Swimming is hard work. Gryffin had a ball at Grandma's house. He had a lot of new people to show off to and from what I understand, he laid it on thick. Mike and I were able to catch a movie then come back to Grandma's and enjoy some good food. We were all worn out by the days end.

Memorial Day....

It's Memorial Day and I really shouldn't be sitting infront of a computer. I have SOOOOOOO many things to do. Get Gryffin packed for a day at Grandma's. Get me packed for a day at Grandma's. Get food packed for a day at Grandma's. You get the idea.
Gryffin decided to wake up cranky. I think he must be teething again because this kid is never cranky unless hungry or tired.
Yesterday Mike was a sweetie and helped me get a head start on cleaning the basement and my glass studio. I am very excited about getting back into glass. Earlier in the weekend I finished up a butterfly suncatcher. I had most of the pieces cut out for about two and a half years and in about an hour it was done. My soldering needs work but with practice it will get much better.
Ok, enough goofing off and back to packing!
Have a great holiday!

My Honey Loves Me!

He loves me so much that he is going to wear my likeness FOREVER (or until he takes a belt sander to his chest). Granted the picture is a little uckie cause it was just finished a couple hours ago. Matt, the artist, did a bang-up job and wasn't flustered when the 'tourist' wife snapped a picture. He didn't even balk at Gryffin tagging along.
Yes, I took my kid to a tattoo parlor. Shame, shame. Yeah right, that place was cleaner and more sanitary than the home I grew up in. The decor was more tastefull too. And the people there were nice and colorful- their skin as well as their personalities. That, and I wasn't the only one. Gryffin had a cute little girl to flirt with for about a half and hour while her Mommy and her Other Mommy got tattoos.
One of these days, I'm going to have to get a tattoo. But if Mike thinks I'm reciprocating and getting his likeness on me, he's wrong! Besides, he doesn't look as cute in a skirt as I do.

Summer is here. Kids are getting out of school, temperatures are warming and the dogs are shedding- terribly. I keep telling Mike I want to take EVERYTHING out of the house and selectively bring some things back in. The mud room would look better with a thick coat of mud. It has become the junk room. Filled with Ebay items to be sold, tools, projects in various stages of completion and empty boxes. The basement is disorganized and filled with stuff I haven't touched in a couple years. My glass studio is a disaster, since I'm starting glass classes next month I've got to get that cleaned up- quick. I guess I'm trying to tell myself... "Get off your butt and do something about it!". Yeah, yeah... after another cup of coffee.

Not bad....

Yes, I know. I posted the pictures twice. Either I am twice as proud or I can't figure out how to delete one set. Based on the craftsmanship- its the second. Considering I haven't been behind a sewing machine since 1992 I don't think today's acomplishments are too bad. First, a two sided quilt made from some of Gryffin's old baby blankets and second a crib blanket and pillow made of fleece. Ram fleece! No I didn't shave the rams myself. Gryffin finally has some blankets big enough to keep him covered at night. A fish out of water makes him look calm. Now that I sufficiently bragged on myself my arm is hurting and my back is sore.

One for the record books...

Today Gryffin and I got going early for his 8 am Dr appointment. We got there and didn't have to wait but 5 minutes before being called in. The nurse checked his heart and his weight and then looked at his chart.
With a puzzled look she asked, "Is he not feeling well?".
"No", I said, "He's just fine".
She looked at the chart again, "Why are you here then?".
"This was the appointment they set up for him three weeks ago when he got his shots. Why, is there a problem?".
"For some reason the doctor wrote down 'Follow up in three weeks', when it should've been three months."
Great, I thought. I'm here for nothing and now I have to pay a copay.
She left and got the doctor and to my surprise he came in and announced that it was his mistake. Yes, a doctor admitted he made a mistake! Then he also said that I would not be charged for the visit. Now I may need a doctor because I think I feel faint!
I have no trust in doctors and find very few that I don't want to slap, but this one is Ok. He's not a pill pusher and finally realized that I want a chiropractor instead of a physical therapist. I think I'll keep him around for a while, or at least until he ticks me off. Of course, I have to see him Friday for my appointment and since he will be taking a scapel too me that might just do it. Lets just hope he hasn't had too much coffee that morning.

