Bill's MI-5:

Billy Rhythm says:

I'm going to force myself to write an MI-5 this week. A little writer's challenge, perhaps. And here's how I came on the theme. Apparently, cereal was on sale this week. Susan, a big cereal fan, decided we should stock up for the winter. So I'm going to take the boxes of cereal which sit across from me right now, and base a question on each one. Here we go!

1) Blueberry Morning. What's your morning routine? Let's say from the time you get up until you hit work (or 9am, whichever comes first).

5:30-5:45 AM - Out of bed. Bathroom. Feed Maggie the cat. Feed Buddy the Guinea Pig. Feed the Fish. Take my vitamin. Read 3 chapters in the Bible. (Reading Job right now.) 6:05 AM - Get Eben up. Eben and I read out loud to each other for 25 minutes. At 6:35, I make his lunch, check the e-mail, and my normal "web haunts" while he gets ready for school. Work generally starts promptly at 8:00 AM with a telephone call from my boss.

2) Berry Krispies. Snap, Crackle, and Pop have been around a long time. Who are your three favorite cereal characters? Why?

I've never thought much about cereal characters. I guess Tony the Tiger would be a favorite because I was a Rockland Tiger. Right now, the Lucky Charm guy might be a favorite, because I am so into Chocolate Lucky Charms. Who else? Toucan Sam? Count Chocula? I dunno. Guess I'm stuck.

3) Eggo Maple Syrup Cereal. "Leggo my Eggo!" What item do you have from childhood can't you let go of?

Definitely my teddy bear. I've had him since I was 2. My Mom has had to recover him several times, and he's now in an animal print. Both eyes are gone. I sleep with him every night. He went to college with me, and even went on my honeymoon. (I have a formal picture of me in my wedding dress holding my teddy bear.)

4) Banana Nut Crunch. You're feeling a little bananas, and you have 15 minutes to clear your head. What do you do?

Scrapbooking is very relaxing. Exercising clears my head. (I'm totally into DDR on the PS2.) My mind tends to run a lot in the middle of the night, and I try to clear my head by reciting Bible verses. Psalm 23, Psalm 100, and Luke 2 are favorites.

5) Cracklin' Oat Bran. This one came with a free mail-in offer for a DVD.
What was the last DVD (or movie) you watched? Why did you pick it?

Oh my goodness, I can't even remember. I think it was one that Dwane rented for me. What was it? Hang on--I'll have to ask him. Dwane couldn't remember either. I think it may have been Coyote Ugly. I had been watching the Search for the Ultimate Coyote on CMT (I loved the "cheerleader-type" dancing), and decided to watch the movie. If I'm honest, though, that wasn't actually the last one, because I had rented two, and watched two in the same night. Coyote Ugly was the first one I watched, and I can't for the life of me remember what the other one was. I remember that I liked it, though. It must have been a romantic comedy of some type. Oh, I know. It was called "Dance With Me" or something like that. It was with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez. I liked it.

Here are our menus for this week:

Monday: Easy Chicken Parmesan (bone-in chicken dredged in bread crumbs/parm. cheese/spices, drizzled in butter, and baked; no tomato sauce), Acorn Squash (with brown sugar, butter & salt in the center), Salad

Tuesday: On the road. I'm guessing Burger King in Kennebunkport. I hate Burger King, though. Oh, wait a minute. I think there's a Sbarro there, too. I'll probably eat there. (See post below about our travel plans.)

Wednseday: On the road. I'm guessing Popeye's Chicken in Kennebunkport. I love Popeye's Chicken.

Thurday: Roast Beef. Rice. Broccoli Casserole (broccoli sauteed with salt, pepper, dry mustard, marjoram, butter, flour, milk, chicken bouillon, parm. cheese, and then baked), Cooked Apples (Granny Smith Apples with water, vanilla & sugar--you can eat them as warm slices, or mash them up for applesauce).

Friday: Tater Tot Casserole (tater tots, hamburg, sour cream, cheddar cheese, cream of mushroom soup, and French friend onions), Corn on the Cob, Cottage Cheese, Pineapple

Dwane has a secret. At least as far as Eben is concerned, it's a secret. Don't breathe a word of this to Eben.

Dwane has always wanted to have an opportunity to drive a NASCAR. Unfortunately, it's hundreds and hundreds of dollars to do that, so we figured we would have to win the Megabucks before he could do it.

Well, the bad news is we didn't win the Megabucks. The good news is that Dwane's friend won two free tickets to the Richard Petty Driving Experience in New Hampshire! And Dwane's going to get to go!

We leave on Tuesday when Eben gets home from school. We'll drive right to New Hampshire, where we'll spend the night with Dwane's co-worker, Doug. He lives about 20 minutes from the Speedway.

