12 Hour Day

Good morning.

I am sitting here trying to wake up. My kid is anxiously waiting to get to camp, probably to show off his new swimming goggles - thank you Target - $11.99 Speedo.

My eyes don't want to wake up. I am not looking forward to working today. We have to take pictures of some of my peeps in the new store today. Glamour shots for advertising. The pastry chef, the four chefs in the bistro, and the cheese shop guy will all be having their photos taken. Woo hoo.

I guess I better get to it. Even though tonight is my late night, I am sure I will be expected to be at the store this morning. Here's to a 12 hour day.

Working

I enrolled the kid into 7th grade today. He has informed me that he wouldn't mind trying out for cross country. I think he would be good at it. He's a natural athlete. The only thing, he is a competitor and it is hard for him to lose. He hates losing. I can see him running just so he doesn't get beat. That is the name of the game, right?

Work didn't suck so bad today. I went by the market place store and checked in. I had department schedules to turn in for grand opening week. That took some time. I hate deadlines in the office.

Wonder what my friend Meloncutter is up to in his store? I can only hope he has a great merchandiser. Melon is a produce manager for the company that shall not be named. It's funny. We can both bitch about work.

Right now I am enjoying chocolate chip ice cream in a glass with some milk added to it. Yummy! We went to Olive Garden for dinner tonight. It was okay. I got the seafood alfredo. I don't care for their salad. The dressing is overbearing.

Well, I am off to catch up with all of you. Hope you had a great day.

My Stupid Mouth

Andrew from 4th Avenue Blues presented something yesterday that got me thinking. He was talking about falling in love with your best friend. That happened to me once. The song My Stupid Mouth by John Mayer reminds me of this guy. He always disliked it when people would ramble about stuff and not just get to the point. He always wanted the conversation to have some sort of meaning or purpose. He always had problems "shooting the shit".

Anyway, the song is on my sidebar. Give it a listen. It's kind of funny. John sings about not being able to say the right things to a girl. This is how my best friend was with girls as well. Maybe that is why he was always so quiet. Follow along with the words.

My stupid mouth
Has got me in trouble
I said too much again
To a date over dinner yesterday
And I could see
She was offended
She said "well anyway..."
Just dying for a subject change

Oh, another social casualty
Score one more for me
How could I forget?
Mama said "think before speaking"
No filter in my head
Oh, what's a boy to do
I guess he better find one soon

We bit our lips
She looked out the window
Rolling tiny balls of napkin paper
I played a quick game of chess with the salt and pepper shaker
And I could see clearly
An indelible line was drawn
Between what was good, what just slipped out and what went wrong

Oh, the way she feels about me has changed
Thanks for playing, try again.
How could I forget?
Mama said "think before speaking"
No filter in my head
Oh, what's a boy to do
I guess he better find one

I'm never speaking up again
It only hurts me
I'd rather be a mystery
Than she desert me

Oh I'm never speaking up again
Starting now

One more thing
Why is it my fault?
So maybe I try too hard
But it's all because of this desire
I just wanna be liked
I just wanna be funny
Looks like the jokes on me
So call me captain backfire

Oh, the way she feels about me has changed
Thanks for playing, try again.
How could I forget?
Mama said "think before speaking"
No filter in my head
Oh, what's a boy to do
I guess he better find one

I'm never speaking up again
It only hurts me
I'd rather be a mystery
Than she desert me

Oh I'm never speaking up again
Starting now

It's Almost Over

Well, it is almost over. What a great weekend. Spent ample quality time with the kid, got to see my mom, dad, sister, and nephew. We saw two movies this weekend, went to the farmer's market, and just had time to relax. Aaaaahh!

I am heading back to work tomorrow. It is going to be balls to the walls till our grand opening on August 26. Don't worry though, I'll be around.

Have A Happy Day

Well, I woke up early on purpose. I wanted to cheer Phelan on from A Homesteading Neophyte. She stayed up for 24 hours to raise money for Farm Aid. I was only able to donate $50, but every little bit counts. You still have time to check out her blog and make your own donation. Please do so if you can. Any amount will be great!

We are getting ready to leave for my mom's house. I will tune in as soon as I get home this evening. It was great to be able to post so many times this weekend. I feel like I am back in the groove again. Got the mojo back.

Have a happy day!

