For those of you that would like to get me something that I'd really love this Christmas, check out this outfit with this hat. You know you want them too.
Edited to add: Thank you, Rappy, for reminding me! How could I forget the Uggs?! And, as an added bonus, they're throwing in a genuine kangaroo scrotum with purchases over $150.00. Now THAT's a coin purse!
In honor of Thanksgiving, my contribution to your recipe file is:
Marshmallow Krispie Bars~
Bake a 13X9 pan of brownies. Yup, just plain ole brownies. Out of a box. That's right. Or you could make your own recipe, but whatever, during the last 3 or so minutes that the brownies have to bake, pull them out of the oven, (use hotpads, folks), sprinkle 1 (10 1/2 oz) bag of miniature marshmallows over brownies, return to oven and DON'T FORGET to take them back out in a couple of minutes, mkay?.
Next~ In a medium saucepan, melt 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup creamy, (or not), peanut butter, 1 T. butter, (and please tell me that you're not gonna use Blue Bonnet on it), over lllooowww heat, stirring constantly, (yeah, right). When melted, add 1 1/2 c. Crispy Rice Cereal; mix well. Spread mixture over the brownies. Let! them! cool! completely then cut into cute little squares.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Well, I may soon have another mouth to feed. After a year away, our dog Zoey may be coming back to live with us. Zoey, a chow, went with my ex when he moved out last year, because I figured I had enough to do with the kids and the cats. But now, Zoey is not being adequately cared for, and is in need of a good home. I cannnot ignore this situation, and could not live with myself if she were to be taken to the Humane Society, so unless someone expresses interest in her this week, she'll be coming back home. This news does not please me. Zoey is a very good dog. She's sweet, and very pretty, but she poops. Dog poop. Poop that stinks. Poop that will be randomly scattered about my back yard. I have a child that recently began to use the regular toilet, but I still must supervise this operation. I have another child who is still in diapers, who requires me to attend to him several times a day. I have two cats who use a litter box that requires daily sifting and weekly changing. And now? I will have to walk around my fairly large back yard with a scoop and a bag to avoid stinky land mines.
The happy part of this will be that Zoey will be much better off and my children will be ecstatic. Oh Joy.
This weekend was beautiful! It was warm! We wore shorts! We frolicked outside!
Today it is cold. It is snowing. We are bundled up. It bites ass.
This should be a fun week, though, regardless of the weather. My Mom turns 70 tomorrow, and we are going out for a nice dinner. Then Wednesday night, Lonny and I are going to a party, and ,of course, Thurday is Thanksgiving. On some years my Mom's birthday falls on Thanksgiving Day, which I would hate if I were her. It's bad enough to grow older, but then you have to bear all of the turkey jokes, too. Plus, with all that food around, she usually doesn't get a special cake. We just stick a candle in the pumpkin pie and call it another year.
My weekend was very uneventful, but at least the weather was nice. At church yesterday, my Mom had to say a small part during a choir program, and the last line was "with dignity and grace". My daughter practically yelled "Mom~ Grandma's up there talking about YOU!" Everyone around us cracked up. It was one of those kids-say-the-darndest-things moments. Not an embarrassing one, like the last time she was loud when she informed me, and everyone else, that she didn't like the prayer at church because it was too boring. Ahh the joy of children.
My favorite new snack is Rold Gold Honey Wheat Braided Twist Pretzels. I only bought them thinking my children might eat them, and I ended up eating the entire bag in two sittings. Pretzles generally become bird food at our house, but these are too good. They aren't dark, so don't have that burnt-ish flavor that most pretzles have, the honey gives them just a hint of sweetness, plus they have that chunky salt on them. Added bonus, you won't break your teeth on these.
I must have another bag! Or two. Or ten...
Edited 11-24-03 to add: My children don't like them! Horray!
This entry really isn't all about me, it's about the "All About Me" sidebar to the left. Confused much? I changed the information yesterday, from a brief, yet boring description of myself, to a speech from one of my favorite plays. I've seen "The Tragedy of Julius Ceasar" performed several times, and had to memorize Brutus' part in high school. This one was my favorite, although this is only an excerpt. I am a 12 year-old again, remembering the names of some of the characters in the play: Popilius, Clitus, Publius, Trebonius... Hee. I bet Shakespeare giggled the whole time, too!
It's warm here, though it's cold outside.
All the snow, the curtains hide.
Just like my heart, that's frozen through.
