Rephrase

What I meant to say below about having another child - well, I wouldn't mind adopting a child. I know the process is long and tedious, but would be well worth it. I have just been thinking, that's all.

Good To Be Home

Ahhh, it is so good to be home. I love seeing my parents, but I miss home. We had a wonderful time while we were there. Great Bend is okay, I guess. Not very much to do there.

So, what did you all do this weekend? Mine was rather productive from a work standpoint, however, I have a lot of work to do at home now. It never ends, does it?

I am hoping we get a bit of rain. The blasted rabbits have been chewing on my garden. Looks like the chicken wire will be going up. I have the remains of one cucumber plant, a pepper plant, and a tomato plant. *sigh* What's a girl to do? I should have known better and just put the chicken wire up at the beginning. Oh well, lessen learned.

Thanks for all of your comments from the previous post on love and marriage. I have been thinking quite a bit lately. I am also thinking about having another child. Who knows what will happen.

Whew!

I. am. pooped.

Going to bed early this evening. Like, right now. Will be gone until Monday. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Love and Marriage

Have you ever been so in love that nothing more could be as important? Have you ever felt like you have found that one person who will be "the one"?

I wonder about married couples and if they are really truly happy. I would love to be like that one day, but I do have my doubts it will happen. Many of my blogging friends are happily married. They have a wonderful life. How did it happen?

I have heard so many people say, oh, just wait, the right one will come along. Or, oh, it will happen to you. But will it? Is it for everyone? Am I one of the ones who won't have this kind of life?

Now, some of you may be wondering why the questions. I mean, I have a boyfriend, we are happy. So why the questions? Don't know. Just been thinking about it for the last two weeks.

My kid is living it up at the grandparents' house this weekend. I will be working my ass off this weekend in another zone. That's okay though. It's what I love to do.

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend.

I won't be back to blogging until Friday evening. I apologize. I have been extremely busy with work and I have not spent any time with my kid. We are going to my parents house this evening and I am staying until Friday afternoon. He is staying until Tuesday (four day weekend from school).

Kid is #1 always. I know you all understand.

I will be back. I know I will have a lot of catching up to do. So, if you see the late comments, I do apologize.

Have a super duper weekend everyone!!!

Just posting to let you all know I will be out of town tomorrow. I won't have time to visit this evening, although I wish I could. I miss not reading some of your blogs every day.

Have a super day tomorrow!

Monday, Monday (aaaaaahhhhh, ahhhhh)

Hi Yo. We are expected to get some rain. I sure do hope so. This will help out my garden. I water a little every day, but this will give it a good soak.

Glad to see everyone made it through another weekend. My work is starting to get busy once again. I am having to fly to Columbus, OH on Wednesday to take a look at some stores up there. I also have to be in another zone to help them out with a grand opening for their stores Saturday and Sunday. My one and only day off will be Friday, and I am planning on going to see my parents. Yeah! It's always good to go home and stock up on Korean food. Oh, and to see my family of course. :)

I actually have time to cook dinner this evening. WooHoo! We are having oven-fried chicken breasts, garlic mashed potatoes, and peas (my kid's favorite). Should be an excellent meal.

Well, I am off to read about Andrew, Phelan, Andfre, Austere, Rich, Prof, Cheryl, Melon, Em, Annabel, and Becky, just to name a few. Actually, there are 29 blogs I visit every single day. Love them all!

Talk at all of you later...

Sunday Blues

Talk about a dull Sunday. Good thing I have favorite blogs to read. I am almost finished with the book I bought. As soon as I am done, I am going to start reading the little bible Em sent me from Korea.

How was your Sunday?

