My Babblings...

Cherry Juice

2009-10-17T11:54:00.003-05:00

My mom heard wonderful things about the benefits of Cherry Juice and debated trying it because it pricey. About $20 a quart. You only use 2 tbsp a day mixed with 8 ox of water though.
She finally bit the bullet and tried it.

She has been drinking her cherry juice now for 6 days (mixing 2 tbsp in 8oz orange juice).
She called me yesterday morning practically screaming that she could walk.
She said she got out of bed, walked to the bathroom and stopped dead in her tracks realizing she wasn't in pain.
It almost scared her. She said every morning she gets out of bed and the first couple steps almost kill her. She's had so much pain in her ankles, and other joints, it's been like that for years. She usually waddles around like a penguin for half hour trying not to bend her ankles, but there was no pain. Same thing this morning, no pain. It said it could take up to 2 weeks for the antioxidants to build up and start working, but it's been a lot sooner for her. I hope it keeps working for her.

Info I found online:

MAIN HEALTH BENEFITS Drinking CHERRYJUICE tart cherry juice daily may help:

Bring pain-relief to those who suffer from arthritis.
Bring pain-relief to those who suffer from gout.
Prevent certain cancers.
Protect against heart disease.
Prevent heart attacks or stroke.
Prevent varicose veins.
Fight and prevent diseases.
Possibly slow the aging process.
Prevent cataracts.

And may help prevent many other chronic diseases.

Anti-inflammatory Health Benefits

Research shows Tart cherry juice is 10 times more effective than aspirin in reducing pain caused by inflammation, arthritis or gout.

Drinking CHERRYJUICE tart cherry juice daily may help:

Prevent as well as treat many kinds of pain.
Provide some relief for joint discomfort.
Provide some degree of free movement in arthritis affected knees, shoulders, hips, fingers, hands, elbows, wrists, ankles, back or any other joints without the usual adverse side effects of aspirin or ibuprofen on the stomach and the kidney.
Reduce inflammation of joints.
Improve mobility.
Reduce headache.

Antioxidant Health Benefits

Antioxidants reduce damage done by oxygen and other free radical substances to the cells in our bodies. If left unchecked, these damages (cell death) may cause hardening of our arteries that may result in heart attack, impotence or other chronic diseases.

The ruby-red color of tart cherry gives it the potent antioxidant properties more superior to vitamin C and E.

Drinking CHERRYJUICE tart cherry juice daily may help:

Fight and prevent diseases.

Protect artery walls from damage that lead to plaque build up and heart disease. Daily consumption could cut the risk of heart attack by 30%.

Prevent varicose veins by strengthening blood vessel walls. The stronger they are the less likely it is that varicose veins will develop.

Provide high concentration of melatonin (higher than other plant products). Melatonin destroys free radicals that damage our cells and cause cancer.

Flush cancer-causing substances out of the body and stunt the growth of cancerous cells. The perillyl alcohol in tart cherry juice can slash the incidence of all types of cancer as much as 50 percent.

MORE HEALTH BENEFITS

Drinking Tart Cherry Juice daily may help you control pain, fight and prevent some chronic diseases. It may help any health conscious people looking for the possibility of improved health and pain-free living. Tart Cherry Juice is not a "cure", but provides pain relief and increased mobility to those suffering from inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and gout, without the complications traditionally induced by the use of over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs.

There are two main health benefits of drinking the juice daily:

Anti-inflammatory health benefits - help you reduce inflammation/joint swelling caused by arthritis or gout and
Antioxidant health benefits - help you fight and prevent diseases.

2009-07-19T16:49:00.001-05:00

I'm alive. I'm just too lazy to post.

Rolling Down Hill

2009-05-28T06:58:00.003-05:00

Well, tomorrow's the big day.
I'm turning 41.... officially "over" the hill.
Last year was bad enough when I finally reached the top of the hill.
I teetered there all year.
Now this year, I go over the top and start rolling downhill.
I think I was pushed!
I just don't know what to think.
My husband cracks jokes all the time about me being an old lady.
It drives me nuts.
It's not the turning 41 that's so bad, it's all the crap that goes with it,
like the stupid jokes. (Tim, enough's enough. Knock it off!)

At least on the positive side, I'm getting healthier.
I'm almost at my 50 pound weight loss goal.
4 pounds to go.
My joints don't get as sore.
No more back pain from sleeping.
My acid reflux is gone.
I have more energy.
My clothes are all to big. That's an expensive side affect though. LOL

Ok, I may be getting old, but I guess I'm getting better!

Bobby Pins and Vacuums

2009-04-28T18:43:00.001-05:00

Bobby pins and vacuum cleans don't mix.
I just spent a very irritated hour trying to figure out why my vacuum wouldn't suck.
I took off all the filters, tried it, still wouldn't suck.
Took the bottom off, cut all the hair and string off from around the brushes (nasty),
still didn't suck.
Stuck a wire coat hanger into the tube, still not.

