What skill, talent, or intelligence do you wish you had that you don't?

I don't know about you, but there's some days I just want to sit on the couch and wallow in self-pity. My life seemed to be so full of promise, but lately I just feel like everything is pointing out how much I DON'T have.

I've had low self esteem since I was about 10. I don't think it occurred to me before one way or the other before that. College did a lot for me, because finally! there were people like me out there. Some of my current best friends (who I stay in touch with by e-mail) changed my life so much, they keep me grounded, keep the doubts in my brain from taking over. They remind me of how great I am (to them). My hubby quickly gets tired of me being down on myself, but sometimes, I think a person just can't help it. You have to wallow a little bit. If you don't care about my life story or feel like wallowing with me, skip to the next entry.

So here's what my friends say about me: That I'm really a great friend, a good listener, empathetic, that I can be a great leader when I want to be and when I have a chance. My husband says he can't live without me, that he wouldn't be the man he is without my help. My boss's have said that they can never replace me. All of them. I keep them sane, on task, on schedule, organized. Without me, the office grinds to a halt. Really.

Me? Well, I guess I see what I don't have. I see that I don't have any natural talents that would lead to a career. No singing, can't play an instrument, not hard-nosed enough for politics, can't stand the thought of disease enough to be a doctor. Can't stand the thought of crazies enough to be a therapist. I CAN help you develop a kick-ass resume'. Most of my talents seem to lay outside the world of work. The work I can do is hard sometimes, but it's seriously undervalued and underpaid in most areas of the country.

What I really want to do has been blocked from me time and again. I still think it's "discrimination by marriage"--my 3.93 GPA in college (out of 4.0), continued taking of classes and receiving "A's" in all of them, and near perfect writing skills still weren't good enough to get me into a program that only requires a 2.5 college gpa--with allowances for those who had "bad freshman years" which means you didnt even have to have a C average to get in. My "academic preparedness" was put on a "2nd string" list- which kept me from getting an assistantship, and into the master's program. My mentor (who found out about this)--was pissed. So was I. I made no secret that I was married. I wore my wedding band and said how much I loved the college, that I talked my husband into going back to school at my alma mater, that we were committed to staying for graduate school. However, this field is heavily populated with the perpetually single. It's hard work, and long hours, but I was ready to dive in. I have those "talents" that you need for working with the individuals that are insane (college students), I just am not going to be able to use them until either "A" I can find another college that doesn't mind if I'm married, or "B" enough time has passed that it seems irrelevant if I'm married or not--like I have grown children, that won't get in the way of my work responsibilities. It's crap, but it's true.

So can you see why I'm down? Not that my life isn't great, in it's own way, and I'm trying to pick up the pieces and move on, but it's tough. I want to be a good role model for any kids I may have, especially girls, but I've been blocked so much that I may never get there. Then what do I say? Do better? I just wish I had something rewarding in my life. Like my hubby.

It's hard not to contrast my experience with my hubby's. We both had it rough growing up. Him a little more on the money side, me a little more on the getting picked on side. Still both pretty weather- beaten by the time we were teenagers. He was never talked to about going to college. So he went into the military. He put in his time and got out. We got married. I tried to talk him into going to college right away. In the state we lived in (IL) you get free tuition, books, and fees for service. Just pay room and board and you're set. He wanted to work, pay off some bills. So we did. Then he wanted to go to college. He did it through my work part time for 2 semesters (free tuition from my job) while working, and then wanted to go full time and get it over with. He did for 3 years while working part time and had an awesome internship in Seattle with a major company for a summer. He did get a job offer right after graduation, 2 actually, oh and HE WAS accepted to graduate school. He had to turn it down to take the job. His skills? Working with computers. He's a software engineer. He grew up learning to put computers together, had a best buddy that programmed with him (he's a chip programmer in Boston) as teens, and has had jobs that have encouraged him to further his education all the way. And then he's had me, to support and encourage him. Feed and clothe him, provide health insurance and income. He knows how important that was. I'm not taking anything away from him, he worked hard to get where he is. But I guess I'm just jealous. He has a natural talent for something that (with the degree) netted him more than double my salary after working for 6 years, AND having a degree. AND, he's happy. Friggin happy to sit and do that all day. It's a challenge to him, he gets to expand his mind and solve problems and provide a service that makes a difference. That's what I'm jealous of. That he gets to flourish and I have to sit and wait. My talents are being wasted and I feel I'm not good enough, that EVERYONE thinks I'm not good enough. That people wonder why I got a degree at all if I'm not "doing anything" with it. Like I'm a faker. ARGGHH! If only they KNEW. But I didnt tell anyone I applied. Because, I guess deep down I guess I was afraid I'd fail. I did. Twice. But still, I guess it's a challenge I'm just supposed to get through. But it makes me question my purpose here on earth. And why I'd be given so many brains and such obvious talent for something I'd be separated from, kept from when I actually could do it. Okay, done wallowing. Go read somebody else that has something happy to say!

