Thursday Thirteen: Randomness

1.  My little sister STILL has not given birth to my niece/nephew.  She was due last Thursday and the baby just doesn't seem to be in any hurry. 

2.  I'm ready for spring.  When I say ready, what I really mean is past due.  Kinda like Bonnie.

3.  I'm doing my first race of the year on Saturday... I haven't ran in MONTHS.  It's not going to be pretty, but at least it's a St. Patrick's race and the goal is to end up at an Irish pub.  Motivation people, that's why I run.

4.  The weather was pretty crummy over the weekend, so Saturday afternoon I took L to a movie.  She's been wanting to watch Oz and it looked like one I would enjoy as well.  It was great!  The best moment was at the beginning when Oz was in the circus and made a lady disappear, and then made himself disappear.  Once he's in the balloon and he sees the tornado, L yells to the screen, "Can't make that disappear, can ya!?" 

5. By the time Sunday afternoon came around, we were tired of being cooped up in the house and bored.  I decided to make some cookies.  L wanted one, but since we had been couch potatoes all day, I told her she'd have to be a little active before she could eat one.  I proposed that if she ran out to the shed and back she could have one... but only if she went in what she had on, which was just her unders!  Like her mother, she's not one to shy away from a dare, so off she went!

6.  I've discovered a new author.  New to me anyway, and I'm loving her.  Diane Chamberlain.  She's known as the Jodi Picoult of the south.  So if you are a Jodi fan like myself.  Check her out.  Right now I'm reading Breaking the Silence and it's hard for me to put it down!

7. Speaking of books, my two favorite websites are PaperBackSwap and Goodreads.  If you have a lot of books lying around the house PBS is the answer.  You literally swap books with people and you only have to pay for shipping yours out.  It's awesome.  If you'd like a referral, let me know! 

8. L's birthday is next month and she is constantly telling us stuff to put on her birthday wish list.  She recently grew out of her cowboy boots so that is one of her top priorities right now.  The other day, I had her sit at the computer with me to look at some boots and see if there were any that she liked.  She picked out a pair of Anderson Bean boots.  Now for anyone that knows boots, knows that those aren't cheap!  What can I say, the kids got good taste!

9. I don't think I shared any photos from the last time we had a good snow.  It was one of those perfect winter days where the sun was shining, there wasn't any wind blowing AND the snow was just right for packing.  So we headed outsidie to play and make a snowman!

10. My favorite picture to date of JC was taken that day as well.... Love him!

11. Tegan is still doing phenomenal and is growing like a weed!  Just check out the cute lil munchkin...

12. Shelly is having some difficulties the last two weeks, prayers will be appreciated!

Thursday Thirteen

1. This week has been a busy one, sorry if you've called, texted or emailed and I haven't responded.  I will eventually get back to everyone!

2. Happy birthday to my big brother Buck!  He turned 39 yesterday, hard to believe next year he'll be 40. 

3. What do you consider "old"?  I have friends that freaked out turning 25, others at 30 and then others at 40.  So far, none of these numbers freak me out.  To me, 70 is old.  Scary, considering my dad isn't far from it, but he is FAR from old in my eyes!

4. BIG things are happening today!  As soon as I get the go aheadl I will be sharing!

5. JC hopped on a jet plane this morning to go to Florida.  He has his bone marrow donor evaluation tomorrow.  Please send some extra prayers that all goes well and he's cleared to donate to Shelly!

6. Monkey was very matter-of-fact that she would be going with JC today.  Poor thing was a bit broken hearted when she couldn't go. 

7. Our summer volleyball team had our last game last week.  This saddens me.  I'm going to miss seeing my team every week!

8. We are taking family photos next weekend, as long as the weather cooperates.  What color schemes do you like to see right now?

9. Two of my favorite people are getting married on Saturday.  I can't wait to celebrate their day with them.  Congratulations Josh and Leah!

10. And because of this wedding, the Abbey family will be coming home!  I'm looking forward to spending a little time with them before they have to head back to Oklahoma. 

11. I've found a new love for the chilly mornings.  Mint Hot Chocoloate.  For two reasons, I refuse to by the pre-made mint hot chocolate packages.  One, we have a Keurig coffeemaker so those while I would buy the k-cup, I don't like the loose powder.  Two, I'm kind of a tight ass with my money... which yes, sort of contradicts the Keurig thing.  So, to solve this problem, I've been making regular hot chocolate (from a k-cup) and putting one small drop of mint extract in it.  Top with a little milk and it's amazing!

