Meet Meag

Name: Meag
Location: California
Age: 32

Let me introduce you to Meag.

She was born and raised in California by her mother, who is a wonderful person. I have met her. She makes AMAZING burritos. Amazing. The woman has talent. And now I'm drooling just thinking back to that glorious day. So! Back to Meag. Maybe one day, Meag will make those burritos. Like, one day while she's here for the wedding. I'm having a hard time staying on topic.

Meag works for the State of California. Meag and I met many years ago, online actually. We are both fans of General Hospital (yes, I watch soaps) and by some stroke of luck, happened to be members of the same message board for General Hospital fans (yes, I'm THAT big of a fan). Anyway, we happened to like/dislike pretty much the same things about the show, finding ourselves posting in the same threads. Well, there was just so much to like about each other, we took the friendship beyond the message board to e-mails, which lead to phone calls, which lead to visits to our respective cities, attendance at each others weddings, etc.

She is probably the kindest person I know. She devotes much of her time helping out with feral, abandoned, rescued cats. She LOVES cats. She has three of her own and they are her children. Oh, and she has a husband, Kevin. He's ok, I guess. Just kidding - he's a wonderful man who works hard and loves her and makes her happy.

So here is my interview with Meag.......my person.

#1 Have you ever eaten a crayon?
No but I'm pretty sure I snacked on paste at one time or another.

#2 What do you think of toe socks?

I don't really give them much thought.

#3 Do you match your shoes/belt/etc with your clothes? (i.e., black with black, or brown with brown)
Yep

#4 Have you ever run into a screen door or glass door?
No but I laugh when other people do.

#5 What is your worst injury you have ever had?
When I hurt my back at work and couldn't walk for over a week.

#6 What type of person were you in high school?
Pretty quiet actually. Shock, I know!

#7 What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?
You'd have to ask Kevin, I'm not aware of a secret weapon that I posses.

#8 What do you think of when I say the word "persnickety"?
Some of the hags that work in my office.

#9 What would you like to know about the future?
Nothing, what fun would that be?

#10 Have you ever cried (or used some other womanly form of blackmail) to get out of a ticket?
Nope

#11 Have you ever stood someone up?
Yes *hangs head in shame*

#12 Have you ever illegally parked in a handicapped spot? And if yes, how do you think that made the handicapped person you just robbed of a spot feel?
No

#13 Where is the wierdest place you have a mole?
On my stomach off to the side.

#14 Do you have any wierd daily routines/habits?
It's weird that my daily routine needs to stay the same or my day is thrown off.

#15 Do you use the "hover" technique in public restrooms?
yes

#16 Do you parallel park or drive around the block for an easier spot?
drive around the block

#17 How often do you clean out your ears?
What?

#18 Do you scruntch or fold your toilet paper?
scruntch

#19 Have you ever lied to your mother? (shame on you)
Never!

#20 Do you laugh at yourself when you trip and totally fall on your ass?
Oh yeah, I'm equal opportunity when it comes to laughing when myself or others fall cause, come on! It's funny!

And that is my friend, Meag, in a nutshell. She will be here for the wedding. You can ask for autographs at that time.

Introductions Please

Before my wedding date and bridesmaids arrive (two are coming in from out of town), I would like to give you the opportunity to meet them, so to speak, via interview. I submitted 20 random, off-the-wall questions in hopes to give you a better idea of the company I keep. So, check back soon for these candid interviews with my leading ladies.

Remember When.....

On this day, four years ago, my grandfather passed away. The following is from his obituary:

Dallas Blake was born on December 14, 1927, along with his twin sister, Darlene, in Frontier County, Nebraska. Dallas loved to joke that he and his sister were such small babies that their mother put them each in a shoebox and laid them next to the fire to stay warm at night. Dallas grew up in McCook, Nebraska, one of five children. After finishing school, he served in the U.S. Army from 1947-1948, and again from 1950-1951. On June 2, 1950, he married my grandmother, LaVerne. After honorable discharge from the military, he began a career with the Interior Department Bureau of Reclamation in McCook. In 1965, Dallas and LaVerne relocated to Boise, Idaho following a promotion. Dallas was most proud of his involvement with the Yough Conservation Corps. Dallas retired in 1983 following a 34 year career with the Bureau of Reclamation.

