If asked to describe myself in one word, I'd give the same response my two sisters did: No.Way.

There's no one word right enough, big enough, specific enough, accurate enough to be "the one," the "one" that supercedes all the others.

I got an email from an acquaitance that read: "Describe ME in one word... just one single word. Send it to me and to me only. Then send this message to all your friends and see how many strange and interesting things they say about you. This is really fun. Here's how to play - 1. Hit the reply key and send me my word. 2. Then return to the message and forward it to your friends (including me) and see what people say about you when limited to one word!!!"

So I did it. I sent it. I sent it to my sisters, to my cousin, to my nieces and nephew, to the parents of my best friend, to two of my best friends, to my neighbor, and to several other dear and close friends.

Here's what I got back so far (and I've only heard from 5 people):

• 2 non-responses from my sisters: they argue they can't choose just one word!
• friend
• exuberant
• compassionate

It's amazing what people think of me. What the first word is that they'd use to describe me. I will not comment on each and every one, but I'm flattered and amazed already, and I've only read three words!!!

This is most definitely a scrapbook page in the making: the words and the people that make me me.

I can't wait!!!

Paris...

Las Vegas!

We stayed at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. I'm still a fan of LV, even though I won (and then lost!) $500! Jack? Not so much!

He was one cranky hubby - he's not a gambler, he's not a people watcher, and he was B-O-R-E-D out of his mind when he wasn't in his meetings. While I was complaining to his sister, she pointed out that had the weather been warm enough for sunbathing, we could have spent the bulk of the days tanning, then minimal hours in the casinos. That would have been much more palatable for him. And she was right. He could have handled that.

AND the cost of eating out in LV really stressed him out! Me? I was okay with spending more than we usually would on meals - a night out for us is Burger King for $1.00 Whoppers or Costco or Sam's Club for pizza and a hot dog! - 'cause it was vacation. Jack was shocked by the cost of things, though. For example, one bagel and 2 small bitter coffees cost $8.08 in LV, 2 bagels and 2 delicious coffees with free refills cost $4.26 when we went to breakfast this past weekend, here in NJ. And all the stuff we wanted to do had admission fees: $15.00 a head to see Siegfried and Roy's Secret Gardens in the Mirage (he wasn't happy about it but we went), $9.00 each to visit the top of the Eiffel Tower (although we got a hotel guest special: 2 for 1!), $140.00 each to see Love (the Beatles' Cirque d' Soleil show at the Mirage - needless to say we see this show!), $45.00 for dinner (a hamburger, fries and an unsweetened iced tea for me, 6 buffalo wings and a Coke for him, plus tip - and he didn't even eat them all - he wasn't hungry!). It got to the point where I told him I'd try not to eat for the rest of the trip. Then he was upset that I was upset... That shook him out of it!

Some of you may have seen some of these pictures already, but here you go...

Dawn at http://mom2my6pack.blogspot.com/ suggested we answer these 60 questions when we had nothing else to say. Now that's never really been a problem for me, but I'll give the 60 questions a shot.

[For a great blog, visit Dawn - she's laugh-out-loud-funny![

60 Things You Possibly Didn't Know About Me

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
I just had my car in for service so it's all cleaned up right now, except for the empty New York and Co. bag on the floor of the back seat, the iris umbrella, Jack's work gloves (oh, wait, he took them out yesterday!), an old issue of Star magazine, two book galleys my sister got me, a red rag I'm supposed to use to clean the inside of my windows but which is too dirty to use 'cause it's been on the floor of my car for two years, my Weight Watchers basic starter kit ('cause it's so useful in the backseat of my car!)

2.When was the last time you threw up?
I really don't remember, but just a month ago I was so sick I had the dry heaves. Do they count?

3. What's your favorite curse word?
Mother-trucker, do I have to choose??!!

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today?
It's only 7:52am and I've only seen my husband so far. Oh, and my ex-boss and I did smile at him while I was talking with him.

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
8:00am this morning hasn't arrived yet, but I will have been doing this questionnaire...

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
I was sitting in the car, commuting to work

7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?
Working - my computer was down all day yesterday so after I blog this morning, I have to really buckle down and do some work

8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Nope

9. What is the last thing you said aloud?
"Yea, thanks!"

10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
Not a huge ice cream fan (get up off the floor!) but I'd have to choose cookies and cream, I think

11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Water to take 2 Advils; last night I had some new Chocolate Cherry Diet Dr. Pepper - mmm, good!

