As you know I am addicted to reading blogs. Blogs that interest me either keep me in touch with friends that have moved, make me laugh a lot, or are just plain interesting. A blog I have enjoyed lately is http://jpmeehan.blogspot.com/ Adventures in Self Reliance. I don't laugh easily and often times I find myself chuckling out loud at my computer reading about her kids' antics. I also love that she is disciplined enough to write regularly and to have special "features." I love her feature "Overheard" just listing funny things she's overheard during the day. If you are a mom, this is definitely worth your read and bound to make you laugh.
It prompted me to start writing down amusing things I have heard my kids say either to me or to each other. My attempt will not be nearly as consistent or as funny as hers, and I questioned even publishing it. But, I am publishing today because it is hump day during the summer and you may just need a reason to make it through the rest of the week. For a more extensive laugh to get you through - check out Adventures in Self Reliance's latest "Overheard" - you won't be disappointed that you did.
Here goes my attempt and hope it helps! (And hubby made this list too because he often makes me laugh out loud.)
Easter Sunday - S. to her sister, C. regarding a black jelly bean, "Do not eat that one. That is the basil one."
C. (with a pensive look on her face) - "But, I like basil. How come the black ones taste so yucky?"
S. (because she is older therefore wiser) - "Because we only like basil on pasta, not in candy."
M. at dinner - "Mom, remember that kid I told you about, Joshua?"
Me - "Mmm-hmm."
M. - "He had surgery."
Me - "Surgery??? For what???"
M. - "He had his dependence taken out."
Me - "His dependence?" (Thinking - Wow, that's gotta hurt.)
M. - "Well, it sounds like dependence, but it's in your body."
Me - "Ah. I think that would be his appendix."
M. - "Yeah! That's the one."
S- Mom, I cannot be in that small spot because I am acrobatic.
Me - Acrobatic?
S - Does that mean you can't get in small spaces?
Me - No....that would be CLAUSTROPHOBIC.
M. - Mom, you know my Superheroes game on my DSI?
Me - Yes.
M. - Well, you know how one of the super powers is the guy can gravitate?
Me - (Thinking about gravitate.)
M. - Like he gets higher and higher and you can go under him?
Me - Ah. Do you mean levitate?
M. - YES!
Hubby - Oops. Instead of Linkedin I typed Kinkedin.
Me - Wow. You are coming up with a whole new type of social networking, eh?
Hubby - Naw. From what I'm seeing, that one's already covered.
Me - Nice.
Happy Hump Day!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
I'm not a food critic, but I play one on my blog.
What's up? Paesanos, that's what. http://www.paesanosriverwalk.com/ It was "date afternoon" the other day (Git your mind outta the gutter, people - I'm talkin' straight up LUNCH.) and hubby had a coupon given to him by a generous patient for Paesanos. If you are not local, Paesanos has a history in our lovely city. For years there was one location and that was on McCullough (I think. Unfortunately the original location could not be confirmed by our waiter nor could the reason why the owners left that location). I had gone there a few times back in my college days and I only remembered that..........I loved it. E. had never been there. So, we decided to make it a lunch date to avoid waiting and crowds (two things that as we age we really can tolerate less and less).
Score on those first two counts. We arrived at the riverwalk location a little past the noon hour on a Saturday to find the restaurant about a third full. It was about 8000 degrees outside so we opted for indoor dining. We were seated immediately, greeted, had our drink orders taken, and brought some really fragrant, spiced bread. It was similar to what you get at Macaroni's, but had more texture to the actual bread and did not taste processed to death. Did I like it? Let's just say, I restrained myself by not eating the entire loaf.
We ordered Parmesan Crusted Artichoke Hearts for our appetizer. Are you drooling? If not, you should be. If you have ever read my restaurant "reviews" you know that I fall hard for every artichoke I meet. These things were delish. Although I am no professional, I will try my best to describe them. They were artichoke hearts crusted (not heavy) in some sort of breading. I almost want to say that they might have been marinated in something yummy before being breaded. Regardless, the texture was heaven. It was slightly crunchy yet thin on the outside and tender heart on the inside. But, the sauce is really what made the dish. It was some sort of creamy, basil-y, white/green sauce. Covered with grated Parmesan. Not only super yummo, but so pretty. How's that for amateur? I was sorry I had ordered an actual entree after tasting these babies. And you know I have a HUGE appetite.
Our salads came while we were still ooing and ahing over these artichokes and I must say the salad was my one true regret of the afternoon. I opted for a Caesar salad (boring) while E. opted for the house salad with tomato, olives, and feta. My recommendation - go for what E. ordered if you are ordering a salad. He raved about it. Green olives on salad? Oh, yeah. I could go for that. As I listened to E. rave about his salad the entire time I was eating mine I could only think, "Why? Why did I order Caesar???" Really the only Caesar salad I have ever eaten that was worth it's weight was at Silo http://siloelevatedcuisine.com/. But, that's before I was a pseudo restaurant blogger, so I will have to revisit Silo and blog about that later.
