Its Pirate night here. Well.. not real pirates.. but calling it that tickles Thing Two. A few months ago I was trying to make Thing Two feel better on a friday night when her sister had visitation with her mom. The little one sure misses her sister when she is gone, she used to cry and cry when she left.. its better now. But she still misses her and acts bummed out. I hate that part of it. Anyway I was trying to make her feel better and I told her that we would be eating a pirate dinner and she could act like a pirate. She LOVED it.

So now whenever I make roasted chicken and potato wedges for dinner we call it pirate night. I set everything on one platter and stab the chicken with a big butcher knife. I put a roll of paper towells on the table and sound the call. Thing Two thinks it is SO fun to just eat off of one big plate and use our fingers like pirates. Sometimes I make a mayo sauce for the chicken (I stole the recipe from Giada  its just mayo, parmessan and dijon mustard.. but it tastes so good on the chicken.

Anyway. on pirate night I allow table manners to go lax and for such a silly thing. we sure have a good time. Id love to find some cool goblets to drink out of, but for now we just use regular glasses. Sometimes I pick up some sparkling cider or something special for Steven and I to drink. Its so silly how such a simple idea has become such a fun tradition.

Thing One is gone this weekend with the youth. They are competing in Teen Talent in Mauldin SC. We have several groups entered, but Thing One is only in the drama group. Mauldin is the Church of God headquarters in SC and the state campground is there. They will be competeing tonight and tommorow and staying overnight at the campground’s dorms. Its like one big statewide sleepover. Steven and I usually go along as chaperones,and its a really good time. We have a really good group of kids and we love spending time with them, but with me having been sick this week I didnt feel up to the drive and then going without sleep tonight. I felt kind of bad sending her off knowing we wouldnt be there to cheer her on.. but I think she understood. Comprimising my immune system right now just wouldnt be a good idea at all.

I am still looking for a new pocketbook. I tend not to be super-girly.. I envy girls who are.. really. I have women in my life who are ultra girly and I love them for it. I just dont have the… fashion sense? I like pocketbooks.. cutsie ones included. But I always revert back to either a black one or a brown one. Recently I had a brown one that I loved but paisley, who is teething, chewed the strap.

SO I have been looking for a new pocketbook. I found a great bright pink wallet on clearance at Wally’s the other day.. now I just need a new pocketbook to go with it. I am going to try and find one that is NOT black or brown and a granny purse. BUT it cant be so girlie that I look odd with it.

Have you smelled the new Antonio Banderas collogne for men? It reminds of Izzy Miachi.. and honey and sunshine..and I dont care if its cheap. I like it. Mmmmm mmm I love me a good smellin’ man!

My husband is really getting into photography. He got a new camera for Christmas from my parents and he has been documenting the wildlife on our property. He plans to get a good sampling of everything that comes around in each month and then chose the best shot of the month and then make a calendar to give out as chirstmas gifts next year. Isnt that a cool idea? So far he has gotten some really cool stuff. We have some beautiful birds that come around. Today he worked on getting a shot of an ellusive woodpecker. This thing is HUGE and it makes all kinds of racket early in the morning.

The other night when the lunar eclipse was going on, I thought he was a little crazy. He set an alarm and took a picture every ten minutes or so.. it was annoying. BUT the resulting shots he got are really really cool.  Somehow he stitched them all together in order. He didnt have a tripod.. and I think that might have made it a little better.. like not so wavery.. but I think he did a neat-o job. YAY Steve!

Needing some blog traffic? Post about HOLLY MADISON. No kidding. I get 30-100 hits a day on that post I made about 3 months ago about her being from Alaska.. sheesh. People love that chick. BTW.. Did you see the super-new Girls Nexy Door Sunday? It was about Bridget’s birthday.. she had a murder mystery dinner again.. it was all spooky and cool. Id love to have a party like that sometime. A scavenger hunt and a plot and everything. How fun would that be? Of course I wouldnt have Hugh Heffner as a guest.. but what can you do?

