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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Made in back just in time...

We went to see Best Man Holiday.  It was awesome!!!  I laughed.  A LOT.  I cried.  A LOT.  I may have even drooled.  A LOT.  I mean, come on, have you SEEN the cast!  Yum!!

It was really great to hang out with my friend.  I really miss her.  I hope we start doing this more often.

So, NaBloPoMo is over for 2013.  Even though I know most of my posts were basically fluff, it was good to get back to posting every day.  I can't promise that it'll continue in December, but I'm going to really try.

2013 Day Thirty (La Fine)

Just in case I don't get a chance to come back tonight, I didn't want to miss writing the very last post of the month.  I'm about to go see a movie with an old bestie, who I recently reconnected with, which makes me very happy.  I'm going to try and be back with a "real" post before midnight. =)

Friday, November 29, 2013

This is the kind of day I've had... (AKA 2013 Day Twenty-Nine)

But, I didn't want to drop the ball with only 2 days left of NaBloPoMo.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thanksgiving Bonus Post

Thank you, Melissa, for sharing this.

(sorry, I couldn't get the video to embed, so I gave up and just posted the link.  It's a MUST SEE!)


2013 Day Twenty-Eight

So...

28 years ago today, at this very moment (7:30 am), I first laid eyes on Magnum.  (The date was actually November 28th that year, too!)  Most of you know the story, so I won't rehash the whole thing here.  (Those of you who don't are welcome to search the archives.  Go to the label "ex" and/or "Thanksgiving" for the scoop.)  Over the past 28 years, I have wondered many times how different my life would be if only I hadn't volunteered to work the opening shift that day, or if he hadn't volunteered to work, or if that dirty old man hadn't encouraged us to talk to each other.  I'd be lying if I said I hadn't sometimes wished none of it had happened.  It definitely would have saved me a lifetime of being on this emotional roller-coaster I call my life. 

But, then I remind myself that if none of it had happened, I wouldn't have my beautiful Stud Muffin, and HE is worth every second of whatever "drama" I've endured.

Baby, as we embark upon the 29th year of being in each other's lives, I want to thank you for giving me the greatest gift I'll ever receive.  I love you just as much, if not more, than I did almost 3 decades ago.  Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Anniversary!

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

2013 Day Twenty-Seven

Shopping for tomorrow - check
Taffy Apple Salad made - check
Attend inspiring church service - check
Stuffing made at mom's, and crammed into the bird - check
Stop and see Bestest Friend - check
Put on jammies, and get in bed - check
Get this posted before midnight - check



Tuesday, November 26, 2013

2013 Day Twenty-Six

Ok, ok, I know you're DYING for me to finally post all about my Monkey, like I've been promising for days. :P

The other day we went to visit Stud at work, and Monkey was playing 'dress up' before we left.  Naturally, she needed to stay in character!
The reason we drove there was because she was overdue for a nap.  We all know what car rides can do to solve that problem.  About 3 1/2 seconds after I took that first picture, she looked like this...
Sunday night, Monkey and her daddy were visiting over at Grandma and Grandpa's.  She had on some new shoes, and her mommy had put on a matching shirt.  She loved them, and she looked so darn cute!



As always, she was a barrel of laughs all night, and entertained the hell out of us.  I was so busy enjoying her in the moment, I kept forgetting to whip out my phone and record it.  (Gee, can you imagine, just living in the moment?!  How unusual, right? :-/  )

She has a new song that she's been singing lately.  She had already sung it 4 times before I decided to capture it for Magnum, who was home sick.  By the time I got my phone out, she was SO over it, so this is not her best performance.  Trust me, she really does know this song, and nearly every single word.  I was completely blown away!!  (Can you tell her mommy is a HUGE Blackhawks fan?!)

I got Monkey all to myself today.  At one point, I noticed she was in my bedroom "playing," and when I went in to see what she was doing, this is what I found...
That's her pillow, which has a matching fleece blanket, that she uses when she naps here.  That handsome fellow is her skeleton, which I got her before Halloween.  The reason I picked it up for her is because a couple weeks before Halloween, I accidentally came across this video on YouTube, and she instantly became obsessed.



