100 Posts…

I just noticed today that I had surpassed 100 posts.

That’s a lot of words.  It would appear that I have a lot to talk about.. Or more likely I’m just longwinded ..a bit of a babbler..

Regardless, I was taking a look at the original reasons that I started this blog… and thought I’d see how much I’d “progressed”.. if at all….

So, to revisit.. Here are what amounts to my New Year’s resolutions.. and thoughts on the same…

one of my many recent adventures.. this was Oktoberfest.. good times!!

• Get a job. Preferably one I love and can utilize my skills – mocking others and my insane knowledge of useless trivial information. I am thinking “game show host”.

I, unfortunately, have not become a game show host. I KNOW! What a waste!  However, I have discovered that my ultimate goal is to be a writer.. well, I’m already a writer… but I mean write and get paid for it… like, huge money.. . You know, be on Oprah and stuff.. … Now, as far as the job dealio is concerned, I haven’t secured a traditional 9-5 thing.. which is great.. because I’m really not a 9-5 type of chick.. One thing I’ve discovered is that I like working from home.. or wherever I happen to be.. and also like to work at weird hours (that’s the bohemian creative thingy there methinks..)  So, I’m doing some consulting work.. which is very, very cool. I like it.

• Move. I love the house I bought. LOVE IT. That’s the biggest bitch about this whole deal. However, I want to live closer to Waterloo where I can see my kids more regularly and be near my friends and people that I love. Do they have any game shows in Waterloo?

I DID move.. to St. Catharines.. to live with my BFF Jodi.  Which is awesome because she rocks.  However, ultimately want to be back in the K-Dub.  I love Kitchener-Waterloo. A LOT.  Big fan.  I am saying aloud that I plan on being back by February.. putting it out into the Universe, so to speak.. gonna make it happen!

• Find me a boyfriend. I like boys. A lot. However, I seem to be somewhat smarter than many of them and this seems to scare them off. Or it’s my insane good looks. Or my lack of ego. Or the fact that I have spent the last month in my rec room and actually don’t meet humans. I am also removing myself from any internet dating crap (more on that another time). Time to put on my big girl pants and meet aforementioned humans.

This is a tricky one. You see.. I haven’t been ENTIRELY truthful when it comes to the “love” section of the blog.. well, I did take myself off all the internet dating stuff.. mind you, I had a relapse and went back on for a bit.. Chatted with a few guys.. but.. really didn’t have any interest in meeting most.. met a couple.. and.. yeah, not so much. And, removed myself again.

So, to be truthful about this.. hmmm… well, I’ve had some “dates”..  and they were fun and all.. a couple of boys that I liked.. but.. y’know.. nothing came of it.. didn’t work out for various reasons.. so there ya go.

And I’ve rethought this actually.. I guess I don’t so much want a “boyfriend” as just a social life.. which I actually have!! I’ve had a lot of fun lately.. meeting new people and doing fun stuff with some great friends. And really.. fun is the operative word.. I mean, I could “have a boyfriend” if I REALLY wanted one.. I get asked out and stuff. . but.. I want the “right” guy.. ..smart and funny.. Should I be cruising the Perimeter Institute? Comedy clubs?

I know there’s a guy out there for me.. the Universe will send him my way when it’s the right time..   So I’m in no rush.. and not worried about it. Obviously whoever he is is just not ready for me yet.  After all, I AM a lot to handle….  I’ll just have fun in the meantime!

• Adopt a healthier lifestyle. i.e. more veggies, less crap, less liquor (unless it’s a special occasion, like, Tuesday..) more exercise. This will be my greatest challenge as you actually have to get off the couch….

This one.. I’ve been.. pretty good with.. I have been eating less crap.. and have been getting more exercise (really should do more crunches though..) I walk dogs for about 60-90 minutes a day (about 5-6K) and all my pants are too big.. so that’s going pretty well. Less liquor?  Well.. ..  let’s put it this way.. if I DIDN’T do all the walking, I’d likely weigh about 300lbs…

So I actually think I’ve done pretty well with them… I’m happy with my progress. But… still working on it and it’s getting better every day…

Life: It’s all good!

