Go Jump in a Lake!

What a week it has been! I have hardly been on the computer-work does not count- and this weekend is all about catching up with what I do online. Right now Sexy Husband and Darian are out on the lake, boating. Here is a photo taken moments ago...I guess she went overboard with my brother in law's piloting of the vessel. Note that I am on the land as that craft makes me waaay too seasick. Plus, boating is not my thing. Sure, it is my husband's livelihood, but I am about as into boating as he is into clogging.




Some highlights from this past week:

*Falling down concrete stairs. At 5:15 am this past Tuesday morn, I lost my footing while the dog lead me outside and went sliding down the stairs. Landed on my tushie and backs of my forearms (aft arms?) My arms are bruised and it has hurt to type. Wah. And I lost my shoes and scraped the bottoms of my feet. Ouch.

*Starting drama camp. Darian began a 2 week class who's performance is called 'The Wiz meets the Wizard of Oz.' I have listened to her belt out 'Ease on Down the Road' about 600 times. That, and 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.' Fortunately, she does not intimate that the witch is me.

*Sleeping at the drive in. Last Saturday night we loaded up the car and headed to the drive in to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I *fell asleep* just as Violet was about to meet her fate. I woke up in time to drive us home, well after midnight.

*Curbing my need to dine out. Since my office moved to it's new location, I find that not only do I have to pay for parking daily, but choose to dine out for lunch, not to mention the daily espresso drink. I have been averaging $14-$19/day- basically throwing away money. This past week I only ate out once. OK, 3 times. Tuesday I had lunch with my girlfriends and yesterday I had a Starbuck's eggsandwich for breakfast and take-out chicken yakisoba for lunch. ( I refuse to count going out to dinner with the family and our good friends Wednesday night, nor ordering pizzas for Darian's sleepover last night.) Baby steps!

*Catching up on laundry. I don't know what happened, but since they got back from Texas, I am doing like 2 loads per day.

The dryer is calling me now.....

The cooking meme

I was tagged by Lora!

What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own? I never knew what actual cooking was until I met my husband. Before that, I ate out- a lot- and I ate a lot of frozen dinners. When Sexy Husband and I first dated, I was invited to his family's house for Christmas dinner and decided that I would bring a dish. His family is definitely not a potluck family but I wanted to make an impression with a tasty offering. I made a baked ziti and to everyone's surprise- no one got sick! That was in 1993 and since then, I have been preparing home made dishes, but still eating out a lot.

Who had the most influence on your cooking? I had no clue about fine cooking or preparing anything creative -(that did not involve the staples of pasta, sauce, cheese, and chicken) until I met Kathy. She and her husband are definite foodies. After spending 3 days a week in their kitchen for over a year, I learned so much about kitchen tools, food preparation, and appreciation of a good meal. From them I gleaned the love of the Kitchenaid mixer, Global knives, William Sonoma, Metropolitan Market, Whole Foods, and a silent Bosch dishwasher. (OK, I don't have a Bosch, but the the same price my dishwasher is just as quiet. Well, not *that* quiet, but still.)

Do you have an old photo as “evidence of an early exposure to the culinary world and would you like to share it? No photographic evidence!


Mageiricophobia do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat? I don't cook anything that I don't want to, but I will say that baking is not my forte. Oh, I do make my World Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies as well as Strawberry Coconut Cheesecake, but that's about all the sweets I do. I am not big on pie making and dough rolling. I am not a strong baker.

What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest letdown? The gadgets I use the most that I consider most valuable would be my set of Global knives. The handles are hollow so they are easy to hold onto for lengthy amounts of time where I am doing a lot of chopping. Using the correct knive for the purpose, the cut is clean and quick and the blades are so razor sharp. And, they have a beautiful design. I get a lot of compliments on the stainless steel block that sits on the counter.
The biggest gadget letdown would be the Egg-stractor. As seen on TV! I make a lot of deviled eggs during the summer- a variety of recipes thanks to Martha!- and so my husband thought that for ease of peeling, he would order this thing off TV. Sorry, honey, but it is a piece of crap that took away more time than it was supposed to save. Lame piece of plastic, in my opinion. But, it did come with a recipe book that told me how to boil an egg! That part is the keeper.

Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like and probably no one else! I have a pretty common palate which may border on refined, but nothing too weird. I do like the occasional peanut butter on a blueberry waffle. Oh! I just was thinking about the deviled eggs and I make a curry one. The thought of curry and eggs initially made my stomach turn, but with the hundreds of times I have made this simple picnic fare, they have turned out to be my favorite.

What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don'’t want to live without?
That would have to be coffee, organic chicken, and good varieties of cheese.

Any question you missed in this meme, that you would have loved to answer? Well then, feel free to add one! What is your most memorable kitchen mishap?
That would have to be when I decided that my dutch friend needed to try the truly American dish of a tuna melt. I was in Amsterdam at the time and if you have ever been to Amsterdam you know what is available at every coffee shop. What is not available is tuna and cheddar cheese, let alone regular old Best Foods mayonnaise. That said, I visited a coffee shop, indulged in a little bit of this and that, then went on a quest for tuna, cheese, and mayo. After locating said ingredients, albeit very expensive ones, I ended up not feeling so well, practically passing out, and leaving the 'cooking' to my husband while my friend looked on bewildered. Now, close to 10 years later, I still get made fun of by my husband and he is sure to bring it up everytime our friend comes to the states to visit us.

Three quickies:
Your favorite ice-cream… Right now it is coconut sorbet
You will probably never eat… liver, lamb, and oreo cookies
Your own signature dish… My husband would say that it is Boursin mashed potatoes, and my daughter would say that it is my lasagne.

As for tagging... I am so not good at this! If you wish to try it, leave me a comment that you have the cooking meme on your blog! I would love to hear all of your cooking adventures.

Stuff Portrait Friday!

This Weeks Pictures: Where you sleep

* Your Bed

I love, love, love my bed, It's really hard to tell from the photo, as I am a crappy photographer, but we have a queen with 6 feather pillows and the giant french pillow. I have no idea why it it called 'french', but, if you want to buy a new sham for that odd size, it's the same price as a ticket to France. Ah ha! And yes, I have curtains that match my bedding, thanks to my mother in law and Horchow.





* Your Dresser (or drawers)

I am glad that this picture is a bit out of focus so that you do not focus on all the junk and dust that sits atop my dresser.




* Your favorite Jammies

My favorite things to sleep in are my Donna Karan undershirts and Target sleep pants. The sleep pants are so comfy, that I wear them for household chores. This particular pair has blue paint all over them. The undershirts are the softest cotton ever. For some reason, my black undershirts are softer than the white ones. I prefer the black as I have to get up at 4:30am to walk the freakin dog and the white shirts show off my nipples.






Now, I want to go to bed! Thank you, Kristine!

They are home!

So happy now...my baby and sexy husband are home. Here is what she was doing while in Texas. Check out that form!


The tennis pro

Friday's Feast on a Saturday morning

Ya, I know it is not a Friday, but I wanted to try out this meme type thingy as seen on Lora's blog:

Appetizer
What kind of car do you drive? If you could make an even trade for any other car, what would you want to drive?
Right now I drive a Honda Civic- a very common, dependable, efficient car. I have the little extras like the alarm and the killer sound system, but must admit that it is not 'fancy' enough for me. I used to drive Bob, our Jeep, but he is now in the garage and only used for camping and skiing. I really want a Volvo S80

Soup
Take your phone number and add each number together separately (example: 8+6+7+5+3+0+9=38) - what's the total?
47

Salad
When were you last outside, and what were you doing?
I was just outside about an hour ago, walking the dog. It's a lovely morning in my neck of the woods of Seattle!