I do not regret my entree. I went with classic Shrimp Paesano which I have had before, and I was not sorry. It was just like I remember it....only better. I'm sorry I cannot describe it. You will just have to eat it yourself. It's delish. Shrimp lightly breaded and yummy, lemony, buttery, garlicky, fresh pasta-y, and enough to eat the next day (or later the same day if you can't resist). E. got chicken fettuccine. I refused to taste his because I do not condone ordering chicken fettuccine in any Italian restaurant (sorry, E.). For the record, he said it was some of the best he's had.
Dessert? Well, here's a shocker. I didn't order any. Boo. Did I say I had one regret? I have two. I so wish I had ordered the chocolate turtle? cake. I think the waiter said "turtle." I have a tendency to stop listening once I hear the word "chocolate."
Prices - about right. Service - friendly, attentive, quick.
So, to sum up: Eat at Paesanos as soon as you can. Your tummy will thank you.
Score on those first two counts. We arrived at the riverwalk location a little past the noon hour on a Saturday to find the restaurant about a third full. It was about 8000 degrees outside so we opted for indoor dining. We were seated immediately, greeted, had our drink orders taken, and brought some really fragrant, spiced bread. It was similar to what you get at Macaroni's, but had more texture to the actual bread and did not taste processed to death. Did I like it? Let's just say, I restrained myself by not eating the entire loaf.
We ordered Parmesan Crusted Artichoke Hearts for our appetizer. Are you drooling? If not, you should be. If you have ever read my restaurant "reviews" you know that I fall hard for every artichoke I meet. These things were delish. Although I am no professional, I will try my best to describe them. They were artichoke hearts crusted (not heavy) in some sort of breading. I almost want to say that they might have been marinated in something yummy before being breaded. Regardless, the texture was heaven. It was slightly crunchy yet thin on the outside and tender heart on the inside. But, the sauce is really what made the dish. It was some sort of creamy, basil-y, white/green sauce. Covered with grated Parmesan. Not only super yummo, but so pretty. How's that for amateur? I was sorry I had ordered an actual entree after tasting these babies. And you know I have a HUGE appetite.
Our salads came while we were still ooing and ahing over these artichokes and I must say the salad was my one true regret of the afternoon. I opted for a Caesar salad (boring) while E. opted for the house salad with tomato, olives, and feta. My recommendation - go for what E. ordered if you are ordering a salad. He raved about it. Green olives on salad? Oh, yeah. I could go for that. As I listened to E. rave about his salad the entire time I was eating mine I could only think, "Why? Why did I order Caesar???" Really the only Caesar salad I have ever eaten that was worth it's weight was at Silo http://siloelevatedcuisine.com/. But, that's before I was a pseudo restaurant blogger, so I will have to revisit Silo and blog about that later.
I do not regret my entree. I went with classic Shrimp Paesano which I have had before, and I was not sorry. It was just like I remember it....only better. I'm sorry I cannot describe it. You will just have to eat it yourself. It's delish. Shrimp lightly breaded and yummy, lemony, buttery, garlicky, fresh pasta-y, and enough to eat the next day (or later the same day if you can't resist). E. got chicken fettuccine. I refused to taste his because I do not condone ordering chicken fettuccine in any Italian restaurant (sorry, E.). For the record, he said it was some of the best he's had.
Dessert? Well, here's a shocker. I didn't order any. Boo. Did I say I had one regret? I have two. I so wish I had ordered the chocolate turtle? cake. I think the waiter said "turtle." I have a tendency to stop listening once I hear the word "chocolate."
Prices - about right. Service - friendly, attentive, quick.
So, to sum up: Eat at Paesanos as soon as you can. Your tummy will thank you.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Technology: A Cautionary Tale
So, it's Father's Day 2011 and it's been, oh about...a-long-time since I've blogged and there are about 2000 other things I could write about. BUT, I thought since I haven't written in a while, I would bring you a cautionary technology tale. A kind of Public Service Announcement. Consider it a Father's Day gift. Or if you are not a father - just consider it my gift to you (I know, I know. I am always thinking of others).
Here's the set-up in my house. Basically it's Dueling Computers. No, we are not techies. No, we do not grow money on trees and thereby buy all the technology we want. We have one fairly old laptop that is "mine," one brand spankin' new Toshiba laptop that is "sometimes mine," one dEEOInosaur from the ice age when computers actually looked like TV's (Remember large, fat TVs? No? Well, then you are too young to be reading my blog.) - that one is the "kids," and one of hubby's "work laptops" that only runs Very Important Work Programs That Are Useless to the Average American. Any given day or night you can find the kids playing games on the dinosaur and whining incessantly about no sound, it moves too slow to shoot anything, why can't they have a real computer, blah, blah, blah, me "working" on my old laptop, and hubby fooling around with his work laptop (presumably doing actual work), and also doing Very Important Stuff on the Toshiba.