I went to the Dr today… I have pneumonia and an ear infection. I pretty much knew I had pneumonia. I have had it often enough now to know that when my lungs get tight and I sound croopy that Ive got it. BUT I had to go through the deal.. blood work (not pregnant again.. SIGH. I didnt really think I was.. but that might have been a fun excuse not to have the xrays!) A chest xray. I got to see them come up on the computer screen. Its kind of cool to see your own xrays. It was clear RIGHT away even to my untrained eye that my lungs were icky. I could have looked at them for a longer time.. but they were busy in there and they shooed me on the talk to Dr Jensen. (whom I love.. he is so nice. I love having a Dr that is truely a nice guy and not all full of himself. Plus my cousin Wendy is his nurse and I like chatting with her and catching up on all the gossip while I wait. It sure makes the time go faster!) He listened to my lungs and didnt even have to look at the xrays before he sent me to have an IV with some anti-biotics in it.       

While we waited for it to drip into me (he had me take a bag of fluids too.. because even though I have been drinking more water than a fish he thought I might be a little dehydrated) We chatted about our upcoming trip to Alaska and I mentioned that we were planning a cruise this november and that I was a little scared about being seasick.. and he said that when it got close to time for me to call and he would be glad to call in a script for me to take along with us! Seems there is a drug that is kind of new and it works really great! I am so happy about that. I am so so excited to go on the cruise and have been a little worried about that. The idea of sea-sickness and not feeling well when I want to spend time with Steven and to enjoy getting to know Lisa and her gang.. and Shannon and hers made me so so sad! Besides, I plan to eat so much seafood on the trip that they will have to drag a net behind the ship to keep up with me! They’ll have Goofy out there with a fishing rod! Nemo better watch out. Ill have them serve him up with some tarter sauce!

Anyway. After the bag finally emptied I was sent on my way with a script for Hycodan and some Albuterol breathing treatments.  There have been so many people sick this week in our town, that we had to go to 2 different pharmacies to find it. We’d have had to go to a third but we called ahead and found a place that had some. If CVS hadnt had it we’d have had to drive 45 minutes to the big town. At Walgreens they told us that there wasnt a single dose of Albuterol to be found in town. Luckily, I have some that I keep on hand for Thing Two. (she had a lot of lung issues when she was small and is diagnosed as asthmatic.. even if she hasnt been sick in a year or better)

Hycodan is a really strong narcotic cough syrup. Is it wrong to enjoy cough syrup as much as I am?I dont usually like to take pain meds.. the loopy wierd-o feeling makes me a little nausiated. (Same reason I didnt like pot.)  But, this one is niiiiiiiiice. It works so so fast. I took some at 1pm this afternoon and I havent really coughed since.(and I have been kind of high ever since.. thats the beauty of not taking drugs until you need them really bad.. when you take them they work fast and for a lonnnng time!) I took a GREAT nap this afternoon and now I feel so much better. I am still running a little fever, but not like I was this morning. I sure feel better. Steven took the kids to church and I plan to take a bath and watch American Idol and Big Brother. I will probably wait to take the albuterol treatment until Steven gets home. It  makes me feel all jittery and I want him to be home when I take it in case I react wierd to it. I mentioned that I am on a few different fertility drugs to the pharmacist, and he didnt think they would react with one another. But I think I will wait just to be safe!

 Thing One and I were watching television together last night ,we are big fans of the show Big Brother and have watched all 8 seasons together.. its our “thing. We rarely miss an episode. Anyway we were talking about the cruise that Steven and I are going on next November.. to attend Lisa and Pete’s wedding, and to celebrate our 5th anniversary. And we discovered that Steven and I will be in the Bahamas on election day! SO in addition to applying for our passports (or passport cards.. I havent decided which to do yet) we will have to cast absentee votes! I havent ever done that before so it will be yet another new experience!

Speaking of new experiences, I have been craving pizza lately and since I was home sick and the kids went to church with my mom, I decided to have domino’s deliver. Did you know that you can now order your pie online? www.dominos.com leads you right though it. They even link you to coupons that are in effect for your area! Its like buying something from any other website.. you chose your pizza, your toppings, and then checkout. They have a neat pizza tracker that shows you the progress being made on your meal. WOuldnt that be cool at a fancyier place? LIke youve been waiting forever.. but look at the tracker. Its on the grill right now! The website is just plain cool. (Domino’s you are welcome to send me free pizza for posting such a good review!) Its just like on amazon.com! We live in the sticks and they did indeed have my yummy pepperoni and extra cheese to me in less than 30! YAHOO. love that.

Wow.. it always amazes me how the day slip by and I dont update. PHEW. Ive been busy!

