AuburnChick's Adventures

Joyce has created quite a smorgasbord of questions for us today!  Join in, link up, and visit others.  It’s a fun way to spend the day!

1.  What reveals more about a woman – her refrigerator or her purse?

As a fan of such shows as Criminal Minds, I can’t help but think that a forensics team would have a field day profiling me based on what’s in both!  However, in my not-so-professional opinion, I think that a purse reveals more about a woman.  For instance, if you were to be brave enough to take a look at mine, you might think that the fact that I have twenty pens, different sizes of band aids (which came in handy yesterday when I handed out two to a graduate during commencement services), feminine products, allergy/headache/migraine medicine, anti-gas pills (thank you, split pea soup), and a host of other items, I am a person who likes to be prepared.  I also like to help others.  I once had ant bite creme in my purse…way back during my travel soccer days.

2.  When was the last time you went to the zoo?  Where?  What’s your favorite zoo animal?

The last time I went to the zoo was when I visited my dad at his home in Euless, Texas (between Dallas and Fort Worth).  He took us to the zoo there.  It was the middle of the summer and very hot.  I love most animals.  I see God’s hand in every creature…the way He designed every single create to function in its natural environment.  It’s amazing.  I think my favorite animal from that trip was the meerkat.  What a darling little animal!

Now, I have a funny zoo story for you.

When I was in the 9th or 10th grade, my small class took a field trip to the Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery.  After the boring play was over (sorry…I just wasn’t into Shakespeare back then), we went to the zoo.

Now, please understand that the boys in my class were dorks.  Not your regular teenage male dorks.  They were teenage Redneck dorks.

One guy in particular was very annoying. 

His name was Joe Don.

As we walked past the gorilla cage that day, Joe Don decided to have a little bit of fun.  He started running back and forth in front of the cage.

It didn’t take the gorillas, who were much more behaved than my classmate, long to get annoyed.

In frustration, the biggest gorilla picked up a pile of gorilla poop and aimed for Joe Don.

He saw what was about to happen and ducked.

The poop hit the face of a young elementary-age girl.

Oh.  My.  Word.  While this was truly funny to behold, it was also sad for the girl.  Of course, all of us high-tailed it to another part of the zoo.

Back to the questions.

3.  What social issue fires you up?

Funny you should ask this, Joyce!  My classes recently completed research projects on social issues and activists.

I think the issue of literacy gets me most fired up.  This is not just because I’m a teacher.  My aggravation with literacy issues dates back to when I had gone to a pre-testing session to prepare for being a paraprofessional in the school system.  Because I did not have a college degree, I had to pass a general knowledge test.  Here’s how bad things were.  This test was the most basic kind.  The district provided “classes” to help people pass the test.  We were given a pretest to gauge how well we would do on the actual test.  Then, if needed, we could sign up for tutoring. 

As I stood in line to get my English pretest graded, I could not help but overhear person after person who had failed the test.  In fact, the conversation that I also overheard between participants was disheartening…full of grammatical errors, etc. 

What are we teaching our children these days?  I get kids in my classroom who cannot write complete sentences…in the upper levels too!  It’s shocking and, quite honestly, sad.  How are these people going to function in the working world?

4.  Are you a coupon clipper?  If so, are you extreme?

Ok.  Here’s the deal.  I consider myself an extreme coupon clipper who is currently on hiatus because of starting my job as a teacher and attending school full-time.

Heck…I even have a tab at the top of this page and links on the right for couponing information.

I was unemployed (with the exception of subbing) for two years.  I learned how to save money, let me tell you.  I have posts on how to organize a coupon binder, how to stack coupons, and how to do other things.  I know how to do this.  I lack the time.

The Mr. has recently begun trying to coupon.  He grabbed my binder the other day and cleaned it out.  Almost everything had expired.  I think he’s tired of paying boatloads of money for groceries when he remembers the days of me saving $200 and paying only $20-$30 for two or three weeks’ worth of groceries.

I.  Kid.  You.  Not.

As soon as I finish with my certification classes this summer, I plan on starting over.  I will also make sure that when my new school year starts, that I make couponing a personal priority.  I am determined to rediscover balance in my life.  I hate paying full price for things.

5.  What is one of your favorite souvenirs brought back from your travels?

You’re gonna laugh when I tell you.

Yarn is my favorite souvenir.

When Chicky was playing on her travel team, we visited many, many cities.  When I packed, I always left room in my suitcase for yarn.

I’m telling you the truth. 

I think I left so much room for yarn that one time, I forgot to pack undies.  Seriously.  Thank goodness for Target!

I made it my mission to visit yarn stores wherever we went.  It was not uncommon for me to leave the hotel early in the morning, visit a store, and make it back with minutes to spare before having to leave to take Chicky to a game.

I associate our travels with the yarn stores I found and the yarn I bought.

My most memorable bag of goodies came from two yarn stores in Las Vegas.  I had just finished my last classes for my bachelor’s degree.  I was floating on cloud nine, and I decided to celebrate.  I bought $300 of yarn that day, carrying in three or four bags of yarn when I returned to the hotel.  It was a graduation present to myself and served as souvenirs from that fun trip.

6.  Lemon Meringue or Key Lime?

Key Lime all the way.  I have a friend who lives down the street who makes the most fabulous Key Lime Pie.  I usually get her to make two of them for me during Thanksgiving.

7.  What is the most beautiful word you know in any language?

Jesus.

8.  My Random Thought

I know I’ve been rather wordy today, but I just have to share a story.  You’ll like it, I promise.

Have you ever wondered what happened to old-fashioned manners and chivalry?

Well, wonder no longer. 

It still exists.

Case in point…

My Rooster has had a best friend for a while now.  SHE is the cutest thing, and the Mr. and I have long wondered if there was something more to the friendship.

Dancing Girl (which is what she’ll be known as on this blog) has “liked” my boy for a while now.  However, Rooster has never shared those kinds of feelings with us, even though I’ve asked, point-blank.

Well, two weeks ago, Dancing Girl’s dad pulled the Mr. aside after church and told him that a few days before that, Rooster had sent him a text…

Asking if he could have a relationship with his daughter.

Pick yourself up off the floor now.

Dancing Girl is not allowed to date, and neither is Rooster.  Those are my rules.  I don’t believe in dating unless it’s with the purpose of getting married.

But, I am realistic enough to know that I can’t stop kids from having certain feelings.

We’re already good friends with Dancing Girl’s family.  We have attended the same church for quite a while now, and the kids attend the same school.  Dancing Girl is on the dance line at Podunk High School.  Her parents are active members of the band and work with the youth group at church.

We like them.

We like her.

We went out to eat together last Friday evening, and after dinner, we (the parents) discussed the parameters of the “relationship” (while the kids were waiting in their respective vehicles texting each other madly, I’m sure).

The kids will be allowed to visit each others’ homes, chaperoned of course.  They’ll also be allowed to attend Prom next year, should they choose to do so.  We’ll do the things we’ve always done and include them with family outings.

The biggest change, though, was on Facebook.  They both are now “in a relationship.”  I guess that makes it “official,” eh?

Anyhow, I think it’s really sweet that Rooster asked Dancing Girl’s father for permission.  It’s old-fashioned and downright sweet.

I’m a proud mama right now.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: Wednesday Hodgepodge |