But, I'm smiling anyway, no thanks to you.
gg~1991
Earth calling ABC... Earth calling ABC...Come in ABC
So, as if we weren't already sick of Trista and Ryan, (or luckily, if you've already forgotten them), now ABC has decided to broadcast their wedding. And it's not only their wedding, it's a three-part series featuring the events surrounding the wedding, as well. What's next? Trista gives birth on live feeds?
Rupert? Will miss ye, and look forward to seeing you in the All Star game
Burton? Yummmm.
Sandra? You go girl!
Jon? Shut. Up.
Christa? You better do something, quick!
Lil? Quit yer snivelling.
Darrah? Wha??
Tijuana? Get off ye arse and earn your keep!
**Note: As my little gift to you today, I linked the names to appropriate sites, because that's just the kind of person I am.
**Yet Another Note: To all CBS Survivor Fantasy Leaguers~ The Clip O' The Week features Jonny Jackass. It gave me the hives. For 12 measly points. Bleh.
For those of you who would like to have a laugh at Michael Jackson's expense, look at this funny, yet repulsive page.
In fact, that entire site is a riot! (A Hamster-powered car!) Just click on "Back to the Main Page" if you have nothing better to do~ like if you're at work, or something.
I'm in a much better mood today, thank you. Why? Well because tonight, I get to see my lover, Burton, on Survivor. Tonight I also get to see Rupert get voted off the island. Poor Roop! He's been a fun castaway, and there's never been anyone quite like him. Fortunately we'll get to see him in the Survivor All Star version 1.0. I've just heard that the live reunion for this cast will not happen in Panama as planned, but instead will be in L.A.
Alex just said "That's not fair" for the first time. Aww. I tried to keep a straight face, but it was hard, 'cause she even did that little foot stomp, too.
Lonny called. He said "I love my kitty~ he's perfect". Sometimes all it takes is a kitty to make everything okay.
Today I will attempt to focus attention away from myself by creating a list of Others To Be Thankful For...
Freeep~ for pictures of Honey and all your positive energy; HWG~ for the party in your pants today, (I really needed it!); Life~ for giving Overg what he wants; Keli~ for calling out Poopy Diaper Moms; Cops~ for reaffirming my Brittany hate; Rappy~ for your cute Canadian way of spelling things like "favourite"; Ophelia~ for being so darn accomodating; TVJ~ for making me glad I don't have to move anytime soon; Bob & Mheh ~ for bringing some testosterone to the mix; Teem~ for proving that L'Oreal and Elton John don't suck; Green Tuna & Kat Jam~ for being so damn prolific, and even damn funnier!
Thank you to my favorite bloggers for making me smile even when I don't want to.
No, I didn't link any of the names. Get over it.
Yesterday Lonny, my kids, and I took another road trip to Ohio, so that he could pick up some stuff that his dad has been storing for a long time. The 3 hour trip there was happily uneventful, since the kids napped most of the way. I was a little worried about the return home, since the kids had already napped, and it was too dark for them to look at books or color. I really didn't want them to fall asleep on the way back, because I wanted them to go to bed when we got home. Anyhoo~ Once we got there, we let the kids play for a while, while we looked through boxes of old albums and beer cans. Lonny packed as much into the car as he could, and made note of a few things that we would need to get at another time. So, as I'm getting the kids ready to get back into the car, Lonny informs me that his stepmom just gave him a kitty, and he'd really like to take it home. Okay~ let's review this. The car is already PACKED full of boxes, car seats, children, and what-not, and now Lonny wants to throw a kitty into the mix. I had visions of kitty going crazy during the trip and shredding us all to bits. The plan was that I would hold kitty in my lap, and wrap him in my coat if he went psyco.
Well, the plan didn't exactly work like it was supposed to. Surprisingly, it was a great ride home. Kitty was perfect. Kitty was wonderful. Kitty entertained my children all the way home. For THREE hours. My daughter was in heaven, because kitty spent most of the trip in her lap. I told Lonny that no matter where we go from now on, the kitty must go, too. When Lonny dropped the kids and me off at our house, I prepared a fresh litter box, a toy, and some catnip as a little welcome home present for kitty's new house. Lonny drove off, with kitty sitting on top of the back seat, purring happily. I've been urging him to get a cat for years, so I am very pleased. This one is too cute, and obviously well-behaved. Lonny followed my suggestion to call him Maverick, against Alex's wishes to call him Neeup.
I think I'm going to have to go for a little visit later.
My last entry had me thinking a lot about that first week of April, 1990. As I said, Farm Aid IV was in town, with lots of celebrities and fans everywhere. Paul Shaffer, (David Letterman's music director) came stumbling into the restaurant, alone, very drunk, and was hungry. I got him a light snack, then had a bellman take him to his room. Heh.