Love: I love my life, my friends, my family….. and Kitchener-Waterloo!

Pants: As I said.. they’re bigger.. I’ve moved in a belt notch and just last night a friend told me I was looking skinny. Yay!

Why I will NOT have a career as a Dog Groomer…

It all started with the following text conversation with my son:

Josh: “Mocha has a big chunk of hair out of her back its like a bald spot”.

Me:  “ewww weird.. I’ll look at it when I get home”

Josh: “no, it’s Katy’s fault, she cut the knot out”

Me: “oh ok”

This is "after"... still scruffy, but clean.

then Katy jumped in

Katy: “I ruined your dog LOL”

Here’s the thing with my dog.. she has not been properly groomed in ages. I can’t even remember the last time.. (spring???)   See, the problem is that my friend Rayna moved away.  Rayna is the person who introduced me to Mocha… she’s known her longer than I have.. and pretty much the only one that I think can “handle” her.  Mocha has issues. She’s not the friendliest dog in the world sometimes and quite frankly, I’m afraid to take her to anyone else.

(Please note that this is not a post to guilt Rayna into getting into her car and driving for 5 hours merely to groom my dog.. however, if she chooses to do that, I’m certainly not going to say no….)

So… the last time she was groomed was when Rayna still lived in Cambridge.. months ago.. so since then, I’ve let Mocha go kinda “rasta”.. she’s half poodle and half terrier and so has some crazy curly hair and some shedding hair. And needless to say, she was getting pretty ratty looking.

But let’s not lose sight of the point of this post. This is all Katy’s fault.

When I got back to the house, Mocha was missing a big clump of hair on her back. Earlier in the day I was thinking there was no way she could look more scruffy.. I was wrong.

Which led to today’s events.

Looking at my scraggly mutt, I decided that it was a good idea to trim her motley coat.  I got out the scissors and started clipping away in an attempt to make her look less raggedy. Once again, I was wrong.  It was also not a great idea to do this while she was laying on my bed as this is a relatively messy procedure.

I alternated brushing and clipping while Mocha tried to worm away from me and occasionally tried to nip at me. She really does not enjoy the brushing and grooming. That is actually an understatement. She HATES it.

Soon my bed was covered in fur and Mocha was really wrestling to get away.. so what to do? Of course, bath her.

Now, if there’s one thing she hates more than brushing, it’s bathing. I wrestled her into the tub and soaked her down. And she shook and sprayed me and the entire bathroom.  I lathered her up… and she shook and covered me in soap, water and bubbles. *sigh*  I scrubbed her down as best as I could while struggling not to slip and fall on top of her in the tub.  Good times.

Finally, I rinsed her off.  And waited until she shook to take her out of the tub. And waited. And so did she.  She waited until I was bent over her trying to dry her with the towel until she finally shook. And drenched me. I was wetter than the dog. Awesome.

Mocha then proceeded to run around the house rolling around and “air drying”.  And of course, driving me crazy.

When she dried out some it was obvious that I do not have a future career as a dog groomer.  Still scruffy looking… but the bald patch was a little less noticeable. And at least she smells good.

I think Katy owes me.  Large.  She can pay me in wine.

Life: Getting better every day!

Love: I still love Katy even though she ruined my dog. LOL

Pants: Looser!

Have You Ever Ever Lost An Elephant?

I’m going out to buy a record player today. Yes, I am cutting edge.

I’ve kept only one toy from my childhood.. a brown stuffed dog named Jingles.  The pup was a gift on my fifth birthday from my Grandmother… and was my cherished companion every night when I slept.  Many nights I cuddled Jingles.. whispering secrets.. sometimes a few tears…

Jingles disappeared at one point around the time I was about 30.  I figured it would turn up eventually.. somewhere in the house.  Around the same time, one of my daughter’s first toys.. a small black lamb named “Bobby” (get it? Baaaaaabby…)  also went missing. Despite many searches, they remained lost.

