Good morning!

I'm up early, no particular reason. Buddy has been asleep since 11:30 or so, and other than a few squeaks and rolls, no noise comes through his monitor. Hubby is home, so I can't blame insomnia on missing him for once.

I'm excited about my irises. They're going to be purple! :) A friend gave them to me last Spring, but it was too late for them to take root and bloom, so I've anticipated seeing which shade of our state's flower would turn up around our mailbox. I also can't wait to see my roses in bloom again. Each bush has at last 7 buds on it already! After all, it's the simple things in life.... (Just for kicks, you can fill in the blank in the comments to complete this thought for me.)

I think I'll be digging out my (failed) Finding Focus Project from a couple of years ago and modify it to get myself into organizational gear. I don't have a choice. I must.

A couple of people have wondered how the babywearing's gone. I have to confess, not as well as I'd like, but it's not a disaster, either. I've started slinging Buddy into Bear's gymnastics class... that infant carrier is too darn heavy with his 17-ish pounds, and I can't take the stroller up the steps to the observation area. I don't wear him many places, but the slings have come in handy. I keep one in the car at all times "just in case."

The Wii said I was 46 last night, after 3 days off. Oops. Weight-wise, I have about 7 more pounds to go to get to my "ideal" weight. The whole 5K thing hasn't happened yet... nor has the training. But I refuse to say it won't ever.

in case you wondered...

the 5k training is not going so well... it seems the only time i have to run is before dark. i may have to start getting up and running before hubby goes to work...

one day the wii said i was 28, the next it said 40... i think my score depends on which balance tests they randomly select for me. i have lost about 25 pounds in the last 7 months (since buddy was born), and seem to be holding steady where i'm at.

my new year's "resolution" of trying a new recipe per week has not gone so well overall. however, last week I did make a new soup, and today i roasted a whole chicken in the oven for the first time. it was on sale for 79 cents per pound at publix last week, and i could not resist. i was not a big fan of fishing the bag of innerds out of the cavity. both my cook book and the bird specifically reminded me to do so, so i figured it must be somewhat important. i did not make gravy, just poured the juices back over the meat after it was cut. here's how i seasoned it... it was really good, IMNSHO (in my not-so-humble-opinion).

1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 c finely chopped red onion
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Penzey's tuscan sunset italian style seasoning
1 tbsp kosher salt
several grinds of pepper

mix all seasonings in bowl. after basting/rubbing melted butter into the bird's skin, rub the seasonings all over the bird outside and inside. bake uncovered. after dinner, i boiled the carcass in water to make soup stock, which i will freeze for future use.

i <3 craigs list

hubby reposted some things on craig's list over the weekend.... some of his old electronic "boy toys" that have been packed away, an antique-style sofa and chair set. in all honesty, we use the chair in our room, but the sofa is really more for piling pillows and blankets in the bonus room, and we could use that space for other things. we have at least 2 people who've expressed interest in it (there was a 3rd, but apparently i was too slow in getting back to her with a response... she e-mailed me during church yesterday, i didnt get it til last night, she found another one in between), and a while back we sold an old vhs vcr, and tonight we sold his amp. we are too lazy to mess with pay pal and e-bay shipping arrangements... so far the whole craigs list thing is definitely worth the time and effort. it certainly beats sitting out in the smothering heat for a yard sale.

have i mentioned that i love codeine?

no, really... i could get addicted to the stuff. i've actually gone 5 minutes without coughing. maybe hubby and i will get some sleep tonight!

Did you know...

...today is Military Spouse Appreciation day?
Thank all the military wives you know for their personal sacrifices AND their husband's.

Thanks to Patti from w@h for sharing this bit of trivia!

****
Steph, I am so proud of you and Ashley for your sacrifices that you make together to serve our country!

I want to move to the country to have space and freedom...

but be close to city conveniences. Then the only need I'll have for a stroller will be when I go to the mall or the zoo, because we'll have room to run around and get plenty of exercise. I won't have to worry about having to walk in the street because cars are blocking the sidewalks so their owners won't get warnings of being fined by a Nazi-like homeowners association for parking legally in the street. (Verbiage in the letter we received today said nothing about towing, just fines. They must have realized it is illegal to tow vehicles which are legally parked, as they did to at least one resident who parked on the street because his driveway is too steep for his big car to get up without scraping.) If I lived in the country, I could put a bird bath in my yard without getting it approved by the subjective rulers whose opinion apparently counts for more than homeowners' choices. I could leave up my Christmas lights until January 10th (THE date they are supposed to be down by) without getting a nasty letter that was written that same day telling me to take them down, or else. I could buy pretty fireworks and set then off without risk of setting a neighbors house on fire. I could make a bonfire out of HOA rules and regulations from my previous life in the suburbs.