This weekend was pretty good. It was Thing One’s weekend with her mom, but friday morning she called and canceled so we had the kids all weekend. I am never to disapointed when she stays home. I miss her when she is gone. I do feel kind of bad that it worked out that way since the next weekend that Thing One was sopposed to be with her Mom, she will be at Teen Talent in Mauldin SC with the church. So that means she will have gone more than a month without seeing her Mom and sister.

 We got our tax refund in on friday. I have been really looking forward to that! We paid my Dad some of the money we owe him and then when I get paid my first paycheck we will be able to book our room on Lisa and Pete’s wedding cruise! I am really really excited about that! Its going to be so much fun, and it will be some good alone time for Steven and I .YAY. I cant wait until November!  and it always feels so good to see that number in the account. In the mean time, this weekend We went out to dinner Friday night and really enjoyed it. We have this great local resturant that we just love. Its called Redbone alley and they have reallly great food. They make grits in a way that I never have had them anywhere else. They are so smooth and creamy and wonderful!

www.redbonealley.com

I had my favorite Shrimp and grits with ham and mushrooms. They take BIG ole shrimp and fry them cajun style and then lay them over those awesome creamy grits with country ham, and sauteed mushrooms. mmmm mmmm.

Oooooo I am so pissed off… Some guy has made some really obnoxious posts on a friend’s blog. I am highly offended at him. I guess when you write a blog, open to the public that you take the chance that you will be read, and then possibly ridiculed. It happens. But not without my comments!

There is a lot of diversity in the blogosphere. Different strokes (get it KEY strokes?) for different folks. Everything from foodies to soda pop connoisseurs to mommies to snarky humorists. There are political blogs, and sports blogs and every other kind of blog you can imagine. I once found one that documented the sexual activity of one NY apartment dweller’s neighbors. ( I cant remember where I came across it  or Id give it to you.. highly entertaining and informative) .

 The  “Mommy bloggers” consist of people like me, and my friends who may or may not have kids, but post about everyday stuff. Like a journal of our day to day. It allows us to connect with others like ourselves, a diversion at least, a connection to an often distant world at most. The intellectualists bloggs often find what we write to be unimportant and scoff-able. OFTEN making comment on our “little” worlds. Its not necessary, but what else do the mean kids have to do when they run out of things to talk about? Make fun of others.

My friend made a very sweet post about the upcoming graduation of her little sister.. and then suggested that we (her readers) give our best advice so that she might include it in a little gift “booklet” for her sister. Sweet huh?

Mr Mark Gorman at http://www.markgormman.wordpress.com

decided that he thought this was somehow funny. “I laughed at this.. really really laughed.” I believe he said. Personally I am still trying to decide what is so funny. I guess Mr Gorman, that my limited life experience, intellect, and relevance  have failed me and I don’t have the “whit” that you do.

OR

I have the ability to think for myself and come up with new things to say on a regular basis, so that I don’t have to rake the Internet for things to talk about.

You decide.

*** update*** Mr Gorman must have recieved some comment on the post.. he has since removed it. Well Done you!***

Lisa had this sweet meme on her blog… and in honor of valentine’s day this week.. I thought Id post my answers too  

How long have you been together?

7 years February 27.

Married: 4 years 1-31 and then again 3-27

How long did you date? hmm probably about 9 months, then we moved in together.

 How old is he? 35

Who eats more? Him hands down

  Who said “I love you” first? He did.. I am not very mushy, and I tend to be less demonstrative. My mom calls me a “cold fish” I guess I wear my feelings a little deeper than most. We were watching wrestling with Thing One (she was 6) and he said it. It totally took me by surprise and I almost didnt say it back. Im glad I did now.. but it was a hard one. I DID love him.. I just didnt know if I was ready for him to know it yet.

Who is taller? I am, by about 3 inches.

Who is smarter? It depends about what. I am full of useless knowledge, trivia and odds and ends. He has a lot of useful stuff like math and mechanics.I guess you could say I am more book smart and he is more life smart.

 Who does the laundry? Me. Always.

Who does the dishes? Thing One. I HATE to wash dishes. BIG time. SO its never me for sure.

 Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do. nearest the door.

