ADWOFF'S FRIDAY FIVE DEC 26TH

Suggestion from the author's two sons for today's Friday Five
Channeling James Lipton's Inside the Actor's Studio

1. What is your favorite curse word?

SH*#

2. If heaven exists what do you want God to say to you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Good job! All is forgiven. We're happy to see you. Everyone you love is here too!

3. What turns you on?

Unexpected kindness.

4. What turns you off?

Rudeness.

5. What is your least favorite word?

Can't.

You Are Whimsical and Imaginative

You approach the holidays with creativity and imagination. For you, it's yet another opportunity to express your glorious view of the world. Whether you're decorating your house or baking cookies, you like everything to have your personal touch. You do your best to make the holidays a unique and special time for everyone around you. Of all the types, you are the most likely to give delightfully surprising and interesting gifts. You're also the most likely to wrap your gifts in an quirky, beautiful way.

The Wrapping Paper Test

Christmas Nerd Test

My Christmas Song Is ...

Your Christmas Song Is "Santa Baby"

Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with a duplex And cheques Sign your 'x' on the line Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight You're a bit of a greedy kid this Christmas... You'd like for Santa to be your personal sugar daddy!

What Christmas Carol Are You?

The Christmas Tree I Am Is ...

You Are a Bright Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays are all about fun and seasonal favorites. You are into all things Christmas, even if they're a little tacky.

What Christmas Tree Are You?

The Christmas Movie I am Most Like:

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Very Brady Christmas

For you, it's all about sharing times with family. Even if you all get a bit cheesy at times.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

Monday Morning Meme

Monday Morning Meme
Because you have nothing better to do with your time. You know the drill!

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy this entire post and paste into a new post of your own. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then leave a comment with your link so we can all go and read your answers......Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Depends on the size and type of gift. Either way, I like to make both the wrapped gift and the gift bag special.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I would love a real tree, but back in 1986 I gave in to DH Jimmy and we bought our first artificial. Who knew in 2008 we'd be considered green and our carbon footprint was less because we switched. ;)

3. When do you put up the tree? The weekend after Thanksgiving, since we don't have to worry about if the tree is going to shed needles and die before Christmas.

5. Do you like Egg Nog? Yes, but I like to thin it out with skim milk. I just can't drink anything "thick" like that anymore.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? When I was 10, I got my new teal & silver Schwinn 28" 2-wheel bicycle. It was awesome … and took me on all my adventures far from home.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My mom and MIL. They both have pretty much everything they want.

8. Easiest person to buy for? DD Autumn and DS Matthew. They have always provided me with a huge list to work from. It is amazing how many items on their lists they would get. Damn spoiled brats. ;)

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No. I would love one, but we never had the safe place to set it up - between kids and dogs … but maybe next year I can find one that would work on our mantle.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. & if you ask my DH Jimmy, I send out too many. ;) But it's my thing ... so he puts up with it with minimal grumbling.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Well, I guess the worst would be none. There were many years we just didn't have the money, so Jimmy and I wouldn't exchange gifts.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? All of them are my favorites. I watch them over and over again. But if I just could only pick one .. it would be SCROOGED with Bill Murray.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day after Christmas. LOL … I start hording gifts right away for the next year. Sometimes I find them a few months after Christmas that I forgot to get out and wrap. I've done that more times than I'll ever admit.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Only because the person (dd Autumn) wanted it and so I just gave it to her. That happens a lot too.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? my MIL's chocolate fudge

16. Lights on the tree? white and blue.

17. Favorite Christmas song? This is so hard. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas music. I start on Thanksgiving Eve listening to my Christmas music and don't stop until the first work day after the holidays. This year … that will be Monday 1/5/09. So to pick my favorite Christmas song ??? I would have to say MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING by The Carpenters.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? When the kids were little and my step-daddy and FIL were alive, we would travel non-stop. Now it's stay at home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Absolutely … Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen & Rudolph.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel. My crystal angel that DH Jimmy bought me back in 1986 when I agreed to switch to an artificial tree.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve with Jimmy's family, we open the gifts from the in-laws for the kids … and the sister-in-laws swap gifts amongst each of us. Of course now it's on Sunday, not Christmas Eve. All other gifts are opened on Christmas Day after we get back home from mass.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? People who are grumpy and don't even try to have the Holiday Spirit.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? my ornaments are crystal balls, and navy, burgundy, rose, silver and gold glass balls. Also we have the traditional "first" ornaments for our family.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? We have many different meals that DH Jimmy and I are responsible for. The Fortney Christmas get-together is no longer on Christmas Eve, it's the Sunday before Christmas … that way the individual families can have their own Christmas at their homes.

So this Sunday 12/21/08 Jimmy and I are making: roasted beef tenderloin on the grill, a spiral ham and a roast turkey breast (sliced for sandwiches), pretzel rolls, potato roles, broccoli bake, sweet potatoes, potato salad, macaroni salad, red beet eggs, filling balls, and an assortment of deserts and candy.

Then on Christmas Eve we are going to our dear friends' Holly and Doug's house. I'm not sure what is on the menu yet, but we will be bringing at least 2 dishes for the festivities.