As his children grew, Dallas coached Little League baseball for years. Once his grandchildren became old enough to play, he never missed a game, rain or shine, and everyone knew when Dallas was in the stands.

Dallas was an avid horseman and a lifetime member of the Boise Valley Cutting Horse Assocation. He held numerous positions in the association, including two terms as president.

In August 2002, Dallas was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor, which he and his family fought tirelessly. Against all odds, Dallas overcame numerous setbacks, much like a cat with nine lives. Throughout his two year battle, Dallas never complained and he never gave up. He fought the good fight until June 30, 2004, when he was too tired to fight any longer.

My grandfather was an amazing man. He always had time to teach us kids how to ride horses - every last bit of which I still remember.

I have a very vivid memory of standing in his driveway, choking on a piece of hard candy at a young age - and my grandpa stuck his finger down my throat and got that piece of candy. And it was a running joke every time I reached for a piece of hard candy after that, "Jenny, are you sure you can eat that?"

He loved black jelly beans, and peaches with vanilla ice cream. I always remember eating that as dessert when we would stay at my grandparents' house.

I will never forget this man. I will never forget standing at his bedside, given the opportunity to say goodbye. And I talked to him and didn't think he could hear me, but he squeezed my hand. I knew he heard me. I love you grandpa - I miss you every day.

Time for the BIG pool

We took Carter to Spurwing Country Club last night. My aunt and uncle have a membership there, so we picked up their two daughters and we all went swimming. I LOVE swimming - especially in pools with comfortable water temperatures, lol! Carter did great - he splashed around like nobody's business. I'm certain he will do well in water. Eric is convinced we should put him in swimming lessons.

Cool Summer Nights

We had some friends over to BBQ last night. It was gorgeous outside! We ended up sitting outside for hours and hours just talking. Carter was able to come out and play with us for a little while. He didn't like the grass poking his legs, so he would try to lift them up and hold them...well, he ended up tipping over backwards. Funny for us, soft landing for him.

He assumes the position fine....can't get beyond that. But he's got that army crawl down!
Great picture!!

Random Fact #28

My favorite restaurant is Olive Garden.

I know, I know. There are far more "classy" places, but I have loved Olive Garden since the day it was introduced to Boise. I know it's very "American" Italian food, but I wouldn't change a thing about it. I have tried other, more authentic places. They just don't compare.

The salad.....oooohhhhh, the salad. I'm not ashamed to admit that I have purchased their salad dressing and used it on my salads at home. Granted, it just doesn't turn out the same, but it's darn close!

And those breadsticks......those buttery, garlic-y (I made the word up, ok?) bites of heaven.

I'm a pasta girl - I love pasta in virtually any shape or form with that thick marinara sauce. Or alfredo. I'm not picky. I don't discriminate when it comes to pasta. The cheese ravioli below is one of my favorites. It's de-lish!

Random Fact #27

I love the Harry Potter books and movies. Absolutely love them!! I think they are such great stories. Most people think they are kids books, but they aren't! I am thoroughly entertained by them. My mom and I have gone together to see all of the movies and I'm really excited for the next one, coming out this November. I have read all the books, own most of them, and plan on reading them again and again. My hope is that Carter enjoys reading and he can one day enjoy these books and movies as well. I own all the movies, so I plan on introducing Carter to the books first, then the movies

Change of Pace

I have recently been informed that my child consistently looks happy. So, I decided to snap some pictures of Carter this evening, NOT being happy. Just to show you all that he's not Mr. Peachy all the time. And I assure you, he's not. Tonight was no exception. He was a little turd during snack time. So I decided to snap some pictures of Mr. Not-So-Peachy. Enjoy!

Pet Peeve

People that do not turn right on a red light. Thanks for holding up the morning rush hour traffic!!!

Pool...Part 2

Mom! Enough!