Flash forward five years.. one day I was taking my son Josh to school and was having a chat with his grade 2 teacher when I looked down at the toy shelf.. and there was Jingles!  “That’s my dog!” I exclaimed and went on to “prove” it.. one of Jingles eyes was chipped.. and he had a wire inside him to hold his shape.. it was still bent inside from my many nights of cuddling…

And sitting beside Jingles… was Bobby!!

Mrs. Hardy and I figured out that Katy brought the toys for show and tell and forgot them. They had been sitting in her class ever since.. being played with by countless children over the course of 5 years..  Thankfully, Mrs. Hardy let me take both toys back.. Obviously, we were meant to get Jingles and Bobby back…. Katy and both have these precious childhood souvenirs on display in our respective bedrooms.

Twice recently I had occasion to talk about another childhood toy.. the Mickey Mouse record player.

My sisters and I received it for Christmas from Santa one year along with 100 kids 45’s .. we had picked it out ourselves whilst browsing through the Sears Wish Book. That Santa is SMRT.

We’d play all the records.. and dance around..

My youngest sister, Lara, was very fond of the record player and would play music all day long while Barb and I were at school.  In particular, Lara enjoyed “The Elephant Song”.  She would play the  same 45 over, and over, and over…. again.  My mother drew little elephants on the label so that Lara would know which record it was..

This song has special  notoriety in my family as a result.. .when we were much younger, the three of us started “performing” the song for our cousins and such amid much laughter. There’s a musical interlude in the song.. and when singing it at one point for said relatives, when we got to that part, we elected to insert a “nose solo”. It brought the house down.

As a result of our unique singing ability, my sisters and I have been coerced into singing said musical masterpiece at various family functions.. particularly weddings…. the nose solo is still the highlight of the tune.

So twice in the last week the subject of the infamous Elephant Song and the Mickey Mouse Record player has come up. I’ve never been able to find this song on the interwebs.. and I’ve never run across anyone else who’s even heard of the song.. until I sing it for them in my most operatic  vibrato…  Katy and I even performed the song one evening for her boyfriend… and yes, he lost it at the nose solo….

I was out for a walk yesterday and while waltzing down King Street I looked into a store window… and there it was!! The Mickey Mouse record player!  Mickey’s outstretched arm across the turntable as if he was pointing at me.. “Beth! Look! It’s your old pal Mickey!”

I am a huge believer in “signs”.. and this one was certainly directed at me.  On the turntable? No, not the elephant song, but a 45 about “Meditation and Self Realization”… message noted, Universe.

I’ve been re-evaluating and soul searching and working on various self improvement for a while now.. and I certainly believe this message was aimed directly at me.. plus, the thought of that record player and the joy it brought us brings back many happy memories..

I had dogs with me, so couldn’t go in… I called the store later in the day and yes, it’s for sale. I’m going to get it today… and perhaps look through their 45’s for the aforementioned paean to pachyderms…

I’ve never, ever lost an elephant… but I did lose my stuffed dog once.. but more importantly, I’m continually finding out more about myself every day.

The Elephant Song

Have you ever ever lost an elephant? It’s really quite a silly thing to do

But there’s something even sillier.. and that is losing two

And that’s what we have done today.. Arthur and Celeste have run away..

Their mother’s crying and worried so… oh where oh where did our elephants go?

We have lost 2 little elephants.. we’re looking north and south and east and west..

for two thousand pounds of dear little elephants.. named Arthur and Celeste.

(insert nose solo)

And that’s what we have done today.. Arthur and Celeste have run away..

Their mother’s crying and worried so… oh where oh where did our elephants go?