12. What are you wearing right now?
jeans, boots, a black sweater with a gold tank underneath - it's raining cats and dogs outside so I didn't dress up for work today

13. What was the last thing you ate?
A slice of pepperoni pizza from Sam's Club

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
Yes, two bathing suits (one has to get returned), three blouses and a pair of shoes

15. When was the last time you ran?
I couldn't even possibly tell you - jogging isn't even an option as far as I'm concerned!

16. What's the last sporting event you watched?
Super Bowl XLII - Go, Giants!!!

18. Who is the last person you emailed?
Work-related? A customer. Personal? My sister-in-law.

19. Ever go camping?
Does staying in a hotel that didn't supply a blow dryer count?

20. Do you have a tan?
I have a dream of a tan, and the potential for a tan (I have some tanning sessions left over but no time to actually use them) so the actual tan that I get each summer will arrive in around, oh, May, when we start hanging out on our dock on the weekends.

24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
Usually.

25. What did your last IM say?
I don't IM.

26. Are you someone's best friend?
I hope so (this is Dawn's answer and I'm cheerfully borrowing it!)

27. What are you doing tomorrow?
Working, then picking up Mom and going to the nail salon. Great Valentine's Day, right?!? We went to Valentine's dinner on Sunday so we didn't have to face the crowds. Will eat at home post-salon!

28. Where is your mom right now?
At her house, probably having her morning coffee.

29. Look to your left, what do you see?
The wall of my work cubby, and a pile'o'work waiting to be done.

30. What color is your watch?
I have a silver one and a silver and gold one and a pewter one, but I don't wear a watch.

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia ?
Ayre's Rock

32. Would you consider plastic surgery?
For cosmetic reasons, no, but if medically necessary, sure.

33. What is your birthstone?
Blue topaz (December)

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit thedrive thru?
Yes.

35.How many kids do you want?
I used to tell my best friend I wanted 10. Coming from a family of 3 I always thought that I wanted a larger family. Then as the years passed, 10 turned into 8 turned into 5 turned into 3 turned into whatever God gives me. I have two step-children (well, 1-and-a-half, one's not talking to us for reasons known only to him since he's not talking to us!).

36. Do you have a dog?
In my dreams we have a dog, in our future we will have a dog. For now we have Marley, the neighborhood dog!

37. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Maria, my darling stepdaughter

38. Have you met anyone famous?
Yes: John Edward (the psychic), Nancy Reagan, Ann Margret, Sarah Duchess of York, Richard Simmons, Vanna White, Danielle Steel, Donald Trump, Stephen King, Arthur Frommer, and others I can't remember (I used to have a pretty cool publishing job!).

39. Any plans today?
Work. Then the eye doctor.

40. How many states have you lived in?
Two. I was born and raised and still live in NJ, but I lived in DE for four years, attending college.

41. Ever go to college?
See #40!

42. Where are you right now?
At my desk, at work, in Hoboken, NJ

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Spam email

44. Last song listened to?
I can't remember

46. Are you allergic to anything?
I have hay fever which seems to be getting less severe as I get older, and I can't take 500mg doses of erithromycin

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
None - shoes are not a favorite anything of mine!

48. Are you jealous of anyone?
No.

50. Is anyone jealous of you?
Who wouldn't be?! (ROTFLOL!)

51. What time is it?
8:16am

52. Do any of your friends have children?
All of them

53. Do you eat healthy?
Well, I eat a LOT healthier than I used to, but admittedly sometimes junk food is just calling my name!

54. What do you usually do during the day?
Work

55. Do you hate anyone right now?
There are three people in the world right now who I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY dislike a LOT: my ex-brother-in-law, my stepson, and - okay, TWO people: even though I'm really ticked at my nephew, I can't say I dislike or hate him...

56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
Yes.

58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
39 - for the 10th time!

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Nope

60. How did you get one of your scars?
Punching my hand through a window at my cousin who was on the other side making faces at me (stop laughing! I was 8 or so!)

Readers, I SO hope you're not sick!

Just spent a couple of (work) hours catching up on my blog reading (sorry, employer!).
1 out of every 3 bloggers is sick, down with some version of the flu/virus cr*p I suffered from three weeks ago (I sure hope you didn't catch it from me!). It seems if it's not the writers, it's their spouses and/or children, and there's an underlying fear that their immune systems will soon be going on vacation and they'll be the next to catch whatever it is that's visiting their loved ones!

