feel better? snuggling with Mr Marcos and our furry kids

49. Will this weekend be a good one? So far, so good!

50. What do you want right now? A nap

51. Have you ever worn the opposite sex’s clothing? Yeah, sweatshirts are frequently stolen from the Mister...shhh!

52. Have you ever worked in a food place? Yes, Dairy Queen, Rio Bravo, neighborhood Chinese restaurant when I was in high school.

53. What’s on your schedule for tomorrow? As little as possible

54. Does anyone know your Facebook password? Mr Marcos does

stolen from tenseteacher

The Heretic Meme

1. Who was the last person of the opposite sex you lay in a bed with?
Mr Marcos, of course

2. Where was the last place you went out to eat?
Red Lobster - for our anniversary last night. I love me some RL!

3. What was the last alcoholic beverage you consumed?
Pina Colada (last night at RL)

4. Which do you prefer - eyes or lips?
Well, luckily, Mr Marcos has both!

5. Medicine, fine arts, or law?
Fine arts I guess? I don't get this question.

6. Best kind of pizza?
Deep dish sausage, onions, green peppers...mmmm

7. What is in store for your future?
Uh? Dinner in 1/2 hour? Work tomorrow? Not sure about this question.

8. Who was the last band you saw live?
Earth, Wind, & Fire with Chicago on July 1.

9. Do you take care of your friends while they are sick?
Not really, but I do take care of Mr Marcos and our pets when they are sick.

10. How many songs are on your iPod?
Uh, lots?

11. Where is the last place you drove to?
Drove home from work on Friday...Mr Marcos does the driving when we're together, I don't like to drive.

12. Where did your last kiss take place?
In the office, he kissed me hello when he returned from his motorcycle ride.

13. What were you doing at 11:59 PM on Monday night?
Sleeping!

14. Are you a quitter?
Sometimes...I'm kind of lazy.

15. Who was the last person you had in your house?
Our friend, Dan, stopped by for a few minutes last weekend.

15. What do you think about people who party a lot?
Have a good time, I'll be at home!

16. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?
Well, I don't really need a lot of details from others!

17. What was the last CD you purchased?
I can't even remember the last time I purchased a CD.

18. What are two bands or singers that you will always love?
Styx and Loverboy

19. Which of the seven deadly sins are you most guilty of?
Gluttony...OINK!

20. How is your last ex doing?
Well, I think? We're not in contact. I wish him all the best.

meme from Tense Teacher blog!

The longest meme EVER...

STEP ONE:
Spell your name with songs.
"M - 'Melt with you' by Modern English
"R - 'Renegade' by STYX
"S - 'Sailing' by Christopher Cross
"M - 'Mr Roboto' by STYX
"A - 'Angel' by Sarah McLachlan
"R - 'Rock Me Amadeus' by Falco
"C - 'Come Sail Away' by STYX
"O - 'Only the Young' by Journey
"S - 'Sweet Home Alabama' by Lynyrd Skynyrd

STEP TWO:

Name: Mrs Marcos
Birthday: April 25
Nickname: Mr Marcos calls me "honey" or "sweetheart"
Eye Color: Hazel
Hair Color: Dark brown, almost black (naturally) or sometimes brown with reddish highlights courtesy of Miss Clairol
Zodiac Sign: Taurus

STEP THREE:

The shoes you wore today: Tennis shoes to mow the grass
Your weaknesses: Shoes, purses, household things like towels and sheets
Your fear(s): Spiders, bugs, snakes, something happening to Mr Marcos
Your perfect pizza: Thick crust, sausage, peppers (green), and onions...and a lot of cheese (but only on my side, Mr Marcos doesn't like a lot of cheese)
Goal you’d like to achieve: Having children

STEP FOUR:

Your best physical feature: ask the Mister, I don't know
Your bedtime: 10:30 ish during the week. Whenever I feel like it during the weekend
Most missed memory: Hanging around with my mom and laughing together

STEP FIVE:
This Or That…

Pepsi or Coke: Coca Cola
McDonald’s or Burger King: McDonald’s (Burger King is repulsive)
Adidas or Nike: Usually Nike but not terribly picky about sneakers
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Ish, neither
Chocolate or Vanilla: Why do I have to pick one or the other? Maybe I like a "twist" cone, ever think of that?
Cappuccino or coffee: Ish, neither

STEP SIX:
Do You…

Smoke? NO, never have, and never will. Smoking kills.
Curse? Hell yeah!
Sing? Only in the car when nobody else can hear
Dance? Only with a LOT of alcoholic influence
Take a shower everyday? Usually
Have a crush? Patrick Warburton...and Mr. Marcos
Think you’ve been in love? Yes, I am.
Want to go to college? I already have one teaching degree I'm not using but will be paying on the student loan until the same month and year our mortgage is paid off...so no, no more college for me.
Like(d) high school? No, in hindsight, I wish I'd tried to be more involved instead of pouting about how much I hated being in public school rather than Catholic school like I had been through 8th grade.
Want to get married? Already married, no need to repeat it
Get motion sickness? Sometimes, if I go on too many amusement rides
Think you’re attractive? Not so much
Think you’re a health freak? Definitely not.
Get along with your parents? I got along fairly well with my mom but she's gone now. I get along great with my dad...as long as I'm not living with him lol. True story - when Mr Marcos asked my dad for my hand in marriage (a little traditional but sweet too), anyway, Mr Marcos asked and my dad's response was "Yes, but you can't bring her back, you're stuck with her permanently" lol, thanks dad!

STEP SEVEN:
In the past month, have you…

Gone to the mall? Nope
Eaten an entire box of Oreos? Oreos don't come in boxes? But no, never consumed an entire package of Oreos
Eaten sushi? No...hell no.
Been on stage? No
Gone skating? Not in the last month, but have gone ice and roller skating in the past
Made homemade cookies? No
Gone skinny-dipping? Um, no.
Stolen anything? I stole this meme!

STEP EIGHT:
Ever…

Played a game that required removal of clothing? No
Flashed anyone? Only the Mister
Been beaten up? No
Shoplifted? No

STEP NINE:

Age you hope to be married: I was 31
Number of children: None yet
Describe your dream wedding: Anything with the Mister, me, loved ones, and an officiant that can declare us married...already happened 07/25/03
Which country would you most like to visit? Ireland..and Italy

STEP TEN:
In the opposite sex…

Best eye color: Brown
Best hair color: Brown
Short hair or long hair: Short
Height: Taller than me

STEP ELEVEN:

Number of people I could trust with my life: Maybe 3 or 4
Number of CDs that I own: A.LOT. Especially if you look at our combined CD collection
Number of tattoos: 2
Number of piercings: 7, all in my ears

PERSONAL QUIZ:

Whom were you with yesterday? Jenny (co-worker), Mr Marcos...that is about it.
What woke you up this morning? Telly (dog) needed to go out at 7:00 AM
Where are you? In the den/office
Is tomorrow going to be a good day? Probably, any day without work is a good day ;)
Do you like anybody? I have a mad crush on Mr Marcos...and I like a few other people (like = not detest!)