She learned the words and the movements in about 3 minutes. The next day, I went to the dollar store and found that cute blow-up skeleton.  It was PERFECT!  I thought I had a video of her from back then, but I can't find it.

Anyway, we had TONS-O-FUN today.  When it was time to go, I remembered the cute Monkey hat I had bought her a few months ago.  She loves it, and I love how it covers her cheeks and neck.
I LOVE looking into my rear-view mirror and seeing this...
And, there ya go!!  Was is sufficiently boring for you?  I can't even apologize, since I personally can NOT get enough of this kid!!!

I hope you're all staying warm tonight.  It's been below freezing here all day.  You know it doesn't bother ME at all.  I was still walking around in my hoodie today.  But, I don't like it for my baby.  I'm so thankful I have a remote starter on my car, so she can get into a nice, warm car when I drive her around.

Well, Magnum just walked in the door, so it's time to get dinner served.  It's a chilly night and a CHILI night. =)




Monday, November 25, 2013

2013 Day Twenty-Five

Happy, happy, happy...Joy, joy, joy!!

Back on November 6, which just happens to be Stud's birthday, I entered a give-away over at my Bloggy Buddy Tiffany's place.  And, wouldn't you know it...I WON!  I like to think the fact that it was on Stud's birthday is what brought me luck. =)

I'm SO excited about this prize.  Check it out.

How awesome is this!?  Most of my bakeware is stuff that I got at my wedding shower, which was 23 years ago.  And you guys KNOW how much I love to bake, which means my stuff gets a lot of use, so I really could use this.  And, it arrived just in time for holiday baking. :D

Thanks, again, Tiffany!!

When the FedEx guy dropped this off, he also handed me a smaller box.  I had NO idea what it was or where it came from.  When I opened it, it contained a can of Libby's Organic Pinto Beans, a can of Libby's Mixed Fruit packed in 100% Juice, and a can of Libby's Mixed Vegetables, along with a reusable canvas shopping bag with the Libby's logo.  Clearly, LIBBY'S sent this to me, but I have no idea why.  There was no other papers or information in the box.  I must have signed up for free samples or something.  However it came to me, I appreciate it.  My brother will be the lucky recipient of the organic beans, since he's all about eating organic.  Magnum will probably take the fruit to work, since it's packed in juice, not syrup, and he usually eats fruit with his lunch.  I'm not sure what I'll do with the mixed veggies, since I don't really care for canned vegetables.  (They're too mushy for my taste.) Maybe I'll throw them into some soup or something.  I'm most excited about the bag.  I can never have enough bags when I go shopping.

Wait, I haven't told you the BEST part yet!!  A few minutes after my goodies were delivered, I was sitting at the kitchen table, checking email.  I happened to glance up at the window, and suddenly felt like I was in a snow-globe!!  YAY!!  It was snowing!!!  I tried to capture it for you, but my phone bites,



I told you last night I would be boring you with Monkey "stuff" today, but clearly I decided to bore you with other stuff instead.  But, don't worry, I'll be back with the Monkey stuff tomorrow.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

2013 Day Twenty-Four

Today was really a great day.  Well, except for the fact that Magnum is still sick. :(  He didn't even come to church today, which is HUGE.  He went to bed at 6:00 last night, and basically stayed in bed until almost 9 this morning.  He still feels pretty crappy, but he'll be going to work tomorrow.

Anyway, I went to church alone today, which sort of worked out for the best, since I went straight to a friend's from there.  One of my bestest buddies had a Mary Kay/jewelry open house-type party.  (She sells Mary Kay, and her mom makes beautiful jewelry.)  Because I was alone, I was able to go straight there, instead of having to go home and get my car, etc.  It was so great to see my friend, as well as her family, and other friends.  I ended up staying longer than intended, but it was so nice to catch up and visit.

I had just enough time to get home, check on Magnum and Stud, and get changed, so I could head back to church.  We were packing up boxes of food for needy families, and then delivering them.  I teamed up with a woman who attends of Bible study group.  I was pleasantly surprised to see her at church this morning (she comes to our Bible study, but usually attends another church on Sundays), as I didn't know she was going to be participating in the distributing of these boxes.