On Christmas Day it will be a repeat of the Fortney Christmas get-together, since DS Matthew won't be home in time to attend, and all those foods are his favorite.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? the whole family together... and if Jimmy would want to get me a new digital camera, that would be nice too!

Which of Santa's Reindeer Am I?

You Are Dancer

Carefree and fun, you always find reasons to do a happy dance. Why You're Naughty: That dark stint you had as Santa's private dancer. Why You're Nice: You're friendly. Very friendly.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

What Do The Holidays Mean To Me?

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are about celebration. You enjoy all the fun and fellowship that the holidays bring. You celebrate the holidays in a minimalist style. You are likely to only give one great present and decorate your house with a few special items. During the holidays, you feel magical. You love all of the decorations and how happy people are. You like to sit back and take it all in. You think the holidays should be nostalgic and sweet. The holidays bring out your inner child. Your favorite holiday memories strongly evoke your senses. You are vividly aware of all the tastes, smells, and sounds of the holidays.

What Do the Holidays Mean to You?

Denim Day for Soldiers' Angels

At work we have Denim Days on most Fridays.

Employees who have been associated with a particular cause such as in the past:

• Pink for the Cure
• Muscular Distrophy
• Multiple Sclerosis
• American Cancer Society
• Make a Wish

and many others have held Denim Days. You donate $5 to the cause and you get to wear your favorite denim outfit on a specified Friday.

Today's Denim Day is sponsored by Cindy Hinkle and her cause is Soldiers' Angels. Because of Matthew, my son, being in the service, this particular organization grabbed my heart. See the explanation below:

Denim Day on Dec. 12 Benefits Injured Soldiers

A firmwide Denim Day on Friday, December 12, will help raise money for an interesting project that assists injured U.S. soldiers returning from the Middle East. For a donation of $5 or more, wear your favorite denim outfit and help out Soldiers' Angels. (Checks may be made out to Soldiers' Angels Project Valour-IT Fund, and as always, donations are tax-deductible.)

The organization has a number of projects in the works that benefit U.S. troops. Our Denim Day will raise money for "Project Valour-IT."

Project Valour-IT provides voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support troops recovering from serious injuries to their hands, head injuries and other severe traumas. The project supplies:

• Voice-controlled laptops that help servicemembers stay in touch with loved ones or just write down their thoughts during recovery.
• Wii video game systems that have been very successful in engaging servicemembers during physical therapy, helping them to increase mobility and speed recovery.
• Handheld GPS devices that build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and other challenges related to brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Denim Day organizer and Pittsburgh attorney Cindy Hinkle has a particular connection to the project because it was started in honor of a friend, Maj. Chuck Ziegenfuss, who was injured by an IED in Iraq three years ago.

Of course I sent more than the requisite $5.

And of course, I forgot to wear my jeans today.

Another Senior Blonde Moment!

#2 - Thursday Thirteen - 13 Christmas Picture Cards of the Fortney Family

Thirteen Things about NitneeLion aka Pammy My 13 Favorite Pictures of my daughter, Autumn Marie and my son, Matthew James. They are now 26 and 23 ... Autumn is a CPA for the largest accounting firm in Harrisburg, PA and Matthew is a LCpl in the Marines heading over to Iraq in February. He is a gunner on an MRAP. 1.... Christmas 1985 2…. Christmas 1987 3…. Christmas 1989 4...Christmas 1992 5. Chrismas 1994 6…. Christmas 1997 7. July 20008…. Christmas 2001 9…. Christmas 2002 10…. Christmas 2003 11…. Christmas 2004 12...The Wedding ... May 2007 13... September 2007 And a bonus one of the last time Matthew was home on leave from 29 Palms... September 2007

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A-Z Movie List

List 26 movies, one for each letter of the alphabet. My movies are ...

Arthur

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Cocktail

DOA

Everafter

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Ghost

High Fidelity

Interview With The Vampire

Joe vs. The Volcano

Kindergarten Cop

Ladyhawk

Moonstruck

No Way Out

Officer and a Gentleman

Peggy Sue Got Married

Quick Change

Rear Window

See of Love

The Truth About Cats and Dogs

Undercover Blues

Volunteers

When Harry Met Sally

Xanadu

Year of the Comet

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

So ... What's is your list?

What Kind of Gift Giver Are You?

You Are a Practical Gift Giver

Your gifts are useful, appropriate, and custom tailored to each person. In your opinion, the best gifts are gifts that someone will actually use. Your gifts may not be the most glamourous, but they are always appreciated.

What Kind of Gift Giver Are You?

Chrismas Tree Set Up ... Check

On Tuesday night I harangued Jimmy into setting up the tree and putting on the lights. Our usual Christmas Tree Bickering ensued - 2 hours - and the tree is now set up in the corner of the living room. (Picture to be posted later tonight)

On Tuesday 12/23 - Matthew's first evening home - we will decorate the tree with our crystal balls and icicles and the special family ornaments that we have collected over the years.

Why is the Christmas Tree in the corner ... instead of the same place it has been for the past 22 years?