Main Course
What is your favorite restaurant, and what do you usually order there?
I really love Jak's Grill. They do this incredible beef skewer with a gorgonzola bechemel that is so melt in your mouth delicious. It's not always on the menu, but most times when we go, they have it as the special. Also, Darian can get a grilled cheese sandwhich there for only $2.99. Again, not on the menu, but whatever we ask for, they always seem to have! Sometimes Sexy Husband and I just go into the bar for a glass of wine and share a steak sandwich. They make it very elegant and tasty!

Dessert
Name 3 things in which you occasionally indulge.

1. red wine
2. brand new books
3. Baci chocolates

And that is Friday's Feast on a Saturday morning!

Don't Mess With Texas

Y'all know I got back from TX a few days ago, right? And you're dying to know more about what happened while I was down there, right? Well, I am going to tell you, anyway!

Great Grandma _Bo really wanted to see her one and only great granddaughter as well as her grandson and granddaughter-in-law. Sexy Husband's dad lives in TX, too, and he wanted to spend some quality time with his son. Not like he could come up here to Seattle to visit. It's not like he is in a rest home/senior condo like Grandma, no, he just has too many things going on down there to come up and see us.

Anyway, I dreaded making the trek down there because A. I am allergic to Texas and B. Have you any idea how freakin' hot it is there? But, Family First! So, we take a 6am flight on a Saturday morning to fly into Austin. As we are making our decent onto this foreign soil, Sexy Husband explains to Darian that the town where Grandma lives is the town where George Bush is from and she is *not* to make any Bush jokes while she is there. She looked at him coolly and said, 'I know the Bush's. They grow in my backyard. Hahahahah!!' You should have seen the faces on the plane and the dead silence that followed. /crickets chirp/

We deal with the rental car company- a blog post unto itself- and I get upgraded to a MINIVAN. I am not a minivan mom. Never have been, never will. Nothing against you fine folk who own and enjoy them- they are just not me. But, damn! Do you feel like the captain of the enterprise behind the wheel of that thing! I drove close to 1,000 miles in that thing spending half the time playing with the electronic seat adjusters while the cruise control did all the work! Then sexy husband reminded me that for years I drove a 'high up' car and it sits in the garage only to be taken out for camping and weekends skiing. (It's our beloved Jeep named Bob which Sexy Husband had turned into what Darian calls a 'Monster Truck')

We make our way to Dad's house, the next day trekking out to Grandma's. She lives about 5-6 hours east of Dad and because I was tail gating Dad's Buick with the cruise control set on 80, we made it in a record 4.5 hours. Dad only crapped his pants twice.

While visiting Grandma, Darian enjoyed scooter rides as well as lunch in the home's dining room. And boy was it a special day for us- lunch was the choice of....Beef Stroganov or *liver*. Darian said, 'Uh, I don't really eat meat' which made Grandma almost fall out of her chair. She opted for a roll with some jelly. Apparently, strawberry jelly is a hot ticket item there at Shady Acres, and it took quite a bit of trolling to score a packet of Smuckers. She did and Grandma enjoyed her liver while I downed the Folgers. This is the life, I tell ya!

Now comes drama: the phone rings and because Grandma is deaf (only when she wants to be) she passes the phone to dad as someone is ranting and raving about a bomb scare at her other son's house in Florida. A bomb scare? What is that? Grandma was in on it!! I only heard Dad's side of it:

"She's been drinking too much wine."
"Well, it's all lies, lies...well, she makes up stories cause she's drunk all the time."
"Yes, that is my estranged brother. He knows...it's called Denial!"

For about 15 more minutes, I hear talk of wine and wine, and some other grandson who decided he wants to bomb his step dad and mom's house, but told Grandma about it first, and how dare Grandma not call Florida to warn them about it!

Drama, drama, blah, blah, blah.....I tell you...reading this you are not making sense and if you had been there in person, you would not have made sense of it. At all. I still don't. But what gets me is why do you involve the 89 year old grandma who is being treated for dementia and is just trying to live a peaceful life at Shady Acres? The grandma who is more generous and caring than any other grandma I have known? Why hurt her like that? The _Bo matriarch and patriarch say it's because of all the *wine*. No imbibing for me while I was down there! I had my cocktail tonight trying to sort through it all!

