I Quit Twitter

But I can't quit you.

I did it. I quit Twitter. Most of my real friends on Twitter are also on Facebook. So every post they put on Twitter...you guessed it, they also posted on Facebook. I was getting all of their information twice.

I followed a bunch of celebrities. That was fun. Especially the Modern Family group.

But it was time to give it up. I still miss it. I still think about going back for a lookie-loo. I haven't though. Good for me.

I'm going to try to put a little more effort into this blog. I have a couple of friends who aren't on Facebook with me. I still need to entertain them. :)

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In other news...

TEN POUNDS GONE!

Still trying to walk and to keep my calories down.

I fudged up a little last night. I took The Boy to the Pizza Ranch for supper after piano lessons. I had six pieces of pizza. Six crazy, delicious pieces. BBQ Chicken, Pineapple & Canadian Bacon, and Garlic & Cheese. MMMMMMMM. I paid for it later though. I haven't eaten greasy food for about three weeks. You can see where this is going, can't you? I'll just let you take it from here.

Sometimes things...

don't go according to plan.

When we moved up here to Iowa, I thought, "Good. Now I can finally lose weight. I won't be able to eat out at every lunch and I won't be sitting behind a desk for eight hours a day."

Let's take a moment to laugh at that.

I weight more now than I ever have. Sure, I don't eat out at lunch every day. Probably 95% of the time, I make something here at home. And because I don't work eight hours a day, I'm within walking distance to the kitchen 24/7 most days.

I also eat the majority of my suppers here at home. Our dining prospects are few and far between in this tiny town. Plus, I can make some pretty tasty meals.

When I stepped on the scale nine days ago, I said a few choice words and decided to buckle down.

I started my DIEt on a Friday. I didn't want to wait until Monday. Now, now, now. Something had to be done.

I started walking, eating less and not snacking.

I lost five pounds in one week.

Zoinks!

Then a Fireman friend suggested the Lose It! application for the iTouch. He and a bunch of his Fireman friends use it and it has been working for them. I downloaded that puppy and went to town! I put in my starting weight(I used the current weight, not the weight I was a week before.), my age and my goal and it gave me a suggested caloric intake. I have only used it three days, but I haven't gone over my calories yet.

It is SO hard! I have been able to treat myself with a small chocolate cone or a couple of Hershey's Kisses, but that has been fine for me. I don't want a large chocolate cone or the entire bag of Hershey's Kisses. (That's a lie. Of course I do. But I choose not to.)

This morning, I was down four more pounds. Nine pounds in nine days. I know that is way more than is recommended, but I don't feel like I am denying myself of food. I'm having a salad at least once a day. I'm having carbs and proteins. I've cut back to MAYBE one Pepsi a day. (Throwback Pepsi is 150 calories. I have to really want it.)

(I just had to go check that one can wasn't two servings which would have thrown me WAY off! It isn't. Whew.)

I went to my closet and tried on my capri pants this morning. I can tell they have loosened up!

I just hope I can stay with this change.

DIMOBS*

*Do It My Own Bad Self

Saying goodbye to the 1970s a little at a time.

There are two of these in the hallway. They gots ta go.



Cough, cough, hack, hack. How much bugs, crud and popcorn ceiling spray can there be in here?



This is the point at which I left to go get a headlamp to help me see a little better. (Note: It is not very bright in a hallway with the electricity turned off.)

This is also the point where I took a potty break and switched out my jeans for a pair of shorts. Shorts with no pockets. I had to put the screws somewhere, so I put them in the First National Bank of Titty City.



Tah-to-the-dah!



One down, one to go. But I'm not doing it until The Commander can be here to hand me things I drop. And to wipe my brow with a cool, wet rag.

Seriously?

It is a regional thing.

Rarely do you find a person here that has heard of a Frito Pie or even Okra.

I'm learning new things as well.

Never heard of a lug. Now I know what one is. (A wooden box for transporting fruit or vegetables.)

Hot Beef Commercial? Nope. Not an ad for hot beef. (Open faced hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy.)

Dinner? (Lunch, not supper.)

But one of the biggest surprises of these regional things is a food I wrinkled my nose at. I may have even said, "You've got to be kidding me."

Are you ready for this one?

Cheez Whiz on cinnamon bread.

I KNOW! Yick.

It is usually served as a finger food at get-togethers. And often with a slice of green olive on each piece.

But I like it. A lot.

David's Aunt had her 80th birthday party today. I didn't have any cake. I had three slices of cinnamon bread with Cheez Whiz. AND I brought four more pieces home.

Oh, my-lanta. Good stuff.

Date Day

The Boy spent most of the weekend with his Grandma and Aunts so The Commander and I had a Date Day!

I finally got to go to a baseball game. I love baseball. I never go to games though because my husband doesn't like baseball. "Two minutes of excitement packed into two hours." Phfft on him.

