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Gimmicks
Thursday, January 31, 2002
Top five things to do during a Snow Day 1. Sleep in
2. Blog about sleeping in
3. Make cookies
4. Watch DVDs (and eat cookies)
5. Call every pizza place in town for delivery
The snow has turned to sleet already. Rick made it to work safely, but didn't turn the lines over from the answering service, so I finally got in touch with him when the office staff showed up.
I still wish he had stayed home. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/31/2002 09:13:00 AM
SCHOOL IS CLOSED! ~~happy dance~~ SNOW DAY!
'Bout damn time! I think ours was the last district in southern Michigan to close! Karina's play will be postponed, which is good for the kids, since most are acting like preschoolers during practice. Maybe the extra week will inspire them? I hope so!
Rick was just as disgusted as me last night when he picked her up from dress rehearsal. He was the ONLY parent to show up for the scheduled meeting, too. All of the other parents stayed in their cars, knowing it was a plea for help with stage setup, etc. Rick promised the directors that I would be there right after school, and he would come after work to assist.
I'm just pissed that Rick drove into work this morning. Surrrrrrrrrrrre...NOW he gets motivated?!!? We are going to get another 6" of the white stuff by afternoon, then get socked with sleet during rush hour. I begged him to stay home. Any other day, he would have whined to ME to let him stay home. Today is purely HeMan. I love him and I'm just very worried about his long commute today, he wouldn't take my Jeep, opting for his Subaru instead.
Shocking news! My very first talk show appearance was NOT on Jerry Springer or Ricki Lake.
Tonight was the Pet Talk shindig for a local public access channel. Simba did great, he showed ALL sides of his personality...I bet those cameras took plenty of his butt shots during my segment! He was a bit excited with so many new people and other dogs in the room, so he didn't just lay down like a stuffed animal. OK, he did with some bribery treats, of course.
It really was a lot of fun and not very nerve-wracking. I was just trying to keep a smile on my face and not bite or lick my lips excessively.
The tape will show my success, or failure. No matter what, I tried and conquered.
Thankfully, Simba kept a smile on his face enough for both of us. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/30/2002 11:10:00 PM
Tuesday, January 29, 2002
Gotta give a free plug to a Tales of the Dancing Queen, who bashes the Rams and wishes the Eagles had won, instead.
Picture this:
It's 11:15 p.m., I am letting Simba in from last (bathroom) call. I lean out the door so he can get up the step, the door moves a bit too quick, I am stretched too far and I nearly fall. Luckily, I manage to catch myself with my other arm. OWWW!!! I fell a sharp pain btwn my left shoulder blade and spine.
It hurts to move then, it still hurts today. I slept on the warm waterbed (yes, with Rick...my tantrum will have to wait) to help soothe it, but my usual trick didn't work.
Sitting, standing, laying, breathing...everything just hurts. Even with normal breathing, the pain is there and seems to almost move around my side and into my upper front ribcage.
If I were Rick, I'd have taken off work for the rest of the week and gone to the doctor for pain pills. I'd be laying on the couch, unable to do anything but reach for the 7 remotes and change DVDs. And moan on cue.
Instead, I got up like normal for Rick, drove Karina to school, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher and will vacuum after this post. I have been resting some, but only because I know I have to be ready to take Simba to the vet and groomer this afternoon and help Karina's drama club prepare for their Thursday performance.
Pain or not, my life continues at full throttle. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/29/2002 10:59:00 AM
Monday, January 28, 2002
I refuse to sleep with my husband tonight.
Nope, he has no idea now, but he will.
Rick is the quintessential cover-stealer. He thrashes and rolls all night long in bed. Then, he blames ME. Ain't-no-doubt-about-it.
Now, I'm NOT a cover-stealer. A very interesting fact about me is that when I was about 7 years old, for some weird reason, I literally taught myself to not roll over in my sleep. I actually fully wake up to roll over, probably 3-4 times a night. (Which is quite often considering I usually hit the sack after 11 p.m. and get up at 4:30 a.m.)
And, yes, I do have proof. My X, who also didn't believe me early in our relationship, will readily admit this is true. In fact, he referred to my sleeping habits as "scary" and "delicate." Rick claims otherwise and it has been almost 7 years. Not only is he rarely in bed AFTER me, but even when he does come into bed in the middle of the night, because he fell asleep on the couch, I wake right up. Did I mention that I am a very light sleeper, too?
Last week, to prove me the bad guy, Rick tucked his covers under his side of the arm pad cover (we have a waterbed.) How that proves me the culprit is beyond me! My covers, which are only barely tucked into the mattress, are stolen every night. Wrapped tightly around each of his appendages, it takes him a good 15-30 seconds to give them back to me, all the while, he is still blaming me for it. Seriously!
So, tonight, I will sleep on the cold couch, while Rick gets the heated waterbed. (Yes, our couch ends do have the heat function on them, but it only goes for 30 minutes max and I will wake up when the temp changes too quickly.) Then, in the morning, Rick can see the chaotic state of HIS bedding.