I did enjoy some nice dinners. The family went out for cheap mexican one night (my treat!) and another night opted for steaks. Of course!

Sadly, I had to leave the excitement behind, hitting the road with my dog to spend the night in Austin before leaving at 5:30 the next morning for home. While in Austin, I got to spend a few hours in person with the lovely Lora. We went to a tasty place in Austin call z'Tejas where I had a luscious meal of crab stuffed chicken. Oy, was it good! And how cool to meet a blogger in person! Lora, true to her blog persona, is articulate, kind, and really cute! And she drives a Jeep, too! I thank her so much for her hospitality and am looking forward to reciprocating! Did I mention that I was in Austin?

So, I am home now and counting the hours until I hit the airport the pick up my family. I have been in contact daily, talking to Dad, Darian, and Sexy Husband. The wine and bombs are no more, traded in for time on the tennis court. The _Bo team kicked some serious doubles ass at the club, I am told, and Darian has one helluva serve!

While Texas is not one of my favorite places on this earth, I will say that the few days spent this past week there are some of the most memorable and pleasurable I have had. And I am glad to say that Sexy Husband, Darian, Grandma, and Dad all agree.

Haiku Friday

My girlfriends and I
used to write every Friday
in the haiku form.

I thought to bring it
back and share with the world wide
internets today.

What do you think, friend?
Can you comment in this form?
I think it is so cool!

Remember the form:
5-7-5 and don't try
thinking too hard, 'k?!

Stuff Portrait Friday~ What's For Dinner?

It's Stuff Portrait Friday! This week totally sucks because my camera is in Texas along with my darling daughter and sexy husband. So I used my *cell phone* and shot these. This week's photos are to be:

* Your specialty dinner

* Food you ALWAYS have in your house

* Your favorite appliance

I have not cooked in a week and the fridge is practically bare since we are on vacation. That said, you can simply imagine what my specialty dinner looks like then dream about the taste. My specialty dinner happens to be Thanksgiving. Yup. Turkey dinner. I do an herb roasted turkey, Boursin mashed potatoes, and stuffing that is made with white raisins and 12 grain bread. (I don't have a name for it- I just cook it and the crowd loves it!) Those are just the staples. Each year, I choose other sides from Gourmet and Bon Appetite magazine to serve to my guests. Thanksgiving is one my favorite dinners to prepare and I think that I am damn good at it. You are coming over this year for dinner, right?

Yes, the cupboards are bare, but there are some staples:


We *always* have Darian's yogurt and her mac and cheese and broccoli. I also like to have handy the grey poupon and chicken. Mix the mustard with some olive oil, red wine vinegar, herbs de Provence, and garlic and you have the perfect French marinade for your chicken. Of course we always have handy the Tillamook brick o'cheese and some fruit. But do you really want to see bananas and cheese? I mean c'mon! I have the Costco sized dijon mustard handy!

My favorite appliance, aside from my beloved silent dishwasher that has adjustable racks for champagne flutes, or my microwave that has a setting just for softening ice cream, it has to be my KitchenAid mixer.



And that's my stuff!

The Clogger Blogger is back!

Evening to ya, internet and friends! Have you ever been so tired that you are actually hallucinating- like seeing rainbows and fireflys dancing around your dog and your computer? I know you all have so you must be wondering how come I am still up?

It's to let you all know that I am back from Texas and I made it in one piece! Can you guess I am a little tired and punchy? I am! And I will tell you all about my adventures, but first- the teaser! Highlights from the trip!

They include, but are not limited to:

* My dog questioning his sexuality after being sought after by another male Pomeranian who, I swear, talks with the voice of Billy Bob Thorton in Sling Blade. 'Mmm...I'm gunna get me some cute Pomeranian hiney. Ummhummm.'

* My husband's grandmother being drawn into some whacked out plot to bomb her daughter in law's home in Florida. While she freaked, my daughter rode grandma's mobility scooter up and down the hallways of rest home......

* Dining out with Lora!!

