Football? Last night?

Nonsense!! I didn't see a football game. I saw what started off as a football game then the Aggies apparently left the field. It was bad. Depressing and bad. I still love my poor Aggies and I'm already looking forward to next season. On a positive note, at least we didn't lose by one point, right?
Gig Em!

What...?

Did it happen already? Did I miss it? There's no more Christmas music on the radio and there are no more presents under my tree. I think I missed something. There was lots of eating. Lots of cookies and candy. Giftwrap and boxes everywhere. And now it's all over. On top of going to work like any other day ... I just had a telemarketer/charity call me. It is the day after Christmas at 8:15 pm and they want to ask me for money. I guess they figure I haven't gotten the credit card bills yet so maybe I'll think I'm made of money or something. Really bad timing there. And seriously, the day after Christmas? I guess the celebration really is just one day then * poof * it's gone.

We'll be done tomorrow when MIL heads back to Houston. We have plans to watch the rest of the second DVD of the last season of "24" and we should get the third DVD tomorrow or Thursday. We have to know how Jack Bauer saved the world last year before we start the new season on January 14th! Then we have the Holiday Bowl on Thursday night (Gig Em Aggies!) - then this Saturday we're going down to ride the Texas State Railroad in Palestine before they lose funding and the train stops running (sign the online petition at http://www.texasstaterailroad.com/) - then New Year's Eve - then thankfully we have the holiday on Monday and I'm taking Tuesday off so we'll finally have a chance to breathe. Well, and watch more of "24" as fast as NetFlix can get them to us!

Here's a pic of James surveying the loot! I am embarassed to say that this pile was for us! Since we don't have any kids we are the kids on Christmas Day. Granted, most of our gifts were from each other. One day we'll be spending our money and our precious Christmas shopping time focused on spoiling our children but until then, we'll continue to spoil each other. Below is a picture of the World's Best Dog gnawing on her very large rawhide from Santa! My moms' dog was there too and they kept switching bones. It kept them busy for the better part of two hours!!

That's all for now because my post Christmas laundry beckons! Seriously, Father Timothy said in his Christmas Eve homily that Christmas was one day to get away from it all. Forget work and everything else. Relax and enjoy the day with family and friends while focusing on the reason for the celebration. It was a great homily but I am sad to realize when he said "one day" that's really all there is. Now that Christmas Day is over, life returns to normal as we go to work, try not to hang up on telemarketers, and wash all the socks and underwear ... whatever. :-)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to reading blogs and seeing pics.

Merry Christmas!!

It's almost Christmas!!

Today was a good day. I mean, I had to be at work at 8:00 this morning but then I only worked until 10:00 because I had to go to the doc to get stuck with a needle. Just some blood stuff - whatever - and can I tell you how much I love the girl at my doc's office because she found a vein and got what she needed all with one stick and with the quickness!! Did I mention I HATE needles? But then my mom came over and we went out for Mexican for lunch - YUMMMMMO - then baked the Christmas cookies! It's such hard work with the rolling and the cutting and the decorating and the not eating them all. I also decorated the gingerbread men I baked last night and they look sooo sad. I hope people eat them without looking at them. HA HA! James is on his way home from the airport with his mom so I'll be 'out of pocket' until the middle of next week. Not that it will be any different since I've been so lazy about blogging lately.

I wish everyone very happy and safe holiday.
If Santa leaves a lump of coal at your house ... it was probably meant for me. ;)

Merry Christmas!!!

yes, I'm still alive

I certainly didn't know it had been so long since I've posted. I've either been really busy or maybe just really lazy!! I am sooooo absolutely stressed about Christmas. I finally bought my last gift today and am still waiting for one to be delivered but at least I am done. I bought this great little dump truck for my nephew but then my niece's Leapster game arrived alone and there was no dump truck. So then I emailed Toys R Us and got an email back stating I should call them because I deserved 'personal attention' or some crap like that. hmmmmm ... so I called and found out my cute little dump truck is out of stock. They charged me the entire amount - both toys and shipping - and didn't feel it was necessary to reach out to me to let me know only half of my order was coming. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Yes, I'll probably never order from TRUs again. er... until I have kids anyways. whatever. So I had to go to Target and brave the toy aisle this afternoon!!!

So we're getting ready for Christmas. MIL is coming up Friday and staying through Tuesday. My mom is coming over Friday and I'm taking off work early so we can bake cookies all afternoon! We'll go to Mass on Christmas Eve then we're having everyone over for spaghetti dinner. HEY - it's easy and a fan favorite so it was a no brainer since we're also doing Christmas Day at our house!!

Seriously, with Christmas on the brain I have nothing else to talk about. Stupid Toys R Us. I have this great talent of breaking out with a cold sore when I'm stressed. It happened the morning of my wedding, again when I was worried about some medical tests, and now Christmas. Really? That stressed about Christmas? And it has been so HOT! What is up with wearing shorts in December. I don't live in Houston anymore!!!! Supposedly we'll be in the 50s tomorrow but I'll believe it when I see it. It did rain a little so maybe it has cooled off.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Now that's COLD!!

Can you believe it's 28* (feels like 14*) and snowing outside in the great state of Texas?!?! It is COLD! WINDY! WET! ICY! and a little bit snowy. It was 80* when I came home from work yesterday around 4:00 and then the wind blew in and within a matter of an hour the temp had dropped 40 degrees! Yes, seriously, 40 degrees in one hour. So I set out for work today knowing the ice was coming but there really wasn't much I could do about it. The roads were clear at 8:30 this morning. Not so much at 1:00 this afternoon - when I had to scrape the ice off my windows before I could leave!!

So here's a pic of the neighborhood from earlier this afternoon. It's still flurrying a little right now so maybe there will be more before the day is done. Not likely but I just want a SNOW DAY TOMORROW so I can stay under the covers and eat soup all day long.