THE PAST

Ever thrown up in public? Certainly, best one was in the parking lot of Target
Passed out because of alcohol? Not today...
What’s on your mind RIGHT NOW? 'I should take a nap...'

THE FUTURE

What kind of home would you like? I like our house, I suppose if we upgraded I would like a newer home
What do you want to be when you grow up? I don't wanna grow up, I'm a Toys R Us kid.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Probably still in this house, for sure still happily married, hopefully a mom to a couple of kids

IN GENERAL

Do you like candy necklaces? Delicious!
When was the last time you fell over or ran into something? I fell over Mr Marcos' tennis shoes because I put them on the garage step to dry out...I forgot they were there and stumbled over them.
Do you listen to music every day? Usually, yes
Do you still go trick or treating? I wish! I stay home to make sure nobody smashes my pumpkins! Damn hoodlums!
What was the last thing you ate? Campbells Bean with Bacon soup...mmmm mmmm good!
Are you a fast typist? Yeah, who knew that high school typing would be my most important job related tool.
What’s your favorite type of soda? Coca Cola...nothing else.
Have you ever moved? Yes, too many times
Have you ever won an award? Not that I can think of?
Are you listening to music right now? No
How long ’till your birthday? 9 months
When were you the saddest in your whole life? After my mom passed away
What time is it? 5:51 PM
Do you use eBay to buy or sell? I used to, not recently though
Who makes you mad? People that lack common sense
Have you ever heard a song written about you? Nope
Something you want to happen in 2009? Meet my niece in November :)
Summer 2009? Staying cool in the air conditioning.
Do you miss 2008? Not really

HONESTY SECTION

Honestly, what color is your underwear? pink
Honestly, what’s on your mind? Coca Cola
Honestly, what are you doing right now? finishing this
Honestly, have you done something bad today? Cursed at the broken lawn mower
Honestly, who is the last person you talked to on the phone? Mr Marcos (last night)
Honestly, are you jealous of someone right now? Maybe a little bit
Honestly, what makes you mad most of the time? Stupidity and selfishness
Honestly, do you bite your nails? Never … gross
Honestly, have you had an eating disorder? No
Honestly, do you want to see someone this very moment? Not really.
Honestly, are you keeping a big secret now? I can't tell :)
Honestly, do you have a friend you don’t actually like? Yes, they are called 'co-workers'
Honestly, are you in denial? It's not just a river in Egypt.
Honestly, do you get up in the middle of the night and eat? What a strange question...but yes, if Telly gets me up I usually snack on something while he's out going potty.
Honestly, does anyone like you? Some days it feels like everyone hates me...but yes, I think one or two people might actually like me.

ANGER SECTION

What do you do when you’re mad? I get quiet, and slam things around.
What’s the worst thing you’ve done when you were mad? Snapped at people I love
Ever made anyone cry when you were mad? Probably
Do you swear when you’re mad? Hell yeah!

CRYING SECTION

When was the last time you actually cried? I teared up a bit at my sister's ultrasound yesterday.
Ever cried yourself to sleep? Yeah but not in quite a while
Do certain songs make you cry? Many songs can make me cry — sad songs or happy songs...usually when I associate songs to events in my life.
What usually makes you cry? Being too happy or too sad

HAPPY SECTION

Are you usually a happy person? yes
What makes you the happiest? A clean house, bills that are paid, spending time with the Mister...all at the same time!
Do you believe in yourself? For most things
When people say they think you are good looking/pretty, do you get happy? more like suspicious.

Miscellaneous Stuff About Me!

1. What kind of SOAP is in your bathtub right now? By the sink - anti bacterial foaming soap in pear scent. In the tub - 2 different Bath & Body Works shower gels (1 bottle of "Dancing Waters" and 1 bottle of "Japanese Cherry Blossom - switch off depending on my current mood). Oh, and the Mister's shower gel (no idea which brand).

2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? Yes, just cut up 1/2 of one and the other half is in the 2nd refrigerator to be cut up in a few days.

3. What would you change about your living room? New carpet...our house was built in 1978 and we still have the original poop brown carpet...functional but some day I would like newer carpeting.

4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? Actually, the dishwasher is running right now...so on their way from dirty to clean?

5. What is in your fridge? Skim milk, condiments, celery, lettuce, tomatoes, watermelon, cherries, strawberries, grapes, plums, cheese, eggs, deli turkey, our reuse-able water bottles, yogurt, jello pudding cups, sour cream, steaks that are marinating for Sunday's dinner.

6. White or wheat bread? Wheat, 100% whole grain.

7. What is on top of your refrigerator? a basket full of booze and a basket full of cereal boxes...something for everyone!

8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? It is a lake scene with cottages and lighthouses (sounds bad but I like it)

9. How many plants are in your home? 0

10. Is your bed made right now? Yes.

11. Comet or Soft Scrub? Both...but prefer Soft Scrub.

12. Is your closet organized? Organized chaos that overwhelms me when I think about trying to get rid of some stuff.

13. Can you describe your flashlight? Um? Well, there is a light bulb...and a switch to turn it off and on...why? Is the flashlight missing and we're filing a missing flashlight report?

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

15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? No, neither of us like iced tea.

16. If you have a garage, is it cluttered? It is usually fairly tidy but the Mister has a lot going on right now and hasn't put stuff away from repairing his motorcycle and my Explorer...maybe he can tidy that up tomorrow.

17. Curtains or blinds? Both, curtains or valances over the blinds. I'm seriously debating getting rid of all the blinds because I HATE to clean them.

18. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two.

19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? No, just the TV since the Mister can't fall asleep without the TV.

20. How often do you vacuum? Usually once a week, should probably do it daily since we have 5 pets that shed a lot...but I'm lazy.

21. Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard if I'm brushing in the sink, electric if I'm brushing in the shower.

22. What color is your toothbrush? Pink.

23. Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? Yes, and I change them out for several holidays.

24. What is in your oven right now? Nothing

25. Is there anything under your bed? A LOT of cat hair.

26. Chore you hate doing the most? Cleaning up all the long hair all over the toilet.

27. What retro items are in your home? Not much in the retro department.

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

29. How many mirrors are in your home? 9 I think?

30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? No

31. What color are your walls? Mostly shade of browns/beige

32. Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? Telly and stella could be pretty fierce weapons if they felt like it.

33. What does your home smell like right now? I don't smell anything.

34. Favorite candle scent? Pumpkin Pie Spice or clean linen or apple cinnamon.

35. What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? Big dill pickles and some disgusting 'bread and butter' pickles.

36. What color is your favorite Bible? Uh...

37. Ever been on your roof? Mark hoists himself up there sometimes but I've never done that because I'm scared of heights.