Well ... The front door has been accessible for the past 10 years, due to Jimmy breaking off the key in the lock (only exit is possible). Since space is always tight in the living room at Christmas time after setting up the tree, I decided to rearrange things this year.

As a reboot to the organizing and purging stuff from our house, I have packed up all 650 VHS tapes of my movies in boxes. I was going to just pitch them, as they are movies I have taped over the past 20 years from HBO and Showtime - usually three movies on a tape. However, Neighbor Deb saw them and claimed them as hers. Her mom hasn't upgraded to the DVD format and she can't rent VHS tapes from Blockbuster anymore. So her mom will have enough movies to keep her busy for a lifetime. I printed down an alphabeticl and numerical list of all the movies and she'll have a good ol' time

The bookcases that housed the VHS tapes have been re-arranged. One is now for the sole purpose of my DVD collection - which continues to grow. The other is for my photograph/scrapbook albums (50+). The other bookcase was taken upstairs to be stored in one of the bedrooms until after the holidays when I can begin to sort through both of the extra bedrooms and begin to organize my library and guest room.

What Holiday Food Are You? I am Eggnog

You Are Eggnog

Rich, sweet, and probably a little drunk. Everyone who knows you tends to get a little fatter.

What Holiday Food Are You?

What Christmas Ornament Are You? I am an Angel

You Are an Angel

A truly giving soul, you understand the spirit of Christmas.

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

#1 THURSDAY THIRTEEN - 13 Favorite Christmas Songs

Thirteen Things about NitneeLion aka Pammy



13 Favorite Christmas Songs

1. Merry Christmas Darling by The Carpenters

2. 12 Pains of Christmas by Bob Rivers Comedy Corp

3. Baby, It's Cold Outside by Barry Mannilow

4. All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey

5. I'll Be Home For Christmas by Elvis and Carrie Underwood

6. Step Into Christmas by Elton John

7. Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill

8. A Baby Changes Everything by Faith Hill

9. Twelve Days of Christmas by John Denver and the Muppets

10. Please Come Home for Christmas by Southside Johnny

11. Chrismtas Canon by Trans Siberian Orchestra

12. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by N'Sync

13. Santa Baby by Madonna




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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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What Holiday Are You?

You Are Thanksgiving

You are a bit of a homebody who enjoys being in the company of people you love. It doesn't take a lot to make you happy. You're enjoying life as it is. You have many blessings in your life, and you are grateful for each one. You believe that life is about what you *do* have. You feel like you have enough of the good stuff. What makes you celebrate: Family, friends, and the changing of the seasons. At holiday get togethers, you do best as: The host of the party On a holiday, you're the one most likely to: Spend so much energy preparing that it's a full time job

What Holiday Are You?

Air Fare for Matthew ... Check!

So I spent 2 hours last night arranging to use the credit I had with United for canceling Matt's flight in September.

This flight was scheduled for Matt to come home for the LAF event with THE TARTAN TERRORS at Harp & Fiddle on Thursday, September 25, 2008. Unfortunately, Matt's training scheduled for deployment was changed at the last minute and his leave was canceled.

So after spending 2 hours talking to customer service at both Travelocity and United, we got Matthew scheduled on the same flights from Palm Springs to Harrisburg on 12/22 and then back to Palm Springs on Monday 1/5/09.

I can't wait to see him ... I won't be able to sleep a wink on Monday night 12/22 when he's taking the RED EYE from CA to PA.

Do You Have The Christmas Spirit?

Your Christmas Sprit Level: 95%

Your Christmas spirit is almost as big as Christmas itself. Christmas is definitely your thing. You celebrate Christmas with enthusiasm. You love every minute of the holidays. Your Christmas spirit is inspiring to everyone who runs into you during the holidays. You make everyone's day just a little bit brighter. And that's what the holidays are all about!

Do You Have the Christmas Spirit?

Matthew Is Coming Home for Christmas

YEAH ... Matthew is coming home for Christmas.

I was feeling blue over Thanksgiving since Matthew couldn't make it home. This was our first Thanksgiving without him. I guess we had been quite lucky since last year he was able to make it home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Last night in the final minutes of watching LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING ... the phone rings ... It's Matthew!!! He found a spot in the dessert that gave him service on his cell phone.

*** Can't you just see him in his desert cammies, standing in the middle of the desert, with his cell phone up to his hear saying ... Can you hear me now? ***

It was so good to hear his voice. It's amazing how that 1,000 lb. weight lifted off my shoulders.

His leave starts Monday, December 22nd and ends January 6th. So he'll be flying the RED EYE out of Palm Springs on Monday 12/22 evening and arriving into Harrisburg sometime the morning of Tuesday 12/23. He'll need to head back to base on Monday 1/5 in order to be there on time to check back in on Tuesday 1/6.

Matthew won't get leave again before heading over to Iraq in February, so you know we will be making this the best family time we can. Lots of good meals to fatten him up ... lots of Wii to keep us in shape (hahaha) ... and lots of love and laughs.

That's what Christmas is all about ... family, friends, love and laughing.

Can't ask for anything more that means as much.