Notice the nice lawn two doors down with the winter rye grass - yep, the green one. We're still in a drought and will most likely not be able to water our lawns at all next summer and people want to have green lawns in the winter! I have to admit, we did it on year ... in Houston where you get more rain than you know what to do with!! Anyways, aren't the white rooftops pretty? Hey, we take what we can get and if that's half an inch of snow a month before Christmas I'm OK with that! Here's another pic of the world's best dog having fun in the cold!! She loves the cold weather for about 5 minutes then she's ready to snuggle up on the sofa!

So that's what's going on in my world. I guess I've been busy this week since I just noticed I hadn't blogged in a while. Let's see ... nothing big going on. Just trying to decorate for Christmas and catch up on the shows we missed last week. My TiVo didn't record the season premier of The OC a couple weeks ago so I missed that but I plan to get caught up on the other episodes sometime. On our way home from Austin we stopped at TWO outlet malls! The one in Round Rock totally rocks and then we stopped in Hillsboro too. James is the best husband in the world because we actually missed the exit for the Round Rock mall and he actually turned around and back tracked so we could get there. Then, knowing we still had to pick up the dog and get home and unpack so we could go to our friends' house he agreed to stop in Hillsboro too! I'm telling you, James has a thing for shopping and I know how lucky I am.

I hope everyone is surviving this winter weather, wherever you are! I think I'm going to light the fire, open a bottle of wine, and call it a night!

First things first

GIG EM AGGIES!!! WHOOP!
The game was absolutely incredible. I had never been to a game at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium and I have to admit, it was rather intimidating. The noise, the orange, Big XII South Championship at stake for t.u. and the fact that they were favored by 13 was all just a little over the top. In the beginning, I was kind of quiet. Sure we scored but we missed the extra point and we have started a trend of losing by one point so that missed extra point was certainly going to come back to haunt us. NOT SO MUCH!! Maintaining a shutout until late in the third quarter was pretty exciting then they scored and it was "OK, back to reality". Then we just went crazy. We didn't care that we were with t.u. people and surrounded by a sea of burnt orange. We got loud (and maybe a little obnoxious but who cares). We were biting our nails up to the end then the players rushed out onto the field and over to where the band and all the maroon was. It was soooo exciting! I was apprehensive at first with all the orange and the expected outcome of the game but at the end, the team that was favored by 13 points didn't even score 13 points. WHOOOOOOOP! A great end to an otherwise heartbreaking season.

Aside from all that, we had a great but very busy Thanksgiving week. We went down to Houston to work on my mother-in-law's house. She's still planning to move to Dallas and her house was badly in need of a fresh coat of paint and we had to replace some boards and some other work. It was actually kind of fun and we couldn't have asked for better weather but if I ever decide to take on such a large project, someone please slap me. UGH! We did get to go out with our Houston friends one night and it was great to see everyone!! As much as I say I like life in Frisco, I do miss Houston, Pearland, and the people we left behind. We celebrated Thanksgiving on Wednesday and headed to Austin on Thursday. We had a really hard time finding a place to eat on Thursday since all the restaurants were closed. Geez, like restaurant workers need a day off or something. Whatever! ha ha We were very excited to see that the Texas Land and Cattle across the street was open for business so we treated ourselves to a very nice dinner. :-) This mini-vacation to Austin was great, especially the game.

So that's what we've been up to and why I've been absent from the blog. Mother-in-law doesn't have internet and we were so busy leading up to the trip. It's good to be back!

I hope everyone had a WONDERFUL Turkey Day!!! Good luck on the Christmas shopping!
It's the most wonderful time of the year!!

Trees

I decided to go ahead and post the pics of the trees. The bald one is an Autumn Blaze Maple and the other is a Red Oak. Both are supposed to have beautiful fall color so we'll see what happens next year. The tree farm we used was up in Gunter, TX. If you don't know, it's about 15 miles north of Hwy 380 on Hwy 289/Preston, so pretty much in Oklahoma. If you're in the Dallas area the website is www.tree-land.com. We really liked the guy and the trees are guaranteed for a year. You should check them out in you're in the market!!




And here's a pic of our back patio with the flags flying.



Happy Veterans Day!!! Thanks to all those who have served our nation and those who are currently serving. God Bless You and your families.

Another one gets away

My beloved Aggies lost another heartbreaker today. One point! One freakin point. AGAIN! It was horrible but thanks to my good friend Miller I am well medicated and am getting past it. Well, thanks to Miller and t.u. Texas lost tonight. It was a bittersweet moment in my life because if we had scored 2 more points in each of our last two games we would be going into the day after Thanksgiving in a much different situation. Instead, it's just another year and I don't really care what happens, as long as we don't lose by ONE FREAKIN POINT!

So I've been absent from my blog for a week. I've wanted to blog but there was nothing going on up here. James turned 33 (OMG!!!) on Wednesday but he was in NYC for the week so we didn't get to celebrate until he got home Thursday. I picked up some Chinese takeout and got an ice cream cake from Coldstone. I'm not Martha Stewart enough to actually make one of my own, thank you very much, but after paying what I did for the cake I think I'll learn. Those things are crazy expensive!

We bought some trees for the backyard and had them planted yesterday (Happy Birthday to James!). They look great and I took some pics so I'll post them tomorrow or later this week. Our yard seems more like a backyard than a square of grass enclosed by a fence so it's pretty nice. They're 65 gallon trees and there was absolutely no way we were going to plant them on our own. There's still room for the future pool ... very far future but one can dream! Our next project is to install three pendant lights over our kitchen island. Our kitchen is very dark and over the island is a great place for extra lighting so we're pretty excited. We are going to have an electrician come out to do the wiring so we don't burn the house down. We can't wait to get that done - the lights come in on Monday so maybe by next weekend I can share some pics of those too! Then it's Thanksgiving and we're looking forward to the big trip down to H-Town.

I guess that's all I have to say. The Miller and the late hour are causing a lot of typos so this is taking me way longer than it should. I hope everyone had a fantabulous weekend! I'm off to catch some of the USC game (come on Oregon) and maybe play some computer games.