It is bright and sunny today and I have 3 large windows in my bedroom and retreat.
There is a cat staked out on each sill, either basking in the warm sunlight, stretching out or preening.
Last night, I was asked to be a Rescue representative on a local cable show. Jim joked that I might be "discovered." FORGET THAT! *I* have no aspirations to be famous. Even if I had a closet big enough to hold Imelda Marcos' shoes, there are just way too many skeletons and "still juicy" bodies for me to be safely famous.
One diva per family and Karina has that garnered already.
Whoops! Rick's brother with his wife and kids just pulled in our drive...hey, wait a sec...they didn't even call! Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/26/2002 05:24:00 PM
I caught myself humming, "Georgia On My Mind" driving home this afternoon.
Lisa, my best friend who lives in Atlanta, and I spent more than an hour on the phone last night, which was true therapy for me. Both of us thought it would be the greatest if I could be down for her 31st birthday party in May and I have decided that I am going to save a few bucks and DO IT! Poor Lisa had a terrible 30th bday last year. (Sorry, cannot giving those details.) Plus, this is the same woman who spent her 26th birthday in airports, including the terrible Detro Metro, in order to get to Michigan to be the matron of honor in MY wedding. Who could be a better best friend?!!?
Today, Lisa and a friend flew up to Philly on a "long weekend" to visit some other friends. Am I mad that she didn't fly to see me instead? Nope, she needed a vacation immediately. I am, however, envious of her other friends for getting time with her NOW. LUCKY!!! I hope they realize how truly lucky they are.
But, Lisa wants to fly up this spring and spend a WEEK here with ME! Oh, yeah! Rick is pretty excited about it, too. He positively adores Lisa, who was his biggest champion early in our relationship.
Now, when we get together, it is going to be so much more fun. We both know out-of-the-way cool places to show off, me here in metro Detroit and her in Atlanta.
And, I have to give Rick a lot of credit. Unlike quite a few other husbands/boyfriends I know, he has no problem with me traveling without him. I don't need him for "protection."
GO EAGLES! I sure didn't appreciate being hollered at yesterday by a Rams PR guy for trying to get some questions answered for a story. I was under my boss' orders to make every single call, because he didn't respond to my voice-mails or her e-mails with a simple, "I will get to this if I can." We didn't even know if anyone was receiving them!
GO EAGLES!Well, I hope that hollering at me made his day much brighter and cheery. I'm sure he felt like quite "da man" and was right up there on the totem pole being all nasty to an assistant.
GO EAGLES! He even had the balls to say they are going to the Super Bowl.
GO EAGLES!
Friday Five. Thanks Smattering!
1. What cologne or perfume do you wear? I think mine is a body spray called Midnight Path. It was a Christmas present from my inlaws.
2. What cologne or perfume do you like best on the opposite sex? none
3. What one smell can you not stomach? donuts being made...reminds me of a creep I dated in high school who was a baker. He always reeked of donuts and even wore a "manly" camoflauge jacket, which had the sickening sweet smell no matter what. ICK!
4. What smell do you like that others might consider weird? hydraulic fluid and oil, which remind me of my husband
5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? Dr. appt for Karina and she has 2 friends spending Sat. night...otherwise, pretty quiet. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/25/2002 06:04:00 AM
Thursday, January 24, 2002
Rick was so proud of himself last night...he finally beat Grand Theft Auto 3. This is THE game that has been banned in Australia due to its controversial and violent content, which is exactly the reason Rick wanted it. He called it, "Highly recommended."
Good, it's over. I can't begin to tell you how many times I was forced to watch his "missions" and listen to the stupid "radio" they have going. Over and over. Boooooooring!
We've had the PS2 for almost a year now. I actually just happened to stumble upon a WalMart that had only three for sale. We now own 12 PS2 games, 25 Playstation games and 70+ DVDs. Yes, we had the original Playstation, but it conked after 5 years of loyal service. We bought it in early 1996 at a Best Buy in Taylor(tucky) and paid the same as what I did for the PS2 in early 2001!
I wonder what his next video obsession will be...computer or PS2? Should be interesting! Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/24/2002 06:28:00 AM
Wednesday, January 23, 2002
Thank you, Bethany, for the racy revelation regarding your e-mail ritual. I happen to know of another hilarious habit. hehe
Anyway...this seems like more fun than the Friday Five! (Maybe because it is only Wednesday.) Woohoo PeopleCards!
Color: changes by the day
Movies: The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, Stargate
Funniest movie of all time: Happy Gilmore
Place: my home
Books: I love the Left Behind series
Drink: Strawberry Kiwi Crystal Light
What is the possession you hold dearest? The few baby pictures I have of my daughter.
What is the quality you most like in yourself? That a question like this makes me think, but never reach an answer.
What is a plain old weird thing that you do? Probably tell too much about myself.
