by the way

A Little Treasure

2009-09-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

My grandmother sent me this little book the other day. It was made by my great-grandmother, for her sister, in...1915! I can't believe how well it's held up, especially considering it is in pencil. My great-grandma would have been twelve years old when she made it. The drawings are adorable, and it's so cool to see her handwriting.

I'm really glad to have this little piece of my great-grandma - she was so important in my life and I don't really have many mementos. She didn't like having her picture taken, avoided it like the plague really, and so I hardly even have any photos. This little booklet makes me happy.

Labor Day Campout

2009-09-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

We had the best time camping at Ice House Reservoir! Got a late start on Friday, didn't get to the campsite until after dark but the giant full moon helped a lot. Fire restrictions meant no campfire - huge bummer, especially since it was pretty cold at night. Also, no charcoal fires - luckily our neighbors had a large gas grill that they let us use the second night, otherwise all that chicken we brought would have been useless. Realized the new air mattress I bought did not come with a pump (duh) and I forgot to pack syrup for the pancakes I made for breakfast. Funny thing though...none of that got us down.

The campsite was perfect, in the trees and a short walk from beautiful beaches on the super clear, sparkly lake. The sand was full of pyrite, so the whole beach shimmered gold. The kids spent a lot of time fishing, and Hannah caught her first fish ever! Actually, she caught two, looks like she's caught the fishing bug big time.

We hiked up the South Silver Creek, crazy beautiful. The hike was a little extreme as we were trailblazing most of the time, quite an adventure! Poor Jonesy slipped down a granite slope and fell in the icy water, Shane had to rescue him. That water is COLD. Hard to imagine the guys running that, of course the water is up much higher, but still...looks pretty sketchy!

So much fun, can't wait to go back!!

Do you Kindle?

2009-08-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

I keep hearing about the Kindle lately - you know when something seems to be on your radar? So I've been doing a little research and while I think it's pretty damn cool, I just don't think it's for me. I like holding a real book and I often read in the bathtub. Plus, I'm cheap. I typically get my books from the library or bookmooch. But then again, maybe it's like when the mp3 player first came out and I thought I'd never get used to not having actual cds.

So, if you have one, let me know what you think. Maybe I'll ask Santa for one.

Gettin' Crafty Wit It

2009-08-22T13:41:00.001-07:00

We have three birthday parties this weekend, so guess who's been crafty this week?

It's been quite a while since I did any little critters, they are so fun! Except for the hand cramping doing the tiny parts, that sucks.

For birthday boy #1:

This cute little turtle! Of course now my kids want one too. He is pretty adorable, if I do say so myself.

For birthday girl #2:

Pirouette! She is into ballet, so this should make her smile. My favorite part is the tail, so cute!

For birthday boy #3:

This hat, modeled by Hannah. I really love this pattern, it's a keeper. Probably the most "professional" looking hat I've ever made, and it's super thick and warm. Plus, the texture is awesome.

Phew! I think I'm ready for some birthday cake.

Sick Of Potato Salad?

2009-08-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

Give this salad a try instead! It's super tasty and great with grilled food. Makes a giant batch, nice for a potluck.

Curried Rice Salad with Artichokes

4 cups chicken stock
2 cups uncooked white rice
3 (6.5 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
2 cups mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
5 green onions, chopped
1 green red pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Combine chicken stock and rice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together artichoke marinade, mayonnaise, and curry powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine artichoke hearts, green onions, bell pepper, parsley, and celery. Mix in cooked rice, then mix in reserved marinade mixture. Cover and chill overnight. Serve cold.

From allrecipes.com.

New 'Do

2009-08-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love Hannah's new haircut - it suits her perfectly!

Now she's all ready for back to school in a couple weeks. Well, almost ready - there is shopping for clothes, shoes, and supplies to be done. Yikes!

Speaking of supplies, I guess I'd forgotten how much college textbooks cost. Jordan's books for this semester would have been over $700 (even for used books at the school bookstore) if I hadn't spent hours finding them on ebay and various other sites for a fraction of the cost. Seriously? I know what I'll be selling on ebay in a few months...

Paddlin'

2009-08-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Check it out, I'm in a boat! Nothing too wild, we just paddled out in the marina to watch the Women's National Wakeboard Competition up close and personal. Those chicks get some mad air!

The beginning of this video is super shaky so hold on to your guts!

Spidey Blanket

2009-08-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

Evan's blanket it done at last! Actually, it only took a couple weeks, and it was fun to make. I got the pattern here. I chose orange and red to match his room, and I think it looks pretty cool!

The photos are kinda crappy but you get the idea. Next up: those lunchbags and a Hello Kitty ballerina for our neighbor girl. (really) Oh, and an earflap hat for Jordan's friend. I am not a machine, people!

Supastar!

2009-08-14T19:52:00.001-07:00

Thursday morning Shane got up before dawn for a special live news broadcast from the new Rock kayak park here in Sparks. Apparently, it's all about "the love of the sport". I had to record it off the TV so I apologize if it's funky.

I think he looks pretty cute - and that change at the end from "fer sure" to "definitely" really classes it up. Nice job, Babe!

Busted

2009-08-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

Most mornings before we leave for work, I write a chore list for the kids. Stuff like: water the garden, do the dishes, pick up the family room...

Well, the other night we couldn't find the remote. You know the routine - instead of walking to the cable box and turning the channel manually, we began an intense search and rescue operation. I got down to look under the couch and discovered that apparently someone's idea of picking up the family room is shoving everything under the sofa.

(The cat wasn't actually under there, she just came over to see what we found.)

When we called the kids in to clean up this mess, Shane said, "tell me you didn't just shove all that stuff under there on purpose." Hannah answered, "I didn't just shove all that stuff under there on purpose. What? You told me to say that!"

Oh, those silly kids.

Love These!

2009-08-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

I'm all over this pattern for eco-friendly lunch bags. I'm not really into paying $15 for another new lunchbox, and we always seem to run out of brown bags. Plus, I really do want to limit the school lunches...they are pretty nasty. Nachos, nuggets, pizza - hmmm, is it really a mystery that so many Americans grow up addicted to junk food? I think not. Anyway, I like the idea of this little bag, it's cute and can be thrown in the washer - perfect.

To simplify, I will probably not do stripes. Now I just need to finish Evan's blanket so I can get on this - only 3 weeks 'til school starts!

Tag!

2009-08-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

A speedy blog post, perfect for a lazy Sunday:

Saw this on Michelle's blog - a quick, fun tag:

1. Pick up the book that you have most handy
2. Turn to page 161
3. Find the 5th complete sentence
4. Cite the sentence on your blog
5. Pass it on to 5 other unsuspecting blogger friends.

From The Secret History by Donna Tartt, which I am currently reading:

"He lit another cigarette."

If you're reading this and you blog, consider yourself tagged!

House Guests

2009-08-08T10:20:00.001-07:00

Woke up the other morning to find this downstairs:

Four giant boys crashed downstairs in the family room. Funny I didn't even hear them come in...bet they polished off an entire box of cereal once they came to.

We were in the middle of painting Jordan's room, which is why they weren't up there.

He chose this color...

and quickly realized that painting is hard work. It's all done now and looking good!

Shane's B-Day

2009-08-06T16:53:00.001-07:00

Show me how old you are...yep, that's 40!

We celebrated by acting half our age: drinking Patron and going out to see Snoop Dogg. Snoop was fun (although he was an hour and a half late GRRR) but the highlight of the show was definitely Stephen Marley. So stoked we finally got to see him!

This pic just cracks me up.

Happy B-Day, babe. Gettin' better all the time.

Heaven On A Plate

2009-08-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

Coconut Poke Cake

1 white cake mix
1 can (15oz) cream of coconut (not coconut milk)
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 container (16oz) Cool Whip
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Mix and bake cake as directed on package - I use a 13X9 pan because it's the easiest. Leave the oven on for toasting the coconut: place coconut in an even layer on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown (6-8 min. at 350). Set aside.

While still hot, poke the cake all over with a large fork. Mix cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk together and pour over hot cake. It might seem like too much coconut mixture at first, but it will soak in. Cool completely in fridge.

Top cake with Cool Whip and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Enjoy!

ATCs

2009-08-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

From Danica's Retro Fabulous Swap II - a multiple choice type swap where you choose a vintage image, a color combo, etc. and make it your own. I think it's a cool way to do an ATC swap.

I keep saying, "no more swaps" but then I sign up for more. I think it's just so I can complain about them.

Guess which one is mine?

Facebook Fatigue

2009-08-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

My love affair with Facebook may be waning a bit. Sure, it's nice to connect with people you haven't seen or heard from in ages, and the flair always gives me a chuckle. But really, it's just a giant time sucker. The games, the "gifts", and the energy spent keeping in touch with people that you, ummmm, aren't really that in to - over it. 'Course, that's not to say that I don't get sucked into the vortex from time to time, but I'm working on it. Baby steps. Hey, is there a 12 step program? I bet there is.

Plus, I've been neglecting my blog - which is a shame since it's just for me.

Anyway, I was thinking about all this while having lunch and reading Reno News And Review and look at the article I found in there (love it!):

CrackBerry rehab

Try as we might, we’re now too invested in Facebook and the like to just shut down our computers or, worse, delete our accounts. Were it not for social-networking websites, how else would we keep up with who from high school had babies or got fat or married, what events are happening around town, who broke up with whom, and who’s going on vacation?

