We Made it Through the Wilderness

Somehow, we made it through.

We went camping this past weekend. This is particularly significant for a few reasons. 

First, this was our first camping experience ever with Sgt Pepper. For the most part, he handled it like a champ. We had 2 minor incidents. 

1) We did kind of wear him out a bit on Saturday when we took a walk in a little park. OK, by "kind of" I mean "completely." Poor kid was so pooped that we had to carry him back to the car. And once we got back to our campsite, he made sure he was touching some part of the water dish at all times (since Hubby had just put ice in there, it was nice and cold), practically cuddling the damn thing. It was cute, but we clearly expected a bit too much from him in the heat. 

2) There was an intense thunder storm Saturday night. This was the first big storm we'd been through with Pepper and it had to happen while we were sleeping in a tent? Of course it did. Little man had super crazy eyes and wouldn't (or couldn't) stay still. We did our best to comfort him, but that thunder was insane. He was terrified. (Miss Maxine, of course, barely noticed anything was going on and slept through the majority of the insanity.)

Second, this was our first camping trip of the year. I always look forward to camping as a little family, and this year was no exception. Aside from the storm and packing up a bunch of wet camping equipment, it was a lovely trip. I'm already excited to plan for the next one!

Third, the storm itself. For anyone who has not heard, a young girl (10 or 11) died at Devil's Lake State Park this weekend. Reports vary a bit, but the gist of it is that a part of a tree fell on her tent during the storm and they were unable to free her. A quick Google News search will bring you up to speed, and Weather.com is even sharing the story. 

The family was camping at site 435 in the Ice Age campground; we were at site 338. You can see that these sites are pretty far away from one another (via this map of the campground), but I heard the sirens of the emergency vehicles. I didn't know where they were or what was going on. In fact, we didn't find out about it until late Sunday after we'd been home for several hours. 

The thought of "it could have been us" is one that is lingering in our minds. In fact, before the storm even hit, Hubby had mentioned something about how he was terrible for checking for "widow-makers" (branches that could fall during a storm) when deciding where to set up camp. I kind of laughed it off, but damn. In this case, they're saying the tree looked secure, so I guess it really was just a freak accident. Still, my heart goes out to the family. It should have been a fun trip with lots of happy memories. It should have ended with the whole family driving back home, lamenting the end of the weekend and the horrendous traffic. It should have gone so much differently.

So, assuming you've made it through all that unpleasantness, it might be nice to know that we had a nice weekend, though we were VERY glad to be back home. I'm not sure camping is Pepper's favorite activity, but at least we know what to expect for next time. We made an awesome dutch oven pizza (with Rocky's pizza sauce... YUM!), took in some beautiful sights, spent a lot of time relaxing and talking, and just enjoyed being there together. Yay!

Weekend Thanks

Since next to no one is reading these anyway, I figure I'll just catch up at my own pace. Ahhh, the joys of being lazy.

Nov. 24 - On Saturday, I was thankful for...

Small businesses.

Hubby and I went Small Business Saturday shopping for the first year, and absolutely loved it. We headed up to Cedarburg (just north of Milwaukee), where we knew there was an adorable downtown shopping area that we'd been meaning to get to. We were not disappointed. 

We checked out a few stores, including a bike shop (Hubby's an addict, I swear), a toy store (where everything was made either locally or at least in the U.S.) and Penzey's (the spice place). We also got to eat lunch at a really cute pizzeria (they had Sprecher root beer on tap... YUM!!), where we got to warm up for awhile. On our way back south, we stopped at a cheese shop and got some delicious cheese* to take home (a 10-year cheddar and a really unique cheese that's sort of a combination cheddar and bleu cheese). We've eaten their cheese before, since they're always at Zoo Brew, but this was our first visit to their store. Again, we were NOT disappointed.

It was good to see people out and about supporting local businesses. We got some Christmas presents knocked off our list and managed to get a few things for ourselves. Most of all, we had a really nice day together, and for that, I'm definitely thankful.

*Maxi thought so, too. In fact, she stole some of our cheese. While we were sitting there. Little jerk.


Nov. 25 - I was thankful for...

My parents.

Growing up, I was as much of a Daddy's Girl as you could be. When I hit my pre-teens, I started fighting with my mom, and eventually pushed them both away (because they clearly had no idea what it was like to be me... or something...). Even after I graduated from high school, things were not pretty. It took me actually becoming a functioning adult to realize what an ass I'd been.

These days, I love visiting my parents. My mom is one of the most patient and loving people you'll ever meet, and my dad is a smart, funny guy. And they both love me and are proud of who I've become. I'm ultimately thankful that they never gave up on me and that they helped make me who I am now.

Sooooooooo ready...

I had this whole idea for today's post, but homework (for which I am not so thankful) has kept me far too busy to go into detail. Alas, I shall save it for another day.

Instead... 11/3 - I am thankful for...

Long weekends. 

I cannot freakin' WAIT for Thanksgiving weekend! I have no school assignments that week, which means I can spend the whole 4-day weekend relaxing. Even if I did have some homework, it would still be 4 days without work, which makes getting homework done WAY easier.