Great Food, Average Service

Well, the meal at Chesters was divine. Here is what we had. We started off with the Maryland "Jumbo Lump" Crab Cake. Yummy! It was all white crab and the texture was flaky chunks with a light watercress salad underneath it. We then ordered the Tomato and Mozzarella Salad, one of my favorites. My main entree was the 12 ounce New York Strip Steak prepared medium-rare with Lemony Bearnaise Sauce for dipping. The Kansas Angus steaks are prepared over a live oak fire. Josh ordered the 16 ounce steak. For the "big" sides we each ordered two. Josh got the Loaded baked potato and Baby Green Bean Saute. I ordered the Roast Corn and Wild Mushrooms and the Maple Sweet Potato Mash. These sides are big enough for about three people and come in their own dish. To compliment our meal, I had a bottomless glass of iced tea with lemon and Josh had Bud Light. Guys + Steak = Beer. Go figure.

The great thing about the menu is that everything is a la carte. The bad thing is that everything is a la carte. It was hard to decide what to get. You wanted one of everything. Very smart on this restaurant's part. If I were to rate this restaurant, I would give it 3 1/2 out of five stars. The food was good, but I didn't care for where we sat. We were seated in the bar area and the bartender was too "opinionated". He was discussing racial slurs with some of the bar customers and I just didn't care to hear how a white man can be called a cracker, but a Hispanic man can't be called a taco. Very unsettling. The bartender had some nerve.

Will I ever go back? Only if I am not paying. I love fine dining. But I refuse to pay for average service. If you are going to serve the best food, you should have the best service to go along with it. That's just my opinion, of course.

The car is clean! Inside and out! WooHoo!

Josh and I have date night tonight. We are bringing the kid this time. I have made reservations to Chesters Chophouse. The entree menu below:
Entrèes

Wood-oven Pizzas
“House Pie”, Italian plum tomatoes, fresh basil, roasted garlic, virgin olive oil
Clam Casino, garlicky clams, smoky bacon, roasted peppers & onions
White Pizza, garlic ricotta, fontina, mozzarella, Parma & caramelized onions
Wild Mushrooms, wood roasted mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, truffle oil

Greens Big & Small
Mixed Field Greens, freshest from the farm, spiced walnuts, pear vinaigrette
Caesar Salad, hand cut romaine, Parmesan crouton, lemony garlic dressing
Classic Wedge, iceberg, shaved red onion, bleu cheese vinaigrette
Tomato & Mozzarella, house made mozzarella, caramelized onions, balsamic syrup
Crispy Chicken Milano, roasted peppers, artichokes, olives, balsamic vinaigrette
Thai Tuna Salad, "rare" tuna, sprouts, carrots, snow peas, peanut-lime dressing
Grilled Steak "Cobb", bacon, egg, tomato, blue cheese, onions, garlic dressing

Pasta
Angel Hair, black olives, capers, basil, garlic, feta cheese, plum tomato jus
Radatori, chicken, broccoli, tomato, balsamic broth, goat cheese, pinenuts
Penne & Summer Veggies, spinach, tomato, peas, asparagus, mushroom broth
Orechetti & Shrimp, sundried tomatoes, arugula, chickpeas, garlic parsley butter

Chophouse Favorites
Chopped Steak, 12ozs “smothered & covered” with onions & steak sauce
Chicken Cordon Blue “Stack”, smoky ham, swiss cheese, spinach, port wine
Sauteed Brook Trout, pecan crust, sweet mashed, orange rosemary butter
Oak Grilled Pork Chops, sweet potato mash, rosemary jus, apple chutney
Maple Mustard Salmon, spinach & white bean salad, bacon, lemon caper butter
Polenta Crusted Grouper, chorizo & snap pea saute, soy-lime butter
Petite "Bistro" Filet, Bleu cheese crust, green bean & bacon saute, red wine sauce

Oak Fired Grill
We serve the finest Kansas Black Angus Beef seasoned and cooked over live oak fire served with your choice of the following sauces: Chester’s Steak Sauce, Lemony Bèarnaise Sauce, Garlicky Herb Pesto, or Cognac au Poirve Sauce
Center Cut Filet Mignon
New York Strip Steak
Bone in Cowboy Rib Eye Steak
Veal Chop “T-bone Style”
Prime Bone in Cowboy Rib Eye Steak
Prime New York Sirloin Steak

Big Sides
Herbed House Fries
Roasted Jacket Potatoes
Roast Corn & Wild Mushrooms
Creamy Garlic Spinach
Smothered & Covered Onions
Maple Sweet Potato Mash
Baby Green Bean Saute
White Bean & Bacon Saute

If you will take notice of the menu not listing any prices. Yes, it's one of "those" restaurants. The ones where casual is business casual. I love fine dining. Just never have time to go.