We have lost 2 little elephants.. we’re looking north and south and east and west..

for two thousand pounds of dear little elephants.. named Arthur and Celeste…

Arthur and Celeste….

Arthur and Celeste…..Arthur! Celeste!….

Life: The universe is conspiring on my behalf

Love: I love when interesting things happen

Pants: Walking a lot every day.. for exercise and for the adventures!

What I learned by Seeing a Dog get Hit by a Car….

I didn’t intend to post twice today.. but when the mood strikes.. there ya go.

I saw a dog get hit by a car today. 

these dogs were leashed and therefore made it home safely.

I took the wonderdogs.. Barley and Mocha… out for a big walk.  We started out on the  Iron Horse trail and kept walking…. I was enjoying the crisp autumn air.. the falling leaves… and the dogs themselves (except for when they tangled around me and tried to trip me.  I think it was on purpose too.. you THINK they’d be more grateful.)

We hiked up the trail past the Stampede Corral and then took a turn along a piece of the path that we hadn’t yet explored.  It curved around and we ended up on a little sidestreet which emptied out back onto Stirling… so we turned that way to head back home.

As we strode along there were suddenly two small dogs at my heels.. one looked to be a pug and the other some type of pointy dog.. and consequently I had dog leads wrapped around me and four dogs sniffing and exploring one another amidst some growling (from Mocha, of course..) 

These dogs did not have collars on.. and as Mocha is sometimes not good with other dogs, they frankly made me a little nervous despite their small stature.  I kept trying to walk.. but they kept following.. and Mocha was not liking it.  Suddenly a woman called out behind me and asked that I stop as she couldn’t run to get the dogs as she was pregnant.  I stopped… but then her dogs ran away.. far ahead of me.  So I walked a bit further… they came back to me again.. so I stopped so she could catch up.  I turned around and she was gone.. I saw her at the far end of the street walking back toward her home.

Sooooo.. I continued walking.. hoping these dogs would have the sense to head home as well.. but they bolted again and ran far ahead.  I crossed the street .. hoping to get back on the path and out of sight of the two pups.  But suddenly they turned around and came running back again.. one of them spotted us across the street and came bounding across… barely being missed by one car, but then getting clocked by a second vehicle as I watched in horror.

The pug immediately jumped up yelping.. the driver pulled to the side (God bless you sir) and the dog went running best he could.. limping and yelping toward home… with no sign of his buddy in sight.  A man much further down the street picked up the dog and appeared to be taking it toward his home.

A man doing yardwork asked if I knew these dogs.. whose they were.. I had never seen them before.. we chatted briefly about it.. then I headed back on the path toward home.

During my walk I had been debating about doing something… weighing pros and cons…. reasoning.. and hadn’t reached a decision.  However, I am and have always been a “everything for a reason” type of person.

It illustrated to me that things can change in a heartbeat. An instant. One minute you are out frolicking.. the next minute you’ve been smacked upside the head. 

I wouldn’t have turned for home leaving my dogs on such a busy street… but I don’t know what that woman’s situation is.  Neither would my dogs be running around without collars.  But.. you can’t force your opinions on others.. nor can you control someone else’s actions.

 Therefore, I’m going with my gut. I’ve made my decision. And whatever happens with it… I’m happy about it. I feel it’s the right thing to do.

Carpe Diem. Seize the day.  Because in a fingersnap, it can all change. 

And keep your dogs on a leash.

Just Call Me the Crazy Dog Lady…

I fear I’m becoming obsessed with my dog.

Last week I was meeting my BFF Carmen for drinks and a little business and she introduced me to her friend. After chatting for a bit I said to them both .. “want to see a picture of my dog?”  to which they both responding with gales of laughter. 

Mocha is being a good girl in order to score the Timbits.

Apparently previous to my arrival my lovely dear friend who I shall call Carmen (as that is her real name) had a gentleman’s bet regarding how long it would take before I asked that very question.  I believe it was “if you are friends with Beth, you will see many pictures of her dog”. 