4-day weekends are a magical, wonderful things. Seriously. Does anyone out there NOT like having four days in a row off?? (I'm picturing someone somewhere saying they don't like it, but I still don't believe them. It's 4 days without work. Even if you love your job, it's still awesome to have 4 "me" days!).

Anywhoozles, that's all I have time to post for now. Gotta get studied up for an exam in Psych and get some homework done for Logic. Wooooooo...

Labor (Free) Day Weekend

I mean, really.  It's called Labor Day, but the whole point is to take a break from said labor.  So why not Labor Free Day?  

Anywhoozles, it's been awhile, so here I am to tell you all about my lame-ass weekend.  Huzzah!!

I should start by telling you that Hubby has been on vacation since last Wednesday night.  Ugh.  I dropped him off at the airport around 4 and have been missing him since.  It's a good thing I have Miss Maxine, or I might've lost it.

So I made it through to Friday night somehow, and then headed to my parents' for the weekend.  I waited until 7 to leave so I could avoid the horrendous holiday weekend traffic, and was pretty successful.  There were still some assholes out, but that's pretty standard fare.  The puppers and I made it to our destination right around 8:20 and Mom and Dad were having dinner.  I got to sit down and have some bacon-wrapped filet (nom nom nom) and unwind from the drive.  (Yes, I know it's not a long trip, but when you're not used to driving, and you're alone except for a dog who'd rather stick her head out the window than sit next to you, it FEELS like a long trip.)

We watched the Brewers game together (well, Mom and I did anyway; Dad went to bed to watch) and then said goodnight.  The pups and I headed downstairs to our bedroom for the evening and watched some TV.  The next morning I was up too early for my liking, but got up and got started on homework.  Mom and I went grocery shopping around eleven, which was a nice break in my day.  I actually think I saw some people I knew from my CBH days, which was kind of random.  Mom asked if I wanted to say hi, but I declined.  

After that it was back to homework before Mom and Dad's friends D and M came over for cocktails and dinner.  Dad decided it was cool enough downstairs for a fire in the fireplace (according to the thermostat, it was only 63 degrees).  Despite the generation gap between myself and the four of them, we always seem to have a good time together, and Saturday was no exception.  I fixed myself a Captain & OJ and enjoyed the fire, talked some sports, and played with my pup.  Mom made a fantastic spaghetti dinner (enough to feed a mid-sized army) and the night wound down.

Sunday morning I finished up the last of the week's homework before we headed out to the Taste of Madison.  Apparently, it's entirely possible that I haven't missed a year of The Taste in my entire life (as Mom confirmed they took me with the year I was born, and I can't recall a year when I didn't go), which is pretty awesome.  Normally I stuff myself silly when I'm there, but without Hubby, I just wasn't feeling like myself.  I did, however, manage to enjoy a delicious churro from Caracas Empanadas, my favorite pumpkin spice cheesecake from Grace Cheesecakes and a really tasty steak fajita in a teeny tiny tortilla from Abuelo's. 

The afternoon called for a nap, and the puppers happily joined me.  Later, we spent the afternoon out on the front porch (or as K and I call it, Kentucky) talking and drinking and listening to music.  Dinner was leftover spaghetti, and I made a delicious spaghetti sandwich on a bun.  Mmmmm...

Monday was a lazy morning.  Not much to do but sit around and watch TV.  Eventually Mom and I headed to my aunt's house for some wine tasting.  It was a girls only event: my mom, mom's two sisters (my aunts), mom's sister-in-law (another aunt), and my cousin were all there.  We tried wines and played Apples to Apples (which is a family favorite, but I'll save that story for another time) and I had to get between my mom and one of her sisters when a political discussion got a little too heated for my liking.  (Let's just say it's not easy to piss my mother off, but God help you if you do.)

Of the wines, I liked the two whites the best (of course), and the dessert wine.  Evidently, I was the only one who liked the dessert wine (it was REALLY sweet - they said that like it was a bad thing!), so I got to take the rest of the bottle home.  When Mom and I got back to the house, Dad was out on the porch with some of our neighbors, so we sat down and joined them.  Dinner was, of course, more spaghetti leftovers (it's a good thing I love my mom's cooking so much).  And right after dinner, the pups and I made our trek back home.It wasn't an overly exciting weekend, but it was nice not to have to spend the whole weekend alone at the house.  

On a very happy note, Hubby will be home tonight!  YAY!!!!!  I can't wait to see him.  I hate when he's gone, and this was a LONG trip for him to be away. :-(  But, I survived.  That's gotta count for something.

Red, White & Drag Queen Bingo

This past weekend was, of course, Independence Day weekend.  And being that K is around, it was full of traditions and fun.

Friday night we did go see our new nephew at the hospital.  He.  Is.  Adorable.  No kidding.  I know I'm biased and all, but he's seriously cute.  I even held him for quite awhile, which is a feat considering I'm normally scared to touch kids before they turn two or so (that fear of breaking them, you know?).  It was a nice experience.  :-)  And no, it didn't make me want kids of my own.  Just made me even happier to be an aunt!

