What a weekend...

Ever hear of the Trojan virus? It ate my whole computer yesterday. I am now on the montrous desktop upstairs becuase it wiped out my entire laptop! Everything! I now have to plan Christmas dinner from scratch again.... Reinvent my recipes and creative writings. And not only that, I have nothing to sit and fiddle with when I come home from work!

Well, I have 2 more weeks til I have to go to work AND there are plenty of other things I should be doing!

So, my dearest Gateway, I feel lost.

But maybe I'll get some housework done this week!!!

My favorite toy

when I was a kid was my sit 'n spin. I remember never wanting to get off. And then one day, I was so big that I broke it......... I was just reminiscing!

And there's a competition about YOUR favorite toys from growing up! You can enter, too!

I did it and I did it well.

We truly miss having family in the area.... All coming together, helping each other out, spending time with each other... 

This year, the turkey was all me.  And it was my first whole turkey.  Ever!  But it was awesome!

Everyone loved my sweet potato casserole (no surprise there!) and thought the turkey was perfect (the gravy was a little salty), and I even s

ent home little microwave dinners for tomorrow!  

And this is my Thanksgiving decor EVERY year.... Minus the snow!

Lunch!

Yesterday a dear friend came over for some devotions. Our own little D-group! Anyway, I provided lunch (we usually go to her house). As I raced home from work, I picked up some ham and turkey. I was planning on making Monte Christos.... The turkey was actually mush, so I used the leftovers from my Rotisserie chicken. (Improvising). The layout was like this. French bread, dipped in egg nog (my cheater recipe for french toast) and fried on a skillet, then pepper jack cheese, ham, chicken, and to dip it in, we had raspberry syrup and raspberry preserves. We ate it all! It was really yummy! And chances are, I'll make it again!

Dinner tonight

was what I like to call 'Deja Vu Buffet."  A little of all the leftovers!  Nicolee had mac n cheese (the yummy homemade kind), the doc and I had some cardboard pizza, but I dressed mine up with that awesome garlic sauce!  Tomorrow night will be better, we're having hamburgers!  But not just plain ol' cheeseburgers.... I am having a fiesta style hamburger with avocado, salsa, and cheese.... And I don't know what the others are having!

My own Rotisserie Chicken

without the Rotisserie!!!

Love those $5 rotisserie chickens at the grocery store when a plain ol' whole chicken costs $4???  Here's my own...

1.  Thaw and deftrost whole chicken and remove innards.

2.  In a bowl, mix 3t kosher salt, 1t paprika, 1t onion powder, 1/2t pepper, 1/2t cayenne, and 1t Italian seasoning.  Rub the seasoning all over the inside and outside of the chix.

3.  In the cavity, add 3 garlic cloves (or a couple spoonfuls of minced garlic) and a quartered onion.

4.  Plop the whole darn thing in the crock pot, crank it up to high for 4 hours (NO WATER), and let the magic be done by itself!

Now, the flavors aren't exactly like the store, they may need to be tweaked a little.  I'd suggest some chicken boullion or maybe some poultry seasoning, but it was SOOO moist and tender and tasty!  This is a keeper!

I served  it with asparagus and these interesting brown sugar/cinnamon peaches I found at the store!!!  Mmmmmmmmm

Get this....

My new Pomegranate Chicken!!!

I was actually contacte by POM to create this recipe and enter their contest......... So here it is:

3C POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice

1/2 C sugar

1 whole chicken

Salt and Pepper

1.  Remove innards from whole chicken, leave skin on.  

2.  Rub skin with 1T EVOO and cover with salt and plenty of coarse grated pepper.

3.  Bake in oven at 450 for 20 minutes.  Make glaze while waiting.

4.  In skillet, add 3C POM Wonderful, any pomegranate flavor you like, and 1/2 C sugar over medium heat.  Cook, stirring,  until juice reduces to a syrup, appx 20-30 minutes.

5.  Reduce to 350, and bake 1-1  1/2 hours or until juices run clear when poked.  (I use my George Foreman Roaster for 1 hour)

6.  15 minutes before done, remove chicken and cover with glaze.  Baste once in the last 15 minutes if deisred.

7.  Remove to counter and let rest 1o minutes to allow the juices to settle.  

*For even more flavor, try removing and coating chicken with glaze UNDER the skin after reducing heat to 350.

Brinner

Last night we had the infamous Pine Valley Eggs for dinner... That's the recipe that throws healthy measures out the window!  Well, sort of.

