Memorial Day

Wordless Wednesday

Queen Meme Tuesday

The Let’s Go To Dinner Meme

We all love to wine and dine with our families and those we care about. Some of us talk about it. Some of us don’t. Regardless, we all have stories to tell…. past and present. Take a trip down memory lane or unfold your fantasy night out on the blog for all to read. We’re all ears. Waiter! Waiter!


1. When is the last time you went out to dinner with someone special? Tell us about it. I always go out to dinner with special people!! Last week, Mustang Man, Mustang Girl and myself went and ate some amazing sushi. My favorite part is that the place we go makes this roll called 'The Bali Hai', and it is so amazingly delicious that I always get one that is just for me =)

2. Show us a picture of your favorite cuisine. Uh, there isn't enough room here, and I don't have a picture of the 'Bali Hai'. Next time, I promise

3. What is the funniest thing a man/woman has said to you lately? "Traci, is it okay if I have a nip off your growler?"

4. What makes a gentleman a gentleman in today’s dating world? Are there any left? I firmly believe there are gentlemen left. They usually have really good Mama's. For me, what makes a gentleman are things like this:

a. He has respect for everyone

b. He doesn't tell tales where he shouldn't be.

5. Is there anything you won’t tolerate when out to dinner with your significant other? Yeah, I won't tolerate not sharing!

6. What type of ambiance do you enjoy in an eating establishment? A big pet peeve for me are places that are so loud and noisy with music that you cannot hear yourself thing, or hear the conversation that you are trying to have with your dinner partner. I prefer not to leave dinner with a headache, thank you.

7. Tell us about the worst public dining experience you ever had, whether it be a date or with your family. Hmm. Let me think. There was the one time my Dad came to the table wearing a toilet seat sanitizer paper thingy on his head....

No really. He did.

But, the worst experience I have had that wasn't funny was when MM and I went out to eat at a new to us restaurant. We sat down, on a nice summer evening, at a table towards the back of the patio of this particular establishment. We got one iced tea, and then our waitress went home. Without turning us over, to anyone. We got another drink, maybe an hour later, and we even actually, eventually got a meal. And then ONE free dessert when we finally made a complaint. Why did we stay? I honestly don't know. The food was okay. The night was nice. But we've never gone back.

8. What is the lamest or rudest thing a man/woman has said to you lately? A man that I work with, and sadly, have really no tolerance for, called me "honey". This might sound inconsequential to most of you, but I have such an intense loathing for this particular individual that it made my skin crawl.

9. Are you a good tipper? If I get good service, I am a GREAT tipper. If I get ignored, well, as my friend Jimmi would say, 'Va Fongule'.

10. Do you ask for doggie bags when you leave food on your plate at a restaurant? If I've really enjoyed the meal, then absolutely. Restaurant leftovers are the best.

11. What is your pet peeve about restaurants and dining out in general? Hmmm. That they don't deliver?

12. Do you prefer to order yourself or do you ever let your significant other order for you? I do order for myself, but would trust him implicitly if he ever decided he was going to step in and do it. It might be a nice surprise.

13. Describe your most intimate romantic dinner ever. (fantasy or real)A few years ago, we went to dinner on 'Talk Like A Pirate Day'. It was a nice restaurant, we were both in a good mood, and the stars were just aligned. It was fun, we laughed a lot, I set a napkin on fire with the table candle, and it was like we were in our own little bubble of intimacy. It just worked. We both still talk about that night.

14. Do you enjoy piano bars?Not really, because I find them rather loud.

15. If you could go anywhere in the world for dinner, where would it be and who would you be with? I would take MM to Paris, and have dinner at the restaurant that is in the middle of the Eiffel Tower.

for more fun, go here

Monday Darylization

Here is my picture stimulation for the week!

Sam was one determined fella.

When he had that stroke in 09 he promised himself that he was going to regain his independence, no matter what. Each day, he got closer and closer.

Today, though, was a huge milestone. He was going to take the bus, and go buy flowers for Ruth.

She'd stuck by him, no matter what, through everything. She'd been the one to exercise his numb hand, and she'd been the one to encourage him to do his exercises, both at the hospital, and at home. And when he had tried to give up, she had been the steel backbone that didn't let him.

They had been married for 67 years, and his heart still beat sped up when he woke up to her each morning.

He only hoped he didn't get to the flower market too late for the Tulips...

Friday Mieography

Wilma Rudolph was a premature born baby, who weighed only 4.5 pounds when she was born. She was the 20th of 22 children. Her father worked as a railroad porter, and handyman, and her mother did laundry, cooked, and house cleaned for wealthy white families in their area. The family had such little money, that the girls frequently wore dresses made of flour sacks. She was sick often when she was little, there was no hospital for the colored in town, and the one black doctor would cost money. So her mother nursed her through measles, mumps, scarlet fever, chicken pox, and even double pneumonia. She did need to go to the doctor when she lost sensation in her left leg, and it started to become deformed. They were told she now had polio, and she would never walk. Her mother took her to a black medical college in Nashville, which was fifty miles away, twice a week for two years. Wilma started to walk, wearing a metal leg brace. The doctors taught her mother how to do the physical therapy at home. Her brothers and sisters helped her. By the age of twelve, she could walk normally, without any crutch, brace, or even a corrective shoe. It was then she decided she wanted to try athletics.

