2012 ...My How Things Have Changed #Monday Listicles

This week’s Monday Listicles topic “List of Ten Clues You are Living in 2012” was courtesy of Anja. It appears I have reached that point in my life where I find I am using the phrase “when I grew up…” waaaay too often. What "I" want to know is when did THAT happen!!!  *sigh* 

So my list this week is a bit of a flashback to how things were when I was a kid and how things have uhhhh changed. Yes I know I am SO dating myself but come…take a stroll down memory lane with me won’t you?    

1.      June 27, 2012. That was the date set as the “destination time” in the original Back to the Future movie back in 1985. I remember watching the movie and thinking by 2012 we would surely be like the Jetsons with robots and travelling around in hover cars. What. Twenty-seven years seems like forever to a 25 year old.

2.      When I finally decided to take the plunge and get a cell phone, the Motorola flip phone (circa 1993) was the one for me. There would be no tucking this baby in your pants pocket or evening clutch for that matter. It did come with a skookum belt clip however the weight of the phone was enough to pull your pants down for a look not unlike the “low-riding” pants of today.

3.      Growing up, my mom worked for a small company who distributed products from Japan. I remember being one of the first families in our neighbourhood who got a microwave oven. It was about the size of a small fridge, weighed a ton which almost required our counter top to be reinforced with rebar and had a cooking power of about 600W. Nothing was digital (it had a dial for the timer); nothing rotated (you actually had to turn the plate yourself) but having the ability to defrost/cook something in under a minute was a miracle!

4.      I am sure Stasha will vouch for me when I say there was a generation of cameras before the fancy-schmancy digital models of today. One of my best childhood friends had a “box” camera (not unlike the one in the picture). Even though I was deliberate in taking pictures due to the cost of film and developing, it wasn’t uncommon to come out with only one or two useable photos in a roll of 36.  *sigh* 

5.      If you are old enough to remember box cameras you will surely remember the introduction of the cube flashbulb. O.M.G! You no longer had to change the bulb after a single picture. No my friend…you could take up to 4 pictures, providing the filament in any of the bulbs wasn’t broken, before replacing the cube. Technology at its finest. 

 

6.      Music back in MY day meant having to make room for an actual piece of furniture. Sure we had portable record players and radios but if you wanted “quality” sound, a console stereo was the way to go. It could also double as the hood of a car and engine for young imaginative minds. OK…I admit I was a bit of a tomboy and had dreams of being an auto-mechanic. Go figure.

7.      See that crate of LP’s over on the right?  I have two others jam packed with disco, movie soundtracks and almost anything that hit the top 10 in the late 70’s-early 80’s. Prior to that I had a pile of 45’s (often times released singles) by the likes of Donny Osmond, The Partridge Family and Bobby Sherman. Yup…I was one “Cool Cat”.

8.      Parallel parking took muscle and brute force. No power steering or auto park back in the day. Cranking the steering wheel to get the wheels lined up was guaranteed to give you a workout. Upon leaving the parking spot the steering wheel would spin like a top at least a dozen times (or so it seemed). Heaven forbid any body parts got near the wheel of death.

9.      Thankfully we did not live near a river or creek of any sort so having to wash our clothes by pounding them against a rock was not an option. Instead we had a semi-automatic wringer washer. By semi-automatic I mean no pounding but also no spinning therefore you needed to manually feed the clothes through the “wringer” part of the washer in order to squeeze out any excess water.

10.   I am becoming my mother. Let’s leave it at that shall we. 

Off you go now. Head over to Stasha's to see what everybody else came up with.  

"Fab Friday: Back to School Edition"

I can’t believe it is almost September and some kids are already back at school. We still have just over a week before Riley heads back for his final year of high school. Yup.

One.  (Deep inhale)

More.  (aaand…exhale)

Year.  (Excuse me while I go lock myself in my cave. *sigh*)

Okie-dokies. Now that I have collected myself…shall we continue? Since my blogging seems to have taken a bit of a backseat to summer fun and I seem to be struggling with putting more than a couple of coherent sentences together, I thought I would treat you to another spin-off of my “Friday’s Fab Five Review” with this week’s “Back to School Edition”.

In the spotlight, a trio of mommy bloggers who I enjoy for their practical and realistic outlook on life and who share their adventures with insight, experience and most of all…humour.