First, I fried the bacon in a little EVOO to render the fat, then I drained the bacon on paper towels an wiped a little of the grease out of the pan.  A little.  I like to think that I was making some good-ol' souther cookin' last night, that's why I threw health out the window!  Anyway, I scrambled the eggs in the same skillet and it was soooo tasty!  I served those Pine Valley eggs with pancakes and OJ.... We called it Brinner.... Breakfast for dinner!

But tonight I made Chili 'n cornbread!  It was so good and so filling I think I will be heading to bed soon.......

FINALLY done!!!

My 'new' kitchen!
3 months?


Took long enough, huh?


And there's Vanna Tink again, showing off our handy work. Credit for the redesign goes to Nana and cooperation, thanks to the Doc!


I know, still more work to do!
....Now we need some color on those walls!

A Fool's Ball Day

Yesterday, a friend gave us tickets (great tickets) to see a college football game! The Dragons won, of course, swaying our opinion of this team! We traveled to a small town outside of Syracuse, dressed in warm Fall weather clothing, ready for the cold (and it wasn't! We were sweating instead!) and snacked on chocolate covered pretzels and apple cider while we cheered for this unknown team.

But I love football!

I retract that statement. I love offense and defense!

I was a basketball player, but I still love the elements of the game. Any game. Hockey, basketball, football, soccer, you name it! It was exhilerating, watching the intense discipline, know-how, and foresight that the players displayed on the field.

I miss it.

(Nicole's favorite part was when the cheerleaders did their dances and the mascot [someone in a dragon costume] danced along with them.... And the free donuts, cookies, and apple cider!)

It wasn't that long ago... I CAN'T think of myself as old, yet, right? But as we were watching the game, these girls were sitting behind us and gossiping. (They were loud and made it hard to pay attention to the game!) Gossiping about judging boys they see at school for obscure traits (being a good kisser is a rait) and other 'cheerleader' talk. An interesting encounter, for sure!

On the way home we saw the most beautiful fall colors! Doc cringed as I whipped the camera out of the moon roof to snap a pic (don't worry, I put the band around my wrist!)... I saw a Jewish cemetary on the steep side of the hill... Never seen one of those before! And an exit for a mall in some place called 'Shoppingtown.' Fitting, I'm sure!

But the most comical element was the ride home. On the radio we switched over (or the the lack of reception switched us over) to a 'story hour' kind of station. He told a story about a cult-ish group of people in the US that travel North to Canada at the end of summer, then slowly travel all the way to Argentina by the end of the Fall just to see the leaves change. They named themselves the Autumnal Devil Trees Association (And I found nothing on the web!). Still, it was interesting to hear of such a common-interest group! I admit, Missouri is gorgeous in the Fall, even WV... But I doubt I will be making such a trek!

A recent dinner

Sorry, no pics, but it was delicious!

Thanksgiving Pot Pie

1. Line pie pan or muffin tins with pie crust.
2. Layer with shredded turkey breast, stuffing, and top with gravy.
3. Top with pie crust and pinch edges to seal.
4. Bake according to pie crust directions.
5. Serve with cranberry sauce, or better yet, add cranberry sauce in filling!!!

It was the 5th day in the 3rd grade...

...And the 4th grade... "You could buy a zoo with all the doctor's bills he paid"  Just kidding, that's a Veggie Tales song.

I am working in the YMCA SACC program and this year I have the 3rd AND 4th graders... All 18 of them!  It's quite a mixed group.  I have half intellectuals who want to do homework and creative writing, and half hyperactive linebackers who want to run around and don't know how to sit still!  But I LOVE being with kids!  I am so happy to be connecting with them n a personal level, impacting their lives and education.  I feel a constant struggle between being where God wants me and being in a comfort zone.  And Nicole being in her comfort zone, too!  Poor girl comes to work with me SO early in the morning, goes to her school, goes to her SACC, then comes home for dinner, a bath, and bed... 

But today was a rough day.  I had to battle the 3rd graders who wanted to go outside and play and the 4th graders who wanted to finishe their homework before they went home.  I really can't stand those opposite-type struggles.  So many times I have considered leaving this job, then something pops up that I love and adore (and that's mainly the kids!).  

So for now, I'm paying my dues and hitting the daily grind.  Some days I enjoy it more than others... 

Firsts

1st day in the 1st grade

Miss me???

Well, all 3 people who read my blog did!!!