38.Do you own a stereo? Several

39. How many TVs do you have? Six.

40. How many house phones? Six.

41. Do you have a housekeeper? Yes, but I prefer to be called "Wife" or "honey," NOT 'house keeper'

42. What style do you decorate in? "style"...The style is hidden behind the dust bunnies and animal fur. We're more into functionality instead of adhering to a specific 'style.'

43. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? Usually solid colors.

44. Is there a smoke detector outside each of the kid's bedrooms in your home? We don't have any kids, but we do have two smoke detectors (with built in carbon monoxide alarms) outside each set of bedrooms.

45. In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip? Our 3 cats and 2 dogs...and pictures.

Something to do...it has been a while

1) Are your parents married or divorced?
Separated when I was 1.5 years old, divorced when I was 4 years old

2) Are you a vegetarian?
No, I wish I could be because of the whole killing thing...but meat is too tasty

3) Do you believe in Heaven?
Yes

4) Have you ever come close to dying?
Not that I’m aware of

5) What jewelry do you wear 24/7?
Wedding/engagement ring on my left hand and a plain silver wedding ring on my right hand (Mister bought it for me when we were in Arizona)

6) Favorite time of day?
8:OO PM, we're home, chores are done, bedtime is on the horizon

7) Do you eat the stems of broccoli?
Not usually.

8) Do you wear makeup?
Very very rarely, it makes my face feel greasy

9) Ever have plastic surgery?
Nope

10) Do you color your hair?
Yes but not religiously

11) What do you wear to bed?
pajamas - duh. Silky nighty during the summer, leggings and a sweatshirt in the winter

12) Have you ever done anything illegal?
I plead the fifth

13) Can you roll your tongue?
No

14) Do you tweeze your eyebrows?
No

15) What kind of sneakers?
Skechers

16) Do you believe in abortions?
'believe in?' I think it needs to be available in certain circumstances but I couldn't do it.

17) What is your hair color?
Black...with some gray hairs

18) Future child’s name?
We have some picked out but nothing carved in stone.

19) Do you snore?
Yeah

20) If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
Ireland and Italy

21) Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
Yes. I have an 'imitation Louie' that I sleep with every night. 'Imitation Louie' is a stuffed dog that looks just like our last dog, Louie, the Springer Spaniel. Mark bought him for me before we were married because I missed Louie when we were apart.

22) If you won the lottery…
We would pay off all of our bills and build a house, then travel.

24) Hamburger or hot dog?
Hamburgers on the grill, hot dogs boiled in water only.

25) If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Turkey

26) City, beach or country?
benefits to all three

27) What was the last thing you touched?
the keyboard?

28) Where did you eat last?
French fries and a large Coke from McDonalds

29) When’s the last time you cried?
Thursday - my back hurts and the pain got to me.

30) Do you read blogs?
Yeah, google reader is my bff

31) Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex?
Why?

32) Ever been involved with the police?
No

33) What’s your favorite shampoo, conditioner and soap?
I like Nexxus products for my hair and Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom shower gel

34) Do you talk in your sleep?
I don't know, I'm sleeping

35) Ocean or pool?
Pool so I can see the bottom and make sure no snakes or rats or sharks or jellyfish are sneaking up on me

36) What’s your favorite song at the moment?
Right now, Kellie Pickler - "Best Days of Your Life" - love the video

37) What’s your favorite color(s)?
Purple, red, pink, green

38) Window seat or aisle?
Window or middle with Mark next to the window

39) Ever met anyone famous?
Barry Williams (Greg Brady)..some others but can't think of any right now

40) Do you feel that you’ve had a truly successful life?
Depends on your definition of successful. I'm happy, I'm loved, a lot more good stuff than bad stuff...so, I think so.

41) Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?
Twirl, once I married into the Italians I cut it but that is seriously frowned upon so I had to learn to twirl it up!

42) Ricki Lake or Oprah?
Oprah does some good humanitarian stuff but other than that I'm not really a fan of either

43) Basketball or Football?
Isn't there anything else to watch?

44) How long do your showers last?
10 - 15 minutes depending on if I'm doing the fancy shampoo/conditioner or if I'm using the 2 in 1 shampoo

45) Automatic or do you drive a stick?
I learned to drive using manual transmission but my last few cars have been automatic

46) Cake or ice cream?
I like them both

47) Are you self-conscious?
about some things

48) Have you ever drunk so much you threw up?
maybe once or twice ;)

49) Have you ever given money to a tramp?
Tramp? Really? Is that politically correct? But yeah, I have.

50) Have you been in love?
Yes, madly in love with the mister :)

51) Where do you wish you were?
Rochester at the cottage on Lake Conesus

52) Are you wearing socks?
Yes, it is very chilly today

53) Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
Yes

54) Can you tango?
not so much

55) Last gift you received?
Earrings and book from mother-in-law and father-in-law for my birthday

56) Last sport you played?
I played softball through 8th grade, nothing else

57) Things you spend a lot of money on?
Bills and groceries

58) Where do you live?
Lakeville, Minnesota

59) Where were you born?
Minneapolis, Minnesota

60) Last wedding attended?
My sister's, January 2007

61) Favorite drink(s)?
Coca Cola

62) What’d you do last weekend?
Cleaned the house, napped

63) Most hated food(s)?
Mayonnaise, beets, anything with bad textures

64) What’s your least favorite chore?
Cleaning the outside of the toilet

65) Can you sing?
No

66) Last person you instant messaged?
the Mister

67) Last place you went on holiday?
'Holiday?' We don't 'go on holiday' in the US. Last place we went on vacation? Rochester, NY

69) Current Crush?
Still crushing on the mister...other than that, Patrick Warburton

Because I miss him and like to think about him...

What are your middle names?
My middle name is Lynn. Mark's middle name is Douglas although he was a rebel in high school and some how changed Douglas to "Doug" and that is how it appears on his driver's license.

How long have you been together?
We've been married since July 2003, dated 2 years before that.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
About 30 minutes?

Who asked whom out?
He asked me, I'm kind of old fashioned in that department.

How old are each of you?
I'm 36, he's OLD...39.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
Well, Mark's family is in New York so we can't just drop by for Sunday dinner but when we do see them we are out there for at least a week and staying in a cottage with them...so it is 24/7 for a week. My siblings are local and we see them occassionally. If you average these two answers together they are probably about equal.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
I would have to say our biggest difference is what is hard on us. I'm pretty much a homebody/introvert and Mark is very social. I would have to say he's very accomodating to me but once in a while he wants to go out and I'm not very gracious about wanting to NOT go out. Usually we work it out but I know I should really try to be better about going out more often.

Did you go to the same school?
No, he's from Rochester, New York and I'm from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He went to Berklee in Boston for college and I went to St. Kate's in St. Paul.

Are you from the same home town?
No, I think we've covered this?