OH - speaking of games - can you believe the PS3 is going for $599!!! James wants one for Christmas. I think Santa is going to forget that one on his shipment this year! HOLY COW!!! It's a video game for crying out loud!! I think the PS2 will do for another year at least.

Hip Hip HOOORAY!!

THREE CHEERS for me surviving two weeks of full-time work!! I am so proud of myself. I actually got out of bed before 6 am every day and had plenty of time to get ready so I arrived early every single day! If only my old bosses from ERAC could see me now ... I guess this is what it's like when you don't feel like your driving to your execution every day. HAAAAH!

So James' birthday is next Wednesday and he really has no idea what he wants. I mean, when I ask, his actual reply is "I don't know". Where do I go from there? I've picked out a couple very small items but I'm thinking that's all he's going to get. It's the thought that counts, right? I can't say what he's getting because he actually reads this sometimes. Do you think it makes sense to get your husband a Gift Card? Either way we're spending the money so wouldn't it better if I actually got him a gift instead of a GC? I always feel like gift cards are fink-outs, like I was too brainless to come up with a good gift idea, when the truth is that's probably what the person wanted in the first place. I'm usually excited when I get gift cards but then I'm the person they were designed for --- I spend $100 over the value of my gc!!

We broke down last night and turned on the heater! I'm glad we did because I just set it at 64* overnight and it was 64* in the house when we woke up. I think we actually dipped into the 30's last night -- my hibiscuses (whatever the plural of hibiscus is) are probably dead since they're tropical. It's really not that cold but the chilly nights make it really hard to get out of bed in the morning!! We also had a fire in the fireplace last night, and the first since the TV was installed so we were a little nervous, but it was just fine! It's starting to feel like the holidays already. Unfortunately it's already starting to look like the holidays in our neighborhood too. Our neighbors already have their outdoor Christmas lights up. They had them installed by a company (which I think is a great idea since we have those super high rooftops). I don't think they've turned them on yet but they're up there. Another house has their garland in the yard (in a pile) waiting to go up on their front porch and they have like 4 of those white 'Christmas' trees in the front yard, intermingled with their Halloween blow-up thingys ofcourse. I plan to take up all the "Halloween" stuff this weekend but leave all the "fall" stuff out through Thanksgiving. I usually do Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving but since we're going to be IN AUSTIN THE FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING it will just have to wait!! Yes, James and I have tickets to the game and we've already reserved a hotel room (with Marriott points even so it's free!).

I better wrap this up since I'm at work. It has been a really busy "cooky" day and I'm just exhausted. I suppose when one opens a bottle of wine to go with Thursday night spaghetti at home, one expects to share said bottle of wine with one's husband. Instead, the husband opened his own bottle of wine (guess he didn't like my choice) so obviously I had to finish the one I opened. There's no such thing as leftover wine in our house! Maybe that has a little to do with why I'm so exhausted!!! :-)

Hope everyone has a great weekend! GIG EM AGGIES! B.T.H.O.OU! WHOOP!
Mel, hope the Ags are on ABC in SLC tomorrow. I know coverage is usually regional so I hope you get to watch it!

Happy Halloween!

What's up with all you parents? You think just because you have to take your little kids out Trick or Treating that you need to leave work early or something? Traffic was an absolute nightmare last night. You know what ... the candy isn't going anywhere!! I suppose you're all going to do it again around the other holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas too. The nerve of some people!! :-) Really, we had a successful night and saw soooo many cute costumes. We almost ran out of candy but James reluctantly pulled his stashed bag of Twix out of the fridge so the night was saved. In Pearland, we used to get quite a few older "kids" that didn't do much to dress up (and didn't seem very appreciative) but this year in Frisco was great. Everyone was saying thank you ... I'm pretty sure when I was a kid I would just take the candy and run! Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween and I hope you're enjoying all that great candy!

I went to Sonic this morning to grab a coke since all we have at home is caffeine free and that just wasn't going to cut it today. I ordered a medium drink and it was $1.40. Ummm what? $1.40 for a 22 oz drink, filled with ice? I should have just bought one from the rip off machine in the break room where a 20 oz bottle is $1. Seriously ... thank GOD my car doesn't run on Diet Coke. Then again, I wish I could get Diet Coke out of a gas pump!! ha ha ha!

Sunday Night Tradition

Every Sunday, James and I do a nice dinner that we cook together ... usually to mask the sinking feeling that the weekend is over and we have to go to work on Monday. We call it our Sunday Night Tradition and usually it involves a bottle of wine, or two, and something grilled. Last night was margaritas instead of wine since we made shrimp fajitas! Well, 'shrimp brochette' fajitas. I planted two jalapeno plants this summer and they didn't do much while it was hot but they've grown a LOT of peppers recently so we were inspired to use them. They were small but they packed quite a punch and I had enough leftover to use them in my fresh pico! We got this basket for the grill, since our last attempt at skewers was a mess, and it worked great. We have also used foil on the grill to cook these too and it worked ok but that basket is a savior when it comes to grilling small items - I'll never use skewers again.

• Large Raw Shrimp - peeled, deveined, and butterflied. I used about one pound.
• Jalapeno peppers - seeded and julienned - probably just one normal size pepper.
• Cajun Seasoning - this can be salty so just season to taste.
• Sliced Monterey Jack cheese - we used pepper jack - yum!
• Bacon slices - cut into thirds.

Place a strip of jalapeno in the opening of butterflied shrimp. Wrap with bacon. Thread onto skewers or place in grill basket. We've found it easiest to secure with a wooden toothpick if not using the skewers - though a couple toothpicks did flame up on the grill last night. Sprinkle with cajun seasoning. Grill 2-3 minutes then turn them over, top with cheese slices and grill another 2-3 minutes until bacon is browned and cheese is melted. We ate these with the regular fajita fixin's.