We also brought along one of the young men from church, Michael, to be our muscles, and do the heavy lifting.  =) I could probably do an entire post about how much I adore this boy, and I just may.  His family is very active in our church, and at 17, he is the oldest of 3 boys in the family.  He also attends our Monday night Bible study.  The funny thing about that is that his father leads a Bible study group in the church library, also on Monday nights.  I suppose it's not all that surprising that a teenage boy wouldn't want to be in a group run by his dad, is it?  I've really gotten to know him well over the past few months, and like I said, I just adore him.

A few weeks ago, he was able to convince his mom to stay, along with his two brothers (Samuel, who's 13 and Daniel, who's 11), when she was going to just drop him off.  It was the first time I really spent any time around his two brothers (other than seeing them at church on Sundays), and they're just as sweet.  Every since that night, the both of them go out of their way to greet me when I see them, and I get hugs all the way around.  This morning at church, I was telling their mother how wonderful I thought her boys were, and she said, "Well, they just love you guys, too!"  I thought it was so sweet.  Michael has said more than once that he wants Magnum and I (and Stud, of course, but he's not very interested in hanging out with his PARENTS right now, let alone "strangers"!) to come over and hang out one day.  He wants to watch a Bear's game with us.  He's just so cute and sweet!!

Oo, cute little side story....he told me today, when he was helping me carry in the food I brought for the food drive, that he "got a girl's phone number yesterday!"  It was so cute!  Then he told me that he didn't even ask for it, and that she just gave it to him.  (Wow, girls today are WAY more forward than we would have ever dreamed of being!!)  He had gone to Menard's to apply for a job, and she works there.  Now, let me tell you, Michael is freakin' ADORABLE, so I really wasn't surprised a girl would want to give him her number.  When I went back later to pack up the boxes and make the deliveries, the first thing he said was, "Well, I found out that girl from yesterday is TWENTY!  So, uh, I guess that's the end of that..."  He said he told her she's too old for him (!) but they could be friends.  Do you love this kid, or what?!

Hmmm, good thing I was GOING to do an entire post about Michael at a later date, huh?  Sorry, I couldn't help myself.  Believe me, I could go on and on, but I'll spare you.  For now...

After finishing the deliveries assigned to us, I dropped Michael off at home, and headed over to my parents' because my brother was there with my Monkey!!!  Since I went on and on about Michael already, I'll spare the Monkey stories.  Besides, I need something to write about tomorrow. ;-)

Good night, Bloggy Buddies!!!

Saturday, November 23, 2013

2013 Day Twenty-Three

Well, so far, Magnum still feels icky.  My migraine has subsided, thank the Lord.  I'm kinda hoping we just have a quiet, lazy day around here.  Stud doesn't have to work, and with not feeling well, I'm hoping Magnum lets himself just relax and do nothing today.  I'm sure he's working right now, as I type this, but as long as he stays in bed on the computer, and doesn't leave the house, it's all good.

Friday, November 22, 2013

2013 Day Twenty-Two

It's been a weird day around here.  I was basically up all night again.  Stud had to start work at 5:30 am, so I basically stayed awake all night because I was afraid he wouldn't get up at 4:30, like he needed to.  Right around 5:15, when he was leaving, Magnum got up, so I didn't go to sleep right away.  I ended up putzing around, watching my favorite morning news show (WGN - too funny!)  I finally fell asleep around 11, only to have the phone wake me up at about 11:30.  Oy!

I watched some mindless TV for a little bit, in between doing a few little things around here, but I was just dragging.  I made the mistake of thinking I'd be able to watch a movie around 4 o'clock.  Yeah....I got about 10 minutes in, and I couldn't keep my eyes open.  I went and started dinner, low and slow, on the stove, and gave in to the nap.  Unfortunately, it didn't make me feel any better.  I woke up about an hour later, feeling groggy and disoriented. 

Magnum came home sick today (he's been fighting something since Monday, actually) so he went straight to bed, not even having dinner.  After Stud ate, and I cleaned up, I basically did the same thing.  I'm lying in bed right now, hoping I'll be able to go right to sleep, but I don't think that's going to happen.  Right around 9:30, I migraine started kicking in, and it's a doozy.  I'm hoping to pass out before it becomes unbearable.  Wish me luck!!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

2013 Day Twenty-One





That's all I got today.  Off to bed...

