Happy New Year!

Hello all!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

We had a lovely few weeks and now we are back at work. Man, it was tough to get up this morning.

I've been reflecting the past few days on the last year. I'd say that all in all it was a pretty good year. I've been doing well with my Flying; we found our very first house and are loving it; I got myself better together so I'm not feeling like such a space shot. We've been doing well with our finances and were able to get a nice chunk of money saved back up after we bought the house.

This year, we're going to attack our debt. Other than the house, we don't have too much, but really we shouldn't have any given our income. Once we get the small stuff taken care of, we're going to throw as much money as we can at the mortgage and get that paid off as soon as we can. I've been looking at those online mortgage calculators and it's really amazing how much money you will save by paying it off early. I have delusions that we'll get it paid by the time we are 40. That may be a bit of a stretch, but worth a shot. Anything we do will get it paid off sooner than being 62, so why not dream.

I also want to get back to more regular blogging. I wish I could say I'll do one every day, but I know that probably won't happen. Therefore, my goal is at least once a week.

As usual, it's lunchtime, so I'm off to get something to eat. I think I'll go for a salad today.

Talk to you soon!

Tuesday

We had our office cookie swap yesterday and everyone brought such yummy cookies. My Tupperware was overflowing when I was bringing it home! I've only sampled a few, but so far they are delicious!

I went to Target last night to pick up a few things and was able to finish my Christmas shopping too. I just love that place. It's so dangerous because the one I go to is within five minutes from the house and is brand new so it is really well stocked. I can rarely get out of there without spending a small fortune. I was good last night and stuck to just what I went in there for and only spent $53.

We're going to start the Dave Ramsey plan in January, but have already started working on a cash only basis. I think that's what really kept me in check last night and I am very proud of myself. I hope the plan works well for us. I'm hoping to have our credit cards and the truck taken care of by the spring/early summer and then start putting the money we had been paying on credit cards toward our mortgage. It would be so awesome to get it paid off early. I keep saying to Michael that I want it paid off by the time we are 45, LOL. That may be wishful thinking, but it's a good kick in the pants to try to get to that goal.

Well, I'm off to lunch. Have a great day everyone!

Thursday

Hello all!

Thanksgiving went really well. Thank you Flylady and Leanne! We all had a yummy dinner and it was nice to be able to visit with everyone and not be stuck in the kitchen the whole time.

We've been doing really well with the cruising missions and Christmas shopping. The shopping is just about finished - I have just a couple more things to pick up. My vacation starts next week on Thursday so I'll do my wrapping then and then just wait for the big day.

My office is doing a cookie swap this coming Monday. I usually make these yummy chocolate crackle tops but my food processor bit the dust so I can't make them easily. I think I might try to make some spritz cookies this year instead.

On the baby front, we met with our new RE last week. She is awesome! I really like her and her plans for us. What a difference from my last RE -he was such a jerk! Anyway, she gave me a rx for progesterone that I started today so that means my test date will be Christmas eve. Fingers crossed! If this cycle works out, I will be soo happy. This is what I wanted to do last February, but Dr. Jerk wouldn't help me. Anyway, I'm being hopeful and taking it one step at a time.

I also wanted to send some hugs to SK. You know that Michael and I are here for you if you need anything! Love you!

I'm off to heat up leftovers for lunch - BBQ pork, baked beans and cole slaw. - Yum!

Have a great day!

Wednesday

Hi all!

Just a quick post today to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

I'm heading out of work early to finish up some last minute preparations for the big day. I'm really excited and know that it will all go well and even if it doesn't I'm sure it will still be fun.

Well that's all!

Have a great day and hopefully you all have a nice long weekend too!

TTYS!

Monday

Hello all,

The house was busy this weekend getting everything together for Thanksgiving. Michael had to work on Saturday so that gave me the day to dust and vacuum and move furniture to try out a new set up, and then move it back because I didn't like it, LOL. Well, it was all worth it as everything looks nice. Just a few things left to do tonight and then I can start the cooking on Tuesday. I set the table too, but I need to run a few things through the dishwasher since they got a little dusty in the china cabinet. I had time this morning to empty the dishwasher, so as soon as I get home I can load it up and then reset the table again tonight. It looks really nice, but I am wondering if I should put the other leaf in the table. With all the serving pieces it feels a little cramped so I think I will since I have to reset the table anyway.

If you're following the cruising missions, today is Clean and Fling day. I've already done a lot of the things in the mission over the weekend so that will be an easy one for me tonight. Maybe I can get my Christmas cards started instead? (Note to self: print out address list.)

That's all for now. I hope you all had a great weekend and Happy Monday!

Thursday

Hello all,

Things are finally getting back to normal at our house now that Michael is back on days. Yay!!