I have been busy. When Nana was here, she got me to start painting my kitchen cabinets. (Addendum: She and her creative 'get-up-and-go' motivated me and my lovely laziness to rennovate the apperance of my otherwise boring kitchen) I have complained plenty of times about how dreary my kitchen is!!! I don't have a finished picture yet, as the doors just got their first coat of actual paint... (You see, I sanded, primed a few layers,then painted a few layers, sanding inbetween each coat, but the doc came behind me, sanded everything really well, and is spraying on the coats all over again!!!) Poor doc!

We also celebrated our anniversary! 7 years. With a hundred more to go!!! I surprised the doc with a little picnic dinner (I took forever to decide what to make and decided on steak at the last minute!) I prepped this wonderful meal, my sinister drove me up the hill to the park and dropped me off. Nicole and LJ got to hang out for a few hours! It was lovely! We had steak, french bread, wine (er, I had cream soda!!!), and strawberries with whipped cream for dessert. We talked about lots of stuff and even watched the sun set. I was so much fun! (But I think my favorite part was that it was a surprise! I love surprises!) It ended with the moon and the sun being in the sky at the same time. Unfortunately, I can't upload the pic of the moon!

We also visited a friend who lives on the lake, tye-dyed some socks and tees, went to the zoo, rode the ski lift at Old Forge to the top (it was beautiful and we were glad we thought to bring Subway with us!), visited with the doc's fam and they left, and now I have a house FULL of mess! I just need to clean! Unfortunately, I invited some friends over tomorrow morning, so I think I'll plan a little outdoor tea party for the girls and the moms and I can sit out there and chat! Let's hope it doesn't rain!!!

Anyway, the summer is coming to a close, although it has barely reached over 70 degrees more than once in the past 2 weeks... I wonder what the winter will be like? And I received phonecalls from 2 of my jobs, stating that I will be re-instated as school resumes.... Gotta love the city school district! Cutting corners wherever possible!

What can I do in a week?

• We found a new church (I love being a part of a church family!)
• we went huka-diving... This evening we're going to try it at the lake! (We practiced in a pool!!!)
• we went sailing on the lake! Doc got a sailing lesson and he 'drove' the whole time! We also BBQ'd while we were on the water, learned some geography and history, and I had the best seat... The one at the back of the boat, watching everything!!!
• I PAID off a student loan 100%. Poor Doc has a long way to go for that! (Come on, a doc, seriously!!!)
• Nicolee had a bday party in the park for fairies and pirates, it was a blast!
• Nana and LJ came and Nana already left.... LJ is here for the rest of the week!
• We saw Mama Mia! It was so much fun! (But how often in life do we realy burst out into song to express our feelings??)
• And this morning we are headed to the local Science Museum.

Wow! This has been one busy week! Not to mention plenty of sewing, cleaning, cooking, laundry-ignorning, and movie watching! Whatta bum, huh???

An ode to.... something

Oh, to be doing anything other than the task ahead of me,
I could consider bliss.
But as I marvel at the amount of work I have avoided,
I wonder what I WILL miss
when that time finally comes.

The cabinets sit all dingy and dirty,
the hardware stands firmly and gummy, also dirty,
while the cans of paint weigh heavily on the floor.
I wish there was someone who wanted to do it more!

All laid out in four easy steps,
I realize I am missing some pep,
And nana becomes the home-improvement rep
while I researh something else of depth.

Tink lays of the floor having no clue
of the things I must ultimately do
and the doc, he helps avoid the chores, too...
Oh, what is this family going to do?

The cupboards, they lay in out-of-style-wait
for the man (or woman) who changes their fate
to change them to a color they will no longer hate.

(But those cupboards might just have to wait
or me, I make myself stay up late
and another day will be another past date!)

Guess Where I went this Summer!

Well, first we visited Nana and Pop-Pop in the midwest. It was a long, restless flight with a longish layover in Cincinatti, but we made it safe and sound. After settling in a bit (and getting a good night's rest), we drove hours and hours to pick up my sinister.

They introduced me to Cargo Largo (A thrift and bargain hunter's jungle paradise.... Seriously! The other customers are actually like wild animals! But at less than half of retail price, who could blame them?)

And we visited the Bodies Revealed Exhibit. That was amazing! I could summarize it as 401 ways to view the internal structure of the human body! I do wish that I had access to this incredible, artistic display of our miraculously created bodies to study when I was taking anatomy in high school, but I made do just fine!

Sleeping on the air mattress had to be my least favorite part, but I was grateful, just the same! 6 of us crammed into LJ's apartment, which is half bare (the roommate's room is still waiting for a roommate!), but left for J&C's house the next day!