Poll results--When do you use a cookbook?

60% of you use a cookbook when preparing a special meal (holidays, etc)
20% NEVER use a cookbook &
20% use one EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

No one seems to use it for meal planning or grocery lists, like I am apt to do.
Then of course, when I want to make a "real" meal, I have to drag it back out
to figure out what ingredients are missing. It's hard to make lasagna from your memory, for instance.

THANK YOU to the 5 wonderful people who voted! I believe that's my highest yet!
Drop back through again to see the next poll!

Poll results-Baby Websites or Email Addy's

Okay I'm a little late posting this, but I just thought I'd let you guys know that the majority of my voting readers think that "no way, that's just crazy"--would you register an email address or .com for your kids for future use. One reader thought that "email address" would be acceptable. I've given it some thought, and I dont really know what I'd do. I'm sure my hubby will take care of it, computer guy that he is, when the time comes.

Rude People...

You know, on occasion, I have been rude to people. Even people I love. But I try my best NOT to be rude to people who are strangers to me, and over happenstance that is un-important or not that person's fault.

My co-worker is out today. Friday is payday and usually she goes around handing out checks. I guess it allows her to move around, so that's her business, and in her place, I might do the same. She just suggested that since I had to do it, and dont know where any of these people "live" at work, that I send them an email and say "come get 'em". I described where I was sitting, and what I was wearing. Most everyone was fine, except one lady. Who happened to come while I went to the bathroom. Okay, 4 minutes, tops. It's down the hall, out the door back down the hall 2 corners, and up 2 flights of stairs, then back. I still made it in under 5 minutes. I missed this lady by 30 seconds. She didnt want to wait, apparently. Excuse me, I have THE RIGHT TO PEE! I did everything right. I had to finish up one thing for my boss, and before I could call her back, she called and was very snotty and said "can I come pick my check up NOW!?!" I said, "sure" in a cheery tone. Why let her ruin my day? Then she shows up, with a sour look on her face. I got her check, smiled, and then she snottily goes "does DEAN have to come up for HIS TOO?".. I said "I'd prefer that, yes." and smiled. Not a chance in HELL that I'm going to hand someone else a person's paycheck. I wouldn't want it done to me. GRRRRR. On the other hand, everyone else has been pleasant.. Sigh!

Not enough time..

I was going to use the post title, I'm late, I'm late.. but I figured it would be misconstrued. Just popped in to say that I have very little time to blog now because I'm still working, and will likely be for a little while longer. The lady I'm replacing, well she had broken her leg and now walking around on it, has stressed her knee out. So I will definitely finish this week, plus around 2 in October, if not more. Of course, I had anticipated the 2 weeks in October. So all in all I'm back to where I started. Which is good. I guess this just ran in a circle, but you know what I'm up to. Working, coming home and fixing dinner, and then laundry and dishes and my fall lineup, and well sleep. Just not enough time to write a decent post.. but I'm reading everyone else's and thinking about all my readers.

Fall Lineup

Sunday (Night football, of course)
-Cold Case (CBS)
-Shark (CBS)

Monday (night football, duh!)
-Heroes (NBC)
-CSI Miami (CBS)

Tuesday------if you don't watch Bones or House you are MISSING OUT!!!!
-Bones (Fox)
-House (Fox)
-Law & Order SVU (NBC)

Wednesday (lacking)

Thursday
-CSI (CBS)
-Without a Trace (CBS)

Friday
-Ghost Whisperer (CBS)
-Numbers (CBS)


I didnt add any new shows, and here is the list of mid-season shows we love:

Law and Order (regular)
Medium
Jericho (OMG Dont you watch this!-why not?)

Printing recipe cards.

First of all, you have to have a printer that has an adjustable tray. The kind that has little levers that slide the tray "more closed".. does that make sense? Then you have to have Microsoft Word or another word processing agent. THEN you have to have blank index cards the correct size for your cookbook. Don't know? Go measure, I'll wait. Back? Okay, most I would say are 4x6.


