10 Random Things for a Friday

1. Until last weekend, I did not know what a corpse flower is or that Houston was the 4th largest city in the US. Thank you to Chookooloonks for filling me in.
2. When a hotel tells you that their conference room will seat 100 people, they are usually exaggerating. What they mean is you can cram 100 people into the room if you don't want anybody to be able to move around or leave to go to the bathroom or turn around to talk to the person behind them. Plan on about 70. If they say 100. Plan for 70.
3. Kewpie dolls kind of freak me out. They look like they could come alive at any minute and run around the room screeching their little Kewpie screeches. Or whining. Either is equal in my "no high pitched noises tolerance" head. I think the whining would be worse though. And why is it you rarely ever find a Kewpie doll with clothes on? Is it a prerequisite that they either be naked or in some creepy crocheted outfit? And then Pioneer Woman went and posted a picture of Kewpie dolls stuffed in a box on a wall. And it was in my Google Reader Feed. And I read it on Wednesday night. And the night just went downhill from there.
   
4. My bedroom looks like the laundry room exploded. I actually think it might have. but I really need to clean it all up. because I need to vacuum in there. That and I can't find my favorite T-shirt. It's got to be in there somewhere.
   
5. It took me 4 tries to spell vacuum right.
6. The Babe and Son2 and I made no-bake cookies on Monday night. Actually... Son2 read me the recipe off of the computer because I was too lazy to write it down. and the Babe cried because I wouldn't let her stir the chocolate on the stove. and then she cried because I wouldn't let her eat the cookies when they were still so hot they'd burn your fingers. and then she wouldn't go to bed until they cooled and she could have one. Which serves me right for making no-bakes at 8:30 at night on a Monday. And let me just state for the record that the whole darn thing was Mistry's fault anyway. Because she is the one that is always talking about no-Bake cookies. So there.
7. I had to get a new debit card because I had fraud activity on the old one. I forgot to update the card info on my $12.95 Tivo account. They shut me off earlier this week. It took me most of about 90 seconds to update the card info on Tivo's website. It took me another 15 minutes to realize that I couldn't figure out how to find on their website how to update the Tivo box so that it knew I had paid. It then took me 39 minutes on hold and then talking to a real person to figure the whole thing out. Then there was nothing good on TV anyway.
8. It irritates the carp out of me when people answer the phone and then are annoyed because they are busy doing something else and you are bothering them by calling them. THEN WHY DID YOU ANSWER THE PHONE?
9. I have a Family Feud on Facebook problem. I even went so far as to log on to Hubby's Facebook account just so that I could play 3 more games. Yes. I know. Pit-i-ful.
   
10. Son2 went home last night. I miss him already.

Many blessings my friends. Find a reason to have a couple of people over and have a beer on the back deck. If your week was anything like mine, you've earned it.

Message to My Friend Who Knows Who She Is and That This Is About Her

Hello Friend.

This is me. Your friend. The one that cares about you. The one that KNOWS.

You know that thing we were just talking about on Facebook?

Yeah. THAT thing.

GO DO IT!!

I'm telling you. As your friend. If you don't do it now, you'll just regret it later. And later will flat out suck. So you should go do it now.

not later.

now.

Because I'm your friend. And I'm cool like that.

And because I will pester you in a million ways until you go do it.

Because I'm your friend. And I'm cool like that.

I Stole This

Stolen from Real Life Lesbian who stole if from Vodka Mom who found it on YouTube.
But regardless of who found it where, it will make you laugh. :) And we all need that quite a bit more often than we do it.

Sangria Update

Finally got around to trying the Sangria Wednesday night. It wasn't too good. Added sugar and left it sit until last night.

Last night - the sangria sucked.

Definitely should follow a recipe of some kind next time. Winging it in the world of Sangria was not my best idea ever. Ruined a good bottle of wine in the process. :(

Anybody have a good recipe? Recommend a good wine to make sangria from?

10 Random Things for a Friday

1. When I was 16, my first job was at McDonald's. While I worked there the McDonald's Monopoly game debuted. They gave us all these really cool green Poker Visors. I LOVED it. I had it until the kids destroyed it one Halloween. I miss that visor.
2. I am sick of "vote someone off" each week reality shows. That said, I really still like "The Next Food Network Star" and "Top Chef". I watch them every week. On TiVo. Because were it not for TiVo and Hulu I'd watch zero TV. But why is it you hear very little about any of the winners a few years later?
   
3. People that are ultra organized drive me crazy. I would however like to invite one of them over to my house to help me out for a few days. My office is worse. It's getting pretty ridiculous. I should probably have them come there first. Any volunteers?
   
