Simple Saturday

My local Walmart has been undergoing some remodeling for several months now.  I have not shopped there in months because of it.  It was just too chaotic and confusing. 

I can only imagine how much money I have saved by not going there.  I'm not even exaggerating even a little bit.  Magnum and I always made a Walmart run every Saturday as part of our errands.  Then, most weeks, I would stop there at least one other day during the week, sometimes even two or three days.  It was almost an illness. :-/

I went there today for the first time in months.  I should be too embarrassed to even share this, but I was there for almost 3 hours.  Yep, seriously.  Three.  Hours.  I just slowly strolled up and down the aisles, taking my time, checking things out.  I even went in the Christmas room, just to look around.  It was a great way to kill an afternoon.

The best part?  I walked out of there for under $65!  Really.  The whole reason I went there is because Junior somehow lost his collar about a month ago.  We've looked everywhere for it.  I'm fairly certain it is probably under our deck, since it's the only place we can't look.  He likes to go under there, and I'm thinking it probably got caught on something, and slid off when he pulled himself free.  Anyway, I kept meaning to just pick up another collar at Walmart, along with a new tag.  So, a quarter of what I spent was on the goofy dog, which makes me feel even better.  Oh, and about half of what I spent was for Stud.  So, bottom line, I spent almost nothing on myself.  I consider that a win!

Does anyone else think perhaps I should have titled this Sad Saturday?  I really am a loser, aren't I.....?

Reason #857 why I will never leave Chicago....

This is what today is SUPPOSED to be about...

However, THIS is what today has looked like all day here in ChiTown...

Right now, it's about 33 degrees, and the wind is howling with wind gusts of about 40 MPH.  I LOVE IT!

Sorry, Jen.  I know you're swearing up a storm (in your head, of course!) and probably turning that mug of coffee into a tasty adult beverage right about now.

I do feel bad for my Monkey, though.  But, she's got plenty of Halloweens coming to make up for it.  Plus, she went to an awesome Halloween party with her mommy last Friday, so I think she'll be fine.

By the way....

 It was about 80 here on Monday....

And, I have a story about Monday that I plan to share soon. =)

What's in a number?

So, the last time I lost any significant amount of weight was back in 2000, when I was training for the police academy.  (I think I may have shared that story way back when I first started this blog.  Then again, maybe I didn't.  It's a post for another day...)  That was a particularly significant year for me.  It was both incredibly horribly and incredibly awesome.  I'll explain another day, perhaps.

Anyway, I thought I really had it going on that year.  I've said many, many times that I was in the best physical shape of my life that year, thanks to the training.  For months, I actually ran and worked out daily with a couple of my cousins who were already on the job.  I would say that my self-confidence was at an all-time high.  That was the year of my New Millennium Resolution (now, I KNOW I've posted about THAT before, haven't I?!) and I was living life to the fullest.

One of the highlights of that year was that I, for the first time, was able to buy jeans from Old Navy.  The first time I was able to squeeze into those size 16, boot-cut, low-rise jeans, I literally did a Happy Dance.  I may have even let out a, "Woo hoo!" in the fitting room.  Those jeans fit me like a glove, and made me feel sexy as hell.  I bought several pairs of them, and wore them all the time.  Those were my "going out" jeans, my "salsa dancing" jeans, my "date" jeans, my "Girls' Night" jeans, etc.  I think you get the idea.

Last night I took a little trip to Old Navy.  I've been meaning to do it for months now, since I really don't have any clothes that fit me anymore.  Well, other than the handful of things I've picked up at the thrift store, and a couple of pairs of jeans I picked up on clearance a few months ago at Walmart.  (I believe I may have posted about finding those since they were size 14!!  Yep, from size 24 to size 14.  Go me!!)  But, what I REALLY wanted was a pair of my favorite jeans from Old Navy!  I've been carrying around a gift card that I think someone gave Stud years ago, so I figured it would almost be like getting the jeans for free, right?

