BYOC!!! Bring Your Own Crazy!!

It’s FRIDAY – which means it’s BYOC – Bring Your Own Crazy…around these parts. We answer a couple of questions to get to know each other better and to give our blog brains a break. Copy and paste to your own blog if you so desire…and ENJOY!!


1. If you could pick any name on Earth for yourself – would you change yours and what would it be?

I love my real name.  And I love my middle name, Read.  Both names are completely unique.  In fact, it's because of how unique my first name is that I don't use it on the blog.  There just aren't very many in the world with my name.  I did meet one, once and I was SO excited.  She was not nearly as excited as I was - but I guess I'm about 15 years older than she so I'd had far more time to be amazed that I'd never met one of me before - oh well.  But if you knew my name and google it - you find the real me immediately and I just don't want everyone in the world to know about my band - so.. shhhh, I use my middle name here.  (and for those I meet in person, I swear I'll answer to either name)


2. If you’re a worker-outer…what time do you partake in such activities? There are SO many theories about when it’s best and not best to work out….like the morning is better since you have an empty stomach or the night is not good because you won’t be able to sleep…etc, etc. – so I’d like to hear your theories.

Really it's whenever I can get my ass up and doing it... But I find either right after work - like maybe at 6pm works pretty well as does before work at 6am are the best times for me - when I can get the most out of it.  There have been lots of times that I can't get (when I am getting to it in gereral) until after the kids are in bed - or at least until after they're fed - so more like 8 or 9pm - and that's not the end of the world, but I do find it harder to get my ass on the treadmill at that time of day these days, but - it still works then too.


3. If you drive a car – what kind is it and if you could drive any car – what would it be?
I drive a Toyota Solara Convertible and I love it.  Well, I love it's speed and I love the convertible nature of it.  I was in an accident that totalled my Honda CRV (which I LOVED) which led to the convertible.  I have always wanted a convertible, but the last time it was time for a car, I had just had Teddy and didn't think it made sense.  I narrowed it down between the Toyota I got, a 4 door Jeep, and an Audi A-4.  I LOVE to drive, and there's no doubt that the A-4 was the most fun to drive, but it just wasn't $20,000 more fun to drive than the Toyota.  I think if left to my own devices I might have picked the Jeep.  It's more me I think, more truck like, higher off the ground, and something I'd worry about less (not that I worry all that much) - but Brad totally vetoed the Jeep.  We've always been a Honda family and it's served us well - and if they'd made a convertible with a back seat, I'd have probably ended up with that one - so the Toyota seems to fit the "Honda" need - if you know what I mean.

As far as wants... I totally and completely want a VW Thing in bright orange.  That says me - no doubt about it.  I also wouldn't mind a 700 series BMW, and after that one test drive - an Audi.  But - now that I have a convertible - I can't imagine life without one.  I'm completely hooked and imagine I'll always have one.

4. Can you be totally honest in answering this next question and tell me what you think of tattoos? More importantly – what do you think of the people who have tattoos – specifically women?

I love tattoos.  I think the art and the meaning are cool and wonderful.  I have one of some flowers on my upper thigh and I love showing it to people and I have every intention of adding a bee to it.  But - and I suspect I will offend people - but honesty was asked for and  honesty you shall have.  I think tattoos should be able to be covered.  There is something a little... less than polite about them - it's sort of like burping in puplic to me - like go ahead and burp in front of your best friend - or cuss like a sailor or have a million tattoos but when you're with your grandmother - you do things differently - you don't burp, and you don't cuss, and you don't have tattoos all over the place.

I find visible tattoos on men and women in a business environment to not be professional.  I work for a manufacturing company and I don't have this opinion of the men and women who work in the plant.  Or in any environment that is, by definition, more casual.  Where jeans are the norm.  And there's no doubt I have a double standard about it (maybe it's a triple standard since I have one and want antoher) But just walking down the street - if I see a man with lots of ink (assuming it's in places that can be covered if so chosen) I'm not sure I bat an eye - but when I see a woman, especially younger women, with lots of visible tattoos - I do judge her - I do think a little less of her.  I completely get that it's unfair - but it's also honest.  I will say - that I will look twice at a woman and if they are all in places that can be covered in a business environment I give myself a little smack down over my initial reaction.  At the same time - if I were to see a woman with something small and descreet, yet visible in summer clothes, I wouldn't bat an eye and might think - hey I love that!  Like a small heart/butterfly/flower/star peeking out above her shorts or something like that - maybe at the back of the neck.  So... there you have it - the unvarnished and totally hypocritical truth.  It's also completely true that I envy people who live and work in environments where needing to be "polite" is either not necessary or defined differently and they have tattoos all over the place - and it's completely acceptable at home and at work and in their social environments.  I don't live there so I guess I judge people by the standards by which I live.


5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in blog land and in real life.

Real life continues to be tough.  Darius Rucker has this new song called "I've Got Nothing".  And I cried and cried when I heard it the first time.  It's what I imagine Brad will be feeling when I walk out the door.  On the up side my MIL has arrived and the added chaos will make it more difficult to wallow.  The current sports seasons are winding down with soccer and football ending today and tomorrow and baseball playoffs on Monday.  For the summer we've signed Jackson up for rugby - a fried of ours is a coach and saw how fast Jackson runs and begged him to join - and Jack was all for it.  And for Teddy it's ultimate frisbee which he's been wanting to play FOR-EVER!  This is the first year we've not done swim team - I'm still not happy enough with how Jackson swims - it's fine, but just not good enough - so I need to do something about that.  Maybe I'll just make him do laps every time we go to the pool. - hey!! That's a great idea!!

Blog life - I finally got commenting to work from home, but I still can't do it from work - which is totally annoying - but.. at least I'm getting some commenting in.  I am reading, I swear - even if I'm not always commenting.  Things for the most part seem on an even keel so that's good!!