What is one of your most pronounced habits? I am a clock-watcher: very, very punctual and really have low tolerance for those who keep me waiting or try to make me late. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/23/2002 09:08:00 PM
Tuesday, January 22, 2002
If you haven't tried Listerine Pocket Paks yet, please do! It is a fun and interesting feeling while they dissolve, and FINALLY, nobody yells at me for crunching my Lifesaver or TicTac. Woohoo!!!
Oh, and I bought a package with 3-24 packs for approximately $3.28 at Wal-Mart. Not a bad deal for wintergreen fresh breath.
Mint chocolate chip ice cream never worked this well! Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/22/2002 09:28:00 PM
I'd gladly trade places with Karina today, just to spare her the pain of a possible urinary tract infection. Thank goodness for Uristat! I know how excruciating UTIs are and how quickly they advance and it pains me to see my little girl hurting.
Thankfully, I was able to get her an appt with a new doctor (won't take her back to the quack who misdiagnosed the object in her ear as earwax!) and we are heading there in a few minutes.
I am praying that this isn't the start of a chronic UTI cycle for her, too. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/22/2002 11:04:00 AM
Monday, January 21, 2002
Where was this when I needed it in '97? Geez, like I'd really ever have a reason use it now!
These, in my honest opinion, are almost doomed to fail, especially since they are highly touted in most women's magazine as wonderful ideas.
1. "Date night" The goal - to bring back the fun of courtship and make you a happy couple by getting away from the kids/work for an evening each week.
The reality - who decides what the date entails? who lines up the sitter? Guess what? It tends to get pretty boring having to be creative so much.
2. "Be romantic." (aka. you used to send me flowers, etc.)
The goal - to make each other feel special or appreciated.
The reality - it's usually one person doing it all, while complaining and comparing what they have done to what the other person has not.
3. Making your spouse your best friend. The goal - to live happily ever after.
The reality - "best friend" is not synonymous with spouse. Would you ditch your best friend if he/she suddenly sold all their possessions, quit their job and decided to move into an Amish community? Bet not. Hey, it would be cool to visit each summer, right? Now, take your spouse doing that...if you run, you'd not only lose your spouse, but your BEST FRIEND.
4. "Everything should be 50/50." The goal - everything is shared equally.
The reality - it's impossible. One person will always be doing more, whether it is housework, paying bills, working at their job or child-rearing, marriage is never 50/50.
5. Celebrate every anniversary (aka. when we met, where we first kissed, etc.)
The goal - to remember every step of your courtship.
The reality - this reeks of junior high...do you celebrate the first time you both smelled "morning breath"? How about your first argument? Nah. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/21/2002 04:18:00 PM
There is still hope for your "dark-haired husband and two kids" reading! We laughed then, but hmmmmmmmm....
Remember mine? I would have returned very soon the "something stolen from (me). It's not an object, but something that was taken by someone very close to you."
Less than a week later, I had Karina back in my arms, forever MY child.
Thank you for all the love and support you gave me then and now.
Too bad we didn't ask for Lotto numbers that day...RATS! Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/20/2002 05:19:00 PM
I was talking with Aunt Barb last night about being a daughter-in-law in such a close family. She is pretty devastated that she and Jerry rarely see their two sons now that they are in relationships and living 3 hours away. There has been no "falling out," their sons just have to place their woman's family first, second and third.
Specifically, Jerry and Barb became grandparents in Nov. 2000. They really really want to see their grandson, but they are under strict orders to NEVER show up unless invited first. They cannot even request that they can make the trip because their daughter-in-law insists on NO CONTACT WEEKENDS with them. It was almost hilarious to hear how spineless their son, Mike, is now. His wife doesn't want to be bothered with Mike's family, her own family is under no such restrictions.
(Rick and I had heard of this situation last summer from his parents. We turned it around, though, and turned the NO CONTACT into us dropping the kids off at his parents for the weekend and they couldn't contact US. teehee Mom and Dad got the biggest kick out of it.)
As for Aunt Barb, I suggested she try to talk privately face-to-face with her daughter-in-law and flat-out tell her she feels unwelcome in their lives, especially in her grandson's life. It needs to be done very delicately or she will DEFINITELY lose them all. No arguing, no accusations. Also, she could try to think of specific ways to make inroads, like sending cards or stuff.
As the discussion wound down, Aunt Barb sadly looked at Mom and said, "You sure are lucky, Sue...I wish one of my sons could have ended up with someone like Sheila!"
Mom was quite proud. I just reminded her, "C'mon, Mark isn't married yet, Aunt Barb. And, don't give up, this is only Mike's first marriage!"
Grandpa is home now. He has a bunch of prescriptions, oxygen, a wheelchair, etc. There will be family staying with him when the home health aide and therapist are not working with him.
Grandpa also has a VERY strict diet: low-fat, low-sugar, low salt and NO hard foods like apples, carrots, broccoli, etc. He really has to watch his bread because it is high in fat. White meat and fish are good, but he doesn't like white meat. lol His dislikes are additional rocks in the path.
