Journal entry 92--Tricks

Describe a trick someone did to you for Halloween. Did you know the person?

When I was 12 years old, I went trick or treating with my best friend, Nadia. I was dressed as a pirate and we were at the last house of the evening. There were two older boys behind us waiting for candy as well only they were laughing suspiciously. Later, we discovered that they had quietly sprayed us with shaving cream on our bums. Ha ha, boys are so funny.

Journal entry 91--Halloween costume

With Halloween just around the corner describe a Halloween tradition in your present or past family.

Every year after trick or treating, I would come home and divide all my candy into piles. Piles of like candy such as Snickers all go together, Tootsie Rolls together, etc. Then I would tally up each pile to see what candy I got the most of. Finally I would dig in and eat a bunch until I felt sick. My candy usually lasted a few weeks until all that was left was the yucky candy (in my opinion) such as Tootsie Rolls and Hard Candy. My children have since taken over this anal candy counting only because there are three children in the family, they have added trading into the mix. Literally for the next 3 weeks, my kids will trade and barter with each other, wheel and deal until they are all happy. The 6 year old sometimes gets taken advantage of but she's learning from the best...her brothers.

Journal entry 90--Momisms

Describe a momism which is something funny your mother believed and made you believe until you found out differently.

My mother thought that for sure, a child was suppose to have the same blood type as their father. This is only halfway true. The child should have the same blood type as their father AND their mother. I have the same type as my mother but she was not happy when I told her that. She thought I was accusing her of having an affair with another man! I first found out my blood type in High School human physiology and I know I was right because my teacher gave me an A on the project. But, my mother would have none of it and refused to acknowledge that I had a different blood type than my father even though it was the same as hers.

Journal entry 89--First crush

Describe who your first crush was. How old were you and where did you meet this person?

My first crush was when I was 5 years old. It was a boy named Ricky and he and I shared the same birthdays. In fact for one of my birthdays, he gave me a real rabbit which I named Frosty after Frosty the Snowman. Ricky asked my mother to sew me a white dress so that he could marry me. Awwww. Eventually Ricky moved away and I didn't see him again until we were 16 years old. He looked the same but it was not meant to be!

Journal entry 88--Silly times

Describe a time when you did something silly or off the wall.

When I was in college, I was visiting my cousin who was singing with her choir in a concert that night. For whatever reason I decided to join her and sing with the choir as well. However, I had no idea what the songs were nor how they were sung. I just stood in the back with my cousin and mouthed the word, "Kumquat" because that's a word that looks like every other word. It was all my cousin and I could do to not fall off the riser from laughing. After the performance as the singers were walking off stage, the director was there shaking people's hands and thanking them. He even shook my hand not even realizing that I wasn't supposed to be there.

Journal entry 87--Surprise!

Describe a time when you surprised someone either for their birthday or another special occasion.

One time for my husband's birthday, I surprised him with a fishing trip. We left after work and I took him to a cabin in the mountains. The next day, we went on a guided fly fishing trip down the Green River near Vernal, Utah. We had a great time learning how to catch fish using the fly casting method. After we caught the fish, we made sure that we released them back into the river. My husband was quite surprised when he saw where we were headed. It was a wonderful birthday.

Journal entry 86--Pet Peeves

Write about your pet peeve. What is it that bothers you the most?

The thing that bothers me the most is littering. More specifically, people who toss out used cigarette butts as if they are invisible. They don't realize that those little butts add up and end up looking like a giant pile of butts. It bothers me because it is so thoughtless and pointless. Keep a trashcan in your car, quit smoking, and help clean up the mess that's already out there on the side of the roads.

Journal entry 85--Beliefs

Write about a strong belief you hold. Why is it so important to you?

I have a strong belief in family, that is to say a mother and a father in a loving marriage. I know to some now a days that sounds either trite or simply impossible but the fact is children are entitled to a father and a mother. I grew up without a father and hated that that happened. I wanted nothing more than a father in my home. Seeing the way my husband and I are raising our kids gives me hope that others are too. Our marriage is strong, our family is strong and hopefully our children will be strong as well.

Journal entry 84--Favorite color

Write about your favorite color and why. How have you used it throughout your life?

My favorite color has always been purple. My mother and sister loved that color as well. I even had dark purple shag carpet in my bedroom growing up and would pretend that it was my ocean and the bed a boat. We also had a bumper sticker on the family car that read "I (picture of a purple heart) Purple. When I became pregnant with my daughter, I quickly painted her room lavender assuming that clearly she would share my love of purple. As a baby she had no problem with the color, however, as she got older, she flexed her independence by wanting a pink room. Pink was her color of choice. So even though, I detest the color pink, I support her pink fixation. Maybe one day she'll like purple.

Journal entry 83--Fears

Describe an unfounded fear you have that still affects you today.

I have a silly unfounded fear. It's vampires. Ever since I was little I've have to sleep with my neck covered in the night for fear of a vampire getting me. I know it's crazy, that's what unfounded is, but for some reason that small piece of sheet or blanket protects me from the sharp fangs of a vampire.