I used to say the crazy weather was an indication that the end of the world was coming.

I now think I'm wrong. Now I'm just convinced the Black Plague will return in the guise of all these illnesses...

Art.

There's a website out there where you can keep an ongoing "Life List." Where you can record what you want to do during your life, and cross 'em off when you do them. (There are a LOT of uncrossed-off items on my list - I'm not the most accomplished person, you see...)

One of my items is to try to be more artistic. To maybe take a digital photography course when I retire (or have more time), to paint a little (or try to), to maybe write... I took a baby step when I started a mini-canvas that was supposed to be a Xmas piece, but it turned out to be, well, how 'bout I show you tomorrow? I'll go home and try to either scan it (with the scanner that I can't work for some reason) or I'll take a picture of it and download it tomorrow...

Anyway, check this out at Donna Downey's website: http://donnadowney.typepad.com/
I think I can do this. I have a pencil. I have watercolor paper and watercolor pencils. I have salt. I have paintbrushes. I have all this stuff in preparation for trying to be artistic. Now I just have to try. And I will. And I'll try to show you when I do. If I'm not ashamed.

Moving on...

Today is Super Tuesday. This is not a political blog. I'm one of those people who is, by strict definition, probably a Reagan conservative. I'm registered as a Republican, but in my heart I know that I would vote for the candidate I really believe in.

I don't know who I'm going to vote for tonight. Jack and I passed on dinner out with his daughter and her boyfriend so that we wouldn't miss voting, and so that my mom wouldn't miss voting, and so that I could take her to Shop Rite for food.

Do I believe my vote makes a difference? Yes, I do. At the very least, if my candidate, whoever he/she may be, doesn't win, the numbers will reflect how the public feels. For instance, Clinton was leading head and shoulders above of Obama for a while. Now? Not so much. It's close. McCain is way out in front of Romney, the next one behind him. Several Republican and Democratic candidates have withdrawn or are so far behind that they don't stand a chance. And I know all about the popular vote vs. the electoral vote. But a few of the candidates, there's no way they can pull it off.

Bottom line. I have 10-1/2 hours to do some more digging online to see how "my" candidates stand on issues that are important to me: immigration, the war, terrorism, military/defense spending, to name a few.

Wanna hear something that even I admit sounds very trivial? I cannot vote for Clinton. I would be so embarrassed to have someone who's so shrill and comes across as such a shrew representing me out in the world. I have a vision of her screaming across a summit table with that nasal voice... (shudder)

Sorry if I put any of you off, but as I always say, we don't have to agree, but we do have to respect each other's opinion!

17-14

In honor of the Giants, who BEAT THE PATRIOTS IN SUPERBOWL XLII 17-14, I'm typing today's blog entry in blue. I went to my closet this morning to pick out something in Giants blue, only to find out I own nothing in Giants blue. So I'm wearing blue jeans and a turquoise sweater in honor of the NJ Giants! (I refuse to call them the NY Giants - they play in NJ, I paid for their stadium, I'm paying for their new stadium - NY can claim them when they pay for them!)

It was an exciting game! I was SO excited when we scored first, when we had possession for most of the 1st quarter, then I started to not be so excited when New England scored. But the 2nd half? Well worth the price of admission! Oh, wait, I didn't pay to watch the game. How's this instead? Well worth my time watching a football game! (I'm not a huge sports fan to begin with, but I must admit I feel all tingly when the local guys do well!)

Jack and I stayed home. Instead of a sit down dinner (when was the last time I cooked one of those?!?!), I made a bunch of appetizers: extra spicy Jamaican jerk beef patties, potato puffs, buffalo chicken wraps, spicy beef turnovers, and pigs in a blanket. Mmm, good!

Today I'm back to WW with a vengeance. I lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks, and Jack has been telling me how noticeable it is, so when I went on Saturday, the week before my "friend" (hi, Mom!) arrives, I'm back up 1.2 pounds! Yuk!

So, with 2 weeks to go before our Vegas trip, I'm going to try to stick to it really closely, eat well, drink my water, pay attention to the 8 healthy guidelines, and do my darndest to lose some weight. Keep your fingers crossed for me!