Saturday was the day for Rhythm & Booms, the best fireworks you'll find in the Midwest.  For those not familiar, the fireworks are (loosely at times) set to music.  You just tune in to the local radio station and enjoy the show.  Rather than going to the actual park for the event (which, IMO, is a clusterf*ck and a half), we always go to my old elementary/middle school and sit on the hill.  We can see almost everything (excluding a handful of ground display fireworks that don't make it above the trees), and though it's much busier than when we first started sitting there, it's not nearly as crowded as the park itself.  

Of course, with R&B comes a party with K.  She invites family and friends over to her dad's place for food and fun before the fireworks begin, and then it's just a short walk to the old school from there.  One of K's friends has an adorable 4-year-old son who kept us all pretty well entertained, but it was the adults who played with the bubbles the longest (as the 4 y/o got fed up with a bubble sword contraption he just couldn't make work).  It's just so easy to get caught up in the pure fun that comes with bubbles.

The fireworks were beautiful, if not a bit short this year.  Budget problems would be my guess, as I know they were seeking donations (I gave them $15 - I love those fireworks) and really pushing people to come down to the park to support the vendors there.  I'm hoping next year will be better, particularly because I hope the damn construction surrounding the park is done.  Talk about a mess...  Oi.  Oh, and just to confirm, Maxi handled the fireworks just fine, though she didn't watch with the same intensity as last year.  At least she didn't bark her furry little head off!

On Sunday, hubby dropped me back off at K's dad's place so K and I, along with another friend (P) could go on an Oddball Wisconsin adventure.  See, one of K's friends got her the Oddball Wisconsin book, knowing that she loves all things odd or offbeat that you might find while driving, such as a giant wooden nickel (outside of Iowa City, Iowa) or a buffalo made of chrome bumpers (somewhere in Colorado).  So away we went with the book and a map.

We ended up driving about 314 miles that day.  Starting in Madison, we headed to DeForest to see the pink elephant and its nemesis (or so we're told) from across the street, a cow at a cheese shop.  Then it was off to Spring Green to check out some (not so) acrobatic goats.  There were other things there to keep us entertained while we waited for the goats to wow us, but it just never happened.

After that we headed to Platteville to see the world's largest 'M.'  It's 241 feet tall and 214 feet across.  Trust me; it's a big 'M.'  After a quick stop at Culver's for some cheese curds (nom nom nom) it was on to Dickeyville to see The Grotto, an interesting experience for sure.  Then it was a LONG drive over to Delavan to see the clown-stomping elephant (we skipped the nearby concrete frog since it was getting late), and then it was back to Madison so I could see my puppers.   

On the 4th, K and I headed down to the neighborhood bike parade that we were part of for so many years.  Kids made a good showing this year and actually decorated their bikes with more than a tiny flag.  We gave this year's parade a solid 7.5/10.  After that, it was off to Henry Vilas Zoo and, of course, Ella's Deli!  We can't eat like we used to, I swear, but we still managed to scarf down all our cheese fries.  It's a tradition, after all!  

I spent the rest of my day bumming around at my parents' house.  We eventually ordered Chinese (nothing screams patriotism like ordering sesame beef) and hubby showed up to take me and the puppers back home.  On the drive home, we had to have encountered probably 10 different fireworks displays.  It was nice, and I appreciated being able to see some fireworks on the 4th.

The 5th was no longer the weekend, but K came out so we could go to Drag Queen Bingo at BTW Lounge with her cousins and aunt!  Drag Queen Bingo is pretty much bingo with the balls being read off by drag queens.  But, we also got performances between rounds, so it was pretty awesome.  Of the 5 of us, 3 won prizes!  Sadly, K and I were the only two not to win.  Boooooo-urns.

So, as you can see, the past few days have been pretty exciting for me!  I hope everyone else had a wonderful 4th and hope you all have an excellent rest of the summer!  :-)

Disney References, Molestaches & Mexican Wrestlers

As you can probably (not) tell from the title of this post, it was a most excellent/interesting weekend.  Allow me to explain.

Disney References: Friday night and much of Saturday was spent studying for my Meteo final, which I took Saturday night.  Now, as I may (or may not) have mentioned, I am not a fan of the professor/instructor for this class.  Within the first few weeks, he put me off by seeming unfriendly and unwilling to accept criticism.  He also didn't give great answers to questions when they were asked (he was one of those, "Well, what do YOU think the answer is?" kind of teachers), nor did he do much in the way of feedback.  Boo.  

Anywhoozles, I started the exam on Saturday night after TONS of studying, and I actually had to give the prof some credit.  For one, the exam wasn't nearly as brutal as it could have been (it was cumulative for the whole semester, which made me think it would be the death of me).  Many of the questions were very straightforward (whereas questions on weekly quizzes had often been hard to follow or tricky), which was much appreciated.  But what really got me was one of the first questions.  I forget what the actual question was, but it was related to water, and it essentially asked, "The concept of blahblahblah relates to the idea that ____________."  Since all questions were multiple choice, I had 4 answers to pick from.  Fortunately, I knew the right answer, so when one of the possible choices was, "All drains lead to the ocean," I actually giggled.  All I could think of was Finding Nemo, and that helped me relax for the rest of the exam.  I got an A.  :-)

Molestaches: Sunday was a lazy day, since it was my first day being done with the semester.  I did almost nothing all day.  But last night was an event I had been looking forward to for a loooooong time.  Yes, my dears, I went to see Bowling For Soup!  They.  Were.  AWESOME!  Fortunately for us, Shank Hall is a smaller venue in the Milwaukee area, so it was a relatively small concert.  As such, a girl in the audience (near the stage) raised her hand.  "Um, we normally don't do Q&A, but what the hell!  What's your question?"  The girl then asked why the bassist had decided to grow a molestache (aka a mustache that makes one look like a molester).