Yee haw!

Trying to catch the water.

Time to dry off.

All warm.

New pool!

We bought Carter a little kiddie pool yesterday. By the time we got home, it was storming like crazy....so no pool time yesterday. So this morning, I took the pool out of the box and started blowing it up....and about croaked! Eric was laughing at me and suggested we use his compressor to blow it up, which would take about 13 hours less than what it was going to take me. Oh. Yeah. That sounds like a fabulous idea! So we got the pool all blown up and put Carter in it (without water) to see how he would react.

Time for sunscreen!!

Ready? Set, go!

Carter yelling at the toys.

Splash!!!

Snack Time

Every evening, Carter has snack time. He receives an assortment of rice crackers, little Gerber Graduates that look like Cheetos, though Eric assures me they are more bland, and dried strawberries, bananas, and apples......all washed down with some juice. Lately, the goal for Carter has not been so much to eat the snacks as it is to see how far he can scatter them. It's fun for him, not so much fun for mom, a/k/a the clean-up crew. Here Carter is last night enjoying snack time while we cooked up some steaks and baked potatoes. Notice the flying snacks in the second picture.

So Comfy

Eric's mom got Carter some new jammies. And I get excited when I get new jammies, so I'm getting excited for Carter. Here he is showing them off. :-]

Random Fact #26

White tulips are my FAVORITE.

I love them. I have never received any - at work, or at home. Or at all!! Sure would be nice....someday.... :-]

Nature

I'll be the first person to tell you that I'm not a flower person. I could care less if my yard has them. Sure, they look nice. But they are also a lot of work. And I don't care to spend my time slaving away under the hot sun. However, our landlord made it clear that our landscaping is the best out of all the rentals she has. Whether that was supposed to impress me or not, I don't know. It was made clear, though, that we were to maintain this landscaping and keep it looking just as nice as the day we moved in. Have we done that? Not exactly. Ok, so not even close. It's just not our thing, I guess.

I have one rosebush out front (and several out back, which I choose to ignore). Last winter, it got out of control. It was attacking guests who were trying to access our front door. I feared lawsuits. So we cut it back considerably. And now that spring has passed and summer is here, the bush is again out of control. And it has pretty, pink roses all over. So I thought I would snap a photo when I got home from work today. Someone else was also enjoying the roses. (Or, she mostly likely saw the camera and wanted to strike a pose. Pick me! Pick me!) And as a testament to the fact that I don't do yardwork, please note the massive weeds that are growing around this rosebush. See, I don't lie. Not my thing.

Indulge Me

My child is a camera ham. I don't claim to be a good photographer at all, but I still like to think I have good ideas, every now and then.

Father's Day

I know it's a day early, but we kind of celebrated today. I bought Eric a new (and NOT cheap) fishing pole for father's day. We browsed Cabela's (long enough for me to get sick of these devil children running WILD, so I yelled at them. I was proud; Eric laughed) Anyway, new fishing pole. And, as an extension of that present, I got a fishing license. Eric always complains that I never do anything he's interested in, so I will try fishing.

We went to CJ Strike today. I got sunburned. Not surprised. But we had fun, nonetheless. Carter was a slight pain, forcing us to conclude that next time, a babysitter will be arranged. We need more "us" time anyway. So I fished. Apparently Eric didn't care to document this with photos, but next time, there will be photos as proof! We stayed for a couple hours, finally giving in to the heat and heading home. Eric had one bite. That was it.

Oh, and we had car trouble. That was fun! There is a cover on the underneath side of my car, which is worthless in Eric's opinion. After I bought the car, the cover fell off and we discovered that whoever owned it before secured it with ZIP TIES of all things. Even though there are holes for screws. The mechanic I took the car to put screws in. The dirt roads today must have knocked them all loose, however, because there were no screws left and the cover started dragging as we were cooking along at 60 mph. Scary!!! We got it fixed....rigged up with a fishing line. I'm glad the fix lasted all the way home.

Trying to beat the heat.

Go ahead and fish, I'll stay right here. Honest!!

Slightly messy lunch!