I walked over to the Wall-O-Jeans, only to see that in the 13+ years since I've purchased jeans from Old Navy, they had the nerve to change their styles!  What the hell?  Now, instead of just looking for "low-rise, boot-cut," I had to figure out if "Diva," "Flirty," or "Sweetheart" was the right style for me.  After checking out the chart on the wall, I decided "Sweetheart" was the way to go.  (smaller waist, wider thighs)  I grabbed a couple pairs in different lengths and headed to the fitting room.  My first instinct was to grab the size 16s that I was so thrilled to wear in the past.  But, I grabbed the 14s, and hoped for the best.  And, that's just what I got!  They went on without a problem. =)

So, just for shits and giggles, I grabbed a pair of 12s.  I laughed all the way back to the fitting room, shaking my head at myself for being so ridiculous.  However, all that changed when I realized, "Holy shit!  They're on!  I'm wearing a size 12!"  I just could NOT believe it! 

All this time, I kept thinking about what great shape I was in back in 2000, how good I looked, how sexy I felt, etc.  Now, here I am, 2 sizes SMALLER than I was then.  Wow.  Just...wow.

I didn't buy the 12s yesterday, because they only had them in "long."  I absolutely need "short."  (It seems Old Navy jeans run long.)  Plus, just because I was able to get them on (and buttoned and zipped!) doesn't necessarily mean they looked that great.  Admittedly, they were a bit...um...snug.  Now, I realize lots of people wear their jeans that way, but I don't think I'd be comfortable walking around in painted on jeans.  (After all, I'm not a Caribbean Queen, for Pete's sake!)

So, what's in a number?  A LOT when that number is 12. =)

It's been a LONG day...

...and I'm exhausted.  I know I disappeared again.  I'm sorry.  I have no excuse for the beginning of the month, but for the past couple of weeks, I've actually been working.  Ok, ok, don't get too excited.  My sister was able to get me some seasonal work with her company.  You may remember I worked with her a while back as a Perfume Ninja.  I actually worked another day with her last month at the Bloomingdale's on Michigan Avenue.  Now, she was able to get me a few weeks worth of work for Christmas.  Believe me, I'm very grateful.  But, I'm just not used to being on my feet that long anymore.  Plus, the store I've been working at is not that close to my house (Bolingbrook, for my local friends) so it's making for long days.

Today was probably the last day I'll be off until after Christmas, so I used it to do some baking and treat making.  I had intended to start yesterday, but just as I was getting started, I got the call I wish for every day.  Monkey Day!!!  How can you resist this face?!?!

Today, I met my Monkey, her daddy and my mother for breakfast, but then I stood firm and didn't let my brother suck me into wasting the day.  He tried really hard to get me to go to Costco with him, but I was strong!  Instead, I went straight home and got to work.  Here's a little peek...

I made about 36 dozen cookies.  No, I'm NOT exaggerating.  This is just a small sample of what I made:

Then I made a couple batches of peanut butter fudge:

A couple batches each of chocolate fudge, both with AND without nuts:

A couple batches of chocolate mint fudge (and, yes, it's as incredible as it sounds, if I do say so myself!):

A couple batches of toffee bars, one with nuts and one without:

And three batches of peanut brittle:

I really wanted to make more, but I think I'm done for the night.  I've actually been Skyping with Brian, Stud's friend from Hong Kong who stayed with us senior year, while I've been trying to post this.  It's been a tad frustrating, as Brian's internet connection keeps screwing up.  We had to give up on video chatting, and now we're just IMing.  I started this post more than an hour and a half ago.  It's WAY past my bedtime.

I will share one more thing, though.  Stud has been working like a dog over at the Golden Arches.  That's a post for another day, so I'll complain later.  But, today, he was supposed to work until 4pm.  After he clocked out for the day, he was sitting in the break room, eating the lunch he never got to eat during his 8-hour shift, when his manager came and asked him if he'd be willing to clock back in, and do them a favor.  Look!

He was SANTA!!!  And, a mighty adorable one, at that!  (And, yes, there's a pillow stuffed under there.  hahaha!)  There was some sort of mix-up, and a different manager forgot to arrange for a Santa for an event they had planned for tonight.  I know he loved every second of it, as he adores little kids.  He actually brought home a letter some little girl gave him.  It was so sweet, it brought a tear to my eye.  Clearly, Stud was moved by it, too, as he saved it and brought it home.  It said something about how Christmas is about family, not about presents.  It was much more touching than that, but you get the idea.  He said most of the kids tried to give him letters, but he told them to hang on to them, and to leave them out on Christmas Eve, alongside the cookies and milk.  He's too cute!

