Herman Melville and My Two Dads
5 years ago
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
The smushed rolo pretzels
Apparently Teri doesn't like not knowing how things turn out so for her....
Cookie Decorating!
Few Notes about cookie decorating before photos...
1. I tried several different cookie recipes for this and did not find any that I really liked so I'm still looking for the perfect cookie cutter cookie recipe.
2. The plan was the make cookies and give them to our neighbors, ya know, to be neighborly. We ended up with a grand total of 33 cookies after 6 kids and 2 adults finished almost 2 hours of decorating. I think more were eaten than were decorated!
3. The rolo pretzles were excellent. THanks, Teri, for the idea!
4. The adult cookie just looked weird. The kids cookies were totally cute.
5. A good time was had by all and that's really the point!
1. I tried several different cookie recipes for this and did not find any that I really liked so I'm still looking for the perfect cookie cutter cookie recipe.
2. The plan was the make cookies and give them to our neighbors, ya know, to be neighborly. We ended up with a grand total of 33 cookies after 6 kids and 2 adults finished almost 2 hours of decorating. I think more were eaten than were decorated!
3. The rolo pretzles were excellent. THanks, Teri, for the idea!
4. The adult cookie just looked weird. The kids cookies were totally cute.
5. A good time was had by all and that's really the point!
Why I love Physical therapy
So I saw the orthopedist for this annoying pain in my hip and she sent me to Physcial Therapy to figure out exactly what was going on and how to fix it. So at PT it was determined that my pelvis is shifting in and out of alignment. The two sides of the pelvis are not fused but are connected with soft tissue. This allows the pelvis to move independently when you walk and to stretch when you have a baby. If the pelvis is out of alignment then the muscles in the back, butt and legs have to try and compensate and eventually some get weak, others get strong and others just cramp up. That's what happened to me. I also remembered during all this that I fell while running in August and landed on that hip really hard. So during PT my therapist can manually put me back in alignment and then massage the muscles that are hurting (love that part), stretch me out (passive stretching is almost as good as massage) and then supervise a program to strengthen my weak core which will help prevent my pelvis from shifting around so much. The work out part is really cool. Basically, I am getting personal training with my insurance company paying for 80% of it. The bummer part is that my pelvis is still unstable so I need to keep going. But on January 1 when my deductible resets it will get pretty expensive! But I want to get back to running and I want to be pain free sooooooo I guess we will figure it out. In the meantime, I can tell my core is getting stronger and it is really cool to have someone tell you when you are doing the exercises right!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Hurricane Ike Slide show
So this wasn't in my preview but I just saw this on the Houston Chronicle website and thought I'd share. it is a slide show of their photos from the Hurricane. Look HERE
We also got our insurance check yesterday. It was very disappointing. As a comparison, my parents had similar damage (they had some water leak into an upstairs bathroom and stained the ceiling which we did not have) and their check was 3x ours! It all depends on the adjuster and how he writes up your damages. I haven't gotten the explanation that says what it is covering but based on how much it is I don't think they totaled our roof. I think they expect us to patch it. This is really bad news. First of it it just doesn't seem fair. EVERYONE around us is getting new roofs. Secondly, we are trying to sell this place. Who is going to buy a house with a patched roof when every other roof is new????? ARG! I think the worst part is the anticipation of having to fight with the insurance company and all the phone calls and all the hassle of trying to get what we deserve. So I'm going to pull a Scarlett O'Hara (truly my hero from middle school) and think about this tomorrow!
We also got our insurance check yesterday. It was very disappointing. As a comparison, my parents had similar damage (they had some water leak into an upstairs bathroom and stained the ceiling which we did not have) and their check was 3x ours! It all depends on the adjuster and how he writes up your damages. I haven't gotten the explanation that says what it is covering but based on how much it is I don't think they totaled our roof. I think they expect us to patch it. This is really bad news. First of it it just doesn't seem fair. EVERYONE around us is getting new roofs. Secondly, we are trying to sell this place. Who is going to buy a house with a patched roof when every other roof is new????? ARG! I think the worst part is the anticipation of having to fight with the insurance company and all the phone calls and all the hassle of trying to get what we deserve. So I'm going to pull a Scarlett O'Hara (truly my hero from middle school) and think about this tomorrow!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The big reveal
I have been a blond for a bvery very long time. I was naturally a blond up until about 4 years ago when my hair started getting darker and darker and requiring more and more color to remain the blond I knew I was. Well, I got tired of having to keep up the color. I get busy and I don't like going to get my hair cut and I don't like having to pay for it. So my roots grow out and I try and justify that they don't look that bad, but who am I kidding. They are roots and even Madonna looks bad with roots. So yesterday I told Tim (my hair guy) to color everything the color of my roots and I am now truly a brunette....