4. For more than 2 decades I have bought a new Sting album the week that it comes out. I will however never go to another of his concerts. They really aren't any more exciting than one of his albums.
5. Remind me to tell you about how we ended up getting married 2 hours from home and honeymooning at the State Fair. Our anniversary is in a few weeks. I need a plan for something cool to do this year.
   
6. I think I'll make a pineapple upside down cake this weekend. My mom used to make it in a Lifetime Cookware skillet. Apparently it was a demonstration recipe from when she sold the cookware to put herself through part of college. Either that or I'm going to find out which day Perkins has the pineapple upside down muffins. Then I'll have to figure out where is the nearest Perkins.
7. Perkins muffins aside, I am trying to do a better job of buying food that doesn't require labels. We spend a great deal of our food dollars at the farmer's market. I've already pre-ordered beef for fall from a local farm. This makes the carnivore in my house very happy. If I could stomach the idea of slaughtering and de-feathering chickens, I'd buy roaster chickens. But that is a whole other story. So finding stories like THIS ONE, make me feel good about our choices.
8. I still can't seem to give up Diet Coke. **big sigh**
   
9. Starbucks' Iced Via is pretty darn good. I'm drinking one as we speak. Or I guess that would be as I speak. Since I am the only one talking right now.
10. Why doesn't the freezer have a light too?

Alrighty kids. It is obviously Friday. Which means tomorrow is Saturday and the day after that is Sunday. Which means that a lot of us get two days off. Me, I'll get one. But that's just because I am still trying to play catch up. And August is already a disaster. But anyway... Not everybody gets the weekend off. Many of them will be checking you out at Target and the grocery store, or cooking that chicken sandwich for you, or tearing your ticket at the theater. So be extra nice to them. They wanted the weekend off too. That said, enjoy your weekend as much as possible. We only get 5 of them this month.

Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act

I am working with some dear friends to help organize the Lincoln, NE stop for Ride for Their Lives on September 3rd. If you can help or simply can attend, we'd love to have your support. If you can't attend ours, please check out the Ride For Their Lives event map and see where they are coming close to you. The initiatives behind the Surviving Parents Coalition are worthwhile for every community. Please show your support.

The 11 Things I Just Brought In From the Car

I just cleaned out the car. OK. Not so much cleaned out as "did damage control to".

1. A very badly faded and well worn Cabela's baseball cap that belongs to my hubby.
2. Dried out Armor All Cleaning Wipes. The Babe loves cleaning with these.
   
3. Two magic gloves. One black. One white. They are gloves. I don't even remember wearing them this winter. Wonder where the other two went?
   
4. A Hoops and YoYo Panic Button. My mom gave me this. Because a) I LOVE Hoops and YoYo. and b)I often need a panic button.
   
5. A pair of Jasmine princess underwear. Size 4. I'm not even going to guess how they ended up in the trunk.
   
6. Two socks that definitely don't match. One blue size 3T. One white size 4T.
   
7. One size 8 pink and white Sketchers tennis shoe. They are the Babe's favorite tennis shoes. I must now find the matching one.
   
8. A "Y" Flashcard. She loves the pictures and is figuring out the letters.
   
9. A Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss DVD. This series should NEVER have been canceled.
   
10. A manila envelope with legal papers that was mailed to me in December. I have an entire drawer full of legal papers regarding this subject.
11. An almost full grocery sack of garbage. Um. Yeah. We won't go there.
    

I think I need to clean out the car more often.

What I Was Going To Post on Facebook

I just dumped part of a not so happy bottle of wine and a really good bottle of Cabernet into a bunch of fresh fruit and some fresh pineapple that had maybe turned and I'm hoping it will result in a really good Sangria. I'll let you know tomorrow how it worked out. Unless of course it is really good. And then I'll have to let you know the day after.

Music Professor!

20 Years later I still have a crush on Elvis Costello. Is that bad?
Paired with Patsy Cline via Diana Krall?
Can you really go wrong?

It's 7:00 on Sunday

The conversation I just didn't have with the Pusher.

Me: I just finished my board packet. I'm considering leaving work, but it's quiet here. Except for the 80s rock blaring from the speakers on my computer

Me: but apparently there is no one at my house either. I think I may go there and drink a bottle of wine.

Me: my house is clean. do you want to come over?

Me: HELLO!!!!!

Me: fine then.

Me: I didn't want to talk to you anyway

Me: **stomps off**

I think she may be ignoring me. Probably has something to do with..... wait. I have no clue why. Maybe she just doesn't love me anymore. ** poor me face**

Aaaachooooo

I have allergies. Dust. But isn't everyone really? It's not like any fool in their right mind would stick their face in a pile of dust bunnies and not sneeze. I'm also allergic to dusting. At least that is what I tell people when they ask about the 1/2 inch of dust on the top of the TV. We won't even talk about the fridge.

