Study study study

Holy cow. Cramming for my final tomorrow…I think my brain is full. There is no more room in there for information. I'll be lucky if I remember what I had for breakfast this morning! Things will spill out my ears if I try to fit anything else in my head. Almost done! Anatomy & Physiology is the second hardest course on campus, and it has had parts that completely kicked my butt; it will be a killer exam but if I can come away with a B on it I’ll be satisfied. Just an 80% is all I’m asking for….I would have a high B or low A for a final grade if I get an 80.
I love all this global warming we’re having….it’s supposed to snow today and into tomorrow morning. Nice.

Idiots are everywhere

Super busy today...tired of dealing with stupid people, can't seem to please anyone. Today's motto: Tell me what you need and I'll tell you how to get along without it. Grrrrr.....looking forward to home, dinner with the fam and watching the Jazz win.

Family and Fred

Saturday was fun….it was my oldest daughter’s birthday…the big 19. Last year as a teen. We had a nice family day, birthday lunch with my dad-in-law, the birthday girl and her husband, my hubby, son and myself, then enjoyed the rest of the afternoon at Chantelle and James’ house. My mother-in-law joined in the celebration, bringing cake and ice cream, and it was just a very pleasant day. I just hope Chany’s living room survives the Wii she got (lol).
Once we arrived home late Saturday night, however, we found an interesting surprise waiting for us. Our tom cat, Fred, was on the steps ready to go in for some food and some milk. Once in the house, we noticed that Fred was a little “aromatic” shall we say….apparently at some point during the evening Fred, being the defender of his territory, saw a new “cat” he figured needed to be chased out of his area. Needless to say, it wasn’t a new cat, it was a skunk. Our poor cat smells sooooo bad. And he’s just gonna have to stay that way because I like my arms attached to my body and am NOT giving him a bath.

Ah, the 80's...

I’m an 80’s child….I will readily admit to being one. I still love all the music from the 80’s, be it Depeche Mode, DMC or Def Leppard; “16 Candles”, “Weird Science”, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and the “Breakfast Club” are some of my favorite movies…they still crack me up; I even have my Swatch (complete with Swatch guard) and the Coca-Cola sweatshirt I bought in high school. I know the profound meaning of “wax on, wax off”; I wanted to be a Goonie; I know what a Fraggle is; I owned fluorescent/neon clothes, jelly shoes and banana clips; I wanted to “Relax” with Frankie, and party like it was “1999”; I wanted to have the high score on Pole Position, spent lots of time in an arcade, and saved my turn on a game with quarters line up on the machine; I moon-walked, wore stirrup pants, miniskirts and high-tops; I know what Michael Jackson looked like before all the plastic surgery and who shot JR. Do you know who Max Headroom is? Did you “Rock the Kazbah”? Did the PMRC ban a record you had? If any of this sounds familiar, you could be a child of the 80’s too.

Bring on Spring

It’s snowing again this morning. I am seriously wondering if there will be a spring anytime soon. I am feeling the urge to get out and plant some flowers, play some backyard football, fill the hummingbird feeders, even mow the lawn (gasp!). Spring needs to come soon!! I am looking forward to seeing my beautiful roses again.
And what the heck happened on “American Idol” last night?! WHY would Carly, who is certainly one of the top 3 voices on that show this year, get voted off??? Did the rest of America not watch the same show I watched on Tuesday?! Carly turned in a fab performance! Her song was TOUGH, not that anything Andrew Lloyd Weber writes is easy to sing. Jason Castro (who didn’t even know his song came from “Cats”) should have been the one to go this week - how he’s managed to skate by until now I’m sure I don’t know. He’s boring and zappy…drives me up the wall. He is not even close to being in the same league with the remaining contestants, the judges trashed him (except Paula, of course), and yet he’s still here. It’s enough to drive you to drink, I tell ya.

