Okay, Chris aka Puppdaddy, has graciously asked me five questions so here goes...

 

The rules, according to Puppdaddy, "I’ll give 5 questions to the first 5 who comment & say “Interview me". Post your answers on your blog (I’ll paste them here), then ask for requests and give those people questions."  You can also post your answers in the comments section if you don't have a blog.

 

 

1. What is your biggest challenge in homeschooling and how do you cope? - This one is easy.  I have to fight the tendency to freak out whenever something upsets my precious plan for the day.  I can be VERY inflexible.  Say for example our day is progressing smoothly.  KJ is actually learning and getting some work done.  I've only had to tell him that he can't play his GameBoy or ToonTown until schoolwork is finished 2 or 3 times.  Life is good... then KJ comes in from checking the mail and says that the next-door neighbor is working with his horses and wants to know if KJ can come help.  Hmmm, great opportunity for KJ vs. schoolwork that can be finished later...hmmm...anyway, I send KJ next door and fret about my plan being upset.  Many, many things happen to upset my schedule - doctor's appointments that take 3 times as long as they should, KJ's allergies are killing him so I give him medicine causing him to take a 3 hour nap, David calls from work to ask me to pick up X, Y, and Z from 3 different places.  We school year round to give more room for flexibility, but I STILL tend to freak out.

2. If Emily, Fuller and Neko were so inclined, who would each of tham have voted for in the past presidential election? And why? - Fuller said that she is a moderate Republican and voted for Bush.  Fuller comes from a wealthy family, has a large inheritance, is chairman of the board for several family corporations, is a bit of a snob, and is not working by choice.  She is obviously very much for big business and tax breaks for the wealthy.  While Fuller agrees that Bush is an idiot, she feels that this makes him more easily controllable by big business.

Emily said that she is a Democrat and voted for Kerry.  Emily is openly gay and proud of it. (From the amount of licking and snuggling going on between her and Fuller, I agree)  If she can ever get Fuller to come out of the closet, Emily wants to be able to legally marry.  Emily says that the Republicans have ruined the economy to the point where she can't find a job so she needs a strong welfare program.  Unfortunately, due to her lack of employment, Emily has gotten obese.  She may also need to file for disability due to her weight so Social Security is also an important issue for her.

After waking her up (she says that she was meditating), Neko communicated to me with a combination of sign language and telepathy.  She said that she believes in the power of synergy and voted for Da Vid of the Light Party.  Neko is also not gainfully employed.  She said that despite the Americans with Disabilities Act, she has been unable to find a job that will work around her deafness and narcolepsy.  Neko prefers to spend her time mediatating for the healing and wellness of kittykind.

3. You are a chicken farmer. Do you REALLY sex chickens and is it as hilarious as the video I saw once of a poultry factory? Flip chick, ‘CHEEEP!", huck chick over left shoulder or right (depending), repeat. - I'm not REALLY a chicken farmer.  I only have 10 chickens and a guineau.  I have read that it takes special training to sex chickens as chicks.  Apparently it is prone to error, because when you buy pullets (females), they are only guaranteed 90%.  I bought all pullets, but we ended up with one rooster.  I had no idea if I had males or females until some started laying eggs and Margarita began to crow.  When Margarita was a chick he looked like a Spanish dancer and tended to run around the box hysterically, hence the name Margarita.  We had him about 6 months when he started to look roosterish and the clincher came when he crowed.  By then, I couldn't just rename him (might scar him emotionally) so Margarita the rooster he stays.

4. Would you rather watch sitcoms or reality TV (no you can’t pick HIST, DISC, ANIM PLANET or TLC) and why? - Hi, My name is Rebel and I'm addicted to reality TV.  **Hi Rebel**  I try really hard not to watch often, b-u-t... I could watch shows like "Wife Swap," "Trading Spouses," "Nanny 911," "Super Nanny," "The Apprentice," "Survivor," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," etc. for hours.  Oh yes, you also asked why.  Those shows make you feel very good about yourself, because you are not in as bad of shape as the people on the show.  Actually I love "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" for the good it does.

5. How did you and David meet? - We originally "met" over the internet.  After lots of email and phone calls, we met in person at Taco Cabana. 

Sorry that I've been MIA, but we've been swamped lately.  David's car is finally in the shop, but we're still a one-car family until it gets fixed.  That means that I take David to and from work plus to and from any appointments during the day.  The to and from work part works out okay, but it takes about 20-25 minutes each way which takes away about an hour and a half of my school time.  Lately however, David has had 2 to 3 doctor appointments a week, an out-patient surgery, KJ's had a couple of appointments in addition to a weekly allergy shot, and I've had a few yearly exams myself.  A-n-y-w-a-y, I've been burning through the gas and living in the car.  I'm taking a quick break from washing dishes before KJ and I start cooking three items for the big medieval feast tonight.  Our professor handed out recipes last week.  We're making stuffed eggs, green omelets, and pears in syrup.  I'll post the recipes and pictures after the feast tonight.  KJ's fencing class was moved to today instead of Monday due to Junior Olympics.  It is from 3:00 to 5:00 and we have to be at the feast at 6:30 so we're going to be rushing.  I'm planning to drop KJ at fencing at 3:00 on the south side of town, then drive 30 minutes to the north side to pick David up from work a little early - hopefully at 4:00, then drive back 30 minutes and get KJ from fencing early at 4:30, then drive 20 minutes home so KJ can shower and I can cook the omelets and heat up the rest of the food.  We need to leave by 6:00 to arrive at our host's house by 6:30.  I HATE days like today.  Well, I need to run finish the dishes and start cooking.  Oh yes, KJ is doing math and reading while I'm washing so he is doing SOME schoolwork today plus learning to read a recipe.

My cousin Eric returned from Iraq after a 13 month deployment.

 

 Eric, Austin-son, Rachel-wife, Olene-mom

 

 

KJ decided to dye his hair red.  There is a new picture here of his new do.  I also changed the picture of our cats here.

Just a quick note to say everything is great here.

 

While public schools all around the area are closing due to too many students and teachers out with the flu, we're all pretty healthy. *knocking on wood*  The cedar is high right now which has all our allergies flaring up, but aside from that we're fine.

 

The "Fun and Frolic in the Middle Ages" class has met twice now and I'm enjoying it.  To a lesser extent, KJ is too.  We're both learning which is the important part.  I think KJ is just waiting until the next class which is on "courtly love." *wink*  We discussed medieval music today and the story "Eric and Enide."  We have to read "The Knight of the Cart" before the next class and the professor will hand out recipes for us to prepare for the last class.  It should be quite a feast!

 

KJ shadowed an animal curator at the zoo this morning.  Needless to say, he talked a mile a minute all the way home.  There was lots of poop shoveling and exhibit cleaning, but he didn't seem to mind.  He reeked however, and I made him get straight into the shower and washed his jacket.  Today he shadowed a curator who cares for the tigers, lions, and elephants.  KJ can hardly wait to shadow again!

Lots of hilarious things have been happening around here.  Unfortunately, I can't tell you about any of them.  They involve KJ's personal life and he would kill me if I said anything.

 

On another note, KJ has lost 8 pounds and I have lost 9 since starting to diet and exercise.  We finally bought a Gazelle and I LOVE it.  It's quiet enough to do while watching TV which we all know is the main requirement in exercise equipment.

 

KJ started fencing class yesterday and said that it was the most fun he had in two years.  I think he just wants to be like Puss in Boots.