Today's Revelations

* I dont like peeling oranges. I like cutting them into wedges and eating the delicious part out of the skin.
* Eating oranges made me happy
* Static electricity at the gym is scary. Kept shocking my poor left ear!!
* The internet is an endless resource for learning about static electricity. I think I've cured what the problems were (dry skin, fresh laundered clothes, dry air, cold morning, dry shoes)
* Gimme Arabic bread (thin pita) and melted mozzarella and I am a happy woman
* Pineapple scented things are totally ruined when they contain other totally not necessary scents like coconut. Or mandarin orange. Or "tropical" artificial scents. WHY CAN'T IT JUST BE PINEAPPLE?
--> sidenote: Boo to yankee candle for discontinuing pineapple paradise. That scent was the only reason I ever bought from them...and was the BEST smelling thing EVAR.
* I can totally tune out anything when I'm reading a book.
* Tuning everything out while reading a book is fabulous.
* There is a big crack in our wall that I never noticed
* I really do love and appreciate all my friends
* A band from college that I know totally got 5000 times better with the changeup of the lead singer. I've told the guitarist that they've needed a new lead singer for YEARS. To know how much better they sound now is pretty gratifying
* I need to do dishes. yuck.
* The apartment really is a lot better now that I'm around a lot more
* I don't miss taking a billion phone calls a day and solving horrid insurance cases.
* I keep dreaming about past jobs I've held.
* I dream a lot. and a lot more vividly than most people. I had a dream this week containing some random person from high school. Then I get a message from his wife (who I also went to high school with) that they are expecting a baby girl. So random that I had a dream and an important announcement involving the same RANDOM person.
* Even when I have access to all the cable channels at the gym, I always seem to end up watching a channel I get at home. I'm just used to all the food network, bravo, style, and women's channel entertainment.
* I can't wait until I can go play tennis, go for a bike ride, have a picnic, BE OUTSIDE AND NOT BE COLD, go for morning walks, golf, etc
* I've set my goals for tomorrow: dishes, buying soil to start the patio garden, going to a strength class at the Y, and going through one cupboard in the kitchen to match containers to covers.
* I can't bring myself to get rid of the bridal magazines. Why?
* Enchanted is a delightful movie
* Cuddling and watching Enchanted is the best
* I definitely know which kind of contact lenses I'm going with. I was given two sets to try out and one is a ton better than the ones I'm wearing today.
* You don't need to have a fancy camera to take a good picture
* I love my bestest friend

Friday Night Dance Partay!!!!!!

Well ok, I'm bored... well... socially bored. I should have gone and done something social this week, but I really haven't. Now I'm feeling the effects.

I guess this is the best time to host a blog dance party!

Theme: FRENCH!

Jukebox Friday. Version: TA DA!

Regina Spektor - Us

She has a very unique (read: far out) grasp on music. I thought I only liked her song "Samson" until I stumbled across this one.




The Postal Service - Such Great Heights

*You can also see a cool Ben Folds Five version of this song here

Did you notice the songs kinda sound alike?

I love music. Jukebox Friday is a great blog invention!

Yum

Tonight's dinner

Appetizer
* Garlic-brushed pita bread with melted cheese on top (think Arabic garlic bread!)
* olives

Main Course
* Grilled Kafta (think Arabic Hamburger)
* Cucumber yogurt sauce and tomatoes on the side
* Oven potatoes w/ tahini sauce

Dessert
* Angelfood cake w/ fresh strawberries & whipped cream


Aaaand it is SNOWING here, so I'm just going to use my indoor "griddler" grill plates. meh. I'm glad I bought some flowers to spruce up my mood or there would be a lot more "meh" to my day.

Untrapped...

I've emerged from being trapped on Good Friday and emerged from post Easter food coma to finally blog today. I've not much to report. Travelling to Michigan was a breeze considering we thought it would be a 5 hour drive and it turned into a cool 3. (sweeeet) I've lamented in blogworld before how much I hate IL roads, but I have to talk about it AGAIN.