First up...Robbie. I have been following Robbie since blogging/tweeting began for me and even copied paid tribute to her series “Saturday Seven” via satellite. For the preschool bunch, Robbie over at “Fractured Family Tales” guest posted over at “take2mommy” about “How to Survive the First Day of Preschool”. Robbie works in the education field and came up with ten very practical tips (I can personally vouch for number 5 with J2) which I wish I had known when both our boys were starting preschool.

Next up is Bridget. I came across Bridget's blog “Twinisms” via Stasha’s Monday Listicles and keep going back for more. As soon as I read she had a “high tolerance for wine” in her bio, I knew we were destined to be virtual friends. Her husband is in the Army and their family is currently stationed in Alaska. She has not one but two sets of twins. Really.    

Bridget is nearing the end of school with her first set of twins and is at the beginning of school with her second set. You gasped didn’t you? If you are just starting out, you may or may not be able to relate to the first half of her post. Being almost at the end of “our” school career I most definitely could yet even more…I sympathized with Bridget over the next 13 years. *wink*  “School is in Session” is a quick read and you won’t be sorry.

An encore presentation from one of my newer bloggy buddies Christina who blogs at “Riding the Crazy Train: diary of a Delirious Mom”. She also has a set of twins. Only girls. She recently started back working out of the home as a Special Education Assistant after attaining what I would consider her Masters degree as Head Conductor of the Crazy Train. Her blast from the past post “Bullies: Inherently Mean or Morally Uneducated?” is a topic which I think every parent thinks about these days.

I am sure this year will supply me with much to blog about. I hope it is an exciting year for Riley and I am quite sure it will be an even scarier one for me and G. Wish us luck or even better…send alcohol…lots and lots of alcohol. I’m not kidding.

I hope you enjoyed some summer fun with family and friends.  I know I did.  =)

My "MINI" and Me #Monday Listicles

I am sure you noticed that I was away for last week’s Monday Listicles. You did notice, right???  *wink*  No school, summer holidays and vacations add up to late nights, lazy days and little productivity. Time to get back into some sort of routine and what better way than to start the week with Stasha’s Monday Listicles.  This week’s topic…
10 Things I LOVE About My Car!

Having recently hit the half-century…can you think of a better excuse to celebrate my late-life crisis than with a “New-to-Me” vehicle? I think not.

1.      Two words… “Mini Cooper”.

2.      It’s fun to drive.

3.      It’s got racing stripes which make it go even faster.

4.      Its color is conducive to hiding the dirt.

5.      It’s good on gas although it does take the high-octane stuff.

6.      It’s a standard so J2 doesn’t know how to drive it…yet.

7.      It has “Hill Assist” so I don’t have to use the emergency brake or burn out my clutch on steep hills.

8.      It’s roomy enough for 4 people as long as everyone is not over 6’ tall (or 3’ wide for that matter).

9.      Its speedometer is large enough to see without my readers.

10.   It’s SUPER cute and we women know just how important THAT is!!!

Don't forget to head over to Stasha's to read what everybody else loves about their cars!

FOOD..."American Style"

We decided to try some new dining options this time around.  First stop for lunch was "Hash House a Go Go". This eatery is known for its "twisted farm food" and huge portions. What do you think???

Kiwi Watermelon Lemonade...OK so this was doeable for one person.  :)

My cousin and I chose to split this ummmm...creation. Their version of Eggs Benedict called "Farm Benedicts".  

This beauty was a homemade biscuit served on a bed of mashed potatoes topped with, get ready for this...
sage fried chicken w/ fresh spinach, market tomato (yea cause you gotta have your servings of "fresh" vegetables), hardwood smoked bacon, griddled mozzarella, chipotle cream and scrambled eggs.
Looks can be deceiving as it was actually delicious.

One POUND of hamburger...with your choice of fillings stuffed between two patties make up this burger.
Seriously...who on earth can eat this much food in one sitting!!

So it's back to reality and in dire need of sleep, fasting and jumping on the wagon. Well at least for a day or two. Will hopefully get back to my regularly scheduled blogging in the next week or so. Please stay tuned...

I'm Going to Vegas!!!

Yup...you read that right.  I'm going to Vegas!  For four nights. By myself. Well not actually "by myself" per se... just without any members of my household. It is my annual family reunion weekend and this weekend we are celebrating a cousin's 50th birthday.

