Monday, August 25, 2008

Just Stuff

We had a great weekend. We played outside a little, did our grocery shopping, and Harry and I even got to go out for a couple of hours on Saturday night (STILL no Dark Knight, though, damn the movie theatres here!). We did a little shopping, and I picked up a really cute knee length black coat for the fall. Go me.

We also tried a new recipe this weekend, courtesy of my friend, Kristin. Kristin is once again venturing into the world of vegetarianism. Go Kristin. My husband would never go for it, so we're carnivores for life. Heh heh. That doesn't mean I don't like a vegetarian dish every once and again.

Let me tell you, this easy to prepare burger is delicious. I was floored at the flavors. Harry was won over, as well, and he doesn't even like onions. I substituted vidalia instead of red, hoping it wouldn't be too powerful for his palate. I was right. So we're adding this to our weekly meals. Yum.

In other news, Ellie's vocabulary has pretty much doubled this past month. It's freakin' incredible. And she started to speak in short sentences. It's mostly things that start with "I ...", my absolute favorite being "I OK". My mom started a game with her on Saturday, asking Ellie, "Ellie, are you OK?" when Ellie slipped off the ottoman (on purpose), and Ellie gleefully responding, "I OK." It was just too damn cute.

She also surprised us with "Grammy's here" on Saturday, especially since she hasn't said "Grammy" yet. My mom was pleased, of course.

It just amazes me, how she picks everything up so quickly. She's big into pointing objects out now, too. She loves the look on my face when she does it. "Flower." "Bear." "SLIDE!" Her memory is phenomenal, too, and she totally gets if I say I'm going to take something away because she's not behaving... "Nooooooo!" Yeah, I don't like that one so much.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Do I have to?

I've been dreading it all week, but I kicked myself in the ass and got into the dentist chair today. I HATE the dentist, like have-an-insane-fear-of hate the dentist. I don't hate my dentist himself, merely the idea of a person that scrapes and drills into your teeth. How barbaric.

My parents only brought me to the dentist once as a child. Yes, you read that right. I was around 8 years old, and, naturally, the dentist found a cavity since my parents never really bothered with teaching us to brush our teeth (or buying us toothbrushes for that matter). I know, what planet are my parents from?

When they had to pay the bill for the cavity, that ended any future trips there. They had their own teeth to worry about; I was young so my teeth wouldn't go bad for years. My mom needed root canals, and my dad needed all his teeth pulled for dentures. Yikes.

I started going on my own at age 18 because I had insurance. By then, I had 5 cavities! And the teeth cleaning for that visit... holy God. It was one of the worst experiences of my life.

I also needed my wisdom teeth pulled, but that little experience wasn't that bad. The surgeon that performed the extraction was quick and precise. I appreciated that, especially because I couldn't afford the knock-out gas for the procedure. Hearing your teeth cracked out of your mouth is most unpleasant.

But the piece d'resistance, the reason for my hatred, came about from one specific cavity-filling visit. It was the last one of the 5, and I was so done with going every few weeks. I had spent hundreds out of my pocket for all the other stuff (insurance only covered so much), and I just wanted it to end.

This filling was supposed to be routine. And I thought it was. When the dentist kind of sucked in his breath and paused during it, I thought it was a bit strange. He didn't say anything to me and carried on until the filling was complete. We said our goodbyes, and I went home.

And then the novacaine wore off. Holy shit! The pain was atrocious. I'd never felt anything like it. And then I realized... he had hit the nerve. He had drilled too far down and hit the f'ing nerve. I quickly took a percocet (which I had gotten for the wisdom teeth extraction and never used because there wasn't really any pain with that), and tried to sleep it off.

I awoke 4 hours later, and it had settled down into a pulsing throb. I took another percocet, and luckily, the pain was gone by the next day. I never went back to that dentist again.

Many years later, that tooth started to chip around the filling. I was terrified of going to get it fixed. So I waited. And waited. And waited.

Harry finally talked me into going to his dentist. Surprisingly, the guy did an amazing job, and it didn't hurt one bit.

Unfortunately, my cleanings were still torturous for some reason. As the years have gone by, they've gotten better. And I haven't had any problems.

At my last cleaning in June, the hygenist noticed that that stupid tooth was chipping again. The dentist had told me I'd probably have to get it fixed every 5 years or so, and I was at about 4.5.

Today, I will say, was the best dentist visit I have ever had. The whole thing didn't even take 10 minutes, and I didn't need novacaine. Yay me.

I'm still glad I don't have to go back for my next cleaning until December though.