I think a timeline would be helpful and since I have lost all track of time, I am just going to make-up a timeline. One night, let's call it Tuesday night, when hubby and I were feeling particularly technologically savvy, we decided to load all of our External Hard drive Very Important Information onto the Toshiba. We did it! It was a team effort, but we were successful (as evidenced by then having to open every file on the Toshiba and comment about how it all looked correct and normal). Mission Accomplished. We felt like pros.
Wednesday night hubby was doing work on his work laptop and fooling around on the Toshiba when a sound came out of his mouth that I can only describe as horror and amazement? If it had been a word the word would have been EEGADS. I mumbled, "Huh?" from my laptop. He quickly told me that ALL our files we had loaded just the night before onto the Toshiba were gone, lost, vanished. I did nothing. I did not comment or react because I was absolutely sure that he was nuts and/or was not looking in the correct place on the computer. So this type of conversation ensued for about 10 minutes:
Him: BABE!!! Everything is GONE! How can this be???
Me: Hmm.
Him: Jeez!!! Aren't you freaking out??? Don't you care???
Me: That's weird. For sure.
Him: Holy CRAP (not his EXACT words)!!! I freaking HATE COMPUTERS! What is the deal??? How can this be???
Me: So are you sure they are gone?
Him: Sheesh. ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME??? What the heck is wrong here??? Didn't we just load this crap yesterday???
Me: Hmm.
Now, after this continued for 10 minutes I decided to get up and walk the two feet across the table to examine the computer with him. THEN the conversation went a little like THIS:
Me: %$HS#!!! What the heck??? Where the heck are all the files???
Him: I don't freaking know!!! What the heck is going on here???
Me: It's like we are in some sort of altered universe.
Him: What should I do???
Me: I don't know. Shut the whole thing down and REBOOT. This is freaking crazy. What the heck could have happened???
Him: Okay. Let's THINK, babe. Let's shut down. Maybe something mysterious and weird has happened that we wouldn't understand. Shutting down.
Me: Do it.
Silence.
More silence.
Him: (Very quietly.) Oh, um babe. It's the wrong computer. This is my WORK computer. The files are on the Toshiba. We loaded the files on the Toshiba. We've been looking on my work laptop.
Me: You are kidding, right?
Him: (Very quietly again.) No, not kidding.
Doh!
After we got over the shock of our Very Important Files not disappearing into thin air, we had a good belly laugh. As I am sure you are laughing at us now. As you know, I have no pride. So, I am not ashamed to tell you that THE VERY SAME THING happened about one week later. Of course, we realized quicker (after only about 6 minutes) that hubby was looking at the wrong computer.
Moral of the Story: If you are not a techie and you are experiencing technological difficulties run through your list of helpful troubleshooting questions. Is the computer plugged in? Is the computer on? And ADD to the list, IS THE COMPUTER YOURS?
Happy Father's Day!
Here's the set-up in my house. Basically it's Dueling Computers. No, we are not techies. No, we do not grow money on trees and thereby buy all the technology we want. We have one fairly old laptop that is "mine," one brand spankin' new Toshiba laptop that is "sometimes mine," one dEEOInosaur from the ice age when computers actually looked like TV's (Remember large, fat TVs? No? Well, then you are too young to be reading my blog.) - that one is the "kids," and one of hubby's "work laptops" that only runs Very Important Work Programs That Are Useless to the Average American. Any given day or night you can find the kids playing games on the dinosaur and whining incessantly about no sound, it moves too slow to shoot anything, why can't they have a real computer, blah, blah, blah, me "working" on my old laptop, and hubby fooling around with his work laptop (presumably doing actual work), and also doing Very Important Stuff on the Toshiba.
I think a timeline would be helpful and since I have lost all track of time, I am just going to make-up a timeline. One night, let's call it Tuesday night, when hubby and I were feeling particularly technologically savvy, we decided to load all of our External Hard drive Very Important Information onto the Toshiba. We did it! It was a team effort, but we were successful (as evidenced by then having to open every file on the Toshiba and comment about how it all looked correct and normal). Mission Accomplished. We felt like pros.
Wednesday night hubby was doing work on his work laptop and fooling around on the Toshiba when a sound came out of his mouth that I can only describe as horror and amazement? If it had been a word the word would have been EEGADS. I mumbled, "Huh?" from my laptop. He quickly told me that ALL our files we had loaded just the night before onto the Toshiba were gone, lost, vanished. I did nothing. I did not comment or react because I was absolutely sure that he was nuts and/or was not looking in the correct place on the computer. So this type of conversation ensued for about 10 minutes:
Him: BABE!!! Everything is GONE! How can this be???
Me: Hmm.
Him: Jeez!!! Aren't you freaking out??? Don't you care???
Me: That's weird. For sure.
Him: Holy CRAP (not his EXACT words)!!! I freaking HATE COMPUTERS! What is the deal??? How can this be???
