It's All About Meme

Tootsie Farklepants from Vintage Thirty has tagged me for a meme. It's 7 random things about me, me and me. I just love randomness, and appreciate that she thought of me enough to tag me on this one. (Thanks, Toots!) So here we go. Maybe you can learn something new. Maybe not. Read on.

1. I cannot clap to a beat. I can tap my foot, tap my fingers or even tap both my fingers and feet at the same time, but I cannot clap. When I attempt this fantastical feat I end up on the off beat, the half beat and the Who Invented That beat. To say that I am not musically inclined is the understatement of the year. And yet I love music.

2. I am just now starting to admit that I could be a perfectionist. I find this totally amusing because very little in my house is perfect. But there are certain things that must be a certain way, OR ELSE. Perhaps it's only OCD, but is there really a difference? Sadly, because of this I have a hard time with change. If you want me to change the way I brush my teeth or the pattern I follow as I vacuum the floor, you may as well try to turn the tide. I am learning to mix things up a little here and there. It's fun, sometimes, to load the dishwasher differently. It makes me feel so wicked.

3. Desipite my Starbucks addiction, I do not like coffee. Regular, normal, unflavored coffee is just plain yucky. But add in a few different types of sugar, some funky flavors and a topping of whipped cream and it suddenly becomes a dessert. And in the summer I'll gladly take a Mocha Frappuccino, no whip. But don't even bother to offer me iced coffee. Eww, eww and eww.

4. I love gardening, and growing things. I spend so much time in the spring transplanting, planting, replanting and wishing I was planting that you'd think my place would be gorgeous. Sadly, this is not the case. By mid summer the kids and dogs have taken over, as well as the weeds, and I start to get overwhelmed. My many gardens usually look great for a month, and then the neighbors begin to wonder if I'm growing weeds to hide the marijuana. I'd love nothing more than to dig everything up and start all over again, but I know I will kill the things that I truly love and can't take the chance.

5. Cleaning and exercising are one and the same for me. I loathe the thought of them both, and yet once I start I really get into the task at hand and enjoy myself. Which makes me wonder why I fight them so. I now understand why kids drag around about taking a bath, and then you can't drag them out of the tub. It's a matter of discipline, and sadly I lack that. I lost it, along with my metabolism, when I gave birth. (And this is why we're joining a gym when we have exercise equipment in the basement. Do you think we use it? No! But wasting money on a membership and not using it is truly incentive enough to get off my duff and work out. I am WAY too cheap to lose that money.)

6. I have a weakness for dishes. If I could I'd have a different set for every month of the year. But my sense of cheapness prevents this, and my husband supports that. As it is, we have bright yellow dinner plates and orange, yellow, green and blue striped bowls. I love them. They're very summery, and brighten up winter days quite nicely. Some day when I'm feeling kinda splurgy I'm buying square dishes. I am in love with them. Square rocks.

7. We are upgraded white trailer trash. We rented for the first too many years of our marriage, and I stupidly calculated the cost of what we'd shelled out. We could totally have had our own abode with that kind of moolah. So we decided on a 3 step program that entailed getting a trailer, looking for land, then building a real house. My parents generously offered us land off the farm and we graciously (and excitedly) accepted. (Although this has come around to bite us. I couldn't be more thrilled that I own and live on a piece of my childhood, that's been in the family for generations, but there is absolutely no way we could ever move. Ever.) We parked the mobile mansion on our own piece of heaven and commenced to living. In a a year or two (or maybe three) we were going to start building, but wanted to pay off the cost of the septic, well and other odds and ends first. (Did you know that a sand mound costs over 10 grand?!) And then my husband decided to go back to school. As in, quit his job and live off the GI Bill to go to school. We were lucky to afford to eat bologna sandwiches, and there was no way we were building a house. So, after my husband graduated, and we'd been living in that tin can for 7 years, we finally were able to build a real house. You've no idea how much more I can appreciate it now. And we totally would not have built the incredible abode that we have if we'd have done it years ago. Waiting on God is a good thing. He so gives us the desires of our heart if we'll just be patient. But all those years in the mobile mansion have rubbed off. Yeh, we live in a two-story, 5 bedroom home, but we've only upgraded to redneck status. And I'm not sure if it's better or worse.

So there you have it. I'm a lazy redneck with OCD. Betcha had no idea, huh? Now if you'll promise to keep reading my blog I'll be greatly appreciative.

Of course there are rules attached to these things. Here's the list:

Link to the person who tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself.
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I tag Hallie at Wonderful World of Weiners because she's so darn funny. (And I love her weiners. And her son in his dress blues.)

Hollywood over at Hollywood Flakes, because I'd love to learn some stuff about her.

Utmom of 5 because she is sure to have a lot of stuff to tell us with all those kids.

Aimee at The Mother Load, because with that new baby due any time she has nothing else to do. hahaha

Jennifer at Siguiendo Mi Catracho because she's got a completely different outlook on life than most of us do.

And The Good Flea because she really wants a fun meme. This one was. :)

And then I'm cheating and not tagging the last one. If you want tagged, run with this and be happy. Let me know and I'll gladly come read it!