We need our online crutches, even as they slowly suck the life out of us.

ILLUSTRATION BY DON BUTTON

So how do we begin to take back our backyards and enjoy the precious few weeks of sunshine that are left of this wretchedly waterlogged summer?

The process of reclaiming social ownership seems more complicated than just chucking laptops and phones out the window and breathing a sigh of relief. It’s about asking ourselves, “Why is it more important that my online microcosm of connections knows that I’m eating this cheeseburger than it is to actually taste this cheeseburger?” It’s gooey and plump, and there’s juices from it running down my arm, and that’s what this simple pleasure should be about—not wiping my fingers on the side of my jeans in my haste to tell the world what I’m doing this instant.

(Easier said than done—over the course of writing this article, I’ve tweeted twice and checked my Facebook page about 40 times. Research. That’s what I’m calling it. Not pathetic, just research.)

Ultimately, there’s a decision to be made: Would you rather read a poorly spelled, hastily written one-liner about how your “friend” went to a movie, or would you rather go to the movies yourself? Click on a link to a blog about waterskiing, or jump in a lake? It’s a screamingly Pollyanna-ish notion, but the key to giving up online addiction seems to be to substitute it with real-time action, to remind yourself that, ultimately, your best moments will be actual, not virtual, and that it’s OK if your entire realm of contacts isn’t updated on how you’re feeling about the ice-cream cone you purchased nine seconds before pushing “send” on a text message to Twitter.

A few of my friends recently pared down their Facebook connections, “un-friending” anyone with whom they aren’t personally acquainted. Some have sworn off Facebook altogether. I may follow suit—at least until I can thwart my own “Look at me! Look at me!” compulsions to share my business with the world.

It’s the first step I’m making toward actually enjoying my summer. So, unless you hear about it directly from my mouth (not my fingers), you won’t hear a peep—or a tweet—about it. I’ll be outside, unplugged, hearing only the birds and the tourists, not my CrackBerry, chirping.

Will the forthcoming college co-eds follow suit? After all, the requisite “What I Did on My Summer Vacation” essay surely requires more effort than simply aggregating and printing your barbecue-related tweets. What are you going to write about, kiddies, if all you have to write about is writing about things? Meta? Yes. But, sadly, increasingly on point. Now, excuse me. I have to go create a TinyURL for this article and blast it to my friends on Facebook.

This story originally ran in the Boston Phoenix.

Summer Lovin'

2009-08-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

Last night's free Smash Mouth concert was so fun! They played for over two hours, and there was a huge fireworks show at the end. Kids had a blast, danced their little booties off. My favorite part: the five song encore with lots of old school Van Halen...pretty rockin'. I'd say we definitely got our money's worth.

It has come to my attention that I complain a lot. No apologies, that's just the way I roll. However...today I'm going to shake things up a bit and take note of all the things I LIKE about summer.

fresh tomatoes from the garden
no early morning get-ready-for-school rush
grilling
sun tea
camping
trips to the lake
thunder storms
long days
Big Brother
cold beer never tastes so good

Off to the skate park, where I will likely get sunstroke. Evan and Hannah are all in the mood to skate/bike the halfpipe after watching the XGames on ESPN this morning.

August 1? For Real?

2009-08-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast summer is going. After a weird rainy/cold start, it finally got hot and now it's blazing! Good for swimming and BBQs, not that great for working outside. Needless to say, I'm stoked it's the weekend.

Shane is playing in a pool tourney today (good luck babe!) and I'm hoping to get some housework done (big fun!) before hitting the scrapshack. Haven't been scrapping much lately, but I'm starting to feel the bug again.

Also working on this blanket for Evan's room. Using red and orange to match his colors. It's turning out cute, but I must be insane for working on it in this heat.

Tonight we are going to a free concert at the new open air mall - Smash Mouth! Hopefully it won't be thunder storming, because the kids are super stoked to go and hear the Shrek song:

Grad Night

2009-06-10T14:03:00.001-07:00

Jordan graduated from high school last week - honors diploma! How did we get here, where our baby is a man? Crazy. Couldn't be prouder.

We didn't get any pictures of him in his cap - when he tossed it he lost it. Now he's ready to enjoy the summer before starting college in the fall. He's focusing on secondary education, wants to be a high school English teacher. I think he'd be great at it! The next chapter begins...

Blog? What Blog?

2009-06-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so I'm a total blagger - haven't posted in months.

Excuses:

1. Work has been busy, we're out working every day. Still trying to adjust to that.

2. Facebook kind of fills the same roll as a blog, so sometimes this seems redundant.

3. Lots of crochet projects taking up my time.

4. Painting the kids' rooms is another major project.

5. Didn't have a camera and a blog post without photos is pretty boring. BUT, we do have a new camera now so get ready for some pics!

Surprised I still know how to upload.

OK, that's all for now, gotta ease back in.

Spring Break

2009-04-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

We're halfway through spring break, but you wouldn't know it by looking outside. It's cold and windy, snowing yesterday. Not great window cleaning weather so we've had some time off. Hannah and Evan are at Grandma and Grandpa's for the week so it's very quiet around here. I miss them like crazy, kind of feel weird having them so far away. But I also realize that I really needed this break, and am trying to enjoy it.

It's nice hanging out with Jordan while the little ones are away. The three of us went out for dinner and a movie on Monday, saw Observe and Report, which was hilarious! Went to DMV yesterday, for the third attempt at his learner's permit test. Success! He drove the last couple miles home, only stalled the truck once. High five!

This one's for you, Jordan!

Stormy

2009-04-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

We're not working today, it's pretty stormy out. Instead we went grocery shopping and took care of Easter shopping too. Walmart didn't have any jelly beans. Seriously?

Now I've got to get working on the taxes, oh joy of joys. Munching on some Jalapeno Popper Doritos and sipping a Rockstar to help me deal. Gotta throw on some good music and get to it.

But first - I have a little rant. I do not like earbuds, not at all. Whenever I move my head they fall out. Whenever I move my arm it hits the cord and they fall out. After a while they hurt my ears. But if I get the big earphones I'll look like a dork. It's a dilemma.

This song has been in my head all day. I like. And I really love that you can find live versions of pretty much anything on youtube instantly. Such great energy at a concert. Ok - I'm out.

Happy Saturday!

2009-04-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Totally enjoying my day off, waking up slowly and putzing around before tackling some housework. Had fun last night - pool + beer + food + friends = good times. I need to get some stuff done here in the office today, back out to work tomorrow and every day next week too. Yeah spring! So glad work is picking up, really relieved and optimistic about the summer season.

Almost done with Hannah's blanket, man what a project! It's taken me a couple months, I'll be pretty glad when it's finished. She will too - every day she asks me if it's done yet, and how much longer. Sheesh, I'm not a machine!

Here's a shot of my girl all dressed up for her friend's 80's skate party. The girls were so cute!

Here's the little guy I made for the birthday girl - isn't he cute?!

Earth Hour

2009-03-29T12:01:00.001-07:00

We participated in Earth Hour last night, turned off all the lights from 8:00-9:00. Played Sorry, drew pictures, and just hung out together. We're going to try to do it more often, maybe once a week. I think that's do-able. The best part: everyone together in the same room interacting with each other instead of the computer, TV, or Xbox. Good times!

Remember that nice spring weather we was enjoying yesterday? Gone. Today is cold and super windy. Yuck!

Hannah and Evan are going to an 80s theme birthday party at the roller rink this afternoon. I made Hannah some legwarmers already and am about to whip up a headband, ala Olivia Newton-John.

Spring!

2009-03-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

It sure feels like spring today, nice and warm and sunny. I know it will get cold again, that's the way the Northern Nevada weather rolls, but for now I'm going to soak it up!

I had a dream last night that I was shopping for plants at the nursery - so now I'm in the mood to get the garden patch in shape. Don't usually plant anything until May, otherwise it's in danger of freezing. Debating whether or not to start some seedlings in the garage or just wait and buy some plants. I'd really like to build a raised bed so we can have a bigger garden, but for now I'll just busy myself with cleaning up the yard. Might be time to come out of hibernation!

Completely unrelated, but you know what bugs me? When you get a soda at the fountain and all the lids are in a stack and you have to touch at least five to get one for your cup. That means that your lid has been touched by what? five people? GROSS ME.

Here's a recipe for you - brought home from school by Evan. We baked them together yesterday, so yummy! A perfect mixture of sweet & salty, definitely a keeper!

Chango Bars
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 1/3 cups flour
1 TBS baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup mixed nuts (I took out the Brazil nuts b/c they are just too big)

Melt butter. Meanwhile, cream brown sugar and eggs together, stir in melted butter. Combine dry ingredients and stir into sugar mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Spread into a greased 9 X 13 baking pan and bake 45-50 minutes at 350. Got milk?

The Day After Yesterday

2009-03-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

Had tons of fun last night out on the town celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Didn't drink any green beer, but did have a couple Irish Car Bombs. There were lots of people out, quite a party. Check out our local newspaper's website - we made the photo gallery! (photo #15)

Pumped up for Brett Dennen tomorrow night! Thanks to Max for maybe the coolest Christmas present ever - concert tix! We're going with a group of friends, meeting up for a buffet dinner before the show. Locals eat for $7.77 at GSR - seriously can not beat that. So, it will be a great time on the cheap, which is just how I like it.

