What's That You Say, Mrs. Robinson?

It's a cookie night

Dan is making his homemade chocolate chip cookies again. He somehow does this to perfection. Every time. Here is a photo from the last time it was cookie night.

We are watching a show on the history channel about a family of Jewish dwarfs during WWII Nazi Germany, called "Standing tall at Auschwitz." Very sad and yet very interesting. It's sort of a combination between Elie Wiesel's Night and the TLC show, "Little People, Big World." I know, kind of weird, huh?

I got some painting done today. All crown molding that was put up while we were in Hawaii IN AUGUST! Better late than never. I didn't finish all of it, but I did also manage to spend some time outside in the 80+ degree sunshine cutting back some bushes in the back yard. Then we went up to watch a U13 girls soccer match. We didn't have a kid playing or anything, but Dan is the President of San Carlos United Soccer Club, and well, we just like to watch youth sports. We took Ronaldo with us and he got much attention, as usual.

Haven't seen Payton all day, or really since yesterday. He's been out and around with friends. Darren has just been hanging out with us.

We just broke open one of the bottles of wine be bought from our trip to Napa not too long ago. In case you are wondering, the 2003 Steltzner Sauvignon Blanc goes FAB with chocolate chip cookies! Just another quiet night at our house. We'd have the fire going, but with this indian summer, we decided to skip it for now. No plans for tomorrow so far. I'll be posting next week's menu, I'm sure. Maybe I'll do some surfing for new ideas.....

Slacking

I'm back from my trip to Arizona...I'll post pics soon. Feeling slugish, but glad to be home. I read 2 books while I was gone: The Birth of Venus and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Obviously one for fun and one for work. I'll do a review of the fun one soon, too.

Off to the San Carlos Arts & Wine Faire this afternoon. We'll also be planning our weekly menu tomorrow, I'll post that as well.  Sheesh, I've got my work cut out for me.

Q&A

Got this from Cursingmama...thought it had some interesting questions. Do it for yourself if you like.   

TECH-OLOGY:

• Number of contacts in your cell phone? 43
  
• Number of contacts in your email address book? 120
  
• What is the wallpaper on your computer? My fabulous husband watching a sunset on Maui.
• What is your screensaver on your computer? Photos of my son's baseball team 
• Are there naked pictures saved on your computer? Duh! NO!
• How many landline phones do you have in your home? One too many
• How many televisions are in your home? Three too many
• What kitchen appliance do you use the least? The blender
  
• What is the format of the radio station you listen to most?  Classic Soul and R&B

BI-OLOGY:

• What do you consider to be your best physical attribute? My feet???
  
• Are you right handed or left handed? Right
• Have you had anything removed from your body? A couple of moles.
• Would you like to? Yep, take the FAT!!!!
  
• Which of your five senses do you think is keenest? Hearing
  
• When was the last time you had a cavity? I'm sure...now.
  
• What is the heaviest item you lift regularly?  My laptop bag

MISC-OLOGY:

• If it were possible, would you like to know the day you're going to die? No way
• If you could change your first name, what would you change it to? Consuela
• How do you express your artistic side? Not often enough...no matter what the medium
  
• What color do you think you look best in? Turquois
  
• How long do you think you could last in a medium security prison? As long as I had a lot of good books and a really tough "girl friend"...at least a year
  
• Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake? Not that I'm aware of!
• If we weren't bound by society's conventions, do you have a relative you would make a pass at? Really...no!
• How often do you go to church? Weddings and funerals
• Have you ever saved someone's life? Nope
• Has someone ever saved yours? Literally, no. Figuratively, yes.

DARE-OLOGY:

• For this last section, if you would do it for less or more money, indicate how much.
• Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000? Depends on which public street...in San Carlos, not a chance...in hicksville Kansas...probably!
• Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100? Yep.
• Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000? No...don't underestimate the digits!
• Would you never blog again for $50,000? Probably not, but not definite!
  
• Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000? Depends on the magazine, but probably. 
• Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? Nope. For $100,000...yep
• Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for $1,000,000? Wouldn't consider it for a second, under no circumstances.
• Would you shave your head and get your entire body waxed for $5,000? Nope, for $50,000...yep
• Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000? Yep, would probably do it for $2,500.

                      

 

Tags, Planes and School

I LOVE what TypePad has done to make Technorati Tags easier to use! Instead of having to find, cut and paste the html code into my posts, I can now just type the words into the nice little field at the end of the compose page. It just doesn't get any easier than that. It's not often that something happens out of the blue to make your life easier. Oh what a joyous day. Are you with me?

The summer is winding down. Thoughts of school are starting to creep into reality. Filling out emergency forms, buying books, getting schedules, buying yearbooks, buying clothes. Buying, buying, buying. A surprise bonus for this school year for us...both boys managed to keep their backpacks in really great shape last year so we won't need to buy either one a new pack! That will save us at least $100. But pretty soon our crazy days of movies and golfing and flying around the country will be gone and the structure of schedules and homework and games and meetings will take over. I don't know if I'm happy about that or not.

My 29th 39th birthday is this Saturday. I've been really trying to ignore it, although if you ask me directly I don't think it is any big deal. My Mom was a grandmother at 41. SHUT UP! Really. Technically, I could be too, but highly unlikely. Fingers crossed, knock on wood, keep it in your pants.

Had to put Payton on a plane up to Washington by himself last Saturday. It doesn't get any easier for me to do that, although I do love that he can find his way around an airport by himself. It didn't feel right staring at that Orange Terrorist Threat Level at the security check point though. "Terror threat level high" and I'm putting my kid onto a flying bomb. Nice. I know that's all emotional, but it's there. I'm dealing with it. He got there safe and sound, of course. He flies home Friday and then his little brother gets on a plane on the following Monday. I managed to work their trips so that they would both be home on my birthday. I honestly don't remember planning it that way when I was booking the flights; I'm sure it wasn't a total accident.

Smack me

I'm a bad, bad blogger...I just haven't been posting as much as I would like too. I have 10 minutes to get to my book club (which I haven't read the book for). If I didn't know better I would say, "Damn, what a flake you are."

But, seriously, I have been WAY productive over the last several weeks. You just don't know it. Trust me.

I

Hoppy Easter

Happy Easter, Happy Passover, or Happy non-denominational hide colored eggs and eat chocolate bunnies and pig out all day day (that's what we celebrate at our house).

It is AGAIN pouring here. I would be really bummed except that the extended forecast shows sun all week starting tomorrow. I don't think we've had 2 consecutive days with sun for over 2 months. I'm not joking. I LOVE the rain and I usually don't complain about it, but this is ridiculous.

I have lost count of how many baseball games we've had rained out and my sinuses are STILL dripping away. My throat is raw and I just need some sun, damn it!

Oh! I got contact lenses yesterday! Big step for me as I'm like Rachel in friends where she HATES having anything come near her eyes (and that is where my similarity to Rachel ends). I've waited a long time to do this and I think it's going to work this time (I tried about 10 years ago and gave up after I couldn't get used to them). But this time I won't have 2 toddlers yanking at my legs while I try to put the little buggers in my eyes, so I'm a lot more patient already.

D starts school again tomorrow. The vacation is over for everyone. When D doesn't have to get himself together in the morning with a deadline and doesn't have to do homework and then remember to bring it with him to school, our days are pretty easy and care-free. However when school starts again it's back to the constant following up, checking, reminding, and stress when stuff doesn't happen anyway. Ah, well. C'est la vie.

Watched the 10 Commandments last night. It started at 7:30 and, no kidding, went until 11:45! I know it is a long movie, but it doesn't help when they have commercials every 10 minutes. We have TiVo, but we didn't record it and just switched to the Giant's game during commercials. I think I lasted until about 11:30. I know how it ends, so no skin off my back. And one can only take so much of the leader of the NRA speaking about peace and brotherhood without becoming violently ill.