My domestic diva-ness is coming back and I'm loving it. I can cook dinner for us and we can sit down and really enjoy it together since he doesn't have to rush out the door to work. The bed can be made when I leave for work in the morning since he's not in it. I can put the house to bed at night and it still looks good when we get home from work since no one is there messing it up during the day. I know this all sounds kooky, but it's really nice to be back in the groove after being so twisted around for so long and the house just feels happy and peaceful again.

Continuing on the domestic front, we're hosting Thanksgiving! I'm really excited about it. I'm following the menu mailer from the Dinner Diva, one of Flylady's friends of course. It's been super. It has the menu all planned, the grocery list, the recipes and a timeline of everything you need to do from ironing my tablecloth to making the pumpkin cheesecake. The one deviation is that Mum is making the turkey. I really have this turkey cooking phobia since the one time I tried to do a turkey breast it was a disaster, so I'm so happy that I can guarantee at least a yummy turkey for dinner if all else fails. I have almost everything I need since I have been getting a few things each grocery order over the past couple of weeks. I just need to pick up the green beans closer to the day so they'll be nice and fresh.

Since I work outside the home, I've been doing a little bit each night so the house will be ready to go on Turkey Day and I won't be the frazzled hostess. I'll be setting the table this weekend and throwing a sheet over it to keep the dust away. Tuesday night I'll make my cheesecake. Wednesday night I'll be chopping my veggies for the stuffing and side dishes. Thursday morning I'll do my potatoes and then just pop everything in the oven to cook while I get the relish tray together. The fam is coming at 2 o'clock and I'll be all ready to greet them and visit, rather than be stuck in the kitchen.

Then, on Thanksgiving weekend, we can decorate for Christmas!!! YAY!! I'm thinking this would be a nice Sunday thing to do while we watch football. I can't wait to see our decorations in the new house. I think I might get us some new stockings this year. The ones we have are cute, but I'd like to get us some pretty, more grown up type ones now that we have the house and can start some new traditions. Also, Advent will be starting that Sunday, so I'd like to do an Advent wreath this year. I have the ring and will pick up some real greens to decorate it.

I've been doing the Cruising Through the Holidays with Flylady, surprise, surprise, LOL. I've got our Christmas cards and labels and stamps all ready to go. Our Christmas shopping is just about finished and for the things I still need to get, I know what they will be so I feel really good about it. We'll be hosting Christmas Eve and I know what I'll be making for dinner and who is coming so all and all, I really have been cruising and can enjoy the season!

Well, it's almost lunchtime and I'm starved so I'd better sign off. Happy Thursday!

Happy Veteran's Day!

First and foremost, I want to thank all of those in the Armed Forces for all they do and sacrifice to keep our country safe. Thank you!! Happy Veteran's Day!

I got the notice with my appointment scheduled with the new RE for December 4th. Things are moving along! Now, I just need to get my records all transferred over so that she'll have my background.

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been on Twitter for the past week or so. It's been a good tool for FLYing, as we've all been posting our quick updates as we get things done. It's the kick in the pants I've needed for the last couple of days.

Oh, I had to redo my aquarium this weekend. I went to clean it and then realized that my filter was broken and the gravel was icky so I just started over. It was a bit stressful since I had to move Fatty and Dottie to fish bowls while I got everything set up and allowed 24 hours for the new aquarium to get going before putting them back in. The lady at the pet shop said we would need to stir the fish bowls every so often so that there would be enough air for the fish in their temporary homes. We dutifully did so but felt a little silly doing it. It felt like I was making fish soup or something, LOL. Anyway, they are now happily back in their newly redesigned tank with a new filter, gravel and plants. I think it looks really nice and the colors actually go with the room better now, so that was a little bonus to make up for my stress.

In other news, Michael found out that Friday will be the last day on this crappy shift! Yippee! Things should be getting back to normal next week and we'll be able to have dinner together without having to rush through it. And I'll have my sweetie home when I'm home, YAY!

I guess that's all for now. I'm off to do some work. Have a great day!

Friday

Hello all!

The weekend is almost here. Yay! And, Oldies 103 has started their Christmas music! Double YAY! It was a nice surprise to hear it last night on my way home from the train. I've been waiting for it to start and was afraid they we're doing it this year. So despite the rainy night, I had a smile on my face and finally got the tune to The Hustle out of my head. LOL.

Well, I met my new doc this week and she is really nice. She is my new primary care doc and was really helpful in reccomending some new REs at the hospital. She's going to make an appointment for me and then I'll meet the new RE. I think this is all a move in the right direction. As you may remember, my past RE was a real ass so I'm glad I'll be done with him and moving onto a better clinic at one of the best hospitals in the country. *FX* for 2009!

I finally remembered to bring my camera in to work and get my recent pics uploaded.

As promised, here's pic of the new living room curtains. I couldn't really get a pic of the whole window since our living room isn't wide enough, but I think you'll get the idea.