Top O' The Day!

2009-03-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all you Irish and wannabee Irish out there. Festivities under way including the wearing of green and the drinking of beer. We've got friends coming into town this afternoon, going to hit the pub crawl downtown. I've got a few hours to whip up a green hat or two - nothing like waiting til the last minute to stress a person out.

Totally unrelated - I HATE driving in roundabouts. What is the deal with those anyway? Why are they putting them in everywhere? Seriously, I can't stand them. No one seems to know how to navigate them, and the entire time I'm going around I cringe - just waiting for an accident. No love for the roundabout.

Check out the Urban Dictionary Word Of The Day, I love it!

March 17: bad economy

An all-purpose excuse that people use during a recession to justify doing things that are below their usual standard. Often these things in reality have little or nothing to do with the economic circumstances.

Harry: "You took your girlfriend to Applebee's on Valentine's Day? Pretty weak."
Larry: "Whatever man, I didn't have a choice. Bad economy."

Senator: "Mr. Paulson, you really want to give the greedy, soulless bankers who caused this mess $700 billion with no strings attached?"
Henry Paulson: "Hey guys, bad economy. Just do it."
Senator: "Good point. I vote yes."

Fred: "Dude, tell me you didn't go home with that broke down 300-pound whale I saw you with at O'Shea's last night."
Brendan: "Dude, it's a bad economy. I'll take what I can get."
Fred: "Yeah, I guess you have to."

I'm Back!

2009-03-16T15:01:00.000-07:00

Took a little blog break, but I'm ready to get back at it. What have I been up to for the last month or so?

Facebooking. The official timesucker of our household. It's pretty cool to catch up with old friends, and I'm way into Bubble Spinner. Also digging the My Farm application, really overly excited about checking up on my crops every day. I even sign on as Shane and send myself goats and apple trees and such. Shhh, that's a secret.

Crocheting. Seems like all of Hannah's friends have their birthdays this month, and I've been cranking out the handmade gifts. Since last post I've made 1 dog, 1 scarf, 2 headbands, 1 wallet, 1 purse, and am in the middle of an octopus. Next up: a hat for Amy and finishing Hannah's blanket. The blanket is a big 'un, rainbow stripes twenty rows thick - I'm about halfway through yellow and still have orange and red to do. I love that it's big enough to cuddle up in while I'm working.

Watching Too Much TV. Big Love, Rock Of Love Bus, Heroes, 24, Lost, Eastbound And Down, I Love Money, Life On Mars, Survivor, The Amazing Race, Man VS Food...yep, I'm a couch potato. Pretty much over Heroes and 24 though, and on the brink with Lost. My favorite right now is Big Love, this season has been INTENSE. And Eastbound is cracking my ass up, Kenny Powers is the man!

Baking Bread. I just love the way it makes the house smell, and I feel so domestical when I pull that fresh loaf out of the oven. Thanks again to Kate for the secret book. It rocks!

There. I did it, broke the blogger's block. Later!

Friday The 13th

2009-02-13T09:01:00.000-08:00

It doesn't bother me that it's Friday The 13th, but I won't be going to see the movie today. I'm just saying. Actually I only watch scary movies at home while also reading or something. But I digress. Do you know the story behind the superstition? Here's what I found out:

FRIDAY THE 13TH - how did Friday the thirteenth become such an unlucky day?

Fear of Friday the 13th is rooted in ancient, separate bad-luck associations with the number 13 and the day Friday. The two unlucky entities combine to make one super unlucky day.

There is a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla, their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow. Balder died and the Earth got dark. The whole Earth mourned.

There is a Biblical reference to the unlucky number 13. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the Last Supper.

A particularly bad Friday the 13th occurred in the middle ages. On a Friday the 13th in 1306, King Philip of France arrested the revered Knights Templar and began torturing them, marking the occasion as a day of evil.
In ancient Rome, witches reportedly gathered in groups of 12. The 13th was believed to be the devil.
Both Friday and the number 13 were once closely associated with capital punishment. In British tradition, Friday was the conventional day for public hangings, and there were supposedly 13 steps leading up to the noose.

It is traditionally believed that Eve tempted Adam with the apple on a Friday. Tradition also has it that the Flood in the Bible, the confusion at the Tower of Babel, and the death of Jesus Christ all took place on Friday.

Numerologists consider 12 a "complete" number. There are 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, and 12 apostles of Jesus. In exceeding 12 by 1, 13's association with bad luck has to do with just being a little beyond completeness.

FRIDAY THE 13TH - how is fear of the number thirteen demonstarted?

More than 80 percent of high-rises lack a 13th floor. Many airports skip the 13th gate. Airplanes have no 13th aisle. Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13. Italians omit the number 13 from their national lottery. On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half. Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue. In France, socialites known as the quatorziens (fourteeners) once made themselves available as 14th guests to keep a dinner party from an unlucky fate. Many triskaidekaphobes, as those who fear the unlucky integer are known, point to the ill-fated mission to the moon, Apollo 13. If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck . Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names.

Interesting. Have a lucky day, y'all!

W.

2009-02-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

We finally watched W. I really liked it, and was surprised by it too. I expected a lot of head-shaking laughs and some rage, which did pan out. What I didn't expect was to feel so much empathy for Bushy. I think he was seriously in way over his head. My favorite part: the horribly awkward press conference. The most enraging part: the strategy meeting about invading Iraq. All in all, it was pretty sad.

Daily cards, week 6:

Hello Hello

2009-02-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

I've been working on ATCs for a Dr. Seuss swap at SIStv, tons of fun! Yesterday I painted all the cards and left them out to dry on the kitchen counter. Shane said, "they look kinda Miami Vice. I think I had some pants like that." Which in fact he did. They looked rad with that hypercolor t-shirt.

I've been baking up a storm lately, must be the cool weather (and my relentless sweet tooth.) This is my favorite butt cake ever. Remember my Big Fat Greek Wedding? I love that scene with the bundt cake confusion. Was looking for a clip but can't find one. Youtube has failed me.

Fresh Apple Bundt Cake

Cake:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 cups diced raw cooking apples
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Topping:
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Sift dry ingredients together, add the rest of the cake ingredients and mix well. Spread into a greased and floured bundt cake pan. (batter will be thick) Bake for 1 hour and 15 min. at 350.

Mix the topping ingredients together until blended. Then pour over the hot cake in pan, letting it drizzle down the sides. Let cake cool about 30 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a plate. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Great served warm.

Ah, Saturday.

2009-02-07T14:23:00.000-08:00

I love Saturdays. Slept in late, woke up slowly, then did a little housecleaning. Everyone pitched in so it wasn't too bad. We're having friends over for dinner so it had to be done. Now we can all chill for a while until I have to start dinner. We're having glazed pork loin, friend rice, and garlic green beans. mmmm. We'll probably drink a few beers, play a little pool, nothing too wild.

Want to see the little backpack I made for Hannah's friend yesterday? It's a quickie project, maybe 2.5 hours.

Oh, and if you want to make a super duper easy, yummy dessert - take a chocolate cake mix and stir in (with a spoon, not a mixer) 3 eggs, 1 can of cherry pie filling, and 1 tsp almond extract. Bake in a 9X13 as directed on the pkg. Frost with chocolate frosting of your choice. I call it Disappearing Cake.

Hello, Kitty!

2009-02-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

Hannah requested this for her friend's birthday gift. The dress gave me fits, and I cannot find "safety eyes" to save my life! I hit two stores yesterday, then sent Shane out to try two more. He's such a good sport. Sending a guy into a craft/fabric store is sort of like asking them to buy tampons for you. Which, by the way, he would totally do. Anyway, I think she turned out pretty cute regardless, reinforced by Hannah's squeal of delight when she saw it this morning. The pattern came from here, thank you ever so much. No freakin' way I could do one of these things without a good pattern, and this one was really easy to follow.

I'm whipping up a little backpack to put her in for the b-day girl. The party is tonight so probably I should get on that.

What's up next, you ask? A rainbow blanket for Hannah. Haven't done an afghan in a long time, so it should be kind of fun. I love how you can snuggle up in it as it grows.

Oh, daily cards, week 5:

Hair's The Deal.

2009-02-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

Last night Evan asked me to cut his hair - 'bout time! For a while he was saying that he wanted his hair long, "cuz I'm a kayaker and I need it to keep my head warm." Guess he had a change of heart. Oh, he also wants to dye it black and pierce his lip. Yeah.

Meanwhile, Hannah also wants a cut, but it's a bit out of my range of talent. She wants an a-line bob, which I think would be super cute. She has trouble keeping her long hair brushed, kind of has a permanent dread in the back.

Speaking of dreads, that's what Jordan wants. We (I) decided that we should probably wait until summer, after graduation. So he's just a mop head for now. I did try and section it out and back-comb it, but he has soooooooo much hair, it's going to be a major effort.

Shane's got quite a mane going too. Hasn't had a haircut in over a year, like some kind of monk or something. Always looking for new ways to keep it out of his face, this time a stylin' (if Flashdance-ish) headband crocheted by moi.