Great Green Goblins!

I was lucky. Gryffin never took to a pacifier or thumb sucking. He did however take to picking his nose. Just recently he began sticking his finger up his nose and just looking at me smiling. Grrrr. Then he cries when I tell him no and pull his finger out. Within seconds its right back looking for Green Goblins again. I get to deal with enough of his bodily secretions so this little habit is going to get broken- quickly. Besides there is nothing worse than sitting in a restaurant eating a lovely meal and when you glance over at the next table there is a little rug rat nose mining and proudly displaying his find. That will NOT be my kid.

Weather made for Prozac...

Rainy, cold and a Monday. Its enough to send anyone over the edge of happy and into the abyss of grumpy. And when you wake up to cranky kid and a pile of dog poop on the dining room rug you REALLY lose the urge to smile. Luckily the dining room is cleaned up and the kid is happy again. Now if it would just warm up a little. I don't mind the rain, except when its combined with cold. Kind of like how I like Sour Cream and Onion Chips and ice cream, two great tastes that don't taste good together.
Mother's Day was wonderful! Mike woke up early and took Gryffin and I to breakfast. We hadn't been out to breakfast since I was pregnant. Then we came home and just lounged around until Gryffin woke up from his nap. We visited Mike's Mom at work to deliver her Mom's Day card and then off to an art show where we sat in the car and watched the rain. It was one of those conceptual art pieces that no one can really figure out. Nah, we didn't even make it into the show before we decided to come home. But I did get to take a nap instead. Can't beat that! To finish it all off, Mike fixed dinner for me and the Grandparents. He even cleaned up the kitchen and gave Gryffin his bath. Thanks, Mike- you are the greatest!

Its Friday!

I'm entertaining this weekend. Well, I'm entertaining every weekend but this weekend I get to entertain with dinner and guests and what not. Yes, this means I've got to dig out from the dog hair. Not an easy thing to do this time of year. I love my dogs, I'd love them more if they didn't didn't shed so much.
This weekend also kicks off the start of Art Show Season. Mike and I love to go to art shows and rub elbows with the rich and snooty. It makes us realize that money doesn't cure ugly or rude, but it can fill your house with pretty and breakable. In past we have purchased pieces, but with little hands getting handsier I think we will refrain this year.
Sunday I'm hoping it doesn't rain so we can go to Laumeier Park's Art Show. Its usually pretty good. The first time I went I took my muther. That was also the last time I took her. I know I should've taken it as a compliment and all but she loudly proclaimed infront of the artist, "You could better than this" and "That's awful". My face turned the same color as my hair. I don't like public humiliation, so I try not to take her anywhere anymore. She doles it out like pick-up lines at last call. I think the ultimate was at our wedding. She dyed her hair red so everyone would know she was the muther of the bride and proceeded to wear an outfit that made her look like an orange traffic cone. She would introduce herself and then turn and walk away before her victim could introduce themselves. Luckily, everyone there had been forwarned and found it pretty funny.

Rock on, RHCP's!

Yes, no matter what the record companies (crooks) say... you CAN wear a CD out. Red Hot Chili Peppers, 'By The Way' is an awesome album. Mike and I refer to it as the Vermont CD. You see, I get extremely carsick and a few years back on our trip to New England 'By The Way' was in the CD player and I couldn't look away from the twisty roads long enough to change it without hurling violently. We listened to it as we crossed the whole state. It stayed in the Jeep so long that it is completely worn out and unlistenable. Good thing RHCP's came out with a new album this week! A double one at that. Can I just say that it is yet another masterpiece of music. The perfect combination of head flailing and kick back groove. Those aren't official music genres but now a days the labels make up their own so why can't I? It would be so much easier on the world if the big labels would have just two categories of music- Good and Good If You're Deaf.
Gryffin and I are gonna go Rock Out now. He is already doing his Chad Smith impersonation!