Monday, August 18, 2008

The Zucchini Bread Recipe

Since Annita asked for it:

Zucchini Bread (from The Better Homes cookbook)


1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 beaten egg

1 cup sugar

1 cup shredded, unpeeled zucchini

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I use walnuts)


These are the Better Homes directions:

Grease the bottom and 1/2 inches up the sides of an 8-by-4-by-2-inch loaf pan; set aside,

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of flour mixture; set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine egg, sugar, zucchini and oil. Add zucchini mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.


This is the way I mix it:

Grease the bottom and 1/2 inches up the sides of an 8-by-4-by-2-inch loaf pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine shredded zucchini, sugar, egg, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add 1/2 cup of flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix. Add another 1/2 cup of flour. Mix. Add last 1/2 cup of flour. Mix again until all flour is integrated. Then fold in walnuts.Spoon batter into prepared pan.



Bake at 350 degrees F. for 50 to 55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Photo Challenge: Look what I made!

This week's photo challenge was to take a picture of something we've made.



I put the zucchinis our neighbor gave us to work, and I baked a shload of zucchini bread. I even had more shredded zucchini left over to freeze. We passed some out to our friendly neighbors and gorged on some ourselves. It's delish, if I do say so myself.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Night terrors, sleep deprivation hangover, and roller coasters

Ellie woke up at 1am this morning crying, that piercing, I'm-terrified, screaming kind of crying that sends ice through your veins. I went in to check on her, sure that she was just crying in her sleep, which she sometimes does.

Nope, she's wide awake, standing in her crib, waiting for Mommy to make it better. That just broke me heart. I scooped her up, and she clung to my neck for dear life, practically crushing my windpipe and forcing me to struggle to get air. Holy crap.

Ellie's had a few nightmares in the past, but this one must have been a doozy. She wasn't even saying anything, just holding onto me like a life preserver or something. It made me want to weep. I walked her for a few minutes like I used to when she was a wee babe, and it settled her, though she still wouldn't ease up on her grip. I decided that there was no way she'd let me put her back down in her crib like that.

So I brought her back to our bed, and she still wouldn't let go. I tried to hold her next to me, but she crawled up onto me, still wrapping her arms around my neck. So I tried to sleep with her head lodged under my chin (no easy feat) for the next 1/2 hour until she loosened her grip on me enough for me to place her next to me. We slept like that for another 1/2 hour until she started getting chatty. That's the cue to put her back into her crib; the terror had passed.

She put up a small fuss but then fell deeply asleep and stayed that way till morning. How I wish she could have told me what scared her so much.

I woke up this morning with what felt like a wine hangover. Not pleasant. Two Tylenol and a whole lotta coffee helped with that, so I'm in pretty good shape now. Ellie woke up this morning not even remembering last night, thank goodness.

While I had to work today, and Ellie went to daycare as usual, Harry has his company picnic at Lake Compounce. He took Kaylee along with him, happy to have someone to brave the rides with him. Like me, Harry isn't an amusement park kind of person. He's afraid of heights like I am, so we don't really do the rides too well. Harry had mentioned that he'd always been so afraid to ride the wooden roller coaster there as a kid (you wouldn't even be able to get me near that thing), but he was going to attempt it today. Kaylee is an avid roller coaster rider, so she's the perfect person to help Harry overcome his fear. Good luck, Honey!

I don't need to conquer that fear; I'm perfectly fine with keeping it with me the rest of my life, thank you.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Couples Survey

Here's a meme I stole from Leaner; it looked interesting.