That's the easy part. NOW, you have to go into your word processing software and create a new template. It SHOULD be as easy as formatting it and then selecting "save as" and pick "template" from the drop down list. At this point, you should "make" the template the same size as your recipe card, by increasing the margins. Remember to allow room for a margin on the card as well. Save your template, you know "recipe card template" or something like that. REMEMBER that you'll have to go back into your templates each time to select the blank one, and then it should only allow you to "save as" and you can do "Bubble Pizza" for instance. If you want, test print on regular paper a few times to get the formatting just right. A lot of times you'll have to hold the card "to" the printer (shut up, not like against the front of it, like just in the tray) for your printer to pick it up/pick it up straight.

It might sound like a pain in the butt, but you can simply create a new file folder and save all your recipes there, and then you'll have them any time someone wants a copy or you dirty your old one. Also, if you make a mistake, it's easy to correct. It makes them very easy to share and build your own cookbook!

When leaving a comment

When leaving a comment, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, leave your email address.
so I can write you back!
thanks!

Fun Monday-We are what we eat!

Lisa wants to know what our favorite recipes are. In the interest of being a quick read, I've got a few pictures of my cookbooks and links to my recipes, which you are welcome to steal, however, if you win any contests with them, I want half the money ;-). Yes, they're that good. Okay, so here goes: My first cookbook my Aunt Willa put together for me, with the help of the rest of the family. Here it is:

It's very dear to me, I got all teary eyed when I got it, because I felt like a true woman of the family (for my wedding shower), and now that she's passed, it is much, much more valuable to me than ever before. I guess for last week, I should have put that I would grab it in a fire, because I probably would. Anyhow, you may not be able to tell, but it's bulging at the seams because it's so full. So I bought a new one ($15 from Hallmark Gold Crown stores, not online, sorry!) it comes with pre-printed tabs and pretty cards for the inside.
My way of doing recipes is typing them into the computer and printing them on unlined index cards. My mom has the "database" of recipes on her pc. I think I am going to get a backup copy and put it in a half a dozen places in case of accidental deletion. Yes, I love them that much!

Okay, now here's my "purchased cookbook". I go to it when I want to make something new and don't have a recipe already for it. From looking at it, I created my own spaghetti sauce recipe. Which I've now made 2 or 3 times and it worked out really well. Find it here.

I stole the brownie recipe from a bag of chocolate chips, but my hubby loves them so much that they're "my recipe" now, and it gets passed around when new brides get their family cookbooks.

My Aunt Esther's Barbecue Sauce recipe for chicken is AWESOME. It takes about 10 minutes to make and makes a LOT. It freezes well. As well as my mom's pizza sauce recipe. Awesome. Takes no time at all to make. I have been omitting the oil and just cooking it for 20 minutes or so instead of the hour. It takes less time and is healthier for you too! Finally, another recipe I usually send out is the Bubble Pizza recipe. No idea where I got it, but my hubby requests it often. Great for a "new cook" that wants to show off and please every palate. So there, now you know all about me and my secret recipe infatuation. Go play!

Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue Sauce

1/4 C margarine
1/2 C water
1 small onion, chopped
1 t salt
1 clove garlic
1/2 t pepper
1 C ketchup
1/4 t chili powder
1/4 C vinegar
2 T worcestershire sauce
1/2 C brown sugar

Saute onion and garlic in margarine. Add rest of ingredients and stir. Simmer five minutes.

Pizza Sauce

Pizza Sauce

1 small onion, chopped
6 oz tomato paste
1 t minced garlic
2 1/2 C water
3 T oil
1 1/2 t oregano
1 1/2 t sugar
1 t salt
1 t basil
Bring all ingredients to a boil and simmer one hour. Cool.

Easy double chocolate chip brownies

Easy Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

12 oz chocolate chips, divided
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 C (1 stick) butter or margarine
3 eggs
1 1/4 C all purpose flour
1/4 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
1/2 C chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 baking dish and set aside. Melt 1 C morsels and butter in large heavy duty saucepan over low heat. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add eggs one at a time, stirring well. Add flour, sugar, baking soda and vanilla, stirring after each addition. Stir in remaining morsels and nuts, if desired. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti Sauce (double batch)

1 lb ground beef
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 small onion
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
2 medium carrots (1/4 lb)
2 C water
1 (6 oz) can mushrooms
1 1/2 T Italian seasoning
4 cloves or teaspoons minced garlic
2 T brown sugar
salt and pepper

Add ground beef to large skillet. Season the beef with salt, pepper and minced garlic. Drain mushrooms and rough chop onion and carrots. Run mushrooms, carrots, and onion through food processor until finely diced. Add to skillet and brown all together. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water and seasonings and simmer 15 minutes or to desired thickness. Salt and pepper to taste.