Took apart the flexible hose for attachments, Ah ha!!! It was plugged.
Couldn't blow it out, hanger not long enough to stick through it.
Searched around, found a curtain rod, shoved that through,
it got hung up on what I thought was a linty hair ball, nope...
out through the side of the hose, pops a bobby pin. Damn it!

Kelsey leaves that kind of stuff all over.
It took me forever to work the pin out and unplug it.
Now there's a hole in it, that I can't find again.
She's the reason our last vacuum was broke.
I sucked up some stones that were under her bed that I didn't see.
They broke the fins on the motor.

Yeah, the ding-a-ling used to just pick up stones and rocks and bring them home.
I can't tell you how many stones I found in my washing machine when she was younger.

I'm officially a size 16!

2009-04-13T18:43:00.002-05:00

I'm officially a size 16!
A misses size 16, not a 16W in plus sizes.
In January I was needing to be in a 20W (jeans)but was still forcing my big butt into an 18W.
Well since Friday, I've bought 2 pair of straight 16's.
I'm so excited.

Still wearing an 22W in tops though.
I have wide shoulders and fat arms that need the bigger size, hopefully that'll go too.
This is so great! About 4 years ago, I was excited to get a size 22W jeans on. Before that all I wore was stretchy knit pants.

Today's weigh in brought me down another 2 pounds.
I've lost 33 pounds all together now.
I actually weigh less than Tim now. LOL

Thank you SparkPeople and all you girls that help keep me focused!

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T09:26:00.002-05:00

Wishing all my friends
and their families
a very
"Happy Easter"

A Woman's Poem

2009-04-05T16:07:00.005-05:00

A Woman's Poem

He didn't like the casserole,
And he didn't like my cake.
He said my biscuits were too hard...
Not like his mother used to make.

I didn't perk the coffee right,
He didn't like the stew.
I didn't mend his socks,
The way his mother used to do.

I pondered for an answer,
I was looking for a clue.
Then I turned around and smacked the shit out of him...
Like his mother used to do.

Freen

2009-03-25T05:37:00.003-05:00

That means "friend" in Doric.
And I know that because my friend Jay, from all the way over in Scotland
sent me a Doric dictionary.
It is the language of North East of Scotland where she grew up and still lives.
She also sent a book about the MacIntyre Clan, The Origins Of The Clan MacIntyre.

I got home from work yesterday and check the mail and found a brown paper
wrapped package. It had a shipping label like I have never seen. Of course, I've never received mail from overseas before. I flipped it over and seen her name.
Yay!!! I was "kittelt up" (excited).
I barely made it through the door before I started to open it.

If you're reading this Jay, I just have to say thank you again.
You are the sweetest person!!!
I'm so glad that we are friends.

The Slap...

2009-03-23T19:42:00.001-05:00

We have a full length mirror on our bathroom door facing into the hallway.
I was in the middle of saying, "I wish we had a full length mirror in the
bathroom so I can see my fat butt..." and my daughter slapped me really hard
on the arm and said every time she hears me say I'm fat,
or put myself down she's gonna smack me.

I was in shock, kinda mad, kinda laughing, very surprised!
I told her she can't slap me like that all the time, she said I can't put myself
down all the time because it hurts her knowing I'm upset.

I guess maybe I do need a good smack.

Hair Removal

2009-03-14T20:14:00.010-05:00

I got this e-mail today.
It was so LMAO funny I just had to post it.

All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises
of easy, painless removal - the Epilate, scissors, razors, Nair and now... the wax.
Read on.

My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner, and play with the kids.
I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my mind for the next few hours:

"Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of the medicine cabinet."
So I headed to the site of my demise: the bathroom.

It was one of those 'cold wax" kits. No melting a clump of hot wax,
you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and
you peel them apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else)
and you pull the hair right off.

No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius,
but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out.
(YA THINK!?!)

So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other
stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together,
my genius kicks in so I get out the hair dryer and heat it to
1000 degrees. (Cold wax, yeah. Right!)
I lay the strip across my thigh.
Hold the skin around it tight and pull. IT WORKS!

Ok, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I can do this!
Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah,
fighter of all wayward bodyhair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire.

With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids,
I sneak back into the bathroom,
for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my panties and
place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure, I apply the
wax strip across the right side of my bikini line,
covering the right half of my hoo-ha and stretching down the inside of my butt cheek
(it *was* a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself.....
RRRRRRIIIIIIPPPPPP!

I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!!.....OH MY GAWD!!!!!!!!!!

Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip.
CRAP! Another deep breath and RIPP! Everything is spinning and spotted. I think I may pass out...must stay conscious... must stay conscious.