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

2013 Day Twenty

I'm really tired today. My sleep has been out of whack the past few days, I've been MAJORLY stressed, and I'm praying for menopause right now, if you know what I mean. On top of all that, I hated the prompt for today, so here's a couple giggles.

Good night....

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

2013 Day Nineteen

I'm not feeling the prompt again today, so I'll just share a couple funnies I inadvertently left off yesterday.

Do you think I could start a bakery based on these?
 I think I may have posted this before, but even if I did, it still cracks my ass up! 
That's all I got tonight.  I'm exhausted.  It's FINALLY 10:00, so I can go to bed.  I've been up since 5 am on MONDAY!  For some reason (maybe the coffee I drank at 7:30 last night at Bible study?) I could NOT fall asleep to save my life last night.  I LITERALLY NEVER SLEPT.  And, naturally, because of that, Monkey's mommy texted me around 7:30 this morning to see if I was available to babysit.  Well, DUH!!  I don't' care if I haven't slept, I would NEVER pass up a chance to spend the day with my Monkey!!  I was hoping to nap with her, but guess who refused to nap today.  Yeah....

I've been awake 39 hours now, and I'm finally hitting my wall.  Stud just walked in the door from work, safe and sound, so I'm officially off Mommy duty. 

Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!

Monday, November 18, 2013

2013 Day Eighteen

Monday, November 18, 2013
Tell us about a blog post that you didn't publish.


I don't have any of those, so I'll just post some stuff that made me laugh instead.

Maybe it's just me....
 
This would be even funnier if I actually HAD a boss right now...
This made me laugh out loud...
Can I get an "AMEN!"?
OMG, this happens almost every time I'm in the car with Stud.  He's always quick to hit the lock button!
Even though you all know I am NOT a cat person, this made me giggle...
Funny cuz it's true...

So wrong, but oh so funny...
Need I say more?
Holy crap, I'm gonna start doing this right now!!
And, finally....why I'm still unemployed....


Sunday, November 17, 2013

2013 Day Seventeen

Ok, back to my day with my Sissy...

There were some "issues" that delayed my sister in picking me up, so we ended up getting to Bloomy's much later than we were supposed to.(No worries, we still LEFT at the time we were supposed to! :D )  At one point, I texted my uncle's girlfriend, who is a police sergeant in the city, to tell her we were there, because the store is in her district.  She ended up coming to the store just as we were finishing up.  Long story short, we went to dinner with her, at one of my favorite restaurants downtown, Quartino.

We had a FABULOUS meal!  I usually tell people who have never been to Quartino that it's kinda like an Italian tapas bar.  If you click around their website, you'll see what I mean.

My sister's friend drove in to work with us, so naturally she came to dinner with us, but I'm afraid Quartino was NOT for her.  She will be the first to tell you, she has the most unrefined palate.  Ok, that sounded bitchy.  Let me quote HER..."I'm freakin' IRISH!  All I eat is potatoes!"  She usually eats a candy bar, or a bag of potato chips for dinner.  (She's single, and doesn't have children, so I suppose she can do that, right?  Is it wrong that I'm a little jealous?)  She seriously wanted to run into McDonald's to get an order of fries for her dinner, instead of going to a nice dinner at a beautiful restaurant.  But, to her credit, she sucked it up, and came on the adventure.

My sister and I ordered a bunch of plates to share with each other, and my uncle's girlfriend, of course.  Here's what we had to share:
  • Dates, stuffed with Gorgonzola, and wrapped in Panchetta(TO DIE FOR!!  I could have eaten 100!)
  • Polenta Fries (one of the main reasons I love this place!!)
  • Fried Calamari
  • Escarole and Fagioli (escarole and beans)
  • Baby Spinach, Walnut, Pear and Ricotta Salata salad

My sister also order eggplant parmigiana, and my uncle's girlfriend order pasta.  I had ordered meatballs, and it didn't occur to me until I started writing this, that they never came!  Shoot!  It was fine, though, since we were stuffed.  But, man, I really wanted those meatballs. :(

My sister's friend ended up ordering a pizza, cheese with a little sausage.  Thankfully, she liked it!

