Weather and Computers

Weather and computers have one thing in common- they are both unpredictable.

Today I woke up expecting to see the sun. Instead I woke up to a blanket of snow covering everything. What is the deal? On Saturday it was well into the 50's and we were working outside. Sunday it was rainy but still warm, and today there is snow. Ah, spring in NY. It will all melt tomorrow, but still, come on! I was enjoying the warm weather.

Our computer unexpectedly died last Thursday so we brought up our old one from the basement and hooked it up to our monitor. The guy fixing our computer needed the keyboard and our mouse, so we're using the old ones. The keyboard feels really weird and the mouse is so slow it hardly works. But at least we have some back-up.

Some of us are feeling under the weather at our house this week. First Anna got sick and then Emily. They're on the mend now which is good, and I didn't get sick which is even better. Yeah for Charcoal! (That's what my mom makes us take when someone is sick, it seems to be working.)

Have a great Monday everyone! (despite the snow)

Answers Part 8

Nikki asked:

184. Lions or tigers?
Ligers

185. Snow or rain?
Snow

186. Have you seen Fireproof?
Yes

187. How many comments do you have on your blog?
I don't know, you can count them if you want to.

188. Do you have a good voice?
I can carry a tune.

189. How big is your TV?
I'm not sure. The normal size for TV's.

190. Do you watch "the lucy show"?
You mean I Love Lucy? Sometimes.

191. Whats your favorite candy?
Peanut Butter M&Ms

192. Are you a chocolate freak?
I'm not quite a freak, but I do like it.

193. Fav. subject in school?
Don't have one.

194. Least fav. subject in school?
Math

195. Have you ever rode in a 4 wheeler?
Yes

196. Have you ever drove one?
Way too many times. Not for fun, for chores.

197. Do you play any instruments?
Piano slightly, and violin a long time ago.

198. What are the color on your bedroom wall?
Green

299. Do you like camping?
Yeah

200. Do mosquitoes like you?
Yes. But it's a one-way relationship.

201. What color is your bedroom carpet?
Mostly gray with other colors in it.

202. Can you paint?
I can and I do.

203. Can you draw?
Yup

204. Have you ever won any contests?
I won a small photography contest once.

205. What is an approximate time that you go to bed every night?
10 on school days

206. Do you know what the answer is to this riddle? Two coins equal to 25 cents, and one of them is not a nickel, how is this possible?
Nope.

207. Do you play cards?
Who doesn't?

208. Whats your fav. kind of tree?
Family trees are pretty cool.

Answers Part 7

Olivia Joy asked:

140. What is your funniest memory of you and Em and I hanging out?
You ask too much. Just one memory? I guess I'll say when your whole family spent the night at our house and us 3 all slept in the same bed reading that comic book until the wee hours of the morning. I'm pretty sure we weren't supposed to either. :)

141. What would you prefer a date with Brad Pitt or Adam Sandler?
I'll go with option C. (there's always and option C)

Melanie asked:

142. Do you think American Idol is awesome?
Not really.

143. What is your fav season of the year?
I can't decide.

144. What is your fav computer game?
I don't really play computer games. But I used to play solitaire all the time.

145. Do you like circles or squares better?
Squares

146. Can you write your name pretty with your Left hand?
Um, no. I can't write anything pretty with my left hand.

147. Have you ever wished you were some animal?
Yeah, I used to want to be a bald eagle. I could fly, and it's illegal to kill me!

148. Have you ever tried to fly?
Probably.

149. Have you ever tried to fix a car?
No

150. Have you ever been bucked of your horse?
Yup

151. Have you ever wanted to be President?
Never. I couldn't handle it.

152. Do you hope to have more then 5 kids?
I don't really care how many kids I have, if I have any.

153. What is your fav actress?
Gwyneth Peltrow's pretty amazing.

154. Why is she your fav actress?
Because she's amazing.

155. Who is your fav actor?
I don't have one.

156. Why is he your fav actor?
He's not.

157. Do you like the snow?
I like the snow.

158. Do you like the rain?
When I can sing in it.

159. Do you love when there are HUGE thunderstorms?
Not exactly.

160. Have you ever slept underneath the stars?
Yes

161. Have you ever stayed up all night?
Yes

162. What do you look for in a guy?
Sweet skills. Like bow staff fighting skills, numchuck skills...

163. Do you want him to be serious, or super funny?
I want him to be angry and sullen.

164. Would you rather live in the south or up north?
In the middle or more North

165. If you lived in the Arctic would you rather be a Penguin or a Polar bear?
Most definitely a penguin. Penguins are awesome.