After hours and hours of driving to J&C's, we loaded all TEN of us in 2 cans, I mean vans, and we drove to St. Louis! The last time we were there was in 1998, we made a family trip! It really hasn't changed much, but because of the recent rains and such, the first level of the parking garage was under water.... And the first 11 steps! We just didn't go too far that way so it didn't effect us!

Isn't that an amazing pic? Actually, I took a picture of a PICTURE in the lobby of the hotel we were in! Still looks great! The Olde Spaghetti Factory was to die for, as always. I only wish I had an entire factory nearby, to generate the most perfect Creamy Pesto Dressing whenever my heart desired so! P.S. That stuff's good on everything!

We also went to the City Museum. We ALL played on the exhibits (although as adults we were afraid we might get stuck in some of them, but they still allowed it!) and I was mesmerized by the railings and the bright paintings and colors and decor everywhere! We were ready to leave after a few hours, but when we got home we looked on the web and found that there were so many other things to do! Like visit a giant thrift shop upstairs and do some hands on crafts! I guess we'll save THAT for another visit (wink wink, nudge nudge)!

Eventually, we came home and my dear friend Tiffany came down to visit us, show us some Mary Kay goodies, and share her family with us! We were roommates my last year at SBU, and NOTHING is more fun than when two Tiffany's get together! We had fun, but they had to leave for their own 4th of July celebrations! Most our 4th of July was spent at home, hangin' around the house, kinda like we always used to do. But THIS year, we didn't have to clean out the garage! (Remember that on Mulgrew St? EVERY year!!) We even went to a friend's house for a casual BBQ/get-together! It was quite enjoyable.

In my mind, the 4th of July guarantees fireworks, but not so! We viewed them on the 5th! An entire city (ok, minus some!) crammed onto the new school grounds to watch a pyrotechnic display set to music! It was great! We were SO close to the front that we could actually see the men lighting the goodies.... And feel the smoke in our faces when the wind shifted near the end of the display. But it was great! There were even a bunch of carts, like at the fair, dealing hot dogs, sodas, and more goodies for the like-sardine-packed country folk! LJ and I headed for the Mexican (er, Tex-Mex) fare!

Then the doc got ready to return home while Nicolee and I got to play for one more week... But as we were taking him to the airport, we received some sad news that I'll never forget. I was in shock the whole trip to the airport. He had a safe flight home and Tink was there to take care of him while I was gone!

A few days later we drove back to J&C's and went out to eat at a place called Shakespeare's Pizza. A bit medieval, but no jousting. Sounds eloquent... But is more like a local pizza joint with a fancy name! I longed for the cashier to spin an olde english accent, addressing us as lads and lasses, but instead we ate pizza with rootbeer, which was actually pretty good! Yet a funny sight waited for me in the bathroom! I have never taken for granted the locks on the stalls and the ample amount of toilet paper, but humor stretched these efforts a little far!!! Anyway, the announcer was hilarious! When he announced that my bother's order was ready, his announcement was like this: "J, your order is ready, J, you may come get your food, J, any time now, J, earth to J, JJ J J J J J J..." Notice there were no periods? He was on a roll!

We went back to LJ's apartment and I called a really good friend of mine from college... She came to visit me and I was SO glad to see her! She was 'Mamma Lu' to me in college. This was the girl that made sure I wasn't out too late OR else she made me carry her mace!!! I introduced her to my sister, as, now they are in neighboring towns! She'll be a great friend for LJ! (A pseudo-big sister!)

Back to Cargo Largo, saying good bye and good luck to LJ (first year of OT school, good luck, little sis!), and back to Nana's house...

Nicolee and I delivered Nana to a nearby dentist and we explored the city.... We went to Wildcat Park, where I had my senior pictures done in 1996 (my mom was the photographer!) and we visited the Audobon. I actually didn't know what that was, but it was beautiful! It was in the heart of the park with a mini museum inside. A large fish tank with some live specimens of the fish, local to this area. Then there were quite a few displays of the different animals, reptiles and mammals, living in the park, plus signs to recognize them, where they live and hide, what they eat... Nicole was very well-informed for the next time we head out that way! AND I would love to head out that way, they have miles of trails along the river. Places to picnic, just walk, bike. ( good family activity for next trip, Nana!) And the BEST thing was that it was FREE!!!

And when I came to pick up Nana, the skies were a bit ominous, but nothing happened. I have a pic of that, I'll edit this post later...

