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I do not like these words:

• groove, except 1) as joinery terminology, 2) in the context of phrases like long-playing microgroove, or 3) whenever my brother uses it.  I have also disliked the word groovy ever since Mr. DiPietro required me to sing the second verse of "The 59th Street Bridge Song" out loud in sixth grade English. (Mr. DiPietro also gave me poor marks for penmanship.  Beyond than these acts, he was a very nice teacher.)
• proper terminology for genitalia.  This probably stems from formative discussions with at least one parent as well as sixth grade sex education class.
• sphagnum, because I can't pronounce or spell it.  It was probably a vocabulary word in sixth grade.

[I also have quite a few other-than-verbal scars from sixth grade.  That was a year of wearing unbearably dorky and mostly oversized ("so you'll grow into them") clothes, hand-sewn with love by my hard-working single mom --  clothes which inspired frequent teasing from peers, and even Mrs. Szlosek, my homeroom teacher, remarked on the hugeness of a certain pair of pants (I was chubby but not that chubby).  That was also the year when, attempting a forward somersault, I lost both consciousness and control of my bladder in gym class, awakening beneath a circle of staring, snickering classmates.  The worst of these experiences came from telling my friend Mitzi in confidence about something I did as an inquisitive younger child. She did not keep it a secret, and it became even greater fodder for ridicule.]

Today I am especially fond of these words:

• elevenses, which I am consuming right now (please note that I first read The Hobbit in sixth grade)
• rhubard, though I can't spell that one either, because it is a key ingredient of today's elevenses
• primary, because it is nearly resolved
• coquette, for containing the /k/ sound in both syllables
• spackle

[I tried to think of some other positive word associations from sixth grade, but it was a pretty low year.]

Now it seems necessary to include this, with my apologies:

Ok, I'm a litttle late, it's Friday...

Love:

Gabby and I are feeling better.

I'm slowly starting to taste my food again.

Gabby has brushed her teeth before bed 2 nights in a row.

Seattle has a couple of clear and sunny days.

My pedicure and how pretty my toes look.

Airborne.

Loathe:

I woke up last night and heard thunder and wanted to cry! I was scurred!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was really sick on Halloween so I missed my Zumba party.

My underwear is old. LOL

Thumbs Down:

1. A woman looked at our house last week and just loved it.  She brought her husband to see it on Monday and he was very quiet except to say one of the bathroom's needed remodeling and they'd already done a lot of that on their current house.  Our realtor is hoping the woman just needed some time to talk her husband into it.  I'm afraid it was a woman who thought she needed a new house and her husband didn't. 
2. I was a crabby patty today.  It's not very often that I'm in a cranky mood all day but this was one of them.  Several little things that put me in the mood. 
3. My great uncle passed away.  He was my step grandpa's brother.  Grandpa died when I was 12 but he lived in town and I spent tons of time with him.  Out of his 3 brothers, this was the one I was closest to.  He and his wife have lived in AZ the past 10 years and had just moved back to MT to be closer to family.  I've made at least 3 trips to Billings and wanted to stop and see them but always had other things to do.  Now, I regret waiting.  I'd also like to go to his funeral tomorrow but it's not going to work out.  He has such a twinkle in his eye.

CliffPeterson

Thumbs Up:

1. We really are making good progress on the house.  We've started painting the basement even though we don't plan to totally finish the basement right away.  The tile is done in the foyer and Lily's bathroom floor and shower.  Ray's started hanging interior doors and putting on base trim so the carpet installer can come.  2/3 of the kitchen cabinets are done.  I need to get pictures of some of the lights Ray's installed because they are gorgeous!  We're very tentatively hoping to be in around the end of the month.  (No laughing, mom).
2. There's no school tomorrow so Ray's taking the boys hunting.  This will be Cody's first time going as an official "hunter" since passing Hunter's Safety.
3. The 1st quarter is done at school.  Cody really struggled the past few years but is finally taking school more seriously.  There is still room for improvement but he made the Honor Roll so we're very proud.  All his teachers had great things to say.  This is Jace's first year to receive letter grades and he earned all A's and B's.  He's also suddenly taken a huge interest in reading.  He's always hated reading but is now reading 300 page novels!!  Lily is also doing well.  All of the kids' teachers are very impressed with their transition into new schools.  It truly has been amazing and we couldn't have asked for the move to be any smoother.
4. Cody has started Middle School wrestling and his first tournament is Saturday.  Wrestling is such a different environment here.  In Jamestown, Cody was teased a lot for being a wrestler instead of playing hockey or basketball.  Here, wrestling is huge!  Last night, they had a photo shoot for their team poster!!  He's best friend here is also a wrestler and a super, nice kid.
5. Though the weather in October was awful, November is off to a gorgeous start.  It's even supposed to hit 60 tomorrow.

Things I Loathe

• Seeing my girls sick. They are pretty tough kids - not complainers at all. So when they are sick, they are sick. And there's just not much to do about it, which is the worst feeling as a parent.
  

