Bringing It Back

The "Driving Scarf".

I think the gloves would be a bit much, don't you?

I'm bringing this baby back and I'm going to make it The Next Big Thing.

Why? Because it has been 898,957,749 degrees outside.  And because I hate, hate, hate the artificially icy air that the A/C spews out.  I always get cold and goosebumpy which seems to annoy Mr. Wonderful.  Whatevs, it's cold!

That, and I am always challenging myself to see how many miles I can get out of a tank of gas.  (Weird. I know.) And running the A/C kills my gas mileage.  I am happy to report that on average I get 38 mpg in my little Yaris! (not that you are interested)

Cute, right?

Back to the driving scarf though - another reason I feel I need to bring it back into fashion is because of my fabulous haircut.  While my hair has grown out significantly since that time and I can put it in a itty bitty stubby ponytail,  with the help of 90 clips and bobby's, when zipping along at 60 mph on the back country roads to get to anywhere in the world (thanks for being so close yet so inaccessible to everything South Lyon) those clips and bobby's do squat to keep my hair from coming lose and knotting itself into a rats nest.

So, if you see a short little Greek zipping around in a Yaris trying to look all Audrey Hepburn try not to laugh too hard.  It's a tough look to pull off.

(nearly) Wordless Wednesday

Today's gift* from one of our (strictly indoor) cats.
Leaving gifts on my seat is their new thing.

*toys

In My Knitting Bag

The first in my 9284657660 part series "In My Knitting Bag"

Newborn stocking cap

I am particularly fond of what I call the "Shrek-ish" colors that I picked for the little guy. 

And my (now) grungy knitting bag courtesty of an Antique Truck & Tractor show I went to over the weekend with MommaBean and Mr. Wonderful. 

Good fun.

Especially the tractor pulls (???) - eventually I'll post some pics that we took with the new camera.

Booya*

*I don't even know what exactly that means other than I hear youngsters saying it and it seemed like a thing to say to announce my return.

Hi!

I've been gone.  Well, no.  I've been around just... angry.  And pouty.  Disgruntled too.

I am still disgruntled but, you deal with whatever life hands you and you move on, right? ::eye roll::

One of my favorite things to blather on about to others when they're struggling is "Keep your head up and keep moving forward!" ::gag::

How trite.

Anyway, here's the low down.  I have R.A.
I had a flare crisis.  Wait, let's call it what it was because it sure as hell felt like a crisis.

I managed with my crippley self to bang out a few angry draft posts bemoaning my fate but, I'll just go ahead a delete them now.  The worst is over and I'm back on the 'roids temporarily.  They help.  But I want off of them ASAP.

In the garden today:

Peas! I have purple peas!
Wait, purple peas? 

I've never seen them before 

and more importantly, I didn't know I'd planted any!

Strawberries!
The strawberries I plant never get this far 

because all the wild beasties get them before I can.

Roses!
Someone last year gave me a potted rose 

and being the "I don't know what the hell I'm doing"

type of newbie gardener I plopped it in the ground.

It. Didn't. Die.

Yippie!

(not-even-nearly) Wordless Wednesday

I have a post.  A real post.
A jumbled up, not well thought out post.  But a post nonetheless.
I of course have not budgeted my time appropriately.
So, I'm sticking to the Wednesday photo thing.  Except there's a whole lotta' words goin' on.

Murano Glass Ornament
I bought it for myself in 1990
with my own money from my first real job

Stunning isn't it? It looks like dragon scales to me.

After gingerly toting it around for 22 years or so,
alone by itself in the next room, of its own volition,
the glass loop that held it on its hanger broke.

Tears have been shed.

I know I wont throw it out, but I don't know exactly what to do with it either.

From the looks of it though, maybe it was the weight of the the dust that finally did it in.

(nearly) Wordless Wednesday

A volunteer from a flowerpot emptied out in the bed last autumn

A sure sign of Spring?

That, and the Ladybugs
And the Robins
And the Red Winged Black Birds 

And the first dead bug splat on my windshield

An Early Morning Blurb

I haven't been on the computer much, not even "The Website" (Facebook) as it's commonly referred between me and my sisters.  