Now, the poor guy wasn't feeling well.  He had almost no voice, but he didn't let it stop him from not only playing, but completely rocking out.  Instead of taking the blow of a potentially harsh insult, he actually retorted with, "Maybe you'll find out later."  I about pissed myself.  LOVED it.  

Mexican Wrestlers:  On our way home from the show, we went through part of downtown Milwaukee.  During this drive, my husband randomly said, "There's a Mexican wrestler over there."  I looked out my window and there was a group of 3 people walking, one of which had a Mexican wrestling mask on (along with the standard T-shirt and jeans attire of springtime in Wisconsin).  "Huh...  So there is!"  

Clearly, it was a fantastic weekend.  Well, aside from a whole day of studying on Saturday.  But still!  At least I got an A out of all that studying.  Booya!

Also, for those interested, Bowling For Soup was a great show to see.  If you get the chance, I encourage you to go!  Not only are their songs fun and full of energy, the band members themselves seem to have a great time on stage, which makes it even more fun for everyone involved.

Oh!  And before I forget, I am now one of a handful of people who can say that they learned of Bin Laden's death from Bowling For Soup.  Random, but awesome!    

End of Semester Freak Out

Yep.  Here it comes.  I am approximately one week from the end of the semester and was HOPING to get through it without a freak out.  But here I am, freaking out.

I have a paper to write for my psych course that I cannot for the life of me figure out.  In a nutshell, I have to pick a myth or superstition and explain how I can use 2 of the following methods to evaluate it: observations of behavior, self-report (surveys, testimonials, etc), psychological tests (tests meant to evaluate limits or abilities directly related to the superstition), physiological measures (measuring based on heart rate, blood pressure, etc) and/or task performance (for example, measuring verbal abilities via crossword puzzles).

One little caveat: We can't chose a superstition that has to do with food or drink, OR that could possibly bring harm or death to participants (even if it seems impossible).  

I am beyond stumped.  Every time I think I have one, I can come up with ONE way to test it, but can't figure out how to test it a second way.  Oh, did I mention I actually have to execute one of the tests, too?  Yeah.  This paper's due on FRIDAY.  I haven't been able to pick a damn superstition yet, let alone come up with a way to test it, so clearly I don't have any willing participants signed up either.  

I'm about at the end of my rope, kids.  I mean, I could take a break and do some other studying, but it's pretty clear to me that I need to get the ball rolling if I'm going to finish on time, so I feel stuck. :-(  

Thanks for letting me vent, dear readers.  Enjoy the weekend and happy Easter!

Woohoo!

Not only is it Friday, but Hubby and I are getting ready for a mini-vacay with my family, and I am SO ready!  Sadly, we have to board Miss Maxine for the duration, but it won't be long, and hopefully she will enjoy the time with some other dogs (not likely, but not unheard of).  

In celebration and preparation of this little trip, here are some songs about getting away!

1) The Go Go's - "Vacation"  How could you NOT be pumped for vacation after listening to this song?  Oh, sure, it's about trying to get over an ex.  Who among us hasn't been there, am I right? 

2) Bowling for Soup - "Ohio (Come Back to Texas)"  So the singer of the song isn't going anywhere, but the subject is clearly on a bit of a break from the norm.  Although, if I was fleeing Texas, I'm not sure Ohio is really where I'd head...

3) Frank Sinatra - "Come Fly With Me" What girl wouldn't have taken Mr. Sinatra up on this offer?  Escaping reality with some booze in an exotic place with a gorgeous crooner?  Yep, count me in.

4) 33 West - "The Tijuana Song"  Oh, 33 West.  How I miss you.  Anywhoozles, this song's about the fun (and not-so fun) to be had in Tijuana.  An excellent song to dance to, and good for a bit of a laugh. 

5) Something Corporate - "I Woke Up In A Car"  Not exactly touring the most exciting places, but SC is definitely on the move in this song.  However, if you randomly wake up in a car, I'd suggest making sure you still have your wallet.  And your kidneys.

Enjoy the weekend, folks!  :-) 

Spring Break Weekend

I've technically been on spring break for the past week.  It's not nearly as exciting when you're still working full time, but them's the breaks.  

Anywhoozles, we did have ourselves a tropical night on Friday so I could pretend I was somewhere far away and warm.  We had surf and turf kabobs (made on our George Foreman grill), our normal tropical salad with homemade pineapple vinaigrette dressing, and some tropical style drinks.  Our tropical movie selection for the night was Joe Versus the Volcano, which is a fantastic little movie, if not all that tropical (they're only on the island for a bit toward the end of the movie, but oh well).  All in all, a good night was had. 