12. I got a new pair of boots.  They are Ferrini's... I've never owned a pair of those before, but so far, I love them!

 

13. I'm seriously considering chopping my hair off.  I adore this cut.  What do you think?

 

 

Thursday Thirteen

1. I took a quick trip to Washington DC last week for work.  When I say quick, I mean really quick... flew out early Tuesday morning and came back Wednesday night.  I've never been to DC before so it was pretty neat, but since it was such a quick trip and I was there for work, I wasn't able to see near as much as I wanted to.  I did get to spend a couple of hours on Tuesday walking around there.  The Capitol was an awesome sight to see.

2. The United States Botanical Garden is right across the street from the Capitol so I ducked in there for a little bit and snapped this picture for Monkey, I know she would've loved the bright colors!

3. I was also very fortunate that spring came early, because the cherry blossoms were in full bloom!  These trees were all over DC and it was gorgeous.

4. It's nice seeing things like this... where a concealed weapons permit holder stops a shooting rampage.  Too bad major media doesn't report on it. 

5.  It's been many years since I was in school, and we don't have any school-aged children in our house, yet I still call weeknights "school nights"... anyone else do this?

6. The weather was so nice last weekend, we were able to get a start on Monkey's birthday present... she's beyond excited to have her own clubhouse!

7. I've decided I'm going to cut back on the 5k's I do this year... we are just so busy all the time, I need all the free time I can get.  I did however, run my first race of the year on St. Patrick's Day.  In all fairness, it was only 1.8 miles, but we did have a lot of fun!

8. Our Oklahoma friends, Scott and Annie (and little baby Cort!) came up for a visit last week.  We were sad to see them leave, but enjoyed the time they were here.  Monkey is obsessed with Cort and did not want them to go home. 

9. I mean really, who wouldn't be in love with this little handsome man!

10. Speaking of obsessions... I've been addicted to Cuties recently...  I can eat 5 or 6 at a time.  I love how easy to peel they are.  That is the number one reason I don't eat oranges very often.    

11. I bought a loaf of french bread at my last trip to the grocery store.  I've found that if we don't eat it right away it gets moldy pretty fast.  So I've been making all sorts of grilled cheese sandwiches.  I made a mozzarella, pepperoni and pesto that was really good and last night I tried out one I found on Pinterest, jalepeno popper grilled cheese (I skipped out on the tortilla chips).  Oooooh so goooood. 

12. Tonight, I'm thinking maybe mushroom and brie sandwiches.  What combinations do you like?

13. I'm looking forward to the NRA Annual Meeting that is quickly approaching.  It's been a few years since I've been able to go, and I've missed it.  They always have so much to see and do.  We plan to take Monkey with us this year too, so maybe we'll get some time to explore St. Louis while we are at it. 

Thursday Thirteen

1. Ummm... it's cold.  Not chilly, but COLD.  When our fireplace kicks on automatically you know it's cold. 

2. I'm pretty sure I've said it before, but I'll say it again... I hate winter.  And it's supposed to be fall right now, where is the jeans and sweatshirt weather?  This is calling for a parka!

3. Speaking of how cold it is... I'm SO happy that we are finally done with sand volleyball and only play indoor games now! 

4. Tomorrow marks two weeks of Monkey being completely potty trained!  No more diapers, woo hoo!  (Well except at bed time, but that doesn't count in my book.)  So proud of the little nugget!

5. A co-worker made this adorable hat for Monkey...

6. Don't you love it?  She certainly does.  The other morning she came strutting into our bedroom with nothing but her big girl undies and that hat on! 

7. This weekend I'm flying down to Oklahoma to visit Scott & Annie.... and their new baby Cort!  I can't wait to meet the little guy! 

8.  I'm missing a friends bachelorette party here because of my trip.  JC is going to the bachelor party as well, and since I'm such a great wife and friend I made a batch of Apple Pie for everyone.  I'll have the recipe up tomorrow.  Seriously the best fall beverage EVER.

 

9. I actually started my Christmas shopping early this year!  I saw a few things on sale so went ahead and picked them up.  I'm sure I'll still be doing a few last minute things, but hey, it's a step in the right direction.

10. I went to my alma mater's homecoming this past weekend and got to hang out with some great friends that I haven't been able to spend much time with recently.  Such fun!

11.  Does anyone else use yahoo mail?  I've had the same address for years and don't want to change it, but I really despise the new inbox system they have going on.  It's slow and doens't work half the time for me.  What is the deal?

12. I had thawed out some pork steaks in the fridge over the weekend thinking we would grill them one night this week.  Since it's been raining and crappy that didn't happen.  So I went on a search for a recipe to use it with.  This is what I ended up going with and it was pretty tasty.  I scratched the rice and served it with rolls instead. 

13. And the best for last... WOO HOO, GO CARDINALS!! 

Thursday Thirteen

1. It's here, it's finally here!  The Warrior Dash is THIS WEEKEND!  I'm so excited to be a complete muddy mess while running through varying obstacles. 