He has a classmate at college who is a pitcher for the team. Luis is here on scholarship from Colombia. He hopes to make it big someday and said he will get me VIP seats. (Yay me!) He may be headed to Oregon to finish school and play ball there. I imagine I won't get to see him play much ball once he moves.

Here is the team getting a royal butt chewing by the coach (#22). They just lost the first game of the double header. (Luis is the one in the blue with the white pants.)



Here is my husband in the process of licking his thumb to smear it across my camera lens if I don't quit taking photos of him already!



We went on to eat at a restaurant/bar called Tweeters. I had a buffalo chicken sandwich and sweet potato fries. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Then we went to a movie that didn't contain animation of any sort - Date Night. Apropos, n'est pas? Good movie. Action and comedy! Plus, Steve Carell does a pole dance. Woooooot!

I'll end the tale here since this is a PG blog. Heh.

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Here is the family on Easter. We clean up pretty well.



Last, but not least, this is what I have to put up with...

Actual Conversation with My Husband

Just now...

Him - You know what I would do if I get that job?

Me - Buy me something nice?

Him - (Nods) A new computer.

Me - (Eyes light up) A REAL computer? Or one of (gestures at PC in my lap) these?

Actual Conversation with My Husband

This morning -

Me - If I'd have known Jesse James was so easy, when we saw him at the fair last year, we could have invited him back to our house. Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink.

Him - Then we could have been in the tabloids.

Me - Yeah! Then we could have been rich!

Ha Ha Happy Easter

A Methodist pastor, a Lutheran pastor and a Presbyterian pastor were all sitting around at coffee one day and the topic of their churches' rat infestations came up.

The Methodist said they had hired an exterminator and the rats had disappeared for a while, but then they all came back.

The Lutheran said they had purchased a cat, but there were too many rats so the cat ran away.

The Presbyterian said they had no problem with the rats.

The Methodist and Lutheran pastors were shocked! How could that be?

"Simple." said the Presbyterian. "We made them all members of the church and now they only show up at Easter and Christmas."

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Happy Easter everyone!!

A funny for you.

Everyone loves Mrs. Hughes!

The Explanation

If you are friends with me on Facebook, you may have seen my status this morning discussing drilling holes in the master bathroom's door to get it open.

No, the lock didn't accidentally get locked. The lock on that door doesn't even work.

The explanation and photos, let me show you them.

Here are the drawers in the master bath vanity. Please ignore the dust.



Notice how if any of the drawers is open, it blocks the door from swinging inward. This can be useful in the off chance you have a home invasion and need to lock yourself in the bathroom. Also notice the top drawer is where I keep the washcloths.



Now, there is a younger member of the family that rarely uses this bathroom and is not aware of the "home invasion lock" (HIL). I sent him in with a batch of fresh from the dryer washcloths to put away. After cramming them into the drawer, he couldn't get the drawer to stay closed. So he held the drawer closed while he quickly closed the bathroom door behind him. That was all fine and dandy, but when he snatched his hand away from the drawer at the last minute, the drawer popped back open. Thus engaging the HIL.

Zoinks.

There was abso-freakin-lutely no way to get that door open without doing major damage. We tried to go outside and take the storm window off of the house so someone (child-sized) could climb through, but we couldn't get the window off.

So we got the drill. With a really big bit. I figured if we could get enough room, we could shove something through the hole and push the drawer shut enough for the door to clear it.

We had to guess where the drawer was and the first holes wound up too high.

The next holes were low enough, but too far out.

Then it was too straight. I needed an angle.

Finally!!! and with a little damage to the front of the drawer, we had success.



Today, I went to the hardware store and bought some spray foam to fill the holes so we can (hopefully) spackle, sand and paint or stain the door.



Hey! Mickey Mouse!



And that, my friends, is the explanation.

Lives with kids are never boring, are they?

Confession

I like bread.

There, I said it.

I'm a breadaholic.

I rarely make bread. If I do, it is the frozen kind.

Within the next 10 days, I pledge to make some rolls from scratch.

This is going to be a challenge for me. Yeast intimidates me. NOT TOO HOT! You can kill it. NOT TOO COLD! It won't activate.

I've got a dough attachment for my KitchenAid mixer that has never been used. It will this week.

I've got a couple of recipes to choose from:

Pumpkin Knot Yeast Rolls

or


Cloverleaf Rolls

Decisions. Decisions.

Scotch on the Rocks

Scotch loves the snow and ice.

See (and hear) for yourself.

Missing my kitty

Tabby Elizabeth Cat
7/7/1991-12/21/2005

The Fallen Comrade Table

"You may have noticed the small table set for one that is off on its own - it is reserved to honour our fallen comrades in arms. This symbolizes that they are with us, here in spirit. We should never forget the brave men and women who answered our nation's call [to serve] and served the cause of freedom in a special way. We are ever mindful that the sweetness of enduring peace has always been tainted by the bitterness of personal sacrifice. We are compelled to never forget that while we enjoy our daily pleasures, there are others who have endured the agonies of pain, deprivation and death.