OK, so last night, Mom and I are IMing about visiting Grandpa today. She is planning on making goulash and mac and chez. Now, goulash is probably a good choice, but her mac and chez has 2 sticks of butter in a pan (which would make about 2 reg. boxes of the Kraft stuff.) I hinted nicely that all that butter might be against his diet, but she was adament that "homemade is better than the box stuff." I'll give her that, BUT that doesn't mean it is better for HIM!
It's unfortunate that Mom doesn't understand nutrition. She eagerly tries the stupid fad diets (like the Cabbage Soup diet, SlimFast diet and Atkins diet), lost 25 lbs. in 2 months, sworn it is THE best way in the world, and 2 months later, got bored with them, and gained back those pounds, plus 10 more. She doesn't exercise or cut BACK on the food she intakes at all. She has health problems (like high cholesterol, which she just takes pills) AND a weight problem (which she admonishes her dr. for mentioning) and still doesn't do research.
I am currently trying to lose 15 lbs. and am more than 1/2 way to my goal. How? I cut back on the food I consume and try to make sure it is healthy, like chicken, instead of beef. Oh, and I exercise almost every day. I haven't cut out brownies or anything (this morning I made us blueberry muffins), but I try to remember that 1 cup of rice is much more filling and better for me, than 1/2 a pan of mac-n-chez.
I did some grocery shopping for Grandpa last night and bought him goodies like shakable parmasean chez, spray-on butter, liquid Smuckers Oil and Shortening Replacement and a huge pack of sweet-n-low. I baked him some mini loafs of banana bread this morning using these substitutes and the loaves are just as tasty! And VERY good for you!
I am planning on making porcupine balls for him and Aunt Pat to eat this week. I will be using ground sirloin and turkey sausage, so they should be healthier than usual. I hope to make some diet-abiding biscuits up there, too, since Grandpa LOVES his biscuits!
1. What do you have your browser start page set to? AOL doesn't give that feature, we get their stupid Welcome page, and since I am too lazy to change it in IE, it's just plain ol' MSN.
2. What are your favorite news sites? Yahoo
3. Favorite search engine? Google. Gotta love that search within a site function! It doesn't hurt that my blog is listed there, too.
4. When did you first get online? Oct. 1997
5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? Going to visit Grandpa who will be back in his own home and see my husband's parents who will also be there. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/18/2002 06:30:00 AM
Thursday, January 17, 2002
I love all the cool goodies I find on other Blogs. Today I found:
I was just sitting her watching them. Dakota is laying lazily on my window sill, watching me from my window sill while batting at the venetian blind cord. Kitty multitasking.
Princess and Dalton were playing with 2 empty boxes that Karina brought me from her room last night. They took turns jumping in and out while teasing each other. Whoever was outside, sat on top and smacked the other. Then, using their kitty telepathy, they perfectly exchanged places.
Tux was sprawled out on the floor next to them. He must have looked to peaceful, because Dalton decided her fraternal twin needed to play and jumped down on him. A second after she thunked the unsuspecting fellow, they were licking each other. Princess peeked her head out of the box all confused that she was now alone. When she saw Tux and Dalton, she climbed out. Now, she is regally sitting on my other chair, eyes fixated on them.
Dakota has kept the same pose.
I need a drink, but I know if I get up, I will destroy the moment. I will hear their mews following me: "Mama, where ya going?" "Mama, whatcha doin'?" "Mama, can I have a drink of water from your glass, too?"
Generally, I'm not one to pass along those phony e-mail stories or important lessons of life, but this was too perfect to just ignore.
What Do Women Want?
Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him, but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So the monarch offered him freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer; if, after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death.
The question: What do women really want?
Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query, but since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.
He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everybody: the princess, the prostitutes, the priests, the wise men, the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer. Many people advised him to consult the old witch--only she would know the answer. The price would be high; the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.
The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no alternative but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer his question, but he'd have toaccept her price first: The old witch wanted to marry Gawain, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend! Young Arthur was horrified: She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises... etc. He had never encountered such a repugnant creature. He refused to force his friend to marry her and have to endure such a burden.
Gawain, upon learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur. He told him that nothing was too big a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table. Hence, their wedding was proclaimed, and the witch answered Arthur's question thus: What a woman really wants is to be in charge of her own life.
Everyone instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared. And so it was. The neighboring monarch granted Arthur total freedom.
What a wedding Gawain and the witch had! Arthur was torn between relief and anguish. Gawain was proper as always, gentle and courteous. The old witch put her worst manners on display, and generally made everyone very uncomfortable. The honeymoon hour approached. Gawain, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But what a sight awaited him!
The most beautiful woman he'd ever seen lay before him! The astounded Gawain asked what had happened. The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she'd appeared as a witch, she would henceforth be her horrible, deformed self half the time, and the other half, she would be her beautiful maiden self. Which would he want her to be during the day, and which during the night?
What a cruel question! Gawain pondered his predicament. During the day, a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his home, an old witch? Or would he prefer having by day a hideous witch, but by night a beautiful woman with whom to enjoy many intimate moments?