Me: So are you sure they are gone?
Him: Sheesh. ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME??? What the heck is wrong here??? Didn't we just load this crap yesterday???
Me: Hmm.
Now, after this continued for 10 minutes I decided to get up and walk the two feet across the table to examine the computer with him. THEN the conversation went a little like THIS:
Me: %$HS#!!! What the heck??? Where the heck are all the files???
Him: I don't freaking know!!! What the heck is going on here???
Me: It's like we are in some sort of altered universe.
Him: What should I do???
Me: I don't know. Shut the whole thing down and REBOOT. This is freaking crazy. What the heck could have happened???
Him: Okay. Let's THINK, babe. Let's shut down. Maybe something mysterious and weird has happened that we wouldn't understand. Shutting down.
Me: Do it.
Silence.
More silence.
Him: (Very quietly.) Oh, um babe. It's the wrong computer. This is my WORK computer. The files are on the Toshiba. We loaded the files on the Toshiba. We've been looking on my work laptop.
Me: You are kidding, right?
Him: (Very quietly again.) No, not kidding.
Doh!
After we got over the shock of our Very Important Files not disappearing into thin air, we had a good belly laugh. As I am sure you are laughing at us now. As you know, I have no pride. So, I am not ashamed to tell you that THE VERY SAME THING happened about one week later. Of course, we realized quicker (after only about 6 minutes) that hubby was looking at the wrong computer.
Moral of the Story: If you are not a techie and you are experiencing technological difficulties run through your list of helpful troubleshooting questions. Is the computer plugged in? Is the computer on? And ADD to the list, IS THE COMPUTER YOURS?
Happy Father's Day!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Turn your calendar. Summer's here.
It's SUMMER! Can you believe it? Summer always comes with mixed emotions for me. The good: no more lunches to pack, no more schedule to follow, no more homework to help with, no more bedtime to adhere to, no more teachers to explain to. The bad: my kids are aging before my eyes. The ugly: Me having my midlife crisis and crying in random places that are embarrassing to my four kids and my four kids whining about me crying in weird places. So, I know that's kind of disjointed, but that's why you haven't heard from me in a while. Basically, I've been happy/sad that my kids are successfully growing up and passing to the next grade. (I didn't say I was rationale.)
I desperately want to be happy about summer because I love summer, but I feel a tugging at my heart (or it could just be that midlife crisis thing) knowing that we don't have that much time left. Nuts, huh? The kids are in elementary for heaven's sake. I know. Even as I type it (or think it for that matter) it seems crazy. But it's how I feel. I look at them and I can barely remember when the older three were 3, 2, and 1. And, sadly I don't really want to remember much from those days.
Looking back it seems that I spent much of that time wishing they were older and could do more for themselves because...I was flat-out exhausted. Now, I spend a lot of time being amazed (and just a little sad) about how much they don't need me anymore.
The retrospection has been mostly good. I try to spend more time now enjoying the moments rather than wishing for the future. I am excited for this summer. I am excited to have more time with them (and, yes, you can quote me on that later - like tomorrow - when I am ready to ship them all to summer school). Happy dog days!
I desperately want to be happy about summer because I love summer, but I feel a tugging at my heart (or it could just be that midlife crisis thing) knowing that we don't have that much time left. Nuts, huh? The kids are in elementary for heaven's sake. I know. Even as I type it (or think it for that matter) it seems crazy. But it's how I feel. I look at them and I can barely remember when the older three were 3, 2, and 1. And, sadly I don't really want to remember much from those days.
Looking back it seems that I spent much of that time wishing they were older and could do more for themselves because...I was flat-out exhausted. Now, I spend a lot of time being amazed (and just a little sad) about how much they don't need me anymore.
The retrospection has been mostly good. I try to spend more time now enjoying the moments rather than wishing for the future. I am excited for this summer. I am excited to have more time with them (and, yes, you can quote me on that later - like tomorrow - when I am ready to ship them all to summer school). Happy dog days!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
A Pleasant Surprise
Another restaurant review.
I have eaten out since my last one, but nothing really worth blogging about. I cheated on Rosarios http://rosariossa.com/ once or twice (and it wasn't worth it) and I got in a fight and made up with Rosarios. I also ate at a diner - which is noteworthy and has been a favorite with hubby and I for about 15 years. Service is inconsistent, but the food has been consistently good, down home cooking spanning 15 years and a change in management. Check it out if you are local. http://www.410diner.com/default2.html
Now, I am not a fan of restaurants couched in strip malls, or attached to gas stations mostly because of the fact that it seems as if they are there because they have not graduated to be real restaurants. But, I also tend to be tongue tied when hubby says, "Let's go to lunch. What are you hungry for?" and we have an hour and a half to make a decision, drive to a restaurant, eat leisurely, and drive home so that I can pick up a child or children before the school calls the cops. So, that is how I ended up at the nearby Spicy Ginger restaurant http://www.spicygingersa.com/ last Thursday after the lunch crowd.
