Wednesday Hodgepodge!

Happy Hump Day Everyone!  Enjoy this week's edition of the Hodgepodge, and don't forget to visit Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond to see how she and everyone else who links up answered this week's questions.

1. It's a brand new month...share one thing you're looking forward to in October.

• One of my very best friends is getting married on the 27th of this month.  I'll be traveling back east to New Jersey to watch him marry his amazing fiancee.  Not only am I beyond excited for the wedding, but another friend and I are turning it into a week long vacation by spending a couple of days in the town the wedding's in before the wedding, and we'll be headed up to NYC for a few days afterwards.  It's going to be an amazing week with my amazing friends. 

2. Is chivalry dead? Explain.

• I wouldn't say it's dead, but it is a little hard to come by these days.   

3. On October 2, 1950 the Peanuts comic strip made its debut. Which character is your favorite?  Which character is most like you?  (Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Snoopy, Woodstock or Pig Pen)  If you need a description click here.

• I like to think I'm a combination of Lucy and Schroeder.  I'm independent, outspoken and can be bossy when needed, but the side of me that is a musician and an observer relates with Schroeder.  According to a quiz I took, I'm totally a Schroeder.  :)  

4. What's something you're competitive about?

• Life?  Just kidding....sort of.  I'm pretty sure being competitive is part of my DNA.  I like to think I'm not obnoxious about it, but I have been known to argue a point to death in order to win said argument.

5. October is National Popcorn Popping Month...are you a fan?  How do you like your popcorn? 

• I'm a fan of legit greasy movie pop corn drenched in salt & butter, or with salt and Reese's Pieces thrown in (if you've never tried it...do it, it's an amazing combo of salty and sweet!).  I also love Smart Pop White Cheddar Popcorn.  That stuff is like crack.

6. When did you first realize the world is small?

• I've known the world was small for a long time.  You see, I have the most popular, likable father in the world.  Any and everyone who ever meets him, will remember him for the rest of their lives.  We run into people he knows in the most random places.  One of my first memories of this was when I was a little kid, and we ran into someone he knew from waaaaay back in the day at the Arizona State Fair.  The state fair is a big deal here.  It's always packed, and this person found my dad, and they stood around and talked for what felt like forever.  It's crazy.

   
7. In terms of architecture, what's the most beautiful building you've seen up close and in person?

• I haven't been to many places yet, but I would have to say St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.  It's not only impressive from the outside, but the inside is just breath taking.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

• I'm still waiting for it to actually feel like fall around here.  My scarves and boots are screaming at me from my closet, and I hate ignoring them!

How is it Already the Last Wednesday of September?!

Seriously though, where did September go, and why in the world are we still having triple digit weather here?!  I miss fall weather, and leaves that change colors, and the ability to wear scarves without fearing it will cause me to have heat stroke.

Anyway...on to this week's Hodgepodge questions!  Joyce always has such great questions for us to answer.  You should go visit her over at From This Side of the Pond and play along with us!

1. The Wednesday Hodgepodge this week falls on John Chapman's birth date.  He's more famously known as Johnny Appleseed...what's your favorite variety of apple? 

• I'm going to have to go with Granny Smith apples.  I love that they're a little more on the sour side.  In general though, I love all apples.  I'm not too picky.

2.   When did you last say 'ick'? 

• Today at lunch when my co-worker tried to convince me that the brats they were serving for lunch were really tasty.  I'm not a hot dog eater at all, and I'm really picky when it comes to sausage, and they just looked gross today.

3.   Do you think there's a generation gap?  Explain. 

• I think so, and I think technology is a large reason why.  The massive technology boom that's taken place over the last couple of decades has really split the generations.  For those who knew what life was like pre-internet, it's not a necessity.  But for those who grew up/are growing up with all of this technology, a life without the instant gratification that comes from having gadgets like iPods, smart phones and tablets is an absolutely ridiculous notion.  I feel like my life is split between the two.  We didn't have the internet until I was in junior high school.  I grew up playing outside with the neighbors and being active and finding imaginative ways to entertain myself.  I cherished time spent with my relatives at family dinners, and I still think it's rude to be on the phone/tablet/gameboy (or whatever the current cool handheld gaming system is) while at the dinner table.  Don't get me wrong, I love my iPhone, iPad and MacBook, but I'm so grateful that I had a child hood where the new cool technology was Super Nintendo, and it was absurd to think that one day people would be camping out at a store to buy a cell phone.