Do I hear crashing drums???? Breathe, breathe .OK, back to normal.
I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has caused me so much pain,
with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair.
I hold up the strip. There ' s no hair on it. Where is the hair???
WHERE IS THE WAX????

Slyly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see the hair.
The hair that should be on the strip. It's not!! I touch I am touching wax.

I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body,
which is now covered in cold wax and matted hair.
Then I make the next BIG mistake... remember my foot is still propped upon the toilet?
I know I need to do something. So I put my foot down.

Sealed shut! My butt is sealed shut. Sealed shut!

I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do next and think to myself, 'Please, don't let me get the urge to poop. My head may pop off!"
What can I do to melt the wax?

Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!!!! I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub,
get in, immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it off, right???? *WRONG!!!!!!!*

I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to torture 20 prisoners of war
or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit.

Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued together,
is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub...
in scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax.

So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had cemented
myself to the porcelain!!! God bless the man who had convinced me a few
months ago to have a phone put in the bathroom!!!!!

I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and have some secret
of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter,
"So, my butt and hoo-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!"

There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know exactly where the wax is located,
"are we talking cheeks or hole or hoo-ha?"

She's laughing out loud by now... I can hear her. I give her the rundown
and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box.

YEAH!!!! RIGHT!!!! I should be the joke of someone else's night.

While we go through the various solutions, I resort to trying to scrape the wax off with a razor. Nothing feels better than having your girlie goodies covered in hot wax, glued shut,
stuck to the tub in super hot water and then dry-shaving the sticky wax off!!!!

By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and I'm
pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for this event.

My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving grace...the lotion they give you
to remove the excess wax. What do I really have to lose at this point?
I rub some on and OH MY GAWD!!!!!!!!

The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my friend.
Its sooo painful, but I really don't care. "IT WORKS!!!! It works!!!!"

I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up.
I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to
my grief and despair. THE HAIR IS STILL THERE..ALL OF IT!

So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts I
could have amputated my own leg at this point.

Next week I'm going to try hair color!

Finally... A New Suit

2009-03-11T18:51:00.004-05:00

I finally found a swimsuit!!!! Yay Me!
This is the first new swimsuit I've had in probably 5 years.
I love how this one pulls me in in all the right places.
The sides have shirring, to make little fabric gathers across the front
which hides all the bumps and bulges.
And it's fitted! It's not just a loose hanging dress type thing.
It hugs me perfectly. :)

The bottom is skirted, but it's attached low enough that it
won't float up in the water and show my whole stomach.

I just love it.
I'm so excited that I finally have a new swimsuit.

And the best part... it was only $33 at Walmart.

Diet update:
As of Monday, I'm down 26 pounds.
That's over half way to my goal.

This Chic's Hilarious

2009-03-10T09:10:00.003-05:00

I love reading this blog:
What's On My Mind...

She cracks me up!!!
Check it out.

Validation

2009-03-04T07:05:00.001-06:00

I love this video, it's make you smile.
It's a little long, but after the first 30 seconds,
I just had to watch it all.
I just sat there with a smile on my face the whole time.
I wish I was more like this guy.

Free Kashi Entree

2009-02-28T05:29:00.004-06:00

Be sure to go get you frozen entree coupon
from Kashi.
"Click here for coupon"

Just Bored...

2009-02-27T09:47:00.003-06:00

I'm just sitting here bored,
not really wanting to do anything.

I did mt Wii Fit workout this morning and got all sweaty.
Took a shower trying not to get my hair wet.
No, I do NOT wash my hair everyday, and that is NOT gross.
My hair is really dry and I just colored it, so I want it to stay nice.

I did have to reflat iron it this morning a bit though.
Flat irons are had to use on the back of your head,
I'm too afraid of getting burned I guess.

Anyway, I still have my bathrobe on, waiting to get dressed to go to work.
Not looking forward to work. It's cold and the snow is blowing.
Not fun on an open playground.

We got about 6" of snow yesterday after the freezing rain stopped.
Hopefully we won't have to deal with this weather much longer.

We're going out for a fish fry tonight.
Yay!!! We're getting out. LOL

Tomorrow I'm going on a shopping trip with my mom.
Which means we'll be the care going 45-50mph
on the highway while everyone passes us going 65-70mph.
I can't say anything, or in her best I'm the mom shut your mouth voice,
I'll get the "I've had my license over 40 years,
I think I know how to drive a car!"
Always a fun trip, NOT!

Oh well, life goes one.