2. I had lunch with a friend yesterday who has been trying to get pregnant for over four years.  And guess what?  She's pregnant!  I am so beyond happy for her and her husband, I was almost in tears when she told me. 

3. And on the pregnancy front... my volleyball team is going to have our very own baby mascot in the spring!  No, I'm not expecting, but one of my team mates is!  I've been covering for her missing games the last couple of weeks, but I finally have permission to tell everyone else tonight!

4.  I'm reading a really interesting book right now, The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker.  It is basically dealing with the myth that most violent acts are unpredictable and shows that they do in fact have clear warning signs and then goes on to show the reader how to recognize survival signs.  It may sound sort of text-book boring, but it's not at all! 

5. Their album hasn't even been released yet, but I think I can say with safe certainty that the new group, Pistol Annies, will be one of my favorites.  Love them!

6. We went over to Bath, Illinois, last weekend for the Redneck Fishing Tournament.  It was a ton of fun and we hope to go again next year.  I don't know how I managed to not take a single picture, but somehow I didn't get one.  There were many interesting sights to say the least. 

7. Does anyone else find it supremely annoying when you answer the phone and the person on the other end won't tell you who they are or what they want? 

8. A co-worker brought in bagels from Panera this morning and specifically got me one of the cinnamon crunch ones.  Made my day! 

9. I've booked my flight to go see baby Cort in Oklahoma after he is born!  I can't wait to see Annie and Scott and meet the little man once he's here! 

10. Our pups got a hold of yet ANOTHER pair of my boots.  So really, a trip to Oklahoma is needed anyway.  If I'm going to buy a new pair of boots, might as well buy them in Oklahoma, right?

11. We are one month out from the 5K for the VA race.  Are you signed up? 

12.  I pull in the driveway the other night and what do I see?  Monkey running around the yard... wearing her camo crocks and NOTHING else!  We may have a little exhibitionist on our hands.

13.  Tell me something you are looking forward to... the State Fair, Appleseed (ours is next weekend), autumn, Farm Progress Show, the end of the work day?  You know, anything. 

Thursday Thirteen

1. I think there are two types of people in life.  The ones who get excited when they hear that one of their favorite books is being made into a movie and the ones that cringe.  I belong in the cringer category for the most part.  There's at least one other person ou there that gets it, he's a cringer too.  And he hits the nail right on the head as to why in this article.  Which are you?

2. Huh.  Did you know if you live in Montana, neither you nor your groom actually has to be present at your own wedding?  Well darn it, if I had only known!

3. I am taking off work early tomorrow and treating myself to a massage.  Actually, I've had a gift certificate to use for a local spa since LAST August and I finally forced myself to make an appointment.  I don't know why it's so hard for me.  I actually really enjoy getting a massage, I just hate having to make an appointment, take the time out of my day and go do it.  I'm looking forward to it, it'll be a nice relaxing way to start this crazy busy weekend.

4. Speaking of the weekend, if you don't have plans you should really come out to our farm for a rousing day (or two) of shooting.  Same-day registration is available, so no excuses!

5. I can't believe it is the middle of June already.  We haven't gone canoeing or camping once yet!  This calendar can not be right.

6. Oooh, I believe I have found another 5K that I want to participate in.  Looks super fun! 

7. Our garden is looking pretty good.  Except for the fact that my dear sweet husband tilled up part of my basil!  I had big plans for that and now I'll have to either put it on hold, or actually go to the store and buy some. 

8. The radishes are doing extremely well, we have them coming out of our ears right now!  I think I might try making some radish chips sometime soon.  Sounds interesting, right?

9. I'm an aunt... again!  My sister-in-law had a beautiful little girl on Friday.  Monkey is very excited about having a new cousin.

10. Not only did we celebrate the birth of this sweet little girl on Friday, but we also celebrated 5 years of marital bliss!  Happy anniversary babe, you've made 5 years, seem more like 5 days, time really does fly by when your having fun.

11. I like this quote.  A lot.  "Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."

12. We are on the hunt for a new babysitter.  Monkey has been with the same one since my maternity leave ended and she loves it there.  Unfortunately, they are moving and changes have to be made.  Not only are we sad, but I absolutely HATE the search for a new one.  I really don't think there is anything more daunting than trying to find someone you trust to care for the most important being in your life.  It's not a decision made lightly!

13. It's Father's Day this weekend!  How will you be celebrating?  I will be spending it with my family and 30 or so others shooting countless rounds of .22s!  And baking.  Baking lots of lots of cookies for said group.  Sugar is essential for getting through long days.