I have been meaning to write a post or three for a few days now but I am valiantly trying to read The Hunger Games, and quickly, so that I can go see the movie with Princess Pretty Face (PPF) and her mom Ali-Gator next Friday.  

Ali-Gator is taking PPF out of school early to go see the movie and I don't work on Friday's so it's a date!

I remember my mom surprising me and Ali-Gator by coming to school one day out of the blue to take us out of school.  I distinctly remember on my way to the principals office trying to think of what I did to get into trouble and how I was going to get out of that trouble.  

I was petrified when I walked into the office.

And there stood my mom.   

I can't remember what she told them as to why she was picking us up.  But I as we were walking out to the car she told us she was taking us to a movie.

 We were going to see Footloose. 

I loved that bright sunny day in 1984.  It is actually one of my fondest childhood memories.

Hopefully this will be one of PPF's favorite memories.  Especially since she loves the book so much.

My hopes are high.

Off to work!

Which interferes with my reading.

Yams & Chick Peas

I've been trying to come up with a post for today and it's been rough.  

As soon as I get this post out of the way I have given myself free reign to go clothes shopping.  As in "I've lost weight and my pants are baggy so I just have to go use my Kohl's Cash + 30% off" kind of shopping.

So here I sit waiting for inspiration to strike and I've already wasted an entire 20 minutes perusing Pinterest because somehow that'll help me think of a post to write...

32 minutes later:

Somehow, miraculously, it paid off!  

The following blog post is brought to you by a Sisterly E-Mail Conversation (that I still had in my work e-mail inbox?) between Ali-gator and myself:

>>>On 1/18/2012 at 12:28 PM, Ali-Gator wrote:

Pops,

Can you send Rachel and I the recipe for your sweet potato hummus?

Ali-Gator

______________________________________

>>> On 1/18/2012 at 12:36 PM, Ali-Gator wrote:

Dear Grammar Police masquerading as my sister... I'd like to rephrase my question.

Can you send me and Rachel the recipe?

This way you won't have to pull me over for grammar negligence.

______________________________________

>>> On 1/18/2012 at  2:04 PM, P. Rex wrote:

Dear Grammar Protester,

I won't use the pepper spray if you don't butcher my language.  You are obviously quite capable of using grammar correctly, so try it some time.

Respectfully,

Cpt. Gram R. Polizia

Sweet Potato Hummus

1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (I used 1 mammoth sweet potato)

• 1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1/4 C fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 C tahini

• 2 T olive oil

• 2 t ground cumin

• 1 garlic clove, chopped 

• Coarse salt and pepper

• Smoked paprika, optional 

• Pita bread and/or veggies, for serving

Set a steamer basket in a large pot. Fill with enough water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.

Combine chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, oil, cumin, and garlic in the food processor. Puree, about 1 minute; thin with water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and let cool; refrigerate, in an airtight container, up to 1 week. Serve with pita and crudites.

Check this website out: http://www.wearenotmartha.com/2011/04/sweet-potato-hummus/

They have step by step pictures.

It is insanely easy.

Enjoy!

____________________________

So there you have it a yummy recipe and a mildly funny conversation.

Kohl's, you devil, here I come!

(nearly) Wordless Wednesday

A co-worker brought these in to brighten up the office today.
What's not to love irises and a mason jar - perfect!

Blurbing: Random Thoughts

Blurb Unum:
Book Club went off without a hitch, of course.  I was being a goober.  We set up some guidelines and decided who would be picking the books in which order, etc. MommaBean was first on the list and she chose:

The Secret Holocaust Diaries By Nonna Bannister

I just got it in the mail yesterday, I am not very far into it and so far I love it.  My only complaint is the editors.  They've interjected little tidbits of "information" throughout the paragraphs.  The wisdom they feel they are imparting is common sense.  They're simply repeating what Nonna had just clearly explained.  In nearly the same verbiage.

Example:
Nonna's translation of her diary- "When the family left she, (grandmother) would take the portrait down, carefully wrapping it in blankets, and would store it in the attic due to political changes that had taken place during the Bolshevik Revolution."

Editors- "Grandmother had hid the portrait of Grandfather, who had served the last Tsar, because at the time of the Bolshevik rule, Nicholas II sympathizers were in grave danger."