Uh, and what’s wrong with that? My dog is very cute and looks like a stuffed animal. I don’t see a problem with this at all.  I am merely sharing the joy of Mocha the Wonderdog.

She’s fluffy and cuddly and awfully cute. Which is a good thing. Because she is mostly kind of evil.

About 3 years ago, I was THINKING about getting a dog.. but was going to wait till the fall since it was a particularly busy summer. Of course, once I mentioned to a couple of friends that I was THINKING about it, they took this to mean “we should find Beth a dog immediately..” or something along that line.

So one day I get a call… saying I HAVE to take this dog or she’s going to be put down or there will be an apocalypse or something worse. I agreed to go see the dog.

She's going after those Timbits..

A lady in Cambridge had this dog (who she called Peanut, which is a stupid dog name. Mostly because I was bit on the nose by a pomeranian named Peanut who was nasty and I hope is roasting in doggie hell. Ok, I don’t. But it was still a nasty dog and it’s a dumb name).  Marie couldn’t keep the dog because she had to move and couldn’t take the dog. Marie just wanted her to have a good home so was giving her away.

My two friends who convinced me to take this dog said that she was a little aggressive, but they would train her. And groom her forever for free.

We got to Marie’s house and she was outside with the dog. The loudest, barkiest dog ever. BFF Jodi came with.. and son Josh.  Jodi and I looked at each other and were both thinking the same thing.  This dog is insane.

Marie proceeded to tell me that prior to her getting the dog, Peanut had been with her sister and brother-in-law and that he was a jerk who kicked the dogs.  Plus, puppy didn’t get out during the day much and was usually caged so wasn’t socialized well. Oh, and she was crazy (ok, Marie didn’t say that, but it’s true).

Here’s the thing. Josh came.  Josh who loves all animals and really wanted me to get a dog. Josh who all animals pretty much love him. Josh who immediately became this dog’s best friend.  My son Josh who has an extremely big heart. And who can kind of talk me into pretty much anything.  *sigh*

We loaded “Peanut” and food and cage into the car and went home.

First order of business was to change her name. I may have mentioned, Peanut is a stupid dog name. We discussed her colour and such and eventually came up with Mocha. We liked it. It stuck.

the day we got her..

Now, once she was at my house, she was very friendly to us.  Very sweet and cuddly.. followed Josh everywhere.. she was very nice.  And she still is. Friendliest dog in the world. ONCE SHE KNOWS YOU.

However, until that happens she is a pain in the rear end. Her favourite past time is now sitting in the front window and barking at people. She also enjoys barking at people who come to the door. And barking at people walking on the sidewalk. Or getting into their cars. Or barking at sounds she hears that may or may not be intruders.  Needless to say, she’s a good watchdog.  However, if you ever meet her,  ignore her. DO NOT try to be her friend. Once she knows you’re OK, she will make friends with you. However, consider this your official warning.

The warning is this. Once she likes you, she’s a big whore. She will have to sit on your lap and be your best friend and thereby shed on you and love you.  Which is why I love her.

Oh, in case you were wondering.. the training thing never worked out.. hence the barkiness. Because I suck at dog training. Just so you know. (Can that Caesar Dog Whisperer guy come over…?)

However, now it appears that since it’s just been me and Mocha for the last few months, that I may have gotten a little over the top with her. I mean, I don’t think it’s SO bad that I take pictures of her every day.. but I suppose it’s bad that I have more pics of her than my children.. and that I get her treats at Tim Horton’s all the time. (Hey, she has to EARN them…)

Obviously, I have been alone with the dog too long. But it could be worse.. I haven’t started dressing her in fancy outfits or letting her eat at the table.  And as cute as she is, if you see me dressing her up in a ballerina costume, you have permission to perform an intervention.

After all, she’s supposed to be the crazy one.

Life: Not bad.. not bad at all

Love: I love my dog. She is a bed hog, however.