We felt we deserved a good dinner since we spent all day cleaning the house. James actually did most of the work since I had to run some errands -- including the grocery store on a Sunday which totally bites. I didn't feel too bad leaving James to start the cleaning since he really hasn't done any cleaning since we've moved up here. It was nice of him to help!! Honestly, I think he misses it. Maybe I should insist he do it more often! :-) ha ha ha ...

Since I'm at work and I actually have stuff to do I suppose I should get to it. I was just thinking about dinner last night and I thought I should share the recipe. mmmmmm ... I wish I brought the leftovers for lunch. oh well ...

Happy Monday to all!

WHOOP ... again!

The weekend just got a little better. The Aggies won! We beat Baylor and we didn't even have to go into overtime to do it. Life is good!

Well, Texas just won too! Who do you root for when Texas is playing Tech? I guess you just hope for an eternal tie!

James and I slept in this morning then we spent most of the afternoon shopping. We want to have some pendant lights installed over our island in the kitchen but we found out we have to call an electrician out to do the wiring, and I'm sure that won't be cheap, then we'll just do the installation ourselves. On top of that, the lights we like are more than we budgeted and the matching 'nook' fixture that I want just adds to it. Then we went absolutely crazy in Linens N Things with our 25% Off Entire Purchase coupon. I had to print another one because they didn't have a couple of the things we needed. I think we'll finally have our bathrooms DONE after being in the house for 8 months. We also went to Best Buy where I bought a cell phone charger that was supposed to work with my phone and it SO DOES NOT! What's up with these people? It says my model number but the plug doesn't come anywhere close to fitting anywhere in my phone!! What is that all about? Whatever! At least I also got Fox and Hound on DVD and I can't wait to watch it. It was my favorite Disney movie as a kid. Todd and Copper!! "We'll always be friends. Always." I have another fun filled day of shopping tomorrow between Linens N Things to get the rest of the stuff we didn't get today and Restoration Hardware in search of cabinet hardware for the kitchen - our next project! Good thing yesterday was payday!

Our water supply comes from Lake Lavon which is 17+ feet below normal levels right now. Check out the pics! Unbelieveable!! Yes, that's supposed to be water. Too bad my lawn isn't this green!

I hope everyone else is having a good weekend. Mel, I'm jealous if the mountains and the snow in SLC. It looks heavenly! We're still pretty warm during the days, it was gorgeous and sunny today, but the trees are just starting to change colors so my commute is actually getting kind of pretty. For a while I wasn't sure if the trees were dying from the drought or if they were changing colors. HA HA HA!

You know, I think Melissa is the only person actually reading my blog because nobody else leaves messages!! :-) If you're reading, I hope you're enjoying my idiotic rambling. I'm a talker ... I never really thought I was but apparently I just can't shut up. I think it's the overall lack of human interaction I've had for the past several months while I wasn't working. I feel kinda bad for my new coworkers because I just talk and talk and talk! So I'll shut up for the night ...

booooo

St. Louis won the World Series.

Don't even ask me how my night was.

The answer will be full of four letter words!

My First PAYDAY!

I got my paycheck today and ran right to the bank to deposit it. I was so excited to actually get a check!! I mean, it was way smaller than the one I got from ERAC (yeah, never thought I would say that either) but I haven't gotten one of those things since January so it was pretty cool to have my very own money again. Yes, I shared.

I'm currently blogging from work. Shhhhh - don't tell. Trust me. If I had work to be doing I would be doing it but it's pretty slow up here. I can't remember how much I have said about my job but I'm spending this week and next filling in for the receptionist which is why it's full-time instead of my wonderful 9:30-2:30 hours. It's absolutely killing me to wake up at 5:45 every morning and I don't get home until almost 6:00 every night. So you know what? I can finally say this without all you working people yelling at me!!

TGIF!!!

Hey ABC/NBC - what's up with the reruns? It's October for crying out loud and the seasons just started. That's just not right. What do you think about the show Friday Night Lights? James and I have fallen in LOVE with that show and absolutely can't miss it. With the obvious exclusion of Grey's it is the Best Show Ever and honestly, right now, I might be enjoying it more. :-)

The Aggies have another tough game this weekend against Baylor and we're not on TV again. I don't like playing Baylor anymore because they seem to have made us their bitches in the past. It will be fun though because we're going to kick arse and ruin yet another homecoming!! WHOOP!

Will someone please tell the Detroit Tigers to get their act together. There aren't many teams I hate worse than t.u. but I have to admit that my hatred for the St. Louis Cardinals goes way beyond the intense pounding in my head caused by burnt orange.

I'm off to take my afternoon break so I should wrap this up so I don't get caught!
Here's to a good weekend!
Gig Em Aggies!

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I've finally decided to post this tortilla soup recipe. I'm sure it's not 'authentic' but it's the best one I've tried since that nice spicy tomato tortilla soup at the A-Phi house. That was the yummiest on a cold day ... ahh moment of silence.

I omitted all the salt and used fat free low sodium broth and it ended up needing some salt but that's something you can always add at the end to your taste. It also may depend on whether or not you crumble salty tortilla chips into the soup ... oh and top with cheese ... mmmmmm cheese ...

• 1 lb shredded, cooked chicken
• 1 (15 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
• 1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups water
• 1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (10 oz) package frozen corn
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

I forgot to remove the bay leaf so I think James must've eaten it! hee hee Some people who tried this recipe used canned chicken but I'm somewhat of a meat snob and like to cook my own meat so I can be sure there aren't any bones anywhere! yuck! For this recipe I cubed some boneless skinless breasts and sauteed them in some olive oil with a light sprinkling of fajita seasoning and it turned out fine. It's a really easy recipe considering you pour everything in the pot and leave it! Set it and forget it!

WHOOP!

Gig Em Aggies!

The Aggies won tonight. In OVERTIME! It was a great game ... unfortunately not televised so we were listening to Dave and Dave on the radio and had really bad reception but were able to hear them say "IT WAS BLOCKED! IT WAS BLOCKED!" when we blocked their extra point after their touchdown in OT. Good times!