TAGS: easter, chocolate bunnies, rain, contacts, 10 Commandments

Sinuses and Idols

I haven't been just being a baby for the last week and a half. I actually have a raging sinus infection that has attacked my ears, nose, and throat. When the doctor looked into my ears today she said, "EWWWW!" I just love my doc. She is so great and I lover her honesty.

I've taken my first dose of Z-pack antibiotics and I'm snuggly on the couch waiting for American Idol time. Something I don't have to think about, just gawk at. I swear it feels like something is going to come oozing out of my ears at any moment. EWWWW is right.

So I'll make my predictions (hopes) now: Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry. I'm a little sentimental and Kellie has one of those great down and out stories and Chris just seems like a stand up guy, husband (and Dad, I think). My predictions for who should get booted this week: Kevin Covias has GOT to go, should have gone LONG ago! Will Makar is cute as a button and reminds me of those Bobby Brady days, but I think he has reached his limit. The girls I don't know well enough to say. I have missed their performances for the last couple of weeks. I'll figure it out tonight.

TAGS: american idol

Crazy Windy Stormy

It is really crazy stormy tonight. They say there will be winds of about 30mph (sustained) with 60 mph gusts. The lights have been flickering so me and the boys lit the candles and have flashlights in hand just in case. I turned off the main computer just in case of power surges.

All of this is kind of exciting to me. I grew up in the mid-west where a storm like this would not even be cause for pause. I've seen tornados go right by.

But for now, I'm just wating for hubby to get home from his soccer meeting so that I can have all of my boys safe and sound at home, with candles and fireplace burning.

Now if I just was't so sick...sniffle sniffle cough cough

New Year's Greetings

Whew! 2005 went out with a bang for me. The last several weeks have been unbelievable (hence my absence from the bloggospher). In the last 3 weeks, hubby and I have been out gallivanting around past 2 am FOUR separate times. That's enough to send me into a state of hibernation. We have been majorly blessed with so many friends and so many opportunities to share our lives with them. This photo is of New Year's Eve (well actually it was way past midnight, so I guess it is technically New Year's Day). These are some of my gal pals (Mom's of kids that my oldest either plays baseball with or goes to school with). They are a rowdy crowd sometimes, but they keep me young. Well, OK, so I'm the youngest of the crowd, but they still keep my on my toes.

I've been on vacation since the Friday before Christmas. I return to work on Tuesday (tomorrow). While I love my job and am really excited about some the things we'll be doing in the new year, I have to say that I have gotten used to sleeping until 9am, wearing jeans and sweats every day, falling asleep on the couch in the middle of the afternoon etc. But the bills need paying so onward pagan soldier!

I hope that the holidays were good to you all. For those of you who like me, live in the Bay Area, we have had a pretty soggy start to the new year. I take that as a sign of prosperity to come. Cleansing,  growth, etc. Here's to a year full of peace, hope, change and stability. Peace, y'all.

Santa Baby...Blog Me!

Wow, so I really haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I feel like a Who from Whoville..."I'm here! I'm here!"

Just damn busy.

But not to busy to point you to Santa's Blog. That's right, the big man himself has a blog (I'm sure there are several, but this is the one I came across). I love a man that keeps up with the latest trends. Not only is he blogging, but he's PODCASTING too! Rock on St. Nick...

Once I pull my head out of the...er...sand...I'll share more of my holiday thoughts. Only Rudolph knows when the heck that is going to be, though.

Two more days of work after today. Deep breath.....

TAGS: santa

No time for anything yet everything needs doing

Can't believe how swamped I am. Budget and Strategy planning for work for '06, kids in sports, school and social lives, husband busy at work for the first time ever, really, Christmas stuff to be done. Party to plan for, decorations to put up, menus to plan, dogs wanting attention. Books to read, weight to lose, colds to fight. Medication to change, clothes to clean, garbage to toss, rugs to be vacuumed.

Life is good, but EFFING CRAZY!