Ok, I just signed off with Brian, and I must sign off from here, too.  Long day tomorrow.  If any of my local Bloggy Buddies are near The Promenade of Bolingbrook tomorrow, stop in at Macy's and say hi!

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.

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!!

Isn't it cute/funny/interesting/cool....

...that within a matter of a couple of days, both my brother and sister sent this to me?  (My brother sent it to me "from Monkey," but still.)

I have the best Bloggy Buddies!!

A couple weeks ago, I made a donation toward Swim Across America, for my Bloggy Buddy, M.  The swim benefited child cancer research.  M's daughter is a survivor of childhood cancer (Thank you, God!)

Anyway, as a "thank you," she made me this freakin' adorable kitchen towel!!!

Don't you love it?!?!  I had Monkey today, and as soon as she saw it, she yelled, "PENGUIN!"

Thank you, M!  I love it!!  You found the perfect way to bring my two obsessions together. =)

Just for fun, I'll show you a couple of pictures I snapped of my Monkey, about 1 minute apart.

So pretty...

My roses are opening up very nicely.  By Mother's Day, they're going to look amazing.

 These beauties are also on my table.  I picked these up myself almost 2 weeks ago at Sam's Club.  I can't believe how nice they still look. 

One of my favorite moments from Wednesday...

That's pretty much how the whole day went.  I just love that baby!

2/12/13

Tuesday, February 12, 2013
What is your favourite Valentine's Day candy?

Anything chocolate.  Well, I also really like conversation hearts.  Hell, pretty much ANY candy is A-OK in my book!

Today is Lincoln's Birthday.  Happy Birthday, Abe!  I actually almost forgot since I'm no longer at school.  Normally, it would be a big deal, because it would mean a day off. ;-)

Today is also my Aunt Marylou's birthday.  This would have been her 71st birthday.  It's hard to believe she's been gone for 2 1/2 years already. 

Here's one of my favorite pictures from her wedding.  (To see more family pictures that I've posted in the past with my aunt, click here)

This is probably my favorite picture of my mom and her siblings.

Ok, I need to lighten things up around here, cuz the sadness is seeping in really quickly.

The other day, I showed you my breakfast.  Yesterday, I snapped photos of my lunch and dinner for you.  You're welcome!

Lunch was diced avocado and halved grape tomatoes, seasoned with a little salt and fresh cracked pepper.

It was so tasty, I had it again today for lunch.  And, yes, I had pears and goat cheese, drizzled with agave nectar, for breakfast.  I know, I know, I'm one of those people who can happily eat the same thing over and over.  I realize some of you would never do that, but I'm a creature of habit, and when I find something that works and that I like, I tend to stick to it.  (Um, HELLO!  Why do you think Magnum is still around 27 years later?!  tee hee!)

For dinner, I had a bunch of yummy stuff.  Like every night, I made a salad with kalamata olives, feta cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers.  For Stud and Magnum, I made chicken sausage, stuffed with smoked mozzarella and spinach.  I'm not a fan of sausage, so I made myself a "sandwich."  Like I mentioned the other day, I've been enjoying lettuce-wrapped "sandwiches" lately.  Last night, instead of rolling it, I just used two big leaves, much like 2 slices of bread, to make a sandwich.  I had Black Forest ham and baby Swiss in there.  I couldn't get the tomatoes to stay in there, so for every bite I took, I popped a tomato in my mouth. =)

 

The other day, I showed you my island, cover in produce.  I mentioned that I sometimes pick up Cuties at Aldi.  That day, I had bought a bag at Sam's Club, but my basket was still full of the ones I had bought at Aldi.

Well, about 2 days later, those were just about gone, and so I opened the bag I picked up at Sam's.  Now, the bag from Sam's is a bigger bag.  What I had never noticed before was that the Cuties are also bigger.  Look.

Weird, right?  I'm going to have to pay attention the next time I pick them up at both places, to see if this was just a one-time fluke, or if they're always like that.

Yes, I know, this is some riveting stuff right here.  Do you see what my life has been reduced to?  Comparing produce at different stores!!  With the exception of what happens over here, there's not much excitement around here right now. 