The light green fabric blends nicely with our wall color and gives some nice texture.

Michael has finished the front steps and they look awesome. I don't have a pic of them yet, but I'll try to get one this weekend and share it with you.

Oh, is anyone doing Twitter? I just signed up for it as a lot of FLYbabies are doing it, but I didn't know if any of you are. If so, leave me a comment with your sn so I can follow you.

That's all for now! Have a great weekend!

P.S. Here are a couple pics from Michael's birthday dinner at home. I made Chicken Divan and we had birthday Hostess Cupcakes, kinda like the birthday Twinkie that S & C do at their house =)

Wednesday

Hi All!

Things are going OK here in C. The front steps are almost finished. Michael says he has one day left in his contract to finish them, LOL. (pictures to come)

Nothing too new here otherwise, hence my lack of a blog.

We did get some new curtains for the living room and I will post a picture as soon as I've ironed the drapery panels. They look really nice, just a little rumpled.

Anyhoo, Michael is still on the shitty shifts and will be for a while. He's been tapped as the lead guy (yay, but boo). I suppose with they way the economy is we need to take all we can get. I'm so proud of him and his work, but I wish he had a better shift so we could hang out more. =( OK, enough of that....

I have my doc appointment next week with a new woman and I hope she's nice and can give me some input on the baby front. Every cycle that goes by is really starting to get to me, but I hope this new doc can help us on our way and I'm sure she will. *FX*

I hope you are all well, and I have been reading up (sorry for the lack of comments), and I have been thinking of you all.

Donna, if you're reading, please know that you and hubby and babies are in our prayers and we are pulling for you! (((HUGS)))

Well, that's all for now. TTYS!

Chili Recipe

Here's the recipe for the chili I made this weekend. It's based on one I found on Cookingcache.com.

Enjoy!
Crockpot Tex Mex Chili Recipe
1 pound ground beef or pork sausage (I used ground beef.)
2 cloves garlic -- minced
3 tsp. chili powder -- (I used about 3 tablespoons of chili powder, but it all depends how spicy you like it.)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 1/2 oz.) red kidney beans drained
1 cup chopped celery ( I used 4 stalks)
1 cup chopped onion (One onion or two dinky ones)
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I use a whole pepper)
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes -- cut up (I used petite diced)
1 can Rotel tomatoes and chilies
1 cup V8 juice or tomato juice (I used V8)
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
Shredded Cheddar cheese (for garnish)
Sour cream (for garnish)
Chopped Scallions (for garnish)

In skillet brown meat and garlic. Drain. Stir in chili powder and cumin; cook 2 minutes more. Meanwhile in 3 1/2-, 4, 5, 6- quart crockery cooker combine beans, celery, onions, green pepper. Add undrained tomatoes, tomatoes and chilies, vegetable juice, tomato paste and salt. Stir in cooked meat. Cover cook over low heat setting for 10-12 hours or on high 4-5 hours.

Ladle chili into soup bowls. Pass shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped scallions with chili. Serves 4 to 6.

Monday

It's Monday again, and as usual I didn't want to get out of bed. Oh, well....such is life.



We had a nice weekend. I helped Michael with the front steps and they are almost finished. They look really nice. Sunday morning, we had the electrican come over to give us a quote on the things we need done. He was really nice, and as it turns out he and Michael know a lot of the some people since the grew up in the same part of Boston. Small world! Anyway, we just need to figure out our schedules so we can get the work done. I can't wait to have our TV squared away and have all of those pesky wires hidden.

Later in the day, we had friends over to watch the Pats game. It was definitely a meat fest as far as the food went. We had kielbasa - grilled with Ah So sauce (mmmmm), burgers, hot dogs and chili. It was yummy, if not the most healthful spread, LOL.

I'm battling a cold that came over me all of a sudden yesterday so I've been pumping myself with Dayquil and orange juice and hope I can get over it quickly. My cube neighbors here at work have been sick so I think I caught their plague. Boooo. Oh well, at least it's kinda quite in the office today so that helps.

I hope you all have a Happy Monday!

Friday

GO SOX!

Wednesday

Hello out there,

Sorry I haven't posted. I've been all messed up with my time lately. Between Michael's wierd shifts and my own, well, blahs, I haven't had much to say.

We've made good progress on the front of the house planting and the steps (the steps have been all Michael, of course). It's really coming together. If it would just stop raining I'd be able to finish my planting and get the last of the mulch down. It's supposed to start clearing so I think I'll be able to get that done this weekend.

I feel like we're getting stuff done with the house. You know, that stuff that didn't need to be done the second we moved in but you want to get done before the holidays. We've got the chimney sweep and electrician coming in the next week or so and the steps are almost done so I'll be glad to cross this stuff of this list.