Bubble Pizza

Bubble Pizza--Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1 1/2 lb ground beef
15 oz pizza sauce (or spaghetti sauce-regular sized jar for saucier dish)
2 (12 oz) tubes refrigerated biscuits
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
assorted pizza toppings

In large skillet, brown beef with your favorite seasonings and drain. Stir in sauce and simmer. While simmering, quarter biscuits and place in a single layer on a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top biscuits with beef mixture and your favorite toppings. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5-10 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

One of the reasons I LOVE Jericho

The Setup: The government turns on itself and launches nuclear bombs at several major cities across the US, wiping out much of the country's infrastucture, power, water and gas supplies. A small town in KS survives and makes a go of rebuilding their future. As fall arrives and the weather gets cold, their fuel supplies and ability to make grain alcohol can't keep up with consumption. They are faced with a delimma: kick travelers out of town and stay solvent for another 2 weeks, or go looking for help in the form of clean energy.

Conversation: twenty-something black sheep son to father when discussing the possibility of traveling to a centralized trading post to find a part to create a windmill to provide power to the town.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jake Green: Did you ask Mom?


Johnston Green: Son, I'm 59 years old, I was mayor of this town since the Carter administration, I'm a retired Army Ranger, and I'm a combat veteran. Of course I asked your mother.

The kindness of strangers...help somebody if you can.

My husband's truck is down for a bit. It has a broken raditor and etc. So he has been driving me to work and coming back and getting me after he goes to work all day. It works out okay. Last night we heard this awful sound and smelled burning rubber. And old man in a cadillac (with a handicapped plate) was driving on a VERY flat tire. It was "getting out of work time" and people just zoomed past him as his car was limping along the street. My hubby pulled over in front of him, got out, and changed the guy's tire for him. I helped in the only ways I could, I talked to the guy, offered to help him put the destroyed tire back in the back, held the lug nuts so my hubby wouldn't drop them, etc.

I must tell you, I was SO PROUD of my husband yesterday. I was all sniffly and teary. When we got back on the road, I commented how nice it was of him and how proud I was. He just grinned and kept on driving. I said, I wonder how many people just drove by. His answer "too many"--that tells you a little bit about his character.

Some days I give him a hard time for not helping me fold laundry, etc. But when the chips are down, he's a real good guy, offers help with no expectation of repayment or favors, and does it cheerfully. Thank God there's still people like him in this world.

Weekend Update

Matthew went to the orthodontist this weekend so we left at 4:30 after i got out of work to get there around 8 pm. We took the parents dogs for a walk to check out the new/construction on the pond. There's only a tiny bit of water coming up from the spring. I dont know how they'll ever get the pond filled. We got better views by daylight. It looks like a bunch of dirt just pushed around to me. Matthew seemed to think it was cool. I think he just likes the idea of using heavy equipment to move dirt around.. back to the sandbox anyone?

The dogs were happy about the walk at night and spent the next half hour "wallering" us. That continued in intervals throughout the weekend. We ate some good homemade food, and even had Aurelio's pizza because we hadn't had dinner yet so we called ahead and picked it up on our way through our college town Friday night. Sunday noon was basically Thanksgiving dinner, my request. I'd been hungry for noodles and stuffing lately. I dont know why, but it was tasty. All but one niece and nephew were out on Sunday for that. It's the youngest's 7th birthday this week on the 19th and he's in first grade. He read his happy birthday sack out loud. Awesome.