How do you cope with a million different priorities tugging at you. Besides the obvious that the kids come first. I'm only getting a minute to blog this because the Warrior's game is on, one kid is passed out from his cold and his basketball game (10 pts scored! Way to go, D!), and the other kid is trying desperately to unclog the toilet he just clogged. No photos of this, I promise.

'Tis the season, no?

Dreaming of a summer's day

Just read this post from Phyllis (Life on Whidby) and it got me to thinking about Rosedale (Gig Harbor, WA). Ah, the summer days and nights spent at my future retirement home (seriously...we will someday). For now it is the place where my kids spend their summers as did their Father, their Grandfather and their Great Grandmother. Yes, she was just a girl in the early 1900's when her parents first came over on a boat from the Tacoma area. They bought the land when there were no houses around.

I have only ever seen the Olympic mountains with snow on their peaks once or twice during rare winter time trips to the house. This photo is how I usually see them. I have to say their sunsets rival most that I've seen, even the Hawaiian ones! Usually when I'm seeing the mountains like this it is sitting in a deck chair just on the dry side of the beach with a glass of wine and the family all around. Everything stops for the sunset. Doesn't matter if you are right in the middle of cooking dinner. You stop. Enjoy. Then carry on.

Someday I'll live there.

TAGS: gig harbor,washington,rosedale,sunset

The Bloody Mary Edition

So here we are, Halloween. My kids are too old for this to be really fun for us in that way anymore. Kind of nice actually. Hubby and I are in the living room along with Ronaldo who is ready to pounce on anyone who rings the bell or knocks on the door. Fire burning. DMB on the sound system. Sipping a bloody mary (I thought that it was a good excuse to make myself a bloody mary, being Halloween and all). Could be worse.

Earlier today at work I was trading stories of scarry movies. Things that really freaked you out as a kid. Mine was a campy little made for TV flick that was pat of a Trilogy of Terror. Karen Black starred in this 1975 epic that scared the pee out of me (I think I was all of  about 8 when I saw it). It's not even worth explaining. If you've seen it, you'll  know. The photo here is of the Zuni doll that comes to life and chases the chick around her apartment.

Ok, so the damn Zuni doll has hexed my laptop. Can't get a connection in the living room. Must hand out candy...

TAGS: halloween, Trilogy of Terror, bloody mary

It's Halloween Time!

Getting ready for Halloween. My kids really don't do much for it anymore. My 12 year old will be dressing up as the late Jam Master Jay of RUN DMC fame. These days if you are going to dress for halloween, it MUST be something cool. His costume is almost identical to what you see here. I'll share photos on Halloween.

I love making homemade pumpkin seeds but that is something I usually do by myself, for myself. We haven't actually carved a pumpkin in our house for a couple of years now. Since it falls on a  Monday, I'll probably only do one on Sunday if we aren't crazy running around like we usually are.

Found these photos on Independent Sources. They cracked me up so I thought I would share them with you. Truth is more frightening than fiction. Our current political state is about the most frightening thing I can think of right now. So much so that I'm going to stop right now and return my thoughts to more fun fare.

tags:jam master jay, JMJ, RUN DMC,Halloween

A Fork in the Road

Where the hell did all of our forks go? Why do we have many fewer forks than we do the rest of our silver wear? We bought them in equal numbers, so why are there so many unaccounted for?

Are they hiding out together with the socks somewhere laughing their asses off at me? This isn't funny. Every time I go for this most useful of tools in my kitchen, I seem to meet with an empty spot amongst all of the other utensils and am forced to dig into the dishwasher and pick out a few to hand wash.

I don't like doing this. Please, oh please, dear forks. If you can hear me, please come home. I miss you.

The last days of summer

I'm off to pick up Darren from the airport. He's been in Gig Harbor, WA since mid July. It will be great to have him home. He has a couple of weeks to hang out before school starts.

Payton is in LA with hubby. They are sitting on Laguna Beach as I'm typing this. We were down in Fullerton for a baseball tournament, but now that it's over dad and son are having some R&R bonding time.

My 20th high school reunion is this weekend. What to wear...what to wear...