Our original plans for Saturday were to go exploring around Cedarburg for the afternoon, since it was a recent feature in the paper's "Weekend Getaway" part of the Travel section.  But, we woke up to find that the weather wasn't being so cooperative.  22-28 mph winds, some rain, many clouds...  Boo.  

Instead, we went to IHOP for breakfast and then went to Menards to shop for a bit.  Not exactly a romantic day together, but still fun.  I had the Nutella crepes at IHOP, with the bananas and strawberries and whipped cream... OMG, so good.  I also go a side order of turkey bacon, which I LOVE.  We also had our favorite waiter there (not that we're regulars; we just happened to have him the last time we were there, which was probably January).  This guy is awesome.  Seriously!  He has a positive attitude about everything, and his memory must be phenomenal.  He took our orders (didn't write them down) and then went to chat with the table behind us for a bit, and I kept thinking, shit, something is going to get fucked up.  Either Hubby's eggs will be wrong or I won't get my turkey bacon or something.  But I should've remembered just how awesome he is, because he came out later with our order just as perfect as could be.  At the end of the meal, he handed me the check and said, "You're married; I know who has the money here!  I'm married and have 4 kids - I don't get to see any money!"  We joked about how he doesn't get asked about his day when he gets home, just how much money he made for the day.  The thing is, maybe I'm completely naive, but I really just think he's trying to have fun with his customers, not trying to get sympathy or extra tips.  He really just seems like a good guy who's making the best out of life.  It's inspiring to me, and so that's how I choose to see it.  

Menards was...  Menards.  You have to understand that I hated...  No...  I loathed Menards growing up.  It was the most boring place on Earth.  No contest.  The only things there that kept me from going insane were the doorbell section (I loved the different noises they all made) and the door section (where I would open and close doors, wandering through them like it was some kind of maze for me to get through).  When I got a little older, I would just bring my Walkman in with me and listen to my cassette tapes while we wandering through the store.  My parents (or, more specifically, my father) were always looking at the most boring things, and music kept me entertained.  These days, I actually don't mind Menards, but I still hold some of that resentment.  I mean, I was clearly old enough at some points to have stayed home by myself for an hour or two, but instead my parents dragged me along to Hell.  Maybe they thought the torture was character-building.  Who knows.  

Anywhoozles, we ended up watching most of the Band of Brothers marathon on Spike last night while we cuddled on the couch and ate our dinner.  Hubby got the grill out last night for our steaks.  The first grill of the season was definitely a success.  Man, I love a good rib-eye on the grill!  Droooooooool.  

Today, the hubs is off to help his dad get some things done, so it's just me and the pooch.  I'm sure I'll end up doing fascinating things like laundry or homework or sleeping.  No matter what, I had a great weekend. :-)  

First Impressions

The more I think about it, the more confused I get about first impressions. 

On the one hand, they're seriously important, right?  Especially in the business world.  If you miss making a good first impression, you can get majorly screwed (and not in a good way).  It has been found that some experts can size up your resume in 20 seconds to determine if you're a worthy candidate.  Talk about needing to make a good first impression!  And you're not even physically THERE!  It's easy to size someone or something up in a first impression and determine if you're willing to pursue that option, and sometimes it really is necessary to do so based on a brief encounter. 

But on the other hand, how many times are we mislead by first impressions?  Think about the people and things in your life that you misjudged at first.  Or maybe think of a time you know you gave a less than stellar first impression.  I mean, if you're having a rough day, or you're sick, or you don't realize a situation is important, it can be hard to give someone a perfect idea of who you really are. 

So I'm often torn on the subject.  Personally, I get pretty stressed when I know I have to make an excellent impression on someone new.  Makes me nervous and sweaty and jittery; in fact, I probably look like I need to switch to decaf in most situations like this.

Songs are no different, right?  It's hard to get into a song if it doesn't grab you from the very beginning.  So here are some songs that I think have epic beginnings and are bound to make a kick-ass first impression.

Deep Purple - "Smoke On The Water"  Maybe it's because I grew up with my dad randomly busting it out, but I believe that this song has one of the coolest beginnings ever.  Also, it makes for an awesome commercial.  Just saying.

Hootie & The Blowfish - "I Go Blind"  I have two words for you: Power chord.  I used to listen to the first part of this song over and over, just because it struck me as so epically cool.  Who am I kidding?  I'm gonna go listen to it right now...

Queen - "Somebody To Love" Caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan anybody find me... another song that has such an amazing vocal-based intro??  Good luck!  Not only is Queen just freaking amazing, this song is just too classic to be ignored.  Love it.

The Beatles - "All You Need Is Love"  I remember being in middle school French class, and when I heard 'La Marseillaise' (the national anthem of France) for the first time, all I could think of was, "Hey!  That's The Beatles!"  I would say I'm embarrassed by that... But... I'm not.  Also, I'm pretty sure my dad's response to that would've been, "We've taught you well."

Chumbawamba - "The Big Issue"  Most people only remember Chumbawamba for "Tubthumping" (or, as my mom loves to call it, "Thumb-sucking" by ChubbyWubby).  But my favorite track on the CD (yes, I had the CD...  in fact, I STILL have it) is actually this song, if for no other reason than the beginning.  I'm a sucker for a nice vocal arrangement, and this song had me at hello (er, at "there are those"?).  