Who is smarter?
Well that depends on how you define "smart." If you want to know "Who starred in that one movie with the guy and he was a spy and there was a girl and she...." then I am smarter. If you want to know the aerodynamic properties of blahblahblah, then Mark is smarter. I know a lot of useless crap, he knows a lot of higher intelligence stuff.

Who is the most sensitive?
Well, I cry at the drop of a hat...and I carry my own hat. Mark is sensitive but shows it in a more dignified manner.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Um, I know this is bad, but probably McDonalds! I guess the good part of this is that we rarely eat out so if we do, we grab McDonalds.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
To Boston in 2004, to the Arizona/Mexico border in 2007

Who has the craziest exes?
Neither really, we don't have contact with any of them and I've never seen any of them on "Most Wanted" so I assume nobody's cracked in the head.

Who has the worst temper?
I do for some things and Mark does for some things.

Who does the cooking?
Mostly me. Mark will definitely cook if I ask him to or if I'm not feeling well, otherwise, I'm usually home earlier so I will start dinner.

Who is the neat-freak?
For SURE me!

Who is more stubborn?
Depends what we're discussing.

Who hogs the bed?
Telly and Murray...they nicely allow us to share the bed with them

Who wakes up earlier?
Usually Mark

Where was your first date?
Long story

Who is more jealous?
We both have our moments ;)

How long did it take to get serious?
Not very long

Who eats more?
Him but only because I had weight loss surgery and am physically unable to eat as much as him...however, I'm more likely to eat an ice cream sandwich while waiting for Telly to go pee in the middle of the night!

Who does the laundry?
OMG Me because I love it!!!! (and I'm not kidding)

Who's better with the computer?
I am super good at breaking computers...he's good at everything else computer related

Who drives when you are together?
He does, I hate to drive

More useless info about me

Survey-type Meme

Do you wear slippers?
Yes, year round. My step-mother buys me a new pair almost every Christmas and ALWAYS buys them one size too small. Not a big deal, I go and exchange them, I just think it is funny that she is so consistent with the wrong size. Right now I have some black and brown slippers from Macy's, love them, think about them when I'm at work and long for the moment when I can slip them on again. God, I am a freak!

How many pictures are in your living room?
Like 9 or something? I don't know. If I walk out there and count them, my husband will be certain I've lost my mind.

Do you wear a bra to bed at night?
Um no...who does this?!?!

Do you ever watch Brady Bunch reruns?
Every.Single.Time.I.See.It.On.The.Schedule! Love the Brady Bunch!!

Are you allergic to anything?
Cigarette smoke, grass, mold, hard work (hehe kidding!)

When was the last time you called in sick?
Last Wednesday

Have you ever been in a car accident?
Several but not for a long time (like 2002?)

What is your favorite snack food?
Chips, popcorn...I'm not picky

Do you think you have a big butt?
Yeah, see above

Would you like to look like your mom when you are her age?
My mom is dead :/

Have you ever seen a tornado?
No

Do you think Barack Obama is sexy?
In a way, but mostly I think he is awesome and his wife is awesome and I am just so thrilled that he is our president.

If you won a million dollars, what would you buy first?
Our house...actually we would find a piece of land, order our dream house and then travel for 6 months while the house was built.

What time is it right now?
7:57 PM

Are you pregnant?
No :/

Have you ever been pregnant?
No, thanks for bringing it up

Do you like men who wear pink shirts and flip-flops?
Not particularily but it doesn't really matter in the scheme of things

How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Way too many to count...but if my husband reads this the answer is 3 ;)

Do you think you are a hypochondriac?
Sometimes

Do you own a dictionary?
Several but usually use Merriam Webster online

Where was the last place you went on vacation?
Rochester, New York

Do you talk about your friends behind their back?
No, if I am talking about someone behind their back I don't like that person

Are you actually fat but in complete denial about it?
No, I am fully aware of my fatness, again, thanks for bringing it up

What color is your mouse pad?
Blue

Does your kitchen have a theme?
Not really. we have some Italian theme things and when we bought the house 5 1/2 years ago there was an apple border painted on the walls that we've never bothered to paint over. Maybe someday...but for now the headache of painting outweighs the ideas of redecorating

Do you like to mow the yard?
I kind of do but the allergies make me suffer for it - I usually get a pretty good migraine from mowing.

Are you addicted to using Febreze?
I like it but I could quit any time

What is your ring size?
7 I think? I don't know for sure

When was the last time you consumed alcohol?
It has been a while...probably had some boxed wine at home within the last month (wow, I sound cool!)

Do you know someone who gets food stamps?
Not that I know of

Do you have a basement in your home?
Yes, finished with 2 bedrooms, 3/4 bath, family room, and music studio (and of course, laundry room)

Are you still in love with one of your exes?
No

Any big plans for the summer?
Annual cottage trip in Upstate New York, camping for 4th of July...that is about it for now

What is your favorite comfort food?
Macaroni and cheese

Do you prefer broccoli or asparagus?
Uh neither, gross

What color are your bedroom walls?
White

Whom do you live with?
Mr Marcos, 2 dogs (Telly and Stella), 3 cats (Murray, Casper, and Tony)

Which Star Wars movie is your favorite?
Surprisingly, I liked them all

How about Harry Potter?
I've read all of the books except the last one (it is on the book shelf), I think I've seen most of the movies but they all kind of blur together

What was the last movie you saw in theaters?
Religulous

Did you get the popcorn or candy?
I think we had popcorn

What is the most romantic text in your inbox?
"Home soon, LY"

Have you ever played miniature golf on a date?
Yeah

What’s a phrase you overuse?
"WTF?!?!" and "Seriously?!"

Where do you buy most of your shoes?
Famous Footwear? I don't know

Do you always use good grammar?
Usually

Do you have an accent or a speech impediment?
Depends on who you ask, I don't think I do but sometimes my East coast husband laughs at they way I say certain words.

What did you eat today?
A banana, 1/2 turkey sandwich, baked potato, pork chop, Coca Cola

What do you do at work?
Try to look busy so I don't get more work dumped on me, oh you mean what is my job? Billing and enrollment for a big insurance company. Like the job, dislike the majority of co-workers

Do you know the rules to any sports?
They have rules? Blah

Do you prefer to watch or play sports?
I like to hit the snack bar

What is your favorite kind of hat to wear?
I had the best winter hat ever from Lands End - it was kind of blueberry blue and looked just like Paddington Bear's hat. I lost it 2 years ago and I'm still sad about it

Do you pray?
Yes, but my ADHD kicks in and I forget where I was and have to start over

Whom do you pray to?
God, Jesus, the fates

What is the closest mountain to your house?
I have no idea...we don't have mountains in Minnesota

When is the next time you will move?
I don't know, not really planning on moving

Isn’t there something better you could be doing right now?
Its a little early for bed, so no

Is there anything good on TV?
The Super Bowl is on, some of the commercials are good

Does your significant other have a MySpace?
I think he does but like me, prefers Facebook

What is your dream marriage proposal?
Already happened 6 years ago :)

What are your nicknames and who gave them to you?
Yeah...I think I will skip this question

How often do you wear jewelry?
I never take my wedding rings off, other than that most days I wear earrings

What size engine is in your vehicle?
V-6? I don't know for sure - one that needs gasoline to run

What do you need to do tomorrow?
Go to work, that's about it

Whom do you hope never to see again?
Certain co-workers but unless a meteor hits earth tonight, probably isn't going to work out for me

Which friend of yours lives the farthest away?
My friend, Schana Banana - she lives in Seattle

25 things...