But this story is really about something else. Or someone else. A hero by the name of Ryan White. Many of you may remember Ryan, a young man, suffering with AIDS before the days of AIDS awareness. Ryan was befriended by many people, including Elton John. Ryan, 18 that year, was hospitalized here at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, by this time on life support, and under constant watch by his amazing mother, Jeanne. Elton spent a lot of time at the hospital that week. He was not here to play at FarmAid, he was here for Ryan. On the day of the FarmAid concert, April 7, Elton surprised the audience of with an impromtu set, in which he dedicated the song "Candle in the Wind" to Ryan White. Ryan died the next day. Elton reprised the song three days later, at Ryan's funeral.
Whenever I hear about Elton John, I think about this week in 1990. He lost a friend, but was still strong enough to help us all deal with the loss of a boy who deserved so much more than he ever received.
Famous person story #1- I have several, due to my previous job, but this one is in the top 5.
Farm Aid IV, Indianapolis, 1990. I was the "Service Coordinator", (whatever!) at the Omni Hotel, and the restaurant manager, Kevin, came up to me in the kitchen and said, "Grace, Elton John is in the private dining area, and I want you to take care of him". Well, I snickered, knowing that Kevin was a joker, and probably pulling my leg, so I shook my ass across the dining room, only to come to a dead halt in front of Mr. John himself. I was shocked. Not so much that Elton John was there, but that Kevin was actually telling me the truth. So, I approached his table. Elton told me to pull up a chair and sit down with him. He then explained to me that he and his entourage would be staying at the hotel for the week and that he expected me to take good care of them. He let me know that they liked Heineken. Lots of it. And, he told me that he liked meat and potato dishes, but it would be up to me pick meals for him that I thought he would enjoy. So, I did. Elton and his entourage ate and drank like kings that week. I even had to run to the bar across the street one night to get more Heineken. His "special guest" for two evenings was Jessica Hahn, (remember the little Jim Baker scandal? Yeah. Her.), who was very charming, and gracious. Elton was very funny. He liked for everyone to laugh and have a good time. On several occasions, he told jokes, and always made me sit down at the table to enjoy them. I once served him a creme brulee, (custard), and he took my hand, looked me in the eye and said "Grace, do you know what we call this in my country?". I shook my head. "Spotted DICK" said he. Everyone cracked up. He was very gracious to the few fans that were able to get close to him. The hotel called me at home twice that week, because Elton wanted to come in for lunch, and insisted that I was there. At the end of the week, Elton and his manager came into the restaurant, and asked for me. Elton gave me a big hug and thanked me for taking such good care of him and then gave me a very generous cash bonus. He's talented, funny and kind. Thank you Elton John! I'll serve you heinys and spotted dick any time you ask!
My list of Petty Annoyances, (ala Teem):
*People who put on their turn signals after applying the brakes.
*The term "for free". (It's either "free" or it's "for nothing".)
*Fingernails that are obviously different lengths.
*Dead-beat dads.
*Being out of milk. Or chocolate.
*Lousy customer service.
*The McRib Sandwich.
*My ex-husband, (see "Dead-beat dads, above).
*Rain, snow, and humidity.
*2,500 character limit, (or simply, AOL).
*People who constantly complain about a problem, (headache, lousy job), but do nothing about it.
*Shiny tights, horizontal striped clothing, and theme sweaters/sweatshirts.
*Rude people or those without a sense of humor.
*Heavy Traffic.
*Lateness.
*Having to go to bed. (Oh my~ look at the time! Gotta go!)
So yesterday was Veteran's Day. But, because it didn't appear on my AOL welcome screen yesterday, I had no idea. The day was supposed to be a productive one for me, since my Mom called Monday night and said that she'd pick the kids up from preschool Tuesday morning and keep them for the day. So, after I dropped the kids off, I went back home, spent and hour or so gathering the paperwork, etc. that I needed for my errands, then drove downtown. 1st stop~ the bank. CLOSED. 2nd stop ~ County Office of Family and Children ~ CLOSED, (even though their voice mail said that they were "in today"), 3rd stop ~ clerk's office ~ CLOSED. The worst thing of it all ~ I still had to pay the parking meter, although on most holidays you don't. So~ Veteran's Day is good enough for City/County offices and banks, but not good enough for parking meters?
So, after getting nothing on my list done, I consoled myself with a Super Target shopping spree. At least it was open!