Natalie asked:

166. Who's your favorite American Idol contestant ever?
I don't really watch American Idol.

167. Do you like hedgehogs?
Nope.

168. How much TV do you watch?
It depends. My Dad's been watching tons of March Madness games lately, football when that's in season, news sometimes, and So You Think You Can Dance when that's going. And sometimes we watch old movies on there.

169. Favorite type of music?
I never know what to say when people ask me this question. I like variety. If I listen to just one genre for too long, then I get sick of it. Mostly everything except for country, heavy metal, and southern gospel.

170. Do you like caramel corn?
Yes

171. What about cotton candy?
I've only tried it once and it was really gross.

172. White, milk, or dark chocolate?
Dark chocolate

173. Favorite fruit?
Grapes

174. Furthest place you've traveled to?
California

175. What brand of makeup do you like to use most?
Mary Kay

176. Fiction or non-fiction?
Usually fiction, but I do like some non-fiction.

177. Are books by Charles Dickens boring or interesting to you?
They are sometimes hard to read and I have no idea what on earth he's talking about. But then there are parts that are really interesting, so it's a mix.

178. Are you on Facebook?
Negative

180. What's the first CD you ever bought?
Mary Mary's Thankful CD. I just bought it a couple months ago for my sister. We have tons of songs on iTunes that I use and I just usually make mix CDs if I want a CD.

181. What background are you...as in: Irish, French, etc.?
Mostly Irish with some German. Probably other things, but those are the dominant ones.

182. Item of jewelry you like best: earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings?
Earrings

183. E-mail or snail mail?
E-mail

Answers Part 6

Melanie asked:

94. What is your favorite day of the year, and why?
October 13th. It's my BIRTHDAY!!!

95. If you could be any color crayon what color would it be?
Puke green

96. If you could have any Super Hero power what would it be?
Breathing under water

97. When you live on your own what will you do first? lol
Brush my teeth. Don't ask why.

98. What is one thing you wish you could change about yourself?
I would love some meat on my bones actually.

----------------------------

Nikki asked:

99. Mcdonalds or Burger King?
Nah.

100. Do you like the Wii?
I've only ever played once, and I lost horribly. So, not quite sure.

101. Do you have motion sickness?
Only if I read for too long in the car, otherwise no.

102. Do you like snow or grass?
I like snow in the winter and grass in the summer.

103. Do you know how to swim?
Enough to stay afloat.

104. Do you like bugs?
Excuse me? Is that even a question? That would be a resounding NO.

105. What would be a boys name that you would like to name your boy?
Napoleon Dynamite... Okay, maybe not. I really have no idea.

106. What about a girl?
I really like the name Abigail, but I already know someone with that name. Too bad.

107. Whats your middle name?
Jean

108. What would be your fav. sport to watch?
Football

109. What would be your fav. sport to play?
Volleyball

110. What's your fav. Bible story?
Esther. I'm reading it right now. It's the best Bible story EVER!

111. Whats the best pic. you've taken?(download it on the blog and explain it)
It's hard to say, but I do like this one:
It's a hosta leaf with a water droplet on it. I took it last year for a contest.

112. Whats your fav. holiday??
Christmas

113. When's your Birthday?
October 13th... Did I just say this? :P

114. Have you ever played the game Mad Gab??
I think so

115. Do you like mysteries?
As in books? Not if it's a "mystery" book series, they get old after a while.

116. Have you ever been to Chicago?
No.

117. Have you ever played ultimate frisbee?
Yes, if you count running up and down a field fifty times as playing. I'm so bad because I never play that when I do play no one passes the frisbee to me. Good for the lungs though.