* Me driving a brand new minivan- putting just a mile or two under 1000 miles on that bad boy. Me. And a *minivan*.

* Having my father in law learn about what a blog is from my husband and then refer to me as the Clogger Blogger. Yee Haw!

OK, I am hallucinating road kill right now.

More of the '80's!

If you liked the music of the 80's like I liked the music of the '80's, then you should have no trouble scoring well on this one:

'80's Lyrics Quiz: People are What?

(for some reason, the button will not paste into my blog)

It was over at Lora's blog and the moment I opened it, I realized I had done it before. But I did it again and got a score of 92- a definite pop junkie.

How about you?

Don't *EVER* tell me that you are poor again.

I'm keeping this one short, even though it is a subject very close to my heart and I could spend hours actually talking to you about. No, it's not about shoes, so shut up! It's about poverty.

To give you a little background, I grew up not so financially well off. My mother was the single mother to 2 kids and worked her ass off to provide a rented roof and walls for us. Still, we went without and I distinctly remember the Christmas where I got an orange and a wind up toy and listened to my mom cry all day. I kid you not. My daughter has absolutely no clue how well she has it. (But I make her appreciate it every Christmas by telling her that story- one of the reasons she only asks 'Santa' for 3 things.)

Now that I am grown and have a home of my own, I find that I have a decent family life- drastically different from that of my youth. I don't have to tell my daughter that we can't buy groceries today because we can't afford them, or not be home at night because I have to work overtime to be able to pay the rent. I am thankful everyday for the bounty bestowed upon me. What I give out is definitely coming back in.

That said, there are still times when I feel I will not have enough money to cover things- petty things- and will whine to my husband telling him that I am so poor. He *hates* that I use that term to describe my financial situation. "What do you mean you are poor? Have you looked around this house? Your bills are paid, the fridge is stocked, and you just bought yourself another pair of shoes! I can't stand it when you use that term!"

He's right. I shouldn't just throw that word around when I am feeling sorry for myself, especially after I have visited the Global Rich List. Put's a bit of perspective on my pity party, eh?

Ellie

I finally got a real picture of the dog where he does not totally look like Mr. Winkle's dad. I can finally see his neck; a rhinestone collar is now a must have! He's such a cutie!


Ellie's summer cut

Stuff Portrait Friday!

Total 80's Flashback!

*Something from the 80's you can't let go of

*A picture of you from the 80's

*A CD or movie you have from the 80's

I have a preppy sweater that I cannot for the life of me *ever* give up. I call it my spirit sweater. I bought it in a *Benetton* store in a town called Salisbury near Stonehenge. I was 18 and it cost me a lot of pounds! It is really nicely made sweater and I have been wearing it around the house, to bed, or out for the past 16 years!


The spirit sweater from England~ 1989

I hardly have any photos of me from the '80's. I do have this one sitting on my desk here downstairs in the basement. It's from the night I met Robert Smith from the Cure. That little piece of paper I am holding has his autograph which read, 'Beans Love, Robert' Or it could say 'Bears'. I never could figure it out. And yes, I looked like that much through the 80's. My hair was died black in 1986 and stayed that way until like 1991!


Beans! Love, Robert

Finally, it's CD's from the '80's. Now, I got my very first CD player in 1988 and for the holidays traveled to LA to visit my paternal grandmother for the very first time. She treated me to a trip to Tower Records and these are but a few of what she purchased for me. I will never forget the guy behind the counter telling my little old Jewish grandmother that she had great taste in music. She was deaf and just replied with a 'Huh?' then looked to me and asked what he just said to her. Anyway, I got Jane's Addiction, the Cult, and Dark Side of the Moon. I had read that it was illegal to own a CD player and not have a copy of that album. In a storage unit somewhere in Maryland sits these same albums on vinyl.


The first CD's I ever bought~ 1988.

So there you have it! A little piece of my teenage years!

Friday check in!

Yes, yes, I know you are all waiting with baited breath to see my 80's offering for Stuff Portrait Friday, but that is going to have to wait! I am on a tight schedule right now and just wanted to pop in and say Hello. Hello.