Journal entry 82--Candy

Write about your favorite candy or candies.

I have several favorite candies. I love dark chocolate covered caramels from See's candies, especially the ones with marshmallows. Mmmmm. Black licorice jelly beans, pink grapefruit jelly bellies, Abba Zabbas, and red vines are also up there in the yumminess catergory. I've never been much of a sour candy lover nor the fruity variety but give me chocolate any day.

Journal entry 81--Twelfth grade

Describe an experience when you were in twelfth grade.

When I was in twelfth grade I was chosen to be on the Short Flags team. I went from Tall Flags to Short Flags! I wanted to be on the team so badly that I would practice all afternoon after school until I was able to throw that flag in the air and catch it. And not have it hit my eye! Finally tryouts came and they were relatively painless. I made the team and so did my friend. It was a great year twirling those flags!

Journal entry 80--Eleventh grade

Describe an experience when you were in eleventh grade.

I was in Tall Flags when I was in eleventh grade and during a field show practice hurt myself badly. Now as a rule, whenever a Tall Flag is tossed up into the air, it needs to be thrown slightly ahead so you can march forward to it. I must have forgotten this rule because after I threw my flag in the air, it wasn't there when I marched forward. I looked up to see where it went and BAM! the end of the pole hit me right above my eye near my eyebrow just barely missing my eye. The flag pole did not have a rubber tip on the end, so it sliced opened my skin.
I literally didn't know what hit me. My advisor ran out and found me on the ground with my face covered in blood. A few stitches later and I was as good as gold.

Journal entry 79--Tenth grade

Describe an experience when you were in tenth grade.

In tenth grade I started Tall Flags and candy striping at the local hospital. It was there that I was able to catch up with my old best friend, Jennie. I had known Jennie since first grade and we both went to different Jr. High Schools. It was then in tenth grade that we became friends again and stayed friends for the rest of our high school years. We had a great time performing in Tall Flags together and I was able to become friends with her friends. I still talk to Jennie on occasion and think about the fun times we had marching in parades together.

Journal entry 78--Ninth grade

Describe an experience when you were in ninth grade.

My Junior High had an extremely large anchor statue in the center of our lunch quad and only the ninth graders could sit on it. If an under classman sat on the anchor, the ninth graders could torment him or her. I remember how happy I was to finally be able to sit on the anchor and not get in trouble. It was very liberating and I felt so grown up. Now when I look back I think it was all just kind of silly.

Journal entry 77--Eighth grade

Describe an experience you had when you were in eighth grade.

Eighth grade was a time when I was able to make several good friends that I kept all through the rest of my schooling. It was also the year that I tried out for the Drill Team. The day of the tryouts, I woke up with a kink in my neck and could not turn my head straight. The entire day my friends massaged my neck so I would be able to tryout for the Drill Team. Nothing worked but I tryout anyway and made the team. The next year right before our marching season began, I fell and hurt my foot and was in a cast for weeks.

Journal entry 76--Halloween

Describe a Halloween experience you had as a child.

All my life I've wanted to be a flapper for Halloween for the mere fact that I love fringe. I'd love to wear those fringey dresses that shake when you move. When I was in sixth grade my mother dressed me up as a flapper with fishnet stockings and makeup only my dress was just a red short dress with no fringe. I was devastated because I didn't look anything like a flapper. The boys at school thought I looked like a hooker and kept teasing me the entire day. I wanted to cry.

Journal entry 75--Seventh grade

Describe an experience when you were in seventh grade.

For some reason I remember what I wore to school the first day of seventh grade. I wore a red LeTigre polo shirt and Levi's 501 jeans with brown topsider shoes. I don't know why I remember it so well only that I was at that age where my clothes mattered and my popularity depended on it. I walked to school with my cousin and we stuck together for the first 2 weeks until we made our own friends. Lockers were a new thing for us at the school and at one point, I discovered my lock missing every morning. There were nothing but big boys around me and I felt very intimidated. Eventually I moved to another locker near my friends.

Journal entry 74--Sixth grade

Describe an experience when you were in sixth grade.

During Christmas time my sixth grade class held a white elephant gift exchange where you are supposed to bring in an unwanted gift from home and exchange it with another. I brought some little animals that my sister had made out of salt dough and painted. She originally wanted to turn them into pins to wear but decided against it for some reason. During the exchange my friend picked my present because she knew I brought it. I kept warning her that it was a lame gift but she insisted on choosing it. When she opened the gift she just looked at me and glared.

Journal entry 73--Fifth grade

Describe an experience when you were in fifth grade.