Finally I got to meet up with my old college gang (and LJ came with us). (Literally, My friend Jsin and I were IN a 'gang' called 'The Blades!' Before you worry about my character, let me explain that we were all college students, on rollerblades, at a Baptist school. The only kind of 'gang activity' we could think of was helping old ladies carry in their groceries and making sure kids walked across the street safely!) Plus my good friend Douglas. These two guys are great! And old friends, yopu know how it is.... Typical college friends, telling 'old' stories, laughing about everything.... We may never change! There is never a shortage of laughter when we're together.... And for some reason, it's all at my expense! (Well, most of it!) We met at Bella Peppers! I've driven by this restaurant many times, but never actually ate there. After that night I could at least say that I had been there! It was like an inexpensive, still nice and classy, version of Olive Garden.... It was all good.

The next day I spent doing laundry, getting ready to return home, and mentally noting all of the things I needed to do, like reform my eating habits (as if just being at someone else's house gave me the right to throw out all of the rules!) and spend some more time with Tink!

Sunday was another loooong day, church first, then travelling again. We had a layover in Cincinatti again, but made it home safe and sound.

My next move is to get the pics of of the Doc's computer and finish uploading picsWhew. Now it feels like just a few more weeks and a) Nana will be here to visit US for Nicolee's bday, b) school will start again, and c) we'll be ready to travel again next summer!

Not one, but TWO!

Heel spurs, that is. No wonder the diagnosis of one didn't satisfy me!

To Kill a Mockingbird

would be a crime against nature, a great wrong to beauty and nature, a morally absurd thing to do... Unless that mockingbird is right outside your window... And perches on your window sill to sing at 5:30 every morning... And pecks his beak on the glass of said window... And sings the same song over and over and over... At 5:30... Every morning... Right outside your window...

I think I'll name him Rumplestiltskin. He needs an annoying name!

love.love.love

thedoc.nicole.godandhislove.bestfriends.happiness.ny.sunsets.sunrises.chocolatechipcookiedoughicecream.myfamily.Tink.warmbed.roof.income.creativityinmyjob.food.music.grandparents.laughing.funnystories.hugs.softtshirts.newbabies.juniorhighers.kidslaughing.cooking.sunshine.rainydays.worshipping.hugs.kisses.tacos.peoplewhosmile.hope.longdistancefriends.packagesinthemail.heatanda/c.thesmellofgasoline.skipping.laughter.twirlingpickyouoffthegroundhugs.grace.waterfalls.clouds.hikes.basketball.movies.roadtrips.havingacar.inandout.thebeach.rubberchickens.campfiresmells.brownsugarclumps.penpals.reading.hotshowers.christmas.blanketforts.theabilitytowalkandrun.celebratingwithpeople.cryingwithpeople.listeningtotheocean.funnyemails.fallleaves.howthenortheastsmells.electricity.limegreen.swimming.barefeet.runningwater.fuzzywarmclothes.latenightshopping.goodwine.flipflops.ponytails.art.eatingicecreamstraightfromthecontainer.freshlycutgrass.hammocks.daisies.crafts.flood.flickr.teachers.foggynights.skipping.clearbriskmornings.marbles.redvelvet.waterskiingonglassywater.snowshoeing.snowdays.lazysummerdays.longbikerides.memoriesofPVBC.howmyfriendslovemymom.barefeetinthegrass.homemadebaskets.momanddadscompassion.spanish.books.stories.receivingmail.takingwalks.naps.homemadecake.trials.smellsofoliveoilandrosemaryandbasil.birthdays.findingnewfriends.maps.rememberingoldfriends.wrestling.ingenuity.resourcefulness.brickhouses.cows.eyes.sandiego.midwest.ca.coronado.love.italy.slidingacrosscleanhardwoodfloorsinsocks.rememberinghowfari'vecome.love

catching up on randomness

After a quick trip to MO to see a sister graduate from college and visit fam, returning to the daily grind, finish 2 weeks' worth of laundry in 3 days, and taking a Wii fit test, I now realize I am more than 'just a little behind.' My e mail and blogging communities have 'missed me' (although that e mail community didn't make me feel happy to be home!)...

On top of all of that, I have delved into a new creative endeavor... Altered Books. Kinda like scrapbooking without the cookie-cutter rules. (I think I may have found a new favored creative niche!)

I also invited a beloved friend over for BREAKFAST this morning! It was quite fun to host and it featured some of my favorite foods! And it was a totally random, earlier time, too!

Here are some random facts to add to my profile:

-I LOVE the bells in the themesong for Futurama, but I am quite annoyed by that show!