4.  What's on your computer screen saver?  Do you leave it alone or change it often? 

• It's one of the random graphic things that came with my laptop.  I think I've changed it twice in the over four years I've owned said laptop.

5.  If you had the attention of the entire world for two minutes, what would you say?

• Wow, only two minutes to talk to the entire world?  That's a lot of pressure to say something profound in a very short period of time.  I guess I would say something along the lines of, "Dear World, I hope some day we can all come to the realization that we're just human.  Everyone makes mistakes, and we're all different, and that's what makes us awesome.  Can't we all just please get along and stop trying to kill each other all the time?  Thanks."  It's not very profound, and I'm sure it wouldn't make a difference, but it's how I feel.

6.  Four fashion trends to try this fall are-brocade/jacquard (fancy printed fabrics), peplum, lace, and printed pants...which of these four would you be most likely to wear? 

• I think lace is the only one I'm willing to go with.  I like to keep things pretty simple in my wardrobe.  I'm not real big on prints, but maybe if I found the right one I'd be willing to try it out.

7.  What can make your bad day better?

• Any of a number of things.  Here's a short list: Ice Cream, Brownies, Tequila, Dancing it Out, Drinking Tequila (or Mango Malibu Rum) while Dancing it Out, Wine, My Girlfriends, My Family, Starbucks, A Good Run/Work Out, A Hug, A Song, Sleep.  It really depends on what made the day bad to begin with.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

• I'm glad the Diamondback have started winning some baseball games, but I'm frustrated that they waiting until the end of September to do it.

Hodgepodge Hump Day!

Happy Hump Day Everyone!  This is my second week back working full time at my job after working some cut hours this summer.  Can I just say, that these two weeks have felt super long!!  If I could go back to working only three days a week, but get paid like I was there for five (if that meant working three 12 hour shifts, I'd do it...I'm not trying to get paid for nothing!) I'd do it without thinking twice about it.  Long story short, I'm glad we're half way through this week!

On to the hodgepodge!



1. What's the best and worst thing thing about growing older? 

• I'd have to say the best thing about getting older is the things we learn along the way.  Now, it's no secret that if being a student could be a viable occupation that's what I'd be doing, but that's not what I mean.  I'm talking about all of life's lovely little lessons.  Both the good and the bad.  They shape who you are, and a lot of those lessons can only be learned with time.  Now, the worst thing about growing older is feeling old.  Both mentally and physically.  Personally, I have the world's worst joints, I'm pretty sure.  So some days, my 27 year old body feels about 70.  That's not an exaggeration.  I'd say I'd love to go back to the time before I injured every joint in my body and be more careful and take better care of myself, but honestly, I'm fairly certain there's a high level of genetic predisposition there, so it probably doesn't matter.  Plus, the majority of those injuries happened doing things I love, and I would never be okay giving up any of those things.  As for mentally feeling old...I still have a great memory and all that jazz, but any time anyone reminds me that my twin cousins will be 16 and driving this year....I cry a little on the inside and wonder where the time has gone.  I mean, I was at the hospital when they were born, and I remember it like it was yesterday.  It's not okay that they're growing up, but they refuse to obey my instructions and stop growing!

2.   Autumn arrives this week in the Northern Hemisphere...what one thing do you love most about the fall season? 

• COOLER WEATHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  That is all.

3.  Speaking of fall...pumpkin seems to be flavoring everything these days-are you a fan?   What's your favorite pumpkin flavored food or beverage? 