There are a number of other songs with fantastic beginnings.  I could spend all day compiling an uber list for y'all, but these are the 5 I'm going with for now.  

I hope everyone's Friday goes as quickly as they want it to, and that the weekend is spectacular!  Me?  I'm looking forward to my hubby coming home today.  :-)  Yay!!!! 

A Loss For Words

As y'all know, I'm a Sconnie girl.  And as many of you also probably know, there is some insanity going down in my state right now.  (If you're unaware, check out CNN.com.  Or even your local news.  I heard we were featured on the local news in Vegas, so...)

For the most part, I have refused to take sides in this situation.  I try to remain fairly a-political in most situations these days, as it helps me keep what little bit of sanity I may have.  Plus, my hubby is political-minded enough for the both of us (and potentially a small country... Love you, hubby!).  

This situation is ripping us apart.  I have friends who are essentially disowning other friends because of their views or opinions on this.  I have other friends who will let you say whatever you want as long as it supports their cause, but aren't willing to listen at all to the other side.  In fact, everyone just seems to be attacking those who oppose them without even a second thought. 

In my opinion, if you want to be taken seriously and be respected, you need to do the same to others.  Just because someone doesn't agree with you doesn't make them a bad person or doesn't mean you can't respect one another, does it?  

At this point, I am at a loss for words.  Sometimes, though, words aren't needed.  So, here are a few wonderful "wordless" songs for this Friday.

1) Mason Williams - "Classical Gas"  This is probably my favorite instrumental song of all time.  Also, it's rather fitting for this post.  Simpsons fans out there might remember an episode where the the plant employees go on strike ("Dental plan. Lisa needs braces!  Dental plan.  Lisa needs braces!").  While they're picketing, Lisa is there playing guitar and singing a song for the protesters.  When she has finished, Lenny (I believe) says, "Now do 'Classical Gas'!" at which point Lisa starts in on this epic song.  Awesome.

2) Booker T & the MGs - "Green Onions" Another wonderful gem from the '60s.  Many people probably recognize this song, but had no idea who performed it OR what it's called.  (It happens.  I mean, do you know how long it took me to realize that "stop children what's that sound" was actually called "For What It's Worth"?)  Anywhoozles, this is a pretty awesome song, especially for an instrumental.

3) The Surfaris - "Wipe Out"  Okay, so technically this isn't completely wordless, since they cackle and say, "Wiiiiiipe Ouuuuut" at the beginning and all, but this is still considered an instrumental and is still totally awesome.  Also, The Muppets did their own video for it, so how can you not love it?

4) Champs - "Tequila"  Again, there's one word in this song, but who cares?  Don't you just love being somewhere when this song is playing and everyone stops what they're saying or doing to yell, "Tequila!" at the same time?  Pretty sweet if you ask me.  Bringing people together a few syllables at a time.

5) David Rose - "The Stripper"  If nothing else, this song just makes me smile and want to dance around pretending (PRETENDING) to strip.  It also makes me want to watch "The Full Monty" but that's beside the point.  The point is that this is a highly recognizable song with no lyrics.  Excellent.

Here's hoping everyone has a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!  :-)  Cheers!

Missing You

Oi darling, I'm a wanker!  Sorry I've been absent, my dears.  Work has been a bit crazy, and school certainly doesn't make life any LESS crazy.  But here I am!  Huzzah!

It's Friday, but I have mixed feelings about today.  My hubby is gone on a brief trip until tomorrow, so it's just me and the puppers (who, of course, is making me jealous by sleeping the day away).  Call me a sap, but even though he just left this morning, I miss him already!

As such, today I feel it's only right to listen to some love songs.  But not, like, super sappy ones.  I'll save those for a non-Friday.  I need something to make me smile, not cry!  :-)  

So without further ado...

1) Never Shout Never - "Can't Stand It"  This may actually be the definition of a silly love song.  Regardless, it definitely puts a smile on my face.  The whole thing is just goofy and wraps you up in good feelings.  Huzzah!

2) Locksley - "Darling, It's True"  I suppose this isn't necessarily a love song in the truest sense, but whatever.  This is my list.  Anywhoozles, this is a GREAT upbeat song for a long, lonely Friday.

3) Carole King - "I Feel The Earth Move"  If the earth moving under your feet isn't love, I don't know what is.  This is probably one of my favorite songs of all time, and while you might argue it's more about infatuation or lust, I say pfft!  If you can feel the ground quiver beneath you, it's gotta be love.  ;-)

4) Queen - "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" I just can't get enough... of this freakin' song!  Yes, I am a Queen fanatic, so that might account for it...  Either way, love it.  LOVE it.

5) Katy Perry - "Firework"  Anyone who watched this week's Glee knows what I'm talking about.  If you haven't seen it...  Do it.  Now.

Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday and a wonderful weekend! :-D

I Can't Help Myself

For the past decade or so, I've admitted to having terrible taste in music (aside from The Beatles...  The Beatles are the best band ever, and if you disagree, you're wrong).  I have a love affair with awful 80s music.  I bounce along to catchy, repetitive pop songs.  I love music that some people wouldn't dare refer to as music even at gunpoint.