Hello Fox Network? About Joe Millionnaire~"A European Affair"... How did you manage to find the most clueless guy on the planet? And why? And these women- who's job was it to select them? Okay, okay, I know that you had to go to Europe, so that you could find women who had no idea about the Joe Millionnaire hoax, otherwise you wouldn't have show, and would have been forced to come up with something [gasp] original. It's not that I think the European concept was a bad idea, I'm just really nervous about the trend here, and what's in store for next season. What's it going to be? Joe Millionnaire ~ "Paradise in Women's Prison" ?
A hearty congratulations goes out to my friend Freeepeace, for winning "Best New Journal" in the AOL People's Choice Journal Awards ! No, there's no real prize involved, although I think she'll get to have an award icon on her site, but I'm sure that Freeep feels honored by being voted for by her peers and the compensation is that she gets to pour out her heart, share her music, and enjoy her new network of friends, knowing that we all think she's #1. Let's hope that all this fame and glory doesn't go to her head, and that she doesn't forget all of us little peeps on her climb to stardom.
Today it is 40 degrees here in Indy, and shortly I have to take my kids to the law firm's annual weenie roast and hayride. Can you say "hatey face"?
Tomorrow? Even worse. I'm meeting the ex, (which is bad enough), at Chunky Cheese for yet another birthday celebration for Jacob.
I've never looked forward to Monday as much as I do right now.
Okay, who's the BDI that decided that Lime-flavored Tootsie Rolls were a good idea? Even worse are the people that dare to hand these narsty morsels out at Halloween. That's just wrong! Even my kids know better than to eat these things. I guarantee that they'll still be sitting in the bottom of the candy jar this time next year. It's November 7th and we've already eaten all the chocolate. [heavy sigh].
Just wanted to tell all my Survivor buddies to check out my online pal's blog. Bob's Survivor Thoughts go great with a bowl of Cap'n Crunch. Run, don't walk to his great blog, and don't forget to leave a comment for him while you're there!
Fisty is mad. Why, you ask? Because Johnny Jackass did not get booted off Survivor last night. The vote was close ~ very close, but nooooo! Those stupid idiots kept him and instead voted off Andrew, costing me big points in my Survivor League. That makes Fisty mad enough to cuss, even though mimes aren't supposed to talk. But we all know that Fisty isn't a real mime. He's got too much attitude for that.
The good news, however is that my lover, Burton, and Scout Master 'Lil were voted back in the game! And, the tribes have merged! Let the games begin.
In other news- My journal was critiqued today by Overg. He says my blog is "good" although he took points off for not mentioning him in my posts. Although he's above having his own blog, he will stoop to hogging the pages of others. Overg is an attention junkie, and needs all the stroking we can give him. Hopefully this will appease him until I have some juicy tidbits to share,(other than the fact that he's Lifeonhold's secret lover.)
Tonight is Survivor night! I am so excited to finally get another glimpse of my boyfriend, Burton, and hopefully he'll be voted back into the game. (Sorry Highwaygirl, you've got Orlando Bloom now). I'd also like for Lillian to be the other returning outcast, just to piss awwf Andrew, who needs to get over himself, although I dread the return of 'Lil's scout uniform . I am also hopeful that Johnny Jackass will be getting the boot. This season has been a lot of fun, with the new theme, with Rupert, and with the "twist" of bringing back the outcasts. I am oh-so-glad that Osten, (Ousten) was sent packing last week, with no vote, no ceremony, no nuttin'. See ya later, wuss! Ryan O and Darrah were seen holding hands in last week's eviction ceremony, and there was a bit more of Ryan seen on this clip. (Thanks Blurry!) I look forward to watching the show and chatting with my fellow Hamstertime pals later this evening.
Tomorrow is Jacob's second birthday. Two years ago today, the pregnancy became more than I could bear, and I went to the midwife and demanded that she induce labor. It worked, and several hours later into the next day, Jacob Shawn was born, weighing in at 9 lbs, 2 oz., and the cutest boy ever came into my life. I love you buddy!
People call me frequently to ask questions about how to cook certain things, or for help with a recipe, or simply for an idea about what to fix for a cocktail party or dinner. I realized that my online friends may appreciate some inspiration, so I will endeavor to post more food-related entries. My style of cooking has changed somewhat since I became a mother, because I tend to have to cook two or three different meals for each meal period, but I still love gourmet food, and indulge myself whenever I have the time or the company.
Tonight's dinner? One of my staples. This is a dish that can be prepared in 5 minutes! Simply boil a package of Ramen noodles until tender, (3 minutes), then drain. In the empty pan, mix 2 tsp. oil, 2 tsp. peanut butter, (I like chunky), a few dashes of soy sauce, about 1/3 of the seasoning packet. Once the peanut butter is melted, add the noodles back to the pan and toss together. That is the basic recipe. Tonight I added a handful of frozen peas to the boiling noodles during the last minute, and added 2 tsp. of curry powder with the seasonings. I like to add water chestnuts or julienned carrots, or whatever is on hand, depending on my mood. This is a tasty, quick meal, and can be made low-fat by using BAKED ramen noodles, (you may have to request that your grocer stock them), and substituting water for the oil- your noodles will merely be sticky, but still delicious! Added bonus~ This meal costs about 30 cents to make.