Couples Survey

[1] What are your middle names? The only question I won't answer. I still value a little privacy.
[2] How long have you been together? We started dating just over 7 years ago on July 29, 2001. We got married February 4, 2004.
[3] How long did you know each other before you started dating? We had met 3 times before that through mutual friends.
[4] Who asked whom out? I'm the one that called, but he was the one that suggested I call. LOL
[5] How old are each of you? 31(A) and 33(H)
[6] What are your astrological signs? Taurus(A) and Capricorn(H)
[7] When was your first kiss? July 29, 2001
[8] Who's mother do you see the most? Mine
[9]Who's father? Mine
[10] Do you have any children together? 1 little girl
[11] What about pets? We have a cat named Luna
[12] Do you have a song? "I Want You To Want Me" By Cheap Trick and "Angel Eyes" by The Jeff Healey Band
[13] Which bill is the hardest on you as a couple? our new Mortgage:)
[14] Who pays the bills? I make sure everything is paid.
[15] Who drives and who sits shotgun? I drive, he calls shotgun.
[16] Did you go to the same school? Yes, but we didn't know each other then.
[17] Are you from the same hometown? Yes
[18] Do you live in the same town now? Yes
[19] Who is the smartest? I have more book smarts, but Harry is way more street smart. And he's really good with his hands.
[20] Who is the most sensitive? My feelings get hurt more easily, but Harry is more compassionate.
[21] Where do you eat out at most as a couple? We have a few choice places: Knapp's Landing, Old Towne Restaurant, and Applebee's.
[22] Where do you shop the most as a couple? Marshall's and Homegoods.
[23] Where is the furthest you have traveled as a couple? Hawaii
[24] Who has the best group of friends? I do.
[25] Who has the craziest exes? Harry definitely wins that one.
[26] Who has the worst temper? I'm quick to anger, but Harry's anger is scarier.
[27] Who does the cooking? We share that duty.
[28] Who is more social? I have a few more friends, but Harry's more social with neighbors.
[29] Who is the neat-freak? Me, hands down.
[30] Who is the most affectionate? I'd say it's a tie.
[31] Who is the most stubborn? Me.
[32] Who hogs the bed? We have a king-sized bed, so there's no hogging.
[33] Who wakes up earlier? He does.
[34] Where was your first date? We went to go see a movie and then went to shoot some pool (we didn't actually know it was a date until the end of the evening:)
[35] Who said I Love You first? He did on our 1 year anniversary.
[36] Who has the bigger family? I do.
[37] Do you give/get flowers often? A couple of times a year. That's all I need.
[38] How do you spend the holidays? With family, although we occasionally get one with just us and Ellie.
[39] Do you have cute little names for each other? Just Hon. We actually don't really use each other's names; we always say "Hon".

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Villains from the Movies

1. The Alien in Alien
2. Michael Myers in Halloween
3. The Terminator in Terminator
4. The Joker in Batman
5. The Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact
6. Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back
7. General Zod in Superman II
8. Keyser Söze in The Usual Suspects
9. Pennywise in IT
10. Daryl Van Horne in The Witches of Eastwick

Quirky Meme

Mimi tagged me for this meme like a week and a half ago, but I just didn't have the time to do it while hanging out with Ellie. I guess better late then never:)

The Rules
* Link to the person who tagged you.
* Mention the rules.
* Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.
(I erased all the tagging stuff because most everyone has already gotten around to doing the meme).


1. I am anal about how clothes are put away, as in all tee shirts need to be on the same shelf in the armoire, all jeans, all long-sleeved shirts, all sweaters, and all non-jean pants. All bras must be in one drawer, all underwear, all socks, etc. All button-down shirts must be hung together facing left, all dresses, all dress pants, all skirts, etc. It drives me mad if it's not in the proper order. Ellie's drawers are also done similar, only her clothes are in areas of drawers in certain piles. I won't even go into Harry's armoire because it causes me to convulse into fits. He just throws stuff in. How can he find anything? (I used to be worse... everything in the closet also went from light colors to dark colors. I broke that habit once Ellie was born; I just don't have the time).

2. I am left-handed, but I have to shoot pool or mini-golf right-handed. It feels awkward shooting left-handed, which makes no sense.

3. I hate having long nails. I keep them pretty short. My hands are super small, and long nails make my fingers look weird to me.

4. I hate being the passenger in the car. I drive us almost everywhere. I hate not being able to use the brake, and I sometimes stomp on the floor of the car like there's a brake there when I don't think someone is stopping early enough (Harry). I am ashamed to say that I am most definitely a side-seat driver. I usually keep my eyes closed if I have to be a passenger so I don't freak.

5. Although I am anal about how clothes are put away, I do not separate laundry when washing (except if I know a red shirt will bleed). This is probably because the only white things I own are socks, and I don't really care how white they stay. I can just buy more.

6. I have this awful habit of licking my fingers when I eat sticky or messy food, like Cheetos or barbequed chicken. And it's not just once I'm done, it's the entire time I'm eating the food. It drives my sister crazy.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Me? A Kick Ass Blogger? Awww, Shucks

My dear friend, Kristin, over at What's Up With The Joneses, nominated me for a Kick Ass Blogger award. How freakin' sweet!



There are rules that come with the award, and they are as follows:

- Choose 5 other bloggers that you feel are “Kick Ass Bloggers”
- Let them know that they have received an award
- Link back to both the person who awarded you and also Mamma Dawg, where the awards originated
- Visit the Kick Ass Blogger Club HQ , to get codes click here and it will take you to KABC HQ, sign Mr. Linky then pass it on!