One Of Me Favorite New Recipes

2009-02-24T09:55:00.004-06:00

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

20 Minutes to Prepare and Cook

Ingredients

Brown Sugar, 4 tsp unpacked
Chicken Breast, no skin, 12 ounces
(I used 2 Chicken Breast Tenderloins for each serving)
Garlic, 3 cloves
Butter, salted, 2 tbsp
Salt, 1 tsp
Pepper, black, 1 dash

Directions

This makes four servings, 3 oz per person
1. Melt the butter in a frying pan
2. Brown the garlic in the butter
3. Add chicken breasts to garlic and butter and cook thoroughly,
adding salt and pepper as you like it.
4. When chicken is fully cooked add brown sugar on top of each breast
5. Allow the brown sugar to melt into the chicken (about 5 minutes)
6. Serve with your favorite carb, and veggie or salad.
We usually have rice or noodles and carrots or green beans.

Number of Servings: 4

This only has 156 calories per serving
and 6.8 grams of fat.

21 Gone and A New Look

2009-02-23T20:47:00.005-06:00

As of this morning, I've lost 21 pounds.
Yay me!!!!

I decided to treat myself to a haircut.
I just love it.
It's not as puffy as my old hair.
The stylist used a straightening iron on it.
I'll have to practice that with my daughters iron.
Anyway, here are the pictures...

Here's the old me, puffy hair and 21 or more extra pounds...

Stuck at 17

2009-02-14T22:04:00.003-06:00

That's how I feel, like I'm stuck at 17 pounds lost.
I'm shooting for 50, but have only lost 17 pounds so far.
I feel like the first 15 came off so easy,
now things have really slowed way down.

I'm eating good, staying in my calorie range,
but really slacking off when it comes to workouts.

I love my Wii Fit, but almost hate to do it when anyone's home.
The minute I want to get it out,
then everyone else wants to play or sit and watch.

"Sorry, my fat ass shaking up and down is not entertainment!"
"I'm not trying to put on a show!"
"Just give me 20 minutes alone, at least 20 minutes!"

So tonight I bought 2 workout DVD's, this way when I drag out Wii
and the whining starts, I can hand over the remote and still go workout.
I'll put the disk in my computer and workout.
Unlike my living room,
the computer room door has a lock.

Facebook

2009-02-13T10:52:00.001-06:00

Well, I finally signed up for Facebook,
but I'm total frickin lost over there,
I can't figure out how to do anything.
And it just looks so blah!
Aaggghhhhhhh!

I Love My Wii Fit

2009-01-30T09:56:00.003-06:00

My husband bought a Nintendo Wii gaming system a week ago.
I just love it!!!

I have to tell you, we have not had this much fun together in a long time.
We laugh, we talk, we encourage each other, we jump around
and get goofy. It's a blast.

But the best part is Wii Fit.
We installed it yesterday and I've been on it non-stop.
Hula hoops, step aerobics, jogging, yoga and games are the only things
I've done and there's so much more.
It definitely raises my heart rate and gets me breathing hard.
My legs feel like jello right now from my jog.

The best part is that I was able to add it as my strength training
and cardio tracker at Spark People.
(And I've lost to more pounds for a total of 14)

Mario Go-Karts is loads of fun too.
All three of us pull out our steering wheels and race.
I'm usually in last place, but I don't care,
it's fun and we're all playing together.
And how great is that?
At least during the winter when we're all cooped up inside.

12 Pounds Gone

2009-01-26T19:02:00.002-06:00

In the past 3 weeks I've lost 12 pounds.
Yay me!

I can't really see the loss yet, but I a coworker asked
last week if I've lost weight. She said my face looks thinner

I've been tracking all my calories and nutrition at Spark People.
I love that place. It's totally free, the nutrition tracker is awesome
and the support in great.

Hopefully my Wii Fit will be here soon
so I can get my butt moving and sweat off more pounds.

I'm shooting for 50 pounds by June 30.
After I reach that, I want to lose 30 more.
Hopefully that will put me into a size 10.
Wish me luck.

I Just Feel Depressed

2009-01-25T15:12:00.003-06:00

That's it! And my family doesn't get it.
Well they get it, but they think I'm silly
because it's over the internet and board issues.
Like internet friends aren't real friends.
And I value every friend I have, internet or not.

I've been to the point of tears the last few days because
an online friend I cherish left a board I'm on because of
drama that happened there.
Another left also that I was becoming close to,
that was a neat connection because she's from a town close to me.

Now other decisions are being made there that I also don't agree with.
I've done so much there that I almost feel like this board belongs to me.
But I need to pull myself back and remember it's not my board,
I just help run it.

I feel depressed every time I click into there to check on things.
I feel like people are being manipulated into doing what others want.
I feel like I'm being left out.
I feel like I really don't want to post.
I feel like an idiot feeling like this.
I feel like I don't fit there anymore.
I feel like I'll lose some great friends if I stop going there.
I feel like I'll explode and tell someone off if I stay.
I feel like crying again.
I feel like nobody gives a shit.
I feel like that board "is" a huge part of my life.
I feel like that board "was" a huge part of my life.
I feel like crawling in bed and never getting up.
I feel like I hate everything right now.
I feel tears running down my cheeks.
I feel like such a loser.