In the meantime, I will plant a veggie patch on the adjoining property because said HOA will not take care of undeveloped land anyway, and the developer is "restructuring" so nothing's going to change back there anytime soon. There's nothing in the so-called covenants about borrowing land, and since they don't mow the weeds or trim the dead trees behind our house, anything I do is an improvement. (I actually like the woods and not having neighbors behind us yet, but don't tell them.) I will plant whatever flowers I want to because I like them, because thankfully there are no covenants that require me to get every single plant approved. I will not paint my front door turquoise just to make a statement, because I'm not fond of turquoise doors. I will not TP the HOA President's boring shrubs, though I may be tempted. (He probably has video surveillance set up, anyway.) I will resist the urge to call him Hitler, because apart from his so-called duties and tangents as HOA president, he seems like a nice person. I'd better resist the urge to have hubby shoot Mr. Woodchuck with his firearm (the actual woodchuck who had decided he likes our yard), since that's a sure-fire way to get us into trouble. Plus he's kinda cute. Not to mention I don't want to freak out the neighbors and cause HOA Prez to fuss. Forgive me, but I kinda like using that pseudonym. And it is (slightly) less mean than Judas.

Ok, time to scrub that kitchen floor. Yes, I know what time it is. But considering the fact that I have woken up to pee and not been able to get back to sleep for 3 nights in a row, I am hoping that I will sleep well when I finally finish the disgusting task that I've put off all day. Bear is healthy because she has ample opportunity to build immunity in our house, you know.

I could really use a ride on that motorcycle right now.

Piano for sale

I'm interrupting this blog to deliver a commercial or my parents.

My parents have a 1917 Lauter baby grand piano (5 or 6 ft, not sure which) for sale, they are asking $500 or best offer. It holds tune well, and is a dark cherry finish. Or maybe it's walnut. One of those dark brown woods. They are in the process of thinking about downsizing, and simply won't have room wherever they end up. Contact me if you are interested and I'll give you my Dad's e-mail address or cell #. It does have some scars behind the keys from when my finger nails were too long growing up, but it is a great piano for learning to play on. They live in Middle Tennessee.

insomnia...

I woke up to pee 2.5 hours ago. I can't sleep. I find myself wondering if I can get my doctor's office to let me come in earlier for my firs official OB visit. What? You ask. You don't really know if it's real yet?

My body thinks it is. 2 positive HPT's and bloodwork at the OB office which showed my progesterone levels looked "absolutely wonderful", according to the nurse. But other than fatigue and frequent peeing, symptoms have not consistently kicked in. (The gag reflex doesn't count- I have than when I'm not pregnant.) Part of me is grateful, as I don't particularly like kneeling before the porcelain throne. But in light of last January, part of me wants more proof. My 1st visit isn't scheduled until 1/11. At the time, when the nurse told me the bloodwork looked good, I was thinking, "oh good, let's keep it later so we can see more on the first sonogram. I can wait." Ha. Me? Wait? Patiently? When have I done that?

Really, I just want some sleep. And to know that my baby is ok and my body is not imagining this.

Family time is good.

I am blessed to have in laws who don't fit the stereotype of the dreaded in-laws. ;)
Baby Bear will be beside herself with both sets of grandparents to dote on her tomorrow.
Tech Dad is providing entertainment of sorts with his dulcimer and accordion. Not at the same time, in case you wondered.

We played a new game tonight (Apples to Apples). It was fun. Light. Good. It would be boring to play with complete literalists. Thankfully, none of us fit in that category.

The only downside? I doubt we'll have a white Christmas. But I guess that's better than waking up to 40 mph winds, 9+ inches of snow, and 8 degrees, as DH's Gramma and extended relatives are facing up in the Midwest. Pray that Gramma doesn't try to shovel too much snow herself, when there are people with plows and snowblowers who are willing to help. (She cannot stand to be lazy. Wish that would rub off on me to some degree.)

Long-distance cards have been mailed, I guess the local ones might make it by New Year's. I found my address book. On the desk. Under everything else. In case you wondered.

Tech Mom brought me new Christmas lights because DH banished me from buying any more decorations, and then one of the strands died so we had half a tree lit. Only a woman can appreciate the importance of a fully lit Christmas tree.

My computer's battery is almost dead. Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed-bugs bite.

deep thought of the day

"oh, please... everything causes something."-me, in response to someone's comment that eating microwave popcorn causes that mysterious popcorn lung illness.

I heard about this on the radio, and then found a link on another blog.

Expand your vocabulary and give rice to the poor... just by clicking!!!

667th post....

(do the fact that my last post was the 666th and it was about a so-called "evil" business entity have anything to do with eachother? just a thought...)

I ground and brewed coffee for myself this morning. 2nd time in a week. My in-laws are sucking me in to their addiction. And they aren't even here.