Riiiiiiiiiight.  Nonna had just got done relaying that her Grandfather was a Cossack and had served the Tsar and that her grandmother would get the portrait out when they were all at the Great House.

It is annoying and disruptive to the story.

Blurb Duo:
Little Miss Nike Cat.

I don't know what else to say other than she is special.  Very, very special.

The vet said that like not all people are smart neither are all animals.  I like to think of her as Special Needs.

Mr. Wonderful and I have been retraining ourselves to fulfill her needs.  Along the way she's had to make adjustments and so have we.

One of the adjustments is we've added a little, low sided, litter box in one of our bedroom corners just for her and her alone.  She likes this and we're now a happy family.  Except, sometimes though, she misses.

Just a few weeks ago I witnessed it myself.  She stood in her litter box and with her bottom facing out into the room.... yeah.  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  I sure as hell wasn't going to yell because she would be scarred for the rest of her 5 lives.

That and she's compulsively licked all the fur off of her belly, and insides of her legs.

Her skin is really, really white.  Which contrasts nicely with her all black fur.

Blurb Tres:
I've been using my homemade laundry powder for 6 weeks now and I can report that it works fabulously! Even Mr. Wonderful's grungy, greasy work coat came out clean! When I make some more, I'll take pictures and post them along with the "recipe".  It is Uber easy, mainly because I'm lazy and took the simplest way out  and didn't do any "cooking" of it.  And it's cheap! Sa-weet!

Blurb Quattuor:
There was more but my CRS is kicking in.  Argh!






*8:27 p.m.: It's still not coming to me.  I've been staring at the screen for 10 minutes hoping it would pop into my head so I wouldn't have to end the post that way.

And that, my friends, concludes this blather-fest.  Until next we meet!

Hair Flipping

I have been known to glare at Hair Flippers all steely eyed and lemony mouthed.  I'm not sure what about the hair flipping thing irritates me so much.  But, it does.

I am not nor have I ever been a hair flipper.

At least, that's what I thought until approximately 7 1/2 minutes ago.

I was sitting here, going to write a post about something completely different and then it happened...

I flipped.  Or, at least, I tried to.

Because today, I did this:

Two of my four 9" ponytails

I cut my hair in order to donate it.  I do it about every 1 1/2-2 years depending on how I feel in the between time and how often I get it cut.

I am now sporting a fancy, yet very respectable (and cute), bob.  It's my go-to "Donation 'Do".

Like so:

Victoria Beckham

Of course I look nothing like Mrs. Beckham but, you get the idea.

Anyway, you see the long bits? The front part?

Yeah, well, I tried to fling it over my shoulder when I dipped my head down to look at the Coke I had dribbled on the front of my shirt.  I stopped in mid-flip horrified by what I was doing.

I am going to blame it on the fact that had I had my normally long hair it would've been in a ponytail or bun or something and .... well, dammit, I'd have never flipped.

So to the Occasional-Get-My-Hair-Outta'-My-Face-Quick-I-Need-To-Look-Down type of Hair Flippers, to you, I apologize for my snobbery.

To the Cutesy-Oh-My-Gosh-Look-At-Me!-Flip-Flip-Toss type of Hair Flippers?  I give you all my best steely-eyed and lemony mouthed glare.

Now that I've whined, I've got to go find a scarf.  My neck is cold.  

Blurbing: Reprieve

I've been given a reprieve.  As we all know, February has an extra day this month.  So that means that I have this itty bitty window in which to write a post so that I will not have skipped the entire month.

And what a crazy month it was!

I don't have much time because I am going to a Book Club.  For the first time ever. Meeting my MommaBean and Mr. Wonderful's mom there.

The book is: The Forgotten Garden.

I bought the book when it first came out and after reading it lent it to MommaBean.  I'm not sure how my MIL ended up reading it..... anyway, I was invited to go, so I'm going.  And I am oddly nervous about it. (??)

Leaving in T minus 13 minutes

Mr. Wonderful celebrated our 5th/1st anniversary.  We took a Grand Tour of The South.  Let's see, in order,  we stayed in Pigeon Forge, TN - Chattanooga, TN - Orlando, FL - Savannah, GA - Gatlinburg, TN.  I have some pics but not a whole lot - I was too busy having a grand old time to stay still long enough for many pics.