It is couched in a strip mall along with one of the places with which we bank, so I drive by it quite a bit. A few friends had told me it was good, so we decided to check it out. I am so happy we did.
I was surprised immediately upon entering because for being in a tiny strip mall and for being a small Asian restaurant, it was decorated quite nicely. This is not a commentary about the decorating in small Asian restaurants but do you know the red walls, Chinese calendar menus, Buddha theme? Well, this was not of that variety. The ambiance was warm, inviting, and the pendant lighting added a comfortable feeling.
I will get right to the food because it was yummy. I ordered (and, yes, I am a big eater) four "crab and cream cheese puffs" for an appetizer. They came and looked like neat little pillows. You could have almost mistaken them for tiny sopapillas. They had some cilantro and julienned carrots in the middle of the plate. An attractive touch and super delicious when I picked it up and put it in my puff. The puffs were steaming hot when I ripped them open. Did I mention that I love my food hot when it's supposed to be hot? The puff itself was a little thicker than the crab rangoons I have eaten and now I think I like them thin and thick. I thought the puffs could have had a bit more filling, but the flavor was good.
It was difficult for me to decide on a main dish because I liked the noodle selection (always a good sign). I picked Vietnamese noodles and decided to give tofu a try. It's been a long time since I've eaten tofu and I wanted to see if I still liked it. I was really happy with my choice. The bowl came and it was a bowl. I ate that lunch and lunch/snack the next day (which unfortunately I had to share with my foodie nine year old boy). The noodles were hot and the flavors mixed together excellently. The cucumber was sliced a little thicker than in the Vietnamese noodles I've had before. I liked that. I could really taste the flavor that way. There were carrots, lots of cilantro, lettuce, beansprouts, and a slight lemony flavor. Lemongrass? Really great combination of flavors. The tofu was spicy and had the consistency of chicken. I have no idea if that is normal since it's been so long since I've had tofu, but it was good and tasted like soy sauce. Sidenote: The next day my nine year old (who has no idea what tofu is) said, "Give me all the chicken pieces, mom." Then he claimed how great the chicken was in the noodles.
Hubby enjoyed what he had - Moo Goo Gai Pan. But, it didn't look nearly as delish as mine, so I didn't ask for a bite.
I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, the ambiance was nice, and the service was great. The prices? I couldn't make it for cheaper (let's be honest - I couldn't make it at all). I will go back. :o)
I have eaten out since my last one, but nothing really worth blogging about. I cheated on Rosarios http://rosariossa.com/ once or twice (and it wasn't worth it) and I got in a fight and made up with Rosarios. I also ate at a diner - which is noteworthy and has been a favorite with hubby and I for about 15 years. Service is inconsistent, but the food has been consistently good, down home cooking spanning 15 years and a change in management. Check it out if you are local. http://www.410diner.com/default2.html
Now, I am not a fan of restaurants couched in strip malls, or attached to gas stations mostly because of the fact that it seems as if they are there because they have not graduated to be real restaurants. But, I also tend to be tongue tied when hubby says, "Let's go to lunch. What are you hungry for?" and we have an hour and a half to make a decision, drive to a restaurant, eat leisurely, and drive home so that I can pick up a child or children before the school calls the cops. So, that is how I ended up at the nearby Spicy Ginger restaurant http://www.spicygingersa.com/ last Thursday after the lunch crowd.
It is couched in a strip mall along with one of the places with which we bank, so I drive by it quite a bit. A few friends had told me it was good, so we decided to check it out. I am so happy we did.
I was surprised immediately upon entering because for being in a tiny strip mall and for being a small Asian restaurant, it was decorated quite nicely. This is not a commentary about the decorating in small Asian restaurants but do you know the red walls, Chinese calendar menus, Buddha theme? Well, this was not of that variety. The ambiance was warm, inviting, and the pendant lighting added a comfortable feeling.
I will get right to the food because it was yummy. I ordered (and, yes, I am a big eater) four "crab and cream cheese puffs" for an appetizer. They came and looked like neat little pillows. You could have almost mistaken them for tiny sopapillas. They had some cilantro and julienned carrots in the middle of the plate. An attractive touch and super delicious when I picked it up and put it in my puff. The puffs were steaming hot when I ripped them open. Did I mention that I love my food hot when it's supposed to be hot? The puff itself was a little thicker than the crab rangoons I have eaten and now I think I like them thin and thick. I thought the puffs could have had a bit more filling, but the flavor was good.
