RAnndomized

Happy Sunday, everyone! I'm sad that the weekend is over, but it's a light week for me, so I'm welcoming it with open arms (and an incredibly neglected home...on second thought, this week won't be so light...)!

I would like to introduce you all to our newest Date of the Week! It's Ann, author of "RAnndomized"! Here's what Ann has to say about her blog:

RAnndomized

I am an avid writer and a student of life. I currently live in Montreal where I am forced to work a day job (alas, one must make a living while working toward becoming famous!). I have a great big love of books, music, photography and of course, writing. Besides the aforementioned, some of my favorite things are (in no particular order) : my life, traveling, yoga, working out, living a healthy lifestyle, my family, my dog, my true friends, thunderstorms, great food, road trips, and discovering new variations of all of the above. I’m quirky, I fly-by-the-seat of my pants and I love change.

And here is my "interview" with Ann:

What has been the greatest moment of your life so far?

This may sound silly, but one of the greatest moments of my life has to be the very first time that I saw U2 live from the front row. I am a die-hard U2 fan and never miss a show - and I'll travel to see them! Back in 2001, I had General Admission tickets (GA) for the show, which meant that my friends and I were going to line up very, very early on the day of the show (think 5 a.m.). Why, you ask? Well, GA ticket holders had the chance at getting into the heart-shaped stage area if they were among the first 300 people to get onto the floor, and at the time, that's where everyone wanted to be. After about 13-14 hours in line. the venue people started letting people in - once my ticket was scanned, I ran like I'd never run before, straight through the arena and down onto the floor, briefly paused to see where the entrance to the Heart was and sprinted over there. Of course, security was at the entrance and I came to a very abrupt stop, internally praying "please let me in, please let me in!" And... I was in! After a few minutes, my friends came running in and we jumped up and down screaming like mental cases. I had a spot on the front rail, and ended up with Bono's guitar pick courtesy of the man himself. What a night!

If you had to choose one material possession that you could NOT live without, what would it be?

I hate to say it, but it would have to be my Macbook. As much as I dislike being connected so much of the time, I don't think I could live without my 'portal' or 'hub.' Having a laptop means that I have access to pretty much anything, anywhere, anytime, including my iTunes - being a fan of music, this is of the utmost importance :-) And of course, I need my laptop if I'm going to write blog posts ;-)

What was the best job you’ve ever had?

When I was 17, I was hell-bent on getting hired on at a local photography shop; being an amateur photographer, I loved looking at, and taking photos, so what better place to learn more about photography? My goal was to go in as a clerk but sneak my way into the position of lab technician, which I did just a few months after landing the job. I eventually became lab manager and loved it. I'm visual and hands on, so overseeing the developing and printing process was awesome! I ended up staying there for seven years, and the job paid my way through CEGEP (your equivalent of college) and university! One of my favorite things about that job, was seeing peoples' photos - particularly their travel photos. Of course, I also got to see a lot of inappropriate pics too - for some reason, people assume no one sees their photos but them. I've got news them - if you're printing from 35mm, your photos pass through a few sets of hands (and eyeballs!), so those porn shots end up being the butt (no pun intended) of several jokes. Ever wonder why the store clerk was so very eager to show you your photos before leaving the store? (The look of sheer horror on a client's face, as you're about to pull their photos out of the envelope truly is priceless). OK, maybe I'm a little bit evil :-D

Oh my word...Bono's guitar pick?!!! What an experience!

Here are Ann's three favorite posts from "RAnndomized":

Commuter Etiquette 101...I LOVE Ann's humor and this post had me (a non-commuter) giggling through the whole thing! Are you a "Leaner"? A Lounger? A Loud Talker? Check it out!!

La vita è bella: In Memory of...Read this through tears. Ann shares her wonderful memories of her grandmother, her "Nonna", with us. A heartwarming, heartfelt post...LOVE!

Ditch that Negativity, Yo!...Positivity vs. Negativity. Where do you choose to fall? Loved this post about surrounding yourself with positivity...and then watch how your attitude changes!

Alright guys, you know what to do now!! Head on over to "RAnndomized" to pay Ann a visit...and tell her Mama sent you!

A Chocolate Bouquet!

Sigh. Know what I hate about the new "Date of the Week" posts?

It means the weekend is over! Boo!!

But, at least we can look forward to meeting a new "Date", right?! Well, this week, I would like to introduce you to Josanne, from "A Chocolate Bouquet"!

Here is what Josanne has to say about her blog:

A Chocolate Bouquet

My blog is a diabetic COMA waiting to happen, or in other words, chocolate candy crafts, and humorous personal stories.

Enjoy the following "interview" with Josanne!! (I particularly enjoyed the teenager answer!)

Tell us about your family.

We are a family of 5, the kiddos being 21, 16 and 12. We also have two kitties-our third kitty, who was actually the first, has never been found, even tho she escaped a fire that claimed our house two years ago. SHE was MY baby!

I am mainly a homemaker, but I sell on ebay and clean houses a few times a month. I also blog at www.achocolatebouquet.blogspot.com, and have my own website www.achocolatebouquet.com.

My hubby is semi-employed since an accident that happened a month and four days after the house burned down. He's got one of the best personalities of anyone I've ever met! Very funny, very patient, and VERY handsome! =P He is also a helping preacher in our church.

My 21 year old daughter just got herself a fantastic, high quality camera, and is a professional photographer in the makings! She has had a knack and an eye for good photos for years, but now is getting the equipment to turn it into a career! She won't be working at a fast food restaurant for too much longer, I don't think!

My 16 year old is in cyber high school, and she shows interest in the missions field. She has a great desire to help those who cannot always help themselves. She's also my mega-talker. She started saying full sentences at two years old, and hasn't stopped talking since!

My 12 year old is also in cyber school, and beside school, that young man is a worker! He has gone out and found his own work in the summer, mowing lawns, and has gone out to shovel snow as well. I think he's going to end up with his own lawn service in a few years. =)

When you were a teenager, what was the worst trouble you got into?

Does it count if I never got caught?

Actually, I was very afraid of getting in trouble growing up! Not that I was perfect, but I didn't do much!

But one thing I did do was with my neighbor friend, Tim. We grew up together, one house in between us, and we were good friends-never boyfriend and girlfriend. One night, we were bored, and late in the night, when everyone was in bed, we snuck out of our houses and hung out. We decided to "borrow" his brother's car (I was about 15, and he was probably 17 or 18, so knew how to drive). He coasted the car until it got onto the road, and a little past his house, and then started it, and I then joined him. We drove around for a little bit, and returned the car, eventually with both of us going home before it got light out. What was comical to us about the whole thing was, when Tim returned the car, he didn't back it in like his brother had it-he just pulled it in forward. But his brother never noticed! We didn't do anything bad, but we also never got found out!

What one material item could you not live without?

Nose spray! Oh, my computer was a very close second, but honestly, my allergies have gotten so bad, I get panicky if I can't find the nose spray! My doctor put me on two meds for the allergies, and my nose spray usage has gone down, but I have several bottles of the stuff all over the house. I know it's not good for you, and that you can get addicted. I've always responded that I'm not addicted to nose spray-I'm addicted to breathing!

And, finally, here are Josanne's favorite posts from "A Chocolate Bouquet"!

Sweet Revenge...OMG!! Redneck Lawnmowing. You HAVE to see this!

The Shopping Cart Story...A good deed, gone hilariously wrong!! (Still giggling...)

A Trashy Romance Story...Ha!! This is too cute...and what a patient husband Josanne has!!

And that, my friends, is Josanne! You know the drill...head on over to "A Chocolate Bouquet" and tell Josanne that Mama sent you!