What would you do? What Gawain chose follows below, but don't read until you've made your own choice.
Noble Gawain replied that he would let her choose for herself. Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time, because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life.
What is the moral of this story? The moral is…
If your woman doesn't get her own way, things are going to get ugly! Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/16/2002 09:51:00 PM
Tuesday, January 15, 2002
Even the Dutch Royal Family has embraced the Internet.
As I drove home today, while off in LaLa-land listening to Deminski and Doyle banter from the Detroit Auto Show, I unexpectedly had a brilliant idea pop into my head for the Michigan Samoyed Rescue site I designed and still maintain on a weekly, almost daily, basis. (MSR is the group we adopted Simba from back in August.)
The left nav bar really bothered me before because it looked too plain, but I was afraid to get fancy because the Web site is up for discussion at our next meeting. Jim, the MSR president, loved my creativity and told me to go ahead and change all the pages. Woohoo!!! I think we might be investing in our own domain name soon.
I really like the buttons I designed--they almost have a "dog-ear-fence" look to them. It took less than 30 minutes to create 18 of the little buggers (some are not in use yet) using Paint, Printmaster and Photo Editor. I used my walk with Simba to flesh out my sudden brainstorm, so by the time I sat in front of the computer to make them, I knew exactly what I wanted.
It's so funny to remember that when I first started this back in September, our group had ONE hard-to-read-and-barely-hit-on little page off our parent site. Now, I believe that MSR's site is larger than theirs and still growing. I have another 10 static pages which need to be placed, plus I know it is time for a site index page.
I'll get on that tomorrow. I want to enjoy the new nav bar for a bit. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/14/2002 09:48:00 PM
Oops! I think I opened a whole can of worms by accident!
It seems that SOMEBODY told Grandpa that Rick's cousin Mark got married to his girlfriend, Heidi. Well, he didn't..they were supposed to get married this March, but they cancelled the wedding last year when her Dad closed the place they both worked in (he was an engineer, she was a secretary.) Now, M&H are saying that if and when they get married, it will be an elopement. No biggie. "Living in sin" just isn't what it used to be. teehee
When we walked in last night, Grandpa was on the phone with Mark. Rick and I thought it was Mark's brother, Mike, who IS married. Grandpa was having a heck of a time with cooped-up dementia last night because he can't tell if it is day or night, what day it is, etc. He really kept messing names up, too.
Rick and I don't "Uh-huh" Grandpa when he makes a mistake, we try to correct him because if we don't, he WILL start believing it is the new person. And that gets really confusing for EVERYONE and it's really not fair to him to be treated like he's stupid.
But, Grandpa was adament with me that I "missed the boat. M&H have been married for YEARS!" (Interesting, since they met only 2 years ago, but even Mark's parents have upped that to "at least 3 years.") Grandpa had the rest of the details perfect, too: "Mark married the boss' daughter" and "they got married in a church in Detroit, but I couldn't go." He knew exactly who he was talking about, so Rick and I believe that someone either just said, "Uh-huh" and thought he'd forget or someone WANTED him to believe they had gotten married and were not "living in sin."
We still had a bit of snow on the ground this afternoon when I put some burgers on our grill.
Hard to believe that when I bought the huge CharBroil grill (3 racks, separate side burners and a funky thingy) last spring for Rick, that I refused to cook on it. Something about grills always scared me, maybe because my mother refused to cook on one, but my curiosity got the best of me after about 2 weeks and I tried it when Rick wasn't home.
It was soooooo liberating to not have pan handles in the way! Or pans to wash after. Woohoo!!!
I'm addicted.
Since we got it nearly a year ago, burgers have been made in the house only once. Our food was grilled almost all last summer: chops, steaks, chicken and burgers. I'd never made shish kabobs before, but they were a main menu staple for us last summer--steak and chicken with cut-up green, red and yellow peppers, vidalia onions, fresh mushrooms and red potatoes. I would marinate them in fat-free Italian dressing in the fridge all day long...mmmmmm...
It's not just my prime cooking method that has changed dramatically for me. Rick and I tend to flavor our grilled meat with lemon pepper. I'm not big on pepper, but I absolutely love the lemony seasoning. (Tip: goes great in mashed potatoes, too.)
And, heaven help the nominated actor who does NOT show up, like Nicole Kidman. She is working in Europe, but nominated for 2 Golden Globe awards. She took so much flak about MAYBE missing the program, that she is now stating she WILL be there. Now, what kind of work ethic is THAT, Nicole?!!?
Of course, there are the award shows that are supposed to represent The Common Person. Like my life is sooooo boring that it revolves around the People's Choice and Blockbuster presentations? I don't think so!
In my opinion, the most honest AND most ignored-by-Hollywood award is given by the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation, AKA "the Razzies."