Homer Rules!

The Simpson's Movie was great. Better than Harry Potter. Sad, but true. I loved it and my kid laughed the whole way through. There were some parts I raised an eyebrow at, but for the most part, it was kid friendly. I could have done without the cuss words though.

Well, it seems to have been a slow day for blogging. Many of you have not updated. I am making my rounds before I get ready for bed.

I am going to visit my mom tomorrow. I will be gone for most of the day, but I will post before I leave and when I return. This is the most I have ever posted. Don't get used to it.

This Dinner Is Going To Be Fabulous

I just finished making the onion curry dip for the vegetables. Here is the recipe. It's totally fat free!

1/2 cup fat free mayo
1 cup fat free sour cream
2 green onions thinly diced
1 small red pepper thinly diced
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. skim milk
salt and pepper if desired

Mix it all together and serve it with your favorite crunchy vegetables. Our vegetables of choice tonight will be organic baby carrots and snap peas.

The marinated chicken breasts just joined the corn on the grill. I have a cold butter stick ready to go for the corn as soon as it rests for several minutes. Have you ever had chili powder on your ear of corn? It's delicious. I am not going that route tonight, as I have yet to go to the movies. We are also going to have garden peas with tonight's meal. I opted not to do a potato or rice because it is just too hot.

Josh just walked in while I am typing this and he farted. What? Could he not have found some other remote space in the house to let out his gaseous stench? Now he is bugging me to delete this which I am not going to do.

It's Going To Be A Muggy Day

Whew! It's getting hot out there. Temperatures are to be in the 90s and the humidity is already at 54%. Ugh...

We went to the Copper Oven for breakfast. It's one of my favorite places to get breakfast. The service is excellent, but the coffee is okay. I really like Jeanne's coffee the best. We had biscuits and gravy, eggs, sausage, and country potatoes. Oh, and the kid had pancakes to boot.

We headed over to the Farmer's Market. Holy crap. The place was packed. It was about 10:00. Next time we are coming at opening time. It was muggy out and people were weaving in and out of the walkways, looking for the best finds. We bought 12 ears of corn, although I can't remember from who. The kid absolutely had to have cinnamon rolls made by Evelyn Heimerman (name on the sticker). And I bought some fresh blackberries from Hayes Family Gardens. Yummy! In all, it was a nice visit. It was too hot to really stop and chat at each booth. Next time I am going early, without the kid. It's just not his thing. I was hoping to see some local homemade cheese, but didn't. There were several tents for handmade soaps and lots of crafts. Crafts aren't my thing either. It was a great visit.

We then headed to the store and bought a couple of things I need for tonight's dinner. We are grilling chicken breasts, corn from today's purchases, and having some kind of starch. Probably rice. For dessert I am making a fresh citrus fruit salad made with fresh oranges, the blackberries from today, strawberries and cherries. Throw all of it together with freshly squeezed orange juice and top it with fresh whipped cream. Yum!

We have decided to go and see the Simpson's movie tonight. This is the most I have seen movies in quite some time. Since I wanted to see Harry Potter, Josh wants to see the Simpson's. He's been watching the Simpson's since they first aired. He's 27. Does that say anything?

Well, I am going to check in with the masses. Hope you are all staying cool today. Have an awesome weekend.

Good Morning!

Good Morning! I am getting ready to head out to the Farmer's Market with my kid. We are also going to grab some breakfast. Until then, please stop by and see Phelan from A Homesteading Neophyte. She is doing a 24 hour blogathon to raise money for Farm Aid. I am not asking you to donate any money unless you want to. It's a great cause. You can also win some pretty cool prizes. So, stop by and at least show some support. She will be blogging for 24 hours, posting every half hour.

Well.....Okay

I just got back from the Harry Potter movie. It was.....okay. Many of my favorite characters were hardly in it. It was just a bunch of mumble jumble. I really didn't care for it that much. I am disappointed.

I am going to the Farmer's Market tomorrow. I have never been to this one. I am kind of excited. I love visiting outdoor markets. I visited Old Market in Omaha and just loved it! My kind of thing for sure. My boyfriend doesn't like stuff like that. Makes me wonder sometimes. We have so many differences, it's amazing we are still together. The relationship is starting to get a little "ordinary". That's the best way I can put it without sounding unfair. Two sides to every story. It's just that he doesn't like to do many of the things I like to do. He's into sports and I am into trying new things, especially when it comes to arts, visiting places, etc.

Anyway, I will save that for another day. Maybe.

This is my third post for the day. Wow. I am proud of myself. I am off to read the last ten blogs on my list for today. Talk at all of you tomorrow.

I Need A Nap

Yes, I am now home from the luncheon, and now I need a nap. I am not used to having so much free time. I am usually productive, but this afternoon, the cool pillow sheet seems to be calling my name. A couple of hours will do me good. That way, I can stay up late and pester all of you! Besides, we are seeing Harry Potter this evening. I have to be well rested for that one!

Yeah!

Well, the day is off to a great start. I woke up around 7:30. This is sleeping in. I have just been kind of lounging around, talking on the phone this morning. I am getting ready to take a quick shower. I am going to a Go Red for Women luncheon. Should be a great time. I didn't go last year, but I hear it's a lot of fun. I plan on posting quite a bit this weekend, so be prepared to read!

After Today

After today, I get three days off. Three whole days! I can't wait! I am going to visit my mom and dad on one of those days, and the rest will be spent at home just getting caught up. Caught up on housework, laundry, computer time, kid time, etc. Can't wait!!! After today...

A Sprinkle In Time

I step outside and the hot sticky air takes my breath away. Instant perspiration hits my forehead and trickles down the side of my face. The humidity is so thick in the air, making life around me struggle to breath. Not a breeze anywhere to be found.
I get into the comfort of my car and modern air conditioning. Ah, it feels so much better. I take my turn on the road, my space among all of these cars as I buzz along to the next store. Clouds are looming in the south. Dark, voluptuous clouds filled with moisture. Soon, I see a drop here, a drop there on my bug display for a windshield. Before too long, angry fat drops of rain pound down on me, making that DIT, DIT, DIT sound. The sound is deafening and I can't hear my ABBA CD. Rain, rain, rain, continues to pour. Then, as soon as it started, it ends. I roll the windows down in my car. The air is the same, still hot and sticky. The nourishment of water from the heavens could not take it away. Within minutes, the signs of the rainstorm vanish. The only thing left is a cleaner windshield.

So Much To Do!

I give up. There is just not enough hours in the day to catch up with everyone. If I don't comment on your blog, please know it doesn't mean I have not read it.

Work has been crazy lately. We are on the verge of grand opening a store, probably August 26 or so. Anyway, preparations for that is mind blowing. So much to do!

Well, I hope you are doing well. My sitemeter shows that I haven't had many visits over the past week and I am sure it is because I have been absent. I'll try and update more.

Off to work!

Missing

I know. I haven't posted, nor have I had a chance to catch up with everyone. It's killing me! Today, I promise!!!!

Valley Center Explosion

There was an explosion today in Valley Center at Barton Solvents. Please put Phelan in your thoughts and prayers as I know she only lives several miles from there. The whole city had to be evacuated. I am very worried. Please send her encouraging words as I don't know if she had to evacuate. Thank you.

missed blogs

I really hate it when I don't get my favorite blogs read. It irritates me. After dinner tonight, I am parking myself in front of this computer and making sure I read each and every post I have missed in the last few days.

My vegetable garden is doing well with the baby tomatoes and peppers. I still have yet to see a zucchini or cucumber. Not sure what I am doing wrong there. Oh well. Live and learn.

I am sure today will be just like any other day at work. So, with that, I better get a move on.

It's Good To Be Home

Well, I am back from my trip to Omaha. Thanks for all of the well wishes. I had a wonderful time. We visited Old Market, which I absolutely loved!! There was a farmer's market going on downtown, many shops and restaurants to visit. It was fun to walk around and take it all in.

We stayed at the most horrible hotel while we were there. Holiday Inn Express on 80 and L street. Horrible customer service, horrible everything. Never again.

We ate Red Lobster the first night. The next day we ate a light lunch at a little Italian cafe. We then had dinner at the river boat house. Can't remember the name of it. The food was pretty good but the live music was too loud.

Today we ate breakfast at LePeeps? Something like that. It was very good. We also visited the casinos while we were there. I won $21 more than I spent and Josh won $36 more than he spent. Cool.

It's good to be home. Tomorrow starts a new week. Hope it goes well. Good night.

Today

1. Meeting with boss at 7:30 to walk certain store and go over plans.

2. Funeral at 10:00.

3. Go Red For Women Luncheon - American Heart Association from 11:30-1:00.

4. Morale meeting for store at 2:00.

5. Get home at 3:00.

6. Be on the road by 3:30, get to Omaha by 8:00.

7. Wishing I wasn't allergic to alcohol around 9:00.

8. Hoping to get a good night's rest in a hotel bed around 11:00.

9. Will be thinking about all of you around 11:15.

10. Will be snoring around 11:16.

Have a good day. I will talk at all of you when I return.

Warren Buffet, Here I Come

I am off on Saturday and Sunday. I am headed to Omaha to see some friends. We will arrive Friday evening, check into the hotel, have dinner, maybe do some gambling. On Saturday, the day is packed with many events. We are visiting Old Market, the zoo, and having dinner somewhere "special". My friends are hooking us up with all these cool places to go.

I just need to get away from it all. I am stuck in time right now. I need a mini vacation before all hell breaks loose at this market store. We are scheduled to grand open in August. Should be the biggest grand opening of my life. yay...

Bad Things Happen In Threes

Yes, this is true. I don't really know how else to express how this week is going for me. I wasn't going to post about it on Monday or Tuesday, but as the week progresses, so do the unfortunate things. A woman in one of the departments I oversee died on Sunday. They found her Monday morning, collapsed on her bed with her work clothes on from the day before. It is very tragic for the store and her fellow associates in the department. Today I found out that one of my department managers was in a very bad car crash in which the car landed on her after she was ejected. She is in serious but stable condition. So now I am patiently waiting for the third bad thing to happen. That's the way it goes.

Apologies for such a sombre post today, but this is all I have to say for now. Have a good evening.

I have a huge headache this morning. Don't know where it came from. Maybe I slept wrong. I went to bed at 9:30 last night. I was so tired!

Another day another dollar. I will post more this evening.

Potato Salad

Okay, I know it's a weird title, but I have to post about this real quick. Remember a couple of posts ago, my friend Andfre wanted a recipe for potato salad? I told him I would give it to him only if he made it and posted a picture. Well, you can see the post and picture here.

He totally did it and it looks really good! I love the picture of him eating it! How cool!

Brusha Brusha Brushaaaaa!

lol...

As I sit here typing this, I notice I have the worst morning breath. My mouth tastes gross. I usually brush my teeth first thing, but the kid is in the bathroom. It's going to be a short day at work today, as most Sundays are.

I have little red cherry tomatoes. I will actually be able to pick some today. I still don't have any zucchini or cucumbers. I have picked four or five peppers and my large tomato plant has yet to produce any buds.

Took the kid yesterday to Best Buy so he could finally spend his gift card from February. He purchased a CD - Ludacris, the newest one, I have been informed. He also bought the SpongeBoB Squarepants Complete Season 3. He's a big little kid.

After Best Buy we went to Old Navy. They are having a huge 50% off summer sale. I only spent $105 and got the following for the kid:

8 designed short sleeve shirts
2 polo style shirts
3 shorts - 2 jean, 1 cargo
2 pairs of flip flops
2 boxer shorts
3 pairs of socks

Each item if you average it out was $5. Jackpot! I love finding bargains when I clothes shop. The kid is quite happy with the purchases.

We have not made it yet to see Transformers, but now I am kind of excited about seeing Harry Potter. I am a fan of the movies, having never read a single book, unlike my friend Annabel. She has read them all and rereads them when a new one comes out. She said once that the books are way better than the movies. I will trust her judgement, as I don't want to be disappointed when I do see the movie. Most books I read that have a movie to follow, well, it's just not up to par. Perhaps I will save reading the books until after the movies are done. These current actors are starting to get old though. The movies better hurry.

Okay, so I promised myself I would be out of the house by 9:30 this morning. I need to leave now if I am going to read some blogs and brush my teeth before then! Brusha Brusha Brusha!

But I Don't Want To Go To Work!

I am procrastinating getting ready for work this morning. I don't really feel like going in, but I must. I have been staying up awfully late at night. Insomnia perhaps. Don't know because I have never done this before. I am usually the first one to fall asleep. I don't get to sleep now until well after 1 am. Before I would be snoozing by 10. Probably all that stress.

I added some new songs to the iPod video for when I go to the gym and work out. I used it yesterday and the music really gets me going. Of course, it's all upbeat. Artists range from Abba to Fergie, with a splash of John Mayer and Puddle of Mudd. Yeah, it's good stuff.

Well, I guess I shouldn't prolong the inevitable. I better get off this friggin computer and take my happy ass to work. Talk at you all later!

For Andfre

My dear blogging friend, Andfre, from Andfreville, wanted my recipe of potato salad. While I don't usually measure when making this, I tried to get it all down on paper. Now Andfre, if you try to make this, you must post about it and also show a picture!

Potato Salad

4 large potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp mustard
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 hard boiled eggs, whites only
3 tbsp milk

Okay, so you need to cube the potatoes. Place them in salted boiling water and boil for about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes well. Set them aside and let them cool a bit.

In a large bowl, you are going to combine the onions and pickles. In a separate small bowl, mix the mayo, sour cream, mustard, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Taste to make sure there is enough of what you want. Pour the mayo mixture over the onion mixture. Toss to coat. Chop up your egg whites. Carefully fold or mix in your potatoes and egg whites into the mayo mixture until coated thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours. Before you serve it, stir in the milk to make the salad the consistency you want. That's it.

Now, I don't care for celery, so I don't put any in this recipe. Most people like celery in the potato salad and if you wanted to add some, I would gander at adding maybe a stalked, thinly sliced up.

So, there you have it. Now, everyone must visit my friend Andfre and bug him about making this potato salad. I shall dedicate this post to you, dear friend of Canada. He lives in the most beautiful area. Banff, Alberta. Gorgeous God's country up there. When you visit his blog, be sure to click on the pictures to get an idea of what I am talking about. He took the pictures himself. Love ya Andfre!

It's Friday and I have the day off. The only thing going on is cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry. I am washing all of the linens today. woo.hoo.

Tonight we are going to see Transformers. I have heard it is an excellent movie. If anyone wants to join us, let me know. The more the merrier.

Well, I am off to blog heaven. I need to catch up on all of my friends! Until later, gater.

White Trash and Yummy

Well, tomorrow should prove to be interesting. I am only working until noon and then coming home to prepare several salads for our little barbecue. It may seem white trash of us, but we are going down to our local supermarket to hang out with Josh's family while they work the fireworks tent. Yes, it sounds country, don't it? Grilling in the parking lot of the local grocery store. One of mine, of course.

So it looks like I will be making homemade potato salad, pasta salad, deviled eggs, and cheesecake. I don't know about the dessert and how well cheesecake will hold up outside. I may opt for brownies or cookies. Some type of finger food. We are also bringing Nathan's hot dogs, burgers, and ribeyes that are seasoned with Daddy Hinkle's marinade. Yummy!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Independence Day!

Dearest Andrew

Dear Andrew,

The demons are back, swimming in your head, taunting you at every turn. You can't close your eyes, for fear they may open to sheer terror. The terror of wanting that drink, that drop of venomous poison that tastes like honey. What you think could be the cure will be the very death of you.

What these terrorists don't realize is that strong hands await. Strong hands to put around your shoulders and hands. These hands will lead you back to where it is safe. They won't let go. No, these are the type of hands that a child would know. The type of hands that can only be given by a father. Go to him Andrew. Go to your dad and ask for help. Please.

It's a Portia Tag!

I was tagged by my dear blogging friend, Portia. Here goes. :)

Rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.

2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.


Fact #1: I can actually sing decently.

Fact #2: I can't dance worth a shit.

Fact #3: I collect dirt (soil) from different countries.

Fact #4: I get fed up with people who have it all and complain about having nothing.

Habit #1: I bite my fingernails.

Habit #2: I snore.

Habit #3: I am usually always at least ten minutes early (unless I can't find Annabel at a high school - lol...)

Habit #4: I always check my silverware closely at restaurants before using them.



I must tag eight people. I guess I will tag Cheryl, Terri, Annabel, Phelan, Kyrie, Leann, Tory, and Becky. Have fun ladies.

It has been a super busy weekend. I will fill you in on the details later this evening. Thanks to all of you who stopped by and commented. It means a lot. Have a great day!