Thursday Thirteen

1. My birthday was yesterday.  Happy birthday to me!  I think my body was rejecting turning another year older since I was sick Monday and Tuesday.  I bounced back yesterday though and am feeling a lot better today.

2. We didn't really do anything to celebrate my birthday or JC's (his was Monday) since I was sick.  So we are going to celebrate this weekend.  Luckily, we have some pretty cool friends who scheduled their wedding at a perfect time to coincide with our birthdays.  That was surely their plan the whole time, right?

 
3. The Kitchen Witch giving away what looks to be an amazing book today, Looking Up: A Memoir of Sisters, Survival and Skokie.  Head on over to her blog to check out an excerpt of the book and to enter for a chance to win!

4. I want to eat this.  Now.  I don't care if it's only 10:00 am.  It looks divine. 

5. I'm going to suggest to my volleyball team that we eat at Flat Top before our game tonight, just because of the above recipe.  It's as close as I can get for the time being.

6. We got our garden planted over the weekend.  We put in 8 different varieties of tomatoes, green, yellow and red peppers, jalapenos, banana peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, turnips, radishes, cilantro, basil, and strawberries.  I would've liked to have put even more in, but we had to stop somewhere.  Are you growing anything this year? 

7.  I really loved this post on the Corn Corps yesterday talking about consumer choice when it comes to Meatless Mondays.  Tell me what your thoughts are on this.  I think you know where I stand.

8. This weekend is going to be a busy one.  Not only do we have a wedding, but I also have the Fat Ass 5K!  I've been looking forward to this since the day after last year's!  I don't think anything really beats running while eating junk food and drinking beer. 

9. Maybe the Warrior Dash will.  We'll see how that compares in 13 weeks!

10. We've finally had some hot sunny days that are perfect for planting.  I've talked to a few farmers that have finished with corn and are now working on beans.  What a relief after the endless rain and crummy weather we had for a while! 

11. Monkey had her checkup yesterday with the dentist and she did so amazingly well!  Normally, they just take a look in her mouth to make sure everything is going okay and then put flouride on her teeth.  She screams and cries the entire time.  This time was different.  I had her come back and watch the last 10 minutes of my cleaning and I think it made a world of difference!  She sat so calmly and let them do what they had to do, she did SO well, they were even able to do more than normal and cleaned and polished them!  Here's to hoping all appointments go that smoothly. 

12. Interested in getting an insider's look at pro-gun rights strategies for the coming year?  You should think about attending this year's Gun Rights Policy Conference in Chicago.  I went two years ago when they had it in Springfield and found it to be very informative.  I'm hoping to go again this year.

13. I'm going to leave you with this picture, because it makes me smile.

   

Thursday Thirteen

Today I give you thirteen completely random musings....

1. I love Thursdays.  Why?  Because of the obvious reason, I can see the weekend peaking at me around the corner.  And two, it's volleyball night!  I really enjoy spending time with my team, we have so much fun together.  Unfortunately, we have not had a game yet where it isn't either raining or freezing and tonight looks like it won't be any exception.  It's not right when I have to wear socks playing sand volleyball, not right at all. 

2. It's Cinco De Mayo!  I plan on celebrating by going out with my team to a Mexican restaurant after our game.  What about you?

3. Speaking of Cinco De Mayo.  I think I want to try this recipe, and very soon.

4. Monkey's 2nd birthday was almost two weeks ago and I realized that I haven't even set up an appointment for her 2 year pictures!  Luckily, I have a few friends who dabble in photography :)

5. Did you know this week is Children's Book Week?  Being an aggie, I found these books to be interesting. 

6. I was introduced to The Kitchen Witch today.  She guest-posted over on Taming Insanity and I cracked up.  Check it out: An Open Letter to the Mommy at the Playground.  I think I've found a new blog to follow.

7. Mother's Day is this weekend.  My mom is superb and deserves to have more than one day a year devoted to her.  Even if your mom is as awesome as mine.  You should probably still do something special for her. 

8. Planning for the 5K for the VA is still going strong!  We have a facebook page now too, check it out and invite all your friends please!

9. I'm reading Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner.  I haven't read a book of hers for a while and saw it while at Wal-Mart the other day, so I picked it up.  So far it's good.  What are you reading?

10. An update on the rabbits... we no longer have them.  We decided to let them loose after more research showed that they were old enough to survive without their mama.  That and the fact that Hank wanted to continue to "play" with them.  We haven't seen them since so I'm hoping that's a good sign.

11. Hank did find a new play toy.  I went out to my car the other day and next to it was a huge dead RAT.  Good boy Hank, good boy.

12. Is it just me, or is this summer jam-packed moreso than other summers?  I feel like there is something on our calendar every weekend until September. 