118. How about capture the flag?
Not in a really, really long time.

119. Do you like mushroom pizza?
Not such a fan.

120. Do you have your own E-mail address?
Nope.

121. How old do you have to be before you get a cell phone?(It is 16 for us)
It's not really an age. Usually when we start driving more and need one, and being able to pay the bills helps too.

122. Do you keep a diary?
Yup.

123. Is the winner of the contest having to pay for shipping or not?
No, I'm paying.

124. What's your area code like before you punch in your phone#?
You'll have to ask my secretary. I don't keep track of such things.

125. Do you like Mexican?
If it isn't too hot.

126. How about Chinese?
Yes, but I can't eat it more than once every couple months or else I get sick of it.

127. Whats your favorite type of bird?
Blue herons are pretty sweet.

128. Do you like prairie dogs?
Um, no.

129. Have you ever been to a zoo?
My life is a zoo. But yes, I have.

130. Whats the most interesting museum you've been to and where was it located?
Creation Museum in Kentucky.

131. Your fav. month?
The one I'm in at the time.

132. Do you like Olive Garden?
Most definitely.

133. Do you watch the biggest loser on TV every Tuesday night?
Well I didn't watch it this Tuesday, didn't watch it last Tuesday, or the Tuesday before...come to think of it, I don't even watch it!

134. How big approximately is your back yard?
About 100 acres. But it's not really our 'yard' it's just woods and stuff.

135. What's your fav. style car?
I like old ones that look cool. As in 50's cars.

136. Do you have your permit or license?
No, I'm studying for my written test right now.

137. What would be your fav. word?
Peeve.

138. How many remotes do you have to your TV?
Way too many. I think 5. I'm sure we could consolidate them, we just haven't.

139. How long have you had a blog?
A year.

I'll answer the rest of everyone's questions in a different post. And if someone asks a question already asked by someone, I just won't answer it. One more week!

Answers Part 5

Natalie asked:

77. Do you like ice skating?
If I have ice skates that fit, otherwise it is a painful experience. I've only gone once this year.

78. Ever been rappelling or rock climbing?
Neither, which is sad. I would love to go rapelling.

79. Do you know how to knit?
Yes, but only the basics. And then I usually get so frustrated with dropping stitches that I take the whole thing out and wait a couple years to try again. :)

80. How do you feel about country music?
I feel rather ill.

81. What color is your cell phone (if you have one)?
A sort of invisible color that's hard to see. In other words, I don't have one.

82. Favorite pair of shoes?
Roxy flats that are blue/white plaid.

83. Glasses or contacts (supposing you needed them)?
Neither.

84. How many animals do you have?
3 horses and 2 dogs.

85. Can you read words that are backwards? or upside down?
Yes, but not super fast.

86. PC or Mac? ;)
We have a PC, but Vista is horrible and that's what we have right now.

87. Do you like olives?
Only very rarely.

88. What about mushrooms?
If you asked me a year ago I would have said I felt like hurling...but I'm trying to get over my prejudice. I don't mind them when they are mixed in with other things, but it depends on how they're served.

89. What food item will you never ever eat?
A spider. Sorry, I'll starve first.

90. Have you eaten sushi?
No.

91. Have you been homeschooled your whole life?
Yup.

92. Would you homeschool your kids?
Probably.

93. Have you ridden a roller coaster?
YES!!!

Answers Part 4

Nikki asked:

24. What made you decide what to do for a prize?
I walked through the mall with my eyes peeled.

25. What's your favorite color?
Lime green

26. What is your fav. food?
Manicotti

27. Do you like soda?
On occasion, which is good, because we never buy it!

28. Do you do my Coke rewards?
Nope.

29. Have you ever been to Mexico?
Noodle.

30. What's your fav. pizza?
Pineapple

31. Who's your fav. singing group?
TobyMac

32. How any posts have you done on your blog?
257

33. Do you like answering peoples Q.?
Indeed I do.

34. How long have you been a Christian?
10 years or so. I think I was 6.

35. What would be your fav. motel you've stayed in?
The Hyatt Place. It is so nice! And I got an awesome pen from there that is my favorite. Ha! It actually just ran out of ink yesterday. It was REALLY sad. But that's not really why I like the Hyatt Place, it was great without the pen... :D