Maybe he's going for this look, ala Jerry-

however, the beard will never happen.

As for me, I have resisted the urge to chop off my mop. It's a cycle: grow it long, get tired of it, chop it off, love it for about a month, then grow it out again. It has reached the point where I can wrap it up and tie it in a knot with no hair paraphernalia, I dig that.

Phew! That was a major post. Over and out-

Puppy Love

2009-02-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

As I was working on the tail of Evan's dog last night, I swore I would never make another amigurumi again. (I also just swore.) Those little parts are hard to work, make my hands cramp up and frustrate me. But, once I sewed it all together...I kinda love him. Makes me smile. I see more critters in my future.

The pattern is from Lion.

Warm Hearts

2009-02-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to make/collect hats and other winter gear for the homeless. I read that there are between 3,000-5,000 homeless in our county, which blows my mind. Actually it's all Shane's idea - he is downtown at the whitewater park quite a bit and sees a lot of folks that can use help. Times are tough for everyone right now, we sure don't have extra money to donate - but I do have a bin full of yarn and some crochet hooks. If you want to help, here's a link to save me some typing.

Thoroughly enjoyed TV last night -

Big Love: OMG Lois in the basement was spooky! At least she gave him KFC. Barb's sister is evil. And the look on Nicki's face when she realized the witness was in her own house: priceless.

The Office: Totally LOL last night. Stanley's stress meter, Michael's roast...classic!

Cheers to a great week!

Super Sunday

2009-02-01T15:23:00.001-08:00

I think it's about kick-off time, best get to those deviled eggs and settle in to watch the game. Rooting for Arizona, Go Cards!

Shane and Evan went kayaking yesterday with John and Trevor and Scott - it was another gorgeous Northern Nevada day. Looks like the water might be up just a little.

Enjoy the game!

Craftacular

2009-01-29T08:57:00.001-08:00

Ze octopus, he is done. When the kids saw him this morning they shrieked, "how cute! Who is it for? Will you make me one? Can I take it to school?" Now, that's the kind of reaction a crafter is looking for.

So now I have an order for an orange one with a black smile for Evan.

Daily cards, week 4:

Hump Day!

2009-01-28T08:21:00.000-08:00

Man, time flies. It's already Wednesday? We're busy this week finishing up all the monthlies - let's get em done and bill em out!

Yesterday we were downtown at a friend's house and saw the coolest thing. The building behind his place is all about alternative energy and they were putting up the first windmill in our area. The girl we were talking to called it an urban turbine - it's about 60 feet tall and the blades are 10 feet across. We got to watch them hoist it up with a crane. My camera was low on power and wouldn't let me take a picture, bummer. Tomorrow there is some big ceremony with the mayor and such. With the wind power and solar panels they plan to be at net zero by the end of the year. How cool is that? I want a windmill!

I'm almost done with my first amigurumi project - a crocheted purple octopus. He's pretty damn cute.

Also working on my rainbow swap cards, painting is fun and messy, love it. Did a little crackle action on these.

Hasta!

Master Of My Domain

2009-01-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

That's right, you can just call me webmaster from now on. Or webmeister if you're funky. Spent the better part of yesterday on our website, junked the fugly old one and started from scratch. I think it looks pretty good. Check it out!

The Office last night cracked me up, the Hillary Swank bit was classic. And 30 Rock was good too. I was giggling as I crocheted flowers for the rainbow atc swap on SIS.

The cat is OUTTA CONTROL with the ribbon snatching. I need to find the lids to the jars I keep it in. Every morning I find ribbon all over the place, and of course at least one in the water bowl. Her habit is escalating.

It's raining again - two days in a row is some kind of record around here. We've got some more inside work to do, and a big inside job tomorrow so it's all good.

Our buddy Kent is taking off for Alaska, happened so fast we didn't even get a chance to throw him a going-away party! We'll miss that dude! He needed a place to park his bus, so the view out my office window has changed a bit-

Later-TGIF!

Thursday

2009-01-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

Trying to catch up on some paperwork today, invoices and such that I couldn't do while the computer was down. Glad things are up and running but not that happy about the cost.

Working on our website, I think it's looking PRETty good. Will post a link when I'm all done.

It's raining! We need the water so bad, and thankfully we have some inside work to do today so I'm not going to complain about it. Poor Hannah though - her field trip today was canceled. She was bummed out this morning.

TV is getting good again!

Watched Lost last night, glad to see that they are starting to answer some questions. (kind of)
Looking forward to The Office tonight, last week was hilarious with the duel.
The Big Love premiere did not disappoint. I love that show!
Also enjoying re-runs of Arrested Development lately - a freakin' crack up!

Third week of daily cards (January is almost over? No way!)

Happy O Day!

2009-01-20T16:21:00.000-08:00

We've got a new prez in da house! So glad to have new representation. I know he's got his work cut out for him, and I'm not naive enough to think he's the answer to all our country's problems. But I do feel hopeful. I feel like people are paying attention and ready for some real change. I know I am.

Peace.

Kayak Kid

2009-01-19T13:06:00.001-08:00

Evan is getting more and more comfortable in the water, and he digs hanging out with his dad and the kayak crew. Here are some pics from yesterday downtown at the whitewater park. The water is flowing really low, and really cold - you can see the ice on the rocks. Crazy 'yakers!

Check It Out Now

2009-01-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

This happens all the time. Ashley (the cat) gets ribbon from my scrap table in the other room, brings it into the kitchen and puts it...in the water bowl. Today she chose two lovely coordinating red ribbons.

Oh, and check my new grillz yo-

It's super hard to smile with these suckahs in, especially since the candy on the back is crapnasty! So, I decided to do a more serious photo-

Respect.

Holy Crap!

2009-01-16T12:38:00.001-08:00

Jordan has been working on this project for months now in ceramics class, and it's finally done. The pics really don't do it justice, this thing is amazing! The top comes off kind of like a cookie jar. Dude's got talent!

My Lucky Day!

2009-01-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

Check out this email I got, I am soooooo lucky!

From: MR. V H C CHENG. Email: (vincheggg@yahoo.com.hk) Good Day I am Mr. Vincent Cheng Hoi Chuen, GBS, JP Chairman of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited. Gen Zaiki Taha Abdel, a businessman, also who was with the Iraqi forces and our Client, made a fixed deposit of Thirty million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars only in my branch, a number of notices was sent to him after the war, which began in 2003 , but no response came from him till date. We later found out that the General along with his family had been killed in a bomb blast that hit their home. After more inquiry it was also discovered that the late Gen. did not declare any next of kin in his official papers including the paper work of his bank deposit. What bothers me most is according to the laws of my country at the expiration of 6 years the funds will be revert to the ownership of the Hong Kong Government if nobody comes for the funds, Against this scenery, I have all the information needed to claim these funds and I want you to act as the beneficiary of the deposit, there is no risk involved in this matter, as we are going to adopt a legitimate method and the attorney will prepare all the necessary documents. All I require is your honest co-operation and I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect us from any breach of the law. Please accept my apologies, keep my confidence and disregard this email if you do not appreciate this proposition I have offered you. All confirmable documents to back up this funds shall be made available to you, as soon as I receive your reply, I shall let you know what is required of you. Your earliest response to this letter will be appreciated via (vincheggg@yahoo.com.hk). Regards from, Mr. Vincent Cheng.

Eyeroll. Maybe I can get a job as spell/grammar checker for internet scammers.

Got a hot date with my man tonight at the pool hall. His team is in the playoffs and this is a do or die tournament so cross your fingers!

Feeling pretty good and hopeful about work, got some new leads and an invitation to attend a free business expo at my friend's school. It's a private school at the largest Catholic church here so it could be great exposure for us. Brainstorming, brochures, coupons, etc. Maybe I'll have Jordan (the resident artist) do a display of some kind. The weather is fantastic. Sorry all you in the Midwest.

Week two of daily cards:

What Up?

2009-01-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

Had a pretty productive day, got some errands done, went grocery shopping, made a batch of crack. Yeah, that's right, crack. It's a delicious, wickedly addictive concoction of chex cereal, coconut, and cashews smothered in caramel. Mmmmmm.

Up to my ears in crochet projects at the moment. Just finished Mom's birthday gift on Sunday and since then I've made three beanies and started a "market bag" - all for the kids' friends. And these are paid orders, woo-hoo! Guess that makes me a professional hooker. hehe

All set for the inauguration, ready for the new administration to get on with it already. Wonder what's going to happen on the Bush countdown meter over on the sidebar when it reaches 0:00 - will it just stop or will it do a trick?

You know I'm all for Obama and everything, but I kinda think it's weird all the merchandise being hocked everywhere with his name on it. Like I don't think I'll be sporting an Obama t-shirt now. Before the election, ok, but now? And I don't ever remember a politician having a logo before. I'm just saying...it's a little odd.

Speaking of political merchandise -

TGIFF!

2009-01-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! I'm so glad the week is over and tomorrow is sleeping in day! It's been hard getting back into the old routine after the holiday break.