The next morning, we have to be at the track by something like 6:30 AM. Dwane will go through several hours of training, and then he'll do 8 laps around the track. His instructor will be in a car in front of him, which will control the rate of speed Dwane can go, and it will also show Dwane the best line to take around the track. After his little trip, they'll be an awards ceremony and a small luncheon. Dwane is so excited he's hard to control (and Dwane's hard to control even when he's not excited).

Jim's "The cozy up it's time for fall MI-5"

1. Do you have any favorite foods or drinks that you like in the fall?

I always think about apple cider, of course, and peanut butter spread inside a plain donut. I think that maybe comes from the "donut on a string" game that I used to play at Halloween time as a kid. And, of course, I always look forward to Thanksgiving Dinner (which will be spent in Lyncburg, VA this year).

2. Do you have any favorite activities that you do in the fall?

I really like to go apple picking, but we don't really do it that often. The fall is Dwane's absolute busiest time of the year, so we don't really get to do a whole lot. I always get in the mood to plant some flower bulbs, but when it comes right down to it, I hate gardening. When I win the megabucks, that's the first thing I'm going to do. Hire a gardner. And a maid.

3. Tell us of a favorite memory or even a few from fall.

This sounds awful to say know, but I remember having an old boyfriend (JK) in the fall of 1991. We used to take long walks around his neighborhood during the fall evenings. I really enjoyed the fresh fall air. I'm sure that I have more wonderful fall memories, but that's what I can remember off the top of my head.

4. Do you have anything you want to accomplish this fall?

Actually making it through the bus tour of Tennesee without having a breakdown. I'm very much looking forward to it, but I do dread being without Dwane and the kids.

5. Tell us one thing you love and one thing you hate about fall.

Love the crisp air. Hate the first day of school (means I have to get up at 5:30 AM).

Here's our supper menu for this week:

Monday: Swiss Chicken (chicken breasts, topped with Swiss cheese, cream of chicken soup, and stove-top stuffing), Creamed Corn, Green Beans, Apples. Interestingly, I have made Swiss Chicken before, only I called it "Catholic Chicken". I called it that because the recipe came from the St. Bernard's Catholic Church Cookbook that my former boss, Jim, gave me.

Tuesday: Chicken Fried Rice, Edamame (I was supposed to buy frozen Edamame, but I couldn't find it, So we're just skipping this part), Watermelon

Wednesday: Buttermilk Pancakes (from scratch), Bacon, and Cantaloupe.

Thursday: Spaghetti & Meatballs, Garlic Bread (Eben's request)

Friday: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Pringles, Baby Carrots & Dip

Bill's right. Thumbs down on the okra. I just took the frozen package, nuked it, and tossed it with butter, salt, and pepper. Dwane ate one. The rest of us didn't even try it. It was too weird for me. The two tablespoons of water (added before microwaving) formed this stringy syrupy stuff all around it--kind of like a spider web. I wasn't going to put that in my mouth. Dwane liked okra when he had it before, but it had been cut like pepperoni and deep fried. I didn't want to go through the trouble. Doesn't look like okra will be on my shopping list again.

The pot-pie was pretty good though. I made a homemade gravy with chicken breast, frozen mixed veggies (which is reduced by 1/2), and two sliced hard-boiled eggs. The eggs were different, but I think added interest and flavor. Dwane loved it. I thought it was pretty good for pot pie.

I have found a great new website--www.menus4moms.com. I am absolutely addicted to it. Each week, a menu for Monday through Friday is posted, together with the recipes, and even a grocery list. I thought I would list my weekly menus here, just in anyone cares. It gives me another excuse to post, so that maybe I'll keep up with it a little better.

Here are the menus for this week:

Monday - Chicken pot pie, fried okra, apples and cheddar cheese slices. Apparently, you can buy okra all breaded and ready to fry, but I couldn't find it. I just bought a package of plain frozen okra instead. I have no idea what okra tastes like, and I don't know that I'll even try it, but I'll make it so that I can present a "well-balanced meal" to my family.

Tuesday - Pancakes (buttermilk pancakes made from scratch), eggs, and cantaloupe slices. I also bought some watermelon at Caleb's request.

Wednesday - Baked Ham (in the crockpot), homemade macaroni and cheese, sugar snap peas.

Thursday - Grilled pork chops, squash casserole, and green beans. Squash casserole is made with summer squash, carrots, onions, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, pimiento, butter and stuffing mix. (If it didn't have vegetables in, I think I'd like it!)

Friday - Pepperoni pizza, salad, and banana splits.

Sounds pretty good this week!