I promised a photo of Ellie after his haircut but first I wanted to give a big shout out to my husband who celebrated his birthday yesterday. He's the love of my life, he's my mady and I look forward to celebrating many, many, many more years with him.


birthday boy


OK, so here is Ellie. I did something to my camera and now with every picture I take, there is some sort of delay before the shutter releases. Or whatever. In anycase, the dog was posed, but then he tried to jump up on me. He looks like some sort of muppet:




And yes, he is smiling. Gotta go! Happy Friday!

8 Truths and 2 Lies Revealed!

Remember this one? Well, you thought you knew me, few readers who played, but all of you were wrong! Wrong!

1. I was in an Appalachian Clogging Troupe for several years. Yup, this one is true. I was a folk dancer! And if you are wondering what Appalachian Clogging is, think Riverdance to hillbilly music!
2. I spent 14 weeks backpacking through Europe where I sustained a severe knee injury snowboarding in the Alps. True! For Christmas of 1994, I got snowboarding lessons. The week in December when I was in St. Moritz was not good snowfall wise, thus, I fell. I was treated at a very fancy orthopedic clinic!
3. I used to volunteer with the Seattle Public Library recording books on tape for the blind. LIE I always wanted to do this, but the library says you have to have a degree in library sciences to do anything in their facility. Whatever.
4. When I was much younger, I did some naughty things with a very famous band and it was published in the lead singer's memoirs. True and let's leave it at that. My mom reads this blog!
5. I sang several Cole Porter tunes at my sister-in-law's wedding, much to my mother- in-law's chagrin. True! I did sing 2 songs accompanied by a 3 piece ensemble. The few gay men at the wedding thought I was fantastic!
6. During the time I was a stay at home mom, I donated some of my eggs to a clinic as we were desperate for money. They paid me $3K. LIE Nope, too much diabetes and cancer in my family to qualify!
7. When I was a little girl, my baby sitter's teenage son spiked my juice with acid. This one is so absolutely true...I get the heebee geebees thinking about it.
8. I have spent several summers volunteering at a summer camp for the developmentally delayed. True! For my brother-in-law's summer camp, we have made it a family affair with all of us volunteering. One of the most rewarding experiences of my life!
9. I was once so mad at my husband while we were at a festival that I stole his wallet and threw it into a crowd of people. I did this one at Bumbershoot long before Darian was born. He did find his wallet, and my temper has calmed as I have grown up!
10. I spent my spare time, one summer, going to dollar theaters to see Pulp Fiction. I ended up seeing that movie approximately 14 times. This one drives Scott nuts. Our first year of marriage, that is all I wanted to do!

So, now you know!

Damn Straight

Have I ever told you about my hair? Well, take a look at that photo over there on the profile. That cute, chubby cheeked little cherub is me and those ringlets are the real deal. As I have aged, I have frizzed. I thank the goddess above my daughter does not have to deal with the follicular traumas that I have had to endure- ginormous hair, the loss of assorted writing tools and small children in my thick curls, running out of afro sheen on a weekly basis. Just to list a few. For kicks and giggles, I have begun to straighten my hair. When I do, my daughter says that I look just like her! If you couldn't tell, I'm the darker one.

I know you shouldn't talk about your job on your blog....

But I really, really want to. I'll make it quick as I have a coworker who reads this blog and I don't want it getting around the office. Someone almost caught this person sneaking in a peek of my SPF offering and I was almost found out. This person would never tell, cause we share a lot of the same feelings about our position, but still. I certainly don't want us getting dooced for it!

OK, so.....you know what? I can't do it. I already gave you too much with the Ten on Tuesday things that annoy you about work post. I have my karma to think about.

No more work talk. I'll talk about my dog!