I

HATE

IL

TOLLWAYS / ROADS / EXPRESS LANES / SIGNS / ANYTHING ROAD RELATED

bah.

It all makes me so angry. Fishing through our huge bag of dimes (wow, that sounded drug related) and counting and recounting to make sure there are EIGHT. Wait, this one is FIVE. Wait, I think we have to GUESS how much this upcoming one is cuz there are NO SIGNS. Oh wait, there are just stupid signs that say they are "watching us" to make sure we drive the right speed. Discounting the fact that everyone else is doing 90 and frackishly driving all over the lanes. Yes, we paid all the tolls in dimes. Cept the $3.00 b-tard toll in which bubs deemed it "too mean" to count out 30 dimes. hpmf. Did I mention that despite the highway robbery that the roads are terrible and in a perpetual state of disarray? TERRIBLE. DISARRAY. There, I've mentioned it again. Oh, and people mention we should just do "I-Pass" - well, NO. I'm not going to cave to buying a "pass" to DRIVE on TERRIBLE roads. The trips are not made often enough. Plus, I happen to recollect one touching experience wherein the I-pass lanes suddenly shut down and all the CRAZED 90mph fracktards were suddenly craz-merging all over the place. NOT FUN. HOOOOOONK - MEEEEEEERGE - HONK HONK - OMG watch that one! NO merge! No Merge!

Highway robbery. Yes, props to that term.

hmmm....smile....hmmmm

I do have to guiltily admit that seeing the Chicago skyline makes me very happy. I think of my aunt and uncle tucked away all happy amidst the craziness. I remember all the fun times had there. The delicious food awaiting to be enjoyed. The vibe of it all is just pretty darn cool.

Too bad there are the roads in TERRIBLE. DISARRAY.

Well, if you know the photo website o' mine feel free to go look at the cuteness that was my Michigan Easter.

Alleluia! The power of life and happiness (and, hopefully, springtime) prevails over evil*. My happiest wishes to all for the brightness and glory of this season! This is the power that I believe in... the love of Jesus glowing and triumphing over death.




(*AKA: driving in IL)

3 posts in one day -- because someone's TRAPPED

I'm trapped. I walked to the Y at 9am this morning with only a few inches, but here it is 9pm and over a foot of snow has fallen. I am trapped inside the apartment. The worst part about this is that I totally didn't even know it was supposed to blizzard today. I would have planned yesterday better (oh wait, I was trapped at the eye doctor place.) TRAPPED TRAPPED YOU SEE. I've been calling people and thinking about supplies I must have on hand in the future should I become trapped again. TRAPPED TRAPPED.

*breathe*

Ok. So I'd like to link some more songs for you merry blogfriends to enjoy this evening or whenever. I will hopefully be travelling tomorrow - be unTRAPPED. We're planning on going to Michigan this weekend, but now I am not looking forward to the drive with all this snow.

*breathe*
(ok, this video is just weird)

*Get me through December*
(people set Harry Potter montages to EVERYTHING!)

*A bit more optimism*

*Favorite song to put me at peace*

Whew. I feel better.....

Blizzard for another 12 hours

I'm hiding out. Good Friday services have been moved to Saturday.

This is my view for a long while *sad sigh*

Jukebox Friday: Walking in a winter wonderland..

Happy first day of spring! This is the scene that greeted us this morning. Plus, how lovely is it that it is STILL blizzarding out there. Puke.


I couldn't do a cute bunny spring song for Jukebox...so instead y'all get this

That's just how it's going to be today

Retirement. Milling about in life.

Well there are a few goals that have been accomplished since my retirement

Wait, back up.

Yes, I am referring to this period in my life as a retirement of sorts....Until I return to work that is. See, I'm not really a housewife as I don't have children or a house. I also can't just go on in life listing "bum" as occupation. Sooo, retirement it is! My friend Landon from high school got a membership card from AARP when he was 14 and I always thought that was one of the funniest things ever. I also get to say that I retired the same time Brett Favre did. Yeah, I'd like to kick back after my dedicated career in the insurance biz. Ha.