I really hope that Michael's shifts will straighten out. I think it's been really hard to adjust to this one, so hopefully it's almost over and we can get back to normal. It's been kinda lonely while we've had this schedule since I catch him only for a few minutes before I leave for work and he's been sleeping when I get home and I feel like I hardly get to see him before he's off to work. I guess this will pass once the next gig comes up, but for now it sucks. That's life I guess.

Sorry for the "poor me"...

On a lighter note, my FLYing has been going pretty well. The house is company ready, almost. Those damn dishes just kill me. It's bad since one of the first steps is to keep your sink shiny, but that just hasn't happened. The rest has been going awesomely (is that a word?) over the past several months, but those dishes, I tell ya, they get me every time. This month is about getting your paper clutter under control. I've been "dream decorating" (ie: not actually buying anything) our office that houses all of our paper clutter. I think I have a good plan in place for the office as a whole and that will help keep the paper demons in their place. Now I just need to figure out what furniture to get to make it a proper working office rather than the mish mash of non-functioning furniture that it is now. I think we'll tackle that (the furniture that is) this winter after the holidays. In the mean time, I need to get boogieing that paper monster.

Well, I guess that's all for now. I better head off for my before bed routine and get those dishes tackled.

Have a great night everybody!

Thursday

I was able to get my daffodil and tulip bulbs all planted last night and then Michael and I laid out the new mulch. It looks great, though I noticed some high spots in the mulch as I was pulling out this morning, so I need to straighten that out. Otherwise, I think we did a good job in the dark. Tonight I'm going to get the crocus planted. That won't take but a minute so I won't be stuck in the dark with the creepy animal sounds. I swear, I heard the squirrels and birds chatting as I was planting last night to plot how they were going to steal my freshly planted bulbs. Well, hopefully the 3-4 inch layer of mulch will deter them. FX!

I don't know why I'm so surprised that by 6:45pm it's dark in my yard. What is is fall or something? ;)

When we went back in, I was trying to be my best domestic diva self. I sewed up the seam split in our comforter, changed the sheets, did the dishes, swept the floors, and did a few loads of laundry. I felt good getting all this accomplished, but I was pissed that I was up until 1am. Now, I wasn't staying up to get these things all finished, it was more that I was wide awake so I got all these things finished. Hopefully, I'll get back on a normal sleep schedule tonight since it's been all wonky this week.

Now that the fall planting is pretty much taken care of, I need something else to do. I was thinking of maybe making a quilt now that I figured out how to get my sewing machine to cooperate and actually sew things. I saw online that there's a fabric store in town so I might try to stop by this weekend for some inspiration. We'll see...

It's just about lunch time so I'll sign off for now to get my post office errands together. I must be crazy going to the post office at lunch, but whatever it's not gonna get there by itself.

OK, I'm outtie!

Wednesday

Hi all,

I have some pics to share of the almost finished garden. I'll have more hopefully tomorrow. We got a lot done on Saturday and then on Sunday I started to feel like crap so I couldn't finish everything and then I was down for the count Monday and Tuesday. The mulch I ordered was delivered on Monday and it's still in a pile next to the fence. I'm feeling better today and am back at work, so hopefully, I'll still have the energy to get the bulbs I want planted in that flower bed and get it mulched tonight.
Anyway, here are some pics:


The Before:

I took this from where our front stairs were and will soon be again.

The view from our mailbox looking down the yard.

The During:

This is the edging I did all by myself. I'd say it's pretty good for being just done by eye.Here's Michael doing the tilling since I would have been dragged behind the thing if I tried and a shovel would have taken me far too long. Thanks Baby!
Here's me and my wheel barrel on one of the many trips to the compost pile.
The Almost After:
This is best one I have where you can actually see my new hydrangeas and the bits of the daylilies we got from Mum a few weeks back. (This one was taken Sunday because it got too dark on Saturday to actually see anything when we were actually finished.)
I suppose my After pics won't look too different since there won't be any other plants, but I'm sure our new mulch will look awesome!

Break in the action...

I'm getting my butt kicked by this flower bed. It's not wanting to be dug out. Grr...there are so many flipping rocks, it's taking forever.

I've decided to take a break and make some lunch, finally. Hopefully this will keep me going so I can get it done.

I stopped off at the nursery on the way back from Walmart and was able to get the hydrangeas I wanted on sale with an additional 10% off. Thanks P!

I took a before picture and will take an after if I ever finish and I promise I will post them this time! LOL.

Well, I think my lunch is just about ready so I'm off.

TTYL!

Productive Morning

Hi all,

It's about 9:30 and I've been a busy bee this morning. Michael got home a bit late from work and came in to crash and then of course I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep so I just hopped up and got to it. So far, I've made juice, blueberry muffins, enough coffee for like 10 people (I can never get my water to coffee ratio quite right, LOL) and got dinner going in the crockpot. I'm making stuffed peppers. I'm using the same filling I used for the cabbage rolls I made a while back so hopefully they will come out just as yummy. They certainly look good!