We had church and I got to ogle the only baby there cause the mom called me over to chat. There's always that dreaded "so when are you guys having kids" conversation that rolls around and apparently after the last time we were home someone asked my mom about it. She said she didnt know but she thought it would be rude to ask, and of course good church goin people didnt think it was rude and I guess they were trying to smooth it over with me several weeks later. Of coures, I didnt know anything about it, because since mom thought it was rude, she didnt point out to me that someone was asking AGAIN. SHE and dad tried 5 years before Kent got stuck in the womb for 9 months. ANYWAY i'm sure it all came up because the baby's grandma (the one asking about us, etc) had gone up to communion and just dropped Aaron/AJ in Matthew's arms as he was sitting on the aisle seat at the front the last time we were there. There was an audible titter of laughter and AWWW so I'm sure thought brought up the subject in their minds. Apparently all those folks are keen on our getting started. Again, I guess I dont think that it is really any of their business, but because they're not strangers, I try not to take offense. I was very defensive about it for several years, especially since # 1 we weren't married yet when all these people (mostly my husbands relatives who have kids who drive them nuts--made me think they want to see us punished like they are) started asking, #2, we were NOT MARRIED as in not partaking, and it was like, gee, kinda hard to have kids when you're not DOING what it takes to have kids. Duh. and #3, the asking continued even when we were down to one (low) income and my husband was in college. DUH. If I had to hear "if you wait until you can afford it" one more time, I was going to hurt someone. I finally started lashing out and/or saying, "well we have a one bedroom apartment with barely room for us and no income right now, so it'll have to wait" and "that's rude" and "we're having too much fun 'practicing' right now"... yeah. Those usually shut people up. At this point, though, it occurs to me that I may not be able to have kids, who knows? And how would you like to be the recipient of constant pressure to have kids if you physically can't and can't afford to adopt? Yeah, didnt think so. Either way, I try and cut people some slack now. After 6 years, yeah most people do end up starting to have kids. But please, DONT ask someone who isn't even married yet or who looks stressed at the sign of a conversation like that. Maybe it's a sore subject. Maybe you'll make them cry for a week and be depressed. Unless you're POSITIVE someone is receptive to the question, DONT ASK! :-)

Matt's braces probably have one more month, he goes back october 13th for the next check and presumably after that they'll clean em up and set an hour appt for getting the new retainers fitted and etc. he might have new teeth for christmas!

Otherwise, I helped mom make a bunch of noodles, which I got to take home (I provided eggs and flour and woman power) and freeze to cook in chicken broth to make turkey or chicken and noodles, or beef for beef and noodles, yum! I picked up several ears of field corn for our hungry squirrels (free corn! yeah!) and helped out in general. We all had a good visit and now that I've had a break, I can really enjoy everyone. It's really nice. Oh and work is going fine. I have 3-4 weeks left. Yeah! Money, money, money!

Fun Monday - The Great Art Grab and Go

http://sayresmiles.blogspot.com/ Gives us our Fun Monday Assignment:


Your assignment for Monday, 9/17 is this:
Brush off your interview skills. Talk to everyone who lives in your house. I want to know what their, and your, favorite piece of art is in your home. Photographs do not count. If there was a fire in your home, everyone would grab photographs, but what is the non-photographic piece of art you would grab on your way out - and why? (Edit: These don't have to be paintings - these can be wall hangings, statues, lumps of clay by your child, anything that is artistic expression of some kind EXCEPT photographs.)


Okay, so here's the deal. I don't have any art! I do have 2 favorite artworks as a kid though, that if I still had in my possession, I would take. One I believe is still in my family's attic or etc. It's a picture I drew in Kindergarten, of birds. But I guess I wasn't thinking too hard, and even though they have beaks and eyes and feathers on their wings, they have circles for feet. My art teacher submitted it to the art fair that year and my oldest brother brought it home to me. With a blue ribbon on it. The art teacher had labeled it "Birds on Wheels." The second is a study I did of my first dog Beau, a beautiful red golden retriever. He was laying down, with his drooly mouth wide open and a ball at his feet, tongue hanging out. I am pretty sure this one is long gone. I wish I still had it. I also wish I had the time or inclination to be an artist. Okay, so that's what I'd grab in the Great Art Grab and Go! Now go check out Sayre for the rest of the posts!

Fun Ideas for Teasing the Nieces and Nephews

Okay so this time we aren't going to do it, BUT the thought is to get the cheapest diet cola possible, some mentos, and make the soda fly. We used to be around all of them somewhat and some of them all the time. Since they either run wild or stick to us like leeches while we visit once a month or so, it would be great to have some inexpensive fun and get some pictures to remember it by.

My other thought is to get a bag of m and m's, gummy bears, etc. and have them guess how many of each flavor there are, and then sort them out and see who's right. You eat your experiment and you're done.

So, what are you ideas? Any other fun things we could do that involve things that kids like and/or experiments, games, etc. that are easy to pull off with a table full of kids and a few minutes?

Website for your new baby?

This is kind of an odd post for my site, but I read online recently that a lot more parents are reserving .com sites for their babies when they're born or toddling so that they'll have it on reserve for the future. The article I read pondered the sageness of reserving a site for $10 year, or even a one-time buy that might not be able to be used in 10-15 years. What if there's a newer/better internet by then?