I would like to explain the meaning of the items on this special table.

* The table is round - to show our everlasting concern for our fallen comrades.
* The tablecloth is white - symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty.
* The single yellow rose reminds us of the life of each of our fallen comrades, and the loved ones and friends of these comrades who keep the faith.
* The vase is tied with a red ribbon, symbol of our continued determination to remember our fallen comrades.
* A slice of lemon on the bread plate is to remind us of the bitter fate of those who will never return.
* A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by the families of those who have sacrificed all.
* The glass is inverted, they cannot toast with us at this time.
* The chair is empty because they are no longer with us.

Let us remember - and never forget their sacrifice.

May they and their families ever be watched over and protected."

Cake and then a dog

I said turn it to two. He went to 11.



It turned out well though.



Everything had to be edible. We used fruit roll ups, Tootsie rolls and Little Debbie Cakes.



On a totally different note...

The snow in the backyard is a little deep. During the summer, he only comes up a little over half way up the fence.

Wallpaper

kmkat wants to see my computer's wallpaper.

Here it is.



This is probably in the top three of my favorite photos. The main reason being that my husband never smiles in photos. (Most of the photos of him also include closed eyes.)

Love you Pumpkin!

Winter Games

Camping in the winter. It is an experience...



One thing you can't really do is picnic.



These are photos of the resort we are members of. You can store your camper there year round. Some people even come there during the winter to camp. Crazy people!





We went over there to go to the University of Okoboji Winter Games. I didn't know what there were more of - Drunks or Snowmobiles.

A lot of the activities take place on the lake. That's right. This is ON THE LAKE.



The lake may be frozen solid (16 1/2 inches. A little less than usual.), but there is still quite a bit of snow. As this lucky person found out the hard way.



Here are my boys. The little one was a little hesitant about going out onto the lake.



Here is me. I would like to say I have on a puffy coat, but I guess I'm the one who is puffy. I'm gonna work on that.



And here is the crack I saw that made me say, "Okay! We're done here. Let's move on, shall we?"

Gravy

You Are Chicken Fried Steak

You are bold and fearless. You tend to think big, and that includes eating big. If you're going to go out to eat, then you're going to order something amazing. No salads for you! You live in the now. You figure the future is uncertain, so you might as well just make the best of today. You don't believe in moderation or holding back. You just go for it, consequences be damned.

What Kind of Diner Food Are You?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

You Are Beer

You are very relaxed and casual. You're happy to have a drink with friends, and you're not too picky about what that drink is. You are definitely not a snob, and it drives you crazy when people get too fancy about what ever you're drinking. You drink to let loose and have fun. You are the furthest thing in the world from uptight. If someone hands you a drink, you'll drink it. You'll toast often and to anything!

Are You Beer or Wine?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

Product Review

See this?




Without going and digging into coat pockets, I can still easily assemble this many lip balms. One beside my chair. Two beside the bed. And three in my car key bowl.

You may wonder why I need all of these when I'm surrounded by feet upon feet of snow.

It's a dry snow.

Very little humidity. Ergo, my lips are dry.

But why so many?

Nothing works well.

Oh sure, they may be pretty tasty. Especially the margarita and peppermint flavored ones.

But they don't really help much.

That's why, when the fine folks at Mom Central wanted to know if I would be interested in trying Neosporin Lip Health, I said a big, "Heck yeah!" (Right after I said, "Neosporin has lip goo?")

They do!



I recieived a small jar of Overnight Renewal Thereapy and a tube of Daily Hydration Therapy.

I started off with the Overnight - Repair and nourish as you sleep and restore visibly healthier lips in three nights.

Bring it on, sister.

Night one - As I slathered it on, I could feel the roughness of my lips underneath my fingers.

Night two - As I slathered it on, I could tell that my lips were A LOT smoother than the night before.

Night three - I felt like I usually feel when I take antibiotics - I feel better. I really don't need this anymore. But I put it on anyway.

Verdict? I liked it. It worked for me. I really like the creaminess of the product. When I woke up, I could tell that it was still there and hadn't vanished in the night. I'm keeping this stuff around!

I didn't want to use the Daily while I was using the Overnight so I could see if the Overnight was doing what it said it would. Since I was happy with the Overnight results, I went ahead and started using the Daily. So far, I have liked the results from it as well.

Not only is it hydration therapy, it also is SPF 20. That comes in real handy here with all of the shiny, shiny snow!

I will add that neither product is "flavored". I kinda miss that. Maybe Neopsorin could look into that, m'kay?

Head on over to Neolips and there is a link you can click for a coupon. Tell them I sent you.

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"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Neosporin and received a sample of the Lip Health Overnight Renewal Therapy and the Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate."

Remember the Ten

RIP Kendall. Love and miss you.