It was difficult for me to decide on a main dish because I liked the noodle selection (always a good sign). I picked Vietnamese noodles and decided to give tofu a try. It's been a long time since I've eaten tofu and I wanted to see if I still liked it. I was really happy with my choice. The bowl came and it was a bowl. I ate that lunch and lunch/snack the next day (which unfortunately I had to share with my foodie nine year old boy). The noodles were hot and the flavors mixed together excellently. The cucumber was sliced a little thicker than in the Vietnamese noodles I've had before. I liked that. I could really taste the flavor that way. There were carrots, lots of cilantro, lettuce, beansprouts, and a slight lemony flavor. Lemongrass? Really great combination of flavors. The tofu was spicy and had the consistency of chicken. I have no idea if that is normal since it's been so long since I've had tofu, but it was good and tasted like soy sauce. Sidenote: The next day my nine year old (who has no idea what tofu is) said, "Give me all the chicken pieces, mom." Then he claimed how great the chicken was in the noodles.
Hubby enjoyed what he had - Moo Goo Gai Pan. But, it didn't look nearly as delish as mine, so I didn't ask for a bite.
I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, the ambiance was nice, and the service was great. The prices? I couldn't make it for cheaper (let's be honest - I couldn't make it at all). I will go back. :o)
Friday, May 6, 2011
Healthy Diet and Exercise, or EAT THE CAKE FIRST!
As many of you know, I am going through a crazy-a$$ midlife crisis which at any given moment can range in depth and proportion but for the most part is centered around, "I need to workout like a mad and crazy woman so that I can have a healthy body which may not look great, but that down deep is muscled and toned, and I need to change my eating habits from things that taste great to things that are good-for-you."
I said this is a "mid-life crisis" which I will clarify by saying:
1. I am not even sure what that means, and
2. I am realizing as the days pass that it is irrational on some levels.
Why? Nothing profound and requiring years of therapy. It is quite simply difficult to understand and irrational - because I have four kids.
Yesterday: Case in Point
5:40 - Alarm rang
6:00 - I was up. Head ached from lack of sleep and no IV for my coffee.
6:45 - Peeps were up, breakfast was underway, lunches were being packed.
7:15 - We headed out the door a full 15 minutes early because I was dreaming of a pre-ZOO FIELD TRIP WITH MY NINE YEAR OLD BOY workout. HUH? Yeah, I know. Irrational on some level.
7:30 - I was back home and promptly popped in the Reebok girl with whom I planned on "stepping" for 35 minutes.
7:30 - 8:00 - I stepped, got sweaty, stopped (yes, stopped) a few times to help a two year old pee and poop, I thought about the million things that had to be done before I could drop said two year old off at MDO and get on to the field trip.
8:00 - I said good-bye to my stepping friend early because I was then feeling a little frantic about what had to be done. I promised myself that AFTER the zoo field trip when I was fresh and perky (???) I would finish my workout or do an additional workout with KK (can you see irrationality rearing its ugly head?).
8:00 - 8:50 - I ate a bowl of healthy oatmeal and a banana, fixed a healthy lunch for myself for the zoo (two homemade California rolls, one two day old apple, water, and trail mix with just a little dark chocolate in it), fixed "lunch" for my two year old who never eats anything anyway, got her dressed, cleaned the kitchen, put in a load of laundry, brushed and fixed her hair, showered, got dressed, packed everything twice after the two year old was helping me and unpacked it all.
9:00 - I was on my way to the zoo.
10:00 - I ate the trail mix because I was starving.
10:45 - I ate the rest of my son's heavily buttered and salted popcorn to "lighten my load" because popcorn is heavy.
11:30 - We broke for lunch and I ate the California rolls. Note to self: these are only yummy when they are fresh. And I attempted to eat the apple which was mealy.
11:30 - 1:30 - I walked around the zoo and resisted the urge to buy an ice cream.
2:00 - 2:30 - I picked up baby, did a frantic thing at home that we like to call, "get-kids'-stuff-ready-for-piano-lessons-prep-for-a-quick-yet-healthy-dinner-which-has-presumably-been-planned-load-up-the-Yukon-and-take-off!"
2:50 - My two girl children bounded into the Yukon with Mother's Day Cakes that they had made at school. I am pretty sure that's when my mouth started to water and I realized I was starving.
2:50 - 5:45 - Kids complained about no snack, they completed their piano lessons, and I tried to focus while dreaming of how I could justify eating cake for dinner AND eating the Mother's Day cakes four days before Mother's Day.
5:50 - Hubby called and asked what was for dinner. I said, "Biscuits? And........Mother's Day Cakes?"
6:00 - 6:20 - We arrived home to an unplanned dinner. Chaos ensued. Backpacks flew, kids rushed to "talk" to dad, I frantically heated up a serious modge-podge of leftovers (including biscuits), and we unwrapped and examined both cakes. We all dutifully ooed and ahed over the cakes.
6:25 - I got out a fork.
All my kids exclaimed, "MOM WHAT ARE YOU DOING???"
I quietly said, "I am eating the cake."
All my kids shouted, "YOU HAVEN'T EATEN DINNER AND IT'S FOR MOTHER'S DAY???"
I quietly said, "It's MY cake and if you be quiet I will give you some before your dinner, too."