Pants: Mocha and I have been walking every day.. so far so good.

My Little Boy is Growing Up.

Fourteen years ago today I gave birth to a baby boy.  I don’t remember much of it, but I’ll tell you what I know.

November 1st..1994. I picked up my car at the mechanics. It had been stolen in Hamilton around about October 8th… It was recovered. Repaired. I had just found out I was pregnant.

I drove away in my newly restored car. And was t-boned. Wound up 180 degrees across the street. The newly restored Dodge Shadow was toast. I got cut out by the fire department and they took me to the hospital.

To shorten this up.. my pelvis was fractured and the baby was okay. It was painful but worth it.. fast forward many months and a TON of pounds later… it`s June 8,1995. Election day for Ontario. I was in FULL ACTIVE LABOUR. And I went to vote against Mike Harris. Nuff said. I lean left at the very least.

Josh at about a year.. what a ham!

So at about 3.30 I’m meeting the daughter’s bus from school. A neighbour says “when ya havin” that baby?”  I say.. any minute.

The daughter gets off the bus. We go to the house. My water breaks. My five year old daughter thinks I’ve pee’d on the couch. The water is yellow. Not clear. That’s not good. However. I am trying to shorten the story.

I end up at the hospital and I have to have a Caesarian Section. The baby is transverse (butt down). So thankfully,  he didn’t ingest meconium (he may have ended up brain damaged).   But during the procedure it got tense.  I lost a lot of blood. We both could have died.  They had to put me out because he was “stuck”.  And hence, why I don’t remember much.

I’m shortening it up. I don’t want to be too depressing.

Therefore… after some struggles, Joshua Sade James Warren was born. June 8, 1995. 7 lbs, 2.5 oz. and 21 inches long.    They thought he had been over 10 pounds at one point before he was born, but had lost weight due to some medication I was on.  He had collapsed lungs and had to reside in the Neonatal Care Unit for the first week of his life. 

He is named Joshua as that is a name his father always loved. Sade is his Great Grandfather’s name.  Sade’s 80th birthday party was June 4, 1995 and many asked if I was having the baby that day. I said “only if you have a knife”.  He did NOT want to come out!

James…a take on his dad’s name .. which is legally Jamie. not James. Nor any form thereof. But James sounded good.

Once he was home, Joshua got over his medical problems very quickly and gained a pound a week for about 10 weeks .. he was a robust, happy child. I called him my “chunky monkey”.  He was an adorable little daredevil in his Buzz Lightyear pyjamas.. diving off my dresser and onto the bed yelling  ”To infinity and beyond!”

Joshua is my boy.  He is the child that my mother wished for .. .to pay me back for all the trouble I caused as a child. I love him to pieces.

Now, I know everyone thinks that their child is the cutest thing ever. But seriously, Josh really was adorable. Oh, he still is… for a teenager. As a young child he loved “The Little Mermaid” and had to watch it many times a day until the song “Under the Sea” made me slightly insane.  He had a penchant for putting on “shows”.  We’d come home to the living room rearranged into a theatre .. complete with refreshments.. and proceed to dress up and perform interpretative dance to the soundtrack of Titanic… or perhaps Josie and the Pussycats…. or maybe a little something from Aladdin.. complete with fez.

When he was a little older he took tap and jazz for a few years and completely stole the show.  He’s always been a showman… a ham.  He’s the kid who crowd surfed at a concert at the age of 9.  He’s fearless. 

Don’t get me wrong.. he’s not always been the best kid in the world.  He’s gotten into more than his share of trouble.  But it’s his birthday so I won’t point out all the bad stuff.

Josh is very smart. When he was in grade 4 he could do his sister’s high school math.  He would actually ask his teacher for MORE HOMEWORK (just math.. not the rest..)  He’s extremely entertaining.  He’s kind (although he pretends to be kind of a jerk.)  He’s a very good singer.. he was one of the few kids who ever got a solo in choir.  He’s musical .. he took guitar for a while and was very good.. and now he wants to take piano.