  Sick
• Darkness at 5pm (and it'll get worse before it gets better)

• The look of Borderlands. Played about an hour last night and it seemed quite fun.
  

  Borderlands_screen001
• Backstopping a shutout. Hey, it's only pickup hockey, but it is my first shutout, and against a team with our best player on it. Pretty cool.
• Discovering unique new music. Check out this song from Tyondai Braxton's Central Market:
  

  Opening Bell

  Tyondai Braxton
• Settling in on the couch with R10.4 for an afternoon of football. We're addicted to NFL RedZone HD - "football porn" as one of my friends called it. Just all the good parts, with none of the commercials - heaven!
• Alexandra's Melody du Jour on WZBC Friday mornings, 7-9am.

• Loathe the fact that Trick-Or-Treaters are dwindling in numbers, even in family neighborhoods
• Love seeing the kids in costumes on Halloween
• Loathe all the silly Facebook game apps like Farmville, Mafia Wars, Yoville...
• Love spending time every day with my hubby, reconnecting, exploring, laughing, and falling in love all over again
• Loathe drivers who pay more attention to their cell phones than their driving skills
• Love all the scary movies on TV around Halloween - especially the Zombie movies!
• Loathe having all the extra Halloween candy in the house in the days/weeks following Halloween
• Love getting good news and fun stuff in the mail on the same day

Items which I find LOATHSOME:

1. Lies.
2. Whining.
3. Complaining.
4. Puking.
5. Being ridiculously tired all of the time.

And now, the LOVES-IT list:

1. Jason.
2. Wednesday mornings when sleep is not important.
3. Love.
4. Kisses and more kisses and kisses that lead to other things, too.
5. Hugs.
6. Babies.
7. Cuddling.
8. Lovin, touchin, squeezin.
9. Jason's smile.
10. Jason's voice.
11. The scent of Jason's skin.
12. My kids get to spend next Friday night with us - and we're staying in to play video games, order pizza in and have a camp-out in the living room!
13. Chili's Texas Cheese Fries shared with my best pal, Serene - yummy (the cheese fries - never tasted Serene.  Heh, heh, heh.)
14. Sprite, Ginger Ale and Root Beer.  Caffeine Free bubbly drinks that make my tum feel happy.
15. Jason's cologne - and how I can still smell it a few hours after he leaves for work...

Jason's cologne

Loathe:

• Coughing
• Sore knees
• My hair is being stupid
• Exhaustion
• Skritches has da poopies - she needs to see her vet

• Week off work to get over whatever the hell I've got (i love being able to sleep when I want but it could have some negative repercussions)
  

• Kitties coming inside on their own
• Nyquil Cough (first OTC ever that's controlled my horrid coughing!)
  
• Skritches going out of her way to be near me when sleeping
• Skritches, when she's "the jungle kitty"
• Espressa likes the new scratching post
• Pajama pants that can be worn in public
  

Ok. Loathes first:

I'm alone in my bed. (No cuddles for me.)
It's cold. And dark.
All the children in my life have Swine flu.
Some customers are just no fun at all.
Eric Cantor. He looks like a smug asshole. Maybe he isn't always that way, but every time they stick him on a TV screen, I want to spit on him. (That's how I really feel.)

Loves to end with:

It's fall and I will adjust to the cold and dark thing.
The shed's almost done, so I'll be painting soon. (This will probably become a loathe in a little bit, haha.)
I got some of my Christmas presents in the mail (I might have mentioned this already) and they are SUUUUPER cute. (Any etsy fans? Check out Down & Out Chic.)
I'm getting ready to curl up with Time Traveler's Wife. (I was going to start a few minutes ago...)

Things to look forward to:

Creating a packaging technique for the cute Christmas gifts I've received, since they all came in one box. (Time to get festive and creative... a bit early, I know.)
The weekend. I have off again on Saturday and I think I'm going to block off my morning for breakfast. I want baked oatmeal because it's delicious.

welcome:

• real leads on real possible paying work suddenly just falling into my lap. twice.
• a fun if not overly social halloween weekend
  
• upcoming dinners, performance, parties, etc. the season is rolling out.
• perfect running weather. perfect anything weather.
• anagrams game last night with the wonderful marie & co.
• soup.
• falling back.
• the new von trier film is like a condensed film-studies/ grief course which is very nice to look at, but not for those squeamish about genital mutilation (graphic).
  

• my friend who was on life support for 9 months passed away. not exactly sudden, but I'm still in shock.
• instigating a swot analysis. who am i?
• mom resisting her medication... never bodes well.
• confronting my aunt about her perpetual drunkenness. awkward.
• slipping....further.... behind on credit card payments
• a UTI that is under control but reappears the moment I get slightly dehydrated
• so many people I know have or had H1N1. luckily no one I have touched recently.
• low voter turnout. vote!
• darkness by 5PM
  

Good: