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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Is it STILL February!?

Thursday, February 28, 2013
When do you feel your sexiest?


About an hour and 45 minutes into my 2 hour workout, when I have sweat pouring down my face, my clothes are stuck to my body cuz they're soaking wet, and my muscles are screaming for mercy.

Wow, this answer would have been TOTALLY different a few months ago.  I pretty much never feel sexy.  But lately, with all the changes going on with my body, the above really IS the best answer right now.

Confession time - Sometimes, I can't keep my hands off myself.  I find myself feeling myself up a lot lately! :P  It's amazing to feel muscles in places where there was nothing but blubber before.  Now, don't get me wrong, there's still a substantial layer of "fluff" covering these muscles, but I can feel them now.   I can feel bones now.  I forgot what that was like, it's been so long.  My rings spin 'round and 'round my fingers now.  Soon, I'll be afraid of them falling off.  (The last time I lost a substantial amount of weight, for my sister's wedding, my wedding rings used to fall off constantly!  I finally had to stop wearing them, and got a plain gold band to wear every day.)  My shoes are all too big, which is pretty hilarious!  And, don't get me started on my bras!  I have mine on the last (tightest) hooks, and the straps are as tight as they'll go.  Thankfully, I have a drawer full of really pretty Victoria's Secret bras from the last time I was thinner, although most are too "sexy" for every day, so usually I stick to my too-big collection.  It does make me giggle sometimes, though, to know that under my plain ol' every day shirt is a rockin' bra! 

Now, as great as this all sounds, there is a downside to this weight loss.  One I KNEW would be coming.  My face is always the first place I lose weight (along with my hands, feet and boobs).  And now, without all the padding, my face is looking old!  Every little line and wrinkle shows!!  People have always told me how young I look for my age, and how I haven't changed a bit over the years, blah, blah, blah.  Yeah, well, I always said it was because the fat in my face kept it looking smooth!  Now, not so much. =(  But, I guess that's the trade off, huh?  Hopefully, soon, people will be too busy checking out my booty to notice my wrinkles, right?  Haha!

One a different note, my mom, sister and I got a few things accomplished for my dad's party.  My sister and I decided on centerpieces, and my mother and I went and finalized the menu.  Woo hoo!!  Now, my sister and I have to put the centerpieces together, which shouldn't be too bad.  I also have to make the labels for the favors and put those together.

This is what will be served at the party:

Sausage and Peppers
Chicken Vesuvio
Baked Ham with Pineapple
Stuffed Peppers (stuffed with rice and ricotta cheese, with a white sauce)
Roasted Potatoes
Broccoli (sauteed in olive oil with garlic, covered in breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese)
Green Beans Almondine
Tossed Green Salad

There will be platters of bruschetta on each table for everyone to munch on until my dad arrives.  And, of course, there will be the killer sweet table I told you about the other day.  How does this menu sound to you?  Well, besides excessive.  We Italians ONLY know how to do excessive, sorry. ;-)

Well, the giant pot of 4-bean chili simmering on the stove smells too good to ignore any longer.  Guess I'll call Stud up for dinner!  Enjoy your evening!


Wednesday, February 27, 2013

2/27/13

Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Mae West described sex as "emotion in motion." Unpack this idea in a post.


I had never heard this before, but I like it!  She's got a point there.  Good job, Mae!
.
I don't know what the hell "unpack this idea" means, so I'm just going to leave it at that.

I went to visit a friend today at one of my favorite schools from last year.  She called me over the weekend to ask if she could borrow my Dr. Seuss books this week to use as part of her celebration, as his birthday is Saturday.  I miss doing that with the babies.  But, NOT enough to go back. ;-)

Anyway, when I was getting dressed to go, I was reminded of something I meant to share a few weeks ago.  It's actually really silly, and I debated whether or not to even mention it.  But, by now, you all know I'm a goofball, so I figured, what the hell!

I have a pair of boots that I bought myself several years ago.  They're black, high-heeled, and pretty cute.  I don't know why the hell I even bought them, other than to replace what used to be my favorite boots ever.  I used to call them my "salsa boots," since I wore them out almost every weekend when my friends and I would go dancing.

Anyway, those finally bit the dust, after MANY years of loyal service, and so I bought this new pair.  However, I never ended up wearing them.  First, I bought these back when I was really suffering from my plantar fasciitis.  There was NO way I could wear heels. 

Second, and the biggest problem, was that I .....couldn't zipper them.  There, I said it.  I couldn't zipper the damn things!  I could only get the zipper up about an inch, just enough to keep the boots on my feet.  I figured no one would ever know, since my pants would cover the boots anyway.  But, it still bugged me that they didn't really fit, thanks to my pudgy calves.  Over the holidays, I finally wore the boots a few times, and was able to zip them about half-way up, which was exciting!  Plus, the fact that I was wearing HEELS was pretty damn exciting, as well.  It's amazing what dropping some LBs will do to ease your aches and pains. ;-)

Yeah, well, a few weeks ago, when I worked at the bar for the party my brother threw for his employees, I wore those boots.  (And, yeah, STUPID choice of footwear, when you're on your feet, slinging drinks and serving food, for HOURS!  But, I digress...)  But, this time, when I put them on, and tugged at the zipper, THEY ZIPPED ALL THE WAY UP! 

So, yeah, that's the little tidbit of exciting news I've been meaning to share with you.  I know, I'm a dork.  But you love me anyway!!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

2/26/13

Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Do you think sex education should come from the parents, the school, or a mix of both?


Hmmm, this is a good one.  Ideally, I think it should come from parents.  I also know that, sadly, some parents can't or won't handle this stuff with their kids, whether it's because they are uncomfortable with it, or they just don't know how to handle it.  Hell, some really just don't have the information themselves!  So, in cases like that, I prefer the kids get something from school, instead of getting NO information.

As I sit here typing, there is a storm raging outside my kitchen window.  I LOVE it!!  We're supposed to get several inches of snow today.  Luckily, Stud didn't have class today (some kind of faculty meeting day) so at least he won't be driving around in this mess.  I just hope Magnum isn't outside right now, at his parents', trying to shovel.  There's no point in doing anything right now, since it's still coming down like crazy.

My sister and I were on the phone for a while today, trying to take care of some stuff for my daddy's party, which is a week from Sunday.  Man, that snuck up on us!  We still have to figure out what the hell we're doing for centerpieces and decorations.  We also want to put together some photos of my dad, probably in some kind of slide show, that we can play at the party. 

The sweet table is all taken care of, though, thanks to our awesome family.  (Italians can NOT have a party without a sweet table!)  My brother's girlfriend is going to be bringing her chocolate fountain, along with all the yummies to dip in it.  You may remember she did that for my niece's 18th birthday party. 

A couple of weeks ago, one of our cousins (on my dad's side) called to ask if she could basically take care of the sweet table as her gift to my dad.  Now, let me tell you, this particular cousin is the Cookie Queen in our family.  I could do an entire post about her mad skills, so suffice it to say, we were thrilled!  She's making about 5 or 6 different kinds of cookies.  She probably already started baking because the things she makes are very labor intensive.  Many of them are traditional Italian sweets, and all of them are definitely labors of love!  I've been stressing since she called because I'm terrified that I'm not going to be able to resist nibbling at least one of each of whatever she makes!  The things she makes are ONLY made by her, so we don't get to enjoy them very often.  She does NOT share recipes.  They are all his mother's, who also did NOT share recipes.  Well, except with her daughter!  If you asked my aunt for a recipe, she would just say, "Oh, you like those?  Oh, ok, I'll make you some!"  Next thing you know, you'd have several dozen treats at your door.  So, yeah, we're pretty damn excited that this will be her gift. =)

Yesterday, another cousin (this one on my mom's side) called to say she'd like to take care of the cake for the party.  What the hell?!  As it stands right now, we'll be enjoying a half yellow cake with cannoli filling/half chocolate cake with strawberry and/or banana filling, all frosted in whipped cream.  Well, I hope just the guests will be enjoying it, and that I'll be able to have some willpower.  Although, damn I love me some cannoli-filled cake! =(

While we were on the phone (for over an hour!) my sister sent me some pictures.  One is of my oldest niece in the outfit she'll probably be wearing to the party.  I think she looks pretty cute.  Then again, I may be a bit biased.  That's her puppy, Charlie, in her arms.  (And ignore the pile of towels waiting to be folded on my sister's couch!)
She also sent me a couple of "after" pictures of my other niece's bedroom.  I suppose they would be more interesting to you if I had "before" photos to go along with them, huh?  Well, I'm going to share them with you anyway, because my sister is uber talented and TOTALLY missed her calling as an interior decorator.  I've been trying to get her to pursue this as a career, but she just won't.  It's really annoying, quite frankly.  She has completely decorated/redecorated several of our family members' homes, as well as some friends' homes.  But, whatever, I can't make her become rich and famous, now can I?

Anyway, here are just a couple of shots of basically one corner of the room. 

She had this great idea to create a vanity out of a mirror and a decorative shelf a friend gave her.  She covered the top with decorative contact paper.  She also gave a facelift to some framed prints she had, so they would match.  You can see one there on the left.  I love the Princess decal on the wall, too!
Because my niece's bedroom is so tiny, my sister took out all the bulky furniture that used to be in there, and decided to put a big comfy chair in the room for my niece to lounge in while she does her homework, or reads, or whatever.  I love the funky little ottoman she found.  And, it opens for storage!
My sister found those wall decals at Menard's, and sort of used that as the jumping point for the decor.  My niece hasn't seen them yet, so I hope she likes them.  She did see the bedding and new curtains, though, and likes them. 
I hope she loves the new room, and appreciates her mother's hard work.  My sister's boyfriend has been teasing her since she finished the room this past weekend, and keeps calling the room her "new apartment."  He says she's not even going to let her daughter go in there, since it's all so pretty and cozy now.  She told him HE wasn't allowed in there, either! ;-)

I suppose I should go do something around here, since I won't be venturing out in this storm.  Maybe some laundry or something?  Don't be jealous of my glamorous life, now!  I did start a crockpot full of meatballs in tomato sauce before I sat down to post, and the kitchen is starting to smell yummy!  But, this blustery weather is kinda making me crave chili.  Maybe I'll make a pot of that, too.  Then I won't have to cook for a couple of days, right?  Yeah, right!  You've never seen Stud eat!  Gotta love a teenage boy's ability to pack it away. 

Oo, speaking of my Stud Muffin, I've been meaning to post this silly picture for a week now.  The other day he came home from class with this for his mommy.
It's probably hard to tell in this crappy picture from my phone, but it's a paper flower in a paper vase.  He's so silly!  I'm so glad he was able to take a couple of art classes this semester, so he can really stretch his creativity.

Ok, NOW I'm going to go do something.  See you tomorrow. =)

Monday, February 25, 2013

Monkey Monday

Monday, February 25, 2013
Do you think you would enjoy being a "sex symbol?"

Yes, I enjoy it very much, thank you!!

I got to spend the morning with my Monkey again!!  But, unfortunately, it's because something was wrong with my brother's car.  He called just as I was leaving for the gym to see if I could meet him at the mechanic.  From there we went to our parents' to pick them up and go to breakfast.  We went back to the place Bestest Friend and I went to yesterday.  None of them had been there before, either.  We were NOT disappointed!  Monkey kept us in stitches the whole time, of course.

The other day I met my brother and Monkey for breakfast near his house.  (Yeah, can you tell my brother LOVES to go out for breakfast!?  It's an almost everyday thing with him!)  Since I swapped out my hash browns for fresh fruit with my omelet, as usual, I had lots of fruit to share with her.  I introduced her to honeydew, which she LOVED!  She was doing the funniest thing, and I so wish I had taken a video!!  Every time I gave her a piece, I'd say something like, "Mmm, honeydew!" in a silly voice, which she then repeated, of course.  But, in addition to the silly voice she was using, she was making this hilarious, scrunched up face!  Man, I wish I had a picture, of better yet, video of it.  Then, at one point, every time she said "Honeydew!" for me, my brother would say, "Honey, don't!" and she repeated that, too.  She's just too cute.  This morning she, once again, ate all my honeydew, and loved every bite!

After we left the restaurant this morning, we went back to my parents' house.  Monkey was MORE than ready for a nap, so I didn't stay.  I'm thinking about going back there now, since her mommy is working late tonight, so my brother will be there for a while still.  Then again, I should probably think about making something for dinner, since Stud will be home from school in about an hour.  Decisions, decisions....Go play with Monkey, or make dinner?  Hmmmm.....This is gonna be tough.....

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Sunny Sunday

It is gorgeous outside right now!  The sun is shining, it's warm (well, warm for ME.  I think it's like 38?) and I'm going to go meet my Bestest Friend for breakfast.  I'll probably be back later.

***

Ok, I'm back.  Bestest Friend and I ended up at a restaurant we've never been to before.  Breakfast was delicious!  And, we ended up sitting there for nearly 4 hours!  We just don't get to see each other, or even talk, nearly enough.  She's so busy with work that it's hard to get together during the week, and on the weekends I usually see my family while Magnum is working, and then I try to spend time with him when he gets home.  Anyway, we talked, and talked, and talked for hours.  It was so nice! (And, listening to how miserable she is with work [she's also a CPS teacher!] just reminded me that I absolutely made the right decision by walking away!  I just wish SHE wasn't so miserable.)

When we finally left the restaurant (which only happened because they closed!) I went straight to my in-law's house, where Magnum was, as usual.  He didn't have to work today, so I was afraid he would feel obligated to spend extra time at his parents' house.  Don't get me wrong, I love that he takes such good care of them, however things are reaching a breaking point.  I see him less now than when he was working, and most of you probably remember how much he worked.  Now, he's at his parents' 7 days a week, sometimes 8-10 hours a day.  Pretty much the only time he's not there is when he's at work, and even those day, he's goes to his parents' first for a few hours.  I know I've been alluding to how stressful and unhappy things have been around here lately, and this is a big part of it.  But, I don't really want to get into all that right now, so I'll just leave it at that.

I went there hoping I could convince him to leave.  On Sunday, he goes there so that his mom can go to church.  Well, church is an hour, hour and half at best.  He usually convinces her to run errands afterward, since he's there anyway, and she needs the time away his father.  But, still, we didn't leave the restaurant until 3, so that's plenty of time to run errands, since church lets out at noon.  (And, yes, I realize this probably sounds bitchy, but trust me, HE needs a break, too!)

I was shocked when he didn't even argue with me when I said he should pack up and come home.  His dad was sleeping when I got there, so there wasn't much to do at the moment.  He already prepared something for dinner (he cooks lunch and dinner for them every single day) so there wasn't much for his mom to do the rest of the night.  Actually, he made her a big bowl of popcorn, and made her park herself in front of the TV, since all the pre-Oscar shows were starting.  Then, much to my surprise, he packed up his stuff and we left!

When we got home, I made him an early dinner.  Well, more like reheated dinner, since there were pork chops from last night.  I did make a salad and some veggies, though.  He and Stud ate while I did dishes, and then we settled in for the evening.  Right now, I've got the pre-Oscar show on, Magnum is reading, while glancing up every once in a while to check out the women in their pretty gowns (tee hee!) and Stud is down in the basement, ignoring us as usual. ;-)  Sounds like a great night to me!

The Oscars are going to start in less than 10 minutes, so I'm going to go make some tea and settle in for the show.  I LOVE Seth McFarland, so I'm excited to see what kind of hosting job he does.  Whether you're watching the Oscars tonight, or doing something else, I hope you're enjoying your Sunday evening as much as I am.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Silly Saturday

Today  I got to spend time with my Monkey AGAIN!  I went to my parents' with Stud after the gym to hang out for a while and play.  She's so hilarious, she just keep us in stitches all day.  She's a little parrot and repeats EVERYTHING you say to her.  I love this age.  I need to start taking video when she does it.  Usually I'm too busy laughing to grab my phone.

We didn't stay the whole time Monkey was there because Stud had plans with one of his friends.  He went out with George for dinner at their favorite Chinese buffet place.  It's actually way more than just a Chinese buffet.  It's HUGE, and has many different kinds of food.  One big buffet table is all Mexican food, one is Italian, one is "American" [hots dogs, hamburgers, chicken nuggets, fries, etc.] and there are a few that are Asian.  There's also a dessert table, and ice cream.  I know there's more that I'm forgetting, but you can see why they love this place.  This is the place I mentioned before that has the spinach Stud LOVES, so he was happy.

Anywhoodle, Stud left as soon as George came over, and I made dinner for Magnum.  Really, the main reason I cooked is because I had pork chops in the fridge that needed to either be cooked or frozen today, and I was feeling too lazy to properly prepare them for the freezer.  So instead, I oven roasted the entire family pack from Sam's.  Oh, don't worry, they won't go to waste.  Magnum will eat when he gets home, and Stud will probably eat one or two later tonight.  Whatever is left will be lunch tomorrow.

I'm going to enjoy the quiet going on in my house right now.  Like I said, Magnum is working, Stud is out, the chops are in the oven, salad is made, veggies are ready, so I can go sit for a while.  Oo, I just flipped on the TV, and Dream Girls is on!  Guess I'm outta here!

Friday, February 22, 2013

2/22/13 TGIF!

Friday, February 22, 2013
Aristotle said, "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." Do you agree or disagree?


Completely agree!!

Long day today.  Wasn't all bad, but still, long.  I'll skip the junky stuff, and tell you that I got to see my Monkey for a while.  Oooo, why does she have to be so damn CUTE!!??  I can't even believe I didn't take a single picture of her today.  I'm slipping.  But, we all know how adorable she is, right?

Ok, just in case anyone forgot, my brother sent these the other day, with a subject line that said, "What?!  Can't a girl play dress up in the morning?!"



We got snow here overnight, so you know I'm one happy penguin right now!  Even Monkey got out and played in it for a bit.  And, I didn't even have to really shovel, thanks to my awesome neighbor.  He was out there with his snowblower bright and early this morning.  I planned to still shovel at my parents' house, and threw my boots in the car before I went to the gym, but my brother beat me to it.  Truthfully, I was a little disappointed, as I was looking forward to the workout.  I didn't get to do my own giant driveway (although I did have to do a little that my neighbor couldn't get to with our cars in the way), I didn't get to do Jean's (my sweet 89 year-old neighbor) because Magnum did it, and then I didn't get to do my parents', either.  Poop!!  Good thing I really pushed it at the gym today.

But, not having to shovel gave me more time to play with my Monkey, so that's a good thing.  Out of the blue, Magnum popped in to see her while he was working*, and she was SO happy to see him!  She literally RAN to the door when I told her he was coming, since I saw him pull up in front of the house.  She ran, screaming his name, to greet him.  She so damn cute with him.  I don't know what it is, but she's a bit obsessed with her Uncle Magnum.  I'd be lying if I said the feeling wasn't mutual.  He's really funny with her.

Stud happened to pull up right behind his father, so they both got to see her for a while.  Stud can't get enough of Monkey, either.  I know I mentioned the other day that he wanted to go "steal" her.  He has this upcoming Tuesday off, so I have a feeling he's going to try and spend some time with her then.  He'll have to fight me for her, though. =)

Well, I'm beat.  I'd love to keep giving the mundane details of our lives, but I've got to hit the sack.  See you tomorrow!

*Ok, don't get excited.  No, Magnum didn't find a job yet.  But, back in November, after being out of work for a month, he was freaking out about not finding a job.  So, he took a pizza delivery job just to get some cash flow going.  It was killing him to not have a paycheck, and he's not above doing whatever it takes to take care of business.  He's kinda awesome like that.  It certainly isn't a full-time gig, but he usually works 3-4 afternoons/nights per week.  Every little bit helps right now.  I'm on Month 8 without a job, he's almost on Month 5. =(




Thursday, February 21, 2013

2/21/13

Thursday, February 21, 2013
Do you think people can live without love?


No.  It doesn't matter who the love is from, a partner/spouse/lover, a child, another family member, or even a pet.  But, everyone needs love in their life.  I think most importantly, people need to love themselves.

And, before this gets all deep and mushy, I'm moving on.  I'm not digging this prompt, or the next few, for that matter.  They're just too deep and serious for me.  I just can't dig down for those answers right now because I'm afraid of opening the floodgates. 

I had to take an unexpected drive out to Stud's school today.  He left his freakin' wallet in my bathroom last night, then went to class without it.  I figured today would be the day he got pulled over or something, and didn't want him to be without his wallet.  Plus, he had no money on him to get a drink or something to eat.  So, I drove out to the college before going to the gym.  He didn't even realize he didn't have it, the big dork!!  Then, he had the gall to say to me, "Since you drove all the way out here, you should have brought me something to eat."  Such a teenaged boy!!

So, um...yeah...my dad's already ready to NOT be retired.  I've been telling him for about 6 months, since he first announced he was going to retire, that this was NOT a good idea.  By now, you guys know that I love my mother, but she is not the easiest person to be around all day.  ESPECIALLY if you're me or my father!  He actually "went to work" today, which is hilarious.  He still needs to clean out his office, and take care of some paperwork, so he went there today to do some of that.  He talked to his boss before leaving last week about coming back as a consultant.  He said he was going to take a couple of weeks "off," then start consulting.  The HR manager told my dad at his retirement luncheon that the boss told her she was not allowed to call my dad for 2 weeks.  She told my dad she'd be talking to him after that, and probably often. 

My dad was with this company for 30 years.  He was there longer than anyone else who currently works there, including his boss.  Actually, his boss is sort of new (about 3 year, I think?) and is relatively young compared to my dad.  So basically, my dad ran the place, and everyone, including his boss, looked to him for guidance.  I don't know what they're going to do without him, quite frankly.  That's why I think this consulting thing is going to work out nicely for all of them. 

We're trying to convince him he should just go in from like 10-2, three days a week.  He'll miss the morning and evening rush hours, which is HUGE!!  Part of the reason my dad really wanted to retire is because he can't take the driving anymore.  It took him anywhere from 1 to 1 1/2 hours each way everyday.  God forbid it rains or snows, because then it's closer to 2 hours.  It's just too much for him now.  He's going to be 70 in April, and doesn't need the aggravation anymore.

I think I've mentioned before that my dad is a world-class trap shooter.  The sportsman's club he belongs to is about half-way between home and work.  Actually, it's closer to work.  He goes shooting every Sunday and Wednesday, and has for the past 50 years.  We told him that Wednesday is definitely one of the days he should "work" because then he'll already be north, and close to the club.  So, that's at least ONE day he'll get a break, right?

I know I mentioned a few weeks ago that we're throwing a Retirement/70th Birthday party for my daddy in a few weeks.  My sister and I are trying to decide this week what we want to use for centerpieces.  I'll be sharing more about it soon. I just may be asking for your input on some things!

A bunch of you have asked for some before and after photos, now that I've shed nearly 60 lbs.  (I've hit another plateau, though, and I'm completely irritated!!  But, I'm bitch about that later.)  I'm planning to use the photos we take at the party as the after pictures, since I'll be dressed up and "cute."  So, stay tuned!


Wednesday, February 20, 2013

2/20/13

Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Erich Fromm said, "Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you'." How do you define mature love?


I'm gonna go with Erich on this one.  That is all.

Today was a busy, and expensive, day.  I'll try and keep it short, as to not bore you with all the details.

I bought 4 new tires for my car, and had an alignment done.

Alright, I hear you, here are a few details.  Some of you are going to want to just skip the next few paragraphs.  You've been warned.

My brother needed to have all the same done to his car, so we made plans last night to go to Sam's Club early this morning for the tires.  The plan was to drop his car off first, then go to breakfast, then go back and get his car and drop off mine.  Well, apparently, we're idiots because we ended up shopping for a while.  The car was finished before we left.  We should have had BOTH cars done while we were there!!

We took my brother's car to the alignment place, then went to breakfast.  While we were there, our parents called.  My brother had originally asked my dad to meet him in the morning, but Daddy told him he had to go to the social security office today, so he made plans with me.  When Daddy finished at the SS office, he called, and they came and met us at the restaurant.  After we all finished eating, they took Monkey back to my brother's because she desperately needed a nap, and my brother and I went to get his car at the alignment place.  THEN we went BACK to Sam's Club to get my tires.  We dropped my car off, and ran a few errands for my brother.  We went back to Sam's, got my car and went BACK to the alignment place and dropped it off.  Then, we went back to my brother's place and hung out until the alignment place called.  Thankfully they called right when my parents needed to leave, so they drove me there on there way home.

So, we basically spent 8 hours on tasks we could have accomplished in about 3.  >:(

If we had known our parents were going to come out, we would have done both cars at the same time at both Sam's and the alignment place.  Instead, we spent about 8 hours waiting and going back and forth between both places.  Eh, whatever.  I got to spend LOTS of time with my Monkey, which is NEVER a waste of time!!!  The only downside to all this "wasted" time was that I didn't get to the gym.  I'm going to try and have a date with my boy, Billy Blanks.

Oh, I just thought of another bright side.  My brother paid for everything, toward some money he owes me, so even though it was an expensive day, I didn't have to foot the bill.  Yay for me!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

2/19/13

Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Martin Luther King Jr. unpacked love and hate when he said, "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." Which is easier for you to feel: love or hate?


At this very moment, I'm feeling both of them simultaneously.

If I had to make a choice, I would say hate, because sometimes feeling love just hurts too much.

Ok, that's enough of that.  It's just not a very happy day here at Casa de ChiTown.  But, this too shall pass.

Anyhoo, about 5 minutes after I posted yesterday about what a beautiful day we were having, the weather did a 180.  It became very dark and overcast.  It was still warm for a while, but very windy.  Then, it began raining.  I finally made my Sam's Club run, and it was raining the whole time.  Thankfully, it was still pretty warm. 

When I woke up this morning, however, everything was covered in snow!  Now, you know I loved it!  But, the temperature took about a 30+ degree drop.  Today when I went to the gym, it was about 14, and when I came out over 2 hours later, it warmed all the way up to 19!  The windchill right now is about -4.  Now, most of you realize that I'm NOT complaining, since this is MY kind of weather.  I'm simply sharing the craziness that is Chicago's weather.  I'm sure you've all heard the saying, "If you don't like the weather in Chicago, wait 10 minutes!"

Today is my (ex)brother-in-law's birthday.  I know, I really don't ever mention him here, do I?  Anyway, I sent him a text before I went to the gym that just said, "Happy birthday, geezer!"  I immediately got back, "That's MISTER Geezer to you!"  He's so goofy!

I think I just may go to my parents' house and hang out with my Daddy.  Cuz, you know, HE'S RETIRED NOW!!  Woo hoo!

Monday, February 18, 2013

2/15/13

Monday, February 18, 2013
What is the most romantic book you've ever read?


Hmmm...I don't know if I have an answer for this.  That's not really my kind of book, ya know?  Feel free to give me your answer in the comment section.  I may be inspired to read some of your choices.

It's a beautiful day here today!  When I got to the gym this morning, it was about 18 degrees outside.  When I came out just a little over 2 hours later, it was 48!  It's GORGEOUS outside right now!  It's warm and sunny, and the perfect weather for taking my little Monkey outside.  I think I may just have to drive myself way out to her daddy's house, and steal her!  Actually, that's exactly what Stud asked me to do when I got home from the gym.  Being a holiday, there's no class for him today, so he said he wanted to spend the day with his baby, and he wants me to go steal her.  Ha!

Sadly, I don't think I'll get around to stealing anyone today, since I STILL have a long list of errands to take care of.  I won't be able to do my banking, thanks to the holiday, but I hope I can get the rest done.  I missed my weekly Saturday Sam's Club trip (which makes my pocketbook happy!) so I think I'll start with that one.  However, I just may go to the Sam's Club in my brother's town, then convince him to meet me there with Monkey.  I can kill two birds with one stone! =)

On that note, I'm going to go call my brother.  Happy Presidents' Day to all my Bloggy Buddies!

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Sunday Funday

Did a bunch of running around today taking care of this phone nonsense for Magnum.  Let's just say, it was not a great day.  Once again, none of MY errands were accomplished.  But, his phone needed to be taken care of because today was the last day of his contract with his current provider.  He had it out with them on the phone a couple of weeks ago, and told them to just cancel his service when his contract expired.  Anyway, I took care of it, and he has a new phone now.

I was supposed to have lunch with Bestest Friend today, whom I haven't seen in almost a freakin' month.  I had to cancel at the last minute (I'm not even kidding, I was literally walking out the door to meet her!) because Magnum called and he had a chunk of time to do this phone crap.  Even though I totally blew her off for lunch, she still wanted to do dinner.  She's awesome like that.  We went to a place that's kinda becoming one of our favorites.  This was only the 4th time I've ever been there, and,  I've been really happy every time.

While we were at dinner, my mother called to see what I was doing, and if I wanted to come over for dinner.  I told you yesterday that my daddy retired Friday.  His friends at his gun club threw a huge surprise party for him this afternoon.  Then, they sent all the leftovers home with him!!  My mother was freaking out a bit.  "There are trays and trays of food here!  Who's going to eat it!?"  Like I said, I had already eaten, and for some reason, she couldn't get a hold of Magnum or Stud.  But, I told her I'd come by anyway, and at least take some of it home for them.

When I got to my parents' house, my sister and her boyfriend were there.  That's a good thing, as her boyfriend can EAT!  He's 6'6", about 350lbs.  He seriously looks exactly like this:
Wait, I think I might actually have a nice picture of them saved on this computer.  I'll be right back.
SEE!  I wasn't kidding!  And, what about that gorgeous sister of mine, huh?  I think I hate her.

Anyhoodles, I ended up staying at my parents' way too late, visiting with the gang.  I almost forgot to come here for my NaBloPoMo obligation!!  But, now I have GOT to hit the sack.  I'm exhausted.  Good thing tomorrow is a holiday, huh, so I don't have to go to work.  Oh, wait, EVERYDAY is a holiday for me these days!  Bwahahahahaha!!  Yes, I know, I'm a dork.  Good night!


Saturday, February 16, 2013

What happened to my Saturday?

I had a list as long as my arm of errands I needed to run today.  Guess how many I got done.  Yep, you guessed it, none.

Thankfully, I DID get to the gym, though.  I went later than usual, but I was still there by 8am.  After my two hour workout, I went to my parents' house to try and help them with a problem they've been having all week with their phone.  I won't bore you with the whole story, but suffice it to say, I didn't get home until 7pm.  LONG day, let me tell ya.

I think I may have mentioned a few weeks ago that my Daddy was retiring.  Well, yesterday was his last day.  Woo hoo!!!  There'll be more about that later.

I'm ready to put my jammies on and hit the sack.  We're actually watching Harry Potter as I sit here and type.  It came on at 7, and we watched it while we ate dinner.  I think I'll watch the rest from the comfort of my bed, while snuggling up under my blankies.  More than likely, I'll be asleep within 10 minutes, which is fine, since I now have a list as long as my arm of errands to run tomorrow.

~~sigh~~

 

Friday, February 15, 2013

2/15/13

Friday, February 15, 2013
How did this Valentine's Day compare with Valentine's days of years past?


Well, it was definitely less mushy/flowery/chocolatey/romantic than the ones of my youth, but WAY better than some of the ones I spent alone.  I already told you about it yesterday, so I guess I'm done. =)

Thursday, February 14, 2013

My Funny Valentine

Ok, I know I already did my post for today, but I just had to share my Valentine's Day gift. 

I got a call bright and early this morning, asking if I would like to spend the day with a certain little Monkey.  Well, is the Pope Catholic?!

We had a delightful morning of play before she literally fell asleep in her highchair while eating a cracker!  Hahaha!!  She looked like this for the next THREE hours!
The poor baby still isn't feeling so hot.  She started yawning around 10am, and I thought I was going to get her to sleep then, but she got a second wind, and played for a while, before she fell asleep around 11.  While she slept, I was able to work out and then shower, so that was kinda nice.

Her mommy sent her with a pretty cute shirt today.

That monkey was part of her Valentine's Day gift from us.  I had bought her a sock monkey at Christmas time that she LOVED.  Sadly, we lost it at Sam's Club last week.  So, now she has a new "baby."

She was actually wearing a "pretty" today.  "Pretty" is her word for jewelry.  My mom bought this bracelet for her on their last cruise (about 2 weeks ago).  It has a little dolphin on it, which is perfect since she's currently obsessed with "fishies."
Her daddy actually came to pick her up today, instead of me taking her to her mommy.  We all played for a little while, and she watched Little Mermaid for the second time today.  She's really loving her beanbag, and dragged it into position when I asked her if she wanted to watch the movie.  I don't know why she looks so uncomfortable, but I swear she wasn't!


Look how cute she was when she was ready to leave!!  (Yes, I know the first one is completely blurry.)

I'm not sure where the new backpack came from, but I couldn't resist putting it on her, and making her carry her own "stuff."  I wish I had brought my phone outside with me when I walked them to the car.  She looked so freakin' adorable, walking down the driveway, holding her daddy's hand, carrying her stuff. :P

Here's what I ended up throwing together for dinner tonight.  I hadn't anticipated having Monkey all day, so dinner was really just an afterthought.

I made our usual salad.  We can, and do, eat it almost every single night.  Mixed greens, kalamata olives, tomatoes, and feta.
I put the cucumbers in a separate bowl tonight because I really can't eat them anymore.  For the past few years, they've been killing me, coming back on me for HOURS after I eat them.  It makes me really sad, because I LOVE cucumbers. :(
I dressed them with the same dressing as the salad - olive oil, red wine or balsamic vinegar (whatever I'm feeling that night) salt, fresh cracked black pepper and crushed garlic. I put it all in a small jelly jar, and shake the bejeezus out of it.

For my little Stud Muffin, I made spinach, sauteed in olive oil, with lots of thinly sliced garlic. 
That boy could eat spinach every night if I made it.  There's a restaurant nearby that he goes to with his friend specifically because there's a spinach dish on the buffet that he loves.

I did serve shrimp, like I said I was going to, but I did absolutely nothing to it.  Thankfully, it was fully cooked, so all I had to do was thaw it under running water for a while. 
We just dipped it in cocktail sauce.  We basically had giant shrimp cocktails for dinner!

We enjoyed some strawberries for dessert.  I snapped a picture of them to show you, because they were HUGE, but I realized after I put it here, that you can't tell how big they are.  I should have put something next to them to serve as a reference.  You can sort of tell, as that's a paper towel, not a napkin, that they're on here.  Well, trust me, they were about as big as my palm!  Man, I would have LOVED it if these had been dipped in chocolate. :(
 And, there you go.  Thanks for letting me bore you with our dinner!  I hope you all had/have a wonderful Valentine's Day, and that you spent it with the ones you love.





Happy Valentine's Day

Thursday, February 14, 2013
How do you feel about Valentine's Day?


Truthfully, I feel kinda meh.  That's one of Stud's favorite words to use - meh.

I know I've mentioned in the past how we always rolled Magnum's birthday (which was yesterday) and Valentine's Day into one big celebration.  Of course, when we were young and in love, it was a BIG deal.  Cards, candy, flowers, jewelry, and so on.  Then, we had all those years apart, and honestly, some of those Valentine's Days were hard.  Well, it was the being alone part that was hard.  But today is now the third Valentine's Day since we got back together, and really, it pretty much is just another day.  A Hallmark Holiday, as some people call it.  I would much rather we show each other how much we love each other every day, not just on Valentine's Day.  I'm sure there won't be any cards or gifts exchanged today.  (To his credit, all those years we were apart, Magnum always had a card and a gift [flowers, candy, etc] for me from Stud.)  And, that's fine with me.  We certainly shouldn't be spending money frivolously right now, anyway.  I'll probably make a nice dinner, like I mentioned the other day.  We may be going to the AT&T store later to get Magnum a new phone (whichever one is FREE with a new phone line), so that's probably the most exciting thing that'll happen tonight.  We live on the wild side, don't we?

I hope you all have a lovely Valentine's Day, and that it turns out exactly how you want it to be.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

2/13/13

Wednesday, February 13, 2013
If you could send out valentines this year as you did back in grade school, what type of valentine would you send out to your blogosphere class?


 Ok, I'm taking the lazy way out of this one.


 These were just a few more that I liked.






Today is Magnum's birthday, but I got the gift.  I got to spend the afternoon with my Monkey!!

This is what she looked like when I got to my brother's.
 I love how her little butt is up in the air, and how her feet are crossed.  So damn cute!!
She's been a bit under the weather the past week or so, which is why I went to my brother's.  He didn't really want to take her out if he didn't have to.

After she woke up, she had lunch.  Naturally, lunch included a banana (duh!) and some of it ended up in her hair.  When she finished eating, I washed her up, and couldn't resist playing with her wet hair.  I thought I'd see how she looked with the same hairstyle as her favorite cousin.  I was laughing so hard, I almost couldn't take these pictures!











Pretty close, right?

 I know this video sucks, but I took it, so you're stuck watching it.  Or don't.  I'll never know!


When my brother got home, I left right away to get home to Magnum.  He actually got home earlier than I anticipated.  We went and picked up some soup for my mom, who's been sick this week, (it's her favorite beet soup from the Lithuanian restaurant down the street) then brought it to her.  Then we left to meet Stud for dinner.  We had a lovely dinner, and now I'm ready to hit the sack.  I'm pretty sure Magnum is already asleep. :(

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

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!!