Speaking of excitement, I supposed I'll go do my taxes.  Magnum has been on me for weeks to get them done, and I promised him it would get done TODAY.  You'd think I'd stop dragging my feet since Lord knows, we could use those refunds ASAP.

Ok, I'm off to crunch some numbers!!

Breakfast

I thought I'd snap a shot of my yummy breakfast of pears and goat cheese this morning.  The pears could use another day or two to ripen a bit, so I drizzled a bit of agave syrup over the top today.  It was SO good!!!  The perfect thing to enjoy after my two hours at the gym. =)

I know that looks like a LOT of goat cheese, but it really wasn't.  I just crumbled over the top of the diced pears.  I have no idea why it looks like I put a pound on there.  Although, that would have been just as yummy.  I adore goat cheese!!

For my heart...

For today's post, I wanted to stick to the Feb. theme for NaBloPoMo, which is Love & Sex.  But, I couldn't really pull a post together that was worth reading.  Or, at least Rated PG. ;-)

So, I thought instead I would completely bore the hell out of you.  Well, I can kinda make it fit the theme, as it has to do with my heart.  My heart's health, actually.

I took a little trip to Sam's Club this afternoon, with a very short list in mind.  Basically, my list was "produce, cream, lunchmeat."  Easy peasy, right?

Well, somehow, I managed to fill a cart, as always!  But, I DID stick to my list.

I love the prepackaged lunchmeat at Sam's.  I believe the brand is Castlewood.  There are always containers of it in our fridge.  It's really convenient for us, now that we're all on a no/low carb kick.  I always get angus roast beef, as that's Stud's favorite.  I also always get angus corned beef, as it's Monkey's favorite.  As a matter of fact, here's a cute picture of her from last week, stuffing it in her face with both hands!!

The plate has tomatoes (her favorite!!) and chicken sausage on it.  She wasn't diggin' the sausage very much, which is why I had to go with the sure thing - corned beef!

Anyway, back to our lunchmeat.  (Hey, I WARNED you this was a boring post!)  I usually get some black forest ham, cuz that's what Magnum and I like.  Then I usually get one more container, whatever looks good that day.  Well today, it was oven-roasted turkey AND buffalo chicken.  Oh, YUM!  I tried the buffalo chicken about 6 months ago, when it first came out.  It was some kind of seasonal special or something.  At the time, I also bought giant burrito-sized tortillas, and then made wraps with the chicken.  I put down lettuce and tomato, then the chicken, which I then smothered in Frank's hot sauce.  I then added some crumbled bleu cheese, and rolled the whole thing up.  OMG, my mouth is watering just thinking about that!!

I've been DYING for that chicken ever since, but they never had it again.  Well, that is until about 2 weeks ago.  The package says "specialty flavor," so I hope that doesn't mean it'll be going away again.  Now, instead of using tortillas, I've been making lettuce wraps, and man, they're just as awesome.  It's my favorite lunch lately.

Ok, what else was on that list?  Oh, yeah, cream.  I actually remembered the half&half for my coffee, as well as a gallon of milk.  I also grabbed a log of goat cheese, some fresh mozzarella and some baby swiss. That just leaves the produce.  Here's where I went a little overboard.  Take a peek.

These are the two kinds of grape tomatoes we like around here.  Last Saturday, I bought one of each, and by Wednesday, they were gone.  Stud likes to eat them like candy, which is fine by me!  I got an extra package this week, which naturally means he won't eat ANY, and I'll be throwing them away by next weekend.

 I picked up a package of avocados, which, let's face it, you can never have enough of, right?  Magnum and I put them in our salad, in our soup, and in our wraps.  I've been known to just split them and eat them with a spoon.

 Last week, I bought a big bag of Anjou pears, since I LOVE pears!  My breakfast almost everyday this week was a pear, diced up, with crumbled goat cheese over it.  YUM!!!  Anyway, turns out, Stud likes pears now, too.  Who knew?!  He worked his way through the bowl all week.  However, every time he would be peeling his pear, he would remark that he wished I had bought apples.  SO, this weekend, I bought both.