Something to think about

The Dash by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash,
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

Growing Up

My baby turns 14 today. He's almost as tall as me (his mission in life right now is to be taller than me...I think we stand toe-to-toe at least twice a week to see if he's finally caught up to me) and has furry little legs. Sigh. He's becoming a wonderful young man and I couldn't be prouder of him. Here's to you, Chris....happy birthday! I love you, bug XOXO

Whoosh!!!

Wow! Where do the weekends go?? They just fly right by, don’t they. I know that I got things done….housework mostly. Some studying. Grocery shopping. Woo hoo. Do I know how to have a good time or what? Weekends are supposed to be for being lazy and enjoying life...need to do more of that, less chores, and cherish the time with my family. Maybe I will try sleeping in next Saturday....see if I can make it past my built-in 7:30 alarm clock.
I got to see some of the coverage of the Pope over the weekend. Fox News carried the Mass he had at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC on Saturday….this is only the 2nd Mass I have ever seen, so it was interesting to watch. After Communion and the service had ended, Pope Benedict was taking his leave up the main aisle of the church, escorted by a bunch of clergymen, the Secret Service, ect. When all of a sudden, this flock of little old nuns rush the Pope as he walks past them! It looked like a bunch of fans mobbing the Beatles! The Secret Service men had to push them back to let the Holy Father pass. It was wild. Who’d have thought the security detail would have to worry about nuns?
Didn’t get a chance to walk my usual mile before work this morning….fighting a sinus infection, feeling like sludge. Can’t walk my mile at lunch, either…have to leave work early to take my son to the orthodontist, so no lunch for me. It drives me nuts to miss my treadmill time…I feel like such a slacker when I do…. but I’ll make it up this afternoon.
Looking forward to returning to SPRING this week!! And GO JAZZ!!!

Stop kicking myself

My poor son was up late into the night Wednesday with a bad sinus headache; he finally was able to drift off which probably helps more than anything. Spring allergies have reared their ugly head for not only my kidlet, by my husband as well. Looks like it’s time to load up on the Claritin!
I have decided to try to be kinder to my body, to take a different approach to keeping thin and in shape – no more diet pills, no more severe calorie restriction, no beating myself up for everything I put in my mouth. I am trying to reset my metabolism – which slows down when you starve yourself, goes into conservation mode - so it will not store every morsel of food in my thighs and butt….and that is exactly where it is going! It’s sooo tough! I am completely freaking out because I am gaining weight, feeling like I have “eaten” myself out of my thin pant size and back into my “fat pants”. And it isn’t like I am pigging out, I eat when I’m hungry and stop when I’m full, not eating junk food; I exercise daily – 2 or more miles on the treadmill, which is all I can fit in between work, school, my son’s swim team practices and household duties. Right now the mentality of having to starve and watch calories and exercising off every single bite I take is overpowering….I’m really struggling to be okay with eating “normally”. A couple years ago I was in great shape, eating a 1000 to 1200 calorie a day diet, lots of veggies and protein, walking/jogging/running at least 3 miles daily and pretty much eating what I wanted, just not to excess. I didn’t have any hang-ups about food and was lots happier with my body. I hope I can find my way back to that place, be healthy, fit and have peace of mind once more.

Beef! It's what's for dinner.....

Outlaw Tex-Mex Cassarole

Ingredients :

1 medium onion, diced
One 8-ounce can diced green chiles
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 can chicken broth
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 diced bell pepper
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 package corn tortillas (at least 20)
Colby-Jack cheese or Velveeta processed cheese

Saute all ingredients, except tortillas and cheese, over medium heat. Cut corn tortillas into 1/2 x 2-inch portions. Spray an 11 x 7-inch Pyrex dish with non-stick cooking spray. Layer tortillas to cover bottom; add 1/2 sauteed ingredients. Repeat tortilla layer; add balance of ingredients. Cover with 1/4-inch of cheese. Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes.

The boys are back!