So my 5 are as follows:

1. Kristin - That's right; I'm choosing the person who chose me. Why? Because I look forward to reading about the Joneses everyday. And I love Kristin to pieces. And her Buddha Boy is just too cute.

2. Cathy - I love reading Cathy's stuff, whether it's about the crazy 3 year waiting lists at the preschools in her area, the newest knitting project she's doing, or the 5 books she's reading at the same time. Oh, and her husband, Mark, writes some pretty good entries, too.

3. Mr. Neil Gaiman - I am a huge fan, and I love reading about what's going on in his life, in his work, about his travels, etc. He's just so very interesting (and he makes me laugh).

4. Jae - She leads an interesting life, she's so freakin' cool it kills me, and she takes unbelievable photographs. Jae is awesome.

5. Cristina - She was born to write. And I love her ass.

I have a couple of honorable mentions, as well. I've been blogging for over 4 years now, and there are two blogging friends I have to talk about. One is Stephen who used to write The Book of Shenry. I was crushed the day I saw the beautiful flower in place of The Book. I miss you, Shenry. The other is my friend, R, at Drink More Jack. He hasn't blogged in ages, but I'm hoping he'll come around once again to entertain us with his fabulous stories and observations.

And lastly, my friend, John, formerly known as The Phantom Poster (or TPP) back in the day when this blog was called My Two Bits. I know this is a Kick Ass Blogger award, but technically John was also a blogger for a time so there:)~ John, you rock.

Friday, August 8, 2008

A two-fer, Ellie-time, and some unexpected news

The photo challenges for the last two weeks combined into one:



Take a picture of something not family-related and write a haiku about it, AND a pet peeve. I give you a picture of my coffee station.



Pet Peeve

Notice the spoon rest
Then the spoon on a napkin
Sugar everywhere

**************************************

Ellie and I have had a pretty fantastic week, except for yesterday. I had one very cranky girl on my hands from wakeup to nigh-nigh. Knock on wood, it doesn't look like we're going to have a repeat performance today. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were incredible. She didn't have one tantrum the entire time. We had a blast. We even took our first trip to the movie theatre on Tuesday morning for the free showing of Horton Hears a Who. First, the movie was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Second, Ellie did REALLY well. She was fascinated by the "Big TV" the first hour, then got a little antsy the last 1/2 hour. Completely understandable.

Today we're hoping to catch storytime at the Library. Ellie likes that. Teri takes her once a week. Let's hope it's a good story:)
**************************************

Last, a little news. Some very unexpected news.

We didn't mention it to anyone while buying the house, but Harry's dad lived on this street. This is the dad that even after the paternity test denied that Harry was his. He never had anything to do with Harry, which is just sad. It's your kid, for Christ's sake.

We actually didn't even know if he still lived on the street. I told Harry to casually ask one of our neighbors if they knew Gus. He didn't have to mention that Gus was his dad; all he had to say was that his mom knew him a long time ago.

I seriously expected to run into the douche one day while Ellie and I took a walk or something. I'd have a thing or three to say to him.

On Wednesday, Harry finally got around to asking our neighbor, Maryanne, if she knew Gus. Sure she did. He had sold the house a few years ago and moved. Well, that settles that.

Only there was more. Come to find out that Gus actually passed away a couple of years ago.

That was a bit of a shocker. We had never actually entertained the thought since Gus would only be in his late 50s, early 60s.

It took Harry back, like I knew it would. He's always said that it wouldn't bother him, when he found out his father had passed, but I knew better. Harry's extremely caring and loving, moved when he hears a complete stranger has been hurt, is sick, or has died. Of course hearing about his father passing was going to affect him.

He spent all day yesterday thinking about it. He can't get it out of his head. I know he wants to try to contact his sisters again, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea. He had gotten in touch with them about 10-15 years ago, and they welcomed him into their lives. Then one day, they just cut off all contact. He tried to call and stop by, but nothing. He hasn't seen them since. He figured his dad had something to do with it, but we just don't know. I just don't want to see him get hurt yet again.

Sigh.

Friday, August 1, 2008

I have a week off!

Ellie and I will be chilling at home all next week, so I don't know how much I'll be around. I'll gladly take the time with my daughter over the net anyday, though. I love all you girls, but I miss my main girl working all the time. We plan to have lots of fun the next 9 days.

I still owe not one but two photo challenges now; they will get done eventually. I may sneak on during the weekend while she's napping.

Until next time, everyone have a wonderful week!
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