Well, I'm off for a shower and then to Walmart to get a couple new books to read on my commute. When I get back, I hope I'm still in this go go go mode so I can get that bed cut out out front. FX!

Have a great Saturday!

Friday

Hi folks,

I'm so glad it's Friday. As quickly as this week has gone by, the days at work seem to drag. I came in this morning on the early train to be here in time for my weekly Friday meeting only to learn that it's been moved to Monday because my fellow participants are too busy this morning. Normally this doesn't bother me. But today, I'm a bit irked because I gave up an extra hour that I could have spent with my sweetie who I feel like I don't get to see enough since he's working crazy hours when I'm home and sleeping when I'm at work so I can't even really talk to him on the phone. Boo, hoo....=(

Well, hopefully we'll be able to get some time together tomorrow afternoon after he sleeps and before he heads out (yes, he does have to work Saturday). I'll have to make him a yummy breakfast, well maybe more like brunch for when he wakes up. I wish he liked pancakes and/or french toast because I saw this yummy recipe for a creme brulee french toast that I really want to make, but I don't think he'd eat it. Oh, I just had a thought, I could make it so I can have some at breakie, and save the leftovers for a dessert. That would work. Yay! That is helping me out of my poor me mood.

Let's see, what else? Oh, I was hoping to help be matchmaker for my BFF from college and a good friend from high school. As it is turning out, she is studying hard core for a licensing exam and will not be up for dating until the exam is finished and he just found out yesterday that he might be going to Texas to help with the storm destruction for three months (he's an electrician). Oh well, maybe I can get them together for New Years? We'll see. I'm usually not one to do any matchmaking, so it figures that when I do try, it doesn't work out right away.

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm hoping to get some flower beds ready for my bulbs that I'll be planting next week. While I'm at it, I think I'm going to pick up some mums and maybe a pumpkin for my steps (the ones that are still standing that is). I know I'll have to get another one at Halloween, but I'm ready for fall and want to finish up with some outdoor decorating. I'll have to get some mulch too for the new bed so it won't just be a pile of dirt. Maybe I'll get some mums to plant there too.

Well, I guess that's all for now. I'm off to get a bagel. Have a Happy Friday!

Hello out there

I finally have a working oven! Yippee! The appliance guy was able to fix our existing oven and it has been working perfectly. I've been cooking up a storm and feel better that I can cook nice dinners and weekend breakfasts for my sweetie. I haven't made anything crazy, but a good meatloaf and roasted potatoes can do a lot for the soul.

Fall is arriving slowly but surely here. I'm loving it. The weather has cooled and dried out and I can actually wear a sweater again and not by too hot. I was really getting tired of my summer clothes. I've been getting into the fall mode around the house too. Along with my real cooking, I've been pulling out my fall candles and I hung up our fall harvest banner at the front door. I also picked up two silk wreaths at the Christmas Tree Shop with fall flowers and berries and put those on the front and side doors. I ordered my spring bulbs and they should be arriving on Monday, so I hope to get the beds ready this weekend so I can just pop them in the ground after work next week.

Michael has been working on the front steps too. He's begun the demolition of the old brick and block steps and been roughly laying out what the new stairs will look like. The stone he picked out looks really nice. I can't wait to see the finished project.

Our neighbors are having a party for us this Sunday to welcome us to the neighborhood. Now that everyone is back from their respective vacations and summer homes, it will be a nice way to get to know everyone better. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks S and A for doing this for us!

On a completely random note, I've been having high school flashbacks the past couple of weeks. Several friends from high school have found me on Facebook and we've connected and chatted and such. Then, New Kids on the Block comes out with a new CD - yes I did buy it, and 90210 is back on TV. What is going on? Don't get me wrong, it's all good, just kind of funny, don't you think?

Well that's all for now. TTYS!

Tagged!

Karen tagged me so here I go:

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you
2. Post the rules to your blog
3. Write 6 random things about yourself
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them
5. Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.

Random things:

1. I've recently taken to listening to country music. Now this may not be odd to a lot of people, but since I am a faithful Top 40 listener, it's making some of my family and friends go "Hmmm."

2. You know that little thing inside your top lip that holds you lip to your gum? Well, I don't really have one. When I was little I was sitting on the counter and fell off and I ripped it. Michael says that's why I talk to much. ;)

3. I like green beans but won't eat them since I can't stand the sensation I get when eating them. It's like they're squeaky beans against my teeth. It makes me shudder.