I don't remember much about fifth grade except learning the Preamble and writing Limericks. I loved writing Limericks. My first one was pretty bad about a man named Bluto who wanted to go to Pluto. So he packed up his coat and sailed on a boat and now he's taking judo. See it doesn't really rhyme but I enjoyed writing it. I also memorized the Preamble by singing the School House Rock song. Another memory I have about fifth grade is every day after lunch, my teacher would read from "The Phantom Tollbooth." It soon became my favorite book. Fifth grade was tough for me because that was when my father tried to take custody of me and I had to go to court to defend my mother and what I wanted. So I think I've blocked some of my fifth grade life out.

Journal entry 72--Fourth Grade

Describe an experience when you were in fourth grade.

I loved my fourth grade teacher. She was young and full of energy and lots of fun ideas. One of the activities we did was earn fake dollars and then later hold a "yard sale." Each child would bring in some stuff from home that they were willing to sell. We would go around and buy whatever looked good with the fake money. I loved doing this and it probably helped fuel a future yard sale passion in me.

Journal entry 71--Disneyland

If you've been to Disneyland, write about a time you have gone there. Or choose another amusement park.

I've been to Disneyland so many times it's hard to choose a time. However I did enjoy last year when we went with my husband's family. There were about 22 of us and we had a blast. Most of the kids are grown so the youngest was only 5 years old and she was my daughter who was used to going on every ride at Disneyland. I love going to Disneyland. It brings back so many childhood memories and makes me feel simply cozy.

Journal entry 70--Injury

Describe an injury you've had either recently or during childhood. Explain how it happened.

When I was 3 years old, I sliced my eyebrow open while playing outside. I was on a double swing with my cousin facing me. As we swung back and forth someone called my name and as I turned to look my eyebrow caught a bolt sticking out of the swing set. My mom told me that I came in the house complaining that I couldn't see as I was wiping blood from out of my eyes. I got a few stitches and have a scar where the hair has never grown.

Journal entry 69--Third grade

Describe an experience from third grade.

When I was in third grade I was chosen to play with the children's' song flute orchestra. Only I didn't find out I was chosen until two days before the performance. My teacher called me up to her desk to ask me why I wasn't at practice. I asked, "What practice?" She then realized that she had forgotten to tell me I was in the orchestra. I had to learn "Whistle while you work" very quickly.

Journal entry 68--Family order

How did you like being the oldest, youngest or middle child? What were the advantages or disadvantages?

I was the youngest in my family and because of that got away with a lot more than my brother and sister. My siblings were a lot older than I so at one point I was the only child left at home. It was almost like I was an only child. However, my mother helped take care of two little girls during the day so they became my pseudo sisters. We took care of them since they both were babies. I was in heaven having little sisters. So for the first part of my life I was the baby and got a lot of attention. Then when I was 11 years old and then 13 years old I got two little sisters and became the older child. It was a different way to grow up but I loved it.

Journal entry 67--Fame

Have you met or worked with famous people? Who - Where- etc.

I've met several famous people at random places--Al Gore, and Sonny Bono to name a couple.
I did however, have an opportunity to work with Wolfgang Puck on his television show. A couple of years ago while I was in cooking school I was offered a chance to intern with Wolfgang Puck Burbank, Ca. I got to prepare some of the food back stage before it appeared on TV. It was long, hard work but I learned a lot from the other more experienced chefs and got to meet Chef Puck.

Journal entry 66--Trouble

What did you do when you were a child that got you in the most trouble and how did your parents handle it?

I really didn't get into too much trouble as a child, or I should say I didn't get caught very often. I did get into trouble with my sister by teasing her unmercifully. I lived to make her scream and knew just what buttons to push. My teasing usually avoided trouble because my mom was too tired to deal with it. So there were no time outs or grounding, just head shaking and laying on the guilt. I think I would have rather had a time out. I know I drove my sister crazy when we were younger but I had so much fun doing it.

Journal entry 65--Frightening

What frightens you the most and why?

The thing that frightens me the most is death. My mother died when I was 20 years old and my father was never in my life so it was as if he were dead so I've always feared that people I love will unexpectedly die. I get anxious whenever my family is separated with traveling. It's something I'm working through but I don't want to go through anymore death in my life right now.

Journal entry 64--Backyard

Describe your childhood backyard. What made it so fun to play in?

I grew up thinking my backyard was huge! When in fact, it was average size but I still had a lot of fun in it. My brother and I would make up many games, such as golf, rubber band fights, and shooting our BB guns. We had an extremely large tree in the back and once I set up a tire swing on it. After swinging back and forth on that swing the rope eventually wore down and broke while I was in mid air. I fell flat on my back. We also had an orange tree and my mother would squeeze oranges all winter for juice. To this day I have a hard time drinking OJ from concentrate. Another time, my brother and I lit our gingerbread house on fire and shot at it with BB guns. We were destructive but had so much fun. Growing up I had a lot of pets. Several of our pets were buried in the backyard when they died. I've always wondered what the new owners might think if they come across an animal skeleton in their backyard. During my childhood, my backyard held several cat litters, a tortoise, pet rabbits, and many, many hours of cartwheels and flips. I loved playing in my backyard.