There are some things one cannot just blog about...

It is funny that I as a diarist has a laundry list of things I cannot blog about...

One of those being work...even though I am there 30 hours a week.

Makes it very difficult to go about my day.

In essence I am having another one of my existensial crises..what do I want to do, what do I want to be...

and it seems as though it varies upon the day, etc...

I have learned one thing I abhore office politics and interpersonal work relationships. I do not know how they work. I am not sure how to wade through the muck. I have learned one thing through the years, that is husshhhh. Keep quiet, try and blend. But if you know me, these things are against my nature...

Like I said, everyone at work has been nice...I do not think it is a problem with "others"...I think it is me. It could be that I have been in home for the past few years, and have grown socially retarded. I am not sure...

I do think that being said, the shhh quiet motto is for the best, as is blending. I might just start carrying books around I see in airports...

I might buy a new scent today...

I normally wear Coco Channel, I have for years. I do have a back up right now, it Pleasures, Exotic.

However when my Sister was here, we tried the scent Sensual by Estee Lauder, and I loved it....

I might buy some today.

It was yummy....

The week that never ended

What a LONG week.

Filled with a lot of tragedy. A child in my daughters school was diagnosed with cancer. My Brother lost a friend at work.

I am going to ask if you would pray for both of these families...

I cannot imagine either of these things happening in my own life at this time or ever.

So pray hard.

I am going to try and tie up all loose ends here so we can have family time this weekend

I hate the freezing temps, but I can feel Spring.

I have mentioned how I am not always joyful when Spring arrives.....I is a reminder of the winter projects that I did not do (getting all of those photographs sorted, organizing closets etc) , as well as a 10 mile long to do list to prepare for Spring.

For some reason, even though there is snow on the ground, and the temps are freezing, all I can think about tonight, is going from a stop to a run.

You see I am not a jogger. I run hard, stop, run hard, stop, run hard...and it seems ridiculous at this time to think of myself as a sprinter, but I guess I am.

Who would have thought, but it seems as such....

I am sitting here, with laundry to do tonight. The Collective went down, without getting "a drink", etc. tonight. I imagine they are exhausted. DH must be too, as he is in his recliner with his feet up, snores competing with the South Park I am trying to watch...

I must rethink this run stop plan of mine....and learn to jog...

Wintersong

I hope we thaw out before July, and I am glad it is not 1949.

I have been reading all sorts of stories about the blizzard of 1949 today.

here.

I must talk to my Father about this, he would have been 8, and lived in a town of about 300, and his Father was the City Marshall, and a Pastor. I am sure he will have some great story to share.

I keep reading there was still snow on the ground until JULY! Can you imagine? The first person accounts of that winter is fantastic, as are some of the photographs.

things you overhear watching people belly dance over dolmas

About 2 months ago we ventured out to dine. We as a rule do not like dining out, because I can cook better than most restaurants. So when we do choose to eat out, we try and eat Thai food, Vietnamese, Greek, or Indian etc. So the last time we dined, I chose a local Greek establishment.

The meal was not good at all despite paying for a decent meal. The dolmas were surprisingly, as was dessert. Otherwise, it felt like a waste of resources.

Until the 70 year old belly dancer took the floor....

WE tried to stay, but could not, because it was too weird....

Tonight went went to a local Chinese place, and although the service was very good, the food was mediocre. This has almost cured me of going out all together. Because I am sort of grumpy like that. I do not like spending money on going out to eat if I can cook better than you, or if I want to clean your establishment.

53 days until Spring!

Probably benign...

The blog post title here is sort of catchy...I might rename my blog using it "probably benign...

Ok, I received my final paperwork on my right breast..

On the header..."Probably benign"....