Disclaimer: These words do not express my views if Karina continues with her drama and one day finds herself involved in such hoopla. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/12/2002 11:40:00 AM
Friday, January 11, 2002
1. What was your first job? Little Caesars Pizza when I was 16. I smelled like mushrooms every night when I went home. YUCK! I quit after 5 months.
2. How old were you when you had your first kiss? 11, and his name was Bobby.
3. What was your first car? What happened to it? It was a 1979 burnt orange AMC Concord. My dad bought it for me when I was 17, even though I didn't want a car and told him not to waste the money on me. It sat out back for a year, until I graduated high school, because I didn't want to work to pay for car insurance and gas. My parents got mad, too, but *I* never wanted the thing in the first place! My friends all liked to drive and argued over who got to, but I just liked to ride along. I got rid of the Concord a few months later for my Cavalier.
4. What was your first concert? Chicago w/The Beach Boys in the summer of 1989 at Pine Knob Music Theatre. Kevin, one of the guys I was dating, took me. They had oversold the concert and there were hundreds of vehicles parked on a dark, unlit hill, many which were broken into--CD players and radar detectors taken. We were stuck there until after 3 a.m. filing a police report and cleaning out pieces of glass from the seats.
5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? Grandpa is still in the hospital, so we will spend most of it with him. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/11/2002 03:11:00 PM
We went to the hospital yesterday afternoon and Grandpa and Uncle Larry were thrilled to see us. Uncle Larry went home, since it was almost supper time. Grandpa ate better than he had the day before and we watched some TV. He is quite the Jeopardy! fan, so we discussed Alex Trebek shaving off his mustache this year. (Note to Bethany: I promise to disqualify myself from the episode next year, OK? teehee)
While Rick changed Grandpa's clothes, I ran down to my Jeep to grab my box of Kleenex Plus for him. The oxygen tube is making his nose run quite a bit, and I don't want him to get a sore or red nose using those stiff, cheap hospital tissues. He acted like that "big ol' box" was gold and showed it off to his nurses. Kendra, the gal he had the night before, came on duty about 7ish and he introduced us. She chuckled and said seeing us would do him a world of good because "he tells everyone all about you." We stayed until last call at 8:25 p.m.
Today, he has a "scope procedure" with his gastroentenologist (sp) and then a visit with his cardiologist. The scope is to check out his ulcer and to see if there is a narrow spot in his esophagus tube which needs to be widened? Depending on those results, he MAY be released Sunday or Monday with a lot of meds and a new diet. He hates this hospital, so he is aching to get out ASAP, but not before the pain gets stopped.
We are going tonight, too. It's really quite convenient because it is our weekend with Cody and his mom nicely agreed to meet us at the hospital. (Actually, that is better for her, since it's closer for her by a few miles anyway.) Her Grandma was in the same hospital this past Wednesday for her heart cath, but despite having a stint put in, she Grandma went home Thursday morning. I'm glad everything is OK with her now.
Rick and I are both happy that today is Friday, and tomorrow we can sleep in! Boring as we are, even meeting at home this afternoon before heading up to visit Grandpa, is exciting. Dinner will be biscuits and leftover lasagne (I put it in the freezer Monday), but it will be eaten at home at our table, not in my Jeep or the hospital. That is special this week, considering it hasn't happened but once since last weekend.
Honestly, though, nothing is inconvenient if it helps Grandpa. His family is all he has, and he's all we have, now, too. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/11/2002 06:35:00 AM
Thursday, January 10, 2002
Sorry, Blogger was down last night when I was on. Plus, AOL booted me.
We didn't go to the hospital last night. We just went home and had a home-cooked meal (meatloaf, smashed potatoes and carrots.) Then, we branched off. Rick watched a movie, Karina chatted with her friends on the phone and I did chores along with computer time.
After picking Karina up, she and I came home. It was such a nice afternoon, the sun was still out and the temp was in the mid-40s, so I ran inside and worked Simba up for a minute about going on a walk. Oh, he LOVES to go for a walk...he jumps around like a puppy when I put his leash on because he knows what it means...FUN!
Literally, we were walking on sunshine. We only did about a mile, but it was totally refreshing! Our legs finally stretched, he's been cooped up at home while we've been at the hospital. I love living in such a rural area, the crisp, clean air was the exact opposite of the stifling smells (or are they nonsmells?) of the hospital.
Once we hit our driveway, I took the leash off between puppy kisses and Simba tore across the yard to play with Karina in the melting snow mound she had built last weekend with her friends.
Despite everything going on, for a few minutes, I really did feel like I was walking on sunshine. I will be savoring this memory, and I bet, so will Simba. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/10/2002 05:52:00 AM
Wednesday, January 09, 2002
I spent almost all of yesterday at the hospital. After dropping Karina off at school, I headed up immediately. Arriving at 8:30, I was the first one there and too early for visiting hours, but I went up to his floor and found out they had scheduled his heart cath for 1:30. Without being asked, I went back down to the main lobby. I called to update Rick and Dad. Aunt Pat and Uncle Jerry came in a bit after 9 and they immediately went up, since they had Grandpa's change of clothes, toiletries and razor. Uncle Larry arrived an hour later.