He's going to Texas with me this weekend! And to prepare for the sweltering heat- c'mon, I live in Seattle where 80 degrees is considered crotch pot cookin'!- he is going to the groomers for his first ever real summer clipping. Of course, I have only owned him for 7 months, so there has been no reason for a fur cut, but boy will he be in for a shock come this Wednesday! I think I have mentioned that he is kind of a freak and a half. Yes? Yeah, well, he is really hooked on me and is deathly afraid of just about anyone else. Initially, he had a bad habit of crapping on or near me when someone tried to pet him. Have I mentioned lately that he is damn cute, too?

I've requested the Teddy Bear a la Mr. Winkles and hope the groomer can deliver. My pet carrier can barely fit all of his fur as it is. Check back Wednesday night when I post his new do!

You like me...you really, really like me!

I just want to say Thank You to everyone who has stopped by my blog this past week. I have had close to 60 new visitors in the past four days- in part due to SPF- and while half of you just looked at the photos, the rest of you bothered to read what I have to say- some even commented!

I started this blog over a year ago and did not share it, nor made it public until a few months ago. Initially, it was going to be an outlet to get some creative writing in. I wrote a few posts, then put the blog back on the shelf and went on with my day to day life. Then I felt the need to share some random bits from my life- my dog being an initial source for many posts. Granted, I choose not to comment on world events- news worthy, political, etc.- nor do I attempt to poke fun at anyone other than myself. So, yes, much of what I have to say can be dull and lackluster. But I know that it makes you smile, and I know that most of you can relate. ( I feel the warmth through the stat counter. Really. I do.)

So, here's to you dear reader. Thank you for taking a look into my life and for the time you took to visit me. Please be sure to come back again soon!

Thank you, Lora!

Not only did she *call me* and I got to speak with a blog friend *in person*, but she also got me to play today's meme: What kind of coffee are you?

You all know how much I love these quizzy things, and being that I am hopelessly addicted to coffee- my only vice!- I had to do this one. I am dissapointed to say that this particular one has me pegged all wrong. First of all, it's spelled wrong- FrappUCcino not FrappAcino- and second: caffeine addiction low? What *is that* all about?!

Try it and tell me if the results are in alignment with your coffee needs:

You Are a Frappacino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

How I got into MIT

OK, so I didn't, but I did take a survey there! After seeing this over at Lora's blog first last month, I started to see it elsewhere. Being that I love to take surveys, I decided to try it today- with loads of free computer time!

So, make some science, or be a statistic. Click on the link and answer the damn questions!

Turkey Print

I know you have been up all night wondering what the Turkey Print has to say. What did Darian have to say about Thanksgiving of 2002 at the tender age of 5?

How Do You Cook A Turkey?

Cut it because it is very hot. Be kind of careful. We get it from stores, like pizza store, and lots of stores, ...like grocery stores. Cook it and wait a long, long, long, time, like 14 minutes! You should cook it at 1, 000 degrees. Cut it in half. We give the turkey to people and they eat it and we give them lots of wine.

She continued to feel that this was the appropriate thing to do at Thanksgiving. When she was six, again, she did the turkey hand print and wrote a very similar story. That framed gem hangs in a home in Texas!

And speaking of Johnny Depp

I was just over at Pissy Britches site and was happy to see that she showed a magazine with *gush* Johnny Depp on the cover. My daughter just came downstairs and threw August's issue of Nickelodeon Magazine at me. (*her* subsricption- I only showed mine for today's Stuff Portrait Friday) Who is on the cover?

*smiles*

An exclusive interview with Johnny Depp! Squeal! In the interview, he reveals that is he *not* a nose picker and is scared of boogers! Oh, we have so much in common....

Stuff Portrait Friday

It's Stuff Portrait Friday!

Today I will show a magazine subscription, favorite framed picture, and major household pet peeve.

I will start with the peeve. It's my half finished basement. Here is a photo of part of what is supposed to be the spa bathroom. I love my fancy I-talian marble, but where is the fancy thermostatic shower panel? It sits in a dark closet next to where the bathroom is. And how about that Toto super flusher toilet? Still at the plumbing supply store!



Here is another part of the downstairs I really loathe: the ghetto stairs. This paneling needs to come out so we can re-wire and put in new walls. It looks as though the Incredible Hulk has come to visit, eh?