Not Really An Update

2009-01-06T19:51:00.002-06:00

I've been telling myself over and over,
"you need to update your blog, you need to update your blog".
Well, this is it.
But only to say I have a terrible migraine.
It's hard to concentrate on anything,
so I'm going to bed.

It's Over

2008-12-28T13:07:00.004-06:00

Well, Christmas is over and we're waiting for the new year.

It's been a hectic few days, but the holidays always are.
Tim worked Christmas and Christmas Eve, so we had our Christmas Friday morning.
Kelsey woke up early to put our traditional orange rolls in the oven.
It's the same Christmas breakfast we've had since she was little,
she won't have it any other way.

I was worried that we really didn't have enough gifts for Kelsey this year
because she really just asked for gift cards.
We got her gift cards and a few other nice things and she was happy.
Now we have to take her shopping. LOL

My Mom and my Uncle Larry came for dinner that night and we opened more gifts.
She got Tim and I a Bissell Proheat 2 Carpet Cleaner. I'm so excited about it.
I can't wait to clean my carpets.
It funny though when you get gifts like that, I always wonder,
"Do they think my house is dirty"?
Or when someone gives me perfume, I think,
"Do they think I smell bad"?
Yes... I am weird!

We still have all next week off for vacation, and go back to work/school on the 5th.
It'll be nice to see all the kids again,
they'll be so excited to tell me what they got for Christmas.

I wish I would have taken some decent pictures of Christmas,
But I get so involved watching everyone open gifts that I forget my camera's right there. Duh!
This is the only one I took, right before we started opening gifts.
It's Kelsey and my niece Tiana.

I hope you all had a Wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year.

2008-11-26T07:17:00.002-06:00

Kelsey and I getting our "Elfy" groove on. LOL
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/

2008-11-26T00:28:00.003-06:00

We Made A Purse Today

2008-11-09T19:38:00.008-06:00

Today Kelsey and I sat together at my sewing machine,
and I showed her how to make a purse.

Actually it's more like a smaller version of a book bag,
but it's what all the girls around here carry.
We see them all the time in stores for about $15,
but I said it would be so easy to make them and a lot cheaper.
So she wanted to do it.

Mind you, this girls hates doing things like this.
Last year in home economics class, they had to sew
4 straight seems on a piece of fabric that was going onto a
napkin holder. Hers was handed in late because she
couldn't stitch a straight line and had to keep tearing it out
and starting over. She didn't have to, she wanted too,
the teacher said it was fine. Kelsey's just a perfectionist.
She said she never wanted to sew again.

I grew up sewing.
I always made Barbie clothes and even clothes for myself.
I made my graduation dress, my wedding gown
and the bridesmaid dress.
So her not liking to sew was unimaginable to me.
It just came naturally to me so couldn't believe it
was so hard for her.

Anyway... here's the purse we made.
She picked out the fabric, it cost $3.32to make.

It was nice spending time with her,
showing her something I'm good at.
Being able to share with her something I enjoy.

And the best part... She wants to make more.

First Time Voter

2008-11-04T19:41:00.005-06:00

I voted for the first time today.
Kelsey has been urging me for years to vote.
As of this morning I was still leaning toward not voting.

But one of the polling places was at the school I work at so I just popped in and asked them what I needed to do to register. ALL I needed was my drivers license. Easy enough.

So when Kelsey got home, we walk over to the school and registered to vote.
And "I VOTED"!
I must say, I'm pretty proud of myself.

Kelsey also did the Smart Vote for kids

I can't wait to see who wins

Halloween

2008-11-03T21:35:00.011-06:00

A few Halloween pictures...

Me as a ghost...

Tim as the guy that scares little kids...

Kelsey and her friends...
(Saleena, Kasey, Kelsey)

Kids Today Have No Direction

2008-11-02T21:27:00.007-06:00

Well, at least my daughter doesn't.
And I mean a "No Sense Of Direction".

Kelsey is 13 years old and has no idea
how to get anywhere in our town.
We got into a discussion about knowing directions...

We had to take friend of hers home yesterday,
she's from a neighboring town and knew her address,
but had no idea how to get to her house.
Once we tracked down directions, she said the house was
"up there on the left",
turns out she didn't know left from right either.

Were were talking about this with Kelsey
and she also had no idea how to get to our house.

This was kind of a shock to me, because she's lived here practically all her life.

But if you think about it, in this day and age of technology,
how would she know???
Kids these days are to busy talking on cell phones, texting or
scrolling through song lists on MP3 players to pay attention to
where we're going when we chauffeur them around.
On longer trips there are car DVD players and laptops to watch
movies on, and hand help electronic games.
Why watch the scenery? Who cares where you are.