OK so back to goals. Here is what I've done so far:
- was able to go to the hospital when Caleb was born
- spent quality time with family
- wrote cards & sent mail
- lots of laundry
- sheets, towels, etc all put away in a reorganized closet
- bed is made in the mornings
- worked out once a day except Sundays since March 1st (this one is huge people)
- reorganized kitchen
- made an honest candlelit relaxing dinner
(Menu: * tapas plate with olives, marinated mozzarella balls, tomatoes, pita, parsley. * chicken piccata. *fresh steamed vegetables *good white wine *real cadbury chocolate)
- cleaned living room top to bottom
- ironed bubs work shirts to save time for his morning
- got new glasses & contacts
- made personal trainer appt
- ordered pictures from my online website to start scrapbooking & framing
- kept jewelry in jewelry box (oh you wouldn't believe how challenging this is)
- kept shoes organized

Next up:
- more quality family time
- boxes of random crap in bedroom to go through
- planting
- getting bikes out & fixed
- try working out 2x day

So on to other random matters.

The first up is the issue of before-mentioned REAL Cadbury chocolate. Don't ye be fooled by trickery! Most of the "Cadbury" sold here in the USA is actually made by Hersheys. Contain your astonishment. There is a HUGE difference between Cadbury chocolate and Hersheys chocolate. When I find real Cadbury at a fairly reasonable "import chocolate" price, I buy. Bubs grew up on real chocolate and I have come to appreciate it. I don't know what kind of deal/naked picture bribery/whore scandal/trickery went on between Cadbury and Hershey to seal that deal but it disgusts me. pft.

The second up is the issue of my new glasses and contacts purchased today. I went to an express type place. Spent 2 express hours there. Waited 1 express hour while my glasses were being made. Went back and spent 1 more express hour there. I would like to express my extreme disappointment with that whole experience. With an expression of a middle finger..umm.. contained (Lent). Well, the actual exam with the good eye doc only lasted 10 weird minutes summarized as such:

Hi hi, what are you here for? **scribble scribble on paper** Ok look out there. Read 2 letters. Ok. Which is better: 1 or 2? **scribble scribble on paper** 1 or 2? 1 or 2? 1 or 2? 1 or 2? 1 or 2? **scribble scribble on paper** 1 or 2? 1 or 2? 1 or 2? **scribble scribble on paper** Well you have a slight **mumbles something** in your right eye but we're just going to ignore that. Ok - step outside and they'll set you up.

WHAT?!
What is in my right eye?!?! What are we ignoring?!?!? What are you scribbling?!? Did I answer 1 or 2 right?!?! What are they setting me up with?!?! Don't I have to do 50 other tests?!? Why didn't I get to read all the fun letters?!? Why didn't you change the paper chin thing?!? What chin disease am I going to get?!?

He was changing everything so quickly the 1 or 2 questions were really freaking me out. Sounds like a fun new prescription for me! whee!




Life has been pretty restful otherwise.

I'm glad and thankful I can attend church tomorrow and bake cookies to bring for our Easter weekend in Michigan.

Nephews

Me: "Jonah, can I have a kiss right here?" (pointing to my cheek) *kiss*

A little while later:

Me: "Jonah, can aunty have another kiss?"
Jonah: "I can't"
Me: "But you did before!"
Jonah: "I just can't"
Me: "Why?"

*pause*

Jonah: "I'm sorry I kissed you before."

tee hee.

