Playing tag again

Miranda tagged me for a Meme. Becky had also recently tagged me, but I'd done something like this already. But this is just a little different, so here I go:

(BTW, I'm having trouble remember what I did yesterday, and you want me to tell you what I did 10 years ago? Ha, ha.)

4 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago:

Okay, let's see--1998...
1. My youngest was 8, so my kids were 16,14,12 and 8 years of age. Mike and I were married 18 years.
2. I think I was working at a grocery store as a cashier. It was my first out-of-home job in years, so I'm not sure if that was the year.
3. My sibs and I and all the grandkids gathered up on my sister's farm in the summer to celebrate my mom's 75th birthday. Mom loves clowns, so all the kids dressed up like clowns and put on make-up for a family photo!
4. I was teaching religion class (CCD--Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, which is Catholic stuff) once a week at St. Francis of Assisi Church.

I really don't remember much about the 90s except raising my kids and being Mike's wife! (And writing, but not to much success)


4 Things I Was Doing 5 Years Ago:

Uhhh...2003. Okay, let me think.

1. That was the last time I sat and had lunch with my agent. She has since retired. She gave my name to the same woman who handles Meg Cabot (of Princess Diaries fame), who said she'd be my agent...then proceeded to ignore my every attempt to contact her. So if I ever publish another book, I'm pretty much on my own. (I'm working on a mystery, but don't hold your breath.)
2. I was taking pictures to feed my scrapbook addiction. A favorite one is of Mike teaching Nicky (now 13 years old) how to make his famous Sunday Sauce! (I'm still taking pictures and still scrapping!)
3. I went by myself to Ohio to visit my mother and we had a wonderful time together. I'm glad I went when I did because...
4. ...I was deathly sick in the second half of 2003 with some kind of stomach problem. Everything I ate made me sick, but even 3 days in the hospital couldn't find out what was wrong. I got the 'you might need to see a shrink' bit (only put in a more technical way). Then I switched doctors, told the new one how I'd lost almost 30 pounds--and he finally found out through an endiscopy that I had tears in my stomach. Tears...like an ulcer. Like what they should have found with their fancy hospital equipment! He put me on Aciphex and within 3 days I was starting to feel normal again. It took a while, but I can pretty much eat anything I want now.* Ask me if I'd like to forget the latter half of 2003...

*BTW, the ulcer was most likely caused by taking a LOT of ibuprofen for chronic back pain. I still have the pain, but I learn to live with it.



4 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. I did a lot of blog-hopping. I'm so addicted it isn't funny. But hey, it's fun, and I learn things. And I figure, if my house is clean, I know what's for dinner and I remember to take a shower once in a while (kidding!), I'm okay.
2. Mike and I had burgers for dinner (the kids were all elsewhere) then went off to Big Lots and Joanne's. I actually resisted buying fabric, except for two remnant pieces that were half price. Got out of there under $30, which is miraculous for me. At Big Lots, Mike bought a kit for a clothesline--woohoo!
3. Worked a little tiny bit on my mystery novel. Probably wrote a page, but I'm not working against a deadline so who cares, right? Writing at my own pace is fun, like when I wrote my first novel 30 years ago.
4. Did a little sewing and a little crochet work, I guess. Mostly I just lazed around because I rarely have a Saturday off ! (I usually work for 4-7.) Oh!!! I planted 2 tomato plants! I only bought two because they were $7 each. I hope that, by starting out with really healthy plants, I'll have better luck with tomatoes this year. I swear I'm the only Long Islander who can't grow them.

4 Shows I Like to Watch:

1. Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Mike walks into the room, sees Vincent D'Onofrio and says, "huh! I see your boyfriend is on TV." I told him he should be happy I find Vincent hot and not some pretty boy. Mike is NOT a pretty boy...but he's sure my type, LOL! (He was awfully cute putting up that clothesline for me today...more on that tomorrow.)

2. Project Runway or Top Chef, depending on which one they are running. I love the creativity, but I can do without the backstage, backstabbing drama. BTW, is anyone else as surprised as I am that Dale went home?

3. Good Eats. Alton Brown is a riot. Michael and I used to watch it together every Wednesday night, but Michael has moved out and there haven't been any new episodes. Or have there? Does anyone know?

4. House--he's such a bad boy, but with a better heart than he'll admit. And Hugh Laurie is so immensely talented it isn't funny. Do you know he was one of the criminals in "101 Dalmations" and the dad in "Stuart Little"? And it always cracks me up when foreigners do "American" accents.


4 Things I Love to Do:

1. Go for rides with my husband. We usually end up in Northport just watching boats in the harbor and people walking by. Sometimes we get an Italian Ice.

2. Cook. I love to cook. I would rather get kitchen toys than jewelry for gifts.

3. Sew/Crochet--great creative outlets.

4. Go out to dinner with my family. It is so rare to get us all together that this is what I request for every special occasion that is mine--like Mother's Day.