-I got more exercise and cardio and muscle-strengthening in my 15 minute Wii session this morning than when I had to bike all over town! I WANT to fit it in every day.... But we'll see how that goes!

-I really wanna do some Tae Bo right now, though.

-I had some leftover orange chicken, but I ran out of sauce. And I ran out of OJ to make the orange sauce.... So I used diet orange soda. Surprisingly, it was really good! And low sugar!!!

Curso Particular

Now I know that title didn't sound so great, or even 'clean,' but that is the job description of my latest position. Tutoring... Spanish. For the Watertown City School District. I'm ready. Excited. Nervous (why). After spending a little time visiting an online translator, I am feeling much more confident. Porque tenemeos jucicio fangoso primero?

Wish me luck! Tomorrow is my first session!

P.S. That statement is "Why do we have cloudy judgement in the beginning?"

Paint, Canadia, and Beef Stew

On a whim, we decided to head to Ottawa during our Spring Break (except for poor doc, he doesn't get Spring Break, he just got a few days off due to the law mandating medical residents to have at least 24 hours off every 10 straight days of work... So he earned it).

Ottawa. Our neighboring nation's capitol. It was a very European city. No direct route anywhere. (Thank God for Nicole's new best friend, Tom-Tom!) After circling the city 5 times due to no seeing the turnoff for our hotel's parking, and having no side streets, and touring the ancient roadways of Canada, we finally found our hotel. In the middle of the city! It was pretty cool! Our room had a view of a little bit of the canal, the streets, the people... It was lovely. And the hotel butted up against the mall. Pretty convenient for food and commodities access... But it was a little strange to take the elevator in the mall and press the button marked 'Westin Hotel.' We toured the Canadian Mint and the Contemporary Arts Gallery. In the art gallery, we were greeted by a 40 foot sculpture of a just born infant. Interesting. (But most contemporary art is) They also had an exhibit for children to attempt their own art. Nicole made a beautiful 'bug' perched on a coffee filter (I couldn't think what else to call it!). We also dined in a restaurant called 'Elephant & Castle.' Not sure of the name, but I loved the food! It was a cozy little pub. Dave and I both ordered the Stuffed Yorkshire Pudding. (I crave it now, perhaps that's what I will make for dinner this weekend!) But as we were seated, we noticed we were next to a table of college girls. By eavesdropping, we concluded they were all 'travellers' of sorts and were trying to 'one up' each other with their stories and experiences. Kinda funny! We giggled a bit at their comparisons of belongings and adventures! But the thing that threw us over the line of giggling and straight into rolling our eyes was the invitation to the other girls to come and visit her house. "No, better yet, come to my cottage, you'll love it." This girl owns a house and a cottage? Listening a little more, we discovered the house, the cottage, both belong to the 'rents and all of their travels were family vacations! Yes, cool to visit so many places with family, but not cool to brag about your solo travels and personal properties. We enjoyed out meal much more after the afore mentioned party paid for their meal...

But the beginning of the week, I was determined to paint the office. I have had the paint IN the office since August... Same time I painted our bedroom. I had even taped half of the office in September. I also invited some of our previous house guests to take a whack and the paint job themselves.... However, after the doc became disgusted to realize I have still waited this long and the week was coming to a close, I decided to tape the whole thing off and get started. It took 3 or 4 hours, but it wasn't really THAT hard! The office is now a gorgeous shade of barn red. That's how I describe it! I think the actual name of that particular shade is 'Sun Dried Tomato' or something like that. It's lovely, but I will have to post pictures later.

So now that things are back to normal, I am the car-pooling, lunch-making, hard-working mom again that I was before break. But something seems to have died in my car while we were gone! It smells. (That is as graphic as I will get!) Nicole tells me it smells like Beef Stew (a reference to the movie 'Benchwarmers' with John Heder) The Beef-Stew-mobile. The one that had a crack in the tranny's filter (I had that fixed Monday and now it's running...... better!), the black jelly bean has changed its name.

Dunh Dunh Dunh... And another one bites the dust.....

I always wanted to play that song for my basketball warm-ups...

Why do I keep buying DYING cars???Time for us to face the facts. My little black jelly bean is dying. Which means, I have driven yet another car into the ground (or in the last leg of its life). That makes 4 for me that have given up on me before I was done with them. Four cars that were actually dying before I got ahold on them... The van, LeBaron, Cressida, now the SL-2. I don't pray for rain nor food on the table (well, yes I do, but not as desperately as) I pray for transportation. We need a miracle. Don't stop praying!