Less useless...

Ok, so maybe I wasn't as useless as I thought today. Its only 10 am and I have already repaired that lamp shade. An hour and half ain't bad considering I haven't done any glass work in a couple years. You have to look pretty hard to find where I fixed it so I will put a check in the 'Done Good' column.
I'm sitting here finishing up the last bit of coffee and letting my back scream at me. I probably shouldn't have done that lamp but its owner has had a string of bad luck lately and could do with a smile. Besides, I've heard my wise Dad say, "The pain reminds me I'm still alive." Not that either of us needs that daily reminder. Just like stupid people making the rest of us look smarter, pain makes us appreciate the times we don't have it.

Grrrrrrr.

Like taxes and death, laundry can't be avoided. Or can it? I've done pretty good at it for a couple weeks and now that I have procrastinated as long as I possibly can without 'going comando' I feel like I've been hit by a bus. My back hurts so bad I'm contemplating a trip to the chiropractor. Of course, I have to do at least one load of laundry first. I like my chiropractor but not enough to go without underwear. Because I hurt I'm in a foul mood, which my son picks up on and immitates. This has made the past couple of days tough on both of us- and Mike too as he is the lucky one that gets to put up with both of us.
Ok folks, the lights are flickering and the bartender is yelling 'Last Call' so I guess my pitty party is over. Now where did I put that Tylenol?

Saturday...

Mike is working outside all day today in hopes of being able to spend some time with us tomorrow. I hope he can get everything done without doing him in.
I've done something I've been meaning to do for months now... I cleaned my glass studio. Not a detailed cleaning but at least a straighten and put away cleaning. I also removed a broken piece from a lamp shade that a friend of ours has been waiting for me to fix for two years. Yes, two years. Jeff either has the patience of Mother Theresa or he just plain forgot about it. Knowing Jeff, my money is on the latter. Now all I have to do is find glass to match, cut and patch. I'm hoping to do it this week and to deliver it to him at work (he works with Mike). Mike said that he may poop a purple brick so I will bring a camera to capture that. Just kidding. I really want to get back to my 'glass roots' so to speak. Hey, thats a great name- I think thats what I will name my business. I don't dream of becoming a famous artist with it, for that you usually have to die early. I just want to make a little money so that we can play more. That and lets face it, I need a hobby other than changing diapers.

I did it! I did it!

I made tortillas- from scratch! Did a pretty good job too, Gryffin ate 1/2 one all by himself. I ate the other 1/2 and it was GOOOOOOOOD. I have 7 left for tonights Cinco de Mayo inspired dinner. I'm hoping a couple will be left for sopapillas since I picked up some cinnamon ice cream on my walk with Gryffin today.
The only other thing I can say about this recipe is that it is super easy. Even my Dad could do it, and not just because it calls for a cast iron skillet!

Flour tortillas

4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups warm water


1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and 1/2 the water. Mix together with your hands and continue adding water into the dough until it forms a solid ball, but is not too sticky.
2. If necessary, add additional flour or water as needed.
3. Knead the dough on a floured board for 5 minutes.
4. Cut the dough into 8 equal portions.
5. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface, cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
6. Heat cast iron skillet to medium heat.
7. Roll out dough to 1/8" thickness.
8. Place one round in skillet and cook each side for about 30 seconds. Take care that the skillet is not too hot or they will scorch.

They keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or 6 months in the freezer.

TGIF!

Its bath day whether you need it or not.

But trust me, you need it.

My new toy...