After what seems like an eternity, my hubby and his band have a gig! It’s been quite a while since the guys have played “out”….they’ve had some obstacles thrown at them (like replacing the bass player) but I’m glad they’re finally going to get out and play someplace! It’s just a one-night gig at a small bar in town but it will be enough to “knock the rust off”. It’ll be a nice change of pace for them to play for a bigger audience than myself and my son….they practice in the studio in our house so we always get to enjoy the music. So congratulations, guys, and rock on!!

Hogs on parade

Ahh…finally some nice weather! This weekend was b-e-a-u-tiful – loads of sunshine, temps in the 60’s - makes me hopeful that it really is springtime. On my way into town yesterday I could not believe the amount of bikers zipping about on their awesome machines...nothing brings them out like a sunny spring day after months of just staring longingly at their motorcycle parked in the garage. Now, the sound of a Harley has long been one of my favorites…when I was a kid, two of my uncles had Harleys and I couldn’t wait to go for a ride on when we visited them. Flying down a backroad in my dad’s hometown on the back of a hog with the sun on my shoulders and the wind in my face was one of the best things I experienced growing up. My friend Rose and I enjoyed a leisurely cuppa coffee on the patio at Starbucks yesterday, soaking up el sol, packs of bikers riding past in their leathers would interrupt our conversation as we paused to admire the bikes and envy the riders. What better way to enjoy a gorgeous spring day than on a motorcycle riding out thru the countryside, thru the mountains, or just across town. I think it’s the Harley-Davidson motto that says “Live to ride, ride to live”….days like Sunday make me understand exactly what that means.

Ouch!

Well, it's finally happened...I am officially stupid. I had my last wisdom tooth pulled yesterday. I guess at least now if I fail a test in class I have a good excuse (ha ha ha).

By the way, paying taxes SUCKS!!!! Boo taxes. I worked hard for the meager duckets I bring home every 2 weeks, why should I give a butt-load of it to the government? It's mine, I earned it, I deserve to keep every penny.

Sigh....

It's snowing outside...small little flakes...is it ever going to be SPRING???

When did I get this old?

I caught a commercial the other night for a new “reality” program that shows people who are turning 40 and going all-out for the event…. kind of like MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16” for middle-age people. It made me think about what I would do for my 40th. After all, I am 37 this year…and certainly feeing OLD – my youngest will be a Freshman in high school this fall, my middle child is graduating next month, and my oldest just turned me into a mother-in-law. I don’t even want to talk about the grey hairs. So what would I do for my big 4-0? Less time would be spent telling you what I don’t want to do. I want to do it all - everything I have not been able to do yet…skydiving, surfing, trips to Italy, Ireland, Cabo San Lucas, England, Alaska, Barbados, buy a Harley…drive balls-to the-wall in a Ferrarri on the Autobahn. Of course, I’d need to be independently wealthy to accomplish all this, but you get the idea. I will settle for traveling to the nearest beach to view the beauty of the ocean I so dearly miss, and maybe take a tour up the California coast thru wine country with a couple girlfriends. When we were younger, 40 seemed ancient; now that I’m almost there, it’s not that old at all. As daunting as hitting that number 40 is, I want to do my best to embrace it, revel in the fact that I’ve made it this far.

Me? Blog?

As I sit here trying my hand at "blogging", I ask myself "how did this happen?" Well, I got the idea from a dear friend of mine from high school....after being out of touch for several years I found her by coincidence on an alumni link on our good ol' alma matter's website. She sent me her blog link so I could keep up with what is going on with her and the fam. Looked like a good idea. Thought I'd give it a shot. So here we are. In typical Monday fashion, I have been struggling with the "weekend hangover"....the temptation to sleep in was very appealing , but being the responsible thing won out and I hauled my tired rear out of bed to do battle all day with my printer at work. Yay me. Lost my Monday report for the GM...the words "save early, save often" are certainly words to live by. Somedays it just doesn't pay to ignore that little voice that says "call in sick!"