Appears to be fibroid cystic changes, with 2 fluid filled areas. I guess I need to avoid caffeine. Which is hilarious, as I require my coffee in the morning, and I do treat myself to a regular Coke daily. I heart my Coke. I do not think my caffeinne intake is out of control....I digress. It also appears that I need to take 400 Units of Vit. E a day, and now have a mammogram EVERY 6 months. I feel as though next ear I will be more practiced at it, and far less humiliated by the process. Maybe I should podcast or vlog the thing

I have struggled with fibroid cystic breast disease most of my female life, so that is not a big deal.

I was a bit flummoxed by the use of the word "probably"

for serious

the post where I pledge to care for my body...

Last year at this time, my tummy was almost gone, my arms were in fantastic shape...and I was in terrific shape. (For me)

When I had to fix the old house, paint it, sell it, and pack up crap, I stopped going to the gym, because I did not need to. I was getting a heck of a workout from "working". OK, then we lived in a hotel, at my dad's home for a month while searching for a new house, then we moved, and painted...and blah...

I have not been doing my yoga, which I adore, as I have been doing it for years...I also miss my pilates, because it did change my hind quarters, my arms, and my tummy...seriously.

So this week I am headed to the gym to sign up the family for a membership. Tah Dah. PN wants gymnastics, SR needs something, probably swim, and well Mom would like to be able to wear shorts and tank tops, and a swimsuit without embarassment, if the temps ever are above 30 again. When I am moving, I feel better, I sleep better, my mood is better, I am proud of myself for challenging myslef. Because frankly it is easier "not to go, not to move".

When I was working the floor as an LPN, I was on me feet for 12 hours, lifting, running moving. My new job...not so much.

So it will be up to me to get up and GO, move, challenge myself. I look better and feel better when I do so.

I am also not going to make some crazy unrealistic goal of going 5 days a week. Frankly with work, school, the running involved in that, and family time which there is never enough of...I am going to set my goal at 3 days a week to start, and see what I can do.

I miss walking, I really do, but I am a weenie, and will not join the crazies who run and walk in these temperatures, I am not that motivated at this time.

So I will go Wednesday, take a tour, find a couple of classes and jump in....

Swimsuit Season will be here before I know it, I want to take the kids to the pool, and play with them, and I do not want to hide all summer....

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Only because I keep giving the weather report.

Although I must say me writing about the weather reminds of the great plains diarists I enjoy reading. But weather takes on a completely different feel when you are traveling with virtually nothing in a Conestoga, or a darn hand cart...I doubt if I would have made it.

Middle age has creeped upon me, but indeed the weather does seem to effect us daily in some way. It determines, the activity of the day, what we wear, will errands be run by me with the kids, or will I have DH swing by the store on his way home.

Friday, there were almost blizzard like conditions, not much snow, but a terrific amount of wind. the 2-3 inches of snow we did seem to get... fell between 3-4 hours, and of course it was at the usual travel time, when some shift workers leave work, and children need to be picked up from school. the Lincoln city road crews, did a terrible job of clearing the roads. Which seems to be my biggest complaint about moving back here...I saw 3 snow removal trucks with blades up driving. It irritated me to see a truck driving over snow, when it could have been cleared...
The other thing I find unimpressive is the planet saving, beet juice, corn syrup mixture that I have heard they use to melt the snow. So far I have only seen one incident where enough was used to make a difference. The wind is my new enemy, and I think I will harness its power in my own back yard, if I could afford a damn windmill I would get one. The wind blows all of the time, which in the summer is quite cooling and nice, in the winter it carries a bite that will take your breath away literally. 45 mph winds, almost wiped my 48 pound 5 year old girl in a Walmart parking lot one day, as the parking lot was icy, and the wind came up and moved her backward at an alarming rate before I could snatch her up....

I recall when we lived here before the roads seemed to get cleared a little more timely. Maybe it was because I was young, and did not care as much...

You will be curious to hear it was 60 degrees here last Thursday! 60 degrees, and then the next day it was 14 below with the windchill, and blizzard like conditions. today it was simply brrr....and tomorrow more of the same. 14 degrees is cold. I LOVE all of my wool socks, and my NorthFace summit Series gortex, my new stocking cap, and my Harley Riding boots, seem to do the trick to keep my feet warm...