36. Are you left or right handed?
Right

37. What's your fav. flower?
The Amaryllis.

38. Ibuprofen or Tylenol?
Tylenol.

39. Warm or hot weather?
Warm, I don't like getting heat stroke.

40. Do you have your ears pierced?
Yep.

41. Pens or pencils?
Pens. Pens with black ink that don't blot, don't smudge, and don't skip. I'm still bemoaning my Hyatt pen. *sniff*

42. Are you a morning or night person?
Not really either. I like the day actually.

43. Are you afraid of heights?
Not really, but I've never been on anything super high.

44. What's your "Lucky Numbers"?
All of them.

45. Do you like playing games?
Yes! My mom and I are the game players of the family and drag everyone else into playing them at every opportunity. *evil laugh*

46. Do you like writing stories?
Mostly. But when I have to write a story for say, school, then my mind blanks and I just stare at the monitor for hours not knowing what to write. Then I don't like it so much.

47. What color shirt are you wearing right now?
Off white, trimmed in a kind of white...with wooden toggles.

48. Whats your fav. time of the day?
3:57pm

49. Do you like sushi?
Never tried, but don't want to. It grosses me out of my socks.

50. Lipstick, Chapstick,or lip gloss?
CHAPSTICK BABY!!! It is my closest friend.

51. Do you like water?
Water=Life...I like water.

52. Would you go deep sea fishing?
Only if someone threatened me with a machete. Then I'd go. Otherwise, probably not.

53. What do you collect?
Dust particles.

54. What is your fav animal?
The Liger. It's basically my favorite animal.

55. What is your fav. bible verse?
I already answered this question, scroll down to see.

56. How many states have you been in?
A lot of them, I never really counted.

57. Do you like reading?
Absolutely.

58. Would you rather, write a letter or talk on the phone?
It matters to whom.

59. What is your fav. football team?
Indy Colts

60. What is your fav. soccer team?
I never watch soccer.

61. What is your fav. baseball team?
Don't have one.

62. Do you like lacrosse?
If I'm at a lacrosse game then yes, but I never watch it on TV or anything.

63. Do you like game shows?
Not really.

64. Do you watch TV land?
Occasionally.

65. What is your fav. season?
I like them all, there is no partiality in my heart.

66. Do you like jelly beans?
I think so, but I haven't eaten any in forever.

67. Do you like to cook?
I don't love it, but I don't mind it either.

68. Can you cook?
Um, ask my family. :)

69. Do you like Avon?
Never use it.

70. How many blogging buddies?
Well, there are 12 people on my sidebar if that's what you mean.

71. Short or long hair?
It matters on who.

72. What color are your eyes?
Blue

73. Have you been to New York, New York?
Only twice.

74. What movie is this song on: "Ding dong the witch is dead, the wicked witch the wicked witch"?
I assume the Wizard of Oz. I only saw part of it once.

75. Do you like Fettuccine?
I love it.


Naty-bat asked:

76. What is your favorite vacuum cleaner attachment?
Now that you ask...the fuzzy one that cleans trim. It's always been dear to my heart.

Answers Part 3

Melanie asked:

16. What was your fav past time when you were a kid?
Climbing trees. That's all we would do after school was climb this one tree in our yard and make weird movies in it. We even carved our names (Emily, Anna, and mine) into it and the year. :D

17. What is your first memory of your awesome life?
I think I was 2 and me and Emily were walking down our driveway to where the garage was and Dad was sawing a board. I don't know why that's my first memory because nothing eventful happened, but it is!

Banana Boots asked:

18. If you were a secret agent what would your code name be?
Stiletto

19. Why is your blog called THE ABBS?
Because I am THE ABBS. Someone gave me the nickname years ago and it stuck. :)

20. If you could go back in time what time era would you go back to and why?
Oh boy. Maybe the 1950's. Because of the clothes and the music.