What a Lame Ass

Rambling, yet again. It has been so long since I have found inspiration to write.  Who the hell wants to know about my everyday life? It's the same every day mostly. Wake up. Get Darren up. Try to get Darren up again because he is so tired from not being able to fall asleep because of his meds. Jump in the shower. Try to wake Darren up again. Make a bowl of cereal for Darren. Get dressed. Remind Darren that he has 5 minutes to finish his bowl of cereal, get dressed fix his hair and find his scooter before we have to walk out the door. Gather my things. Change pants because the first pair was dirty and somehow ended up back in my drawer. Push Darren out the door. Go back into the house because I forgot to set the alarm. Set the alarm. Finally out the door.

Then it's drop Darren off at summer school, drive to work, work (which is the exciting part of my day, but I don't blog about work because I don't want to pull a Dooce), come home, change clothes (and put the pants I was wearing back into the drawer even though I spilled salad dressing on them at lunch) go to whatever baseball game Payton has that night. Eat dinner (whatever my wonderfull hubby has made), read, go to bed. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Don't get me wrong. I really LOVE my life. I'm very lucky and blessed and all that. It just isn't what I would consider exciting to all of you.

So I go days, weeks without posting.  I hope to post more on vacation when I have new experiences etc. Pictures of sunsets. You  know.

The weather here is beautiful. Perfect, actually. I can't even complain about that shit.

Oh! I know. My 20 year high school reunion is coming up in about a month. So how do I drop 10 pounds a week between now and then? Oh, who cares. Might be a good networking opportunity. God, I'm getting old.

Much adu about nothing

Not feeling very inspired lately. Just sitting here with hubby watching West Wing re-runs. Just heard for the first time that I am apparently a "WingNut", one who sits around watching West Wing re-runs with no apparent end in site. Guilty as charged. Can't get enough of Charlie, and Mrs. Landingham, and all of the cool music they use in the background, and saying Tommy Schlame out loud at the end of every episode (OK, the older ones anyway).

Baseball starts up again next week in San Bruno. Stocking up on Ranch flavored sun flower seeds now lest we run out mid-tournament. The dog (the big one) is licking my feet right now. He wants to go to bed. Ok, Smokey. Lights out time.

so much going on...so little time to blog

Much is happening, too much to have any time to blog. I promise photos of San Francisco, graduation, all star games etc. I am currently on a business trip to beautiful sunny San Diego. Here until Wednesday afternoon. My hotel is right next to Petco Park where as I type, there is a Padre, Dodger game going on. I love the sounds of a ball game.

For now it's off to my current read, "The Other Boleyn Girl" which is EXTRAORDINARY! I'm exhausted from my days at this conference, and stuffed from my  Thai dinner with my sis-in-law.  Got a new camera with which to take the photos. Not quite the Nikon that all of the sophisticated photographers get when they use digital, but a great little camera, none-the-less. More about that too...later.

Shakespeare, Ralph Lauren and sweet cheeks

I have been shamelessy absent and missing this world of the blog so much. My life is crazy right now (as all of yours are as well, I'm sure) and I just haven't found time to do things for myself. I hate that and I vow to fight it hard.

I am a lover of all things trivial, so I'd like to share some things with you. Did you know that it is believed that Shakespeare was 46 around the time that the King James version of the Bible was written. In Psalms 46, the 46th word from the first word is shake and the 46th word from the last word is spear. Yes way!

Also, did you know that Ralph Lauren's original name was Ralph Lifshitz? I'd have changed my name, too.

My 14 year old son had to shave for the first time the other night. He had these random long, dark hairs growing out of various parts of his neck, right under his chin. He wouldn't let me take photos of him shaving for the first time, but he couldn't get me to promise not to blog about it. I'll have to make a special point to somehow touch his soft cheeks as much as I can before they start getting invaded by whiskers. I hope he doesn't think I've lost my mind. Those cheeks have been so soft and so sweet for 14 years and I'm going to have to cherrish every last minute of them. Please don't lock me up!