Flying Things, Snack of the Day, Monday Monday...

Japanese Beetles.....
Birds, sometimes...
Airhogs

What do they all have in common? They all seem to fly through the house and run into EVERYTHING around you!!!! Not only is Doc pretending just to be a big kid, Nicolee hs received a mini air hog for her birthday and she is flying all over the living room! Pop-Pop would have been proud! Until then, there's all this buzzing in the living room and Tink and I are both ducking!!!!!

And onto Snack of the Day..... We had these wonderfully awesome Sundae Cones! But instead of ice cream in our oversized waffle cones, I filled it with a fruit salad of diced strawberries, bananas, and grapes sweetened with honey. They were delicious! And I was SO distracted, that I didn't take a picture!

Breakfast in 'bed'

This morning I actually had a chance to sleep in... By 8:00, Nicolee and I were downstairs taking care of Tink, etc..... AFter finishing the morning rounds, I collapsed on the recliner and Nicolee ran into the living room and asked if I wanted breakfast in bed.

I answered, 'yes, honey, but I'm not in bed anymore.'

She said, 'that's okay.....'

Then she ran in and asked for the stool.

Then she came and asked me to get the bread down for her.

Then she came in and asked me which jelly I'd like.

Then she came in and asked me where the toaster was.

Then she ran in and asked me to plug it in for her.

Then she gave me a knife and asked me to spread out my own jam.

Then she came in and asked me if I was enjoying the breakfast she made for me....

Then she asked me if I would do the dishes.

Don't you love breakfast in bed?

This is how I found my kitchen upon 'waking up.'

FREE is the magic 4-letter F-word

We went to a FREE Easter Egg hunt at a local church the FREE building craft at Home Depot, the FREE Monsters vs. Aliens craft at Michael's, and then we were SO disappointed to find that the easter egg hunt at the historical Society was not FREE. (ten bucks instead!) I'll just have to find something else FREE to replace it... Like the FREE redbox code on Monday... Or the FREE coupons I have for tomatoes, peaches, and frozen dinners!!!

I like FREE!

I like cereal

A boy in my SACC group used to say 'I like cereal' at the drop of a hat.  

T: How are you today? 

K: 'I like cereal!'

T: What'd you learn in school today?

K: 'I like cereal!'

T: What do you think we're having for snack today?

K: 'I like cereal!"

My uber-creative mind wanders to when I, too, loved cereal enough to recall my infatuation in every instance... And I can only long for those days when I was more concerned about the awesome toy inside, rather than the fiber content and insertion of whole-grains into my diet....

But I still like cereal!

Guess what we had for dinner!

A bit about me....

25 random facts about me......