Then there are the other things... I've always been allergic to codeine. So there really are no good drugs for pain for me. Please pass the percocet. And paper tape. which of course is "hyper allergenic". So they use it EVERYWHERE. and sulfa drugs. which is fine with me because sulfa antibiotics smell awful anyway. And mustard. and since we have discussed this before I again have to ask, who the hiney is allergic to mustard? and why did this not start until I was 18?

I am also allergic to tree pollen. So when everyone else is happy that their winter cold season is over, I can't breathe. oh well. I still love spring anyway.

But now there is something else. I don't know what it is. But I am downing generic Benadryl like a mad woman. And my eyes itch and my nose is red from wiping it. and then the drugs kick in and I feel better. Except this morning. I decided though that that was because the pills I used expired in 2002. Seriously? who still has allergy pills in their cupboard that expired in 2002? I've moved 3 times since then and I didn't purge pills that expired in 2002? who does that? Oh yes. that would be me.

I wonder if my insurance with the insanely high deductible would cover allergy tests? with my luck though it would say I was allergic to the dogs or the cat. or my kids. or stupid people. there are a lot of them. And then I would cry and just go get shots. and the shots would make me cry and it would all be over but the crying.

that made no sense.

Especially when you take into consideration that I would not spend the money for shots. Not when unexpired Benadryl works just as well. Which brings me to the point of this post. And the question that I wanted to ask 65 people. Because I figure on of you must know.

How long after you take expired meds that you can only take once ever 4 - 6 hours that didn't work can you take meds that aren't expired and might work?

and can somebody run to the store and get some for me? My eyes are red and swollen and itchy and it makes it hard to see to drive.

10 Random Things for a Friday

1. Thursday was the Babe's birthday. We had a really nice trip to the mall for Build A Bear adventuring. We had a not so nice trip to Target. She was WAY over tired. The real party is on Saturday night. I've been convinced to go to the dreaded Chuck the Mouse's place. Should be loud an annoying. But it's what she wants!
   
2. The RED in this picture drives my eyes insane. It's almost as bad as me trying to read white letters on a black background. Which I do believe I have complained about before.
3. I am determined to learn how to quilt. But I've been saying for years that THIS will be the time that I learn to quilt and it never happens. But I really want to make something like this. Really Cool Quilt
   
4. My Q key is sticking. Which made it hard to write all of the Qs in all of the "quilts" above.
5. David Letterman was not nominated for any Emmys this year. And he has complained about it several times this week. I'm not surprised. The show is kind of stagnant. But it's still better than that other one that can't decide on a host. But having his mom and Bret Michaels on in the same night kind of made up for all of the whining.
   
6. My parents will be in town this weekend for the Babe's birthday party. They are coming this afternoon in fact. I'm looking forward to having them here. They don't come often enough. Besides, it's more incentive to clean the house.
7. I really want to buy THIS pie dish. I don't know why. Probably because it makes me think about all of the awesome pies I could make if I really felt like it and didn't have something like 500 pounds to lose. But I already have my a Pyrex plain Jane pie dish that came with the ginormous Pyrex set I bought when I was 20 something. I don't even know where in the kitchen cupboard it is right now. So obviously I use it quite often. Which obviously does not justify a $44 pie plate from Williams-Sonoma. And since I am barred from entering the store by myself, and I've frozen the credit card, it is probably safe to say I won't be buying it. But a gal can drool can't she? I can't believe I just wrote 7 lines about a pie dish.
   
8. THIS STORY that explains how a man ended up naked on the side of the highway with his prosthetic leg on fire has got to be the DUMBEST thing I've heard in forever.
9. My car is 350 miles from needing an oil change. again. It is also only 2 or 3 oil changes away from 100,000 miles. how is that even possible? 59,000 miles in a little over 2 years. I think I may drive too much.
10. The Babe requested Salami and baby carrots for breakfast. We had neither in the house. She cried. And then settled for a Peanut Butter sandwich.

Happy Friday everyone. Hope your weekend is more fun than you expected.

Glee Obsession

This is stuck in my head. Earworms usually drive me crazy. But this one is pretty awesome.

Going On a Lion Hunt

This is what you wear when you are going to have a campfire with your Daddy.

Birthday Planned by a Three Year Old

The birthday boy. The Babe greeted him with a camera and a "Surprise!"