Josh is also easily one of the funniest people I know. He’s incredibly politically incorrect.  Which really was unsettling to many when he was younger.. but now that he’s getting older he’s really growing into his sarcastic sense of humour.  I have no idea where he gets it from…..  He’s also extremely good with money (this I TRULY do not know where he gets it from..) and is looking to get a social insurance number so he can start working this summer.  Any of his major purchases (like his PS3) he’s saved up for himself.

Joshua has been through much considering he’s only been around 14 years. His sister calls him her hero.  He’s more fun to be around than most adults I know.  The hardest part of me living in Barrie has been that I don’t get to see Josh every day.  He makes me laugh hysterically. He’s always had the ability to cheer me up when nothing else could.  He’s taller than me now.   He’s a track star.. came in first in 200 and high jump recently.  He’s good looking .. just don’t tell him he looks like his father.

Josh… I miss you every single day that I don’t see you. And I wish I could be with you on your birthday.  Wow. You’re 14.  That’s crazy considering I’m pretty sure that yesterday you were falling on the sidewalk and crying for mommy to make it better.  But now you’re growing up. Way too fast I might add.  But, I guess these things happen.

Happy Birthday Joshie.  I love you more than you’ll ever know.

Life: All life is good.

Love: I love Josh.

Pants: Headed out with the dog soon. Mocha also wishes Josh a Happy Birthday and says she loves him best.

ABC’s of Me.

A – Age: 45

B – Bed size: Queen .. only sleep on about a third due to Mocha the WonderDog

C – Chore you hate: Weeding.  Folding Laundry

D – Dream vacation spot: Italy.. anyplace to see stuff.

E- Essential start your day item: pee, then coffee.. update FB status. LOL.

F – Favourite colour(s): RED and black

G – Gold or Silver: Gold. I can only wear gold. Allergic to all other metals

H – Height: 5’4”.  But people always think I’m taller .. it’s my large head.

I – Instruments you play: Yamaha Rhythm Organ circa 1978.  Used to play classical flute.

J – Job title: Evil Genius.  Professional Smart Ass.  Marketing/Promo  

K – Kid(s): 1 beautiful girl named Katy – 19.. and a gorgeous boy named Josh who will be 14 in a week! Yikes!

L – Living arrangement: Me and Mocha living in Barrie at the moment…

M – Mom’s name: Sheila.. long name is Dora Ann Sheila Bernadette… the Irish like to go by the middle name.

N – Nicknames: Bethany, Kubby, Bessie, Evil,  

O – Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Tonsils, 2 kids, Nasal surgery.. and that time I did the medical study and had to sleep at McMaster 4 times. I had to stay for 24 hours while they examined my stomach contents.  I was paid $1000 and used it to go to South America.

P – Pet Peeve: bad drivers, rude people

Q – Quote from a movie: “Get busy living or get busy dying” – Shawshank Redemption

From Field of Dreams:

Ray Kinsella: So what do you want?
Terence Mann: I want them to stop looking to me for answers, begging me to speak again, write again, be a leader. I want them to start thinking for themselves. I want my privacy.
Ray Kinsella: No, I mean, what do you WANT?
[Gestures to the concession stand they're in front of]
Terence Mann: Oh. Dog and a beer.

R – Right or left handed: right

S – Siblings: 2 sisters.. Barb and Lara

T – Time you wake up: Most days around 7-ish. Depends..

U – Underwear: generally, lace booty shorts.

V – Vegetable you dislike: not a big fan of carrots.  But like most veggies.

W – Workout style: Lazy. Super lazy. I try.. but.. I’m lazy.

X – X-rays you’ve had: teeth, collar bone, pelvis, cat scans..

Y – Yesterday’s best moment: Talking on the phone with my BFF

Z – Zoo favorite: I like all the big cats.