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30 January 2009

From my perspective

Things look different to everyone and everyone sees things differently.

Me? I would love a really nice camera with which I could not just take pictures but capture moments in time. Well, I would practice anyway.

This is a random effort with an $80 Nikon after the snow storm last week. I was walking home from work and I just started shooting. Don't ask me how I got the green and orange and sometimes nothing. Maybe this is the camera's view... hmmm.

26 January 2009

Waisting Away

I posted this idea on my Status of my Facebook page and I wanted to talk about it here, too, because this is like my online journal. So, even though only myself and a hand full of people read this, my thoughts will be forever in the realms of the world wide web (and ldsjournal.com). :)

Anyhooo, You really know that cut-backs have hit home when you decide to go a week with out a cell phone because you don't want to drive the 40 miles round trip to pick it up.

When gas is more important than connivance, that, my friends, is a recession. "How could we live without these things?" we ask ourselves (as I have many times over the years). The same way I made the choice to use public transportation and make my commute to work almost an two-hour round trip ordeal. But, driving home in rush-hour traffic wasn't much fun, either.

At least for our household, even though gas is no where near $4 again, we still drive less (thanks also to our relocation) and are smart about what and how we consume. Don't get me wrong, I'm not crazy about global warming theories and recycling is a pain, but knowing even that little bit I set aside for the recycle bin is helping somewhere. Plus, I absolutely LOVE getting and using those reusable totes from grocery stores!! I have quite the collection. The Costco ones are studry, the Ikea ones are huge. I like the ones I got at K-Mart and Harmons. They have a plastic piece that fits into the bottom to help it stand up. But the Wal-Mart ones you can shove into small spaces (D even uses one now and then to carry his school books when he doesn't need his big back pack). Plus, some stores give you a 5 cent return for each bag you use on that trip! I had 80 cents off one time! :) Not much, but it's one way to say, "Thank you."

All that over a cell phone??
Funny thing...it was D's cell phone. :) I guess I should ask him how he missed it (hehehe).

24 January 2009

Guess What I Made???

Let me tell you now I never confess to be anywhere close to Rachael Ray. I make cookies now and then (my sister makes them better), the occasional chocolate cake, and fudge of course. But homemade biscuts? Never thought I would, but I was craving biscuts and sausage gravy for some odd reason. I didn't want to go to the store to get the Pillsberry biscuts so I figured I'd look for a recipe. Then, as if a sign, I was looking through my Better Homes and Gardens magazine while at work last night and low and behold...a biscut recipe! Looked easy enough, but I'd need buttermilk. Daryl went to the store with his Dad (he was visiting). Bad idea, but that's another story. Let's just say I gave them a list of 6 things and they came home with a whole lot more. :)

Anyway, feeling quite accomplished, I tried to get some pictures but the pictures don't do it justice. They were a bit heavier than I would have liked, but for my first try they tasted pretty yummy.
Just know that a good friend inspired me to give homemaking a try. I may even try bread after this, without a bread maker...maybe. :)

They were more golden then the pictures shows

22 January 2009

Waiting

*Today is one of my days off work.
*I did laundry on Tuesday, so I restrain myself from emptying any hampers. It can wait until next Tuesday.
*D called the Maintenance Dept, again, yesterday about our shower that is still not put back together. Someone assured him someone would be over today, sometime.
*After getting E on the bus, I take a shower and actually do my hair, grateful my sister talked me into cutting bangs. Should've done that a while ago.
*Get L dressed and head to the grocery store.
*Come home with bags, get in the elevator, get up to the apartment, L screams cuz I take 0ff her jacket. Decide it's nap-time. She won't sleep. She won't even lay down. I shut the door while she's crying, then when she stops crying, I know it's because she's out of bed playing with something. She'll tire eventually. I need to get the food put away.
*Turn on the TV for some background noise, Food Channel is always good. Wrote down some ideas from Paula Dean and Bearfoot Contessa and Giada.
*With background noise going, I make cupcakes to decorate for FHE (will give to neighbors on our floor) and de-thaw some meat for dinner. Then mix different colors of frosting.
*Still by myself in the living room/kitchen. Feels weird.
*Cupcakes are baking. L is crying cuz I put her on the top bunk bed and she "wanna get up" which is funny cuz she never went to sleep.
*I close the door to her room again and sit down on the couch, flipping through channels, nothing to watch. D will be home from class soon. Better get started on dinner.
*Dinner? It's not even 3pm, I tell myself.
*Well, what do I do with at least 30 minutes, all to myself?
*Maintenance guy comes, looks at the shower, says, "I have to go see if the store room has this part. I probably won't be back tonight but someone will be by tomorrow." Are you freaking kidding me?????
"DING" cupcakes are done. Now what?


Face it, I do not know how to relax.

21 January 2009

Baby Bro Gets Hitched

Saturday was a beautiful day and we are very glad to add Janice to our family! At the reception I was busy taking pictures with Janice's camera (fun camera!) so I didn't get many pictures from the party, but know that we had fun and food was yummy and it was great to see the family and friends all day. Now that I think about it, I didn't see Zac and Janice eat any of the food...oh well. Mom has the extra cake. Maybe not anymore. :)


15 January 2009

T I M E is relative

I'm trying really hard to not let my work experiences make their way to this page...really hard.