13. JC and I are planning on going on a 'date' tomorrow night.  We haven't been out just the two of us in a LONG time.  Any suggestions on what we should do?  I'm guessing it will consist of going out to eat and probably eating so much we just want to go home and put a movie in.  But his birthday is on Monday, so some sort of celebration should be in order!

Thursday Thirteen

1. My little itty bitty baby is going to turn 2 years old in a little over a week!  How is that possible?

2. We are going to take Monkey & her cousin Peanut to the Children's Musuem of Indianapolis on Saturday as sort of a birthday celebration. 

3. Going this weekend rather than her actual birthday weekend has nothing to do with the fact that after she turns two, she'll no longer have free admission, nope not at all.

4. We are going to have a joint birthday party and Easter dinner with the family this year.  I'm thinking instead of going the traditional birthday cake route, I'll make these and maybe a giant cookie.  Any great Easter/Birthday party dessert ideas?

5. Easter is really late this year, I can't even remember the last time it was this late.  I don't much care for it. 

6. I had a night out with the girls a few weeks ago, we went and watched Cody Canada and the Departed.  We had so much fun, I can't wait to do it again!

7. My sand volleyball league starts tonight, so excited for this!

8. I'm so thrilled about the great start we have for the 5K for the VA.  We've already got some great sponsors but really need more, if you are interested, or know someone who might be, please pass the information along.  Our past, present and future troops need our support! 

9. And don't forget to sign yourself up for it!!  Sponsors aren't all we need, participants are even more important!  Don't be scared, if you aren't a runner, you can walk.  AND there will be a fun run just for kids... you don't want to miss that!

10. We are loving spring around our house.  The fresh air and sunshine are doing us all a lot of good!

11. We had a converstation at work yesterday.... what to do with old engagement/wedding rings.  Is it okay to trade them in if you ever get engaged again?  Is it bad mojo?  If hubby had been engaged prior to me, I don't think I would be offended if he traded that ring in for a new one for me.  As long as it was new... I don't want to wear the same ring he gave someone else!  Some people in the office agree with me, but then others say it's bad mojo.  What do you think?

12. I can't remember if I shared a picture of Monkey's first black eye.  She fell and popped her face with a toy.  Here it is almost all healed up.

       

13. I will be in St. Louis most of next week for work, if I don't get a chance to post anything, I apologize in advance!  I am looking forward to going to a Cardinals game while I'm there, GO CARDS!!

Thursday Thirteen

1. I’m sleep deprived.

2. My baby is sick and it breaks my heart.

3. My baby is actually a toddler now, but this past week she’s acted like my baby again. Cuddling with me, not sleeping through the night, needing more attention than a narcissistic celebrity. You get the picture.

4. Actually, my baby is acting MORE like a baby than she actually did as a newborn. She wasn’t even up this much in the night when we first brought her home from the hospital. Pitiful, I tell ya.

5. I’ve watched more “Hot Dog” in the last 5 days than I have in the last 2 years.

6. I can see a glimmer of the light at the end of the tunnel though. She’s starting to sleep better and isn’t howling in pain every minute of the day.

7. I have volleyball tonight and I am ready for a night out of the house.

8. I feel sort of guilty about this.

9. We ordered windows back in October. STILL haven’t had them correctly installed. This is B.S.

10. I’m enjoying a few new shows, Lights Out on FX and Off the Map on ABC. I think it’s going to replace Lost on my DVR.

11. I’ve been doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred video. I’m on the third level and I think she wants to kill me.  Monkey doesn't make it any easier.  She likes to "help".  It could be part of the being sick and needy.

12. In a month I will be sitting on a beach in Mexico with a tropical frozen drink in hand. I look forward to this.

13. Beach and bikini. Hence, the 30 Day Shred. Let’s hope it works for everyone’s sake.

Thursday Thirteen: Resolution Update

Well another year has come and gone.  Did you stick to your resolutions that you made?  Here are the ones I made, let's see how good I did....
1. I resolve to NOT give up any of the few vices that I have.  Actually, I should drink more wine; add to that vice.  I think I did pretty well on this one.  In fact, I've found some new wines that I really love, like this one.

2. To read more books than I did in '09 (which may be hard because I read a lot of books this year).  I think I probably achieved this one as well.  While I have a list of all the books I've read, they are archived by author not chronoligical order, and I'm too lazy to go back and count them all. 

3. To expound on that, I want to will finish this series.  CHECK!  I've read all of the ones that she has published so far.  As well as both the Aurora Teagarden and Lily Bard series.

4. To become credit card debt free (and I'm almost there!). CHECK!

5. To run another 5k... okay make that two. CHECK!  I actually ran 4 and one 7k. 

6. To go on our first vacation as a family. CHECK!  We were lucky enough to be able to take a few family vacations this year. 
 