And..............

Well, Hell.  That does not account for the whole month?!  Other things happened that kept me away, I promise.  I just can't think of them.

Oh! Today is my Ash Wednesday.  I am Greek Orthodox and this year our Easter is a week after y'all's.  I decided this morning that I was going to give up meat entirely for the next 40 days.  Which isn't that difficult for this self-proclaimed Flexitarian.  Mr. Wonderful who isn't hip to religion told me he would be giving up Ice Cream for Lent since he's such a great Greek Orthodox (he did baptize Handsome Face McGee with me).  Ha! But it is a big deal for someone who is an ice cream addict to give it up.  So maybe he is hipper than he realizes.

Of course being a Most Excellent Wife I, in a show of solidarity, have also given up ice cream.  Double points!

That's it folks.  That's all I can think of to jot down.  March won't be like February, I'll be back! Soon!

Confused

My Maple tree is confused.

We have had the craziest weather here in Michigan this winter.  After snowing a few inches on Sunday, it was actually shovel-able at 2", today it was 56° degrees out.  We have had a very warm (for Michigan) winter with very little snow.  Poor thing, no wonder it's confused.

On Sunday, I noticed that it had started budding.

Taken today 1/31/12

Groundhog's Day is two days away.  I wonder if Spring is going to be early.

Annual Road Trip Day, Part 2

I finally got around to going through our pictures from our road trip but now I'm feeling lazy and don't want to write a whole lot.  So, I'm not going to.

Our trip in twelve pictures:

In my original post (Annual Road Trip Day) I went on and on about the blizzard that was supposed to devastate the Traverse City Area.  Well for the vast majority of our way up there (on two lane highways) it looked like this.  Rain.  Cold, windy and grey.  But, just rain.

We actually pulled over so I could take a picture of this truck.  Mr. Wonderful is a truck driver by trade and the sight of this Mack hauling lumber made him exceedingly happy.  His eyes literally lit up.

It did start to snow like the dickens though when we were about a half hour away from Traverse City.  For the most part it looked like this for the rest our drive.

We got to our hotel (The Grand Traverse Resort & Spa) without any issues and checked in.  When we got to our room I was not impressed.  They had put us on the 6th floor in a corner room.  The room was literally shaped like a triangle.  And the view? Sucked.  But, whatever.  It was just a room for one night and it did have a Jacuzzi.  

As we were trying to console ourselves that our lot had been drawn and we had a view of the parking lot and the roof at the front entrance.  The heard of youngins' next door started blowing their party horns and making a ruckus.  Knocking on the walls.  Jiggling the door handle that connected our rooms.  Valiantly trying to jimmy the door open.  Where were their parents? They're kids, I get it, but it truly was annoying.  I called my sister to let everyone know we were there and she either heard the distress in my voice or the wee beasties kiddies banging on the door demanding entrance.

She told me to call the front desk and asked to be moved.  (It was a good idea Olive Picker, thanks!)  So, I called the front desk and politely explained that as children are wont to do they're acting like godless heathens just being kids and therefore rambunctious.  I explained that we were looking forward to some peace and quite and asked to be moved.  Ten minutes later a bell hop showed up and they moved us up four floors.

The view was much better (we could actually see Grand Traverse Bay), there wasn't anyone in the adjoining room and we still had a Jacuzzi.  We decided that we were just going to eat dinner at the hotel and not bother trying to find somewhere to eat because the roads weren't getting any better.

The next morning it was clear and bright so we decided to grab a bite somewhere in town so I set to Googling and found this place Mabel's Restaurant.  Check out the menu.  Stuffed Hash Browns? Yes, please! We packed up and checked out.  The Bay looked beautiful and I wanted some pictures but Mr. Wonderful was hungry so I snapped some through the window of the moving truck.

So we get to Mabel's.  It's Monday mind you.  January 2nd.  9:00 Anti Meridiem.  

Mabel was not there.  Nobody was.  We actually ate at McDonald's.  It was the only stinking place open.