1. I look younger than I am. My students think I'm 18 or 19. (Who am I to correct them?)
2. I am seriously dyslexic. But I am too much of a perfectionist to let it come out... too often...
3. I am a type A person since my accident, but I was a 'type B' person (or whatever you call the opposite!) before my accident.... And the two collide, wrestle, and occasionally one will win. Right now I am trying to get back in that type A mode!!!
4. Yo pienso en el espanol antes de puedo hablar en igles! You tengo que traducir las palabras, pensando por muchas minutas, entoncesyo miro muy muda!
5. I LOVE to watch movies! Correction. I love to let movies watch me! (I can't watch a movie and do nothing. I have to type, write, draw, build something, etc.... The theatre doesn't appeal to me anymore!
6. I still think about some things in terms of basketball principles. It's not too bad to not quit til the game's over, or be unselfish with statistics and assist others, or to try to predict the next move but be ready for anything, but it is kinda silly to jump to the triple threat position when I am ready to get started or use some courtside lingo to describe how to tackle a certain task... Basketball in in my blood.
7. I am not addicted to facebook. Or e mail. Or IM. Or the internet. I am addicted to the computer. I could get my 'fix' by creating a spreadsheet or database, just as easily as I could by reading entertaining e mails or headlines!!!
8. I still remember Mitosis from high school biology. The 5 phases are1. Interphase, 2. Prophase, 3. Metaphase, 4. Anaphase, and 5. Telephase. I know it's pointless, useless information to you and me... At least Miss Wagner would be proud of me!!!
9. I am a goof. Not a secret, but there are secrets as to why!
10. I am a klutz, too. You can't tell because I am a goof, remember?
11. My hands can touch my knees when I walk, so I keep them up near my face as much as I can!!!
12. I judge the grocery stores in town by their produce display. I am in love with the produce department!
13. I eat salsa out of the jar.
14. I LOVE coffee ice cream, coffee flavored goodies, the smell of coffee, etc. But I won't go near the REAL stuff!
15. I don't think I could be content in one job forever... One day I'd like to run a B&B, own a tea/breakfast shoppe, write a book, be a personal assistant, be a basketball or team coach, paint or draw for some job, and who knows, there may be plenty of other things I'd like to try!!!
16. I LOVE to sing! Sing at the top of my lungs! I don't think the doc's ever really heard me, cause I have major 'performance fright.' I am pretty embarassed to sing in front of other people... And I have scar tissue in my vocal chords, I am certain that I don't have that vocal quality everyone is looking for! Luckily, I can wail to the Phantom of the Opera at work and no one has to hear me!!!
17. I hate math, but I am pretty math-oriented. I do weird math in my head, averaging, multiplication, etc, things that don't really need to be done. Who wants to know what the square root of my street number is? Who wants to know how many more hours of tutoring I have in ratio to blah blah blah.....?
18. I once saw the movie Waitress, which was a pretty lame story.. But I pinpointed a new train of thought!!! She (whatever Keri's character was named) daydreamed in pies. She created an 'I hate my husband pie' with caramel and dark chocolate and dark cherries... Then some other good mood quiche/pie with chicken and gouda cheese and eggs..,. My meals have this feel to them. I have begun creating plenty of these "I-had-a-great-day-can't-you-tell" recipes, new combinations, etc. And it's FUN!!!
19. My persona changes often. Almost every day. Today I wanted to be a little on the athletic side. Yesterday, I was the intellectual type, the day before I was the prissy goody goody and didn't want to get cold and wet in the snow... Who knows what tomorrow will bring!
20. I second guess myself all the time. Not just my answers and decisions, my math, my directions, my wardrobe choice, my....
21. I sometimes wish I had named Nicole 'Caroline' instead.... And every time I wish that, I remember that the doc would NEVER go for it...
22. I hate country music SOOOO much! I get mad at the doc every time he turns it on.... But I'm not sure why. Part of it MUST be the way my dad hates country music. He got SOOOO mad at me once when I turned the Judds on in his work truck! I almost walked home that day! Or maybe part of it was that I liked it for a time, then I was in the hospital, and my mom would turn it on, tie me into bed (yes, you read that right), then leave me to fall asleep at 9:00..... The next morning at 8, when the nurse untied me, THEN they would turn it off... It just reminds me of being tied in bed. Sheesh.
23. I lost my taste while I was in the hospital. There are still a few things that have no taste in my mouth.... so I usually douse them with hot sauce, salsa, etc. Maybe I just shouldn't eat them.
24. I miss the ocean! Swimming, skiing, visiting the lake just isn't the same. And to pair it with a sunset! That's just the West Coast, baby! I crave it!!!
25. I LOVE looking at the sky! Sunsets are one of my favorite things to watch... And I LOVE the clouds.... And I LOVE the different colors of the sky! Simply, I just love the sky!

And #4 says "I think in spanish before I can speak in english, I have to translate my words back to english, it takes me a few seconds, then I just look dumb for taking so long to respond!!!!"

WHEW! I finished! But this one didn't take as long as the '100 things about me' I once filled out!!!

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!

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!

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

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.