I've seen this on several blogs and facebook so I decided to give it a whirl...

25 Things About Me

1. I am the oldest of four children - I have 2 sisters and 1 brother. I fit the "profile" of the oldest child perfectly.

2. When faced with the loss of all material things I would choose to keep my wedding ring and my boxes of photographs.

3. I'm addicted to all things "soft." I love soft blankets (my favorite is my Tinker Bell fleeced blanket my bff, Carrie made for me). I love flannel sheets, fuzzy socks, if it is warm and soft, I will love it.

4. I love to do laundry. I find the noises of the washer and dryer soothing. I love to put dirty laundry into the washer and have it come out of the dryer warm and soft and smelling like fabric softener (Bounce in the dryer, Downy in the washer...yes, I use both, no, I don't care about the "bad side" effects of using fabric softener on items like bath towels).

5. I love to read and I love to go to the library. I know it is cliche but I love libraries. I remember going to the Nokomis library in South Minneapolis and talking to the children's librarian, Mrs. Selander. I always participated in the Summer Reading Programs offered by the library. When I visit the library as an adult I relive those happy childhood memories.

6. I don't trust people that don't like pets. We have 2 dogs and 3 cats, if animal hair disturbs you, you're not going to enjoy visiting our home.

7. I laugh about everything, even when it isn't appropriate. The majority of the people in my family share this trait and this gets us into trouble a LOT.

8. I have a degree in elementary education but decided I didn't want to teach after I did my student teaching. Don't misunderstand, I had an AWESOME student teaching experience but I realized I couldn't take a pay cut to be a teacher and I didn't want a "career" that would necessitate things like grading papers, lesson planning, continuing eduction...etc. So, I stayed at my Monday through Friday, 9:00-5:00 job, I've been there over 9 years.

9. I love my job but dislike the majority of my co-workers.

10. I could easily go days without speaking to anyone. I was an only child until the age of 8 years 11 months. I was raised to "entertain myself." Usually that meant reading or playing with my dolls or other toys. I am a complete introvert and when I have to talk a lot I get uncomfortable and long to be alone and quiet.

11. I was married to my first husband at age 22 and divorced by age 26. I upgraded to husband 2.0 when I was 31 and we've been married 5.5 years - I wouldn't appreciate my life as much now if I didn't go through the first marriage/divorce.

12. I don't have a Passport and I've never left the country. We spend our vacations visiting our family in Upstate New York. I literally get "homesick" for New York even though I was born and raised in Minnesota. I love my in-laws. :)

13. My mother died at age 43. She's been gone a quarter of my life. I miss her and think about her countless times during each and every day. Sometimes I forget she is gone and will think something like "I should ask mom about her recipe for...crap, my mom is dead." I tear up every time I have to fill out medical forms and note that my mother is deceased from cancer.

14. The worst part of Mondays is missing my husband after spending the whole weekend with him.

15. I love to sleep and take naps. Almost every Saturday and Sunday I take a nap.

16. I have never broken a bone and never had surgery until my carpal tunnel surgeries in 2004.

17. I have had migraine headaches since 1st grade. I've done several "headache diaries" to try to find triggers for my headaches but have never found a definite cause. Sometimes the headaches will last a week and medication won't break the headache, when that happens I have to go to the clinic, urgent care or ER for stronger medicines.

18. I forget that I'm not in my 20's anymore.

19. I keep my toenails painted red at all times.

20. I am terrible at maintaining friendships and hate that about myself.

21. I really love being married to Mark. Our life isn't perfect but I love it just the way it is.

22. We hope to have children someday. My mother and my mother-in-law share the name of "Kathleen," we hope to use their name as a middle name for a future daughter.

23. I'm a night owl. Sometimes I go to bed and wake up in the middle of the night and stay up until dawn...then sleep all day.

24. My husband is complex and brilliant, sometimes when we fight I get completely confused and feel stupid. Luckily we don't fight often!! :)

25. I get along really well with my dad and look forward to talking to him at least once a week.

In honor of our Anniversary :)

1. Who is your love? My husband, Mark

2. How long have you been together? 7 1/2 years, married for 5!

3. How long did you two date? About 2 1/2 years

4. How old is your love? 38...he turns 39 next month

6. Who said “I love you” first? He did...and I said "don't say that" while crying because I was afraid he was too good to be true.

7. Who is taller? He is. He is 5'11 & I'm 5'4".

8. Who sings better? He does...100%

9. Who is smarter? He is about most stuff...but I am about senseless trivia and removing laundry stains.

10. Whose temper is worse? Well, I fly off the handle over silly little things, but if he gets mad then his temper is worse!

11. Who does the laundry? I do all of it, I love to do laundry.

12. Who takes out the garbage? I do usually, but if I ask him to he will.

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me :)

14. Who pays the bills? I pay most of them, there are a couple that he takes care of since I claim ignorance on that particular bank's website.

15. Who is better with the computer? He is, he's been a network engineer and now a programmer. I'm better at wrecking the computer!

16. Who mows the lawn? I do.

17. Who cooks dinner? I usually do but if I am sick or something he can cook pretty well.

18. Who drives when you are together? He does.

19. Who pays when you go out? He does...its a joint checking account but he usually whips out his wallet first.

20. Who is most stubborn? I would probably say me.

21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Neither of us, something usually makes us crack up laughing and then we go from there.

22. Whose parents do you see the most? Well, my dad is local but we only see him a couple times a year (birthdays, holidays). His family is in upstate NY, we only see them once a year but it is 24/7 for 7 to 10 days....so you do the math.

23. Who kissed who first? He kissed me first.

24. Who asked who out? He asked me.

25. Who proposed? He did!

26. Who is more sensitive? Me...too sensitive at times!

27. Who has more friends? He has a lot of friends and is really good about staying in touch with them. I don't have a lot of friends - just a few close ones and I am TERRIBLE about staying in touch.

28. Who has more siblings? Trick question. I have 2 sisters and a brother. He has 1 sister and 1 brother...and 3 step brothers and one step sister!