Thoughts of the day:

Facebook is freakin awesome! Today I chatted with some old friends, people I haven't talked to in like 20 years - so crazy cool.
Youtube is also wicked cool. Anything you could ever want to see is on there - old music videos, flushing jello, live concert footage, people falling on their asses - it's all there. Such sweetness.
I've been spending too much time online (see above two items).
So glad the washer is working again, actually enjoying doing laundry and having clean clothes!
Reading A Fine Balance, it is so good. Heartbreaking, but good.
Jordan has been watching all these Armageddon shows on The History Channel - me no likey. I've got enough to worry about thank you very much!
24 and Big Love are about to start up again, finally something to watch! TV has been lame lately.
Getting ready to return the dirt to Dr. Zhivago. Yeah, that's right!
Soup for dinner. Yum!

Later-

Finally

2009-01-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

So long, see ya next year!

Yep, finally packed up the Christmas decorations. We have accumulated about 5 boxfuls over the years. It's good to get it down and get things back to normal.

Keeping up with the daily cards, and enjoying it. I really think that doing just a small project every day keeps the creative juices flowing. I think I'll post them weekly here, then I have to stay on top of it!

Daily Cards 2009 - Week 1

There, I blogged. Eat it, TreeGirl!

Monday

2009-01-05T12:51:00.000-08:00

Taking a little break from my extensive to-do list-

I do have a few things crossed off, feeling pretty productive today. Scheduled some work too, woo-hoo! January 09 is already looking busier than January 08, so the year is off to a good start. Now if last month's invoices would just start coming in... Getting ready to do those tax forms, big huge fun.

Watched Rock Of Love Bus last night, that show has got class out the ass, my friends.

Ok, back to work.

End Of Vacation Blues

2009-01-04T14:46:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we went out shopping so the kids could spend their Christmas money. Finally made it into Scheels. Holy crap! It is huge, I mean HUGE. It has everything sports/camping/fitness/hunting related that you can imagine, and then some. And, it also has one of these:

Note Evan's super cool outfit. He's all geared up for kayaking - we were there to buy him some gloves to keep his hands from freezing off. Shane took him to the whitewater park later and it was chillllly. Nutty boys!

Back to school/work tomorrow, and I am so not ready for that alarm clock in the morning. We've all been staying up way too late, sleeping in way too long - it's gonna be rough getting back into ze routine. You play, you pay, right?

Later-

Yo Yo Yo

2009-01-02T16:17:00.000-08:00

I did it, cleaned the office yesterday. Took most of the day but it's worth it, so much better. I can actually see my desk!

Hopelessly addicted to the Bouncing Balls mind jolt game on facebook. It's good for zoning out and decompressing. And I kinda shred at it.

Also made a daily card yesterday, whoot! So I'm currently up to date for the year, or I will be after I make one today. Better get on that.

Other projects:

This hat, for me-

Mittens for the fam. One pair down, four to go-

We have had the most bizarre weather today, high winds, rain, snow, sun, slush, no wind at all. Think we about covered the whole weather spectrum.

Oh, and a special thanks to Kate for turning me on to The Tree Man. Lovely.

New Year's Housekeeping

2009-01-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

OK, time to clean up le blog and get ready for the new year. I am personally glad to put '08 behind us and move the hell on. On my very first to-do list of the year:

Take better care of myself. This means exercising and eating healthy food. Simple, right? Yeah.
Clean up this office! No wonder I can't seem to get any work done.
Start making daily cards again - it's a great way to stay in the scrappy mood. I miss my favorite hobby!

I'm not calling those resolutions, because that word just has too much expectation attached. Words I do not want to hear this year:

Economy. Everyone, everywhere is talking about the "new economy," the "state of our economy," the "bad economy" - e-freakin'-nuff already! This is not raising consumer confidence and is stressing me right out.
Bail Out. If you need a refresher on where I stand here, check last week's post.
Hope/Change. Let's not overuse these two very important words.
Jigglypuff. My son has taken to chanting this lately. Over it.

Switching gears. I didn't quite make my goal of 50 books last year. For 2009 I'm going with a goal of 26 books, one for every two weeks. Making a new list over on the side bar but for record's sake, here is a recap of last year's reads, with my favorites in bold:

37. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
36. Snow Flower And The Secret Fan (Lisa See)
35. The Broker (John Grisham)
34. The Motel Life (Willy Vlautin)
33. The Heretic's Daughter (Kathleen Kent)
32. Three Bags Full (Leonie Swann)
31. Fearless Fourteen (Janet Evanovich)
30. A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hosseini)
29. Stitch N Bitch Crochet (Debbie Stoller)
28. Worse Than Watergate - The Secret Presidency George W. Bush (John W. Dean)
27. I lock My Door Upon Myself (Joyce Carol Oates)
26. No Time For Goodbye (Linwood Barclay)
25. Boy Still Missing (John Searles)
24. The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwater)
23. 84, Charing Cross Road (Helene Hanff)
22. Black Out (Lisa Unger)
21. The Tent (Margaret Atwater)
20. Dead Sleep (Greg Iles)
19. The Book Of Lost Things (John Connolly)
18. Sharp Objects (Gillian Flynn)
17. Zombie (Joyce Carol Oates)
16. The Fourth Hand (John Irving)
15. A Friend Of The Earth (T.C. Boyle)
14. The Courage Consort (Michel Faber)
13. Tallgrass (Sandra Dallas)
12. T Is For Trespass (Sue Grafton)
11. The Historian (Elizabeth Kostova)
10. Lean Mean Thirteen (Janet Evanovich)
9. The Forest Lover (Susan Vreeland)
8. The Rapture Of Canaan (Sheri Reynolds)
7. I Am The Messenger (Markus Zusak)
6. The Madonnas Of Leningrad (Debra Dean)
5. Blood Memory (Greg Iles)
4. True Evil (Greg Iles)
3. Extremely Close And Incredibly Loud (Jonathan Safron Foer)
2. Fierce Invalids Back From Hot Climates (Tom Robbins)
1. Mortal Fear (Greg Iles)

Happy New Year! Crossing fingers for a peaceful, prosperous 2009.

PS I wonder how many blogs are playing this song right now?

Christmas: The Aftermath

2008-12-28T13:07:00.001-08:00

We had a nice quiet Christmas, just the five of us. Missed you Mom and Dad! Big hit was the wii - we played it all night and day, and all the next day and night, and... so much fun! I've got a bit of a cold, which is giving me a great excuse to just relax and snuggle up at home. Been reading a lot, working on a hat for myself, and making some ATCs for another swap. Oh, and blowing my nose just about constantly. Blech. Watched a couple good movies this week - Step Brothers (totally stupidly hilarious), and Trans Siberian (intense!) and ate a lot of good food. Hope y'all had a great holiday, and a huge thank you to everyone who sent gifts and cards. Love you!

Oh Christmas Tree

2008-12-21T12:42:00.000-08:00

This is our second year with the fake tree...I love it! Couldn't be easier, and no messy needles everywhere. The decorating went very smoothly, mostly because I have stopped trying to control the ornament placement. I didn't say things like, "the balls go first!" or "no, spread them out!" or "don't put that one on top!" Nope, I just sat back and let them have at it, and guess what? It worked out just fine, and no tension. The photos are dark and blurry but I kinda love them like that.

So cozy and festive, why don't we have a tree in the house all year?

Bail ME Out!

2008-12-19T08:56:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official. The latest bailout is going forward, giving the auto makers a shitload of money the government cannot afford. Awesome. This really grates my cheese. Maybe if they had started making energy efficient cars that people want to buy instead of churning out the biggest beasts possible, maybe if they made some hard changes in the way they run their business, maybe if they were ultimately accountable for their own failure...LIKE THE REST OF US. And all the billions given to the banks with no strings - where did it even go? Things are still just as effed up, even after Citibank got bailed out twice. Shaking my head. And they called Obama a socialist, HA!

OK, enough ranting. Just couldn't help myself. On the holiday front, things are winding down a bit. Christmas break starts tomorrow, kids are excited. Last minute gifts being boxed up and mailed out today. I know it's late, and I apologize peeps.

I have baked/eaten enough sweets to last until next Christmas. Favorite of the bunch:

Peanut Clusters

2/3 pound vanilla flavored confectioners' coating
1 (11 ounce) package white chocolate chips
1 (12 ounce) can peanuts
1/2 (6 ounce) package almond toffee bits (Heath Bits O' Brickle)

Line baking sheets with waxed paper. In a double boiler heat confectioners' coating until melted, stirring constantly until smooth. Pour in white chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Stir in peanuts and almond toffee bits. Remove from heat and drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Cool for an hour, or until hardened.

Deckin' the halls-

Notice that Evan is wearing shorts. This was a week or so ago when it was warm and sunny and felt like September. This week has been frigid. Single digits in the morning and raging wind, little bit of snow on the ground with more expected today...winter has bitch slapped us.

Sweeeet

2008-12-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

Know what made my day even more than watching a couple size tens being hurled at W?

This!

It's a crochet hook organizer, made for me by my IGF Kate, and it completely rocks!

Look how I used to store my stuff:

And now:

My hooks are so happy with their new home! I heart it.