 

All three of us have become a bit obsessed with Cuties.  I always buy them at Sam's, but some weeks we run out before I can get back there, so we also pick them up at Aldi.  This week, I bought two bags.  Again, that probably means I'll be throwing some out. >:(

 

Something else I always make sure to have in the house for my Monkey is (duh!) bananas.  Yeah, Stud and Magnum like 'em, too, but I make sure they're here for her.  Don't tell them that.

 

Take a look at my VERY overcrowded island, where all these things are kept.  I should take another picture in about 3 days, so you can see what a dent Stud puts in this spread.

 Now, that's the stuff that doesn't have to go in the fridge.  There's more that DOES have to be kept in the fridge though.  (I TOLD you I went overboard!)

Sam's sells these chopped salad "kits" that Magnum just adores. 

One is an Asian salad, with green cabbage, savoy cabbage, carrots, green onion, cilantro (which is why I don't eat it!) wonton noodles & sliced toasted almonds, along with a sesame ginger slaw dressing.  The dressing is awesome!  I REALLY wish they didn't put cilantro in this mix, because all the rest is awesome!

The other kit is a garden vegetable salad.  It has broccoli, cauliflower, red cabbage, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, carrots & crumbled bacon, with a slaw dressing.  I freakin' LOVE this one!!

Another thing I always get is big pack of mixed spring greens.  Magnum basically lives on salad, so this goes pretty quickly.  It's too big of a pack to get two, though, so I usually have to make an Aldi run by the end of the week.  I also grabbed a bag of mini cukes for Stud. 

 I can't wait to use this!  I picked up some peeled, cubed butternut squash. 

 My sister made some last week, and I've been craving it ever since.  She bought a regular squash, though, instead of this conveniently prepared stuff.  One of these is actually for her.  I'm going to toss it with olive oil, fresh cracked pepper and sea salt, then I'm going to roast it in the oven.  I'd REALLY like to make soup, but I'm not sure.  I'm afraid I'll end up making it a little too rich, with butter and cream.  Mmmmm....

Another standard weekly purchase is strawberries.  I took a gamble on these, too, this week and picked up two packs.  These will NOT get thrown out, I guarantee.  Magnum loves strawberries, even more than I do, and we usually bring a bowl of them into the bedroom when we're ready to relax and settle in for the night.  The red grapes next to them are also a weekly purchase.  They're a bit expensive, though, so I stuck to one box for the week.  Between Stud and me, we can eat the whole box in one sitting.  We're gluttons.

I somehow missed taking a picture of the mushrooms I bought.  Every week, I bring home two big boxes of sliced white mushrooms.  Stud LOVES mushrooms.  The other night, I made both boxes, sauteed in olive oil and garlic, then covered in a yummy layer of melted Havarti cheese.  How many times can I type YUM today?!  Stud ate about 90% of it.  I'm lucky I got to taste them.

And there you go!  If you're still here, you really are a glutton for punishment.  Speaking of gluttons, I think I'm ready to go wash some grapes and strawberries, and retire to my warm and cozy bed. 

Night, night, my bloggy buddies!!

2/7/13

Thursday, February 7, 2013
Describe your ideal date night.

I think I have two.

1. Nice dinner at a spectacular restaurant that serves decadent food, followed by a heavenly dessert, then back home for some cuddles and whatever might happen after that...

2. Nice dinner that I've cooked at home, followed by a yummy dessert, then maybe some snuggling while we watch a movie and whatever might happen after that...

Really, ANY date night is usually pretty great.  We had a "family date night" tonight, which was nice.  We waited for Stud to get home from school, then all went to dinner at our favorite place.  It's just a Greek diner, but we love it.  Back when we had JOBS, we would end up there 3 or 4 times a week.  (Wow, I should be embarrassed to even admit that, shouldn't I?)  We would usually meet my parents there at least once a week, then maybe another night would be just Magnum and I, and Stud and I usually would go there for breakfast on either Saturday or Sunday.  Well, ok, some weeks it was Saturday AND Sunday.  Shut up.  Many breakfast were shared with one or both of my nieces, and/or Bestest Friend, so that's how we sometimes ended up there both Sat. and Sun.

Like almost all Greek diners around here, this place is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  (Do you all have places like this where you live, or is it a Chicago thing?)  So, we've been there at all different times on all different days.  Back when I was working at the bar, my brother and I would sometimes find ourselves there at 5am, after a long night of slingin' drinks.  Bestest Friend and I tend to make it our go-to place to meet for whatever.  Breakfast on the weekends, lunch on the weekends or when she's on break from school, or dinner anytime.  There's something on the menu to make everyone happy, which is why we go there so often. 