Other than that it was a good day. I realize on my last post I said there was a cold front and it was only 61* outside but what you need to realize is that I spent the last 8 years in Houston where we rarely had days like that, let alone in October. Tonight we're already down to 50* and it's just 10:00 so all the windows are open and it's a great night. I'm not starting the fireplace just yet but I know it's coming. Soon enough. The weekend we moved up here it was barely in the 20's with super wind chills and I was frozen to the bone. I love those days. I will love having a winter again.

The first week of work is in the books ... and the payroll records ... and all is good. I like them so far and I like the job so far but I'm sure it's just a matter of time.

Life is good ... it's getting chilly and the AGGIES WIN AGAIN! WHOOP!

Cold Front

So when I left work at about 3:00-ish it was sunny and 87* outside and I just walked the dog and it's cloudy and 61* and very windy! I have the windows open trying to let some of heat out and the wind is howling - but no rain yet. They promised rain!!

I've actually been enjoying myself at work and it's so nice to get there late and leave early. I am going to absolutely hate the next two weeks when I'll be working full-time and on my own, but I'll be making lots of extra $$ and I'll be back to part time soon enough so I'll try not to complain too much. Ultimately, I'm glad I made the decision to work. I think it gives me a sense of purpose that I didn't think I needed but apparently I did since I'm happy with my decision.

I didn't even get to mention the Aggies beating Mizzou last weekend ... what a great game!! We were at my nephew's birthday party (he's 2) so we took the portable TV and watched it at the park. The party was ... well, let's just say it was less than organized so the fact that we might have offended some people by paying attention to the game instead of family that wasn't ours and children that aren't ours really doesn't matter to me. There was no singing happy birthday, gifts weren't opened until almost everyone was gone, and there was nothing to drink to ease the pain. Seriously, not even a coke ... so whatever. James and I and my brother-in-law (henceforth BIL) crowded around the little 3" screen and watched the game and talked to my mother-in-law (henceforth MIL). A good time was had by all! WHOOP!

OH .. and can I just tell you that my MIL stayed with the BIL and the kids Saturday night. She was just here for the one night. They sent my 6 year old neice to spend the night with her other grandparents that live in town. ummmm ... ok .... don't you think the visiting grandmother trumps the in town grandparents for visitation rights for the one night she's in town? How absolutely RUDE. Sometimes my family just blows my mind ...

Speaking of family, my mom is off on another adventure. She left for Pittsburgh with a friend two days ago. She dropped her friend off in Ohio then made it Pitt today to visit my aunt. I'm pretty sure they'll have a ton of fun, like they always do. You'd think they've been together enough this year after the World Cruise but nope ... together again ... and they still have plans for Florida in January-February! Crazy ladies!

The temperature is still dropping and it's getting chilly in the house --- mmmmm chili -- maybe I need to make some chili for dinner. I think 60* and falling qualifies as cold enough for chili.

Working girl ... day 2

Today was much better than the first. My commute only took 20 minutes thanks to the beautiful sunshine and the fact that I didn't have to be there until 9:30 so I missed most of the school traffic. I was set loose today to try to do stuff on my own and I succeeded. I also realized that my main boss can be a real super witch. She sort of went Jekyll and Hyde on us today but thanks to my 8 years of experience at ERAC I wouldn't expect anything less from a boss. I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive. I keep getting interrupted when I try to blog so I give up for the day. Maybe tomorrow ...

My first day

I started my new job today!! It was fun. My 15 mile commute took me just under an hour. My feet are killing me. I'm pretty sure I don't understand anything I'm supposed to do. I don't know when I get my first paycheck. My desk is crappy (and doesn't lock, by the way). The bathrooms are smelly. But HEY ... I'm employed! I think me and Miller Lite are going to get together tonight to forget all about it. :-)

I made chicken tortilla soup in the crock pot yesterday and it was spicy and delish. I will share the recipe when I have more time. It was the perfect soup day - cool and rainy. Now if it would just get cold!

I better get dinner going since James is finally on his way home from work. Good thing there's nothing much on TV on Monday nights.

ooops - he's home! gotta run!

Here come the paychecks!

I'm employed! I got the job! I start Monday! WooHoo!! YAAAY ME!!

Why exactly am I so excited? I have no idea. Maybe because it's time to go shopping for some new work outfits! :-) YES!!!

Ravioli Lasagna!

Yum-O and super easy! Here's how I did it. Packaged Cheese Ravioli (like Buitoni - but I used the store brand 5-cheese type and it was fine). Boil per package directions - maybe a little less time than recommended. Layer in a casserole dish ... sauce, noodles, shredded mozzarella cheese (or whatever kind you like best), repeat layers until gone and top with lots of cheese (I like cheese - you can skip the in between layers if you want)!! I baked it for 10-15 minutes at 400*. Remember you're only melting cheese and heating it through so it doesn't take too long. I used my homemade spaghetti sauce so just use your favorite sauce. I think one family size package of ravioli and one large jar of sauce should be enough. I used two family size packages of ravioli and about 45-50 oz. of sauce and it was way too much for two people -- we had about two thirds leftover. James said it took him a few bites before he realized it was ravioli instead of layers of lasagna noodles and ricotta cheese, etc.

I had a second interview with the same company this morning and it went well. I'm waiting to hear from them -- they said they'd call me today. I'm ready to get back to work so I hope it all works out. They're supposedly running a background check on me - maybe I came back with multiple felonies or something! HA HA HA!

It rained today!! There was some actual thunder and lightening too. If you live in North Texas you understand why this is worth noting on my blog. I was upset I had to drive to my interview in the rain but I wasn't about to complain because we really need it!!

Back in a suit!

