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A - Accent: Yes, you all talk funny.

B - Breakfast: Weekdays - poptart, weekend bacon and eggs (Damn the cholesterol and full speed ahead)

C - Chore you hate: Raking leaves. Note: when possible, determine this before buying a quarter acre with 25 trees. Did I mention they're all different species? "Fall" effectively runs from labor day to christmas. Ugh.

D - Dad's Name: Jay Alexander

E - Essential everyday item: C8H10N4O2.

F - Flavour ice cream: Southern Lemon Pie

G - Gold or Silver?: Titanium or Niobium

H - Hometown: 5 miles outside of a small town (pop. 8000) in the middle of freaking nowhere.

I - Insomnia: Off to an awesome start; one full night of sleep so far this year. And that's with Lunestra.:-(

J - Job Title: Senior software enginner

K - Kids: Yes please. Can I have the gravy on the side?.

L - Living arrangements: Lovely house on a wood lot where the freaking leaves fall. 2 adults (Devon & Krystaleve), 1 sulky 17-year old (Brandon), 3 dogs (Rikki - black lab/golden retriever/border collie mix {Yes, that's one dog. She just moves so fast that she looks like 3}, Kokuma - Shiba Inu, Rusty - Siberian Husky {we're fostering him for his family who've just mooved here from GA).

M - Mom's birthplace: Long GuyLand - Sooo very glad I never got that accent.

N - Number of significant others you've ever had: 2.

O - Overnight hospital stays: 1.

P - Phobia: Socialising and public speaking. I'm actually fantastic at both, I just detest doing it.

Q - Queer?: I hadn't thought of it until you asked, but you all do seem just a bit odd.

R - Religious Affiliation: Unitarian Universalist.

R - Religious Practice: Zen+Daoism+Wiccan+Shamanism.

S - Siblings: One, deceased.

T - Time you wake up: The alarm is set for 0615. Unfortunately, I generally wake up sometime between 0230 and 0610.

U - Unnatural hair colours you've worn: snow white and shaved bald

V - Vegetable you refuse to eat: Brocolli, asparagus, brussel sprouts - anything that smells like that cannot possibly be edible.

W - Worst habit: Carrying dog treats in my pocket. I've lost more pants and sweaters that way.

X - X-rays you've had: Hand, shoulder, spine, skull.

X2 - Broken bones: Left foot and T8 vertebra.

Y - Yummy: Home made chineese food. Especially, hot and sour soup, chengdu ji, and jiangbao ji ding.

Z - Zodiac sign: Cancer.

Poor Bethanie is camping out in a shopping mall while she waits for electricity to be restored after an ice storm. Meanwhile, some 600 miles north, we had some rain and now it's sunny and warm. Yes, after a few sub-20 days, mid forties is considered warm. We lost power in last week's storm, but only because a plow driver turned too sharply and took out a pole. The driver gets extra points for also taking out the cable and phone lines. A regular trifecta.

We're going with a table top tree this year because of overly exhuberant tails. My wife (Krystal) got a new service dog (Rikki) just last month. As Rikki's just turned 18 months, she's still very much a puppy. (Poor Kokuma, my 3-year old Shiba Inu, can't keep up with her.) So, the tree needed to be above tail level.

Prompted by KshGoddess's tale of a southern girl preparing for a Colorado winter. Credit goes to BBSpot for the list.

11. In space there are no seasons.
10. Switches over to his cold weather Linux distro.
9. Hastens plans to complete weather control device.
8. Apply for that job at the call center in steamy Bangalore.
7. Put computer outside for extra cooling.
6. Stores his nuts in an old AT form factor case.
5. Increases caffeine intake to stave off hibernation instinct.
4. Turns up monitor brightness to avoid winter depression.
3. Apply an extra layer of tin foil on the basement walls.
2. McGyver a solar heater out of AOL CDs and a cpu water cooling kit to cut down on heating costs.
1. Dresses in layers of t-shirts to fight the cold.