19 comments:

Maria (also Bia) said...

I enjoyed reading your 7 random facts.

I have a weakness for dishes, too! I have four sets...most of which I got at bargain prices. The one set that I get the most compliments on is a dark green terra cotta one that I bought at our local Bi-Lo one year on clearance.

And starbucks...the lite, vanilla cafe' frappuccino is to die for!

Thanks for sharing! God bless.

ALF said...

Found your site from Tootsie Farklepants' - just stopped by to say hi!

Kellan said...

Lots of interesting things I have learned about you and I enjoyed it. I also like to garden, and yet I'm not all that good at keeping things beautiful and alive. I like dishes too - but have no room to store anymore. I'm also a lot OCD - not talking anymore about that. Take care and I'll see you later - Kellan

AutoSysGene said...

LOL! A lazy redneck with OCD! I love that.

You story of how you were patient and ended up with a great house can be a lesson to us all. We to lived in a small house waiting for our chance for a bigger new home after 8 years we got to move up, too. We're still white trash, though! ;)

Flea said...

Mmm ... Starbucks. Made me want some so bad I'm now drinking a cup.

I love your house story. I grew up in a trailer, so that was never an option once I married, but we did rent houses at various points in our married lives.

Our first owned home in Florida was semi-redneck. I ripped out all the carpet and stained the cement (temporarily, until we could afford tile), and we lived on that for nearly five years.

Our current home of one year still has a couple of walls with torn wall paper and bare drywall. Haven't decided yet what to do with them.

As long as you don't have cut up truck tires as planters in the front yard, you're in good shape.

Debbie @ Three Weddings said...

We did things the opposite on the house. We bought a house, then my husband graduated law school and took a job in another town. So we bought a house there. Then we wanted to come back home. Bought another house. Then he decided to run for judge in the county I grew up in so we had to live in that county. House #4. Then we didn't win and he wanted to get out of politics and government work and we wanted a neighborhood with more kids. We're in house #5 (this after a couple of apartments) I'm done. There's some things that aren't perfect here, but I'm sick of moving!

Madame Queen said...

#1 reminds me of that scene with Steve Martin in the jerk where he just can't clap to the "blues" but once he hears "white" music he totally gets the beat. Hilarious!!

#6 I love dishes, too, but I'm still using the ones I got when we got married 10 years ago. I recently decided though that I'm going to upgrade to some Fiestaware pretty soon. The yellow is my fave!

#7 And guess what! We're about to move into a trailer on 15 acres that my dad is giving us!! And I'm so excited b/c that means we won't have a house payment and we can start saving for the house of my dreams!! Woo hoo! I'm a lazy redneck too. But without the OCD.

Suburban Correspondent said...

I love dishes, too; but where do you keep them? I have no place to store a spare set, so I just dream about them instead.

Flea said...

And where's my meme? I want a fun meme! Not a spanking meme! :)

Cecily R said...

I am SO with you on 5 and 6!! I fight and fight cleaning and exercise and then after I do either I look around and wonder why I don't do both more often.

And square dishes are AWESOME. I'm so getting some when I am a thousandaire. When I make my millions, I am so sending you a set. :)

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

Glad to play along!! I forgot to change the sub header today so thanks for reminding me! (I didnt even know if people noticed that I changed it daily!)

I LOVE that you will still accept me with my freakish ET toe and disfigured BB. The fat thing I think you are going to have to accept too - apparently my weight makes me hideous!! (why I have friends that can shop in the kids department is beyond me!)

Hallie

Maria said...

I enjoyed reading about you. Also, I agree with the exercise and cleaning thing. I'm the same way. I hate to clean, but when I actually get into it, I'm happy I did. Same with exercise.

Kidzmama said...

I'm with you on #1. I try and help my seven year old with playing his violin but I just can't clap. Tapping my foot. That always works.

Square dishes do look awesome. Buy your bright colored ones sound just as good.

Thanks for tagging Flea. I'm lucky she's still reading my blog after tagging her for the spanking meme!

Zoe said...

hmm. ocd and a non clapper too. redneck not so much...but i married one.

Flea said...

Two words, karen and kidzmama: Metro Gnome. Okay, it's metronome, but how much fun would a little rhythm gnome be, sitting atop the piano? Hmm ... I'm going to have to Google that one to see if it exists ...

Karen said...

Flea, my son's therapist brought one to help him with something or other, and she was super-super-super impressed with his sense of rhythm (and Micah was 2 at the time!). She said he had more rhythmic abilities than most adult musicians. He must have inherited my share.

I, on the other hand, could not clap to it. I was anticipating the clap, behind on the clap and just embarrasing myself on the clap. It's hopeless.

Shellie said...

Ok, I just got this same tag, so I will be generous and let myself be double tagged. 1 for the price of 2! ;)

kari and kijsa said...

Great fun....LOL...we cannot really keep a beat either!

Have a blessed and prosperous New Year in 2008!

smiles, kari and kijsa

Jennifer said...

Karen, I am here :)
I just finished the tag.
~Jennifer