I had my interview today and I think it went well. I am going back tomorrow to meet the VP of HR so that HAS to be a good sign, right? It was odd being back in a suit, not to mention the pantyhose, and since I'm going back tomorrow I have to get another suit out of the closet. This company is business casual though and the Recruiter I interviewed with today was actually wearing sandals so hopefully I will get this job so I can donate most of my suits so they'll be out of my closet once and for all! Keep your fingers crossed for me again tomorrow for my second interview ... for a part time job. I'm actually excited about the prospect of joining the workforce. Oh who and I kidding ... I'm just excited about getting a paycheck ... and all the possibilities that opens up!

I'm trying a new recipe tonight -- making lasagne with ravioli (thank you Rachael Ray). I'm using cheese ravioli and my regular spaghetti sauce so I figure I can't really go wrong! I'll let you know how it works out. I also have a new slow cooker chicken tortilla soup planned for Thursday, it's supposed to be nice and cool outside, so I'll share if it works too. Here comes fall!!

Picture

I haven't posted a picture since that first post - and it was of the dog - so here's a pic of me and James in Colorado this summer! Just thought I'd put it up there since everyone else has pictures to put online!

Wish me luck!

I have a job interview on Monday and I actually really want this job so please wish me luck. While I love staying at home, not raising children, and sponging off my husband, I think it's time I contribute something to this family. Maybe it will get me that little beamer or maybe we'll just save up for that time in our lives when I am staying at home actually raising children!! :-) Honestly, I'd vote for the kids but that's not entirely up to us. Maybe, just maybe, I'll save up enough to splurge on a trip to LAS VEGAS! It seems like everyone I know has gone recently which has made me extremely jealous. ANYWAYS -- It's only a part time job but I'm really excited about it and it's pretty close to home so cross your fingers for me!!

I didn't watch Grey's last night because we went to dinner with my mom then to my brother's football game - he coaches the freshman team at a school in Plano. I resisted all urges to watch it today without James. He doesn't know what a great wife he has! ha ha! I did watch Friday Night Lights finally and I think I'll continue watching that one. It was pretty good. Oh ... and The Nine was pretty good too! I don't think I'll be able to find time for The OC when it starts in November.

Fall has officially thrown up all over my house. I still don't have something cute for my front yard but inside is definitely done. I've become a sucker for decorating - and I'm not sure where that came from. I hope everyone has a fantabulous weekend! I hope t.u. and o.u. end in a TIE!

GIG EM AGGIES!

TGI ... Monday?

I never thought I would be so happy to see Monday come around. It was a bad sports weekend for us so we're happy it's over. Poor Astros. Poor Aggies. I didn't even hear the score of the Texans game but I'm going to assume it's "Poor Texans" as usual. Life starts all over on Mondays -- and we start looking forward to the next weekend.

We've been catching up on the new TV shows too. CSI has started off pretty good but the shows are building on each other so if you miss one you're screwed and I'm not sure I like that. The jury is still out on Six Degrees. I'll definitely watch it again but it may not be added to the permanent TiVo list! I do really like Men In Trees so far but poor James will go nowhere near that show. Guess it's too 'cute' for him. We gave up on Studio 60 already. Housewives is back to it's old tricks but still as good as ever. Gray's just takes the cake, by FAR! It's the only show I find myself absolutely glued to. I guess The Bachelor starts tonight. woohoo. yipee. sorry. I'm just really annoyed by reality TV. I'll admit that I have gotten caught up in some of the shows before but I'm just so tired of it. People generally making asses of themselves for money and/or fame. I just don't get it.

My last post was all about diets and how annoying they are so I thought I'd include a recipe here - for really good fried chicken breasts! I like putting it on a bun with some Frank's Red Hot, lettuce, tomato, and ranch (aka - Chili's Chicken Ranch Sandwich) but that's just me.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - pounded about 1/2 - 1/4 inch thick.
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon each of ground black pepper, salt, paprika
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup oil, for frying

Mix all dry ingredients in a shallow dish. In a separate dish, whisk together egg and milk.
Heat oil in electric skillet to 350*. (I just use a heavy skillet on the stove and eyeball the oil temp by a drop of water or a drop of breading).
Dip chicken in egg/milk mixture then dredge in the dry mixture until evenly coated.
Fry in hot oil for about 5 minutes per side.
It may take less time if you pound it really thin like I do!


And since that's what is for dinner tonight I should probably get going on it! Oh, and feed the dog too!

Diets Suck!

Seriously, they do. I start to get all panicky and very hungry at the mere thought of starting (and sticking to) a diet. I know my problem is portion control and what I keep in the house to snack on and that sometimes, since I'm at home during the day, my lunch is a snack and not real food. Why is it that when I think about dieting I reach for the bag of Dark Chocolate MMs that amazingly has survived about a month now (can't say the same for that poor unsuspecting bag of Candy Corn though - may it rest in peace). We try to take it one day at a time and I know it's my fault for cooking such unhealthy meals but the healthy ones all taste like crap. Why don't I like veggies? It's a pain to eat healthy when you just don't like the stuff. And I'm too lazy to eat the fruit because of all the chopping so it always goes bad ... thus wasting money. I'm starting to search for better recipes out there -- more fish and probably more grilling -- so I'll share when I've actually tried a few that are good. Until then, I will enjoy my grilled sirloin with sauteed onions, baked potato, and salad with very large croutons - oh and a dinner roll maybe.

And why doesn't it help to just up your activity level? Metabolism is a bitch, isn't it? I don't eat any different than I did when I was 20 (and a skinny minny size 6) so what's the deal? Ahhhh ... Beer. I'm guessing Roger Creager had it right when he said "Beer just makes you fat"! So since I'm not willing to give that up ... Yes, I know that's a sad sad thing to say but seriously ... not gonna happen ... I guess I'll continue to complain. I have been really good about walking. The weather is nice and the dog deserves walks and I'm trying to take her twice a day for about 20-30 minutes. Of course she has to stop and sniff like every 10 yards so I don't think it's very consistent exercise and she's old so she can't really go longer than that but please, somebody tell me it's better than nothing!!

