These were so deep, I had to wait until a Saturday to give them enough thought. ;) 1. What do you most want to be remembered for? Hmm. Depends by whom, I suppose. Rowan, and to a lesser extent my entire family, for being loving, strong, intelligent, and a good role model (*sigh* 2 out of 4 isn't bad, right??). For others, funny, smart, and well organized (hey, even Meatloaf agrees, 2 out of 3 ain't bad! ;-)). 2. What quotation best fits your outlook on life? "I got a taste of paradise That's all i really need to make me stay I got a taste of paradise If I had it any sooner you know You know I never would have run away" -Meatloaf (Okay, see, I know I mentioned this in an earlier entry - I think in song quotes. And once I was thinking of "Two Out of Three" for the last question, my brain fixates on Meatloaf. Hence the jump to "Heaven Can Wait." But it does fit, in some odd way, though I don't think it would "best" describe my outlook on life - that's ever changing.) 3. What single achievement are you most proud of in the past year? Making it through one long, miserable winter to see everything come out in full bloom in spring (take that as literally or figuratively as you wish). 4. What about the past ten years? Finding the strength to be myself, even when it cost me friends, plans, and the security of being who I thought I wanted to be. 5. If you were asked to give a child a single piece of advice to guide them through life, what would you say? "Don't worry, no one listens to the advice they're given when they're a kid - enjoy yourself and learn from your own life."

Rowan lost her first tooth!! Well, actually, she didn't lose it, it's in a little box under her pillow right now. The Tooth Fairy will be visiting later tonight, I'm sure, and will probably leave something special behind. I can't wait to see what. Last night, I took a bit of video of her very very wiggly tooth. It's been very, very wiggly for a week or so now, I took some still pictures last week, but the video shows it much better (and we just bought the video camera Saturday and need to learn how to use it by Sunday ;)). I'm glad I did! This afternoon, she was wiggling it, saying again how wiggly it was, then walked off. A minute later she was back, and said "my tooth fell out!" I looked at her, and her little "I have a secret" smile, and asked if it fell out or if she popped it out - she, indeed, popped it out. I'd warned her there would be some blood, but there wasn't until she rinsed out her mouth. Now she has her first gap. *sniff* (It's the front, bottom, [her] left one.) This has reminded me of when I lost MY first tooth - I don't recall how old I was, but I'd gone with my grandparents to visit some of their friends in a state far from home (I don't even remember where, though I want to say West Virginia for some reason - and that's odd, because when it comes to state names I enjoy pronouncing, it's usually Arkansas that sets my tongue all a-flutter, sure one of these days I'll slip up and make it rhyme with Kansas. But I digress [imagine that]). Anyhow, here I was with this family I didn't know, and my grandparents decide to go out to dinner with the family's adults - leaving me with the family kids (there was an old-enough-to-be-a-sitter person there, either an older sibling or an actual sitter)... and my tooth fell out. I remember being all horrified at how much blood there was, since no one warned me of that! They were all very nice about making a fuss, of course, I wasn't a child who liked having a fuss made over me. But, at least, the Tooth Fairy did find me wherever I was. I must've been a difficult client for the Tooth Fairy given a combination of my reluctance to use a pillow and my light sleeping. Luckily, the Tooth Fairy has it much easier with Rowan, who slept soundly last night when I went in to check to make sure she hadn't swallowed her tooth before I went to bed (it was THAT lose). She did chomp down on my finger, but I suppose I deserved it. I'm so glad she lost it at home, though, and not at school (or worse yet at her after-school program). Of course, when I was in school, I always wanted to lose one there, since anyone who did got a special tooth-holding necklace to bring it home in... Anyhow, I must head to bed. Hmm. After I give Pandora her nighttime Phenobarbitol (sp?). Because, you know, cats can have seizures. You know it's going to be an expensive problem when the vet says "She had a what? Oh. THAT'S unusual!" We're passing on the cat scan (I swear, it was offered. Still cracks me up - I suppose I am easily amused), opting instead to drug the heck out of her as long as she stops twitching. Er, seizing, she's twitchy all the time. (Geez, speaking of twitchy - as I was about to cut and paste this into Blogger, Pandora made a little meow behind me and there was much shuffling on the ground. My heart dropped and I was sure she was actually having another seizure, and I had about a nanosecond before turning around to feel like the worst cat owner on earth to make light of her condition and here she is about to have the first seizure since we started medicating her, and now we'll have to find a way to pay for the big stupid expensive cat scan because I can't imagine just letting her keep suffering, but can't see putting her to sleep... and I turn. And there she is chasing a stuffed ball around the room. Damn cat.)

More real content coming... someday. For now, a Friday Five which shows I'm pretty much non-branded: 1. What brand of toothpaste do you use? Whatever's on sale. At the moment, we have Crest, or is it Colgate?, in the cabinet. I buy the cheapest stuff on sale with a coupon these days. If I didn't care about finances, it would be all Mentadent all the time (I just like the funky container it comes in, I admit it). 2. What brand of toilet paper do you prefer? Geesh. This is verging on the Too Much Info line, but... I used to be a soft paper snob, don't want that cheap toilet paper on MY tushie. One day, Gary brought home a great big pack of Scot(t? I can never remember if it's Scot or Scott), and I turned up my nose and mocked his cheap toilet paper. Then I used it, because, you know, when there's nothing else available, your tushie's sensibilities be damned. And it wasn't so bad. And hey, wait, it didn't leave fuzzies behind (no pun intended ;)). And, hey, wait, that pack lasted about 4 times as long as the same size of the fluffy brands. He came home with a pack of Charmin the other day, and I'm wrinkling my nose. I want my Scott back! 3. What brand(s) of shoes do you wear? I have three pieces of footwear I use with any regularity: a pair of Birkenstocks (non-leather, two-strap across the foot and one around the ankle, sandles); a pair of boots (who knows what brand); and a pair of flat, soft, comfy but pretty work shoes, the brand I couldn't tell you. I need to find a pair of taupe or light brown shoes, too, but so far haven't found any comfortable enough for my liking. Darn wide feet and non-leather leanings! 4. What brand of soda do you drink? Until about 2 months ago, Coke, Coke, and more Coke. Now either flavored seltzer (Polar brand - it's made in Worcester, you know! We wave at Orson, their mascot bear, every time we drive by the factory) water or Diet Sprite. 5. What brand of gum do you chew? Again, whatever's cheapest and winterminty (not spearmint, not freshmint, not peppermint. I'm picky). And in other news, we're enjoying the three day weekend immensely. And I'm getting back to enjoying the family now - just wanted to drop a line quickly.