Stuff

2008-12-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

Car update: waiting on estimate for a new engine. Yep, just a little minor repair. eyeroll. Dealing with being a one car family for now.
Scored a 19 pound turkey for $7.00, so tonight we are having Thanksgiving Part II. Since I can't drive anywhere, I will spend the day cooking and working on some crochet projects. Beth, if you're reading, I will be making your pears by special request from everyone.
Need to get to the library. I'm reading a John Grisham book that we had at the house, not expecting a whole lot. It kind of stresses me out not to have another book waiting. Weird?
Speaking of books, The Motel Life was so good. Sad, but wonderful. Why are most of the really good ones such heartbreakers? Maybe it's just that when it's good you really get into it and feel it more.
Watched Heros last night, thinking the entire time, "why am I still watching this?" The first season was so good, but I've definitely lost that lovin' feeling for the show.
Shopping for a wii for Christmas, a combined family gift this year. Hope it's not too hard to find. It's going to be a "small" Christmas, but I don't mind. I find those are the best actually.

Our Thanksgiving Was...

2008-11-28T09:03:00.000-08:00

...exciting. We left a little bit late on our trip over the pass for dinner with the family. I had to meet up with the person that found my cell phone in the grocery store parking lot the night before. Got it back no problem, filled up the tank, hit the road with brand new tires installed Wednesday night. Everything's groovy, right? Nope. About halfway through the trip, on top of the summit, the oil light comes on, the car starts making an awful noise and shaking. Luckily, we were near an off-ramp and there is a gas station there. We limped it in, checked out the car, and eventually called a tow truck. Again, we were lucky that it was sunny and warm, the station was open, and the staff were very helpful. The tow truck driver was way cool and got us back to town pretty quickly. Then we took a taxi back to the house. This all set us back about $450. Great. That's on top of the $700 for the tires.

After we got back home, I called our friends that were having a big turkey and no company and we spent the holiday together. So great of them to include us, helped turn our crappy day around. The food was fantastic, I'm still full this morning!

Finally!

2008-11-25T08:08:00.000-08:00

Friendship Bread Day 10/10 - Baking Day!

This is the recipe/instruction sheet that I will copy and pass out to my friends with their bags of starter. You can copy and paste it into your own document. If you've been following along, and today is your "day 10", then proceed with the baking instructions below. The bread is so worth the wait! I think I'll do an apple/cinnamon variation with vanilla pudding mix, a couple of grated apples, and some walnuts. For a really decadent version, try chocolate pudding mix, white chocolate chips, and chopped macadamia nuts. I will be giving the starter baggies to the kids' teachers tomorrow, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. It's nice to give a couple of slices of the baked bread with the starter so they know what to expect. Enjoy!

**************************************************************

Amish Friendship Bread

Copy these instructions before you start for when you are ready to pass the starter on to others. Do not use metal spoons or metal bowls for mixing. Do not refrigerate. As bag fills with gas from fermentation let the gas out, this is normal. Enter the dates below and cross out the days so you don’t loose track. Don’t panic if you go beyond a day or two simply pick up where you left off.

Day 1: Date: ____/____ Do nothing. This is the day you get the starter batter.
Day 2, 3, 4, 5: Mush the bag each day.
Day 6: Date: ____/____ add: 1 C flour, 1 C Sugar, 1 C milk.
Day 7, 8, 9: Mush the bag each day.
Day 10: Date: ____/____

Preheat oven to 325.

Pour the entire contents of the bag into a non-metal bowl and add 1½ C flour, 1½ C Sugar, 1½ Milk. Mix well with a wooden or plastic spoon.

Label four (4) 1 gallon zip top bags with “Day 1” and tomorrow’s date. Measure out 1 C of the batter each of the bags.

To the remaining starter batter in your bowl, add 3 eggs, 1 cup oil, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup milk, 2 cups flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp salt, 1 5.1 oz box of instant vanilla pudding, and 1 1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Grease 2 large loaf pans and mix up an additional ½ C sugar ½ tsp cinnamon. Dust the greased pans with this mixture. Save some for the top of the bread. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture on top. Bake at 325 for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool and remove from the pan.

Keep one of the 4 gallon bags of batter for yourself and pass the other three to your friends, with a copy of these instructions.

VARIATIONS:
Banana - Omit cinnamon. Substitute banana cream pudding for vanilla. Add 2 mashed bananas.
Chocolate - Omit cinnamon and vanilla pudding from the basic recipe and add 1 - (5.1 oz) box of instant chocolate pudding, 3 tsp. cocoa and 3/4 cup chocolate chips. Bake for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours.
Apple Raisin - add one cup of raisins and one small diced apple.
Lemon-Poppy Seed – Substitute lemon pudding mix for vanilla. Substitute 2-tsp. Lemon extract for vanilla. Omit cinnamon. Add 1/4 cup poppy seed.
Cranberry – Add 1 cup of dried cranberries and 1 tsp orange zest.

This batter is very versatile and can be used to make muffins or bundt cakes, just adjust the baking time accordingly.

********************************************************************

Monday Again?

2008-11-24T08:21:00.000-08:00

Friendship Bread Day 9/10: Release any accumulated air from baggie and squish to mix several times today. Tomorrow is baking day!

Made a mini album for Evan yesterday, all about yakin'. Seeing his face light up when he looked through it reminds me why I scrapbook.

The title letters on the cover were cut by the ever talented lpmkate. I love them! Evan did his own journaling:

Sunday

2008-11-23T11:48:00.001-08:00

Friendship Bread Day 8/10: Release any accumulated air from baggie and squish to mix several times today. Should be getting nice and bubbly.

Scrapping on a budget: Just did another reduce, reuse, recycle ATC card swap. Love the concept of this, especially these days when le budget is nil. I cut up cereal boxes for the base of the cards - I happen to have several dozen for sale in my etsy shop all ready to go. Shameless plug I know. Anyway, then I used the edges from our dot matrix printer paper for the background, stamped the tree on newspaper, and voila! The woodgrain dymo tape is killer, and it goes with the whole theme. Thanks Linda for sending it to me! So, these little guys cost next to nothing to make.

Can't wait to get the rest of the set, especially Kate's celeb trash collage card, I freaking love those.

Off to work on my recipe cards, and maybe some "real" scrapping too. Later!

Saturday

2008-11-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

Friendship Bread Day 7/10: Release any accumulated air from baggie and squish to mix several times today.

Cannot believe Thanksgiving is next week. I would love to make a turkey like this,

but I am not cooking. We are going to spend the day with the family in Roseville, a little road trip so let's hope the weather stays nice. We'll miss you Shad, Sharon, Dani, and Logan! Remember when you guys were out here and we had Thanksgiving at your place? So fun. Although your turkey was not nearly as sexy as this one.

TGIF!

2008-11-21T16:42:00.001-08:00

Friendship Bread Day 6/10: Release any accumulated air from baggie and squish to mix several times today.

TGIF is right, what a week! Mad busy, pretty tuckered. Taking Hannah out to see a show tonight, a little girls' outing. It's a "holiday ice spectacular" which I think she'll enjoy, and I will try to not be too scroogy. Shannon scored us some free tickets, third row. Sweeeet.
Guns N Roses released their new album today, although the only thing GNR about it is Axl Rose. I didn't buy it (got to make that clear) but I did find a vid on youtube. Fun fact: it is the most expensive cd ever made at $10 million.

I like that song ok, but really...this one kicks it's ass.

Thurrrrsday

2008-11-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

Friendship Bread Day 5/10

You will need:

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

In a bowl (remember, do not metal bowls or spoons), combine flour and sugar, then mix in milk with a wooden spoon. Add this mixture to your starter in the baggie and squish to mix. Done.

Random video of the day:

Hump Day

2008-11-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

Friendship Bread Day 4/10 - release any accumulated air from baggie and squish to mix several times today.

Had fun out on the town last night. Played shuffleboard (actually very fun and not just for geriatrics), did a little gambling in the penny machines, drank many beers, and ate a nice greasy breakfast at a truck stop on the way home at midnight. Good times indeed.

Tonight is Jordan's first orchestra concert of the year. Always cool to go and hear them play. He's also working on what sounds like an amazing ceramics project, can't wait to see the finished product.

Ok, off to work. I need aspirin.

Tuesday

2008-11-18T09:16:00.000-08:00

Friendship Bread Day 3/10: Release any accumulated air from baggie and squish to mix several times today. You might notice that it is kind of stinky, that is perfectly normal.

Had the weirdest lunch yesterday. Shane and I went to a new taco place that an acquaintance of ours opened recently. No one working there seemed to know what was going on. Problems ordering, confusion as to how the food would find us outside, and a total lack of interest in us as customers was all very odd. When the food finally arrived, they served three meals instead of two. Finally figured out what was what but my wrap was a chicken Caesar number instead of the beef/veggie that I ordered. Did I mention it wasn't cheap? It tasted fine, but overall the experience was a downer. Good luck 'Berto, you're gonna need it!

Tonight we are going out with friends coming in from Portland. Probably will hit a buffet for dinner and then do the casino thing. Hey, it's Reno, Baby!

Manic Monday

2008-11-17T08:48:00.000-08:00

Friendship Bread Day 2/10 - release any air from the baggie and squish to mix the contents a couple times today. It will puff up as it ferments, don't be scared.

Yesterday I went to Michaels and scored some fancy pants yarn on sale - $5.99 skiens for $2.00 each! Doesn't get much better than that. Got to head back later this week to check for more colors. Hmmm, what to make with it?