21. Name one person you would die for.
Banana Boots.

22. Did you ever want to be in a TV show?
Of course!

23. If you could do anything in the whole world what would it be?
Give people new and improved brains. It's all the rage in Veggie-Beet Magazine!

Answers Part 2

Olivia asked:

4. What is your favorite popsicle flavor?
I think strawberry, but it's been so long...

5. What is your shoe size?
5-5 1/2

6. Have you ever wanted to go to the moon?
I actually have. I used to want to be an astronaut, but I'm kind of over that. It would be amazing to be in space, but kind of scary too.

7. Have you ever been on a Snipe hunt?
No. I hope I never will. :)

8. Have you lived in NY all of your life?
Mostly. I lived in Texas for a couple months when I was little, but then we moved back here.

9. Do you want to live somewhere else when you grow up?
Most definitely. I do hope that I live somewhere where there is four seasons though, I love them all.

10. What is your favorite day of the week and why?
Right now it's Friday because that's when we have play practice. But is was Monday when we had ski club.

11. What's your favorite Bible verse and favorite book of the Bible?
I guess I'll say the one I have up on my header, although it's really hard to pick a favorite. As for a book of the Bible, I think 1 Peter is really good. It's very practical.

Naty-bat asked:

12. What brand of toothpaste will you have when you are in your own house?
Something minty, fresh, and teeth-whitening by Crest...that tastes good. :)

13. Have you ever capsized a canoe and how did it end if you did?
Sorry, no amazing story here. I've only ever capsized a paddle boat. And that wasn't really my fault, 6 people were sitting on the front and I happened to be the last one to jump. It nearly killed me. That would have been sad.

14. If you had to live somewhere other than your house for a year, where would it be?
I'll say the countryside of Ireland. I would love to go there.

15. Can you whistle through your teeth?
No, it is the bane of my life.

Answers Part 1

Naty-bat asked:

1. What piece of advise do you most regret giving?
Probably when there was a big group of people and we were trying to decide what movie to watch. I picked the worst one on accident and definitely regret seeing it. It was really dumb.

2. What foot do you kick a soccer ball with?
My right foot.

Natalie asked:

3. What kind of camera do you have? Well, I don't own a camera, but I use my Dad's Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W120.

Spring Crocuses

Contest and Giveaway

The time is come, the time is now...
Introducing my first ever GIVEAWAY!!! *wild cheering*
But I'm not just going to give away an awesome gift, I'm going to host a contest. Yes, you have to work for this one. The contest is called the "Ask Me Anything" contest and I'll tell you how it works:

• You ask me questions.
• I answer them.
• Each question you ask enters you into the contest, so the more questions, the better your chances are of winning.
• On April 3rd (2 weeks away), the winner will be picked using Random.org.

This is what you will win: A black fedora and a fun, ruffly scarf to match!

And just so you can see what they look like on someone, here is my lovely sister Anna to model it for you:

Just post your questions in the comments box and I will answer them in posts. Anyone can join in on the fun, and no question is too far fetched. I can't wait to see what some of you will come up with, sort of scary. :)

So, question away!

My Blogaversary!

A year ago today this blog was started. I can't believe it's been a whole year! It started out as a joint blog between my two sisters and I, but dwindled down to just me as I was the only one who actually posted anything! And then I changed the name to The Abbs instead of Counter-Clockwise. It's been quite fun posting on here and meeting new people. Thank you to everyone who has left me comments in the past year, you are what keeps me going!What better way to celebrate one year of blogging than by having a giveaway? Check back tomorrow to see what the prize will be!

What a Green day

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone! Emily, Anna, and I celebrated the day by hitting the slopes. It was even warmer today that yesterday. Anna and Emily looking very...exuberant?

I felt very patriotic with my green hat and green neckless.

My sweet skis.

I love the view here on top of Fields, it's awesome.

Me and Anna. We really didn't need goggles, we needed sunglasses!

Bad things happen when Anna and I ride up the lift together, as you can see.

We had a great time.

Tonight we're having corned beef and cabbage, that will be a first for me. But it's so amazingly Irish!