My theory about that little point is even if we have viewers built into sunglasses on our space ports, all the information on the internet is still going to be out there. If a company wants to shut down, or sell out, it will, but the data will still be there.

So here's the other point. Why would you do this? My hubby says, gee that would be great for going ahead and posting pictures of the newborn, a site only certain people could log on to, having security such as the hospitals do for those new newborn pictures. As for me, well, my newborn pictures didnt develop, and the hospital didnt choose to tell my parents until after I'd left. They wouldn't retake them. Maybe I'm a spawn of a fairy or leprechaun and they didnt want my ears to show until they could grow out of their pointyness or something ;-) Anyway, since my hubby is a computer genius, I think I'll leave that up to him. And if you're interested in the same thing and need help, let me know!

After hearing my hubby's take on it, I decided to check gmail for our possible future babies' names. All 3 I can come up with at this point are not taken. So far, so good. Then you could send out the pictures from the baby like see how big I'm getting, I can send email. And then you can teach computer safety and etc. from the email address they've had since they were born. And then the pictures size won't interfere with the hundreds of saved jokes that get sent around and you forget to delete. Not to worry, with their own email address, your kids will have their pictures on a completely different area. Now wouldn't that be great? And then they'd have a backlog of well wishes and emails saying how cute their grandparents thought they were, relatives could tell stories on the parents and send the new kid an email for future reading, etc. It would be a journal of sorts, a story in email form for them from day 1. I did not go so far as to reserve them, however, as we have no way of knowing how many kids we will have, in what order, what gender, etc. so...i dont know, I guess my point is just to get other people's take on this...

Fun Monday--Help Somebody if You Can...

Nikki is hosting Fun Monday this week, after a much deserved week off. Now it's time we do something. Have you ever had someone out of the goodness of their heart do something for you without anything asked in return? Offered you money when you needed it the most? Helped you change a flat tire in the pouring rain or even just simply held the door open for you when you had your hands full? For Monday, September 10th, we are challenged with doing a good deed. I am not looking for a story of when you have offered your help in the past, I actually want you in the next two weeks to go out and help someone. Go visit a nursing home, cook dinner for someone sick or with a new baby, donate to a charity or even send just a "thinking of you card" to someone who needs it. It doesn't matter what your good deed is, or how great it is. It just needs to help someone!

I will start out by saying that in the past I have been a big supporter of "pay it forward" or as the country group Van Zant says "help somebody if you can." I'm one of those people that runs after wayward carts in the WalMart parking lot and pushes them back to the corral when everyone else leaves them 3 spots away because they're too lazy to put them away themselves. I live by the golden rule, which is harder than it sounds. In the last month, I've sent a thinking of you card to an older gentleman in my hometown with cancer, sent 2 friends diaper coupons in the mail, and asked my husband to take off work a day early for Thanksgiving so we can go help my mom clean her house for the 40-75 people who will descend there come November 22. This week I allowed my husband to go on a 2 day resentment-free trip alone on the only 3 day weekend I'll get anytime soon for quality time together (with the only complaint being he didnt call me to tell me he made it okay) to do something he wanted and emailed his grandmother to see how she was doing after getting out of the hospital. I'm continuing to work on a secret project for my youngest sister in law for her high school graduation, 5 years away.

Okay so yesterday provided the perfect opportunity. My hubby's truck fan sliced the radiator. hot water gushed, and well let's just say this is the second time we'll be shelling out $400 for a radiator in 2 years. I kept a level head. I was supportive. I hugged and provided comfort food. Most of all, I didnt complain about the cost. You can't put a price on what matters, having each other and having faith that we'll be taken care of. And we have both. We're so lucky.

Feathery friend, or big bird...

We thought the doves were big.. here's the biggest of our visitors to our backyard feeder. We think he was shopping for the little birds to eat instead of seed.

Hi my name is...

I was tagged by Heather to do the following: You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

M

-Motherly, or I am like my.. I have always been really motherly, although I'm scared somehow I'll really screw up having my own kids. I was really insistent at getting my nieces and nephews to say please and thank you and use correct grammar, etc. I can do the evil eye just perfectly and I hope that's all it takes to wither my children away from doing something bad. I hear my mom coming out of my mouth a lot lately as well.

A

-Anxious, I am really worried a lot, although it has been less lately.

R

-Ready for candy at any time. I found my precious candy corn at the store this week. mmm. Half a bag gone already. Did I mention I am always ready for candy?