This is really bugging me.
She can get her temps in 2 years, the poor kid won't be able to find
her way home her first time out.
Luckily she's always got that trusty distraction called a cell phone.
She'll be able to call for directions.

So Much On My Mind

2008-10-08T10:02:00.002-05:00

I've got so much on my mind lately that I just have an overwhelmed feeling all the time.

First off, Tim's been gone for a conference. I miss him not being here and worry about him traveling. He should be back later tonight though. I just wish he would call more.

Tim's Aunt Nettie died yesterday. I didn't really know her. But the funeral is going to be coming up. I'm still weired out about my grandma dieing a month ago.
In the last 10 months my Aunt Jeanie died.
My cousin Dale was murdered.
My Grandma died.
Now Aunt Nettie.
I've been spending way to much time in funeral homes!

My mom is gone on her trip to Cape Cod. She's called every night complaining about something. Usually the ladies she went with. So I feel bad for her that she's not having a good time.

Kelsey wants her haircut. They have off on Friday, but the person that usually cuts it is off.
So I need to find somewhere else to take her, hoping it still turns out ok.
She only gets it cut by Brooke, because "nobody else can do a good job", her words, not mine.

We've got two new hires at work. My best friend (works with me) can't stand one of them.
She's really upset that I have to train her. She wants me to hate her too, but I don't know her, and I'm not like that.

We're going to a Halloween party and I want a really nice costume. I don't just want something thrown together, I want to sew something nice, but I have no idea what, that won't make me look stupid or fatter.

I still need to pick a bank from the three that are near here to deposit the death benefit from my grandma. I want a bank near by so I can cash my work checks there. Right now our bank is way across town. Sometimes it's a week before I get my check cashed because I don't get over that way.

I need to go jeans shopping (Grrr), I only have two pair that fit and look decent.

It's just always something. I just feel like my mind is always racing.
Trying to keep things straight.
Trying to make sure things are done.
Trying to not go crazy...

I Wonder If I'll Get My Shoes

2008-10-07T15:09:00.002-05:00

I wonder if I'll get my shoes back today...

Kelsey's friend came over on Sunday to do homework
and she wore my shoes home by accident. LOL

We have the same brown clogs and never realized it until it was too late.
Hers were by the back door, mine were in the dinning room.
When her mom came to pick her up, she just slid on mine and took off.
The funny part is, mine are a size 11, her are an 8.
She never even realized...
But I sure did the minute I tried to slip hers on,
my heels hung over the backs a good inch.

Kelsey called to make sure she brought them to school yesterday to exchange,
and she did, but Kelsey never brought mine home. Grr.

I love my clogs. I want them back. I hope she remembers today.

The Letter N

2008-10-05T08:31:00.002-05:00

My friend Kerri got this game from a friend and passed it to me.
The object of the game is to list 10 things you love that begin with the letter you are given.
Kerri, gave me the letter N.
So Here goes.....

1. Nieces & Nephews
2. Night Lights
3. Night Skys
4. Necterines
5. Nutter Butter Cookies
6. Nestea
7. Nachos
8. Noodles
9. New Clothes
10. Nail Polish

This was fun!! Makes you think!!
If you want to play along I'll be happy to pass a letter onto you as well.
Just leave a post letting me know you want to play too!

So Boring

2008-09-30T08:33:00.002-05:00

Bloggity Blog Blog Blog...

I have no life, I'm just a boring person! I have nothing fun to write about!

Kelsey leaves at 7am and I'm alone and bored till 11am when I go to work.
Gone an hour and a half and I come back to the same bordom. BLAH

I clean up my house and sit on the computer.

The Mums

2008-09-25T07:06:00.005-05:00

Just a quick picture of how I decorated the mums that we gave Tim's aunt and uncle
for their anniversary.
They said no gifts, but I couldn't go empty handed.

I used a brown paper grocery bag, 2 yards of wired ribbon (50 cents a yard) and a kabob skewer for the card holder. I cut a piece of the grocery bag to fit into my printer and printed out the card.

We also made them a video slide show to continually play during the party.

Teaspoon or Tablespoon

2008-09-22T06:28:00.003-05:00

Tim made dinner last night.
Actually he made it all day in the slow cooker.
He wanted to do Korean Ribs, something we all enjoy,
even "Miss Picky", Kelsey.
They are a fantastic Asian style rib with a great sauce that we put over rice.
They're a little spicy, not much, just a bit of kick.

My first clue that something was a little different was when I snitched a tiny piece of meat from the edge of the platter and my tongue was immediately on fire. I stood up and paused, and thought, "Wow, I must have gotten one of the crushed red peppers... whew!!"

Well, we all sat down to dinner, we all got ourselves served. I took my first bit of meat, wow, another hot piece. Kelsey says, "Is it hotter than usual, or is it just me?" Mind you, she hasn't been able to taste anything for 3 days because she has a bad cold. I told her it seems a bit more spicy, but it wasn't bad.