We decided that our return trip home should include driving through the Manistee National Forest.  Mr. Wonderful was fed so he let me stop to take a picture but it was snowing and we wanted to make some time getting back.  We planned on enjoying the drive and driving at a leisurely pace but once we got to the south eastern part of the state we still had to stop at MommaBean's and drop off her truck and pick up my car, etc., etc.

It was quite a beautiful drive through the forest.  However there weren't really any places to stop to use the ladies room.  So I practiced my bladder expansion technique.  I did well too! No stops along side the road in the frozen wilderness!

And this, this is the most priceless picture of the trip.  Only in Northern Michigan.

We had a great trip and I am already excitedly thinking of where we can go next year!

(nearly) Wordless Wednesday

Ineptitude*

*Not my inability to stick to one knitting project or keep my knitting spots neat and orderly.  But, the fact that I cannot figure out how to get a stupid (it isn't stupid, the user is) button to my friends blog (Clan-Donaldson) where I participate in a group effort called "Snapshots from a Sunday".  

This was my snapshot.

Go read her blog.  It's good stuff.

A Breakfast Confession

Here goes nothing.

(deep breath)

Wait, before I confess anything I want to tell you that Mr. Wonderful and I do not eat fast food very often.  Once maybe twice a month tops.

Okay, let's try this again.

About every few (2-3) weeks Mr. Wonderful calls me on Saturday morning when he's on his way home for work and asks about breakfast.  When he calls I know deep down in my heart that he's wanting fast food.  Way deep down inside, I do too.  Because I am mostly lazy and this would save me from having to actually think of something to make, make it and then clean up afterwards.

Something happened last night.  I had the strangest urge to not be lazy about this mornings breakfast.  So I scoured the internet for things that I could make ahead and have ready for whenever Mr. Wonderful got home.

It had to be something warm.  It had to be nourishing and most of all, it had to be yummy.

One of my favorite recipe sites is Mennonite Girls Can Cook.  Have I ever made anything from their site? Nope.  But a girl can dream can't she?

I found this recipe for Baked Oatmeal with Apple and Cinnamon there.  But, Houston, we have a problem.  I don't have any oats! I used them all and haven't remembered to replenish them.

Which got me thinking and forced me to get up and rummage through the pantry. Lo and behold I actually some Steel Cut Oatmeal left over from another time I had stopped being lazy about breakfast. Woo-hoo!

So, I started my search over and, quite brilliantly, entered 'steel cut' after baked oatmeal.  And that, lead me to here, Nourished Kitchen.  Now the stinker of a problem was I didn't have half of the stuff the recipe called for, and one pound of oats? Geez louise, that would feed an army!

The next link Google brought up was this one: Beef 4 Breakfast who in fact got his recipe from Nourished Kitchen.  However his proportions seemed more manageable so that is what I kind of did.

The recipe that I used is down below the pics:

Soak the oats over night by covering them in about an inch of water.  I let mine soak for 8 hours, but I think next time I'll soak them for a few hours longer.  There were some that I ran into that were hard little nuggets still.

Oats that have been soaked over night

Drain the water - My every day colander has enormous holes so I used this one which has a sifter like screen.

Why I set it over a bowl and not the sink, I'll never know

This is where I think the creative process can really excel.  I figured I would stick with apples and not get too fancy my first time out.

Then comes the Magical Concoction that you pour over the whole thing.  Mine consisted of: eggs, butter, brown sugar, half & half, walnuts and a wee bit of maple syrup.

Butter the bottom of your dish and spread the oatmeal in the dish

Pour your Magical Concoction over the top, sprinkle with cinnamon and bake!

And this is the finished product straight out of the oven!

Recipe:

1 1/2 C Steel Cut Oats - this just so happened to be the exact amount I had

2 large apples - I used two Fuji apples we picked up at the Farmer's Market

2 eggs - courtesy of my MommaBeans Chickens

1 C half & half - I have nothing left for coffee, must go to the store immediately

2 Tbs butter, melted

1/2 C brown sugar 

1/4 C walnuts - it's the amount I found in the pantry

1 tsp of Maple Syrup - I was experimenting...