I do wish if it was going to be 14 degrees, it would snow a bit more, as The Collective have not had one good day of snowman building, fort building, or sledding. It has been cold enough but no snow here....

I have learned to take my boots to work in my bag, as walking through the snow in pumps of any kind is stupid, your feet will feel as though the are frostbitten, Nope the wool socks and boots go into the bag. Have I mentioned I love my wool socks?

Stupid peanut butter recall

OK, here is the list of everything you need to throw away..

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* Whole Foods Market Recalls "Whole Foods Carob Energee Nuggets” (January 23) New!
* Amway Global Initiates Nationwide Recall of NUTRILITE Energy Bars Because of Possible Health Risk (January 23)
* Brent and Sam’s Announces Nation Wide Recall of Two Varieties of Archer Farms Brand Cookies (January 23)
* Brent and Sam’s Announces a Nationwide Recall of One Variety of Sam’s Choice Brand Cookies (January 23)
* Trader Joe’s Announces Voluntary Recall of Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Chewy Coated & Drizzled Granola Bars, Nutty Chocolate Chewy Coated & Drizzled Granola Bars and Sutter’s Formula Cookies Due to Possible Health Risk (January 22)
* Parker Products, Inc. Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Certain Peanut Butter Products (January 22)
* Arbonne International Voluntarily Recalls Figure 8 Peanut Butter Chews Due To Possible Health Risk (January 22)
* Jimmy's Cookies Issues Nationwide Recall of Various Peanut Butter Cookies Due to Possible Health Risk (January 22)
* Perry's Ice Cream Company Adds Two Products to Voluntary Recall of Select Peanut Butter Ice Cream Products (January 22)
* Kroger Recalls Additional Select Ice Cream Product Due to Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* General Nutrition Centers, Inc. Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Certain Lots of GNC Triflex Peanut Butter Soft Chews (January 22)
* Chef Jay’s Food Products Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Products Containing Peanut Butter Due to Possible Health Risk (January 21)
* Rain Creek Baking Corporation Announces Voluntary Withdrawal of Peanut Butter Turtles, Peanut Butter Baskets and Peanut Butter Princesses Due to Possible Health Risk (January 22)
* South Bend Chocolate Company Extends Nationwide Recall of Candy Containing Peanut Butter Because of Possible Salmonella Contamination (January 22)
* Nash Finch Recalls Bakery Products With Peanut Butter Distributed in Seven States Due to Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* Aspen Hills, Inc. Announces Voluntary Product Recall of Certain Cookie Dough Products (January 22)
* Best Brands Corp. Announces Voluntary Recall of Peanut Butter Frozen Cookie Dough (January 21)
* Lovin Oven, LLC Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Certain Health Valley Organic Peanut Crunch Chewy Granola Bars (January 21)
* Landies Candies Co. Inc Announces Voluntary Recall of Select Peanut Butter Filled Chocolates Due to Possible Health Risk (January 21)
* Weis Markets Announces Voluntary Recall of Weis Quality (WQ) Cheese Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and WQ Toasted Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers Due to Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* Blanton's Candies Recalls Peanut Butter Sticks Because of Possible Health Risk (January 21)
* Dinners Ready Meridian Recalls November & December Asian Marinated Flank Steak, Indonesian Chicken and Chicken Satay Prepared Meals Because of Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* Boca Grande Foods Announces a Nationwide Recall of POCO PAC®, and GRANDE GOURMET™ Peanut Butter Products Because of Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* Premier Nutrition Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of selected TWISTED and TITAN Branded Bars Containing Peanut Butter Due to Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* NutriSystem Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Peanut Butter Granola Bar Due to Possible Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) Contamination and Potential Health Risk (January 21)
* Ready Pac Foods, Inc Announces Voluntary Product Recall (January 20)
* PetSmart Voluntarily Recalls Grreat Choice® Dog Biscuits (January 20)
* Nature's Path Recalls Peanut Butter Optimum Energy Bars Nationwide Because of Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* Country Maid Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Classic Breaks® Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Due to Possible Health Risk (January 20)
* Evening Rise Bread Co. Recalls Peanut Butter Cookies and Bars Because of Possible Health Risk (January 19)
* Clif Bar & Company Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of CLIF® and LUNA® Branded Bars Containing Peanut Butter Due to Possible Health Risk (January 19)
* Kroger Recalls Select Ice Cream Products Due to Possible Health Risk (January 19)
* Abbott Nutrition Announces Voluntary Recall of ZonePerfect® Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, ZonePerfect® Peanut Toffee Bars and NutriPals™ Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars in U.S., Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore (January 19)
* Meijer Announces Voluntary Recall for Some Meijer Brand Peanut Butter Crackers and Ice Cream Because of Possible Health Risk (January 19)
* Peanut Corporation of America Expands Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter (January 18)
* Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Recalls Wal-Mart Bakery Brand Peanut Butter Cookies Because Of Possible Health Risk (January 18)
* Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Recalls Lofthouse Peanut Butter Cookies, Chuck's Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies And Pastries Plus Gourmet Cookies Nationwide Because Of Possible Health Risk (January 18)
* Ralcorp Frozen Bakery Products Recalls Food Lion Bake Shop Peanut Butter Cookies Nationwide Because Of Possible Health Risk (January 18)
* South Bend Chocolate Company Recalls Various Candys Containing Peanut Butter Because of Possible Salmonella Contamination (January 18)
* McKee Foods Corporation Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Little Debbie® Peanut Butter Toasty and Peanut Butter Cheese Sandwich Crackers Because of Possible Health Risk (January 18)
* Perry's Ice Cream Company Announces Voluntary Recall of Select Peanut Butter Ice Cream Products Due to Possible Health Risk (January 17)
* Hy-Vee Inc. Recalls Bakery Products With Peanut Butter Distributed in Seven States Due to Possible Health Risk (January 17)
* Peanut Corporation of America Expands Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter (January 16)
* Kellogg Company Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Austin® and Keebler® Branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers and Select Snack-Size Packs of Famous Amos® And Keebler® Soft Batch Peanut Butter Cookies Because of Possible Health Risk (January 16)
* Peanut Corporation of America Announces Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Peanut Butter (January 13)
* King Nut Issues Peanut Butter Recall (January 10)