4. I'm a pretty neat person other than with papers. My pantry has to be stocked in just a certain way - labels out and kind of like a grocery store. The shoes in my closet have to lined up just so. The clickers need to be on the table perfectly parallel to each other. Towels and sheets have to be folded in a certain way. These are just a few of my neat freak tendencies, but if you look at my home office, you'll see that papers and filing are not for me, yet my office supplies are neatly arranged on a bookshelf. Go figure.

5. I used to be dink toed as a little child but now my feet are fine. Michael says that I still secretly am because if you see me with my feet up they are always turned in. Maybe, it's not that weird, but I don't know anyone else whose ankles flop in like mine do when I'm sitting around. Maybe that's why I'm so prone to twisting my ankles?

6. This isn't so weird, but I can roll my tongue. I always think it's funny that some people can't do it. I always laugh when they try but only end up sticking their tongues out. Call me cruel, but I'll still laugh.

I'm sure there are other things about me that people think are odd or weird, but these are the things that I can think of right now.

I don't really have anyone to tag, since I think you've all already been tagged. Oh well.

Shopping

Michael and I went to a new (to us) mall last night. It's a smaller one than we normally go to, but it's closer to the house and since it has a Macy's and a Sears it works for us. There is also a Toys R Us across the street from the mall. That's good to know since the one I used to go to for presents for our niece and nephews closed.



Well, I was able to find 4 new tops and a black skirt for work and a new work purse. My fellow FFs probably saw my purse post a while back. I needed to get that straightened out and I'm happy to report that I don't' have nearly as much junk in my bag now. =) The tops I got are those ones that look like a shirt and a sweater, but they're one piece. I'm pretty psyched. I'm wearing one today. It's a short sleeve satiny blouse in a black and green and silver pattern and the sweater part is black. It's perfect for today since there's a touch of fall in the air so it's nice to have a little heavier top on.


Michael made out well too with finding a bunch of shirts and jeans for work. Don't you just love a sale!


After, we went out for Chinese. As usual, it was tasty.

The oven saga continues. Ughrr! The appliance guy came yesterday with the part needed to fix the oven. He was working on it for 3 hours and it's still not fixed! He couldn't get the ignitor to sit right and then found that some filter or something wasn't right so he had to take the whole assembly back to the shop to fix it. Michael was home to meet the guy and he said that he was back and forth on the phone to his shop to try to get working, but they couldn't remedy it. They're going to call back, hopefully today, and let us know if/when it can be fixed. Damn oven!

I've been able to manage pretty well without the oven, but I really want to make a lasagna and it won't really fit into a toaster oven. I've been using my crockpot a lot and that's been great, but the handle has now broken off of the lid. It still works and all, but I think it's time to invest in a new one. I think I need to actually get a smaller one, since the one I have tends to burn or dry out the food when I'm just cooking for the two of us.

OK, vent over. Got to get back to work.

Have great day! Talk to you soon!

Back from vacation

Hello all,

I'm back at work today after a lovely and productive week off. I wish I could have had as productive a morning. I came in the morning and within and hour, our internet when down - no internet, no email and no IM. Ugh! It just came back up about an hour ago so now I'm catching up and some work downloads and definitely with my blog! =)

I couldn't have asked for better weather last week. I was sunny and mid 70s to low 80s everyday. I got so much done around the house since Michael was off at work. I redecorated our little sun room and hung some curtains and put down an area rug. It looks much nicer and not just like a entryway dumping ground as it had earlier.

We hung our pictures up finally. It's nice to have them back up. I missed looking at them and now the house feels even more like home.

I rehung the door on the china closet in the dining room. Back when we were painting, E had built us some shelves in there. It looked really nice but once we started getting everything unpacked, it was looking more utilitarian than decorative. So I went out to the garage and got the nicely painted door that was on the closet and rehung it all by myself. I needed something to help me shim it up while I screwed it back in so I did what anyone would have done, and used my cookbooks. Very MacGyver, don't ya think? Lol, anyway, it looks great.

I went on a quest for a new oven, but alas, apparently 1960's 24 inch ovens are not compatible with today's standards. Since we are not ready to totally redo the kitchen, I called the appliance guy and he came out to repair it but since it's so ancient he didn't have the part on his truck so he's coming back today to fix it.

The plumber came over to fix our downstairs toilet too. It wasn't bolted to the floor right and was kinda smelly, but all is well now and he put the new toilet seat on too. He was super nice and told me step by step what he was doing. They will definitely be our plumbers for a while.

This past weekend, we went down to the Cape for the K family weekend. We had great weather and it was nice to just hang out and chill at the beach. On our way home, we stopped at the Christmas Tree Shop and I was able to find a new bedding set and curtains for our room. When we came home I hung the curtain rods and new curtains and changed the bedding. It looks so nice. I know Michael probably wouldn't agree with the fact that I started the screws for the curtain hardware with a hammer and used sheet metal screws on drywall, but whatever, they're up and look fabulous.