Now, here's the crazy part.  The restaurant comped us the entire meal!!  It was a bit embarrassing, actually.  They did it for my uncle's girlfriend, since most places in the city are very generous to cops.  But, I didn't think they'd comp the entire bill!!  Man, that waiter made out, because we ended up leaving him a 50% tip! 

It was really a nice way to end the day.  Then, we even got a ride to the train from Sergeant Girlfriend, which was great, because it was raining.  Actually, by the time we got home (our train stop) there was a raging storm going on.  The rain was coming down sideways, and it was windy as hell.  I wish I had video of the three of us trying to walk across the parking lot to our car!  It was too funny.

We're supposed to keep having stormy weather today, too.  They're talking about possible tornado activity.  Poop.  I'm supposed to go to lunch with a friend after church, but I may have to reschedule.  I guess we'll have to wait and see what it's like in a few hours when we come out after the service.

On that note, I'd better go get ready.  I hope everyone enjoys a relaxing Sunday!!




Saturday, November 16, 2013

2013 Day Sixteen

Well, I'm off to work with my sister again.  It should be interesting.  Today, we will be at the Bloomingdale's on Michigan Avenue.

~~~~**~~~~**~~~~
Yeah, so I apparently never finished this before I left, nor did I post it.  Well, that's probably because my day was much longer than anticipated.  But, it's all good.  I'm going to tell you all about it for tomorrow's post.  (See what I did there?)

Friday, November 15, 2013

2013 Day Fifteen

Friday, November 15, 2013
If you could quit one bad habit instantly without difficulty, which would it be?


Hmmm, this is harder than I thought...

I could say making poor eating choices.  Although, for the most part, I try to keep it under control.  Thank God, or I wouldn't have been able to maintain the weight loss I've had this past year.  However, I've been maintaining, as opposed to actually losing any more, and I think it's because I've lost some of my drive and motivation.  But, that's a post for another time....

Another bad habit I'd like to get rid of is my tendency to procrastinate.  But, I'll tell you about it later...

TGIF, my friends!!


Thursday, November 14, 2013

2013 Day Fourteen

Thursday, November 14, 2013
Are you a morning person or a night owl?


Well, after telling you yesterday that my favorite hour is 5am, I would imagine you would think my answer is "morning person."  And, truthfully, the older I become, the more that seems to be the case.  However, if I look at my life as a whole, I'd have to say I'm more of a night owl.  If I wasn't up at 5 am every morning, I'd probably be able to continue being the night owl I'm meant to be. =)  That being said, though, I have to say, I truly love being up at that hour, enjoying the peace that comes with the dawning of a new day.  One of my favorite things to do is grab my coffee and go out and sit on the deck (or porch, depending on where I am) and watch the sun rise.  The beauty of the sky changing colors gets me every time.

Those years I worked at the bar, my night owl really came in handy.  Most days, I'd pull into my driveway at about 6 am, after a full night of slingin' martinis.  Even now, I have a lot of trouble falling asleep at night, despite almost always feeling exhausted.  I'm usually up until the wee hours of the morning (2-3 am), yet I still wake up at 5.  Some mornings, if I'm really lucky, I doze off for about an hour after Magnum leaves for work at 7:30.  But, that doesn't happen very often.  That's usually when I start getting ready to take my mother to physical therapy (that's 3 times a week) or take my neighbor, Jean, to the doctor (about once a week) or to pick up a prescription (again, about once a week).  In between that, sprinkle in a day or two with my Monkey, and it doesn't leave much time for napping.  I swear, I'm busier now than when I was working. 

Up until recently, I was also driving my sister to and from the train every day, as well.  I don't mind at all, since it saves her the $10 a day it would cost her to park at the train station.  Then, there are a couple days a week that my brother calls to tell me he's driving out this way, and to meet him and Monkey for breakfast.  So, yeah, not a lot of napping time.  I know, I know, your hearts are breaking for me. ;-)

On that note, I need to go check in with my brother.  I picked my parents up from O'Hare last night, after a week in Punta Cana.  I KNOW he's going to be bringing Monkey to see them today, which means I'm gonna crash the party. =) 

Happy SHIT Day!!

(Sure Happy It's Thursday)