Favorite framed pictures? Well, I have to admit that I am not big on having pictures sitting around. I have latham plaster walls and am still unsure where I want to drill to hang anything, so the walls sit bare. I do have photos on the mantel, but none scream to me as the Favorite, though they are nice. These are the two pics in frames that I like the best. They are in my kitchen:





I do get one magazine in the mail and the newest issue arrived yesterday. Still in the protective wrapper!

Bon Appetit!

Happy Friday, internet friends!

Do I have this affect on everyone, or just the homeless?

I work in a very diverse neighborhood- an historic part of town where you will find art galleries, hip & happenin' bars, sports pubs, 2 sports stadiums, and plenty of homeless people. My office is right across the street from a Starbucks (ha, isn't everyone's?) and some mornings I like to dawdle over there to get me a breakfast sandwich-egg and spinach on an English muffin. Yu-Me! Today I went in a bit early as sometimes they are sold out of my favorite flavour.

Today was I in luck! Not only did they have plenty of breakfast sandwiches available to those of us who like to waste $4-not including the double tall soy latte- each morning, but a lovely homeless man was directly in front of me in the line and he *peed his pants* just as I ordered. He didn't seem to notice, nor did the people behind me, but, oh, did I! Now, I am not the type of person to draw attention to myself or others in public and certainly do not wish to embarrass anyone- even though I doubt I could have embarrassed this guy as he pissed and kept on walking and eating his cinnamon roll. So, I took a gigantic leap around the puddle to pay for my breakfast, nonchalantly glaring at the baristas who immediately whipped into action with the mop and caution sign posts. The people in line behind remained stoic; not one aired any concern. They ordered their lattes and mochas as any other day, homeless man pissing seeming to be a common occurrence. I certainly hope not!

You know, this is the second time in the past 4 months that someone has relieved themselves in front of me whilst waiting at a till. Yup,earlier this year, an elderly gentleman *crapped his pants* at the local Marshalls and no one working there noticed! Now, Marshalls gets a different kind of crowd and you better believe that several customers made a stink about that one, *and* managed not to pay retail for the cashmere sweaters.

Another reason why I love Seattle.

What a relief!

You know, I just composed a couple paragraphs about how internalizing stressful situations causes me to become uptight with certain bodily functions, but out of respect for you, dear readers, I'll spare you the details of my colon and it's inability to function properly. I will say that I am so relieved to have survived three weekends in a row of entertaining and hosting family. I love my family dearly, but can't help but appreciate the fact that I have a house with only three people living inside. I am glad to report that all who have stayed at Monkey Hill this past month have enjoyed themselves immensely. At least, that's what they said as they packed their bags.

So begins a week of rest and lowkey homelife. Back to the bump and grind of regular routine.

Until next week when we take off for the land of Texas......

New Slang

Last night Darian waltzed into the kitchen and asked, 'What's the biggie?'. I answered her question with another question. 'Huh?'. She told me that it means, what is happening, or, what is the big deal. Big deal as in a happening. Like fireworks. Huh? It's her own slang! She made this up and assures me that it is 'from her brain', not from the Disney channel.

Start peppering your conversations with it!

"What's the biggie, J Bo?"

"Well, I spent most of yesterday cooking only to find out that half of the folks I invited over for the bbq are not coming!"

We are still going to have a nice family fourth, despite that fact that I will not have a yard full of people. We've got the bouncy house up, the neighbor kids are going to play with Darian, I will do some baking, and tonight we will have our bbq. Hopefully we will stay up this year for the fireworks! (We can see the Lake Union fireworks from our street.)

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Stuff Portrait Friday

It's Stuff Portrait Friday and I have pictures to share!

Your keys:


I have keys to three cars and one house.

View from the front door (looking in or out):


I just went to the front door (which we never use) and snapped this one. I hope you can't see all the dust all over the piano!

Something you kept from a past relationship:


My mother in law passed away 8 years ago and before she died, she gave me this watch that she used to wear everyday.