1. Discounting immediate family and teachers, who had the biggest influence on your life as a child?

I don't know if she had the BIGGEST influence, but Ruth Shive sure had a lot of influence. Ruth was my pastor's wife when I was in grammar school. She always seemed to be so happy, so caring, so willing to help. She played the piano and was the pastor's wife. I wanted to be just like her. (I failed miserably.)

2. Who do you hope to have positively influenced in your life?

Other than the obvious (my children), I'd have to say my former boss. I don't think I'll go into any details.

3. Who was your favorite teacher and what was it about them that made them memorable?

I loved Mr. Borgerson. He was my 5th and 6th grade teacher. He taught me a trick about the 9s multiplication tables by using your fingers. I was nicknamed "Mr. B's Maid" back then, because I loved to stay in at recess and help around the classroom--cleaning, organizing, putting up bulletin boards, washing paintbrushes, whatever. I hated having to go outside to play, and I would do just about anything to stay inside. Too bad I still didn't have that cleaning and organizing bug. I could sure use it! I think he and I had a special bond--kind of like a "mutual admiration society". He used to help me with my Pioneer Club stuff for church, too, something that is probably unheard of nowadays. I also really loved Mrs. Bouchard in 4th grade. We hatched chickens, learned double-multiplication, and she instilled my love for Laura Ingalls Wilder. She was a peach!

4. What was the last book, other than the Bible, that you read that made you sit up and take notice of the world around you/ your own life?

You know, if I have time to read, I usually don't read something that makes me have to "think and take notice". I prefer something that's much easier and requires less brain function. Man, I can't even think of the last book I read. What was it? Oh, I know. It was "Speaking Mom-ese" by Lisa Whelchel. I absolutely love anything by Lisa Whelchel--very fun and lightheard, but still lends itself fairly well to learning something. But as far as "sitting up and taking notice", well, I don't know that I've ever read something like that.

5. Speaking of influences, tell the truth, have you ever driven "under the influence" of anything, a song, a thought, a sermon, refreshment, etc.?

Well, I've never been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, so I haven't driven under that kind of influence. I'm sure that a song has captured my mind many a time while I'm driving, and I know that when I used to drive back and forth to PBMC to see Dad, my thoughts were totally concerned with that.

MI-5 BY AMY:

This is day 12 of me working with no days off. It has me burnt out...I never realized I cherished my weekends so much- until I didn't have my last one. So this is the burnt out edition of the Mi-5!

1. What is the most "burnt out" you have ever been? Why?

I would imagine that I've been burnt out over work many times. I can't think of any one time in particular. My job is very "brain-oriented" and can get very emotional (if you let it). Sometimes it's more than I can take. I especially hate those days where the office calls me 10-15 times a day. It seems that I can get burned out really quickly on those days.

2. Tell us about a humorous time your burned something food related.

Like Bill, I can't really think of anything in particular (although I'm sure Dwane could remind me!). I have definitely overbaked chicken breasts, especially when I'm just trying to keep them warm until Dwane gets home. I think I'm more likely to have something spill over into the oven, and then burn on the bottom of the oven. I try to remember to use a foil-lined cookie sheet under somthing that I suspect might boil over.

3. Ever do a burnout in a car? Why?

I have spun up some dirt a couple of times coming out of my driveway, but I have no idea how I did it. I have never done it on purpose. I don't know how. Dwane has tried to explain it to me, but I guess I just don't have much desire to try it out.

4. Tell us about at time you got sunburned.

I used to get one bad sunburn every summer, from about 18-24 years old. They would hurt some, I guess. Mom or Dad would spray Solarcaine on it and Alice would put on vinegar compresses. Those sunburns never compared with the one Dwane got in Jamaica, though. That was down-right gross! His skin was coming off in globs. He ended up in the ER, and when he followed-up with Dr. Steele, he was told it was the worst sunburn Dr. Steele had ever seen. He even had this icky silver cream to put on it. And, since it was on his back, I had to rub on that cream, and change the dressings, and oh, it was just gross. If he ever does that again (get a burn because he wore NO SUNSCREEN), he's on his own.

5. If you were gonna burn me a mix cd right now...what is one (or three) songs you would put on it? Why?

Well, I just now looked up the lyrics to Kenny Chesney's "Summertime", so I guess I would put that on it. Kenny is actually singing "Cheap shades, and a tattoo". I had no idea what he was saying. Eben thought he was saying "sheep shades", and thought he meant curtains made out of wool. :) Eben and Caleb are both totally into "Me and My Gang" by Rascal Flatts, so let's add that one. (Caleb is so cute singing that one.) What else? Oh maybe "Tonight I Wanna Cry" by that Australian dude. Oh, what is his name. Just married Nicole Kidman. Gonna drive me nuts. Anyway, I got really sad driving by the cemetery tonight, so it seemed appropriate. Keith Urban. Knew it would come to me eventually.