Silence ensued, I ate my cake and there went my healthy diet.
Later when all the peeps were in bed, hubby was at the gym and I was WAY too exhausted to workout with KK or the Reebok girl. I blog-surfed and was in bed by 10:30.
And that is how the exercise went.
Healthy day, my friends. Cake is on the menu for breakfast this morning and may just turn into lunch. :o)
I said this is a "mid-life crisis" which I will clarify by saying:
1. I am not even sure what that means, and
2. I am realizing as the days pass that it is irrational on some levels.
Why? Nothing profound and requiring years of therapy. It is quite simply difficult to understand and irrational - because I have four kids.
Yesterday: Case in Point
5:40 - Alarm rang
6:00 - I was up. Head ached from lack of sleep and no IV for my coffee.
6:45 - Peeps were up, breakfast was underway, lunches were being packed.
7:15 - We headed out the door a full 15 minutes early because I was dreaming of a pre-ZOO FIELD TRIP WITH MY NINE YEAR OLD BOY workout. HUH? Yeah, I know. Irrational on some level.
7:30 - I was back home and promptly popped in the Reebok girl with whom I planned on "stepping" for 35 minutes.
7:30 - 8:00 - I stepped, got sweaty, stopped (yes, stopped) a few times to help a two year old pee and poop, I thought about the million things that had to be done before I could drop said two year old off at MDO and get on to the field trip.
8:00 - I said good-bye to my stepping friend early because I was then feeling a little frantic about what had to be done. I promised myself that AFTER the zoo field trip when I was fresh and perky (???) I would finish my workout or do an additional workout with KK (can you see irrationality rearing its ugly head?).
8:00 - 8:50 - I ate a bowl of healthy oatmeal and a banana, fixed a healthy lunch for myself for the zoo (two homemade California rolls, one two day old apple, water, and trail mix with just a little dark chocolate in it), fixed "lunch" for my two year old who never eats anything anyway, got her dressed, cleaned the kitchen, put in a load of laundry, brushed and fixed her hair, showered, got dressed, packed everything twice after the two year old was helping me and unpacked it all.
9:00 - I was on my way to the zoo.
10:00 - I ate the trail mix because I was starving.
10:45 - I ate the rest of my son's heavily buttered and salted popcorn to "lighten my load" because popcorn is heavy.
11:30 - We broke for lunch and I ate the California rolls. Note to self: these are only yummy when they are fresh. And I attempted to eat the apple which was mealy.
11:30 - 1:30 - I walked around the zoo and resisted the urge to buy an ice cream.
2:00 - 2:30 - I picked up baby, did a frantic thing at home that we like to call, "get-kids'-stuff-ready-for-piano-lessons-prep-for-a-quick-yet-healthy-dinner-which-has-presumably-been-planned-load-up-the-Yukon-and-take-off!"
2:50 - My two girl children bounded into the Yukon with Mother's Day Cakes that they had made at school. I am pretty sure that's when my mouth started to water and I realized I was starving.
2:50 - 5:45 - Kids complained about no snack, they completed their piano lessons, and I tried to focus while dreaming of how I could justify eating cake for dinner AND eating the Mother's Day cakes four days before Mother's Day.
5:50 - Hubby called and asked what was for dinner. I said, "Biscuits?
6:00 - 6:20 - We arrived home to an unplanned dinner. Chaos ensued. Backpacks flew, kids rushed to "talk" to dad, I frantically heated up a serious modge-podge of leftovers (including biscuits), and we unwrapped and examined both cakes. We all dutifully ooed and ahed over the cakes.
6:25 - I got out a fork.
All my kids exclaimed, "MOM WHAT ARE YOU DOING???"
I quietly said, "I am eating the cake."
All my kids shouted, "YOU HAVEN'T EATEN DINNER AND IT'S FOR MOTHER'S DAY???"
I quietly said, "It's MY cake and if you be quiet I will give you some before your dinner, too."
Silence ensued, I ate my cake and there went my healthy diet.
Later when all the peeps were in bed, hubby was at the gym and I was WAY too exhausted to workout with KK or the Reebok girl. I blog-surfed and was in bed by 10:30.
And that is how the exercise went.
Healthy day, my friends. Cake is on the menu for breakfast this morning and may just turn into lunch. :o)
Thursday, April 21, 2011
A Love Story? No, I don't do that.
At the risk of reading like a Hallmark "romantic" card, my post today will be about my hubby. Blech. I know. I will try not to be too sappy.
I cannot remember ever writing about him - even though sometimes I think he is convinced that my blog is some twisted rant about married life with him??? AND, I don't think he's ever actually read the blog, so I should be safe.
It's not going to be long....just two reasons why I am still married after 20 years. And, mainly I am doing this for posterity (huh? - look it up.). So that when I am stinkin' mad at him (like, possibly later today), I can go back and read this post and remember that I really do like him. ;o)
1. Baby is a stink pot at the BMX track. And, I can't say I blame her. It's not Chucky Cheese for a two year old. It is dirty, dusty, filled with sweaty older kids, and not-much-fun. So, we usually are at the track Thursdays when there is no school Friday. This morning I told hubby that I wasn't going to the track tonight. He said, "Aw, man."