Before...
After...
Before...
After...
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
PReviews....
Stay tuned for a stimulating posts on
1. my laundry
2. My new hair cut and color (how dark will she go????)
3. The hip report or why I love physical therapy
1. my laundry
2. My new hair cut and color (how dark will she go????)
3. The hip report or why I love physical therapy
Wrapping paper
I love wrapping paper. I said it in my Christmas email post, but the colors, the ribbons, the whole thing, I love it. I really think there is a frustrated designer or something in me because wrapping paper and fabrics speak to me. Either that or I'm just psycho because wrpaping paper and fabrics speak to me. Hey, it is 8 days before Christmas, aren't we all a little psycho by now???? Usually though, I am such a Scrooge that i buy it after Christmas then look at it all year, then finallyget to use it a whole year later, at which time the specialness of it has worn off a little. I often have 6 or 7 rolls of Christmas wrapping paper sitting around from my after Christmas sale forays. I also try to find non-Christmasy chrstmas paper so that I can use it for other occassions. Probably one of those things where I think I'm being oh so clever and the person who gets a Birthday present wrapped in red paper with silver polka dots (nothing OBVIOUSLY Christmas on it) thinks, "I guess she was out of regular wrapping paper and had to use Christmas paper." BUT this year, I went to my trusty wrapping paper bin and there was only one roll of Christmas paper!!!!! (Insert horror movie sound track here!!!) Off I went to Hobby lobby like the rest of the poor shopping souls to to buy my paper at merely 50% off. So here is my paper for the year....
The blue with brown deer is especially for hubby who is actually deer hunting at the moment. The deer on the paper are velvet! VERY fancy. Notice that three of the four could be used in the off season! Pretty clever!
I just want to explain why there is Fairly Odd Parents Christmas wrapping paper under my tree...Because really who would EVER buy anything lisenced Fairly Odd Parents let alone Christmas wrapping paper???? It was in the grab bag selection of a school fundraiser wrapping paper deal. You got three rolls of wrapping paper of their choice for cheap but you didn't get to pick them out. Go figure, they had some Fairly Odd Parents paper left over! My kids love it and I console myself that it ties in the blue from the deer and the red and green from the other papers...It's a stretch but work with me here, it is FAIRLY ODD PARENTS!
The blue with brown deer is especially for hubby who is actually deer hunting at the moment. The deer on the paper are velvet! VERY fancy. Notice that three of the four could be used in the off season! Pretty clever!
I just want to explain why there is Fairly Odd Parents Christmas wrapping paper under my tree...Because really who would EVER buy anything lisenced Fairly Odd Parents let alone Christmas wrapping paper???? It was in the grab bag selection of a school fundraiser wrapping paper deal. You got three rolls of wrapping paper of their choice for cheap but you didn't get to pick them out. Go figure, they had some Fairly Odd Parents paper left over! My kids love it and I console myself that it ties in the blue from the deer and the red and green from the other papers...It's a stretch but work with me here, it is FAIRLY ODD PARENTS!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Christmas email
So I promise Teri that I would do the email by Thursday night and I didn't quite make it. But I'm less than 24 hours behind AND mine includes photos!
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Paper. I love wrapping presents and I love seeing all the colors of the paper and coordinating the ribbons and the trim! I hate gift bags except for the most awkwardly shaped gifts!
2. Real tree or artificial? Real. Our fake one broke the year after we moved to Houston and we’ve been real ever since. Every year we talk about going to a tree farm and cutting down a tree and we never quite seem to get there. Maybe next year…
3. When do you put up the tree? As soon we get over to the lot to buy the tree. Some years that’s right after Turkey day some years it isn’t until a couple weeks before the big day.
4. When do you take the tree down? Around New Years. By then I’m tired of looking at it!
5. Do you like eggnog? No, I hate it. And I hate that it looks so yummy, like melted ice cream, and then it has that nasty nutmeg flavor. So I hate it for being deceptive and for just being gross.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmmmmm. I got a China doll one year that was a family heirloom that I loved and played with for years and years. Hubby thinks it is totally creepy and will kill us in our sleep.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My kids.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. I was given a Nativity Scene by a friend of the family as a little girl and it was my favorite Christmas decoration. I still have it and I still love to put it up each year. I also have a nativity scene that was made by an Indian tribe in New Mexico that I got when my grandmother moved into assisted living. That one is really unique. My favorite part is that the wise men are wise women!