( ) smoked a cigarette Ugh
(x) crashed a friend's car Nah, <sigh>, just my own
( ) stolen a car
(x) been in love
(x) been dumped
( ) shoplifted - Ah, misspent youth
(x) been fired - Does laid off count? Been laid off twice, never actually fired
(x) been in a fist fight - As a 6'2", large bodied introvert I was every bully's preferred punching bag
(x) snuck out of your parent's house - All too often
(x) had feelings for someone who didn't have them back - Hasn't everyone?
( ) been arrested - I'll take the 5th
( ) gone on a blind date
(x) lied to a friend
(x) skipped school
( ) seen someone die
( ) had a crush on one of your internet friends
(x) been to Canada - Vancouver, BC - Stanley park is cool (temperate rain forest, lotsa big honkin trees).
( ) been to Mexico
(x) been on a plane
(x) purposely set a part of yourself on fire - I'm with TL on this, Bacardi 151: the only way to burn
(x) eaten sushi - Yum!
( ) been skiing - Always wanted to, though
(x) met someone from the internet
(x) been at a concert
(x) taken painkillers - Oxycontin (Beware! Evil!) - How does anyone get addicted to this crap?
(x) love someone or miss someone right now
(x) laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by
(x) made a snow angel
( ) had a tea party
(x) flown a kite - Not in a while, despite many people telling me to
(x) built a sand castle
(x) gone puddle jumping
( ) played dress up
(x) jumped into a pile of leaves - Note: Always check for hidden fire hydrants first
(x) gone sledding
(x) cheated while playing a game
(x) been lonely
(x) fallen asleep at work/school
( ) used a fake ID - At 18 people thought I was 25. I've never been carded.
(x) watched the sun set
(x) felt an earthquake - Also had my world rocked, but that's a different question
(x) slept beneath the stars
(x) been tickled
( ) been robbed - Heh, when wearing my trench coat, I've had burly biker type cross the street to avoid me
(x) been misunderstood - Almost constantly
(x) petted a reindeer/kangaroo -
(x) won a contest -
(x) run a red light/stop sign -
( ) been suspended from school
(x) been in a car crash - Close to a dozen times, but only 2 were my fault
(x) had braces
(x) felt like an outcast/third person - Is "third person" like being beside yourself x2?
(x) eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
( ) had deja vu - Nope, never
( ) had deja vu - Nope, never
( ) had deja vu - Nope, never
(x) danced in the moonlight -
(x) liked the way you looked -
( ) witnessed a crime -
(x) questioned your heart -
( ) been obsessed with post-it notes -
(x) squished barefoot through the mud
(x) been lost
(x) been on the opposite side of the country
(x) swam in the ocean -
(x) felt like dying
(x) cried yourself to sleep
( ) played cops and robbers
(x) recently colored -
( ) sung karaoke -
(x) paid for a meal with only coins - Sacajawea dollars
(x) done something you told yourself you wouldn't do
(x) made prank phone calls - the evil of conference call. Mute the speaker and create a conference call between all the local Taco Bells.
(x) laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) danced in the rain
(x) written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(x) blown bubbles
( ) made a bonfire on the beach
( ) crashed a party
( ) gone rollerskating
( ) had a wish come true
( ) jumped off a bridge
( ) ate dog/cat food
( ) told a complete stranger you loved them
( ) kissed a mirror
(x) sang in the shower
(x) had a dream that you married someone
(x) glued your hand to something
( ) kissed a fish -
(x) sat on a roof top -
( ) drank on a rooftop!
(x) screamed at the top of your lungs
( ) done a one-handed cartwheel - Hmm, 230 lbs balanced on my wrists? I'll pass
( ) talked on the phone for more than 5 hours
(x) stayed up all night - Often, usually not on purpose
( ) picked and ate an apple right off the tree
( ) climbed a tree
( ) had a tree house
( ) scared to watch a scary movie alone - I've watched The Ring and I just didn't find it that scary. I have a friend who can't bring himself to watch it. I don't get it.
(x) believe in ghosts - BOO!
( ) have more than 30 pairs of shoes - Do I look like Imelda?
(x) worn a really ugly outfit to school - Ah, mothers. And that's why I let my son choose his own clothes.
(x) gone streaking
( ) gone doorbell ditching
( ) played gay chicken - Ok, never heard of this one
(x) pushed into a pool/hot tub with all your clothes on
( ) told you're hot by a complete stranger - No, <sob>
(x) broken a bone - Wrist, foot, shoulder - not all at once though
(x) been easily amused - I read /. don't I?
( ) caught a fish then ate it
(x) caught a butterfly
(x) laughed so hard you cried
( ) cried so hard you laughed
( ) cheated on a test
(x) forgotten someone's name - I'm really bad at names
(x) french braided someone's hair - Does my own count
(x) gone skinny dipping in a pool/hot tub - every chance I get
( ) been threatened to be kicked out of your house
(x) loved someone so much you would gladly die for them - Once, learned my lesson.

There's my $0.02 worth.

Hey, if we give our "2 cents", and it's "a penny for you thoughts", who's getting the other penny?