I will fill you all in after dinner this evening. I will try and describe it the best way I can. Till then!

I sit here before you at around 8:30 with the breakfast of champions in front of me. A yummy cup of coffee and some praline pecans. lol...

Got lots to do today. I think I will get going on my car. I will be back later to fill you all in on the boring day I had. Later!

It was sort of a long day. Didn't get much accomplished. I am off tomorrow. I am planning on getting my car washed and detailed. I am going to get the oil changed. The cable bill needs to be paid and I still have a couple of plants and flowers to pick up.

Should be an eventful day tomorrow.

A Perfect Day

What a beautiful day! The temperature was just right - 69 degrees. The wind was mildly blowing and the day was one to remember for sure.

I was able to get my hands dirty in the new vegetable garden I started. With all of the crazy weather and snow we received, I believe I can now trust Mother Nature in providing the necessary weather for my new garden to grow. This is my very first garden and I was a little apprehensive on what to plant. But, I was able to get some great advice from Phelan. She is someone I wish I could be - earthy and a self-motivator of all things that can be made at home just as good as what you would get from the store.

The soil was rich. I unpacked several of the starter plants and made the necessary holes to nestle them in. I have chosen two tomato plants, two zucchini plants, one jalapeno plant, and a cucumber plant. I am going to get one more pepper plant, perhaps of the Anaheim variety, and one more cucumber. I am also going to try my hand at some fresh herbs. I have a couple of rectangular boxes to put those in. Needless to say, I am thrilled about this new venture!

We grilled dinner this evening. Two sirloin steaks prepared medium-rare, juices flowing on the plate. They were in company of Bush's barbecue baked beans and a green salad with ranch dressing. Yummy! We washed it all down with an ice cold water. Perfect meal for a perfect day.
As I sit here typing, the sun is setting. It is peeping in through my blinds, onto the keyboard. This is the life. When all is right in the world for my family, my friends, and me.

Subway It Is!

Looks like the subway is the obvious choice here. Now, my trip is still five months away, but you can never be too prepared. How does the subway system run? I guess I could Google it and find out. I am so thankful that some of my fellow blogging friends live in NYC and/or have visited. This will help take care of some of the anxiety I have. Thanks to all who commented. I really do appreciate it.

New York, New York!

I have just booked my trip to NYC for September. Talk about being totally excited! My only worry now is transportation. Most of the places we are visiting are within walking distance. However, the airport to hotel, and hotel to Yankee Stadium are going to be a challenge. I don't know if taking a cab is the best thing to do ($$$?), or if there are other "safer" means of transportation. I will probably look like a total tourist in my Kansas garb. Oh well, it's booked and I am going!

I would love any feedback on NYC and the "best practices" as far as transportation and seeing the sights. Please let me know.

Let's Get Together, Yah, Yah, Yah!

I have a new New Year's Resolution. Can I do that? It's my life, so I guess I can. For the rest of this year, I am going to try and meet as many people from the blogging community as I possibly can.

This summer, I have a chance to meet Annabel. I am going to NYC in September and I have a chance to meet Rich, Hyde, and Becky. And, sorry person that I am, Phelan lives right in my own county and I have never met her. Shame on me! It's going to be a goal of mine. I hope it can be done. I am so looking forward to meeting everyone for lunch or coffee. WooHoo!

Now, I definitely don't want to leave anyone out, so if you are in the vicinity of Kansas or NYC this year, then let me know. I would even be willing to travel to Missouri. I have season tickets to the Chiefs, so Missouri would not be that far. I also travel to Omaha two or three times a year. Let's get together, yah, yah, yah. How fun is that?