Random Acts of Kindness

At the New Year, I decided I wanted to be a friendlier person. One who loves her friends and goes out of her way to do things for them. I've been praying for such opportunities in my life and this past month I have completed a bunch of them! A friend of mine is having some car trouble. Well, her car got into trouble and she can't get it fixed right now. She has been walking everywhere! Not just to the store, but to her jobs and back, the stores and back... And she lives close to me. This is a big help for me, too. So I don;t have to worry about not remembering to go get her, I see her on the same path as me! It feels good to help out a friend.

A Frustrating Frustration

*Names have been changed for posterity's sake*

Frustration is not only frustrating for the frustrated, but also for the free-standing friend, Long division, although it can provide a fair amount of frustration, is not a conspiracy formulated for the sole purpose of instigating frustration. I bet *Caty* would disagree...

Yet, I seem to have a hard time comprehending the frustrations of long-division, since I am no longer in the 3rd grade. I, too, remember questioning the random remainders, the supposedly logical methods for dividing by some random numbers, but that was 10+ years ago (okay, 20!!).

As the free-standing, faithful friend, I find that factors of division in themselves are invaluable to daily life. Only if I stop to focus on it, that is. They are engrained, invisible, understood, even part of the daily mechanics in basal functioning. But for some, especially those in the 3rd grade, I sympathize. I have a hard time seeing the simplicity of a misunderstanding in the mathematical world. Don't call me callous, nor ignorant, simply simple-minded in approaching the frustrating factors of mathematics.

In essence, if you are frustrated at my attempt to help, I will most likely become frustrated as well. The world does not have to come crashing down for me, just because it does so for you. We simply need to take one math step at a time. Together.

Snow Bunnies

Nicole was snow shoeing.

Dave was snow shoeing...

And I was, too.

Today we headed up to Thompson Park to do a little snow shoeing. Dave nd I got new 'shoes' a few weeks ago, but never had the chance to break 'em in properly. It was a little cold (and Nicole never ceased to remind us!) and we really did't go that far, but we sure got a work out.... And a lot of that workout was fixing Nicole's shoes, setting her upright again, and attempting to sprint through the slush and ice!

Can you guess where I am from my clues???

Location #1. Pictoral Clue

Location #2. Fact. I received 56 phone calls (pages) from Nicole within 45 minutes just to tell me that she loves me. Or about the book that she's reading. Or about something that Tink did. Or that her cough is not getting better... Or or or...

The answers:

#1. Target parking lot.
#2. At home, on the couch. Nicole was home sick.

morning musings

1. A drunken man. A few weeks ago we headed up to Canada. My awesome BIL came to NY so, why not head to another country? We shopped in the little stores (I was desperate to find an extra hat and scarf! Nicole needed some more goodies, too!) A lot of Canada isjust like the US. Well, for the most part. The differences are small and unique! The crosswalk is one of them! Not neessarily the crosswalk, but the crosswalk sign. See here. Bobb-o and I called him the drunken man. And he mimicked him quite well, too. The man does not look like he is walking, but rather, stepping in a grandiose-clownish manor, easier described as a bit tipsy. Which one???













2. Dave's best friend is here visiting, his name is Dave, too. Pretty cool, since one of my best friends (kindred spirits) is name Tiffany.... (What's more fun than two Tiffany's???) So it's like having TWO of my husbands around! Same personality, same sense of humor, and they BOTH get my jokes...

3. Tink's new favorite person is the mailman! Not only does he bring us large packages (and bills) and boxes, but he ALWAYS brings Tink a treat! He rings the doorbell to announce that the packages have arriced, and Tink wags her tail (so wildly that her whole body wags), barks at the top of her lungs, and leaps to the door!


4. Not only did I get a new desk at work (which is GREAT since the other one was wobbling and falling apart), but I got a new chair! I have officially upgraded from a 1970's dining room chair with no support or comfort to a brand spankin' new office comfort chair with wheels and arm rests! I feel pretty darn important in my classroom! Well, this is just a picture of the box, but this is my new joy!

5. We had a lot of snow lately. A lot of cold, too. But very icy snow, nothing that will pack into a snow man very well. We have made a pile with some rocks for eyes and a licorice for his mouth and a scarf and hat and named him Bill, but he will never stand. Nicole and I made these the other day instead.

6. This is a picture of Tink playing her new game. Keep away from me. She brings the toy to the closed door and removes it once it sounds like we are trying to remove it. Definitely goofy. Reverse keep away! She will always be entertaining!