 Who pays the bills? I do.. with his money

Who mows the lawn? I do. He is allergic big big time. AND I like to do it. Its peaceful and no one bugs me when I am cutting grass.

cooks dinner?  Me every single time.

. Who is more stubborn? me probably.

 Who kissed who first? He kissed me. On the second date.

 Who asked who out? We met online.. through a personal ad that was mine.. so I guess I did.

Who proposed?  He did. I was in Seattle for my sister’s college graduation and he told me he couldnt live without me in his life and that we better get married. Then he officially proposed christmas eve 03 in front of his family.

 Who is more sensitive?  He is. by far. He cries at country songs, and loves mooshy stuff. I am on the inside.. maybe.

 Who has more friends? I do.

Who has more siblings? He does. There are 4 of them and only 2 of us.

Since my cousins were here on friday and saturday… and my house was in a state that I didnt even want to look at I missed out on bl0ggy photo days.. so I decided to do it today. It didnt turn out to be a very exciting day… maybe tommorow will be more interesting?

I am sooo spoiled. Steven gets up with the girls and drives them to school. I get everything from thier clothes to their bookbags ready the night before though. I woke up this morning at about 8. Steve was leaving on a septic tank call and I was expecting one from my boss to go in and meet the espresso distributors.

I lay in bed and watched GMA while I waited on the call from my boss to call and tell me whether or not I would need to come in today.

My boss called about 8:45 and said the distributor still hadnt called and that she would call later and let me know the scoop, but that it wasnt likely that I would be needed today. SO I fixed some breakfast and sat and enjoyed my tea in the quiet.

Then after I ate and drank a couple cups of tea, I decided that with all the craziness last week Thing Two had been kind of lost in the shuffle. She is usually a pretty happy kid, but she seemed a little down last night, so I decided that some daisy cupcakes would make her smile.

While they baked I took a shower, balanced the checkbook, and decided that between houseguests and the funeral I didnt get a whole lot done as far as housework.. so I spent some time doing odds and ends like changing the sheets on our bed.Paisley decided to “help” me as I made the bed!

 Then I tackled the ironing pile that has been building behind my bedroom door.

I was enjoying the peace after so much noise, but I did put on some Nora Jones while I worked. I love her music. She has such a rich voice. Id love to be able to play jazz piano!

I am a terrible iron-er. I hate it. Thats pretty much why I rarely do it. While I had the ironing board out I decided to wash and press the curtains in my bedroom. They are battenburg lace and HAVE to be ironed after you wash them. Its amazing the difference it made. They look so white and fresh. Totally brightened up the room. By the time I got all done with that the cupcakes were cooled, so I decorated them.

By that time I was hungry again. Steven was still gone on his call and I decided I’d better get my share of the leftovers before he came home and attacked them!

After lunch I checked my email and caught up with some of my bloggy friends. If I miss a few days, I feel all out of the loop!

In the afternoon I rested some and read a cheesy romance novel. When the girls got home we did homework and then I fixed super.

After dinner, Steven and I ran to Wal-Mart.

 Our particular store is getting ready to make the move to a brand new facility ( A SUPER-Wal-Mart!!) and we are excited about that around here. Its the biggest thing round these parts since they paved I-95 through here! Wally’s is the only place to shop within 45 miles of here, so having our store incapacitated like it is right now is a BIG pain. They have pretty much stopped re-stocking in anticipation of the move March 15. BUT I was able to grab some things for Valentine’s Day before everything got all picked over. It was VERY crowded in there.. and the selection wsa very thin… but my girls will be tickled with the little baubles I picked up.

When we got home I got into the tub and soaked for  a while and read the cheesy romance I have been working on.. ahhhhh. love that.

Unfortunatly while I was in the tub, I noticed that one my engagement ring, one of the prongs is looking wierd. SO I think tommorow we will have to take it in and get it “serviced”. I have been wanting to have my wedding band and engagement ring bonded together so there wont be friction between them that causes this kind of damage.

Anywho, thats my boring day. I will try to do this one a day where I have something going on.. like maybe next time I go to work so you can see the progress we are making on the coffeebar!

I am finding that more and more people are reading my blog.. and I use my blog as an outlet sometimes. IN the interest of not hurting anyones feelings.. and in the interest of being able to keep my blog as a place where I can say anything. I gotta say stuff I dont want some people to see.. If you want the password.. email me or send me a comment.. you might get it