Tim just kept eating, proud of his creation...

Then I tried my sauce covered rice....

The heat took my breath away!!! And I actually took another bite.... with tears in my eyes, I took another bite. Trying to ignore the pain, as to not hurt Tim's feelings, I even took another bite. Ok, at this point, the inside of my lips were on fire, I could no longer feel my tongue, my throat was burning, my eyes were burning and my nose was running. Tim still just kept right on eating, and I noticed Kelsey was only eating plain rice.

I asked how much crushed red pepper he put in.
He said he double the sauce recipe and put in 3 tablespoons.
3 TABLESPOONS?????
I said, "You mean teaspoons?" He said "No, all the measurements were tablespoons."
No way.
I went to check the recipe... it called for 1/2 teaspoon.
1/2 TEASPOON!

OMG, no wonder we were on fire!

Even doubled it should have been 1 teaspoon.
That makes for a 8 teaspoon overdose on the heat.

He has no clue were he got the idea that 3 tablespoons was good. LOL
Next time, he'll wear is glasses. :o)

No More Ugly

2008-09-18T18:31:00.022-05:00

Oh what a beautiful day to have a big hole in my kitchen wall!!!

I was worried that it would rain, or be cold or we would have wasps flying into my kitchen since it's that time of year, but the day was perfect for replacing the kitchen window.

Tim replaced our old kitchen window this morning with a new vinyl replacement window. The old one was an old wood frame one that was water stained and peeling. It was probably original to the house when it was built in 1952. It was just drafty, old and ugly to look at every time I washed dishes. I don't think the new window will make washing dishes anymore enjoyable, but it's worth a try. LOL

It only took $135 and an hour and a half of work, and it was in.

He had to pull off all the trim from the window (kitchen side), pull out the old widow and all the sliders and springs, pop in the new window, screw it to the window frame, caulk around it and put the trim back on.

Since we bought the house 9 years ago, he's replaced 9 widows (only 2 more to go). He also stripped all the cupboards and refinished them. There was also an old stove top in the counter and oven built in to the wall. That all went too, making more counter space, which also ment all new counter tops. He also put a breakfast bar in there.

He redid our bathroom too. The walls were pink and black plastic tiles half way up.

Very 50's. There was no shower, so he put up a new tub surround and put in new pipes for a shower. Out with the old monstrosity of a vanity, in with a nice new one. And new lights and medicine cabinet.
He built an enclosed patio off our garage.

Fenced in the back yard.

We've had a new roof put on twice, the second time was from hail damage.

And all new siding last year, also because of hail damage.

He also upgraded all the electrical when we moved in.

He really takes pride in all the work he's done to make improvements in our home.

Next summer, he'll be putting in a new front door. He can't wait to to start ripping that apart!!

Free Scrapping

2008-09-18T06:15:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited... Last night I discovered that a scrapbooking program that I use for touching up photos can actually be used for scrapbooking. LOL
Go figure.

I keep seeing all kinds of beautiful downloadable free scrapbooking kits all over the internet that I wished I had a use for, and now I do!

Now I'll really be able to dress up my different profiles and home pages. It'll be nice to make coordinating headers and siggies. The program I have is super easy, which is great since I lack the intelligence to figure out Paint Shop Pro.

Well, The Drama Is Over

2008-09-17T18:39:00.004-05:00

Finally, the teenage drama between Kelsey and her
best friend is over.
Since Saturday we've had to deal with a crying, pouting, whining, crabby depressed kid.

I'm glad they are good again, but Kelsey needs to realize that sometimes people grow apart.
Just because someone isn't your 'best friend' doesn't mean they're not your 'friend'.

But for now, I'm glad they're happy again.

This is my favorite picture of them.

It's was taken about 2 years ago.

Kelsey (top)... Asha (bottom)

My Weekend

2008-09-15T08:35:00.003-05:00

My weekend started out great with the football game Friday night. Our team lost, but the show put on by the visiting University of Wisconsin Badger State Band was unbelievable. The performed 3 times, including a 5th quarter show that lasted about 1/2 with everyone in the stands dancing and singing. It was so exciting. Makes me want to start going to the Badger games just to see the band. All through the game, small groups from the band would walk through the stands and perform.

Saturday we went to the Fall Maple Fest in Marshfield, it was misting and raining most of the day. We bought a few little things, but it was too yucky out to enjoy ourselves, so we just went shopping. Kelsey was supposed to do something with her best friend when we got back into town, but her friend made plans with out girls instead, totally ignoring Kelsey. This has been happening so much lately with this girl. Kelsey cried all the way home and on and off all night. Every time her friend would call, she would just ignore it. I said maybe she was calling to ask her to do something. Kelsey wasn't having it. She said "if she's asking now, it's out of pity".She didn't want her to invite her because she felt bad, she want her to ask because they're best friends. The joys of 13 year old girls. I remember the days. But it broke my heart to see her so upset, knowing there was nothing I could do to help.