Cinnamon 

• Soak the oats the night before. Do not skip this step.  I put mine in a mixing bowl and covered with about an inch of water. I threw a flour-sack towel over the top and went to bed.
• Drain the water from the oats using a colander and put in a large mixing bowl
• Dice your apples and mix them in to the oats along with the walnuts
• Stir together in a small mixing bowl the eggs, milk, brown sugar, maple syrup and melted butter
• Butter the bottom of a baking dish then spread the oatmeal mixture evenly
• Pour the Magical Concoction over everything
• Sprinkle Cinnamon on top
• Bake at 350° for 45 minutes
• Cool for 10 minutes and serve!

Oh.Em.Gee and even I like it- and I am not known for trying new foods.

This is a seriously awesome dish and you should absolutely try it!  

I am going to make it again next weekend but I think I'm going to try different ingredients now that I know I like the basics.

A victory for this culinary mamby-pamby!

The Trouble With Coupons

Who doesn't want to be thrifty?

50 cents here, a dollar there, and when the stores double the coupons? Wooo Doggy!  Just think of all the fabulous things you could buy with all of that money you saved!

When I was a kid my mom used to pay me to cut out coupons for her.
Do you think maybe it's a genetic thing?  Our Family's Coupon Problem?

Anyway, she would leaf through the circular and mark the ones she wanted cut out. She would then hand me  a seemingly gigantic stack and I would plop down belly first in the living room with my scissors.

Dutifully I would cut out the ones she had marked and oft times ones that I felt were products we should have in the house.  You know, things like Fruity Pebbles. Which, I'll have you know, I never even tried until I was in my 20's!

I made 5 cents per coupon! Man, what a sweet deal.

Hey Mom? Any coupons you want me cut out?

Anyway my problem with these little savings gems is three fold:

• I do not have the patience or wherewithal to plop myself down anywhere to rifle through/cut out coupons.  (why? probably because I'm not getting paid to do it.)
• The vast majority of the coupons aren't for things that we buy.  Ever.
• The storage space.

There isn't much we can do about storage unless I give up my Knitting Room (which is also where the computer resides) or Mr. Wonderful gives up his, ugh-I hate calling it this, Man Cave we're at an impasse with the whole storage issue.

Maybe in our next house we'll have somewhere to store a six month supply of              (insert item here)    .

We get our weekly hometown newspaper, The Herald, and on our every two week grocery shopping expedition I grab a Sunday paper.  I conscientiously pile up the coupon circulars for my immediate attention on the end table near my end of the couch.  And promptly get distracted by 9000 other things.  Finally when they are close to toppling over I will leaf through them with an ever hopeful heart that the majority haven't expired.

Mr. Wonderful and I are going shopping this weekend so let's see what we have.

Here for instance is one circular:

Nothing

There are exactly ZERO things in this circular that I have ever bought or even plan on buying.

And with our every other week Sunday paper, we have two of the same circulars.

But then... there is the "off" week from The Herald:

Score!

That's right - $1.30.

Which, as my mother always says, is better than a swift kick in the ass.

Finding Time

Just when and how do people come up with time to blog?! I am struggling here to post more than once a month. I have plenty to say, now whether it is worth reading is a whole other ball of wax.

Where do you suppose that saying came from? "Ball of wax."

I'll have to look it up.

Anyway, last week I started working four 10 hour shifts.  I have a three day weekend, every weekend.  So one would think I could find the time to  plop my rear end down here for an hour and blather...

And here we are.  A really quick whiny post before I run through my nightly routine and turn in for the night.

(insert harrumphing)

One more gripe for the night - It was 54 degrees and raining today.
It is currently 34 and snowing.

This is what I've been reduced to wearing in the house:

Snarly face.
Turtle neck.
(beautiful) Scarf.
Fuzzy robe.







Boo, Mother Nature, boo.

p.s. Yes, I know it's Winter in Michigan and we have been so very lucky thus far but I still don't like winter.
p.s.s. Maybe I'll do a post on the scarf? (likely story)
p.s.s.s. This week one of my goals is to get the New Years trip pictures posted. (don't hold your breath, I'm not)

Impromptu Breakfast

I found my camera!