Moving on to other topics. Most of the specialists in my zone will be visiting a sister market in Seattle, WA. Since I have already been, I will not have to go with them and babysit. Hooray! Hopefully, they will get a similar experience I had while visiting - the sudden urge to never want to return home again. :)

So, I am runnin' and gunnin' by myself this week. Two specialists are not going. They will be going to Cinci later on this year. We have severe help needs out there and the pickins' are pretty slim. Where's that lemonade recipe?

I am home for the day. I never like working third shift. Could never understand why WH always liked working that shift. I can't stand it. He worked that shift for almost 13 years. Now he is leaving the company. Sucks. Btw - WH is that "guy best friend" I talked about in earlier posts.

It's gorgeous out today. Just how a spring day should be. I am going to pick up the soil for my second 4x4 garden box I made. I never realized how much a box like that can hold. Lots.

The kid gets out of school around 3, so I better squeeze in a nap now or I will be a bear later. 'Night for now.

Friends

After reading Annabel's post this evening, it made me wonder about my life with limited girlfriends. I have some friends I work with, but they live far away. I noticed I have way more guy friends than I do girl friends. Why is that?

I also wish I had more friends to hang out with. Most of the women I know are either too immature or not the kind of people I have much in common with. I wonder if it is just me. It probably is. I am somewhat outspoken and very much an extrovert.

Who knows. I edited my profile. Saying how generous of a person I am seemed selfish. Take a look and let me know what you think. All I ask - Be kind, be true.

Great Sunday!

It's just a gorgeous day out! 65 degrees is definitely an improvement from freezing a couple of days ago. I am anxiously waiting for the kid to get home from a birthday party. I have to work early in the morning to help a store out with inventory. The things I do for some of these store managers!

I got my evaluation today. I evaluated myself above average. My boss rated me higher than I rated myself. Talk about being ecstatic! It's been a great Sunday!

Something Extra Special

I have returned from my shopping spree. I bought more for the kids then myself, but I did come home with more than I shopped for. Let me explain.

The stores in the mall were having some sales today. I bought some cute shoes for work. Pumps with the pointy toes. Never thought I would like them until I saw them and tried those bad boys on! My friend J.A. would be so proud of me. She is definitely addicted to shoes. Anyway, I also bought two clips for my long, brown hair. I went to Bath and Body Works and purchased some more hand soap for my bathrooms and kitchen. The scents include Wild Honeysuckle, Tropical Passion fruit, and Country Apple. Love all of those scents. I also went to Borders and picked up the book Best of friends by Cathy Kelly, only because it caught my eye. Looks interesting. It's a fictional novel. I love those kinds of books. So, I get home and look in the mail box. Here is what I mean about getting more than I shopped for.

In the mail box was a brown parcel with plenty of clear packing tape around it. It is from Emily in South Korea. She has sent me one of her favorite bibles. It's a small New Testament bible. I don't know exactly how I found Emily, but I am so glad I did. She is such a breath of fresh air. She is such a unique and artistic person who is filled with such love. She teaches little Korean kids English. I think that is awesome.

Right now some of my blogging friends have mentioned at one time or another how they question God or they don't feel comfortable around people who talk about religion. I would have to say that I am right there with them. Pipe Tobacco has expressed his anger after losing his beloved mother. Andrew has expressed discomfort in his AA meetings because of the religious aspect. I have also expressed many questions about religion, and I have fears about religion that I need to overcome. Emily has helped me in more ways than I could explain on paper or type on this blog. Something in me stirred when I opened this package to see the contents. Something in me was different as far as my emotions. I can't explain it to you. I don't know if I can. I won't be changing this blog to talk about religion. I am thinking of starting a second blog to start another journey of my life. I am still thinking about it though.

Well, enough for now. I have to do some dishes since the kid is outside *wink, wink*.