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

2013 Day Thirteen

Wednesday, November 13, 2013
What is your favourite hour of the day?

Probably 5am, when I wake up.  The house is quiet, everyone else is sleeping, and I just enjoy the peacefulness.

Speaking of peaceful, guess who's asleep in my bed right now....

We had a very full morning.  We went to two stores straight from her mommy's workplace, where I picked her up, looking for something for Magnum.  Then we went to McDonald's, hoping to see Stud.  He must have been working the drive-thru, because we didn't see him when we ordered.  But, as Monkey was enjoying her hot cakes, Stud walked out the kitchen door, on his way to his break.  He got to spend some time with Monkey, and she LOVED it!!!  Then, we went to two more stores, still looking for the ear warmers Magnum wanted.  She fell asleep in the car, less than two blocks from my house.  Perfect!

I hope you're all having as WONDERFUL a day I am!!

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

2013 Day Twelve

Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Name five things inside your refrigerator right now and how you feel about them.

Jeez, where do these prompts come from?!?!

Ok, here goes....

1. Greek Yogurt
    LOVE IT!  It's been a favorite for a long time now.  I love it with fresh berries (strawberries, blackberries, or blueberries) and a healthy tablespoon of flaxseed.  This week, I haven't had fresh (or even frozen!) berries in the house, so I've just been putting a drizzle of agave syrup in, along with the flaxseed.

2. Mixed Spring Greens
   We have salad every night with dinner.  For a long time, I made one, big salad for us to eat together.  It was pretty much the same every night - crumbled Feta, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, dressed with my own dressing (balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh crushed garlic, salt, pepper)

Now, I sometimes make a big salad for the boys, and I make a separate salad for myself with things they don't like. =) This is my favorite salad!!  Spring greens, thin-sliced Granny Smith apple, dried cranberries, TONS of bleu cheese, walnuts or pecans, and/or sunflower seeds, sliced strawberries (if I have them), dressed with the same dressing I already described.  Usually, this just serves as my dinner.  Sometimes, if I've made chicken or steak for dinner, I'll throw some of that in the salad, too.

Great...now I'm hungry...

3. Home-brewed Iced Tea
   I love to make flavored iced tea.  Our favorite is lemon ginger.  I make a gallon about every other day.  I use agave syrup to sweeten it just a touch.  All three of us really like this one.  I also make an orange flavored tea (I can't remember the exact name of the tea) that we like.  If I don't have any "fancy" flavors, we also really like just good ol' green tea.

4. Cheese
   Sliced, shredded, blocks, you name it, we have it!  There are always at least 3 kinds of sliced cheese in our fridge at all times.  Provolone is always there, and then it could be Muenster, Baby Swiss or Colby Jack.  Then, there's ALWAYS fresh Mozzarella, Bleu Cheese (or Gorgonzola), Feta, cream cheese and goat cheese.  There's always at least 4 kinds of shredded cheese, too (cheddar, "Mexican blend," Colby Jack mix, Mozzarella, plus anything else that catches my eye at the store)  Right now, there are also a few rounds of smoked Scamorza, a round of Brie, a hunk of Parmesan (straight from Italy.  Thanks, Mom!)  and some ricotta.  Truthfully, there's probably something else that I'm overlooking, but I'm too lazy to actually go look in the fridge.  Oh, wait!  I just remembered one!  Those nasty, plastic slices of American Cheese.  They DO make a yummy grilled cheese. =)

Believe it or not, I have cheese on my grocery list right now.  I also like to keep a block of sharp, aged Provolone in the fridge.  My favorite snack (or lunch, sometimes) is slices of that with slices of apples/pears.  Mmmm, SO good!!!  For some reason, my Sam's Club doesn't carry it anymore, so I have to wait until I go to Costco with my brother to get the one I like.

Good Lord, I suddenly feel like we need a 12-step program...

5. Hummus
   Right now, we have 3 different flavors in the fridge (roasted red pepper, "Tuscan," and roasted pine nut)  For about 6 months, Magnum LIVED on hummus and veggies (mostly carrots and broccoli).  We started every dinner with veggies and hummus, actually.  Plus, Stud's girlfriend really likes carrots and hummus, so I make sure to have it in the house for them.  Unfortunately, Magnum decided to look at the nutritional label a few weeks ago, and has now decided there's too much fat in hummus, and he hasn't touched it since.  Oy!!  I've tried explaining that it's "good" fat, as it's made with olive oil, but he won't listen.  Whatever.  I wish he had make that change BEFORE I bought 5 tubs of hummus at Sam's...