7. Nicole has been taking swimming lessons for a little over a month. Se is at least brave enough to jump into the water (granted two peopl are ready to catch her), but we're not quite ready to have her put her face in the water yet! The water at the Y is like 90 degrees!!!! So f course it's foggy in that room! My camera fogs up as if I were under water!

8. AND that's about it! It's finally Saturday, I got to sleep in, watch movies, so I'm happy. I hate being rushed, but that's the life of a person with two jobs!!!

Sudoku Revelations

Most of the time, I look like I'm staring into space... ACtually, my mind is running numbers, placing them everywhere! From what I can gather, Sudoku is the most logical pattern. So when I finally sit down and play Sudoku on paper, I've got tons of other thoughts going through my head! Here are some revelations of recent:

1. I only have 7 pounds left to reach my goal!

2. my tea only gets colder when I put it in a larger mug (but I get to drink more!)

3. the doc is lookin' finer and finer every day!

4. I now have 2 jobs. If the hours are counted together, I would just have a split shift. And now I have less time to do the things I didn't have enough time for before!!! But I get to be with Nicolee more! And I am going to be the head creative instructor of the SACC program (self-named title, of course)

5. I have a horrible headache. Mostly because I went to bed so early last night and slept in so late this morning. "My headache is this big." By the standards of the old Excedrin commercials (of the late 80's!) I am the poster patient for this miracle drug. But I don't even want to move my head to go find it!

6. I'm starting to remember a bunch of old home remedies for things that Nicole is experiencing. We're trying the hot water with lemon and honey instead of cough syrup.... And she LOVES it! It's probably a lot better for her, anyway. And she thinks she's ALMOST as cool as me, drinking tea...

7. T is for Tiffany and Tea is for Tiffany. I want to open a Tea Shoppe one day. A little corner shoppe, like a coffee shoppe with overstuffed chairs and couches and beatnick musicians and poets on stage. I would like to be a performer, too!

8. Nicole has been playing Sudoku recently... She has a little different strategy than mine... She puts what number she would LIKE to go in that square. So about a quarter of all of my sudoku pages have been randomly filled in with numbers... Between 0 and 963! I'm likin' it!

9. Since I am dying/dieting, I, of course, only want the foods that I am not allowed to have. I would KILL for some mint 'n chip ice cream or nachos that are dripping with processed cheese or life cereal. Oh, I just want life cereal for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner! But writing is so therapeutic for me (which is funny since sometimes writing is hardest for me to do!), so I have created a document, listing all of the things that I want. But once I got 'em down on paper (or pixels), the desire has gone away (all except for the Life cereal... Mikey lkes it, I do, too!).

10. I HATE that anything regarding your weight is so personal and judgemental, whether intentional or not! Nicole and I were watching an episode of the Pink Panther (long live old school cartoons!) and he stepped on one of those scales that 'predicted' things and outlined your peronality, but since the machine did not know or see HIM, it called him '42 pounds' What a horrible identity! "I got news for ya, 42 pounds," it said. I am very glad that when people begine a conversation with me, they have enough respect NOT to say, "Hey *165* pounds" or "I got news for ya, *165* pounds!" There's more to me than just a number. And whether I'm embarassed by it or not, whether it is consuming my lifestyle or not, I am thankful we, as humans, function on a first name basis (Except for my friend Douglas and Gatrell.... We all go by last names. I am still called my by maiden name, only by them! It'll never change!).

11. And as my typing bores the intellectual type, I a becoming more and more entertained by the click-clacking of the keys. I've begn forming short stories while playing sudoku and elaborating later. It's definitely interesting, as most of my creativity is quickly forgotten as I wait to find the pen and paper or even open the Word document_ I need a mental tape recorder. Something to remember those creative sparks. So for now, I've got nothin'. Just a few VERY short stories to remind myself of the creativity I thought I had, but forgot about.

Tink

Nicole is now self-entertaining.

The doc, too.

And I can hold my own.

That just leaves Tink. What does she do all day while we're gone? Sleep? Bark at the mailman? Play her usual games?

She plays this game with me while I am in another room ith the door closed. She sticks her paws under the door til I let my fingers crawl toward her and she moves her hand. So I stick a pen under the door and she tries to 'grab' it (p.s. she uses her paws like hands!).

But she has a NEW game! Now when I close the door, she takes one of her toys in her mouth, carries it to the door and drops it. She takes it between her paws/hands and pushes it under the door just a little bit. When I move my hands to grab the toy, she removesi t! Kinda like reverse keepaway!

Tee hee!!!