Off to work for a bit - later!

Virtual Friendship Bread

2008-11-16T12:18:00.000-08:00

You know the bread where a friend gives you a baggie of starter and a recipe, then you work on it for 10 days before baking the yummiest bread ever? If you've never tasted it, the end result is a sweet, almost dessert-y bread. You can change it up to suit your own taste, make it chocolatey or nutty or fruity, whatever!

I'd love to give you all some starter but since it would probably explode in a stinky yeast bomb somewhere in transit, I'm just going to post directions for you to begin the cycle yourself. Follow along for 10 days and you will then be able to pass some starter along.

First Step is to make the actual starter.

1 (.25 oz) pkg active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a large gallon-sized Ziploc bag, combine flour and sugar thoroughly before stirring in milk and yeast mixture. Use a wooden spoon or just squish it around. Set aside on the counter, keeping it always at room temperature.

*For the entire process, do not use metal bowls or utensils*

That's it for day 1/10. It's a good idea to keep a little tally sheet of some kind with your starter so you can keep track of the days.

You won't be doing anything but stirring (wooden spoon!) or squishing for the next three days, so just relax and let it do its thing. I will be posting a little daily reminder for everyone following along.

Random Blathering

2008-11-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

It's Friday, the sun is shining, and my spirits are up.

Work is staying steady, feeling cautiously optimistic.

Pretty pissed off about the bailout package and the changes being made to it now, after congress passed it. Shaking my head really.

Stunned that Sarah Palin is everywhere these days, apparently the new Britney. And every interview hinges on this: will she run in 2012? Were y'all listening?
Getting a little stressed about Christmas gifting. I will be making most of the gifts this year, which means a lot of crocheting. It's good because I get my crafting fix and my loved ones get a handmade gift. Plus, it's pretty thrifty. The secret is not taking on too much.

Making stocking hats for the family Christmas photos, one of 5 complete.

Haven't scrapbooked in ages. I think this weekend I will make an effort to clean up the scrapshack so it's more inviting. Have a few projects floating around in my brain, ready to get to it. I've made some ATCs lately but that's about it.

I really don't get adults baby talking. It freaks me out. Unless you're actually talking to a baby, knock it off!

Did Heros hire the writers from Lost?

Hopelessly addicted to the Bubble Words game on facebook.

Really looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. My favorite thing on the weekends is to wake up nice and slowly with coffee and a book in bed.

Happy Weekend!

Sunday

2008-11-09T12:09:00.000-08:00

I made this hat for one of Hannah's friends for a birthday gift. I think it turned out super cute! Hannah thought so too, she didn't want to take it off. Evan dubbed it "hella tight" and put in a request for one of his own. I have a feeling that I will be making more of these...after the blister on my thumb heals! The pattern uses three strands of yarn and I went down a hook size for a smaller hat - hella tight is right! I got a giant blister on my thumb...that's some extreme crocheting! The pattern is by Dot - here is a link.

This one is blurry because she wouldn't hold still:

Off to the grocery...big fun!

Injury Report

2008-11-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

The other day at school Evan ran full on into the swing set pole. He was looking behind him to catch a ball and...wham. Poor guy had the biggest bump I've ever seen on his forehead, right between the eyes. The swelling has gone down and now he's got a bit of a black eye. Insert horribly lit photo:

It was really just a matter of time until this happened. He is always zoning in on something and forgetting to watch where he's going, it's pretty funny. But that bump wasn't funny, it was hecka big. (Those are his words)

The scarf came out like this:

Kinda fun, kinda funky. The felting process did funk it up a bit but I like it.

Going to a part tonight with my main squeeze, it's about time we had a date!

A Scarf

2008-11-06T09:52:00.000-08:00

Looking for a new project, I found this pattern online. Big thanks to the author! The finished scarf is pictured here:

I have a bunch of wool leftovers in my stash so I decided to go with the felted version in these colors:

It was so fun making all the circles! Makes me want to try a granny square blanket. Like this one, which I am in love with!

Joining the circles together:

The almost finished product:

Now comes the scary part, the felting. I'm just about to put the scarf in the washer, crossing my fingers that it felts up nicely and doesn't get all funkified.

Yes.

2008-11-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

It's true. Barack Obama is president elect and Bush is now officially a lame duck. I am so relieved that the election went smoothly with no shenanigans. But mostly, I am inspired. Inspired that we have a leader that will bring us together as a country, and listen to the people. Inspired and relieved that those spewing racist hatred are a minority. Inspired and proud that we will have a representative for America that speaks for me, that may be able to improve our image abroad. That is hugely important to me. I read this article on that point today. And I am inspired by the record voter turnout - the people really do pay attention and want change. Congratulations America, you have spoken! But we need to keep on speaking out...be the change, make it happen. Yes We Can!

Today's The Day

2008-11-03T09:43:00.001-08:00

Finally. The longest campaign in history comes to a close today. I will be glued to the TV this evening, watching the results come in. Crossing my fingers for a landslide, cannot deal with another 2000 debacle.

Not giving away who I voted for, but here's a hint:

Get out and vote! Do your homework and cast your ballots, it's your right and your duty. Unless you're voting Republican - that's tomorrow. (kidding, folks)

If you are living under a rock or with your head in the sand and missed the action, here's a campaign recap for you:

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Click here to read about the stupidest things that happened during the election.

The Office

2008-11-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

I recently did an ATC swap with cards inspired by the ever hilarious Office - I chose Dwight because he is my fave. The whole set is pretty cool, take a look:

And for your viewing pleasure:

The Day After

2008-11-01T11:31:00.001-07:00

Had tons of fun last night! The kids went trick-or-treating with the neighbors and got POUNDS of candy. I'm trying to stay away from it because I've got a wee bit of a toothache, but I do love me some fun-sized candy.

We went to a party with our (very) last minute costumes. I was white trash and Shane was...stunning. He went into the store on the way to the party dressed like that, it was hilarious!

Our hosts: Governor Sarah Palin and her security detail, Agent Orange.

I found out lots of interesting things about Caribou Barbie and even got an autographed photo.

Good times, totally fun to dress up and be silly. And that New Belgian 1554 was pretty tasty.

Now I'm ready for a lazy day around the house. It's stormy out and I feel like hibernating. Jammies, slippers, hot tea, a good book...yeah, that's the ticket!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

Get yer spook on:

Yeeeee Haw!

2008-10-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

The theme for Hannah's music program at school was "The West." I stayed up until 1:00am making this hat for her to wear:

It was all worth it when she saw it in the morning and said, "Wow, I can't believe you made this!" Cutie pie.

The kids all looked so cute and the songs were really fun. We have the best music teacher, she has got to be the most patient person on the planet.

No school tomorrow, hurray for the three day weekend! The kids are also off next Tuesday, and the following Tuesday. It totally messes me up having Tuesday off. Why can't Veteran's Day be on Monday? Wouldn't that make more sense? And why do they have election day off? The kids aren't voting, and some parents might have a harder time voting with their kids at home. So glad I voted early. I will be mighty glad when the election is over and done with. It better be a landslide, that's all I'm sayin'.

Happy Birthday!

2008-10-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

Look who turned 8 on Saturday!

He spent the day doing his favorite things: kayaking with Dad, opening presents, eating pizza, watching a movie, and playing with friends. Perfection!

Check It Out!

2008-10-21T18:03:00.001-07:00

And I suggest you do too! With record voter turnout predicted, I bet there will be some long lines on November 4th. If you are like my dedicated blog reader Joe The Plumber and remain undecided, here is a little game you can play to compare issues between the candidates.

Ahhh, Fall

2008-10-19T11:14:00.001-07:00

I love fall! The clean, crisp air is such a relief after the long hot summer. Time for cozy jeans and sweaters and yummy comfort foods. And the colors...Mother Nature is really showing off. Check out this tree in our back yard:

Let's just enjoy the season and not even think about the fact that winter is right around the corner. And the holidays...nope! Putting it out of my mind for now. Deep breath, live in the moment, yadda yadda yadda.

Still Undecided?

2008-10-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

Can't decide who to vote for on November 4th? Maybe crocheting a finger puppet will help you jump down off the fence and back one candidate or the other.

I think the McCain puppet kind of looks like a priest. I didn't make this up, you can find the patterns here.

Looks like Obama is pulling way ahead in the polls as of today. Probably it's because his puppet is so cute.

I Love Saturdays

2008-10-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

My favorite day of the week!

-Woke up slowly over a couple cups of coffee while looking through the awesome crochet book I picked up at the library yesterday.

-Whipped up a German pancake, got rave reviews.

-Hannah is having a friend sleep over tonight.

-Shane is kayaking downtown, freezing his balls off. (it's 35 degrees out)

-Got the results of my postal service exam: I passed and am eligible for employment. Could be months or even years before I get the call, but at least I'm on the list.

-Rented Forgetting Sarah Marshall to watch tonight.

Have a good one!

Field Trippin'

2008-10-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

Went on a day trip yesterday with Hannah's class. We took a hike, went on a scavenger hunt, did some science stuff, had a picnic...she declared it the best field trip ever!

It was a bit chilly in the shade, but sunny and nice overall. Unlike today - it's snowing like crazy!

PS: Thanks so much for the extended loan of your camera, Tobi!