I still love it, though, so it certainly won't go to waste.  I've been eating a TON of quinoa lately, and I make a quinoa salad that I add hummus to (for both taste and texture) so I'm not worried about it not being eaten.  I know that's a load off YOUR mind, huh?

Wow, after making fun of this prompt, I sure found plenty to say, didn't I?
~~*~~*~~
Hey, do you know anyone getting married today?  The local news here has been talking about it all freakin' day (I've had it on since 5am).  According to them, there will be a record number of couples getting married today (despite it being a Tuesday!) because of the date - 11/12/13  They say there will be about 3,000 couples getting married today.  They also say that's NOTHING compared to the 65,000 couples who got married on 7/7/7 (which happened to fall on a Saturday).  And, hey, if you're looking to get married on a funky date like that, you have one more chance this century.  Next year, 12/13/14 will probably be a big day for weddings.  It happens to also be a Saturday.  And, that's my public service announcement for the day. =)

Monday, November 11, 2013

2013 Day Eleven

Monday, November 11, 2013
If you had to be trapped inside a movie for 5 days, which movie would you pick?


Wow, this is a hard one.  I have a handful of movies I adore.  I can't really narrow it down to one.

If I wanted to laugh for 5 days straight, I'd probably pick Coming to America.  I went through 3 VHS tapes of that movie, and have since purchased 2 DVD copies.  I could watch it every day.

I think I would pretty happy living in Singing in the Rain for 5 days.  I love everything about that movie.  It's another that I own several copies of, both on tape and DVD.  It was one of the first musicals I ever introduced to Stud, and we used to watch it every weekend when he was young.

And, who WOULDN'T want to spend 5 days living inside The Wizard of Oz?  I mean, really! 

Oo, I just thought of another one.  Dirty Dancing!!  I would have loved to spend that vacation with the Housemans at Kellerman's.  Yet another movie I own more than one copy of, not to mention the soundtrack.  Oh, yes, I really do.  AND, it's on cassette!!  I used to play it in my car all the time.  I actually bought Volume 2, which really were songs that I don't even think were IN the movie.  Magnum and I saw Dirty Dancing at the theater about 5 times.  It was at a second-run theater that only cost $1 at the time, but still.  He clearly didn't mind watching Jennifer Grey dancing around in her cut-offs and tied-up blouse. :P

Eesh, I better stop there, or I'll be typing until tomorrow.

We're supposed to get our first snow today!  YAHOO!!!!  And, they keep saying it's "going to stick" and that we could get an inch!  I'm so excited.  When I let the dogs out this morning at 5 am, I think we were at our high temperature for the day.  It was right around 48.  It's supposed to start raining, then snowing in about an hour and a half (around 10 am) and by this afternoon, it's supposed to drop to the 20s.  Stud had to start at 6am this morning, and ran out in just his uniform.  I'm tempted to drop off his hoodie at work, but I know he'd be embarrassed.  Guess he'll just have to be cold.  Good thing he only works about 5 minutes from home.

(Jen, I know you want to punch me in the face right now for being so excited.  I'm sorry, I can't help it!  Maybe you guys won't get as much, since you're so far north of me.  :D )

I'm hoping to see my Monkey today.  She was actually invited to a birthday party at my friend's house.  Her little girl is turning 4 today.  You may remember way back when she was pregnant I had a baby shower for her at my house with some friends from The Hell-Hole.  You may also remember that her daughter being born on Veterans' Day was so PERFECT because both of her parents are vets.  Anyway, I hope we get to go sing "Happy Birthday" and have a cupcake with her.

In the meantime...

Sunday, November 10, 2013

2013 Day Ten


This is all I want to do right now.  I'm SO tired.  Yesterday's Day from Hell really wiped me out.  Then today was another busy one.

For the very first time, I did the reading during our church service today.  Last Monday, at Bible study (one of the "new" things going on around here...) the pastor asked me if I'd ever be interested in doing it.  He said he usually gives people plenty of notice (my first question!), and I said, "Sure!"  Well, imagine my surprise when he called me on Friday, and asked if I'd do the reading today.  I spent the rest of the afternoon preparing.  I printed out the passage, complete with the phonetic pronunciations of certain words, to make sure I didn't screw it up.  I think it went pretty well. =)