7. To make it down to Oklahoma to visit these folks. CHECK!  It was the first family vacation we took and we had a great time.  I can't wait to go back again!
 
8. To have a winning season with my volleyball team. Well that one I failed at, but at least we had fun!
 
9. To not waste money on seasonal fads that probably aren't that cute anyway.  CHECK!
 
10. To not count calories as well as not deny myself scrumptious desserts and other goodies.  Moderation is what it's all about. CHECK!  Which was evident this past week, holy cow, I've eaten more sweets in one week than I have probably had all year.
 
11. To do more nice things for random strangers.  I'm not sure if I've completed this to my satisfaction, I think I'll work on it again next year.
 
12. To slow down and enjoy life's small moments, not just the large ones. CHECK!  But, I think this is one that I can continue to work on as well.

13. To learn how to operate our camcorder and actually use it.  I failed.... miserably.  I haven't used it once, but JC has, so at least one of us is succeeding at it!

Thursday Thirteen

1. Tonight is our last night of volleyball.  Very sad about that.  But we'll start up the next league in January,  so I don't have too long to wait!

2. I've got all my Christmas shopping done!  And I did 95% of it online, I LOVE not having to step foot in a store and fight the crowds.

3. Speaking of Christmas shopping, I found an awesome site that gives you daily discounts on all sorts of kids (and adult) items.  I've got some great deals on it!  

4.  Three of my classmates from high school are in a band together (Crickets & Cars) and yesterday, they released their debut album.  Check it out, they are awesomely talented.

5. Have I ever mentioned that I went to high school in a corn field?  It's true. 

6. One week from today Annie will be home.  I haven't seen her since her wedding in June.  I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa to come down the chimney!

7.  We don't go to the movie theater often.  In fact, it's been over two years since we have gone.  I'm squirmy.  I'd rather sit in the comfort of my own home and be able to pause it when I have to go pee.  But I REALLy want to see the movie 127 Hours.  I'll even go sit in the theater for it!  I've heard it is an awesome movie based on an amazing true story.  I love movies that are based on true stories, but what also hooked me, was that people are literally passing out and getting sick during it because of one gruesome scene.  I'm intrigued!  Does that make me odd?

8.  Have you noticed stores are putting out their spring merchandise already?  We haven't even hit the first day of winter yet and there are spring clothes on the racks!

9.  Along the same lines... I'm sick of Christmas music.  It's been playing since Thanksgiving and I'm over it.  I'm not a Christmas music fan in the first place and with the constant playing of it, it's just run into the ground before Christmas even gets here.  Am I alone on this?

10. You know that white cheese sauce Mexican restaurants serve?  Well, I'm trying to perfect that and haven't got it figured out yet.  Any suggestions?  I'll be trying a batch again this weekend.

11. I'm craving Japanese food. 

12.  No, I'm not pregnant.

13.  And I'll leave you with a little piece of wisdom... I've  learned everything from my cows: Never walk on the path that others have made because at some point you will step in crap.

Thursday Thirteen

Today is Veteran's Day.  On this day, and every day, there are countless reasons to thank a veteran.  I give you a measly thirteen:

1. Every time you read a newspaper of your choice.

2. Every time you say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

3. Every time you exercise your right to vote.

4. Every time you speak your mind without concern for retribution.

5. Every time you purchase a firearm.

6. Every time you go to the church of your choice.

7. Every time you wake up in your own bed in your own home.

8. Every time you sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

9. Every time you freely travel from city to city, and state to state.

10. Every time you send your children to the school of your choice.

11. Every time you enjoy your liesure time (watching sport, hanging out with your friends in a bar, etc.) rather than being on a battlefield.

12. Every time you attend a protest, rally, or march for a cause.

13. Thank a veteren for your right to live free.

Thursday Thirteen

1. I'm glad the elections are finally over. I get so tired of all the negative ads out there. How's about telling me what YOU stand for and what YOU want to achieve for the government. Not the faults of your competitor.

2. Did you know that Thomas Jefferson was the first to use a smear campaign against his opponent? Geeze, if only he knew what he started!

3. My Grandpa had a little spill on Tuesday.  The doctors originally thought he broke his hip, but after surgery last night it turns out he broke his femur.  Still not a good thing, but better than having to have a hip replacement.  It shouldn't be as long of a recovery for him, but still going to be a painful and hard one.  Please keep him in your prayers!

4. I'm really missing my friend Annie right now.  The only thing that makes me happy summer is over is the fact that she'll be coming home for the holidays!

5. Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday.  I am not looking forward to losing an hour of sleep or getting off work as it's getting dark.  If I was President I would make it Daylight Savings Time YEAR ROUND.