Can you read this? I can.

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, t he olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a ta otl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

I lifted it off of Barbara Curtis' blog.

newsflash

I sponge mopped and towel-dried the kitchen floor this afternoon. Hubby kept bear from getting her paws all over my nice, clean hardwood. So no tiny footprints have been left behind.

Miracles do happen.

in case you wondered....

we now have 9 cantaloupe seedlings in our earth pot, thanks to my nieces em and mad. will fruit come before the first freeze of the fall? take the poll in my sidebar...

I've been sooo tempted to hijack tech mom's blog....
it's a shame I can't remember her password!!!

Really, there must be something she can post about!

certifiably ocd when it comes to my flowerbed?

perhaps... but i'm not about to pay a shrink for the diagnosis. i trimmed my shrubs today... and my birch tree. it had dead branches which were irritating me. the holly bush had weird protruding branches that made it look really crooked. the red shrubs (not sure what they are called) still had frost burn from the pre-easter freeze and were blocking the light to a couple of my verbena. the spirea were taking over. i hesitated to trim them because i like the blooms, but i'm hoping that maybe trimming will actually encourage more blossoms? maybe? i should read up on that. and i rescued a casualty of the wind.. one of my gladiola stalks bent, so i cut it and put it on a vase on the mantle. it sure is purdy. so is its reflection in the mirror.

hubby found a way to save almost $700 on our auto and home insurance. 1) change old car's coverage to liability only 2) switch companies because Ameriprise (which we got through Costco) raised our rates 52% in 2 years for no decent reason. we will soon be insured by the same company that hubby's brother's family has been with for a few years. and the dude that dave ramsey recommended on his website came through for us in finding good quotes. woo hoo! we also sent costco customer service a nice little email sharing our experience with this partner company, as we know they strive for excellence and value.... something that disappeared from our insurance coverage with the alst declaration we received.

laundry is in process. i will actually cook dinner tomorrow. i promise. pinky swear. that reminds me, i need to take the chicken out to thaw and marinate in italian seasoning.

debating on whether to attempt a big tackle for tackle it tuesday; i feel like i'm bearly keeping up. i think i may transplant the chinese lantern plant into a bigger pot that only has dead stuff in it. i suppose i should dig out the dead stuff first. anyway, the chinese lantern plant has grown quite a bit since i got it, and i'd like to keep it alive even longer. just maybe? plus, the patio could use a plant on it. oh, have i mentioned that i am proud of myself because the nickname i gave it is the name that i found for it in the michigan bulb co. catalog that just came in the mail? go, me!

gotta go post a cute story on my daughter's blog. hope all is well with my blogger buds tonight!

This might seem to be an odd post to follow a hymn, but I'm doing it anyway...

Ok, you know you're too stressed, or coming across that way, when a neighbor gives you a bottle of wine that's 2/3 of the way full. We don't drink a lot or very often at all, but we do like a little every now and then and my neighbor said it was too sweet for her taste and "made" me take it.

For some reason i thought some of you might find that funny. The wine is in the fridge... not sure if I'll drink it or use it for cooking yet. I'm thinking I might have a glass before bed.

For the record, the fact that my house is once again a wreck and family is coming over tomorrow(cousin from NY is back in town) is only part of it. A small part, actually.

***warning: vent ahead...
For some reason I've become obsessive about trying to get answers about when and how our cliff on the west side of our yard will be fixed. I swear, if we don't get answers soon, I'm going to ask a state senator to propose legislation that builders must complete the extra-structure, i.e. sidewalks, retaining walls,etc. on ALL parts of existing phases/lots (including those that adjoin future phases) to closing on the sale of a home. I am sure there are states that already have that covered. This is not one of them, apparently.


If you want common sense consumer protection, don't move here. Schools are only good in select counties, elevating the cost of living so normal people can't afford to live in them and the rest of our public schools, well... are ok at best. We've lived here almost 4 years and I still can't figure out how to landscape because we're getting the run-around from the developer and our public figures are not helpful.

... END OF VENT***

p.s. 2 seconds after I hit publish, hubby came up the steps with a crystal glass of chilled wine for each of us. Guess he thought I need it, too. ;->


Ok, is it normal for people to take the blinds with them when they move? The people that originally lived in the house across the street left them there. The people that are selling it now took all of them down. Maybe it's just because they are going to paint per the home-buyer's request? She did have a bunch of things on her "fix it before closing" list when I talked with her. I think it's a little odd. I don't think it's worth the trouble, with everything else. And with my luck, some of the slats would break in the move anyway...

Just wonderin'....

Night y'all. Gotta go straighten the kitchen and living room before I hit the sack!

I just ate about a pound of cherries. At least they aren't fattening, right?