I must admit I have not been my usual bouncing off the wall self this time. Not sure why?!?  Was I worried about Riley after his dental surgery?  Perhaps. Is it because my sister and mom are not coming this time?  Maybe. Am I feeling guilty about going away on my own???  Kinda. Wait. What?  Naaahhh!  *wink*

Whatever the reason I am getting excited now! So I just wanted to leave you with a little something to tide you over until I get back next week.  Found this catchy little tune on YouTube by Jimmy Ray. No I had never heard of him but the ol' Elvis Viva Las Vegas thing was getting a little tiresome. Enjoy and see ya next week!

I'm Having a Dinner Party#Monday Listicles

Bridget over at "Twinisms" chose "10 People Living or Dead you would invite to a Dinner Party" for this week's Monday Listicles. Wow...who would I pick???  Should I try and look intellectual and invite people who have done things to shape the world today?  Should my table look like an issue of People magazine??  Not as easy as one might think...well for me anyways. I finally decided WTH...go big or go home right?  ;P

So here's who I would invite to my ultimate Dinner Party...

1.      First on my list would of course be Stasha, hostess extraordinaire and creator of Monday Listicles, since without her I would probably still be dreading Mondays.  

2.   Temple Grandin

3.      Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

4.      His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama

5.      Steve Jobs

6.      Queen Elizabeth II

7.      George Clooney 

8.    Walt Disney

9.      Keith Urban

10.      Ellen Degeneres

Be sure to pop over to see who everybody else invited to their dinner parties.

*All images from Google Images

The Aftermath of Dental Surgery

Well we both survived!!!  I broke the news to Riley the night before he was to get his wisdom teeth out by placing a “social” story at his place at the table. Yes I am a woosie. In my defence he is a visual learner.

Thankfully Riley’s appointment was first thing (8:30) in the morning. On the wise advice of a good friend (who is a nurse) we prepped the back of Riley’s hands (for the IV) with an Emla patch (which is a topical anaesthetic) first thing in the morning. R was muttering all the way to the dentist’s office about being grumpy and me not leaving him. I know…melted my heart…the "me not leaving him" part that is.

Nurse Lisa came to get us right on time. R was weighed and lucky for everybody in the office, we were put in a room right beside the reception area. Oh joy. I asked Lisa if the room was sound proof and when she answered no but not to worry, I suggested perhaps she might want to find some earplugs for the staff and waiting patients as a precaution. Seriously I did say that. She hesitated just that little bit extra before trying to brush my comment off with a very weak and guarded haha.

Lisa was a God send. She talked directly to Riley then would look in my direction for confirmation which in every single case was the total opposite of what R answered. Remember Riley likes to be agreeable and when stressed will pretty much just repeat what was asked. eg. Do you like mouthwash Riley?  Yes I like mouthwash Lisa. R hates mouthwash. Have you ever gargled before?  Yes I've gargled before Lisa.  R has NEVER gargled in.his.life! You get the idea.  

The entire time R kept repeating “Don’t leave me. Don’t leave Riley T.” interspersed with “I’m grumpy.” I stayed with R and tried to distract him while they put in the IV. He “screeched” just a little and yelped “Hey…you pinched me! That hurt!”

Watching R go under was kind of scary this time. He started to cough and gag a little. I thought he might throw up.  Within a few extremely long seconds he was asleep. The procedure took less than 30 minutes. The surgeon was very “perceptive” and suggested I come in sooner rather than later after they were done. Excellent call.  ;P 

I was a little LOT nervous as to how R would come out of the anaesthesia. He was quite disoriented as expected and rather grumpy also as expected. “Shut up you stupid lady!” and “He hurt me!” were his words of choice this time…a far cry and much more pleasant experience than the swearing and cussing the last time around.

Now I am pretty sure they were as happy to let us go as we were to leave. Trust me, I in no way felt rushed or pressured to leave and was more than thankful that we didn’t have to wait around for R to “come out of it” at a leisurely pace. Lisa went over the post-op instructions making sure I knew I could call her later with any questions. I heart people like Lisa!

On our way out the receptionist (who looked like a deer in the headlights) passed me an envelope and said “You can call with your credit card when you get home.” I also noticed they had shut the door to the reception area which pretty much confirmed my suspicions that R was articulating very clearly despite a mouthful of cotton. Not sure who was more grateful to get out of there…her or me. ;P   

For those with young ones who are just starting out, I haven’t always been able to find the humour in situations like these. They were and still are stressful for me (and Riley) yet as he’s grown so has his ability to deal with these types of situations without going into full blown meltdown. For me…humour works followed by a good stiff martini.  :)