I slept until 8:20 this morning...

I figured what the heck, it was a lit sleep from 6-8...as I could hear the Collective up and about...

DH is going to talk to the neighbor today and find out how much replacement cost iis going to be. They are $$$ windows.

I am not looking forward to the estimate. Seriously.

I have a lot of catching up with chores today, but I have 2 small helpers, who seem like they are in no mood to argue.....

I am done, the goose is done cooked...$$ out the window literally.

I would say thank God it is Friday...but Friday sucked.

I went to pick up my son from school today, and whammo, got asked to go inside to talk to the teacher....SR's teacher. I have not had to do so for a LONG....time, he has been good and doing well.

Seems as though he decided to show his ass, abut 3 times today, no BIG infringement, cumulative problems through the day. OK problem solved, we talked about it, consequences were dealt, done. I also decided to take him off of his allergy medicine, because it makes the kid nutty. (I will call the Dr. this week and see if there is any alternative. ) He also is grounded from the Wii, until he can figure crap out.

Blah blah fast forward to tonight's bedtime. I note PN curtains all strange looking, not neat just sort of mussed. so I straighten them out and note that one of her windows has a big crack in it...seriously. I thought she was a peach all week, she was being so helpful, but I think she must have done it out of guilt.....

First off, I will say I am pissed as hell. Do you have any idea how many times I wrestled or threw a ball in the house, or played ball outside with about 9 other neighbor kids, and NONE of us ever managed to break a window.....NEVER. And we played baseball, soccer, football almost nightly for years on end. How my teeny 48 pound daughter managed to break the window I have no idea...