What To Do

Well, the snow came and went. No signs of it today. Yes Rich, the weather is INSANE! Anyway, I am going to take my kid and his "cousin" shopping. We are going to hit the mall and some other stores. Maybe we will pick up a new game for the PS2. My kid hasn't had a new game since last year. Also, the "cousin" had a birthday we missed, so we are taking her shopping for some new clothes. She is nine.

It's cloudy out and the neighbor kids already came by wanting my kid to come out and play. But, being the mom that I am, I said no. I don't want him to get dirty before we go anywhere. Know what I mean?

So, what's on your agenda this weekend? I am all about relaxing and taking it easy. I may even let the kid do the dishes today. If I suggest that, we will be eating on paper plates. hehehehe... kids.

Here Comes The Snow!

I have the heat on. Why? Because it is suppose to snow! I can understand Michigan, Maryland, and Minnesota getting the snow, but Kansas? ugh. This only means stores will be busy.

And
I
Won't
Be
There!!!

Hooray! I am officially off for the next two days! I have to return to work on Sunday. I will be getting my yearly evaluation on Sunday. great. something to look forward to.

Anyway, I am making lasagna for dinner tonight. It will be a great meal for the weather we are expected to have.

Talk to you later...

I. am. so. excited.

I only work a half day tomorrow and I am off Saturday! WooHoo!!!! What am I going to do? The kid and I will have the whole day to do whatever we want. Maybe I will go to Kansas City again. Can't wait!

What's A Girl To Wear?

Well, I have to attend an Equal Opportunity Dinner tonight at the Hyatt. I go every year. We eat a dinner which is usually cold by the time it hits our table and have to listen to the guest speaker. Last year wasn't so bad, but when you attend about ten dinners a year for various reasons, the message is always the same, with everyone feeling like they are bigger people because they are on the board, or the have contributed thousands of dollars, blah. blah. blah.

Can you tell I am looking forward to it? I have to find something to wear and considering I have loads of laundry to do and I have not dropped off my dry cleaning, the pickings will be slim. Oh well, who cares, right? It's all about equal opportunities. My non-dressy self has equal rights like the rest of the melting pot we call America.

I am not in the best of moods this morning, so before I start going off on even a further tangent, I will get off my soapbox now. Good day.

It's Monday

Today was pretty much unproductive at work. Besides having to talk at our weekly division sales meeting, the highlights are dim at best. I visited four stores today. I had two phone conversations with store managers that pissed me off and I came home to a clean house. Ah! The best part of the day!

I now am looking at loads of laundry again, probably about six loads. I have so many because we go through clothes pretty fast. Wear once, even for an hour, and it's in the hamper. I have four hampers. One in my kid's room, two in mine, and one in the laundry room. Everything gets separated by color and material. I know, it's what I do, okay?

Not much for saying a whole lot tonight. I am proud that I read up on all my favorites though. Have a great day tomorrow!

A Wonderful Easter

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. Can I tell you what I prepared for dinner for nine adults and nine children? That's right folks, eighteen people. Before I get into what I prepared, let me tell you about the Easter baskets I made. There were nine Easter baskets made with a child's name on each. The baskets contained the exact number of goodies in each one, as I made sure it was "fair". I also made about 100 plastic eggs filled with candy which were hid in the front and back yard. Before dinner, the kids were all on the front porch, waiting for the hunt to begin. You could see the hunger in their eyes, the hunger for plastic eggs filled with enough sugar to put you in hyper-mode the rest of your life.

Three!
Two!
One!
GO!!!

It was a mad race around the yard. My kid was helping the younger children get eggs because some of the older ones wanted to be greedy. What a good kid. He knew the candy was going to get divided in the end. What fun to be that age again!