29. Who wears the pants in the family? He does...but I wash them! :)

30. How did you meet? That is confidential ;)

To Know Him is to Love Him :)

Stolen from http://happychildhood.homeschooljournal.net/ ...hope she doesn't mind

1. What is his name?
Mark Douglas ________

2. How long have you been together?
7 years

3. How long did you date?
We dated for two years, got engaged 3 months after 2 year anniversary, and got married 3 months after we got engagaed. We've been married almost 5 years now.

4. How old is he?
38

5. Who eats more?
Since my surgery, him, before that we were probably pretty even lol

6. Who said I love you first?
He did. And I thought he was too good to be true so I whispered "please don't say that..." I was so afraid something was going to tear us apart. It all worked out in the end...I was in love too, just too afraid to verbalize it.

7. Who’s Taller?
Mark

7b (question that wasn’t asked: Who’s Older?
Mark is 2.5 years older than me.

8. Who can sing better?
He can, definitely! He is a musician. I try not to sing in his presence, I'm sure he appreciates that! I do a great impression of Edith Bunker singing the opening song on the All in the Family show...he LOVES that ;)

9. Who is smarter?
That depends. Mark is a genius, literally...however he can't remember "that guy that was in that one movie where they fall in love and it was really funny and he had brown hair...honey do you remember?" And he can't remember to put his socks in the hamper. I remember useless triva that constantly amazes him ("WHY do you know that?") We balance each other out perfectly.

10. Who does the laundry?
I do the laundry. I LOVE to do the laundry (seriously). I feel comforted by the warmth and smells of my laundry room. When we bought our house he went out of his way to make it cozy for me - he carpeted it and installed blinds, my Grandma made me some curtains...it is one of my favorite rooms in the house (that is ridiculous I know).

11. Who pays the bills?
Ugh, we both hate to do it, right now he pays them at work but we prefer the system where I pay them at home.

12. Who sleeps on the right side?
He sleeps on the right side.

13. Who mows the lawn?
Me, unless I'm injured, then he will help me out. I don't mind mowing too much, it is good exercise and I like the yard to look nice.

14. Who cooks dinner?
I do mostly. He will cook if I can't bear to do it or if I'm not feeling well, but often he gets home a lot later than me and it is easier if I have dinner almost ready for him. He cooks breakfast on the weekends.

15. Who drives?
Mark, unless we've been out partying and he needs to "rest" on the way home ;)

16. Who is more stubborn?
Definitely a toss up. He's more hot headed (as in "lets yell this out now"), I'm more reclusive (as in "I'll go take a nap and hopefully we won't be mad at each other when I wake up"). Usually one of us makes a joke or one of the pets do something stupid and we crack up, that breaks the ice and then we have a civil conversation to resolve the issue.

17. Who kissed who first?
I'm pretty sure he kissed me first, I was a little shy about that stuff.

18. Who asked who out first?
He asked me, I put him off a couple of times before I gave in - man, am I glad I gave in! ;)

19. Who proposed?
Mark did officially (as in with the ring etc) but we were already discussing it by the time the proposal happened. It is kind of a long story but when I first met his family his nieces and nephews were pretty young and called me "Miss Jennifer." We got a phone call from his sister letting us know she was expecting her third and I said to Mark "I would sure love to be AUNT Jennifer instead of Miss Jennifer to this one." And that set the wedding plans in motion. Happily, they ALL call me Aunt Jennifer now and "Miss Jennifer" is a thing of the past (they probably know who does the birthday and Christmas shopping, smart kids).

20. Who has more friends?
He does. I'm such a homebody. I have a few select, close friends...he has a network of people he hangs with.

21. Who is more sensitive?
Me. He's sensitive about some things like our dog, Louie, that passed away in 2004 and missing his family in New York. I'm sensitive about everything. We have a saying in our family "She cries at the drop of a hat and she carries her own hat!"

22. Who has more siblings?
Complicated question. I have two younger sisters and one younger brother. He has an older brother and older sister...and also two step brothers on his dad's side and a step brother and step sister on his mom's side. Yeah, you should see their family tree!

23. Who wears the pants?
He does. I guess I'm kind of old fashioned but I like it that way. It isn't like he doesn't take my opinion into account when he makes decisions but I leave the major decisions to him and I decide what's for dinner :)

My Privileges

A very interesting meme.
From What Privileges Do You Have?, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. If you participate in this blog game, they ask that you PLEASE acknowledge their copyright.

*Bold the true statements.

1. Father went to college

2. Father finished college He has a BS in nursing and works on a cardiac ward

3. Mother went to college

4. Mother finished college

5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor.

6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers. (I don't understand this question?)

7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home. And that was just MY library!

8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home.

9. Were read children’s books by a parent. Yes, and I still love being read to!

10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18

11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18

12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively. yeah, I guess, I mean I'm from the Midwest?

13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18

14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs (edited to add HA...double HA!)

15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs (again, HA)

16. Went to a private high school (I did go to a private school through 8th grade and I think it made a HUGE difference in my upbringing and definitely consider it a privilege that I was able to attend the parochial school I attended)


17. Went to summer camp

18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18

19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels

20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18

21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them (my dad helped me buy a car, a used car that I loved)

22. There was original art in your house when you were a child

23. You and your family lived in a single-family house

24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home Just barely though...as in they purchased the house in January of 1990 and I graduated from high school in June of 1990.

25. You had your own room as a child

26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18

27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course

28. Had your own TV in your room in high school

29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college

30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16

31. Went on a cruise with your family

32. Went on more than one cruise with your family

33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up

34. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family

Interesting survey although I think it is definitely possible to be considered "privileged" without things like trust funds and IRAs.

I've Been Tagged!

Angie at "Thrifty Florida Mama" tagged me to do a meme!

1. What did you accomplish this past week? Wow! That's a hard question for me because this has been a very strange week. I haven't gotten any of the Christmas decorations put up, the house could use cleaning...lots I could be doing but I was in the hospital over the weekend dealing with a pinched nerve and this week I'm at home taking an awful lot of drugs and on Friday I will have the epidural that should give me some relief. So, ask me Friday I guess? Friday, after the epidural, I'm supposed to do some Christmas baking with my best friend, Carrie. We're both trying to have a more "frugal" Christmas so we're planning on doing some baking for gift giving.

2. Did anything not go as expected? Well yes, I was supposed to feel better last weekend and get the house cleaned and decorated for Christmas.

3. What was the highlight of your week? Monday afternoon when I was released from the hospital. I am so happy to be home with my 2 dogs and 3 cats...and especially my husband, Mark. Mark has been so amazing during all of this, I love him more and more every day.

4. Did anything exciting happen that you did not expect? Not really, oh, we had a nice snowstorm yesterday and I love being home safe and snuggly while it storms outside.

I don't really have anyone to tag because I don't think I have any "regular" readers. Thanks for tagging me Angie!! :)

Elmo Loves You!