• I LOVE PUMPKIN!  I love eating it...and I love carving them.  Carving pumpkins is one of my favorite past times.  I'm not going to be able to do it this year, and I'm already sad about it.  That wasn't the question though.  Yes, I am a huge fan of pumpkin-y food and drinks.  I wait in anticipation all year for the Pumpkin Spice Latte to make it's reappearance at Starbucks.  I love pumpkin pie.  Last year I got this recipe for pumpkin cookies on Pinterest.  They are so easy to make, and they really are as good as the blogger brags that they are.  Amazing!  I can't wait to make them again soon.

4.  Since we're on the subject of fall...what's the worst fall you've ever taken?

• Honestly, I don't think I have one.  I'm notorious for running into things and ending up with giant bruises all over my body, but I'm not really prone to falling. 

5.  If you could own a prop from any film what would you choose? 

• This isn't a film, but I really want the orange couch that was in Central Perk on the show Friends.

6. What's the most interesting word you've read or learned in the past week?

• I honestly can't think of a new word I've learned this week, so I just went to WordThink to see what their word of the day is.  Today is "fractious."  It's an adjective that means easily irritated or bad tempered. 

7. When was the last time you locked yourself out of your house, car, or office?  Was it a big deal?

• It's been a long time since I've done any of those things.  In high school I used to lock myself out of my truck all the time, but now that I'm super paranoid about it I haven't done it in quite some time.  Luckily it was never that big of a deal.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

• I'm hungry.  To the point that it's almost all I can think about.  I think that means it's time for dinner!

Thanks for reading everyone!  Please take a minute to visit our fabulous Hodgepodge host Joyce! 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Happy Hump Day Everyone!  I was on such a roll!  I had a week where I had a post 5 out of 7 days, then last week I had zero posts!  What can I say, it was a rough week.  Here's this week's hodgepodge, and don't forget to go and visit Joyce so you can join in our fun!

1. Aloha! On August 21, 1959 Hawaii officially became a US state. Have you ever been? Upon arrival would you prefer an orchid or a hibiscus to tuck behind your ear?

• I haven't made it to Hawaii yet, but if things go as I'd like them to, I'll be making my way there next year.  I've been wanting to go for ages, but plane tickets are just so dang expensive!  As for the flower, can I have one of each?  They're both so pretty!

2. Since we're talking tropical...what's your favorite food or beverage made with pineapple?

• There are so many!  Pineapple fried rice...pineapple upside down cake...Malibu & Pineapple Juice...smoothies....

3. Do you believe in soul mates? Explain.

• Yes, but I don't believe in the traditional definition of "soul mates."  Not only do I believe that you can have more than one, but I believe you soul mate(s) don't always come in the form of a significant other.  They can also come in the form of your best friend.

4. Share a memory about the house you grew up in.

• I feel like my childhood was rare in that I lived my entire life in the same house.  I guess one of my fondest memories are from when I was a kid, and we would all sit on the couch in our living before we went to bed and our mom would read to us.  I always loved that.

5. Are you comfortable with silence?

• Not particularly.  My mind races when it's quiet, so I always try to surround myself with some sort of noise.  I fall asleep with the TV on solely because I need the background noise to tune out whatever's floating through my brain.  I listen to the radio all day at work for the same reason.  Noise actually helps me to clear my mind and be able to concentrate.  It must be the musician in me.  

6. You spot a giant spider on your bedroom wall...what's your next move? (all spiders are giant, right?)

• Smash it with a shoe before it can move and hide and lay eggs somewhere.

7. My idea of fun does NOT include ______________.

• Phoenix in the summer....seriously....if I could live up north from May to October I'd do it.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

• I'm currently watching the movie "You Again."  It's one of those movies that I can watch repeatedly and not really get sick of.  It's pretty funny.

Hodgepodge Wednesday!

Happy Hump Day Everyone!  I hope you enjoy this week's Hodgepodge.  Head on over and visit Joyce to find out how you can participate too!

1. In an effort to combat obesity, the mayor of NYC has plans to ban the sale of large sugary drinks (anything over 16 oz.), initially in restaurants, movie theatres, and street carts. Corner stores would also be affected if they are defined as food service establishments. You can read more here . Your thoughts?