In high school, she played basketball first, and set state records for scoring, and her team won a state championship. She also ran track, and participated in her first Olympics when she was only 16 years old. She won a bronze medal in the 4x4 relay. She continued on, participating in the Olympics, and in Rome, 1960, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals. (100m dash, 200m dash, and as anchor of the 400m relay). She was hailed as the "Fastest woman in history". She retired from track at age 22, married her high school sweetheart, and had four children.

She is in the Olympic Hall of Fame, and the national Track and Field Hall of Fame, just to name a few honors. She also has a portion of US route 79 in Tennessee named after her. She got a full scholarship to Tennessee State University, where she got a bachelor's degree in elementary education. She worked as a teacher, coached track, and was a sports commentator on television.

Sadly, in 1994, she was diagnosed with brain and throat cancer. She died at age 54 of the same.

Wordless Wednesday

Queen Meme Tuesday

Damn this is a LONG one... she is making up for last week I think

Under The Covers Meme
(Read it and sleep)

1. Name 2 things you have done under the covers in the last week. Sleep, and Not Sleep ;)

2. Do you know what a woobie is? Do you have a special one? I do know what a woobie is. No, I don't have a special one. I think I need one for my neck, though...

3. What prompts you to pull the covers over your head and hide from the world? Sometimes, it's something as simple as the telephone ringing...

4. Firm or soft? In between, if I can find it

5. Silk or flannel? Flannel in the winter time, for sure. Not a big fan of silk, actually. Too slippery.

6. Lights on or off? depends

7. Fan or no air? Fan, please!!

8. Completely dark or nite light? Completely dark.

9. Windows open or shut depends on the season. If it's snowing outside, I prefer closed windows!

10. Sweet dreams or nightmares? Usually very sweet dreams

11. PJ's or……PJs...

12. Set bedtime? Not really, that's hard to do, working nights

13. What do sheep count when they can't sleep? They count shearer's, of course

14. What does your alarm clock sound like? I don't use an alarm clock anymore. My body wakes me up. When we have to be up, then MM is my alarm clock, and he's a nice one!

15. White noise or music Silence is golden

16. TV or IPod? Neither one

17. Can you recall a pleasant dream you'd like to share? When I was a child, I once dreamt that I found a McDonalds made entirely of chocolate chip cookie dough.... true story.

18. Under the covers or outside the covers Duh, covers keep the monsters away

19. Insomniac or sleep angel? Sadly, Insomniac all the way.

20. What is your favorite sleep aid for those tossin' and turnin' nights? I have no advice for that. I end up getting out of bed, and doing something. I hate laying there, awake

21. Morning person or night person Night person, thats why I work nights.

22. Bedtime snack? Not usually

23. Hot or cold room Cold room, warm blankets

24. Bedtime ritual? Just to use the restroom first, so that I don't have to get up in the middle of the night

25. Twin, Queen, King, Bunk or Futon Queen

26. Socks or naked feet Bare feet for sure! Socks are nothing but dream traps

27. Bedroom door locked or unlocked? Unlocked. And it has only come back to haunt us, once...

28. Tent or hotel room Either one, depending on my mood, or where its at!

29. If you could be bored to sleep, what would bore you? Used to be some of my nursing school textbooks

30. Prayers or mantra? Prayers

31. What was the worst nightmare you ever had? That everyone left me, and I was alone

32. Please share any ideas on how to stop a person from snoring.
I'm all ears. You know, I just got used to it. Now I have a hard time falling asleep without "gentle" snoring in my ear...

33. If one purely pleasant thought could ensure fast and sound deep sleep for you every night, what would your one thought be? Security....

34. How many hours do you normally sleep? Depends. On nights that I work, and I am trying to sleep in the day time, usually six. Weekends? As many as I can

35. Thunderstorms or quiet starry night? Starry nights. Gentle rain is good, but Thunderstorms alarm me

36. Warm bath or hot shower? I hate going to bed with wet hair... hot shower, I guess

37. What is the craziest thing that ever happened in your bed? When I first got it, the people who set it up didn't do it right, and I turned over, and one side of bed collapsed, so the mattress tilted, and I found myself on the floor... to say I was a little pissed, is an understatement

38. Name a song you could fall asleep to. If I listen to music to fall asleep, it's classical. Anything with words makes me think, and not sleep. I have to work very hard to quiet my mind before I sleep.

39. Who last told you a bedtime story? I don't remember, really... thats a good question...

Whew! Done! Go here to read more