Grandpa was kept very drugged yesterday. His test was late, and he couldn't eat or drink before, so they put him in dreamland. He REALLY needs to eat, he's only about 110 lbs. and is over 6 ft. still.
Mom and Dad showed up at 1, since Mom had to go into work for a few hours. For the second time in two weeks, Dad had gotten pulled over for speeding, but didn't get a ticket. I don't know when he learned to speed recently, he's usually the guy on the freeway going 20 less than the speed limit!
Rick picked Karina from drama and came up about 4:15...moments before the returned Grandpa to his room. Of course, they had not found anything, "he's 90...his body is old and tired." Ok, I cannot begin to understand that, since some doctor, it must have been the resident on duty, is now saying he did NOT have a heart attack, he had "heart stress." His EKGs were abnormal, granted, but hey, the techs and doctor who did his cath could not even tell Grandpa has had previous bypass! Oh, they "didn't see his records."
Today is going to be a big pissing match btwn his regular doctor and the family. I have to work, but Uncle Larry, who is retired, is going up to deal with it, since he is listed as "next of kin."
Grandpa had a heart attack today and, we had to convince him, failed his stress test.
He is coherent and talked. I held his hand most of the time. Everyone else left by 5:30...Rick, Karina and I stayed until they kicked us out at 8:30. Rick's X and her husband even brought Cody to visit. She told us that her grandmother, who had a heart attack in December, will be admitted to the same hospital on Wed. for tests.
I am in a terrible mood and very afraid to speak my mind because of the hurtful words that want to spew forth to most of Rick's siblings and cousins. They didn't show up, just us four, Rick's parents, Aunt Pat, Uncle Jerry and Uncle Larry.
What they all have had all their lives - FAMILY - is something they take for granted. Dammit, I just want them to live for ONE DAY what I deal with...NO FAMILY.
They are so lucky and they don't even realize it. Or appreciate it. Sad.
I am going up to the hospital tomorrow to spend the day awaiting Grandpa's heart cath procedure. We pray he can make it through that, but he still needs his original surgery to live. They can't keep him doped on morphine for long.
I have to confess, I don't find myself admiring Meg Ryan's hairdos. To me, she looks like she continually pisses off her stylist, who then decides to use a chainsaw, not scissors, on her tresses. Her unkempt look just is not cute or appealing. In fact, I have often joked about sending her a brush and mirror, but then again, as often as her face makes the tabloids, she HAS to know how silly she looks.
Oh, yes, I hear her being called, "cute," but that is such a lame "compliment" when you are 40-trying-to-look-30. And, IMHO, she is not aging gracefully either. Then again, cute rarely does....think of all the child actors who were stars then and today are on the pages of "where are they now?" Macaulay Culkin ring a bell? What ever happened to Alicia Silverstone? Where is Julia Duffy?
Honestly, I doubt that Meg Ryan would be where she is now if she hadn't had the orgasm scene in, "When Harry Met Sally." THAT kept her in men's minds. Her partnering with Tom Hanks provided her with her biggest successes..."Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail. Her name in the marquee does not make a movie a success. For instance, "French Kiss," Hanging Up" and "Proof of Life."
The only REAL acting I have ever seen her do was in "City of Angels." Sure, she played an alcoholic in, "When a Man Loves a Woman," but she didn't hold a candle to Andy Garcia or the girls who played her daughters.
Her partnering and dispartnering with her male costars also brought her much attention...(Anthony Edwards in "Top Gun," Dennis Quaid in "DOA," Russell Crowe in "Proof of Life.") Then, there is the whole drama with her mom.
Not that she is looking for it, but my advice to Meg would be find a new stylist, invest $5 in a good brush and, when reading any script, refuse to do 1/2 of all the crying scenes.
Rick's mom e-mailed me the other day to say that her dad, our Grandpa, was hospitalized for stomach pains. They ran lots of tests on Thursday.
The outlook is far from cheery. The results confirm that he has angina, an ulcer and a rupture caused from build up from his aneurism surgery several years ago. They are going to do a stress test on him Monday morning to see if he can withstand surgery to repair the rupture, which we do not believe he will pass. He cannot walk across the room without getting tired.
Gramma died in June 2000 of a heart attack. She had gotten up in the middle of the night and started reading the Bible at her kitchen table when it happened. Grandpa discovered her several hours later, still sitting at the table. It was a total shock, and we didn't expect Grandpa to survive the loss of his beloved Gertie after 68 wonderful years together. He is so frail now.
Grandpa is lucky though. His children, in their 50s and 60s, have argued over who gets to take care of him...not that someone will HAVE TO, but that they WANT to. These are arguments of pure love.
Grandpa and I are very special to each other, he is thrilled at how happy I have made Rick and that I encourage close familial ties, unlike Rick's X. At 24 years old, I finally had a real "Grandpa." He and Gramma accepted me right off as family. Rick and I visit and always do something special...once, I re-wrote Gramma's entire address book into a new one with all the changes. Another weekend visit, Rick and Cody made Grandpa a wood stand to put his little soda refrigerator atop. We always go over for Christmas Day and have dinner with some of the other family. Rick and I always make it to the family reunions in August.