Now that I've effectively avoided housework for an hour by just standing at the computer reading emails and blogs and spewing anti-diet hatred here I suppose I should leave you with a positive healthy weight loss thought ...

oops - don't have one. sorry!!

What a weekend!

We had a great time in Houston over the weekend. We got there late Friday evening and just hung around with Mother-In-Law. Saturday we power washed the outside of her house ... Getting it ready to sell little by little ... then we went to lunch at Wings N More. Ahhh sweet Wings N More. It has been so long my old friend. We checked out the new Macy's (former Foley's) at the Galleria afterwards! My husband has to be the only straight man on earth that suggests a mall trip after lunch with his wife, mother, and her neighbor. We had a great time at the baby shower that night with everyone we hadn't seen in SOOOO long ... and apparently everyone got themselves knocked up after we left town. There were 4 preggos there other than the mom-to-be and I really want to say the girl the shower was for was probably the smallest one there! Doesn't that just kill you! She's due at the end of October and looks like she's just started showing. I don't know about you guys but I'm pretty sure I will be big as a house with only 5 weeks to go - whenever that may be. The party was great and we didn't get home until 3 am so we were partying like we were in college again. Well, not quite like college since we didn't drive through Whataburger or Taco Cabana on the way home!

How about those Aggies though (speaking of college)? We listened to much of the game on the radio at the party but it's just not the same. I'm so glad we're on TV this weekend and hopefully we'll kick Tech to the curb. They are not a rival game and they never will be. They're the red-headed stepchild of Texas college football and they just need to keep their tortilla throwing selves in Lubbock. If you haven't heard, they're thinking of playing the A&M/Tech game at the Cotton Bowl like they do the tu/ou game. hmmmmm .... while it would be nice to have that game so close to home I do NOT want to legitimize the "rivalry". soapbox. off.

It's another beautiful day here in Dallas. Temps in the upper 50's in the morning mean the dog gets a really long walk but it's not quite cool enough for a sweatshirt. I can't wait for those days!! I had to run errands this morning and went to lunch with James then I spent 45 minutes wandering DSW Shoe Warehouse and came home empty handed. What is that all about? Who spends that much time in a shoe store and doesn't buy anything?

It is now 4:00 and I've accomplished nothing around the house. All the Halloween stuff is in the garage waiting for me to put it up. I started a load of laundry but there's stuff in the dryer that has to be fluffed (a second time) before I can take it out and fold it. I think I still have a dish or two from dinner last night that needs to be washed. My house is two people and a dog. What part of that means I will never get ahead around the house? The job search is in full gear now too thanks to James' relocation package. I'm working with a company that is going to help with the resume and the search so there's no turning back now. I hope to be employed soon. Well, not so much really but a paycheck will be nice.

Everyone ... enjoy your week!

Thursday night ...

BEST SHOW EVER!!!
Gray's Anatomy is the best show on TV. Period! I am so happy that ABC has the brains to make a real show and entertain the viewers the way they should instead of another stupid reality show where you have to look pretty or eat bugs or something. I think that's why I like Amazing Race so much. They only recently started eating gross stuff and they do have some 'real' people on the show. Anyways, back to Gray's. I can't wait until next week. I've learned what means a show is good ... you don't want it to end. If Gray's started at 8:00 last night and was still on right now I would still be watching it! :) I won't go on and on ... just know that it's the best show EVER!

My week hasn't been that exciting - outside of television ofcourse. I spent all day Tuesday buying baby gifts!! FIVE baby gifts in one day! I guess I know what my friends are doing with their free time! ha ha ha We have two showers this weekend but since we're going to Houston for one and the other one is up here we'll be missing one of them. We're really looking forward to our trip to Houston since it's only our second trip down there since we moved. We'll be seeing some friends we haven't seen in over 6 months so we're excited - though that probably means the drive home on Sunday will be a little less than comfortable due to what will most likely be an outbreak of the "self inflicted flu"!!

Which reminds me that I still need to iron, wrap, pack, get gas and cash so I should probably shut up and leave since I only have about two hours. YIKES!

Or maybe I'll just continue watching The Price is Right!

ho hum ...

Don't you hate it when people don't exercise common sense? As part of the relocation plan offered by James' new company I am eligible for career assistance for up to one year from his date of employment. Yes, he's been in Dallas since last Thanksgiving and I'm just now utilizing this service. ANYWAY ... I am unemployed. Or, as the lady at the doc's office said, a "homemaker". Whatever. So I get this phone call on my cell phone at 8:45 this morning while I was wandering the aisles of my beloved Kroger and it was the career assistance lady. I appreciate the phone call and thank GOD I didn't answer but can you imagine searching for a good package of chicken breasts that's not all fatty and gross when a career counselor calls? Now here's my thing ... if you're calling someone who is 'unemployed' wouldn't you call their home telephone number? Just a thought ...

We had the most beautiful 'windows-open' day today! I didn't close the windows until after lunch and I'm not sure the a/c ever clicked on today. It rained ALL DAY yesterday so it was a good football day however, since the Colts were absolutely killing the Texans CBS decided to switch to a different game. So rather than watch a game we didn't care about (neither of us are playing fantasy football this year) we finally watched one of our Netflix movies that we've had since July. Madagascar. It was cute but I think the computer animation has made these movies so much easier to produce that they're just not as good as they used to be.

Oh and Amazing Race kicked off last night! I was sad to see Vipul and Arti get booted last night since I had picked them to win it. Their profile online said they could speak several languages -- apparently Chinese isn't one of them. oops! Sunday dinners will be early so I can be done with the dishes by the time the Race starts. Also, I don't want to eat while it's on if they're going to be eating fish eyes every week -- gross!

Not much to say about the Aggie game. I'm glad we're not televised this weekend because that didn't seem to work out well for us. It was really hard to root against the Army. I'd rather they not get their asses kicked! You know ... it's the Army.