Husband isn't too much for cake. Brownies were the order of the day. I loved the tall taper candles. I've always wanted to have those. The Babe picked them out though. I had nothing to do with it. I swear.

The present haul (picked out entirely by the Babe)

Glee Obsession

I fully admit that I am obsessed with Glee. It drives my every day.

OK. Maybe not THAT obsessed. But it does make me smile when the day just sucks. If you haven't watched it, What rock are you under? HELLO!!! Check out Hulu or buy the DVD or watch the reruns on Fox. You will NOT regret it. I promise. If you don't like it I'll give you your money back. (Given of course that you come to my house and give me an hour to talk you into liking it. And then I'll have to go to the ATM and I might get lost on the way home. And I'll leave you with the Babe who will talk your ear off and then when I get home you'll pay ME to let you leave.) But yeah. Satisfaction guaranteed.

The 10 Random Things That Didn't Get Written on Friday

1. I've been a day off all week. So the fact that this is being done on Saturday is no major shock.
   
2. The Babe's birthday is next Thursday. Fun shall be had by all.
3. We may have eaten a few too many Icy Pops this week. The Hawaiian Punch ones are $1 for 10 at Target Dollar Spot and at Walgreen's. We may have spent a few dollars on them this week.
4. I've been listening to Broadway show tunes for two days. I think Glee may have gotten into my head.
5. I gave up on the "quit the Diet Coke" thing. Yet again. I bought a 24 pack. It was on sale for $5.00. Can you really blame a gal?
6. We've played about 200 games of "I Spy With My Little Eye" this week. It is the Babe's favorite game at the moment.
7. I think I killed my spider plant at work. Either that or it desperately needs re potted.
8. A couple of months ago we bought a 2 person tent for $10 at a garage sale. It still had the tags on it. Last night Daddy set it up for the Babe to "camp" in it in the backyard. She bailed as soon as it got dark enough that she couldn't see the porch. Tonight she has requested a "real" camping trip. We are going to camp out in the back 40 by the fire pit. I'll let you know how it goes.
9. I really liked Toy Story 3. Have you seen it? I'm pretty sure the two adults in our party liked it much better than the kids did. :) It's worth checking out a matinee. Borrow a kid if you have to. Just go. It'll be fun.
10. My hair is long enough again to put in a decent ponytail. I'm considering chopping it shorter again. Either that or going fire engine red. Which do you think?

May you have a blazing fun weekend. You've earned it. I sure know that we have. Off to pack for the camping trip!

Happy Birthday to Him

Hubby's birthday was Tuesday.

He had a birthday parade.

He was sang to more times that I could count.

He opened presents that the Babe picked out completely on her own from the dollar store and the grocery store. Squirt guns, Laffy Taffy, A Garfield key chain that says "talk to the paw", a Valentine's gift bag, 2 mylar balloons, 2 cans of Rockstar, and a huge bag of Icy Pops.

He had brownies with those long taper candles that I've always thought were really cool but I can never find. We now have 24 which is really good because I think they may be making another appearance next week.

He got 45 kisses.

We attempted 45 spankings. But he kind of put a stop to that when the Babe got carried away.

He got a card with frogs on it that the Babe picked out. It said "Happy Birthday 3 year old" but she loved it so we didn't point that part out.

He got breakfast for dinner. We went to IHOP. Because it is close to the house and it was pretty late by the time he got home from the other things he had to do last night. Lasagna is on the agenda for the weekend.

He got a killer present from my parents. A "discovery flight". It's a 30 minute flight where you get to fly the plane for part of it. He's always wanted to learn to fly. So this may have created an expensive monster.

I love him. And 45 looks pretty damn good on him. ;)

From the Mouth of the Babe

"Mom, we need to get Dad these 2 squirt guns for his birthday."

"Why is that Babe."

"Because he loves me and he wants to shoot me."

I May Be Getting Old

I hurt. I'm not that old. But my body seems to think I am today.

My left leg -- I broke my left leg right before I turned 21. So in about a month, it'll be 20 years since I broke it. And my ankle still gives me fits. Never got full range of motion back. It has significant arthritis. And the last few days we've had crappy weather which has made it ache. A lot. And we won't even talk about still taking stairs one at a time. So here I am limping on the left leg.

My right foot -- plantar fasciitis. At least that is the self diagnosis with the help of my dad and the internet. So here I am limping on the right leg.

My left ear hurts. But that's pretty normal considering the weather, allergies and the mixed blessing of air conditioning.

I have a headache. Again, it's the weather. I'm pretty sure. I hope.

My right hand keeps falling asleep. Pretty sure I have the beginning of carpal tunnel.