It's definitely my parents' go-to place, as well.  My dad was friends with the former owner, and has since become friends with the current owner.  My parents probably have dinner there a minimum of once a week, but sometimes it's more depending on what they have going on in their schedule.  My mom has been cooking less and less as they've gotten older, so this place is perfect for them.  It's close to their home, it's fast, delicious, and reasonably priced. 

Sheesh, how the hell did this turn into a giant commercial?!?!  I never even told you the name of this place, did I?  Well, it's called The View, and we all love it!!  (FYI, it was The View LONG before the show was ever around)

Phone Photo Dump

I took these last week to share with you.  Nothing spectacular, but I love a pretty sunrise/sunset.

 

This was taken at the red light while I was waiting to turn to go to the gym.  Usually, it's still dark out when I go to the gym, but I was running a bit behind on this morning.  You can barely see the Planet Fitness sign, but it's behind the White Castle sign.  Yep, there's a White Castle next to my gym.  Thank God I've kept from giving into the temptation!

On Monday, my niece and I went out together for lunch.  Well, lunch in my book, breakfast for her, since she woke up at 11, then called to see if we could "go to breakfast."  Anyway, I  just HAD to take a picture of this sign in front of the fire station that's down the street from her house.  I think I've mentioned before that we've been having a "snow drought" around here.  We broke all kinds of record this year for going so long without any snowfall here.

Well, now it's Wednesday.  Look what's FINALLY happening around here!!!
(This is really crappy video.  I don't know why I always let you guys see my white trash yard, either.)

Yes, Buster is still alive!!! I'll bet some of you were wondering, but afraid to ask.  This is the view out my living room window.  I've been watching for a couple hours now as the beautiful snow swirls outside my kitchen window.  I feel like I'm in a snow globe!!  It's making me VERY happy.  I could use a little happy around here right now.

Someone's gettin' crafty...

I found this idea on Pintrest last week, and the minute I saw it, I KNEW I just had to make them for my sisters-in-law. I changed it slightly, because I thought the angels needed halos. Whatta ya think?

We all know I thought long and hard about leaving my job, and planned and planned and saved, so I could do just that. Naturally, I also gave a LOT of thought to what I could do to bring in some income. One of the ideas I've been throwing around is crafting. So far this week, between the tutu and these cute little angels, I just may be on to something. = )

Are craft fairs big in other parts of the country or is that just a midwest thing? Cuz, they're HUGE here. If I start now, I could have lots of stuff ready for the holiday craft show season, which usually starts in October. I'll tell you one thing, I spent some time this morning making these for my 5 SILs, plus a few extra, and I didn't once feel stressed. Again, I may be on to something....

Better late than never...

I've been planning to make my Monkey a tutu for ages now. I actually started buying the supplies right before her birthday. Well, this morning, I finally bit the bullet and got busy.

I may come back later and tell you about the cluster fuck of a morning I had, but suffice it to say, I found my ass at Walmart at the crack of dawn, gathering craft supplies. They didn't have everything I wanted, but they did have the missing item for the tutu. THIS is what's giving me happiness right now.

What do you think so far? (I wasn't sure if you could see the full cuteness, so I taped it to my wall. You're welcome!)I actually only used 1/3 the tulle I bought, but I think I'm going to use all of it, and make 3 layers. I think it'll be super cute and fluffy. What do you think? I'm definitely adding a second layer, so I'll be back when I'm done.

~~Update~~

Ok, so for the past 30 minutes since the last post, I've been adding the second layer. Was it worth it?
I really don't know if it made that much of a difference. I'm definitely not adding the 3rd layer. Instead, I'm going to use that tulle to make a tutu for a friend's granddaughter, who is exactly one week younger than Monkey. Here they are at her party.
Little Miss Ally, there, has had THREE haircuts in her first year of life (really just trimming her bangs, but still!) while Monkey still has NO HAIR!!! Maria, you commented once that she has a lot of head gear. Well, THAT'S why!! We're trying to cover up her bald little head. :(