And Sunday, I was sick. So, so, sick. It started with a headache in the morning and progressed to vomiting all day. I never left my bed. At about 7pm, Tim decide I needed fluids and hooked me up to IV (he's a paramedic). That sucker hurt, he tried 3 times to hit a vein, but because I was so dehydrated it was hard to get into one. But it seemed to help a bit. I was able to eat a piece of toast and 1/2 of a scrambled egg.

Now today I feel better, just a slight headache. I'm still going to work.

Kelsey has her first volleyball game tonight. I wish I could just stay home and relax. She said I don't have to come, that she wouldn't even know if I was there anyway. But I'm going. How could I miss that? She got her uniform on Friday, she's number 1. But I didn't need to see the shirt to know that. :)

Getting Ready For The Game

2008-09-11T21:09:00.002-05:00

Are you ready for some football???
I am!

Tomorrow night we're going to the High School Football game. Our Lincoln High School plays against rival Stevens Point Area Senior High. We even bought advanced tickets for this one.
Tomorrow night there's added excitement to the game night, the 350-member University of Wisconsin Marching Band will perform during the game and halftime, as well as the band's famed "fifth quarter" postgame event. I can't wait to see the perform!!!

The gates open at 4pm and the game starts at 7pm, but we will be there at 4.
They sold advance tickets and the place is going to be packed. We can stake out some good seats can watch them practice too.

We're getting all geared up. I work for the school district, so I've got my free pass ready to go. We've got our stadium seats out. Our red Lincoln sweatshirts, jackets, gloves and hats. Our spirit beads, noise makers and face tattoos. Well, Kelsey wears the tatoos, not me.
Got cash out of the bank for concessions, since that's where we're having dinner.
Burgers and nachos, yum.

I love going to the games, but honestly, I hardly watch the football. LOL
I'm usually talking to someone I know, or kids that I used to have in school come give me hugs and chit chat. It's more than just a game for me, it's a social event.

Stupid Computer

2008-09-11T08:15:00.003-05:00

I have a love/hate relationship with my computer.

I love to be on it, but I think it hates me.

Everyday I get messages, sometimes 5-6 times a day that say "Internet Explorer Has Stopped Working", then it boots me off the internet and restarts,. GRRRRR!

I can't figure out what to do to fix it.

Now I've been trying all morning to get into Yuku, but it's down for repairs.

Why don't they do that crap in the middle of the night?????

Yuku upsets me more than anything right now because I'm trying to find information on my friend Dawn. I wanna know how she is and if everything went ok with the baby. She should have had Sophie a couple hours ago. I WANNA KNOW!!!

Dull Mornings

2008-09-10T09:07:00.002-05:00

Oh my geez, I'm so bored!
On school days I just putter around all morning doing the most mundane things just trying to keep busy before work. This morning I've washed and folded a load of laundry, the stuff I folded was from three days ago, I forgot it was in the dryer. LOL Picked up Kelsey's shoes from all over the house and put them away. Cleaned and reorganized my desk. Ate a bagel with cream cheese. And now I'm back at the computer.

I need to go take a quick shower, which means my legs will stay stubbley for another day, and get ready for work. And, "oh what to wear?" Last time I checked it was 41 degrees out. I'll be outside on the playground for an hour and a half and the temp is supposed to reach 67. I'm not used to wearing warmer clothes yet. I have yet to try on a pair of my jeans, I just know there going to be to tight. And I am not looking forward to jeans shopping! So I guess it'll be capri's and a sweatshirt.

I Did It

2008-09-09T18:10:00.000-05:00

Well, I did it.
I made my blog pretty.

I Have No Idea What I'm Doing...

2008-09-09T15:05:00.001-05:00

And I usually don't!

Right now I'm sitting on my ass trying to figure out how to "blog" while there are so many other worth while things I could be doing. Like watching TV or taking a nap.

I've got 42 minutes till I have to be at school to pick my daughter up from volleyball practice.
Then I"ll have someone to talk to, which is still kinda like talking to myself.

This is how it will go:
Me: "How was your day?"
Her: "Good."
Me: "What did you do?"
Her: "I don't know."
Me: "How was practice?"
Her: "Good."
Me: "Do you have homework?"
Her: "I don't know."
Me: "What do you mean you don't know?"
Her: "I don't know."
Me: "What do you want for dinner?"
Her: "I don't know."

I'm pretty sure because she's 13 that that's the best I'm going to get out of her for a while.

Now I need to go glance at Kerri's Blog again, scratch my head and wonder how she made such a great profile. I want a pretty one too. (I said that in my most irritating whiny voice, in my head of course... lol)