I must say, my trusty little Ryobi power screw driver is awesome. I used to to hang all the curtains and for the closet door. we have other drills, but this one is light enough that I can easily use it for those jobs that I have to reach for. Thanks Babe!

There were a few other things that I hoped to get finished last week, but didn't get a chance to. They're fairly small projects, so I can probably crank them out after work this week.

I guess that's all for now. I hope you all had a great week!

Green Thumbs and Frogs

Hello all,

I think my black thumb is turning a bit greener! Yay!

We had a great weekend of yard work and boy was it a workout. My legs are finally not so sore today, thank goodness!

As I mentioned, Michael was out with his buddy on Saturday so I had the day to myself. I went to Sears to check out the appliances. I found a freezer that will work for us, but then I thoroughly confused myself with the ovens and couldn't make up my mind so I just turned around and walked out. I really need to figure this out this week so I can have the installs done next week. Anyway, I came back home and was doing some weeding out front so that started our gardening weekend.

The lillies that we planted are still looking a bit dreadful, but I'm just leaving them alone with the hope that all will be well next spring. I weeded around the light post and the dogwood tree and turned the mulch around and it looks like new. Then it was over to the front steps. They we full of weeds! How weeds grow in brick and concrete is beyond me, but I cleaned it all up and it looks really nice. Now, if I can just get the broken bricks fixed, I'll be in business. Oh, I know, maybe my brickie husband can do it! LOL, love ya babe! (In his defense, he's been working some crazy shifts and hours so he really hasn't had time to do it.)

On Sunday, we tore into the back yard and it looks awesome! With the help of M and S, we got a boat load done. We reclaimed our flowerbed from the crab grass that took over and S showed me that if we dig a little trench between the lawn and the flower bed that it will help keep the weeds from invading. It looks really nice too and like an actual flower bed. She also showed my where to trim the dead wood from the roses and just a bunch of other gardening type things that I should know. It's so awesome to have a MIL that is such a gardener!

Michael was a maniac with the sawsall. He cut down the three juniper bushes at the back foundation planting and then cut up the pine trees about 6 feet at the back property line so that you can see some of the tree trunk. We didn't lose any privacy by doing that since it's still all woods behind us, but it has made a nice area for a future shade garden and we gained back about four feet of yard. S said she had some hosta that we could have and I think it will look super nice in this flower bed-to-be. I think I'll just plant some annuals this year to fill in where the bushes came out since we might be doing the deck over in the fall so I don't want to waste any money on expensive perennials if they're just going to get pulled out or trampled during construction. M manned the wheelbarrow and made a gillion trips to the compost pile as S and I filled it up from all the weeding. She also helped Michael get the flag pole put up and we hung up the American flag as well as the Irish flag that C and S gave us with our last name crest in the white part. We've been waiting for a good breeze so that we can see the flags waving, but alas, so far they've just been hanging against the pole. I've got some pictures, but I don't have my camera with me to upload them, bummer. I'll try to do that tomorrow.

Thanks so much to M and S for all of your help!

Oh, one other tidbit....while I was weeding the front steps what do I see but a little frog jumping around at the base of the stairs. We also saw a bunch in the backyard on Sunday. I know it's an old wives tale, but maybe that's the start of something on our TTC journey. We shall see!

Catching up

Hello all!



Yet again I've been a crappy blogger. I haven't had much to post about so that's why I've been absent.

Let's see, what have we been up to?

Michael and I had a nice time in Maine for our anniversary. We went to Portland. There are a lot of cute shops and restaurants so we had fun checking them out and eating a bunch. We had lunch one day at DiMilo's. It's a floating restaurant and had really cool views of the harbor. The food was yummy. I'd go back there again. Generally we found the folks we encountered while strolling around to be a bit odd. They like to stare. We'd be walking down the street and people would be staring at us. We were beginning to get a complex about it, then just chalked it up to wierd Maine people. I was a spazz and forgot my camera so unfortunately, I have to pictures to share.

Last weekend we went up to Mum and Dad's to get some day lillies. Mum has tons of them and needed to divide them so she said we could come up and take a few clumps for our yard. We took two huge plants and were able to divide them into nine plants. We planted them along the split rail fence in the front yard. They looked pretty pathetic and floppy, but they are starting to perk up a bit now that they've been planted to about a week. I hope we didn't kill them, but we won't know until next spring since the season has passed for them this year. Fingers crossed!