Now, on to the food. First the main meat dishes. We cooked two beef briskets, slow roasted for seven hours at 250 degrees. Sliced thin and put back in the oven with Curly's BBQ sauce slathered all over. The smaller brisket was dry and both were seasoned with Daddy Hinkle's dry rub. The other meat dish was a twelve pound spiral ham that included a sweet honey glaze. I also prepared my famous garlic mashed potatoes, all five pounds of it. It was so good, buttery with a hint of garlic. Creamy goodness came next with my crock pot corn. The cream cheese and corn were a duet of country and comfort. I also prepared some regular canned veggies for the kiddies. Corn and peas were the ordinary guests on the plate. We also had baked beans with diced bacon and brown sugar to tantalize the taste buds. I also prepared M&M cookies, two lime chiffon pies, and I bought a variety sampler cheesecake and a sliced marble creme cake. Some items that were brought by family would include rolls, deviled eggs, jello, a strawberry creme cake, blueberry and apple pie. I also had some snacks to add to the fun! Chips and salsa were half-gone within the hour and the relish tray of pickled beets, pickled okra, black olives, baby dills, and pepper jack cheese was within the arms reach to tempt us during our conversations.

The end of the dinner was great. As everyone congregated around the kitchen table with their laughter and stories, I willingly listened as I cleaned up. I was able to package to-go boxes and clean the entire kitchen before everyone left. WooHoo! Less I have to do afterward, more time to spend with all of you!

Hope your Easter was as great as mine!

I really hate it when I get behind in my posts. I have not read up on Becky or Cheryl in the last week and it's driving me crazy. I miss the girls!

Anyway, I am only dropping a line because it is the Easter holiday and we have snow. Double whammy in the stores. Ugh. I need a vacation.

Rest

The business trip was pretty much a waste of time. I did have ten total hours of driving to really think about stuff. Stuff is the word for it. I thought about a lot of STUFF!

One of the things I thought about is how history tends to repeat itself. I also thought about how some things in life are a sure thing, like sunrise and sunset, death, and life. I thought about how something so simple like the sunrise and sunset are truly miracles. To imagine how something so simple is actually one of the most powerful things out there. I thought about life and death and the universe we live in. I believe in a higher power. We couldn't be here if there wasn't. To think about how small we really are is almost overwhelming. Little people in a huge universe. Why? How?

I obviously had too much time to think. I enjoyed the drive though. I stuck in my favorite tunes and didn't have a care in the world. Looking out my car windows at how green the pastures were and how the sunlight would hit the sparkling ponds in those pastures. Wheat fields for miles and miles, as far as the eye could see. I love the hills and the remote houses built on the hills out in the middle of nowhere. I love passing sleepy little towns, wondering about the people who live there and what kind of lives they have. I loved the drive.

Now I am back to reality, and I almost hate it. I miss the quiet time and the thoughts of what could be. Reality says get back to work, you have a house payment, car payment, and bills to pay. You have to develop those around you to become better workers, as this is part of your job. Why me? I ask that question quite often. I am tired. I need rest. Not sleep. Rest.

On the Road Again

Just woke up. I have to work several hours third shift tonight. Nights like these remind me of Andrew and how he has so many sleepless nights. I would love it if Andrew would be someone to stop in and see me at one of my stores when I do these shifts. We are moving several departments tonight in the big store we are remodeling. I have to go in to make sure all is well with the move. We are moving several big departments: produce, natural foods, and the bakery. I am sure it will go well. Hopefully, I can tell you about any interesting characters that pass my way.

Tomorrow, I have to leave by 1 p.m. for Omaha. We have a meeting up there on Tuesday. It lasts from 10-4 and I am driving. I won't be home until 10 p.m. on Tuesday, so please bear with me if I don't post right away. Hope everyone has an awesome week.

It's Sunday!!!

Well, the siding people did make it over to the house. Estimates we received were $12,000 for vinyl and $15,000 for the steel. The steel is a lot nicer than the vinyl, but we are not planning on staying here more than three years. We are calling around for more estimates. We aren't going to get it until fall, so we have plenty of time.

The new heating and air system is going to cost roughly around $4,000 for this old house. That will be the first thing we get. Can't wait.

Well, I am off to a short day at work. I'll be back later to catch up with everyone. Good day Sunday!