I
-Insane, I am, just ask Mr. Mouse

E

-Excited about the little things in life. Walking in the springtime, flutterbys, chirping birds, lovey puppies, all these things make my day.

Okay, then, let's see what the middle name of these folks is:

Erin
KT
Sarah
Three Time Mommy
Kelsey
Barnmouse

How smart are you?...

Am-I-Dumb.com - Are you dumb?


I am smarter than 95.76% of the rest of the world.
Find out how smart you are.

Aaron Stecker fan club

New Orleans (N'awlins) Saints game stats: What is wrong with this picture is that they're not letting Stecker play more. Stecker was a star at my alma mater until my junior year. He could run, run run. Wish they'd let him play more, after all, he outruns Deuce and Reggie per play... join the Aaron Stecker fan club.. Rushing Statistics
Player	Att	Yds	Yds/Att	Long	TD
Reggie Bush	12	38	3.2	9	0
Deuce McAllister	10	38	3.8	12	0
Aaron Stecker	2	21	10.5	13	0
Devery Henderson	1	5	5.0	5	0
Drew Brees	1	4	4.0	4	0

Receiving Statistics
Player	Rec	Yds	Yds/Rec	Long	TD
Eric Johnson	8	57	7.1	9	0
Marques Colston	6	47	7.8	13	0
Reggie Bush	4	7	1.8	7	0
Devery Henderson	3	34	11.3	23	0
Aaron Stecker	2	20	10.0	11	0
David Patten	2	18	9.0	13	0
Deuce McAllister	2	7	3.5	4	0
Drew Brees	1	2	2.0	2	0

A great loss to the literary world...

Ms. L'Engle, we hardly knew ye. Famed author of the TIME series, the first books purchased specifically for me and the reason I became an avid reader. With an introduction like this, how can a 9 year old not be intrigued:

A Wrinkle in Time

Meg Murry, her little brother Charles Wallace, and their mother are having a midnight snack on a dark and stormy night when an unearthly stranger appears at their door. She claims to have been blown off course, and goes on to tell them that there is such a thing as a "tesseract," which, if you didn't know, is a wrinkle in time.

Meg's father had been experimenting with time-travel when he suddenly disappeared. Will Meg, Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin outwit the forces of evil as they search through space for their father?

This book as well as others in the series and their counterparts written by L'Engle are relevant even in the high-tech world we live in today. I highly recommend these works for good readers aged 7-10 and average readers 10+. Some of my favorite words come out of this series. They give education, social consciousness, modern medicine, and class barriers a run for their money. Holidays coming up? Think of your neices, nephews, and babysitters. Give them these books or a Barnes and Noble or Borders gift card. Can't hurt. And thanks, Madeleine, for all you've given me.

Bad Lyrics...

Click here for bad lyrics, there's a top 2o list as well as comments of the worst lyrics ever released. I personally think that a lot of Beatles stuff was drug-induced insanity in the form of music. "Plasticine porters with looking glass ties" for example. Wikipedia can say whatever they want. We all know the truth. Or maybe they just had a bad experience at McDonalds Playland. Somehow I doubt we'll ever know for sure. Yes I had thought that "my lovely lady lumps" was kind of bad, but not nearly as bad when you put it in the context of one of the commentors on the site "just wait til you hear a 4 year old say that" umm yeah, that reminds me of my barely teen sis in law discovering groovy rock and singing "she told me to come but i was already there, cause the walls was shaking, the earth was quaking" with no blush. She has no clue. And umm, I didnt even laugh, although, I really really wanted to. How about you? Or do you just mess up the lyrics singing them? I think my first attempt at singing along to "Redneck Yacht Club" mentioned fastrackers, bedliners and a party barge. Only the last part was correct. (Bass Trackers and Bay Liners, for reference). My hubby almost died laughing at me and he still looks at me everytime the song comes on. I do it "wrong" just for him, even though I know better now. And I've heard that the most mis-quoted song is "Bad moon on the rise" which is often quoted as "there's a bathroom on the right." What's your favorite misquote, kid-related oops or bad lyric?

to my newest readers...welcome

welcome and thanks for stopping by. I love having comments because it lets me know i'm not alone out there. i promise to write something halfway entertaining as soon as possible. let me know if you like the letter to Brit Brit below..I couldn't resist..