Then, after church, I went to hang out with some friends from grad school.  One of my girlfriends moved, and so we got together to see her new house, and do a little shopping.  Well, the rest of them shopped, since I have zero interest in purses, makeup and/or jewelry!  (My girlfriend had a few "demonstrators" there to show off their wares.)  It was a really nice afternoon, and it was great to see my friends who I haven't seen in FAR too long.

I've been fighting sleep since about 5:30 this afternoon, but I'm about to give in now. Good night.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......

Saturday, November 9, 2013

EESH! I only have 3 minutes...

...to get today's post up!  I literally just walked in the door.  I left my house at 9 am to go to the bar for the party I mentioned yesterday.  (wait, did I mention it yesterday?)  I'm WAY too exhausted to even give any details, but I wanted to get my post in for today, lest I fail at NaBloPoMo!!  Good night, my friends.

Friday, November 8, 2013

2013 Day Eight

Friday, November 8, 2013
Tell us what you've learned so far about daily blogging.

That it's daunting, and more pressure than I need!!

Actually, I think it's these dumb prompts that are causing me stress.  I want to come up with witty, clever posts, that you guys will want to read, but it's hard sometimes.  These prompts are just not the best, ya know?

Really, I guess I shouldn't sweat it, since there's no rule that says you HAVE to use the prompt to participate in NaBloPoMo.  You simply have to post something every day.  I have a feeling I'm going to be skipping a lot of their prompts.  I've read through all of them for the month, and I'm not really feeling most of them.

Well, look at that!  I came up with a whole post just by complaining about these prompts. :D

I'm off to meet  my brother at the bar to get some prep work done for a party that I'm catering for him tomorrow.  I have a feeling it's going to be a LONG evening....

Thursday, November 7, 2013

2013 Day Seven

Thursday, November 7, 2013
If you had to switch your first name, what name would you choose and why?


Sheesh, what a weird question.  I've never given it any thought before.  I actually like my first name.

That being said, I always liked the name Bernadette.  As a matter of fact, I chose it as my confirmation name.  The Song of Bernadette was always one of my favorite movies when I was a kid.  I guess if I HAD to chose a new name, Bernadette would definitely be on the short list.

The more I think about it, the more I think I might like a more Italian-sounding name.  My sister had some great names picked out when she was pregnant with my nieces.  Up until my oldest niece came home from the hospital, we were sure she would be named Francesca.  We planned to call her Frankie.  Then, for some unknown reason, her father decided he hated that name.  Even though she has a beautiful name, she wishes her mother had stuck to her guns about Francesca.  She actually chose it as HER confirmation name, and for a while, she insisted we all call her Francesca. 

My sister's younger daughter also has a beautiful name.  She and I have the same middle name, which she thinks is cool. =)

Monkey has a beautiful Italian name.  It was the name I REALLY pushed for when she was born.  She almost came home without a name, the poor thing!  As a matter of fact, my sister, my brother's girlfriend and I referred to her as Snoopy Marie for days.  She was almost 3 days old before she had a name on her birth certificate.  I was THRILLED when my brother told me that chose "my"  name.

Stud's first name is unique, and was a compromise between the Italian name I wanted, and the Mexican name his father wanted.  Luckily, Stud doesn't hate it.  He told me when he came home from work today that several people (coworkers and customers, both) commented on his "cool" name.

Well, it's a good thing I thought I wouldn't have much to write about when I saw this prompt, huh?  Just for the record, I still think it's a weird prompt. :P

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Happy Birthday, My Baby!!!

I love you more than words can say!!! 




























































~~sniffle~~
I'm no longer the mother of a "teenager."  Happy 20th Birthday, Baby!

(I wish I had better pictures on this computer.  I know this is a weird modge podge.  I have more on my "old" computer, but I'm too lazy to go figure out how to put them here.  )