Difference is good

NY is unlike any other place I've been.

Even Tink agrees, although she is a native New Yorker (and I will always be a California girl)! She is funny to watch in the snow! First off, the doc has shaved her again, this time a little closer to the skin. She's very soft, but not very well-insulated! She LOVES to go out in the snow, though!


First she pounces into the snow and digs her head in. Then she starts sniffing the frozen precipitation and begins rooting around. When she stands still, she looks like an ostrich with her head buried in the ground. Then she starts following whatever scent she can find under that blanket and chases it.... Like a lawnmower, moving everything in its path! By the time she comes back to the porch, she's covered in snow! And she loves it! We head inside to wipe off he snow, which is stuck in her fur like big, white, furry boots and then she takes off, tracking her wet prints all around the house. It's quite a chore AND a funny sight!










The doc loves it. He plans to start snowshoeing after Christmas.... Granted a certain something ends up under the tree! It's cold, yes. But he LOVES the fireplace, with all of the lovely firewood, compliments of ME. But on the cold nights, after dinner is prepared but not yet served, he discovered another way to keep warm. Dinner. My important job of recent has been to serve warm, filling meals...









Soups, stews, baked yummies..... For this reason!



When interviewed, Nicole even said she likes the snow. No, she loves the snow. She hikes through it, sleds over it, jumps in it, and she even admits to eating a bit..... Don't worry, I have taught her color that discrimination is alright, ONLY when it comes to snow! We have yet to make a snowman, but I don't think that less than 6 inches will be enough snow. No worries, we are in snow country, near the Adirondacks, close to Canada, further north than CA. Snowmen will come!I, on the other hand, love it and hate it. I love the cold, brisk sunshine with big puffy flakes falling from the sky! I love cuddling by the fire with hot chocolate and Ga Ga's afghans... I just can't seem to get rid of that perpetual chill straight down my spine. It never leaves. I'm always cold!!!!! (But Tink is my own personal temperature control unit! That girl is COOKIN'! And she loves to sit on my feet!!!) (pics to come) Now if only I could get her to warm my gloves while I am at work!!!So wherever you spend your winter months, stay warm!!!

Tag - I'm it!

I've been tagged!!

The rules:
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then go to their blogs and leave them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

1) I never want to sit on the couch in the living room..... But it's the best couch and the most comfortable couch ever!!! When the doc was in med school, he sat on the center cushion to study..... for like 5+ hours a day! Now there is a permanent dip in the couch. It's no longer comfortable. :(

2) I am an art junkie..... But I think I am an art supply junkie instead.... I seem to have a LOT more supplies than I have acual finished products...

3) I would rather shop in a thrift store for unique things than Target or Walmart..

4) I have become laaaaaaaaaazy. I park my car in the front now, then by the time I'm ready for bed, the ONLY thing that gets me moving to move my car to the garage is the fact that I WILL get a ticket for parking my car on the street between 11pm and 5 am..... Darn it!

5) I make lists every day. It's the only way to get my days organized! I make to do lists, shopping lists, and sometimes I feel like I make lists of lists. I ALWAYS have a list with me!

6) When I am talking on the phone or kinda zoning out, I like to draw daisies ALL OVER! All over everything!

Okay, now the almost ineffective part of my blog. Bobby, Ann, Shannon, Sarah, Shaybert, ah, only 5.... you're all it. And GO!

You know me....

I will do anything for a laugh.... And I usually find them everywhere, too! This morning, as I was taking Nicole to school, I was discussing some of the traffic laws,like understanding the lights. P.S. I have explained this to her a million times already! I believe that Nicole should understand her world around her, not just look at it! So her response? "I know, mom... I already know everything because I am in Kindergarten!" Maybe I should go back to Kindergarten!

Also, as we turned around the corner to jump into the drop off line, a little boy came around the corner on his skateboard.... Skateboarding to school! I haven't seen that in AGES!!!