Most people, I suppose, would call this my guilty pleasure music.  But since I don't deny it or hide it, and in fact am more than willing to share about it, I just refer to it as "my crappy taste in music."

That being said, this week I've decided to share 5 songs from my iTunes list that I thoroughly love listening to, but really shouldn't.  

1) Ke$ha - "Blah Blah Blah"  Yes, I know she can't sing, her songs are full of references to getting naked and alcohol abuse, and no self-respecting person would put up with her grossness...  But dammit, her music is catchy!  And I love dancing around to it.  Never mind that none of it makes sense, as pointed out here.  Sometimes, all you need out of a song is a good time. And a really hot shower to wash the gross off.

2) 3OH!3 - "Don't Trust Me"  I should probably be utterly offended by the line, "Shoosh, girl, hush your lips, do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips," but instead, I just find it hilarious.  I love this song so much, I had it on the must-play list for my wedding.  Not even kidding.

3) Aqua - "Barbie Girl"  Obviously, we already know I'm a fan of Aqua, but this song should probably be banished back to the 90's and never heard from again.  Nonetheless, I will crank this song and dance around without reservation.  "Oh, I love you, Ken!"

4) Biz Markie - "Just A Friend"  Holy good God, this is probably the worst song ever made, but it is the BEST song to sing along to!  Especially when stuck in a car for several hours at night and semi-delirious from lack of scenery...

5) Mr. Mister - "Broken Wings"  Every now and then, you just need to clench your fists, close your eyes, and shout at the top of your lungs, "Taaaaaake, these broken wiiiiings, and learn to fly again, learn to live so freeeee..."  Seriously.  Try it. 

Have a great weekend, everyone!  GO PACK GO!!!

You Can Do It!

Ahhh, another Friday is here at last.  Huzzah!  :-)

Hubby and I are planning another Tropical Night this evening.  Looking forward to bumping up the heat, making some cool drinks, some fun food, and watching Lilo & Stitch.  :-D

I actually had a special request to make this Friday's musical selections about motivation.  Seems fair to me, especially since Friday is one of the hardest days to stay motivated!  I don't know about you, but my mind is already living the weekend life...

Anywhoozles, here are a few songs that help keep me motivated!

1) Rodney Atkins - "If You're Going Through Hell"  Yes, I know not everyone enjoys country, but the message in this song makes it motivational.  When you're in that dark place and the world seems like it's out to get you, lift your head and keep going through.  Stay positive and you'll make it!

2) Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"  Terribly 80s and terribly wonderful.  "Ain't nobody gonna hold me down, oh no, I got to keep on moving!"

3) Queen - "We Will Rock You"  My driver's ed teacher in high school used Queen a lot in his classroom (most notably he'd play "Another One Bites The Dust" anytime someone dropped the class, but I digress).  It doesn't matter if you're about to take a test, play the championship game, or just need to do some laundry, this song will pump you up!

4) Black Eyed Peas - "Let's Get It Started" Especially effective if you just need something with a good beat to get your day/night going.  Maybe "motivational" is a bit of a stretch, but I can't help but include it. 

5) R Kelly - "The World's Greatest"  A bit ego-central, but motivational nonetheless.  Just remember - YOU'RE the world's greatest!  P.S. I don't normally admit that I listen to R Kelly, but I'll make an exception just this once. ;-) 

And a few bonus songs:

6) Gloria Gaynor - "I Will Survive"  OK, admit it.  You've been known to belt this one out, haven't you?  I have.  This song may be best after a breakup, but really, anytime you need a lift, just remember that you will survive (hey, hey).

7) Timbuk 3 - "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" The title says it all... I mean, if your future is that bright, wouldn't you be motivated to keep going?  

8) Journey - "Don't Stop Believin'" Whether you're a small town girl or a city boy, this song encourages you to not stop believing.  (Of course, there's always Glee if you're not a big Journey fan, but, I'm going with the classics.)  

Have some more songs to add to my list?  Got a beef with one I listed?  Let me know in the Comments!

S A T-U-R D-A-Y Night!

Ok, not quite there yet, but I'm SO excited for the game tonight!

Even if the Packers lose (which I'm not saying is going to happen, but IF it happens), I think it'll be a great game to watch and I'm just pleased that we're this far into the playoffs.  :-)

I spent this afternoon struggling through the reading for my Psych course (intro readings are always the worst), so now I'm looking forward to a bit of a break.  

Hubby's out on a bar crawl (15 on 15 on the 15th - 15 bars on the 15th of the month along bus route 15, I think), so it should be interesting to see him later (it started at noon).  However, it does make the afternoon less exciting.  I can't help but feel so bored when I have the house to myself.  Even with Miss Maxine here!

Maxine, of course, is napping.  Shocking, I know.  Last night after a quick trip to the grocery store, we came home to find she had torn up a few cardboard boxes laying around.  This wouldn't have been SO bad except that one of the boxes was a Kleenex box that still had tissues in it.  Oh, and the fact that she has a bajillion toys laying around that she could have played with, but no.  Had to destroy boxes.  FCOL.

On that note, I'm off to find something fun to do.  Or clean.  But probably something fun to do. 

Oh Happy (Fri)Day!