6. And while I was at it, I would mandate a 4-day work week as well.

7. I taught my sister how to make pumpkin puree and roasted pumpkin seeds this week.  I don't think she was really paying attention... I think she just wanted me to do the work for her!  I have two more pumpkins to use, so be prepared for more pumpkin recipes on this here blog.

8. On that note, I've seen recipes for beef stew baked in a pumpkin.  Beef stew is not one of my favorite meals, but I like the idea of baking a meal inside a pumpkin.  I've got an idea I'm working on... I'll let you know how it turns out. 

9. I am STILL swamped at work planning events and working at getting two websites launched.  I could use a vacation.

10. It's volleyball night!  This might be the first time this season where we actually have the entire team there.  It seems like every week we have to have a sub for someone.

11. Monkey dressed up for Halloween this year.  Want to take a guess as to what she was?  A monkey of course!  Cutest little monkey I've ever seen, that's for sure.

12. 5 years ago today, I had Lasik surgery.  It was worth every single penny. 

13. I finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and am now reading Undone by Karin Slaughter. What are you reading?

Thursday Thirteen

1.  It's volleyball night.  We are back to playing indoors again and while I miss the sand, with the weather being as chilly as it has been at night, I'm glad we are inside.

2.  I won a blog giveaway, and it's so cool!  The last time I won something was probably back in 6th grade when I won the "Sponsor Wheel" on the local AM station.  I was one stoked kid.  Thanks to Hollie at Blog-o-"Holl"ic and Jill at Lime Tree Gifts for the sweet keychain.  I can't wait to get it!

3.  We have a reception on Saturday for some friends that got married in the Bahamas the same weekend as my sister-in-law's wedding.  They are so cool they even made it on Good Morning America! 

4. Pretty excited to eat leftovers from last night.  Does anyone else get excited for leftovers?  I'm having brat burgers and grilled mac n cheese.  YUM!

5. A friend joined the local roller derby team, the McLean County MissFits, and I'll admit it... I'm jeolous.  I don't have time for both volleyball and roller derby, but I really wish I could do both.  I will have to make it to watch her kick some tail at least once or twice. 

6. Monkey had her 18 month checkup on Monday, even though she won't actually be 18 months until the end of the month.  Anyway, she's in the 95th percantile for height.  Which means she's taller than 95% of the kids her age.  I was not surprised when the doc told me this, it's hard to find pants that are long enough for her!  Poor thing is destined to be like me.  She'll never be able to dry her jeans... ever.

7. I've been reading the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins and only have 40 pages left in the final installement.  Good books, would definately recommend.  Any suggestions on what I should read next?

8. After the incident of JC busting out the bedroom window we decided it was finally time to replace all the windows and doors in the house.  We've had one estimate so far... yikes!  Who would've thought windows could be so pricey?

9.  Last Friday, I went over to my parents to visit after work.  I ended up chasing a herd of cattle through a few fields before getting them back into the pasture RIGHT at dark.  It was a workout, but it kind of made me miss living at home and doing that sort of stuff on a regular basis.

10. We have Dish Network and we love FX shows: Rescue Me, Sons of Anarchy, Justified, etc.  Apparently Dish Network and FX are having a lovers quarrel because when we tuned in Tuesday night to watch SOA, we no longer get FX!  I was quite disturbed, still am actually.  They need to resolve their spat ASAP.

11. I dreamed last night that we won the lottery.  Wishful thinking or a glimpse into the future?  Oh please, tell me I have fortune telling capabilities!  

12. Monkey and Hank have been getting along so great.  For a puppy, he's very gentle with her and she adores him.  One of their favorite games is playing fetch.

13.  Oh, and have I mentioned how much that kid makes me smile?  Like, really smile.  I think I'm going to keep her.

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things I plan to do this weekend:

1. Hopefully get a chance to finally watch Avatar. I don’t really see how it can be as good as everyone says, but I’m going to give it a chance.

2. Partake in the Fat Ass 5K.

3. Eat lots of unhealthy food and drink beer at said 5K.

4. Hang out with some great friends.

5. Spend time with my momma for Mother’s Day.

6. Maybe take my momma and Monkey to the zoo.

7. Work in the garden.

8. Laundry.

9. Celebrate the hubby’s birthday. It falls on Mother’s Day this year. He was not born on Mother’s Day though. I was. Yep, I really don’t have to get my mom a gift every year because I am the gift!

10. Venture into the unknown. Hubby has something planned for my birthday Saturday night and won’t tell me what it is. I’m sure whatever it is he has up his sleeve will be great. He always does great with gifts. (More to come on that in a later post.)