10. Regular mail or e-mail Christmas Cards? Usually they are Epiphany cards because I can’t get them done before Christmas and they are mailed. I skipped last year so I really need to get those out this year.
11. Worst Christmas gift that you ever received? I wanted cowgirl boots. My brother got cowboy boots, I got navy blue, zip up the side, dress boots. Yes, I’m still a little bitter.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? ELF!!!!! The best Will Farrell movie and the best Christmas movie EVER!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? When I get done with school.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? You betcha! It is my greenest activity!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies, bring em on!
16. Lights on the tree? Small colored lights. It is a compromise. Hubby like giant colored lights, I would love little white lights.
17. Favorite Christmas Song? Hmmmmm, I don’t know. I love them all. I love singing them all. I can’t pick. Maybe, if I really had to, O Holy Night.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Considering it’s a work day, we stay put.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Probably but don’t grade me on it.
20. Angel on the treetop or a star? Star. Got our star on clearance when we were newly married and it is very sentimental related to starting our own traditions.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Morning? Christmas morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Traffic
23. What theme or color are you using to decorate? Don’t have one.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Beef Tenderloin with Bearnaise sauce.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I wish I had a good list. It would be helpful to those I live with!
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Paper. I love wrapping presents and I love seeing all the colors of the paper and coordinating the ribbons and the trim! I hate gift bags except for the most awkwardly shaped gifts!
2. Real tree or artificial? Real. Our fake one broke the year after we moved to Houston and we’ve been real ever since. Every year we talk about going to a tree farm and cutting down a tree and we never quite seem to get there. Maybe next year…
3. When do you put up the tree? As soon we get over to the lot to buy the tree. Some years that’s right after Turkey day some years it isn’t until a couple weeks before the big day.
4. When do you take the tree down? Around New Years. By then I’m tired of looking at it!
5. Do you like eggnog? No, I hate it. And I hate that it looks so yummy, like melted ice cream, and then it has that nasty nutmeg flavor. So I hate it for being deceptive and for just being gross.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmmmmm. I got a China doll one year that was a family heirloom that I loved and played with for years and years. Hubby thinks it is totally creepy and will kill us in our sleep.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My kids.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. I was given a Nativity Scene by a friend of the family as a little girl and it was my favorite Christmas decoration. I still have it and I still love to put it up each year. I also have a nativity scene that was made by an Indian tribe in New Mexico that I got when my grandmother moved into assisted living. That one is really unique. My favorite part is that the wise men are wise women!
10. Regular mail or e-mail Christmas Cards? Usually they are Epiphany cards because I can’t get them done before Christmas and they are mailed. I skipped last year so I really need to get those out this year.
11. Worst Christmas gift that you ever received? I wanted cowgirl boots. My brother got cowboy boots, I got navy blue, zip up the side, dress boots. Yes, I’m still a little bitter.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? ELF!!!!! The best Will Farrell movie and the best Christmas movie EVER!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? When I get done with school.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? You betcha! It is my greenest activity!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies, bring em on!
16. Lights on the tree? Small colored lights. It is a compromise. Hubby like giant colored lights, I would love little white lights.
17. Favorite Christmas Song? Hmmmmm, I don’t know. I love them all. I love singing them all. I can’t pick. Maybe, if I really had to, O Holy Night.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Considering it’s a work day, we stay put.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Probably but don’t grade me on it.
20. Angel on the treetop or a star? Star. Got our star on clearance when we were newly married and it is very sentimental related to starting our own traditions.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Morning? Christmas morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Traffic
23. What theme or color are you using to decorate? Don’t have one.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Beef Tenderloin with Bearnaise sauce.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I wish I had a good list. It would be helpful to those I live with!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
It snowed in Houston...Global Warming must be a hoax...
So yesterday, it snowed in Houston! Really snowed. Like big beautiful flakes that swirled around in the street lamps, beautiful snow. (Didn't stick but who cares!) The kids had soooooooooo much fun! I pulled down my giant rubbermaid bin of snow clothes from when we lived in California and managed to find gloves and hats for most of the kids on our street! Now mommy has such a dirty house from all the in and outs with wet feet!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!
For the semester that is! Ahhhhhhhh!! What a sweet sweet feeling! I am done with three out of four semesters of nursing school. I only have one to go then I will be a real live nurse!! WOWOWOWOWOWOW. I can't believe that I am so close. But honestly, right now I just so glad to be done for an entire 5 week break that I hardly know what to do with myself.
Guess, I'll go outside and enjoy the SNOW!!!!!!!
Guess, I'll go outside and enjoy the SNOW!!!!!!!
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