When Gramma died, Grandpa refused to go to the funeral home to see her before the memorial service until "Rick and Sheila are here." We helped hold him up when he literally collapsed from his grief. I cried more for Grandpa that day than for anyone else.
Mom, I think, is preparing herself. She is nearly 60 and very lucky to have had her parents so long. She loves them and she knows they always love her. She has been blessed.
I really don't know if I can prepare myself and I know that Rick is not handling this well, either. We know that it is inevitable, and that Gramma and Grandpa will be reunited in Heaven. Rick is lucky to be 36 years old and still have grandparents alive. Our children have been so lucky to have had the chance to really know some of their great-grandparents...Rick's other grandma is still fiesty as ever!
I am just lucky to finally know what it is like to have grandparents and to feel that kind of love for them and from them. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/06/2002 11:50:00 AM
Saturday, January 05, 2002
Last night, while I was doing the Friday Five, I asked Rick and Karina for their answers.
Karina decided on Drew Barrymore. Rick said his pick for an actor's complete collection of movies was Tommy Lee Jones, "because he's been in A LOT more movies than Bruce Willis." I disagreed.
We argued a bit on it, but let it drop. This morning, though, as he still lay in bed, Rick asked me if I had looked them up to see who won. I was busy, but like always, dropped it all to accommodate him (AKA: shut him up.)
Well, for REAL movies, not TV shows or TV movies, Bruce Willis won hands down, 45 to 36. Rick was incredulous, "Tommy Lee Jones has been around for years longer than Bruce!"
As Rick got dressed, I educated him, since he obviously didn't understand that where they started acting really made a difference.
TLJ was on a daytime soap opera (trivia: "One Life to Live") AND never starred in a primetime TV show. This stigmatized him, not just once, but twice. BW was never on a soap opera, but he did star in a hit primetime TV show (trivia: "Moonlighting.")
Now, Rick wants to change his answer to Sean Connery. Yes, of course, Sean beats Bruce.
Karina isn't so fickle, she still wants Drew. Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/05/2002 09:41:00 PM
Friday, January 04, 2002
1. You've just won a complete collection of movies starring one actor - what actor would you pick? Bruce Willis, hands down.
2. What was the last movie you saw in a theater? Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Karina and I saw it the night it opened.
3. What was the last video or DVD that you bought? Hey, I just bought "Stargate" at Wal-Mart this afternoon!
4. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get sick of? The Mummy and/or The Mummy Returns.
5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? At home, but Karina is having a friend spent the night tomorrow.
1. Always, always, be a better person - mom, wife and friend.
2. Lose that 10 lbs.
3. Pursue my hobbies, like reading and Web design, and crafts more.
4. Work out with Simba.
5. Clean more, organize better.
I took down our real Christmas tree today and actually did it ALL in one fell swoop, including vacuuming up the mounds of pine needles from the family room to the sliding glass door. Rick was very impressed...and relieved that HE was off the hook.
My resolutions may not save the world, but they are easily within my reach.
New Year's Eve ended up being OK. Karina and Cody each had a friend stay over and helped us bring in the new year. We had a huge buffet of food for the six of us that actually was MORE than what we had at Christmas Eve for 18 people!
We had peeled shrimp, pizzas, spicy chicken, huge pretzels, Doritos, Fritos, Ruffles, Cheezits, veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, radishes and baby carrots), salami, cheeses, crackers and dips (veggie, spinach, French onion, bacon cheddar and refried bean-cheese). We also had 5 different kinds of ice cream and lots of toppings, so the kids made sundaes. And we all drank soda and/or strawberry kiwi Crystal Light, my personal favorite.
Rick and the kids played our Playstation 2 for awhile in the early evening, but then we all watched "Gone in 60 Seconds" and "Armageddon," our traditional New Year's Eve movie for 3 years now. I stayed up until about 2 a.m., Rick an hour later and the kids a bit later still. They had a ball.
At midnight, we watched the ball drop and toasted each other with Slushies in my good wine goblets. The kids REALLY thought that was cool. Plus, everyone had the same thing to drink...the kids were on par with the adults.
New Year's morning, I made a huge breakfast of cinnamon pancakes, eggs, sausage and biscuits. Our guests left about 3 p.m., and they were raving about how much fun they had. Cody and Karina had a great time, too. I'm glad.
I hope my kids will always fondly remember New Year's 2001-02. It was OUR first New Year's celebration in our new home (we didn't have Cody last year and we let Karina attend a sleepover instead). And, they were allowed to have a friend share in our fun and traditions.
Hopefully, this will be firmly pressed btwn the pages of their memory books.
Damn, we have a lot of food left still! Sunshine - Walking on Sunshine -
1/02/2002 07:58:00 PM