By the way ... if your name happens to be Jennifer L Starke and the last four of your ssn# starts with a 2 can you please pay your bills because your friendly collections agencies keep calling my house. During All My Children. You deadbeat!

TGIF

I know ... I shouldn't be so excited it's Friday since I don't have a job. It's not like the weekends are any different than the weekdays for me. This weekend is special though because we actually get to watch Aggie Football on TV! WHOOP! Yeah, yeah, if you're not an Aggie, bite me. It may not be the 'national championship' but I'm still excited.

So we ran into some neighbors last night on our walk. These are people we avoid at all costs and we just happened to extend our walk last night and DOH! We've only run into them TWICE before and we already know NOT to walk on their route anymore. So for AN HOUR we stood there and talked (at least the weather is nice and since it doesn't rain in North Texas we don't have any mosquitos - yet). These people crack me up. They're complaining about construction ... houses, parks, and roads. They're going to city meetings, complaining on message boards, and spreading their opinions to everyone who will listen. It's not like you can escape once they've captured you either. So my questions to them are ...Why buy a house in a new development if the construction noise is going to bother you and keep you from sleeping in? And better yet, why buy a home so far north of Dallas that you're closer to the Oklahoma Indian Casinos than Downtown Dallas? You knew the roads didn't make it all the way up here. You knew they were going to have to expand the existing roads so we can all make it to the new WalMart. Why complain about the road noise ... was there not a road there when you built your house? Don't build along the roadway Einstein! Were there not plans to build thousands and thousands of homes when you built your house, hence more people, hence more traffic? Did they expect to just stop letting people into Frisco so they wouldn't be disturbed by, dare I say, progress? And God forbid construction sites produce trash. I know it's unsightly but workers will be workers and the wind tends to blow a little up here in 'southern Oklahoma' so pick it up, throw it away, and get over yourself!

Not to mention the first words out of this woman's mouth were "so did you find a job?". Now, I can only assume she thought I had, indeed, started working because I no longer walk past her house during legal yard watering hours when she would be outside. Not true. She's just not on the morning route anymore (for reasons stated above). The problem is I have NOT found a job and that's become a little more difficult than I thought. You apply for jobs you think you would be good at then you just never hear from anyone. I realize the number of applicants is so great that you can't respond to everyone but I hate thinking I still have some sort of chance then all of a sudden, the job is no longer posted. I have gotten a few hits on my resume on Monster so I'll keep y'all updated on my progress back to the land of the cubicles! It's not like I really WANT to find a job but the old man tan Maxima isn't going to last forever and I suppose I should be pulling my weight around here if I'm going to get that little Beamer I want!

Since the dog spent more of her walk last night napping while the neighbors yapped on and on I felt the need to take her for a nice LONG walk this morning. Again, the weather was nice so I didn't really mind. Well, we made the mistake of walking down to the park right when it was time for the kiddos to go to school so we had to hop off the sidewalk a few times to let bikes with training wheels pass us (yes, the parents were there too). The silly dog got really good and muddy. Mud was flying off her paws and her tail as we were walking down the street back home. So it's the annoying neighbors' fault I had to give the dog a bath today. Which then meant I had to dry her off and follow her around with a towel and wipe up the tile and wood floors. It was kinda cute and I took pics on my phone but I don't think I can put them on the computer so you'll just have to go a day without seeing a picture of the best dog in the world.

I suppose I should wrap up my venting session. James might get home early (highly unlikely) and catch me blogging away instead of cleaning/cooking/grocery shopping ... all things I should be doing since we're having a party tomorrow night. So far, I've cleaned the master bathroom shower and I've done some laundry. Ya know ... I really don't expect too many guests to be in my closet or showering in my bathroom so I'm not quite sure why I started there but whatever. I suppose I should take out the recyclables, get the mail, and empty the dishwasher so it will look like I've gotten a little more accomplished than just applying for 5 jobs I'll never hear back from! :-)

Have a great weekend and Gig Em Aggies!

There's a first for everything ...

Someone suggested I start a blog. It didn't make much sense to me because I just don't have that much excitement in my life. Well, I thought about it and realized I ALWAYS have stuff to say and by blogging it, nobody really has to pay attention if they don't want to, right? I have to warn you, if you're looking for fascinating stories or motherly advice, you've come to the wrong place.

We almost had 'windows open' weather today but I'm guessing we still have a while before that happens. It is absolutely beautiful today which means good things for my electricity bill and even better things for the dog because she will get much longer walks as the days get cooler. It was barely 70* and breezy outside when Kaitin (that's my dog) and I set out for the park this morning. Here's a pic of her enjoying the day in her backyard ...

I may not have cute kid stories to tell but I do try to use new recipes every now and then so I'll share the ones that work out well. I'm a very picky eater so my recipes don't tend to be very froo froo - they're probably pretty kid friendly. I recently decided to try making homemade guacamole because I saw Racheal Ray do it on 30-Minute Meals (it looked SOOO easy) and Avacados were on sale at Tom Thumb. I used an old recipe I had and added some of RRs ideas so I thought I'd share. I was also able to scale it down so you don't have to make WAY more than you need!

• 2 large ripe Avacados
• 1 small tomato, seeded and chopped (try a roma tomato)
• 1/4-1/2 small onion, chopped (any color onion will work but I used a purple one because I had one on hand)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• garlic salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Peel the avacados and mash with a fork. Blend in all other ingredients except the tomatoes. Add them last and just fold in carefully so they don't get smashed! Serve immediately. If you want to try to keep it in the fridge for a while without turning brown, place plastic wrap directly on top of the guacamole.

It was a big hit with James - he said it was better than the packaged stuff we always buy. The only problem is it ultimately cost about the same and the packaged stuff is WAY easier - just add tomatoes and fresh lime juice.

That's all for today! My first post and it took forever but then I really didn't have anything going on but I wanted to get the first post out of the way so I could see what this thing is going ot look like!