I am Batman

Seriously, not. But every morning on my way to work, I turn down Gotham. They pronounce it a little differently, which makes me giggle inside and think about Batman a little more! But Gotham street is a little more familiar now.... Can't say that about the rest of the grid, though! I can find my way around, though, just give me a little time, I'll pull off some random turns and FIND a street that I know! I think my sense of direction is getting a little better! Yesterday I was coming home from work and my car started to act little funny. It was acting like it didn;'t want to drive.... And then it shut off. Luckily I had pulled over to the curb, so I coasted out of the MIDDLE of the street! I would start and roll over fine, but then it would DIE! I gave up on it. I turned it off, grabbed everything out of the car thta I needed, and started walking home... But which direction was home? I turned down a couple of streets.... I was thinking of knocking on a door and asking which direction was State Street.... But did it! I found my way! I was pretty stupid, though. I grabbed EVERYTHING out of my car. The soup cans I just bought, my bag full of books, my jacket, a few other random things I had left in my car, and I carried them all the way home. At LEAST a mile! Okay, maybe JUST a mile.... But that's enough for me! My car is fine, just finicky, now.... I need to learn the streets better! However, if I WAS Batman, I wouldn't have to worry about the car OR the streets so much, would I?

TAG, you're it!

P.S. Just a word of caution. I HATE forwards. I am talking a serious, passionate disliking to the letters FW: in front of ANYthing sent to me. If I read into this too much, or any other surveys, I might call myself a hypocrite!!Anyway.....

TAG!I'm it, now you're it...
Here's how you play: Once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog w/ 10 weird, random things, facts, habits or goals about yourself. At the end choose 10 people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them. Don't forget to leave them a comment ("You're It") and to read your blog. You can't tag the person who tagged you. Since you can't tag me back, let me know when you've posted your blog so I can see your answers!

MY "its."

1. I am dyslexic. Seriously dyslexic. Hilariously dyslexic. A number of things come into play. When thinking before I write, I don't have to consider how things are spelled, conjugated, etc, I have to think about which direction to write my letters! I also mix up and jumble letters (even though I am adamant about correctly spelling everything [not necessarily TYPING, though!])... My mind actually jumbles the letters for me in every word. So when I first read something, I can calculate many other alphabetical possibilities... For example, in National Treasure I knew that Valley Forge was comin'.... Who, honestly picks 'fargo levy' as a password???

2. I miss playing basketball. Sometimes when I am sitting in the chair, I have an almost out-of-body experience where I feel like I'm driving down the key..... But it's sometimes just gravity as the recliner rocks forward! And when chasing Tink around the yard, when she changes direction, I automatically think, 'pik and roll' or 'weak side' or back door'.... Seriously, talk about engrained practices, Coach Grainger (do you think he read that???)

3. I work a Sudoku book from back to front. Get to the REAL challenges first! Then I usually give up by the time they're too easy... I also play mental sudoku when my eyes are closed.

4. I abhor all twangs of country music. I feel betrayed when those close to me choose to listen to it in my presence. I also feel betrayed since my dad, who taught me to hate the genre, is starting to sing it himself! How sad...

5. I am not addicted to myspace. Or e mail. Or IM. Or the internet. I am addicted to the computer. I could get my 'fix' by creating a spreadsheet or database, just as easily as I could by reading entertaining e mails or headlines!!!

6. Contrary to my dear husband's movie preference, I love ACTION films! Cheesy, I know! But I think it stems from my deep, secret desire to participate in the WNBA... Or the CIA... Or something that keeps me MOVING!

7. I sincerely enjoy entertaining. I want to have someone over for dinner EVERYday. I want to create millions of brand new, inspiring meals that people love.... But I don't want to spend more than 15 minutes cooking... And I usually accompish the last two! So that means you need to come over and help me accomplish the first part!