Jonah is a very imaginative child which I adore. Some examples:
- He carries around little pieces of yarn in a bag and he calls them his snakes. Then he'll bundle up the yarn and call it a nest. "SHHH!" They're "patching out a da egg!" is what he tells me.
- He'll make you draw anything and everything on the magna doodle. He just loves the magna doodle! When I asked him if he was going to grow up and draw/be a firefighter/make lots of money/make no money, he promptly asked for me to draw him "lots of money" on the magna doodle.
- Laundry baskets are effective "cars" for Jonah - also drums
- He can sit and play with this train track lego set forever
- Jonah would run up to anyone who came in the house, "Cici's here!" (he calls me Cici) Then he'll point to me and go "That's Cici!"... even if I know the person very well.
- For the record: Jonah is not cute and only sometimes a monkey.


And I'd like to share another picture of Caleb (courtesy of mum):


It was a great Sunday/Monday seeing my nephews... and everyone else (ha!)

Chicago St Patricks Day... 2007

In honor of JBW lament on a cold (nay - ICY) Chicago river morn', I'd like to post some pics from a visit to Chi-town one year ago:


Kayakers..


Now THAT'S a green river!


Parade


Watching the Trinity dancers at the lacrosse Chicago Shamrox match

Around, helping out, bits n' pieces

Week 1 of retirement (ha) is suiting me quite nicely.

Monday
Kidnapped early 90s yr old great grandma from her assisted living facility. Had to remind her a billion times that it is OK that she has a walker now. Got to hear that the staff at the place are super nice, she folds all the laundry to help out, she cleans up at the bingo events (has a sack of winnings hidden away), and she announces that a lot of them are just "too old" for her to form a friendship with them. When asked if she cared what people think: "Of course not, that is a great thing with being old." She is adjusting much better now. I'm happy.

Enjoyed lunch with the three other generations (great grandma, grandma, mom). Ate fantastic grilled cheese sandwich (homemade bread! cheese!). Talked about crocheting, babies, family, and Project Runway. Told stories. Played cribbage with grandpa and won. Talked about Hilbert, Wisconsin. Drove great grandma back to her room in time for afternoon meds.

Lovely.

Tuesday
Tackled dirty apartment. Started with laundry. Few disasters occurred: Broke a closet door and washed a blanket that was best left unwashed. Fucking lint everywhere. Vacuumed, picked up trash, unpackaged wedding gifts, made a list of projects wishing to be completed. Fucking lint everywhere.

Lovely.

Wednesday
Went to doctor for annual bleck. Bleck bleck. Gave me a Hep A booster. I politely held off on tetanus booster. Had lunch with my new best friend (me) and hung out all afternoon with my new best friend (me). Worked out with former coworker who told me that awful former coworker was fired. Whoo! Justice served. (I mean, she got seven months to correct her habits! Seven!) Watched first episode of Top Chef Chicago. Wondered what Sweet Tea Reduction tastes like.

Lovely


Thursday
Helped Bethy via email with more ideas of GREEN food to serve at her upcoming party. Wished I had a party to plan. Helped Phil to pick out new music to download. Wished I could be full time life & style consultant. Went for a walk in the LOVELY warmer-ish weather. Watched Lost. Felt confused and delighted all at once.

Lovely

Friday
First tinges of boredom. Probaly only because I'm waiting for a new debit card to arrive in the mail (tragically lost debit card last Friday). Hate paying by check. Can't order anything online. (I only have real money to spend - no credit cards). Waiting Waiting. Playing lots of music going through piles of stuff in the bedroom. Piles and boxes.

Jukebox Friday - Must link again ! - sorry kids.

Lovely

I did it!

I am done with that job. The End.


....and this song has nothing to do with anything other than I LOVE dancing around to it. And I'm in a much-deserved dancing mood!

Caleb- "Like a heart"

Caleb Owen Lapp - newest nephew - born 3/1/2008.

He looks different from Jonahbebe, but completely adorable in his own way. The parents are doing great and everyone in the families are completely thrilled!

Laughter is a powerful drug

Videos that make me laugh:

World's best paper shredder

Throw your hands up at me

Leather and Lace. They mean every single f'in word of it

Buh I like da cookie


Well, I think a nephew is on his way into the world. I'm sayin my prayers for a happy birthday!