The Wednesday HOPS!

If you're stopping by for the weight loss portion of today's post, just scroll down.  If you're here for Wednesday Hodge Podge, it's the first HOP today.  If you're here for BOTH, just start reading and keep on to the end!

FIRST is WEDNESDAY HODGE PODGE from Joyce at From This Side of the Pond.  This one is a great way to get to know some wonderful new bloggy friends and learn more about some old ones...not that I'm calling anyone OLD, mind you.   

1. July 20th marks the anniversary of the first time man stood on the moon. Flash forward 42 years to July 8, 2011 which marked the start of the final Space Shuttle mission. Should we continue to explore space? Should nations devote more or fewer of their resources to exploring space? Would you want to go into space if the opportunity arose? I do appreciate space exploration and I believe we should continue to with the programs---nothing ventured, nothing gained.  However, would I go?  Hell to the N.O.  I'm way too chicken for that!

2. What are three things in your freezer?  Ice, ground turkey, and baby broccoli florets.

3. If you could see any band/artist perform live tonite who would it be? It has to be someone living...no Beatles, Elvis, etc. There are several...a lot of my favorites have actually passed on...and it would totally depend on my mood at the time....David Garrett for sure- not only is he quite talented but he is a fine specimen of the male species.  Fine indeed.  And then there's Sting who has been a feast for my eyes (and ears) for many, many years.  And then there's Jason Mraz whom I heard gives one of the best live concerts.  Probs wouldn't mind seeing a Stones concert again.  Maybe Jack Johnson.  A little James Taylor.  Oh geez, the list just goes on and on...but would not include country or Lady Gaga or Katy Perry or the Jonas Brothers or anything like that.

4. Ice-cubed or crushed? Or are you one of those people who don't like ice? Either way but crushed is my fave!  Wait----there are people who don't like ice?  What?!  When hurricane Hugo blew his nasty self through here in '89 we were lucky because our house was still standing, we suffered VERY LITTLE damage, and we went without power for ONLY 11 days.  But, during those 11 days, the thing I missed MOST was cold beverages.  I never want to go without cold drinks again EVER.

5. The owner of a small restaurant outside of Pittsburgh recently announced he was banning children under six, saying they regularly disrupted other customer's meals. You can read the story in more detail here but isn't this a perfect topic to discuss in our Wednesday Hodgepodge? Have at it friends...what are your thoughts? There was a restaurant here in the Charleston area whose owners discouraged families bringing their children.  We never dined there because of that and, during a storm one year, that restaurant was demolished.  I call it Karma.  However, I will say that the Lovelies were very well behaved in restaurants.  They never talked in loud voices or ran around the place.  They were well-mannered from a young age for some reason unbeknownst to me.  But it was great!  Probably because we never took them anywhere when they were feeling bad or tired or having a bad day or whatever.  Had they misbehaved, we would have removed them from the restaurant immediately.  I have been in places where parents seem to not care how their children behave and it does get annoying.  So, while I understand about the annoying part, I don't think I would patronize a place that banned children.  It's seriously NOT the fault of the children---it's the parents'.

6. What was your first car? How did it come to be yours? I got my first car in 1974 from my granddaddy.  It was a 1965, navy blue, Ford Galaxy 500. 

7. If I had a nickle for every time I said "I told you so" (sometimes it comes out as "What did I say?!" or "What did I tell you?!") I'd be rich. With four daughters and a husband, I get to say this quite often.  And yes, I might get some sick twisted pleasure from saying it.  What can I tell you?  I quite enjoy being right.

8. Insert your own random thought here.  The youngest of the Lovelies will be leaving the teens behind her on Sunday.  This is so depressing.  How did this happen that she should reach 20 in such a short period of time?!  The next to the youngest of the Lovelies leaves us tomorrow for Texas.  I'm having an exciting week of depression.   

The SECOND HOP is from Patrice, at Everyday Ruralty, who hosts Wednesday Words of Weight Loss every Wednesday!  It's a fun HOP that offers encouragement and company on the issue of weight.  It's never too late to join!  Come on, this is your week to join in the FUN!  

Patrice will be back next week with our questions for this fun meme.  Being a farmer's wife and friend and amazing mother of homeschooled lovelies and getting caught in bad traffic--the busyness of life---got in her way this week.  Anyway, Patrice is looking to revamp the meme, or maybe not.  She's looking for suggestions.  Click on the button up there and give her a visit and some input!