"It's the same way every time!"

There, that's it. That's all you're gonna get. Just the vision of that gives me a good chuckle. Sometimes, that's all we need, hu?

Well, life goes on. That's what I'm experiencing. We moved, D and E started back into school, L started a structured day care, I'm still working, my little bro is getting married this weekend, and L counted to 15 by herself this morning!!

Yes, life goes on and I'm having a hard time not only capturing it but keeping it all straight. I keep waiting for the "when everything slows down and I can take a deep breath" time and I can feel like I'm not running my pants off. Besides, tonight is our FHE because we have Jordan Thursday nights, so there's no rest tonight.

Speaking of, I better go and help E with her homework while L counts the crayons...again...Oh crap, I need to go switch the laundry!!!

10 January 2009

Maced Myself

Yeah, only I could pull this off.

I was walking home from work last night, late. I've had some mace on my key chain for a couple of years but never used it. So, I was bored walking home and decided to make sure the thing worked. I'd hate to have to use the thing and it fizzles out right when I need it.

The snap was pretty tough to open. :) Then, to depress the button, you have to twist the top, then push down. Yeah, that's what you think about when you are facing an attacker. "Hold on a sec, I need to turn this cap so I can push the button. I'll be with you in a minute. Thanks." I can see, though, that it would need protection, esp from people such as myself.

Anyway, when I sprayed it, the stream was pretty weak then fizzled completely. Not only that, but it leaked out all over my fingers from the weak sprayer and nozzle. No more umph. Glad I got that out of my system. Time to get a new one, I guess. I threw the empty can away and wiped snow over my hands to clean the sticky mess and continued home.

Did I mention it was late? More like early. The last case at work went really late and I stayed to finish it up. I walked into our apartment just before 1am this morning. Of course, Daryl and I haven't seen each other all day, so he wants to catch up. I'm nodding and saying "uhha" at the right times to keep the conversation going and listening to his stories of the girls' adventures. 'My nose itches.' Hmmm, why does my nose sting. 'These darn eyelashes. It's been bugging me all day.' Rub, rub, rub... AHAHAHA!! 'My eye's burning!!' Why? 'The mace!' How'd you get mace in your eye!?! 'It got on my hands; I sprayed the can and it leaked on my fingers!' (cannot help the tearing; letting it tear and wash out my eye) 'Oh it burns. Do you think if I wash it out it will go away faster?' Probably. 'I'm too tired. I'll just let the tears clean it.' Can't stand it any longer. I go to the sink and splash water on my face (not knowing that it burns worse if you rub it!) and the burning spreads. So I grab face soap and scrub. Still burning. I gave up, dried my face and went back to bed. "My eye feels better, but the rest of my face is on fire. I don't care. I'm going to sleep."

Moral to the story: Aim carefully...and don't scratch.

Welcome to my world

06 January 2009

Unique New York

I know I told you I wouldn't trivialize you with a list of New Year's Resolutions, but we missed the bus this morning. :)

Stay with me for a minute...

So, I'm driving (sliding, more like) Eliza to school on the scary snowy roads and listening to a local radio morning show and they were talking about resolutions, of course. But not just the regular, classic resolutions (i.e. 'loose weight' blah, blah) but resolutions that you'd like to start or keep doing that are not so traditional. So, I've thought of a few unique ones for myself!

**Put pocket change into a collection jar to use for Christmas presents this coming year
**Send Birthday cards to all of my family members (including nieces and nephews)
**Throw away socks that don't have a matching pair
**Work with the kids so they will wash and dry the dishes after dinner
**Learn to use my mother-in-law's Criquet
**Make more cards
**Send more cards that I've made
**Eat more marshmallows and cheese on soda crackers
**Put away the chocolate (I'm just putting it somewhere so I can't always see it. I didn't say get
rid of it entirely! These are just unique, not impossible. Sheesh!)

Well, my mind is running dry, but I'd like to add to this list, just 'cuz I think it would be fun. Wanna add something? Let me know and I'll make a running list on the side! Then we can look at it all the time and remind ourselves often of our goals!! :) Because, we all know that the first step to accomplishing a goal is to write it down! Until next time...

03 January 2009

Happy New Year!!

I'm going to spare you all a list of my Resolutions, of which I've learned a long time ago that by March they are pretty much non-exsitant. :) Besides, they were all stuff that I'd generally be working on even if I didn't have a reason like 'New Year Resolutions' to write them down. One year, I was so bold to make up a progress calendar in order to keep myself on track ... I must have lost it somewhere.

No worries. My goals are safe in my head (while I'm currently eatting toffee-covered nuts) and I can't wait to fight people for that treadmill, as soon as I find the closest 24Hour Fitness. I don't worry. They'll be all mine by the end of the month, anyway.

Best of Luck! Enjoy the random pictures!