------ The part of me that is saddened by how severe our obesity problem is in this country thinks this is a great idea.  However, a bigger part of me thinks that it's not the mayor's business to be telling people how much sugar they consume.  I may not agree with people's destructive habits, but that doesn't mean it's my (or anyone else's) place to interfere and tell them how to live their lives.

2. Art festival, music festival, food festival...which would you most like to attend?

------ Oh jeez, that's a tough one.  Ideally I'd love to attend a music and food festival combined!

3. What are you irrational about?

------ I think in general, I'm an overly rational person.  I don't think there's really one specific thing that I'm always irrational about.  My mom may be a better person to ask about this.

4. Do you feel confident you'll have a comfortable retirement?

------ Not at the moment, but I'm still young.  I have plans for a great career, and I'm sure my feelings on this will likely change a lot in the coming years.

5. What's been your favorite Olympic moment so far?

(Not ever, just in the 2012 Summer games)

------ I think it's got to be watching Michael Phelps finish out his career in an epic way.  Watching him race and blow away the existing medal records has been a great thing.  I also loved watching Gabby Douglas win her gold in the women's all-around gymnastics competition.  She's just so precious and talented.  I also just watched one of the best comebacks ever.  Misty and Kerri just made an insane comeback against the Chinese to make it to the gold medal match where they'll play our other American team.  Crazy.  I just love sports...and the Olympics....

6. What would you label as the messiest room in your house?

------ As to not throw my parents under the bus, I'll go with my bedroom.  I've lived here about a year and I just can't seem to get it organized enough to my liking, so it just gets messy.  It's much smaller than I'm used to living in, and I haven't dealt with that very well!

7. Do you follow your heart or your head?

------ Oh jeez.  I would have to say more my head.  Like I said before, I'm a really rational person.  Being spontaneous and taking leaps of faith scare me.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

------ I don't want to go to the dentist tomorrow.  I love my dentist, but I'm not too fond of his hygienist.  She's better than his last one...but not by much.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Happy Hump Day Ladies & Gents!  I hope you enjoy this week's Hodgepodge.  Don't forget to visit our wonderful Hodgepodge Host, Joyce!


1. I'm joining my daughter1 in the 101 in 1001 challenge. Essentially you create a list of 101 things you hope to do or accomplish in the next 1001 days. What's one thing you'd put on your list?

• Start culinary school.  I'm shooting for more like the next 400 days on this one, but it would be near the top of the list just the same.  It's something I'm dying to do.  I think about it every day, but the practical adult in me won't let myself do it until the credit card debt is gone and I've gotten my life a little more stabilized than it is now.

2. How many remote controls do you have in your house? What's one item in your home you wish could be operated by remote control?

• I personally have 3.  One for the TV, one for the DVD player and one for my AppleTV.  Now...if I were to count all of the remotes that the rest of my family has throughout the house..there's probably at least 12-15.  I wish I had the remote control ceiling fan/light and blinds in my windows.  Mostly because I can be lazy sometimes and I'd like to be able to control those things from the comfort of my bed.  :)

3. What does having it all mean to you? Is it attainable?

• For me, having it all just means being completely happy with where I'm at in life.  I'm not there yet, but I know I can get there.  It's definitely attainable, but it's not easy.  Then again, nothing in life ever is.

4. What's your favorite movie soundtrack?

• August Rush...hands down.  Seriously musical genius.  If you've never seen the movie, I highly recommend it.  It satisfied every bone in my musically geeky body, and I just get lost in the amazing compositions every time.

5. Describe the best view you've seen from a rooftop.

• A couple of my friends in DC had amazing roof top decks.  If you're lucky enough to have one of those in a great part of the city, you can see all of the monuments and historical landmarks.  It's really amazing, especially at night.

6. What's your least favorite thing about summer?

• I'm pretty sure we've had this discussion before.  THE HEAT!!  Let me tell you, moving away from Phoenix for 3 years and moving back did not change my abhorrence towards our summer months.  I cannot stand it.  I try really hard to not complain about it, because there's nothing I can do about it, but I really, really hate it.  Really.