Oh sure I asked, but I never once got a clear or concise answer, and she clearly new she broke it, you could see it in her face. She mentioned jumping, and throwing a stuffed animal, This scenario does not add up in my book.

Pissed does not describe my mood right now. First off, it is like 14 degrees out. Windy as hell...not a good time to have a crack in a window. Second, I am disappointed in both of the kids and myself today..."what in the hell am I doing wrong?"

I do know the neighbor is a contractor, and I am hoping tomorrow he can tell me if he has to order it etc...

Unhappy as hell....teeth are clenched.

Plans for the weekend are shot. We were supposed to attend a pool party tomorrow, Sunday a movie...

I have explained to PN, the money for all family activities for the month is gone...literally out the window. I feel a little harsh for doing so...a part of me feels like a complete bad Mom, but frankly I am clueless how to handle this or this day...

I really was looking forward to Friday, and the weekend......

a

the weather machine

Yesterday we had a record high temp of 60 degrees. Not kidding.

This morning, the wind is blowing and it feels like 14 degrees.

Strange....

of science fairs and grouchiness...

My day was fantastic, work was fine. always something new. The office manager was very complimentary today, and that was good to hear. Being "new", sucks, and you look like an idiot half of the time... "where is the paper?" "where is blah blah blah"...? You begin to feel like the village idiot.

SR's school is getting ready to have a SCIENCE FAIR! How cool is that? I have never been to one, or participated in one. He is still pondering the possibilities. I really want him to do something he wants to do!

PN, well she is coming home, exhausted and grouchy daily. The naps she was taking, lasted one week, and have gone to the wayside. they are a thing of the past. She is excellent all day, and as soon as she gets in the car, I have an alley cat on my hands. Ouch. Poor thing is miserable until bed time, which has moved to an earlier time....

Oye....

I am hoping to spend some time with her alone this weekend. There is a pool party to attend, and she wants to see Coraline.. the movie...

the fireplace is repaired. and costs much less than anticipated! Go team.

Time...

This darn crocheting, well as addictive at it is...might drive me insane before the day is through.

You see no one taught me, I taught myself.

the purple blanket I am trying to make PN. Ughh I have had to pull it out so often now that I am insane...

I was trying to do a simple "ripple" pattern...

heh..

I thought it looked easy as pie, but I keep making a mistake someplace. If I could figure it out I would be good.

I have tried reading the darn pattern, and watching a you tube video. (That is not working)

I might be done with the darn blanket by Christmas.

There are so few hours in the day right now, that it is driving me nutzo.

I am going to finish another throw I have going right now, and then go back to this purple blanket.

I need to pick up 3 more skeins of yarn to do so I think... We will see.

I must get some coffee in my body, and get The collective ready for school. No easy task as SR had a 4 day weekend. PN, well she wants to go to work with her Dad....but today is "C" day at school and she gets to wear a cap. that might be enough motivation for her to go!

In other news I tried getting black lined pants the other day at Younkers. There were none to be had. I seriously thought this was a simple request. They had none. I forget the shopping here is not exactly "exotic". Yes I think black lined slacks are a basic, but I guess not.

I am in no mood to shop, especially with children in tow, I just want to go in and get a pair of slacks and leave. The thrill of the "hunt", is not exciting to me at all.

There is a ball at the end of the coming month, and I am unsure if we will go or not. DH and I do not seem excited at the idea......

We will see.

Oh and I did not fix the fireplace, so today I am going to call the fireplace guy, and get him here. I wonder how much a new fan will run. I also guess the battery was the back up for the fireplace, in case there is an outage, and has nothing to do with the fan. Who knew?

Cinderella

I am home from work, and I seemed to have a little "umph", so I decided to clean the sliding glass doors, the tele, and fireplace. And as I was cleaning the fireplace, I decided to take it apart, and clean it. (Who thought a gas fireplace would need cleaning?