8. I am a goof. Not a secret, but there are secrets as to why!

9. My biggest fear in life is having bad breath. Not only do I brush my teeth quite often, but I ALWAYS carry breathmints, gum, or mouthwash.... Sometimes all 3!

10. I still remember Mitosis from high school biology. The 5 phases are1. Interphase, 2. Prophase, 3. Metaphase, 4. Anaphase, and 5. Telephase. I know it's pointless, useless information to you and me... At least Miss Wagner would be proud of me!!!

Who's IT?

1. Shannon.... cause you're always laughing at me, it's your turn to make me laugh!
2. Kelle... I know you've got some great answers for this!
3. Amy.. beacause you love ME!
4. the other Shannon! (how do you know which one's which?) 'cause you have so much time for this.... and what's another 10 minutes on myspace, anyway? It's not like it's wasted or anything!
5. Robin... As a psychologist, I know you've got some depth to ya!
6. Valerie... Cause I picked you
7. Emily, you're my kindred spirit,
8. Lourdes... Cause I CAN pick you!
9. Angela... Cause now that you have a baby, you have lots of time for this
10. yeah, 9'sit... Cause I can bet you anything Zach Braff won't even realize that he's been tagged.... Even if I forcibly send him an e mail....

ramblings.....

The lazy man does twice as much work????
Well, it's time to change a bit of that old saying, the lazy man leaves twice as much work for the next person! But Wednesday I got out the paint, rollers, tape, drop cloths.... I taped the room and started painting around 7:30am. I finished taping, cutting in, and painting the entire room... Er, just the first coat! BUT, the corner of the ceiling that meets the wall has been compromised! There is no longer a distinctly definitive line! Too much putty has been used to finish the wall that hasn't been smoothed out. The line of where the ceiling starts and the wall ends is more of a suggestion. I spent 30 minutes putting the tape where I wanted it to go! We'll see how it looks when I'm finished!

30 Minute Meals
I do love to cook... I love to create my own versions of things and multiple variations of simple meals.... But I don't like to spend too long doing it! Last night, Nicole and I had the following conversation:
T: What should I make for dinner? Daddy will be home in 5 minutes!!!
N: I dunno, but this lady is showing a 30 minute meal! You should make one of those.
T: Oh, wow.... But I don't have 30 minutes til daddy comes home, I have 5. I need a 5 minute meal!
N: Oh, I have a good idea! How 'bout an 8 minute meal?
T: Do you know of one?
N: No, but that's your favorite number!
Needless to say, I took 10 minute to throw together an awesome meal!

After dinner we went to the Cow Lick. Yes, the Cow Lick! It's an ice cream stand!!!

Then we found the prettiest river access! Like, I might wanna have Nicole's birthday party there instead!

The Truman Show of My Life

Being across the street from the park, we see a lot of neighborhood activity.

First a man jogged by.

Then a girl was walking her dog.

Then a chubby little boy was running with his dog.

Then a strange lady in fuschia and burgundy went by.

I'm just like my dad. My family can attest to his history of "color coordination," but when Nicole fetched a pair of socks for me last night, they were burgundy, And despite the fuschia hue that was my top, I was a bit too lazy to go upstairs and get another pair. However, fellow athletes and regular exercisers do not cast judgement on you for you outward appearance.... Unless that fellow aerobiciser happens to be me or my sister!
Lucky for me!

My girl

She loves puppies, daisies, crafts, writing, cleaning, exercising, pretending, watching cooking shows with me, decorating, quoting movies, making up words, and so much more! She is just like me!

This morning we decided to go for a walk the OTHER way. The other way, as in, the other direction! We always turn left on State St. We turned right! I didn't discover anything I couldn't lie without, but it was nice to head somewhere else. I tell ya, Ihave been walking a lot lately. I wish I had something to show for it!

Nicole is currently mesmerized by Rachel Ray and I'm waiting for the Schwann's guy. What a life! But in the words of Nicole, "Delish."

Life is delish.