7. Our weekly Hodgepodge falls on the first day of August. In ten words or less sum up your July.

• Lots of baseball.  Amazing Friends.  Cousin time in San Diego.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

• I love watching the Olympics.  I love both summer and winter versions.  In the summer I get to watch gymnastics and swimming and volley ball and water polo (all which include amazingly hot men wearing next to nothing!).  In the winter I get the best sport of all...hockey!  Along with ice skating (don't get me started on ice dancing and how I hate it), skiing, speed skating and bobsledding!  I just love it, and wish I could watch them every year.

My First Wednesday Hodgepodge

Okay, so I've decided it's time to end my blogging hiatus.  I've taken a long enough break since the A to Z Challenge.  I got myself through busy season at work, and now that we're starting a renovation project at work, I'm going to have boat loads of free time to bore you all with my ramblings.


To work my way back into the scene, I decided to join the Wednesday Hodgepodge.  My mom started participating a few weeks ago, and it just sounds like fun!  So, thank you in advance to Joyce over at From This Side of the Pond for giving me something to write about on Wednesdays!  Without further ado....

1. Summer officially rolls in with the Hodgepodge, for those of us in the Northern hemisphere anyway. What song says summer 2012 to you?

I now live in Phoenix.  It's hotter than the surface of the sun here in the summer.  People think I'm crazy when I say that I prefer the humid summers of Washington, DC to summers here, but believe me, I'm not lying.  The heat is gross and I hate it more than I could actually put into words.  So, this is an oldie but a goodie.  I think Nelly's got it right by pointing out that it's so hot all you want to do is strip.

2. What is the quintessential summer food?

Great White Shark Popsicles!  I used to eat these all the time in the summer during my brother's little league games.

Photo Courtesy of: ebay.com 

3. I've spent a lot of time traipsing up and down the NJ turnpike in recent weeks. Did you know the rest stops on the turnpike are named after people who lived or worked in NJ? Clara Barton, Walt Whitman, James Fenimore Cooper, Molly Pitcher, Joyce Kilmer, Thomas Edison, and Grover Cleveland just to name a few. Of those I listed who would you most like to have known and why?

Even though Walt Whitman's rest stop is one of my favorites, I'm going to have to go with Clara Barton.  She did such amazing things, not only for women and feminism, but for society as a whole by founding the American Red Cross.  I think knowing her would have been amazing.

4. At what age did you move out of your parent's house and what prompted the move?

I was 18, and I was moving north to Flagstaff to attend Northern Arizona University.  I've spent most of my time since then away from home.  For the four years I was in college I only came home for short visits and when they made us leave the dorms during extended vacations at school.  I moved home for a year right after college before I embarked on my 3 year adventure in Washington, DC, and now I'm back again.  I've been back almost a year, though it doesn't seem like that long.

5. What's more satisfying to you-saving time or saving money?

Right now?  Money.  I do anything to be able to save some money.

6. Name something you think brings out the good in people.

Like most things in life, I think this varies by person.  I really don't think there's one thing more than any other that brings out the best in everyone.  Some things that I think are up there?  Laughter, good music, puppies and faith in something bigger than us.

7. This last question comes to you courtesy of Kathy at Reflections...are you taking a vacation or staycation this summer? If so where are will you go? If a staycation is on the calendar have you made any special plans to fill the time?

Due to a renovation project going on at work this summer, I'll be taking a lot of time away from my job.  Unfortunately most of it will be unpaid, so I'll be doing a lot of staycationing and working on my tan (I'm blessed with the ability to tan while wearing a very high SPF sun block.  Please be safe in the sun this summer everyone!  Skin cancer is nothing to brush off.)!  However, my sister and I are headed to glorious San Diego for two days at the end of July, and I'm hoping to make some day trips up to Flagstaff to get out of the heat.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm really tired, and should probably go to sleep (it's 10:20 PM as I'm writing this, and past my bed time!), but I'm sucked in to the baseball game that I already thought might never end, but is now, of course, in extra innings.  The D-Backs need to lock it up and finish this game!

Thanks for reading!  And don't forget to head over to This Side of the Pond and visit Joyce!