You Are Elmo

Sweet and innocent, you expect everyone to adore you. And they usually do! You are usually feeling: Talkative. You've got tons of stories to tell. And when you aren't talking, you're laughing. You are famous for: Being popular, though no one knows why. Middle aged women especially like you. How you life your life: With an open heart. "Elmo loves you!"

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

I'm Winnie!

Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!

Middle Name Meme

I saw this meme on another blog (Actual Unretouched Photo - nice blog, she writes humorously about her life as a Pastor's wife and mother to 4 children).

The gist of the meme is "Write a post using each letter of your middle name describing something relevant to your life. Tag the same amount of people as you have letters in your name."

I don't want to do the meme. I want to complain about it...not about the meme, but about my middle name.

My father named me after a cheesy pop tune "Jennifer Juniper." My first name is Jennifer (definition: White; fair; smooth). I was born in 1972. Beginning in 1970 Jennifer was the number 1 girl name until 1985...when it dropped to 2nd place. I went to a small Catholic school through 8th grade, there was 23 students in our class and 4 of those students were named Jennifer (Jen, Jenny, etc). My name is boring. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate my first name. I'm used to it and it fits me. I prefer Jennifer, not Jen or Jenny.

My middle name is Lynn. If you asked 20 women their middle name I bet you would have at least 3 Lynns. When you look up the meaning of Lynn it states "n/a" as in not applicable. It doesn't mean ANYTHING. It just is.

Now, as a rule, Jennifer Lynn would be a fine name. My complaint is that I am the oldest of 5 children and I am the only one with a completely boring name. Yeah, I know, I'm the oldest, by default I have the most baby pictures. I would trade some of those pictures for a cooler name.

My first sister is named Megan Rosemary. My mom was reading "The Thornbirds" and the main character's name was Megan - mom loved the name. Rosemary is a combination of her two grandmother's names and one of our aunts.

My second sister is named Colleen Ann. My mom had a sister that died at birth, her name was Colleen. Ann is the middle name of our other aunt and part of our grandmother's name.

Both sisters have beautiful Irish sounding names that match our heritage.

My first brother is named Jacob Thomas. Thomas is a family name - my grandfather's name and the middle name of my oldest uncle.

My second brother is named Lucas Steven. Steven is also a family name - most of the boys in our extended family have Steven as their middle name.

I guess there isn't really a point to this long winded rant other than I wish I had a more meaningful name...although I do like that my dad picked out my whole name by himself. And really, Lynn isn't that bad of a name...never mind.

Marriage Meme

1. Where/How did you meet? We met on the Internet, AOL to be exact. He thought my profile was funny. We chatted online off and on for about a year. Each time he messaged me I thought it was the first time we chatted. EVENTUALLY we started talking and never stopped.

2. How long have you known each other? 6 years

3. How long after you met did you start dating? within a month after we met in person

4. How long did you date before you were engaged? 2 years, 4 months

5. How long was your engagement? 3 months

.6. How long have you been married? 3 years 8 months

7. What is your anniversary? July 25

8. How many people came to your wedding reception? the actual wedding in New York about 20, the reception in Minnesota around 100

9. What kind of cake did you serve? Standard white wedding cake with some sort of white frosting. It was good and we DID NOT shove it on each other's face.

10. Where was your wedding? In a gazebo on Conesus Lake in upstate New York.

11. What did you serve for your meal? The reception was at Fratelli's Italian Restaurant in Livonia, New York. I believe guests had a choice of 3 or 4 dishes.

12. How many people were in your bridal party? 6 - my sister was the maid of honor, his best friend from high school was the best man, and we had 2 flower girls (our nieces) and 2 ring bearers (our nephews).

13. Are you still friends with them all? Yes

14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? I don't think so, he might have teared up a little. I teared up a little when the minister mentioned my mom.

15. Most special moment of your wedding day? So many...walking down the aisle at the end and realizing it was final.

16. Any funny moments? We did a sand ceremony instead of a unity candle. We gathered sand from special places in Minnesota and New York - the lake where my parents met, the property Mr Marco's aunt owns, the beach where we were married etc. We mixed all of the sand together into a decanter. We filled a special jar for us to keep forever and then we filled individual bottles to give to our parents/grandparents. Sounds like a great idea but some of the sand was wet and we couldn't get it to pour properly into the bottles. We both got the giggles (you can see we're cracking up in the pictures). I kept saying "the song is going to end!!!" We got some of the sand into the main jar and then acted like we were done and walked back to the minister right as the song ended. We finished filling the jars later. We still laugh about it.

17. Any big disasters? My hair and makeup! Because we planned the New York wedding from Minnesota his mom handled a lot of the little details. I asked her to find a salon close to the wedding location and I made appointments for a pedicure, manicure, hair, and make up. The pedicure and manicure went off without a hitch the day before the wedding. On the wedding day I went to the salon with my sister and we described a "loose up do with a lot of curls" and then some little random sprigs of flowers. The stylist pulled all my hair back into a tight french roll and stuck the WHOLE sprig of flowers in the back. I kept looking at my sister like "HELP ME" and she kept nodding and smiling at me. I thought "well maybe it doesn't look THAT bad!?" For the makeup I requested very subtle because I usually do not wear make up so I just wanted something to make my skin look healthy for the pictures. The stylist literally drew those cat lines on my eyes. I felt SICK! We were running late already and I am not the type of person to say "THIS LOOKS HORRIBLE FIX IT NOW!" Plus my sister kept acting like it looked great so I just paid the lady and we left. As soon as we got outside my sister grabbed my arm and said "GET IN THE CAR AND DRIVE, I CAN FIX IT!!!!" We drove 100 mph back to the cottage where we were staying. I covered my head and face and ran to our room before anyone could get a good look at me. We actually took pictures of the horrible train wreck that was my hair and makeup but my sister has the pictures. She wiped off most of the makeup (including the beautiful cat eyes) and redid my hair. It was not exactly what I wanted but it was SO much better than the professional stylist. Initially I felt disappointed because I wanted to feel BEAUTIFUL that day but in the end the pictures turned out nice and my husband thought I looked beautiful and that is all that matters.

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon? We went to Six Flags Darien Lakes in NY, then to Niagara Falls (Canadian side).

19. How long were you gone? Just 2 days. We were already on vacation the week before the wedding. We had purchased our first home before we left for NY so we wanted to get back to MN to move into our home and get settled.

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change? Hair and makeup!

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on? right side

22. What size is your bed? queen

23. Greatest strength as a couple? We love to laugh together. We have similar values and can talk about anything for hours at a time. We love spending time together and we are truly best friends.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple? We are polar opposites in communication style. He likes to "fight" and I prefer to be silent for a week. His way is much healthier so we have to work at having healthy disagreements and working through the issue. I'd rather go to sleep and pretend everything is fine - NOT healthy!