I only hope I remember how to put it back together now. (Way to irritate a spouse #4, he is not here, and I thought I would have it together before he returned)...

However I noted where I need 2 D batteries. They must run the darn fan in the thing, which would explain why the fan was not working. It has been a mystery to me. I think I might have figured it out. At first I thought this was ridiculous, and then I thought, well if the electricity goes out, it would make perfect sense to have a gas fireplace with a battery run fan...

Who knows? I will see if replacing the batteries helps.

The Collectives bathroom is next on the list, and I will enlist help. It seems as though I can clean in there everyday, and there is ALWAYS toothpaste somewhere....

I have a few things that need to go in the basement, and will also enlist help with that.

DH is hungry for my chicken curry, and I am not in the mood for it. I will make this in the next couple of weeks for him.

DH is gone for a few days coming up, and The Collective are requesting to see Coraline, or Hotel for Dogs. I will check and see.

School conferences are coming up for SR.

Also for those of you interested in sponsoring a school aged child to attend school in Pakistan, there are still plenty of children that need sponsoring. It is only 13 a month for 10 months. What a great lesson for the entire family. I have had 4 readers sponsor children!! You guys are awesome, seriously you impress me at every turn.....

leave your email in the comments, or e-mail me and I will get you in contact with the church.

Thanks!

Domestic....and inspired

We got our first HIGH gas bill the other day $210. Frankly not too bad considering the temps were below freezing for days and my house is quite big...

We went to church this morning...

It was motivational indeed...

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fears, our presence automatically liberates others.

Marriane Williamson

I loved hearing that this morning, and needed too.

Today I am catching up on all things domestic. I have veggies to cut and clean, chex mix in the oven, an apple pie to make , laundry whihc never ends, including bed linens, and rugs and dough rising so I may make Runzas (which is time consuming, but I made the filling a month ago and froze it, and will make enough I can freeze some.

Recipe

Original Runza Recipe

2 pound ground beef
1 large onion , chopped
Salt
Pepper
1 Medium Cabbage, chopped
2 batches of bread dough

Saute onion in a bit of oil until just translucent. Add hamburger and saute until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Drain away the grease, and return to the pan. Cover the mixture with the shredded cabbage and cook until the cabbage is done. Stir occasionally. This could take about 45 minutes or so.

Using an egg-dough recipe, roll small balls of dough thin to make a 5×5 square. Put about 1/2 cup of cabbage mixture in center of square and seal closed. Place seal side down on a parchment lined baking sheet (or a lightly greased sheet).

Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 or until lightly golden brown.

I am also taking engagement pictures today.

Busy, I might need extra arms. But frankly I heart being busy, it makes me feel good and useful.

Obama administration cannot plan security for a party?

The link to the story is here...

Millions are expected to make the pilgrimage to see him place his left hand on Abraham Lincoln's burgundy velvet-bound Bible to take the inaugural oath.

The US Secret Service is overseeing a security force of more than 40,000 people, including 7,500 active duty soldiers, 10,000 National Guard troops and 25,000 law-enforcement officers, FOX News reported.

That surpasses the 31,000 American troops serving in Afghanistan.

If, as expected, a record crowd turns out for Obama's inauguration, Washington will be ready with the largest number of security people ever assembled in the capital.

Intelligence officials say there are no specific threats, but they acknowledge that the high visibility of the inauguration, the presence of dignitaries and the significance of swearing in the first Black president make it a vulnerable target.

ALSO

I read this...

"We have to be prepared for the lone individual who will try to interrupt the event all the way up to a terrorist organization," FOX news quoted Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan, as saying.

Huh, terrorism? What terrorism? I thought most of the left thinks this terrorism is a sham...maybe they are worried about Bill Ayers showing up?

Where is the hypocrisy now?

Here is what I cannot get over, they are still calling folks up for this thing, because security was not properly planned....I am still hearing of units getting called up NOW.

So we are trusting this administration with National Security, but they cannot plan security for "a historic event"...