I even downloaded the pics but I'm not about to mess with them.  I am here for a quick post of our lovely breakfast this morning.  We're doing our every two weeks grocery shopping today and I wanted to use up some of the stuff we have hanging about.

Would you look at that loveliness?! Croissants & Homemade Pumpkin Butter.  Yum-my!

(insert witty title here)

I am officially without functioning brain synapses.  Maybe it's early onset dementia?

Honestly, there is no thought flow here.  So, to make this post easy on myself I'll bullet point some random thoughts for you to enjoy and try to make sense of. Yippie!

• Our New Years Day - Annual Road Trip went off without a hitch.  Barely any snow let alone a blizzard.  Which brings us to point two.
• I cannot find my camera.  It's here.  In this house. I remember seeing it and it has a few pictures documenting our trip but, I can't locate it.  Which coincides with the misfiring of brain synapses - I always know where my camera is!
• I have to go get new tires on my car today. Fabulous, just how I wanted to spend my Saturday morning.
• As an early Christmas present from my husband that I ordered and told him he bought me, I have Adobe PSE 10.  I have recently, last week, installed it on the computer but haven't had a spare moment to use it.
• I made a list for Mr. Wonderful and put it on our chalkboard in the kitchen of Acceptable Gifts.  Our First Date/Wedding Anniversary is coming up- I told him it counts as 1 1/2 anniversaries and just because we got married on that day doesn't negate it was our First Date anniversary.- Valentine's Day is also coming up and our respective "Mid-Year Birthday's", more on that later, are too.  So, the gifts are as follows: 1) Skyrim, 2) telescope, 3) wooden cooking utensils, 4) Kindle Fire.  I'll probably buy myself the fire with the money I got for Christmas - AFTER I read my hundreds of dollars worth of books that I have bought.

And there was something else, can't remember what it was though.  So, yeah.

I'll upload those pics as soon as I find my camera and put together a nice blog post for ya!

**EDIT: I remembered what else I was going to say! I am going to try making my own laundry detergent.  I have had the Washing Soda for about a year and a half staring me down and I have the Borax, which I use in each laundry load, all I need is a dang bar of soap.  Which I will pick up today while out getting my new tires. I have heard wonderful things about it, how safe it is for the environment and you can't beat the price of .01 per load.

My question, if anyone has ever tried this, is this: Will the soap dissolve in cold water? I only use cold water to wash my clothes.**

Annual Road Trip Day

Today is Annual Road Trip Day!  I am half excited half apprehensive.


Last week I decided that I wanted to go to Traverse City since I haven't been there as an adult. And because neither of us have to work tomorrow we decided we were going to spend the night in Traverse City. 


I booked a Tower room at the Grand Traverse Resort for tonight.

Lovely, eh?

Local Weather Alert

Blizzard Warning for Grand Traverse, MI

From 12:00 PM EST, Sun., Jan 01, 2012 until 7:00 PM EST, Mon., Jan 02, 2012

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Issued by The National Weather Service
Alpena/Gaylord, MI

Sun, Jan 1, 2012, 3:51 AM EST

Local Radar Map

Updated Jan 1, 2012, 6:25am EST

Weather in Motion®   |   Enlarge Map

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• Prepare for Winter Storms
• Keep Safe During the Storm
• Driving In Snow and Ice
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... BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM EST MONDAY...

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 PM EST MONDAY.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER...

* SNOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN TODAY... AND WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY. SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 10 TO 20 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON.

* SUSTAINED WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH... WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH... WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW... AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

IMPACTS...

* ROAD CONDITIONS WILL RAPIDLY DETERIORATE TODAY... AS ROADS BECOME CLOGGED WITH FALLING AND DRIFTING SNOW. POOR DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. VISIBILITIES WILL DROP TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES IN FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS... MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED... STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

Right. No refund on the room and never ones to weenie out - so we're going. We borrowed MommaBeans 4x4 truck for the expedition. 

I've packed extra hats, gloves, scarves, coats, blankets and one of those fancy emergency road packs in the truck.

And that is that! So now, I am going to fry up some bacon, the once a year treat for Mr. Wonderful & make french toast for our breakfast and then we're off! 

Catch you on the flip side with pictures!

HAPPY 2012 Everyone!