It's Time..the Open Letter to Britney

Dear Brit,

I can understand that you may be somewhat remiss in your fashion sense due to growing up with your barely covered ass promoted all over the place, but as a mommy and a grown woman, shocking but true, no one wants to see your ass anymore. Please cover it. And all other jigglies as such you possess. Here's some simple steps to getting dressed as to no longer torture the rest of us with your cheeks.

Step 1: Put on the clothes you want to wear today.
Step 2: Look in mirror. Do you look cute? Fine.
Step 3: Bend over facing the mirror. Can we see your nipples or even most of your breasts? Please put on a camisole underneath what you're wearing and try again. Great.
Step 4: Bend over perpendicular to the mirror. Can we see your ass? Put on underwear. Can we still see your ass? Put on leggings, tights, or pants underneath your too short dress.

Better? Good. Oh, yeah, don't forget your wig and to pay your nannies. It's time to parade your kids outside wearing a decent amount of clothing. Don't be alarmed if people don't look at you. Didnt you say you wanted some privacy? Okay, now you're ready to be a real woman.

Sincerely,
The one who's tired of having to hear about or accidentally look at your ASSets on the internet, tv, and every other conceivable place.

Not alone anymore!

Yeah! Should I really be so happy to see my hubby? Maybe not. Maybe I lean on him too much, but I just started working last week at a temporary job and we're 4 hours away from anyone we know, so bite me ! And I mean that in the nicest way. Thanks to my new readers for the comments! So happy to have more people checking me out.. umm and I mean that in the most platonic way possible. I dont' want to scare anyone off!

Anyway, I'm very happy to have an albeit tired but cheery hubby home. He's all about going here and there and everywhere with these guys again sometime, and I just said, we'll talk about it. No point in worrying about it until the day comes. Why borrow trouble? Either way, I think next time we'll probably rent a trailer and take our stuff ourselves and that way there will always be a seat, there will be a restroom when I need it, and a hotel bed to snooze on. Even if I have to stay at the hotel and watch crappy movies on tv, then I'll be a bit closer to my hubby and not have to sleep alone. Here's to having the same person to go to bed with at night every night.

Alone...

My hubby is no doubt enjoying a me-free weekend right now. He left this morning to go 4-wheeling about an hour from my family. I lied to my mom so she wouldnt feel bad about it. Granted, he only asked for "an extra seat" but both vehicles had empty backseats. Guess there was no room for me to tag along. I'm sure my mom could have been convinced to drive to get me and bring me back. While I don't really relish 2 days alone, but I dont think 2 days without a bathroom is that great either. One guy he went with had a girlfriend with him, so undoubtably she can either squat better than me, or they're going to bend over backwards to make sure she has a place to pee. Either way, I wasn't invited. So, I'm here, alone, while my hubby is an hour away from my family on a holiday weekend. Did I mention I dont know anyone here? It's crazy. I guess I just never thought that I'd be stuck here, alone, not to mention it's been 9 hours and he hasn't called. Pretty sure he'll wait til just before he goes to sleep, call me for 5 minutes and crash. He told me to call if I needed him, and most guys will give the odd man out hell if his wife calls otherwise, so I'm here twiddling my thumbs until he gets back. By then it will be time to crash again so I can get up for work on Tuesday. Lovely. Usually I have a million things to do, but no, right now I have nothing I can do. I've been watching B movies on TV. These guys all plan these events around holidays, cause you know, everyone can come. The problem is, that's when we ride around together, we talk about the future (which we dont ever seem to do except during those times-life seems to get in the way), do our bonding that I'm way too tired to do otherwise, just relax and have a good time, I feel free, like my old self. I kind of miss the fact that I won't get that. Why is it that I feel the most myself when I have time to just be with him? And I won't get another break until probably Thanksgiving, and that's going to be traveling to be with family, etc etc and well that's not exactly relaxing. It's more stressful. All that aside, I'm sure he's having a great time and will be renewed and refreshed and maybe tired, but he'll be ready to dig back into work. And I'll just want to talk to him because I'll have been alone for 48 hours with no one to talk to. I try sooo hard to be supportive and let him have some guy time, but why does it always involve more than a day away? Why can't he take an afternoon and do this stuff? Why can't people get that holidays are for family time? And if you don't make it family friendly, the family isn't going to be able to come? And, of course, I know he's going to read this, that's why I wrote it after he left. I don't want him to feel like he's not able to go away because I'll become all neurotic on him, and start to resent me. Because I dont need that toxic in my relationship. I'll be fine once he's home again. I just hate watching the darkness fall alone, sleeping alone. Is that so wrong?