Hometown boy David Letterman's baby was born yesterday, weighing in at 9 lbs, 11oz., and 21 inches long. Baby Letterman's name is Harry Joseph. Congrats to the proud parents! I know how Regina must feel today, as both of my children were 9 pounders. It's such relief to finally get them out of there! Perhaps the good news will inspire Indianapolis Mayor, Bart Peterson to finally make "DLX", (Dave Letterman Expressway), the official name for I-465.
David Letterman was not at his desk last night, because the talk-show host and his wife, Regina Lasko, were at the hospital. Lasko was in labor yesterday, so Letterman had Music Director, Paul Schaffer, sit in for him. No word yet on the baby.
Also pregnant~ Debra Messing, (Will & Grace), and husband, Daniel Zelman. Their baby is expected next summer.
Sean "P.Diddy" Combs completed the New York City Marathon yesterday. Puff completed the marathon in 4 hours, 14 minutes, after beginning training a mere 8 weeks ago. He lost 15 pounds and endured severe pain in one knee, caused by tendinitis, to raise one million dollars for the children of New York City.
And finally, The View names 3 finalists in the search for a new co-host. They are: Rachel Campos, of Real World~ SanFrancisco; Elizabeth Hassleback, of Survivor~ The Australian Outback; and Erin Hershey Presley, of now-defunct soap Port Charles.
Famewhores all.
It's potty time! Woot! Today Alex graduated from the potty seat to the toilet. I simply told her that her butt is too big to fit on the little potty seat now and that she would get stuck on it and have to live in the bathroom forever. It's the small victories that mean the most! Now to work on Jacob... luckily I don't have to teach him how to stand and aim just yet.
The list of books I've read lately is a little weird, but I'm willing to put it out there and subject myself to much ridicule, just for the sake of saying that I read more than just online journals. The theme here is "old-timey" stuff, because my Mom just gave me a box of books that belonged to her, my Grandma and my Great-Grandma. Many of these books were very fragile, and several were first editions. All were satisfying to me, because I just love to learn about the past. I always start to crave Laura Ingalls Wilder books this time of year, so I'll probably be heading to the library soon.
THE LIST:
Little Women and Under the Lilacs- Louisa May Alcott
With Spurs- E.B. Mann
Five Little Peppers and How They Grew- Margaret Sidney
Arizona Ames- Zane Grey
Go West Young Lady- Inez Specking
The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde
Paradise Lost- John Milton
True to Her King- Julia Glover
Arimathea's Gift- Lovesta Dorwin Davis
Heidi -Johanna Spyri (In progress)
I've really enjoyed reading these books, though most of them I'd already read when I was younger. I've always loved learning books about the settlers, (pioneers), and about the old west. Ahh- Simple times.
A great big shout-out to my friend, Freeepeace, on her recent nomination for the AOL Journal awards. Freeepeace was the only one of my picks that won a nomination, (sorry Lifeonhold and TVJunkie), though it was a difficult task for me, since the contest is for AOL journals only. I urge you all to visit Freeep's site and enjoy some of her thought-provoking entries and sample some of her beautiful music. She is an extraordinary woman and deserves to be recognized. I've already voted for her, and you can do the same by visiting this site. Good luck to all the nominees.
**Note~ When I last checked, Freeepeace had the most number of votes out of all the nominations in all of the categories! Yay!
Another first in the Memory Book of Life...
My four year-old daughter was just changing into her nightclothes and said "I can't get this damn nightie on". Eeek! Where did she get that from?? I don't think I'm gonna be getting that damn Mother of the Year award now.
Funniest costume of 2003 was spotted last night at the Old Point Tavern. The bartender dressed as Roy Horn, (of Siegfried and Roy fame-whorishness). He had the faaabulous Vegas magician outfit, complete with one nasty looking scar on his neck. Sure, it's a little insensitive, considering that Roy is still in the hospital, but it was damn funny.
2nd funniest~ Ghetto Santa, sporting a shabby, pieced-together Santa suit, an empty toy bag and a tire tread marks on his back. He was drunk and that made it all the better.
P.S. Roy Horn was taken off critical care this past week. Our love and support go out to Roy, his family, and the tiger.