So the other night we went to Best Buy and the strangest thing happened. I bought something and Mike didn't, not only was this a rare occasion but its the second time its happened this month! He didn't want to be one-upped or suffer withdrawal so last night he stopped there after work to buy a CD. We have both got our fix for awhile.
I bought MasterCook. It is recipes and recipe organizing software. I'm hoping it will help me keep track of my recipes and menus. I tend to be losing them lately. Anyway, I've been playing around with this program quite a bit and have realized that I LOVE IT! It has over 8,000 recipes, a place for me to keep my recipes, a meal planner, a menu planner, nutritional calculators, shopping lists and pantry trackers. I pick the recipes I want to use, make a meal with them plug the meal into what day I want to serve it and it will figure the groceries I need to purchase based on what I have in my pantry/fridge. Right now I already do all of this but it takes me about 3 hours a week to come up with main dishes, sides and a grocery list based on those. Now I just input the meals I regularly use, click and drag to the Meal Plan and merge this with my usual shopping list. Easy cheesy, except for the EXTENSIVE amount of data entry I need to do to inventory what I have and what I make every month. I've been putting recipes in a little each day, when I have that done I will start on inventory... I've dreaded doing inventory ever since I worked in the retail industry. Let's see, now all I need is a laptop in the kitchen and a data entry clerk!

This ain't your fore father's toilet paper...

So last night I stayed up late to watch TV, something I never do. I wanted to watch 'Texas Ranch House' on PBS. This is where they take modern day, a.k.a. couch potatoes, and throw them into living on a Texas ranch. Not bad, a little riding and roping, right? Uh yeah, riding and roping 1860's style. No electricity, no indoor plumbing, no deoderant! I've watched the other PBS specials, 'Colonial House' and 'Prairie House' and found them facsinating. Not just facsinating at how people lived and survived back then but how people have become so lazy, sedentary and whiney in today's world. Oh, you poor baby you have to drink a non-fat mochalattechino because they ran out of soy and you have to walk in the rain from a parking spot 1/2 a block away! Imagine a world without cars, refridgeration or of all things toilet paper. Imagine having to cook your food over a fire and it taking several hours rather than a couple minutes in the nuker. Not a big stretch of the imagination for you Dad, I know. Think what it would be like to rely on a cow for your milk and a garden for vegetables or washing your clothes in a bucket or a stream. What about no Tylenol, no makeup, no mouthwash, no dishwasher, no soda or Taco Bell? Consider this, the average life span of a person in the 1860's was 40. And the leading cause of death was accidents such as falling off a horse.
Life today is crazy and complicated, life then was just crazy. I don't need complicated, but I do need indoor plumbing. Heck, even when we go camping I require a bathroom within walking distance. Maybe just trying to concentrate on living simply is enough to make you appreciate previous generations.

Cheap tips...

The following is an expression of my opinions. In other words don't sue me if they don't work for you, everyone is different and you would spend more in lawyers fees than you could squeeze out of me!
1. Plastic check book size organizer- Label each pocket with your usual expenses like, grocery money, fun money, gas money, car wash, lottery tickets, etc. Every pay day put the budgeted amount of cash in each pocket. This forces you to rethink those clearance shoes when you see there is only $20 left in the fun money and a week still to go.
2. Freecycle.org- everything is free but don't get carried away. It's a great way to get rid of stuff too.
3. Be your own butcher- I can spend $12 on a pork loin from Sam's and get a big roast, stir fry for two meals and about a dozen pork chops if I cut it up and package it myself.
4. Never eat leftovers, reinvent them- broiled chicken breasts Monday night turns into fajita meat Wednesday.
5. Make you own mixes- bisquick is cheap but tastes like crap (to me). I mix my own dry ingredients for pancakes, biscuits, etc and store in plastic zip top bags. They keep for months and don't have all the salt of premade mixes.
6. Cleaning 101- those disposable cleaning products are expensive and cheap quality wise. Use and empty plastic coffee container and mix your favorite concentrated cleaner with a little water. I use 1/4 cup pinesol with 3/4 water poured in the bottom with cleaning rags stuffed inside. Shake and use the moistened rags to clean, wash them over and over again.
7. EBay baby- sell it if you haven't used or worn it in a year. It's easier than you think!
8. Plan your route, even in the stores- my grocery list is on a spreadsheet and in the order of my store. I don't have to back track and I don't get side tracked.
9. Credit card management- Credit cards are lies. They say 'I have the money' when you really don't. If you don't have the cash do you really need it?
10. Budget even when you don't have enough to budget- Keep track of what you spend and you will see that there is room for improvement.