My right hip. My left hip. My left wrist. And my tail bone. They ALL hurt. you see... I fell on Sunday. Guess what? Rain, smooth concrete, and Crocs do NOT mix. It was a pretty stupid idea actually. Crocs and the Rain? I mean who is that stupid? Apparently I am. And on Sunday I proved it. I ran up to the sitter's door. My scatter brain self forgot to pay her on Friday and decided that running over the money IN THE RAIN with CROCS ON was a good idea. Yeah. Not so much. Coming back down the stairs proved to be more than my graceful self could handle in CROCS and RAIN. And my feet right foot went forward while my tail decided to stay where they were. And then it became quick friends with the stairs. Um... Ouch. Big ouch. So I can sit. And I can stand. But going from one to the other is enough to make me scoot around in my desk chair today so I didn't have to stand up.

And before you say it Mom.... Hubby threw away the Crocs. We won't be doing that again.

See. I am falling apart. I am not old enough to be falling apart. And I KNOW that people have it way worse than I do. I'm just venting. Because my tail hurts. And I need to go let the dogs out and I don't want to get up off of the couch. Because it is going to hurt.

Ouch.

Sarge

Laughed my hiney off I did. OK. Not really. It's still pretty much all there. But I did laugh pretty hard. But more than anything.... I'm really glad they are moving away from the creepy cavemen stuff.

Jaymay - Gray or Blue

I don't love anyone that doesn't love me back. But I really love this song. Can't find a music video version but this one is pretty good. Hope you enjoy it.

10 Random Things for a Friday

1. I am having a Goo Goo Dolls kind of week. Up. Down. A "no time left for losers" kind of week. One of those weeks when you play ballads because they sell but then you play YOUR kind of Rock because that is what you love. Do you understand what I mean?
2. I haven't been down to look at the garden all week. I made a trek Thursday night just to go look at it. There are a lot of weeds. I think I'll stay up by the house.
3. I have only been buying 20 oz bottles of Diet Coke this week. Single serving size. I keep telling myself I'm going go try and ditch the stuff. So I haven't committed myself to a whole 12 pack. My friend Kurt has been nice enough to remind me that it is poison. He's ruined the stuff for me. Then yesterday I spent about $4.50 on the stuff because I bought 3 of them. I think I should just go buy the 12 pack.
4. I'll be better when I'm older. I just don't know when that will be.
5. Anybody want to come take pictures of the 3 of us? We need an informal picture to put on the wall. And it's pretty hard to take a picture with yourself in it. And I have an idea in my head of what I want it to look like. And it's not something you'll get at Olin Mills. Are there even any Olin Mills studios anymore?
6. We lost another book from the library. I wonder if they'll give me credit against the last book that we lost and then found and then returned and then they wouldn't give me my money back for?
7. my password for a program we use at work is 'ru9uthap'. Where the heck did someone come up with that?
8. Granite City has blueberry beer again. Super Dave said we'd go there on Tuesday. And he rescheduled for Wednesday and then canceled Wednesday and we haven't rescheduled. I was going to go fill the growler last night. But that didn't happen either. Had to settle for the last Leinie's Summer Shandy in the fridge.
   
9. I need to take in flowers for my desk. It is a ugly sea of white paper everywhere. Either that or I just need to clean up the desk.
   
10. Taking prop ideas for the Babe's 4 year old pictures. Last year we took a big cupcake and a couple of balloons. Any ideas?

I'm burnt. No idea why. Fried mentally. No clue as to what is causing it. Sorry if the 10 this week reflect that. But it's one of those weeks. As was referenced yesterday in the vodka post. Which by the way I did wait until I got home to drink.

Have a glorious 4th. See if you can get a good picture of fireworks. I suck at taking them. But every year I try. Let me know if it works out for you! I'm going to try this and see where I get.

It's One of THOSE Days

It's one of THOSE days. The kind that makes you wish you'd stayed in bed. Or at least stayed home. Not the worst day I've ever had mind you. Just one that really could go away and nobody would care. Others might even jump for joy. I might do that in fact. But it isn't going away so there will be no jumping.

I bought two bottles of UV Blue at the gas station at lunch. The little airplane size ones. Not the 750 ml ones. Gee. What kind of lush do you take me for? The gas station on the corner by the high school. They have this huge fish tank thing of airplane size bottles of booze. One dolla'. One dolla' and you can check out all of the lovely new flavors of vodka and rum. Without the boozer investment of a whole bottle. Smart little fish tank they have there.

So I bought two little shot and a half bottles of UV Blue at lunch. They are in my purse over there on the table by the door. And they are calling to me. I am one more end of the world phone call from drinking them.

Will somebody stop by with some lemonade?