Lift Ride Happiness

Today we went skiing (surprise!) even though there isn't any snow at our house. The snow was slushy and a little icy in spots, but not bad considering that it's been rainy and warm for the past two weeks. The skiing was less than superb, but the lift rides were amazing! It was so warm out (we only wore sweatshirts), there was hardly anyone there, and we were all rocking out to our music.
And dancing down the hill.
On skis.
You should try it sometime.

So many aunts

Zoe has 6 aunts and no uncles. Michelle only has one sister, and Ted has five.
Here's a picture we took when they were here earlier this month. I meant to post this a long time ago, but never did.

Not Quite Yet

Spring is in the air, but don't be fooled. Today we were out shopping and such and it was warm, breezy, and felt like spring had come. I enjoyed it for what it's worth, but I'm not fooled by the warm weather. It's supposed to snow tomorrow! I love spring, but I'm not quite ready for winter to be over. The reason being because we get to go any time at GP after March 15th, and I want to use my pass as much as possible. At least once more! All this rain, wind, and warm weather has chased most of the snow away, so I'm hoping for one more good snowfall to ski on one last time.

And then I will be totally ready for spring! We'll see what the Weather Man thinks of my brilliant plan...

Poor Richard's Almanac

If you would not be forgotten
As soon as you are dead and rotten,
Either write things worth reading
Or do things worth writing.

Ah, to be well...

I never realize how nice it is to be healthy until I am sick. That was me yesterday. This is what I'm thankful for today:

• The taste of food.
• Being able to take a hot shower.
• Walking up the stairs without losing all my energy.
• The smell of fresh air.

So simple, yet so sweet.

Unpolished

A prayer unpolished
Rugged and deep
Is cried out loud
She feels so weak,
Words seem futile
There's more to say
She cannot stop now
She has a part to play,
Are the mountains moving?
Is the sky clearing?
She can only wonder
Yet the time is nearing,
Beyond the divide
In the invisible world
The angels stand ready
With wings unfurled,
Swords are drawn
They are ready to fight
They can feel her prayers
And time is right,
The signal sounds
And the battle is begun
The demons for their prince
And the angels for the Son.

Breaking News

Today I went to the dentist.
He told me something lovely.
He told me I was getting my braces off next time.
Next time is April 8th.

I am siked. :D

A Haiku

Coldest of Winter
Huddled around the warm fire
Waiting for Summer

*****

(This isn't what I'm feeling like at all, I just had to write a haiku for school. Bring on the snow!)

Open House

We had an open house on Sunday so people could come and meet Ted's wife and baby. Michelle and Ted ready to meet lots of relatives, friends, and acquaintances.

Aunt Patti, Aunt Connie, and Mom with Zoe.

Laura, Emily, and Jessica.

Sarah hogged the baby for a good chunk of the time. :)

Anneke, Michelle, and Anna all in one chair.

Meeting baby Zoe.

Natalie, me, Judah, and Michelle. We had very interesting conversations... :D

Somehow Jordan ended up with the baby.

And then the gift opening began. They got TONS of clothes! And I'm pretty sure that all of them were either, pink, brown, or green.

Natalie with Zoe.

Zoe looks a little bit worried. Anneke looks slightly amused.

At Greek Peak

This Monday was FREEZING!!! We would take a couple runs and then thaw out inside for an hour, and then go back out. Michelle, me, and Laura. We brought cards and were playing Go Fish. And they were eating fruit twists.

Anna and Natalie.

Ted was teaching Michelle how to snowboard. It was a really awful day to learn. The snow was so hard, a little icy, and it was very cold. But they enjoyed themselves, which is good.

Aren't they cute? :D
--------------------------------------
As Natalie so pointed out, I forgot the most important thing about yesterday! We went on a mission. What is this mission you may ask? To distribute molasses cookies to the frost-bitten lift attendants. We only had four cookies, so we gave them to our favorite life people. We don't know their names, but we gave them our own. First off was Pirate Man. Next was Sullen Man, whom we got to smile. Then Harley Dude at the top of lift 4. And finally Frosty. I'm sure they thought we were quite strange, but we had fun anyway! :D Mission accomplished.