He likes me to go to the track (I think) even though sometimes we don't say anything to each other the entire time we are there, or sit next to each other??? I know. I don't understand it either, but I will take that as a compliment.
I said, "I have too much to do."
Now, here's where the "like" comes in. He has seen me sit on my a$$ all week and watch TV, blog, be on Facebook, randomly find things that need to be done (other than my actual work), and basically Procrastinate Like Only I Can. AND yet, this is what he says,
"I'll take baby to the track with me tonight so you can work. I just won't practice or race. I'll just watch baby."
He says this without the least bit of sarcasm in his voice.
SAY WHAT??? Wow! He would watch our stink pot baby at the track for three plus hours while the older three ride and race and baby gets filthy dirty, whines for a "fish stick" (which we finally figured out last Saturday means "popsicle" - I know, she's weird), and tries her best to find new parents??? While he knows all the while I have procrastinated ALL WEEK and am staying home under the guise of "having too much to do"??? Yeah! I like this guy!
Reason Number 2. And this one is more serious, so try not to throw up and I will do the same. He has the most generous heart of anyone I know (except possibly, Jesus or Mother Teresa). Which I am finding (the older I get) is really, really hard to come by in this materialistic world of instant gratification. I will not tell you what he did on the Internet, because he wouldn't like that. So far, I think he has only told me. But yesterday he was in one of those situations where any other person that I can think of would have just walked away and pretended they couldn't do anything to help. Instead, he made a simple decision (for him) which was - basically - I have all I need right now, and this person doesn't. So, I am going to give this person what he needs to make it through this moment. Sounds easy, but I don't think it is. He not only is generous he is generous without expectation, without judgment, and without announcing his generosity through updating his profile status (if he had one).
If I was into mush and gush, PDA, and love I would end with "I love that guy." Lucky for you I am not into those things.
There is a man and a family out there who could rest much easier last night, and there will be one dirty, bored, mischievous baby at the track tonight.
Hubby - thank you!
I cannot remember ever writing about him - even though sometimes I think he is convinced that my blog is some twisted rant about married life with him??? AND, I don't think he's ever actually read the blog, so I should be safe.
It's not going to be long....just two reasons why I am still married after 20 years. And, mainly I am doing this for posterity (huh? - look it up.). So that when I am stinkin' mad at him (like, possibly later today), I can go back and read this post and remember that I really do like him. ;o)
1. Baby is a stink pot at the BMX track. And, I can't say I blame her. It's not Chucky Cheese for a two year old. It is dirty, dusty, filled with sweaty older kids, and not-much-fun. So, we usually are at the track Thursdays when there is no school Friday. This morning I told hubby that I wasn't going to the track tonight. He said, "Aw, man."
He likes me to go to the track (I think) even though sometimes we don't say anything to each other the entire time we are there, or sit next to each other??? I know. I don't understand it either, but I will take that as a compliment.
I said, "I have too much to do."
Now, here's where the "like" comes in. He has seen me sit on my a$$ all week and watch TV, blog, be on Facebook, randomly find things that need to be done (other than my actual work), and basically Procrastinate Like Only I Can. AND yet, this is what he says,
"I'll take baby to the track with me tonight so you can work. I just won't practice or race. I'll just watch baby."
He says this without the least bit of sarcasm in his voice.
SAY WHAT??? Wow! He would watch our stink pot baby at the track for three plus hours while the older three ride and race and baby gets filthy dirty, whines for a "fish stick" (which we finally figured out last Saturday means "popsicle" - I know, she's weird), and tries her best to find new parents??? While he knows all the while I have procrastinated ALL WEEK and am staying home under the guise of "having too much to do"??? Yeah! I like this guy!
Reason Number 2. And this one is more serious, so try not to throw up and I will do the same. He has the most generous heart of anyone I know (except possibly, Jesus or Mother Teresa). Which I am finding (the older I get) is really, really hard to come by in this materialistic world of instant gratification. I will not tell you what he did on the Internet, because he wouldn't like that. So far, I think he has only told me. But yesterday he was in one of those situations where any other person that I can think of would have just walked away and pretended they couldn't do anything to help. Instead, he made a simple decision (for him) which was - basically - I have all I need right now, and this person doesn't. So, I am going to give this person what he needs to make it through this moment. Sounds easy, but I don't think it is. He not only is generous he is generous without expectation, without judgment, and without announcing his generosity through updating his profile status (if he had one).
If I was into mush and gush, PDA, and love I would end with "I love that guy." Lucky for you I am not into those things.
There is a man and a family out there who could rest much easier last night, and there will be one dirty, bored, mischievous baby at the track tonight.
Hubby - thank you!
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