I was going to make some of those cabbage rolls I told you about in a previous post for dinner on Tuesday. Well, I had everything all ready to go and then my cabbage didn't look so good. I was nervous since the turkey was the only meat I had thawed and now didn't know what we were going to do for dinner. I pulled out my trusty Fix it and Forget it crock pot cookbook and found a spaghetti sauce recipe that I could make with only a few substitutions. Well, it came out great! I was going to serve it with pasta, but we decided to have it with the left over rice from Monday night so basically we had the cabbage rolls without the cabbage. There was a lot of the sauce left over so we made these quesadilla/pizza things Wednesday night with it and cooked them up in the toaster oven. Those were yummy too. I just love it when you can get multiple meals out of one batch of cooking.

In case you are interested, here's the recipe as I made it:

1 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 t. minced jarred garlic
2 t oregano
2 t Italian seasoning
1-2 pinches of red pepper flakes
2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 6 oz can of tomato paste

Brown the meat and onions with some olive oil in a skillet, transfer to your crock pot. Add in the other ingredients to the crock and give it a stir. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Michael is going to hang out with this buddy, C, tomorrow so I'm planning to check out some appliances in Sears. I think I've mentioned my crappy oven before, we are finally getting around to replacing it. We haven't really needed it over the summer but with fall approaching I want my oven back. I'd also like to get a new freezer for the basement. the one that the previous owners left us is kind of ancient - it works, but I don't think it's the most efficient since it's probably 25 years old. Massachusetts has a tax holiday coming up on the 16th so I'd like to get everything all picked out so that we can just go pay for it on that day to save the sales tax.

I'll be on vacation the week of the 18th and will be able to be home for the delivery of the oven and to have to plumber come and install it. I also want to have the electrician out to fix a plug that sizzled and died on us and also have him hang our chandelier in the dining room. I have my Nana and Papa's Waterford one that I've been dying to hang so this will be the prefect time to do all those sorts of things that are hard to do when we are both working full time.

My shipment from the Flyshop arrived Wednesday. I was so excited for my new ultimate duster, calendar and Flylady CD. Michael thought I was losing it when I was so happily opening the shipping box with a picture of the Flylady cartoon on it. Oh, well. It's the little things in life and if a feather duster and a CD with the FLY songs on it make me happy, so be it. =)

I guess that's all I have to say for now. I hope you all have a great weekend!

It's hot, ick!

Hello all!

I know I've been a bad blogger lately. Things have been pretty borning around here so I haven't had too much to report.

It's super icky and humid out today as it has been for the past couple of weeks. I'm so glad that my train and the office have working AC. Luckily I think this streak is supposed to break later this week. We have a window AC in our bedroom, but that's it. I should just retreat right in there when I get home from work but I am a glutton for punishment and sit in the living room with the fan on to watch TV. Once the sun goes down it's not too bad, as long as I don't make any sudden movements, LOL.

At work, we just finished doing a new computer delpoyment. It was a ton of work to get ready and make sure everyone followed all of the directions so they wouldn't lose any data, but I am happy to report that we didn't have any major disasters.

We have our accountants coming in on Thursday to do the year end review. I hope it all goes smoothly since I will be out of the office on Friday and Monday. They've already been doing a lot of work back at their offices, so hopefully it will all go well. Last year we did an audit with our old accounts and it took for-ev-er! They sent over a junior person who really didn't know what to do and and what should have been a day or two in our office turned into 3 weeks - eek! That stunk, but our new accountants are super awesome. I really like working with them and they really get what we do and what we need them to do. It's been a pleasure so far and I'm sure it will continue to be.

Michael and my anniversary is on Monday! We're doing a nice long weekend away (hence being out Friday and Monday, yay!) in Maine and plan to relax and take in the scenery and vist some lighthouses. I can't wait. It will be a really nice get away. It feels like forever since we've been away anywhere. Fingers crossed for good weather!

I've been trying again to drink more water. I've gone so far as to set up reminders in my Outlook calendar to get my butt to the water cooler and drink my fair share throughout the day. I hope it works, because I'm sure I'm constantly dehydrated since I know I never drink enough.

I haven't tried any new recipes lately. I was hoping to have one to post this week, but I desparately need to go grocery shopping and have decided to hold off until next week since we'll be away for 4 days. Ooo, I just had a thought that I could do a Peapod cart and have it delivered Monday when we get back. I'll have to get that together tonight.

Well, I better get back to work. I've got stacks of paper to get organized. I'm getting a new bigger file cabinet tomorrow which I'm super excited about since my desk drawers are chock full and files are creeping onto my desk. That's the one thing I don't really like about my job - so much paper and no where to put it all. Well, that problem will be solved tomorrow. I need to pick up some extra hanging file folders so I can get everything all organized. I think I'm going to get some pretty pastel ones since I will probably need a whole box and won't need to share the leftovers with the office. I'm sure some folks will be sweating my pink files, but others will think I'm silly. Oh, well, to each her own.

Until next time, stay cool!

P.S. The date of this blog is not showing up correctly. I was editing a draft I started before so I guess it kept that date. Anyway, it's 7.22.08 today.