25. Who literally pays the bills? I usually do.

26. What is your song? I think we have several..."Until the Night" by Billy Joel is one of our favorites.

27. What did you dance your first dance to? "In You Eyes" by Peter Gabriel

28. Describe your wedding dress? It was simple, white, empire waist, "tea length", kind of like a fancy sun dress. It was perfect for what we were going for.

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? Cream roses and purple hydrangeas.

30. Are your wedding bands engraved? No. His ring is titanium and can't be engraved. My rings are too thin even soldered together, so they can't be engraved.

Wikipedia Meme

Instructions:
1. Go to Wikipedia.org
2. In the Search box, type your birth month and day (but not year).
3. List three events that happened on your birthday.
4. List two important birthdays and one interesting death.
5. One holiday or observance (if any).

Events:

1972 - Vietnam War: Nguyen Hue Offensive – The North Vietnamese 320th Division forces 5,000 South Vietnamese troops to retreat and traps about 2,500 others northwest of Kontum.

1975 - As North Vietnamese forces close in on the South Vietnamese capital Saigon, the Australian Embassy is closed and evacuated, almost ten years to the day since the first Australian troop commitment to South Vietnam.

2005 - Bulgaria and Romania sign ascession treaties gaining entrance into the European Union.

Two Birthdays:

1908 - Edward R. Murrow, American journalist (d. 1965)

1969 - Renée Zellweger, American actress

Interesting Death:

1995 - Ginger Rogers, American actress and dancer (b. 1911)

One holiday or observance:

Easter Sunday - 1886, 1943, 2038. In the Gregorian Calendar 25th April is the latest date on which Easter Sunday can fall (22nd March is the earliest).

The ABC's of Me (yes, another getting to know me quiz...you love it)

A is for Age - 34 years
B is for Booze - Don't drink a ton any more, but I like golden margaritas on the rocks, frou frou shots, HATE beer.
C is for Cookie you crave - Girl Scout Cookies "Tag-A-Longs", those little temptresses and their darn cookies.
D is for Dating tip you’d give your son or daughter - Keep it in your pants/Your daddy will kill you.
E is for Essential items to bring to a party - good music, good friends, and fun
F is for Favorite song at the moment - www.pandora.com -whatever I want to hear
G is for Goof off thing to do - play on the internet, read, sleep
H is for Hometown - Minneapolis, Minnesota
I is for Instrument you play - I played the flute for two awful years in 5th/6th grade. I gave up after that. Now I'm married to a musician and all of my in-laws are musicians. I guess I should have kept up with that flute stuff.
J is for Jam or Jelly you like - Grape, apricot, plum, strawberry
K is for Kids - None yet, but hopefully some sooner than later.
L is for Living arrangement - my husband, Mark, our cats, Murray, Casper, and Tony, our dogs, Telly and Stella, my 19 year old sister, Colleen, and my 17 year old brother, Lucas
M is for Mom’s name - Kathleen
N is for Name of first crush - Timmy
O is for Overexposed celebrity? - Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton, Ashlee Simpson, Jennifer Lopez
P is for Phobias - snakes, spiders, rats, oceans/lakes/rivers
Q is for Quote you like - From the movie "Office Space"
Bob Porter: Looks like you've been missing a lot of work lately.
Peter Gibbons: Well, I wouldn't exactly say I've been *missing* it, Bob.
R is for Relationship that lasted longest - Mark
S is for Siblings - 2 sisters and 1 brother
T is for Texas, ever been? - I visited my dad in San Antonio when he was stationed at Fort Sam Houston (during the first Desert Storm, 1991)
U is for Unique trait - There are so many - j/k
V if for Vegetable you love - Potatoes, corn, tomatoes, carrots
W is for Worst trait - I’m really bad at saying goodbye (leaving the party)
X - is for Xtra Credit, did you ever do it in school? - yeah, sometimes
Y is for Yummy food you make - Roast beast, Salsa chicken, Veggie hotdish
Z is for Zodiac sign - Taurus

Another Random Quiz...

I know I say this often but I really need to post more often. I do these silly little quizzes so anyone that happens to read will get to know me a little bit, so here goes...

3 names you go by:
1. Jennifer/Jenny/Jen
2. Princess
3. Mrs. Marcos

3 screen names you have gone by:
1. Mrs_Marcos2003
2. psycobabes
3. I don't remember?

3 things you like about yourself
1. my sense of humor
2. my mad housekeeping skillz
3. my mad cooking skillz

3 things you hate/dislike about yourself
1. my hair
2. my depression
3. my self-loathing (that is a little joke there)

3 things that scare you (only THREE?)
1. snakes
2. spiders
3. rats

3 of your everyday essentials
1. Coca Cola
2. kisses from my husband
3. snuggling with my pets

3 things you're wearing right now
1. wedding/engagement ring
2. Rocket Dog! shoes
3. Mr. Owl "How Many Licks" hoodie (I'm not kidding)

3 of your favorite bands/artists
1. Earth Wind & Fire
2. Supertramp (the band, not the awesome hooker)
3. Billy Joel

3 of your favorite songs at present
1. Until the Night (Billy Joel)
2. Got to Get You Into My Life (EW&F)
3. The One I Love (David Gray)

3 new things you want to try in the next 12 months
1. getting pregnant/having a baby *gasp*
2. camping (for reals, not just sleeping in a tent while having indoor plumbing/cooking facilities)
3. blogging more often

3 things you want in a relationship (love is a given)
1. laughter/sense of humor
2. honesty/understanding
3. tenderness/kindness

2 truths and a lie (no particular order)
1. Barry Williams (aka 'Greg Brady') once told me to "Stay Groovy"
2. I've lost 100 pounds
3. I have an uncanny ability to be "randomly selected" for thorough searches in airports
(which one is the lie?)

3 physical things about a love interest that appeal:
1. eyes
2. smile/lips/teeth
3. height/size

3 things you just can't do
1. eat food with eyes and/or tentacles still attached
2. sleep on my back no matter how tired I am
3. go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink

3 of your favorite hobbies
1. reading
2. sleeping
3. traveling

3 things you want to do really badly right now
1. Go on vacation
2. Go home, put on my pajamas, snuggle with husband/pets, go to sleep
3. Go shopping for Fiestaware

3 careers you've considered
1. Stay-at-home mother (not in "the plan" yet)
2. Elementary school teacher (have the degree, can't afford the pay cut)
3. Librarian
"I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted a paycheck"

3 places you want to go on vacation:
1. Italy
2. Ireland
3. Mexico (mainland or a cruise)

3 kids names (either boy or girl)
1. Joseph Mark (my choice) or Joseph Frederick (husband's choice)
2. Sophia Kathleen
3. Mia Kathleen
(Don't steal these, might use them someday)

3 things you want to do before you die
1. start a family
2. travel out of the country
3. make a happy life with my husband

3 people who have to take this quiz now
1. anyone who wants to
2. anyone who needs some "bloggin' material"
3. anyone that wants to share some personal info - I'm nosy!