11. Grill out. I’m craving steak and potatoes right now. Bacon-wrapped jalapenos would be good too.

12. Make birthday cupcakes.

13. Did I mention drink beer and eat unhealthy food??

What are your plans for the weekend?

Thursday Thirteen: Resolutions

I was thinking on the way to work this morning (Yes, I had to work. I know, ridiculous.  I can give you my boss's number if you'd like to call him and complain.) that everyone always says how they'll give up smoking, or give up chocolate, or will lose weight or whatever their big thing is for the year.  And most of them don't ever stick with it.  I wanted to make my resolutions ones that I would have a good chance of sticking with.  So here are my 13 New Year's Resolutions.

1. I resolve to NOT give up any of the few vices that I have.  Actually, I should drink more wine; add to that vice.

2. To read more books than I did in '09 (which may be hard because I read a lot of books this year).

3. To expound on that, I want to will finish this series.

4. To become credit card debt free (and I'm almost there!).

5. To run another 5k... okay make that two.

6. To go on our first vacation as a family.
 
7. To make it down to Oklahoma to visit these folks.
 
8. To have a winning season with my volleyball team.
 
9. To not waste money on seasonal fads that probably aren't that cute anyway.
 
10. To not count calories as well as not deny myself scrumptious desserts and other goodies.  Moderation is what it's all about.
 
11. To do more nice things for random strangers. 
 
12. To slow down and enjoy life's small moments, not just the large ones.

13. To learn how to operate our camcorder and actually use it. 

Now you know my resolutions, tell me yours... and don't forget to take the poll I have up!  Poll's are fun.

Thursday Thirteen: Thanks, 2nd Edition

I couldn’t list everything I was thankful for in my previous Thanks post, so I thought I’d do another one.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

1. Mashed potatoes, with lots of butter and white gravy.

2. FX Network, and their great shows. Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me, Sons of Anarchy…

3. Water, ice cold water.

4. Our new gun safe. Monkey isn’t walking around yet, but she will be before we know it and a secure place to put all our firearms is necessary. The old one just wasn’t big enough.

5. Subway Flat Bread. It is so good, try it!

6. The Odd Thomas books by Dean Koontz. They aren’t his normal style of writing, but I like them. I will actually go as far as to say I like them better than his other books.

7. On the topic of books… The Old Book Barn in Forsyth, IL. You can trade your old books in for new books there and I love it.

8. Wine. A nice bottle of wine is nice. And I’ll admit it, I even like cheap wine… Boone’s Farm baby.

9. Email. It’s not always easy keeping in touch with friends/family that I don’t see on a daily basis and email makes that possible.

10. Gorgeous fall weather. Nothing beats the weather when a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt is sufficient. Add sitting around a campfire with friends and you’ve got a perfect night.

11. My health. I don’t get sick very often and I certainly am grateful for that. Being sick is no fun.

12. Grandparents. Not only are they wonderful of course, but they also make great babysitters.

13. Long weekends!  Enjoy yours!

Thursday Thirteen: Thanks

As today is Thursday, Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I am feeling a mental drain, unable to write anything really worthwhile, I thought I would list thirteen things that I am thankful for.

1. My little Monkey. She’s the best baby in the world and I’d do anything for that sweet little face.

2. My husband. I may complain about him on occasion, like when he ruins a perfectly good toaster. But I love him and am thankful he’s in my life.

3. My family. No words can express how much they mean to me, period.
This picture was taken at my baby sister’s wedding…. Please excuse the bowling ball underneath that dress, I was 8 months pregnant.

4. My friends. I’ve got some of the greatest friends in the world. We’ve seen some really hard times having to say goodbye to a handful of us, but we’ve made it through, coming out closer, stronger and tighter knit as a group, on the other side.

5. My freedom and the Bill of Rights.

6. Good food and the ability to enjoy it.

7. My dog. He makes me smile, simple as that.

8. Sunshine and blue skies. We’ve had some pretty drab, rainy days here recently, but it’s been looking good with clear skies! I love sunshine.

9. My in-laws. You hear a LOT of horror stories about the crazy Mother-in-Law and such. I’m sooo happy that I don’t have to deal with that. My in-laws are awesome and no I won't trade with you.

10. Clean air and breathing easy.

11. My husband’s job. We are in open enrollment for insurance right now and it just reminds me how lucky we are that his employer pays for 100% of our health insurance. That is something almost unheard of these days and I sometimes take it for granted. They also provide us with a chance to travel and visit new places. So far they’ve paid for us to go to Denver and Portland for a company party. Very cool.

12. My good health and the ability to run. I may not always like running, but I am able to do it!

13. Good literature. I love to read and appreciate a quiet moment to curl up with a great book.