Wednesday

2008-10-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

I've been a total blagger lately, haven't been feeling it. Been busy working, stressing, and whomping gophers. I did manage to make a couple things:

A purse for me-

A little backpack for Miss Banana-

The cooler fall weather has me ready to bake this, my all-time favorite easy peasy dessert:

GREAT PUMPKIN DESSERT
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (12 fluid ounce) can
evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 (18.25 ounce) package
yellow cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spice. Mix well, and pour into a 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top, then drizzle with melted butter. Top with walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Also have the urge to crochet an afghan. I love when it gets bigger and bigger and you can cuddle up in it while you're working. This is the one I'm planning to make, still working out the color combo:

As I'm typing this, McPalin are making a speech on TV. I'll be so glad when this BS is over!

Over and out.

TGI Saturday!

2008-10-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a week since I blogged, crazy! I've been out working with Shane every day, totally exhausted. Glad to be saving on payroll but still.

Enjoyed Thursday's VP debate. We went to a friend's house and played this to keep it entertaining. I call it a win for Obiden.

Discovered this ice cream. Yumma yumma.

Made a cute little purse for myself. Needs a longer strap though.

Reading this book. It's good, but makes me cringe. I'm practically yelling out loud, "don't do it!" at the main character...thing are going to get ugly.

My car has a brand new battery in it so I won't be getting stuck anywhere (like Carson City on Monday) again, hopefully.

Favorite bumper sticker of the week: "When Bush took office, gas was $1.48." Enough said there.

Trying to hold it together while being constantly bombarded with stress. Need to turn off the TV and radio, do something fun, and focus on the good stuff.

Finally

2008-09-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

I actually scrapbooked yesterday! It had been a really long time, I was starting to get worried that I'd lost that lovin' feeling for paper and glue, but no...it was just on the back burner. Made three layouts, nothing fancy but still - it felt good. Might do some more today, and I'm excited to do Ali's A Week In The Life project next week. There, I said it so now I have to do it!

Whenever I review a book on goodreads.com it always asks if I want to blog the review and gives the embed code. Here's what happened when I used that code:

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book. Maybe the scariest thing I've ever read, including The Shining. ;)

When I say scary, I mean scary as in could we ever get to that place? I just couldn't get it out of my mind. Maybe it's good (or bad) timing, with the world in such turmoil right now. A very powerful read.

I saw it on the "banned books" shelf at the library and had heard of it before so I grabbed it up. Sort of ironic, it being banned - in the story a lot of things are banned and it is horrific.

PS: I could never vote for someone who has tried to ban books. EVER.

View all my reviews.

Pretty cool. Go technology!

Hell In A Handbasket

2008-09-27T10:21:00.000-07:00

Watched the entire debate last night, thought it was pretty informative. Here is video 1/11 with links on that page to the rest it. I wish they had changed the whole thing to the economy, instead of keeping the second half about foreign policy. Of course that is important, but right now this week I think we're all a wee bit more concerned with what is going on with the bail out plan and those dire warnings that W gave in his speech. More scare tactics or fact? It's just so hard to know any more. My opinion of John McCain actually went up a little bit, his level of experience in foreign affairs is vast, if a bit outdated. He sure loves to tell dramatic stories and kept making fun of Obama's "naivety" - kept saying, "Barack just doesn't get it." On the economic topics I thought Obama won handily. He spoke directly to the problems facing real people like me, while McCain kind of talked political-speak. The most ridiculous part of the debate: the bracelets. EYEROLL. And I'm really not all that sure about Joe Biden, he has the experience the ticket needs, but his swaggering reminds me of...hmmm. Still, I'll take him over Palin. Her latest interview with Katie Couric? Someone needs to advise her when to shut her moose hole.

After the debate I watched The Office, which I missed on Thursday. OMG I was laughing out loud. My favorite quote: "A GD monkey could do it!"

Then I watched Real Time with Bill Maher. More politics. Ralph Nader was on the panel, looking/sounding nutty as usual but making sense at the same time. He really likes to shout, "Revolt!"

So, yeah...a lot of time spent on the couch. I was crocheting too, not completely vegging.

Scrapbooking is on my agenda today, while the pieces I crocheted last night are felting. So much crafting, so little time.

I just saw that Paul Newman died, which makes me sad. I loved his movies and really respected him for all of his charity work. RIP.

awesome.

2008-09-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

I got this "special edition trash card" in the mail from Kate. (Thanks, dude!) I totally cracked up when I opened the envelope, because of course it has Sarah "Stewardess" Palin on it. Love how she makes these collages, thinking it would be cool to do the entire scrapshack, every wall. That would take a lot of trashy mags!

TGIF y'all!

Scamorama

2008-09-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

-A low ink warning 2 months before the ink actually runs out. If I had replaced the cartridge when it first told me to, I'd already be halfway done with the next one!

-Cleaning products that to come in squirt bottles where the last 2 inches of liquid will not pump up. So annoying to be squirting, squirting, squirting and nothing happening. Guess I have to throw it away and buy a whole new bottle - not.

-Emails promising money from long lost dead relatives/foreign lotteries/insurance settlements. Lately they've been getting through the spam filter and it just irks me. Plus they can't spell.

-freecreditreport.com - signed up to get a report a while back. Since then they've been billing us monthly for "monitoring." I didn't sign up for that, and didn't even realize who was billing the $14.95 a month because the line on my statement is cryptic. When I finally figured it out and called to cancel, it took 10 minutes of repeating that, "yes, I really want to cancel" before it got done. I'll believe it when I don't get charged next month.

Sunday's Hike

2008-09-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

It was a little bit cooler up at White's Creek, perfect hiking weather. The kids had a blast, are already asking to go back. Jonesy was in doggie heaven, got all tired and dirty and slept the rest of the afternoon. The leaves on the aspens are still green, just a little bit too early for that spectacular fall color. I remember being up there with Shane one year and the leaves were all on the ground and so bright - really beautiful. The water in the creek is super cold and full of "strainers," as Evan the kayaker-in-training pointed out.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

2008-09-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

Shane called to tell me that he won his division in the kayak race yesterday! Woo-hoo! Wish I could have been there to cheer him on. Can't wait to hear all about it when he gets home tonight. I'm really missing him this weekend, bummed that we can't do this stuff together. And not looking forward to next weekend, another out-of-towner. Hurry home, babe!

Meanwhile, back at the home front: grocery shopping today. Yippee. We have no food in the house so it's gonna be a big one.

Later, taking the kids and dog on a hike at White's Creek.

Tonight I'll be watching the new episode of True Blood on HBO. Not completely sure about it yet, it's a vampire thing. Really just curious since it's by the creators of Six Feet Under, my favorite show of all time.

One disc into Dexter, Season 2. Digging it. Another Six Feet connection, go figure.

Saturday Stuff

2008-09-20T11:33:00.001-07:00

-I am so tired of calling up 800 numbers to speak to "customer service" reps who end up making my blood boil. They are not there to service customers, they are obviously there to service the company they work for.

-Enjoying the nice fall weather. It's sunny and a bit cooler and I love it. Ready for a hike up in the mountains where the leaves should be starting to turn.

-Shane is at the Mokelumne River Festival, competing in a downriver race. Go get em honey! You can see the race locale here.

-Had a fun dinner with friends last night, feeling the effects of too much food and drink. Planning a lazy day with some kind of kid activity thrown in.

-Maybe I'll do some scrapbooking this weekend. I need to get busy on the Napoleon Dynamite theme ATC cards - should be fun but I'm just not feeling it right now.

-Project #1 on the agenda is le petit pouchette part deux. Lesson learned: do not put items with velcro in the dryer with pieces you are felting!

Rockin?

2008-09-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

Ever notice that a lot of songs that make reference to "rock" or "rock-n-roll" are not rocking at all? That they do, in fact, suck?

Like this one (my all time most hated)

I think they built that city on cheesy lyrics and awful synthesizer beats.

How 'bout this one?

Got a defibrillator?

Then there's this:

I don't know why, but that song really makes my skin crawl. Maybe it's because Danny on Y&R did it, badly.

I mean, come on people.

I wanna rock!

Nice Look!

2008-09-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Guess whose hair Hannah is braiding...

Surfing In Nevada

2008-09-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Shane played in hole 5 yesterday while we spectators chilled out catching crawdads, checking out the freaky locals, and doing a little riverside crocheting. Good times, good times.

Garden Love

2008-09-13T18:36:00.001-07:00

We've got a truckload of tomatoes here.

Everyone agrees that fresh is best, so much tastier than store-bought vegies. Even Hannah (Miss Picky) has been eating those little grape tomatoes.

It's so much fun watching everything grow. Evan has been such a big help with the garden, watering every day for me and picking the ripe stuff.

I made this last week. Haven't done any scrapping lately, I miss it. Need that creative outlet!

Rib Pics

2008-09-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm, they were delicious. Our faves: Rasta Joe's, Maui Wowie, and Bone Daddy's.

Cheers! Nice double chin, I know...that's what all you can eat/drink will do to ya. Did I mention I almost fell asleep at the table and don't even want to smell barbecue sauce for about a year?

What can I say, I love this shirt.

We have a date tonight, at the pool hall. Classy, no? It's playoff time for Shane's team...go Murphs!