TGIF for sure, kids.  This is the first full week of work I've had in almost a month, so Friday feels EXTRA good right about now.

I think, though, that I'll need some good, up-beat music to get me through the day.  What do I recommend?

1) Bruno Mars - "Marry You"  If you haven't jumped on this bandwagon yet, do it now.  Doo-Wops & Hooligans is chock full of awesome songs (if you're in a more mellow mood, allow me to suggest "The Lazy Song").

2) Cee Lo Green - "F*ck You"  Even if you listen to the radio edited version ("Forget You"), it's still one of the catchiest songs ever.  This song never gets old!

3) VV Brown - "Shark In The Water"  Ok, not quite as upbeat as the first two, but still way too much fun to leave out.  The chorus is bound to get stuck in your head (I know it gets stuck in mine AND my hubby's) and you'll find yourself singing along despite your best efforts to ignore it.

4) Wang Chung - "Everybody Have Fun Tonight"  Classic.  Especially for a Friday.  I mean, I'm not sure what exactly I'm encouraging people to do when I sing, "Everybody Wang Chung tonight," but it's gotta be good, right?

5) Aqua - "Lollipop (Candyman)"  Nothing but poppy, fluffy, nothingness to this one, folks.  But listen to it and try not to bounce around a little.  Seriously.  It's really hard.  I suppose if you were in a really crappy mood or hated fun you could probably avoid it.  All others, beware.

Happy Friday and enjoy the weekend!

 

Oh Dear

I have been so, so busy and so, so sick and tired this week that I completely missed Hump Day.  Yes, my lovelies, I'm terribly sorry.  Hopefully once I kick this cold to the curb, all will be well and I can get back to my normal posting.  Although, I do start school again next week, so...  eh, we'll see.

On the plus side of things, it's almost Friday, which means it's almost the weekend.  Huzzah!  My plan for the weekend?  A whole lot of nothing.  Yup.  Just chilling with the hubs and the puppers (who is currently going to town on a rawhide bone that I got out to keep her busy), watching some TV, playing on the 'puter...  Maybe going to Hooters on Sunday to watch the Packers kick some ass.  Keeping it pretty low key since once school starts up again, my weekends tend to be consumed with homework and studying.  -le sigh-

Who has big plans for the weekend?  Anyone?  Bueller?

Lazy, Lazy

I'm pretty sure I've done nothing productive today.  Wait, no, I take that back.  I might have been productive for about 20 minutes somewhere in there.  But, as it is, I could have been cleaning or doing laundry or exercising or something like that.  Instead, I watched America's Next Top Model re-runs and worked on a puzzle.  Awesome.

Ok, in all fairness, I did cut out pictures for our thank you cards.  And I picked up some dishes and stuff around the living room.  And I tried working on Christmas presents (which I just can't focus on because it's not even Thanksgiving yet, FCOL).  So I sort of tried!

I just can't do anything when Zach's not here.  I don't know if other couples function this way or not, but when he's not here, I just don't feel comfortable.  I get so bored doing things that I normally do.  If he were home, I could spend all day on my computer playing games and just being a dork.  But with him gone, I've spent maybe a total of an hour on the computer so far today.  I just don't know what to do with myself with an empty house!

On the plus side, I managed to get Maxine to sleep in bed with me all night, so that was nice.  I think she tried to wake me up a few times so I could pet her, but when I ignored her, she just curled back up and went back to sleep.  I really do love my dog.  

Tomorrow it's off to see my parents and stay overnight as I have a doctor's appointment on Monday morning (annual physical... joy).  The good thing about next week is that I only have two FULL days of work.  I'm off Monday morning for my appointment and I'm off Friday morning* for travel purposes, and of course I'm off on Thursday, so that leaves a full day on Tues and Wed!  Awesome!!

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving.  It's not my favorite holiday (that would be Halloween, of course), but I think it's the most relaxing for me.  I know most people get all up in a tizzy about Thanksgiving - stress from family and cooking and trying to be perfect - but it's never been like that for me.  

Growing up, Thanksgiving was normally my mom, my dad, and me.  Throw in my hubby for the past few years (though, this is our first Thanksgiving as a married couple), and the puppers this year, and you still have a pretty chill gathering.  

As tradition dictates (I'm HUGE on tradition - blame the OCD), I'll wake up early-ish to watch the Macy's parade with my mom while she starts cooking (because that is one parade you are never too old for!).  Then I'll get hubs up to watch some football with dad and me (and may make some Chex mix or some other snacky item).  

We'll probably do some family trivia after that (this is normally done via the numerous newspaper Super Quizzes my dad has saved up), then have Thanksgiving dinner (which, we actually have at dinner time, not in the afternoon).  Then it's time to make hand turkeys (a tradition just for me and Zach) and probably watch the Peanuts Thanksgiving special.  Dad normally has a fire in the fireplace, and he and Mom are often half asleep, enjoying its warmth.

And last, but NEVER least, comes dessert.  Pumpkin pie.  Or some variation thereof.  Sometimes mom gets a pecan pie for Dad, but nothing is quite like pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.  The BEST tradition of the year is when Dad and I make whipped cream together.  

Dad will have the bowl in the freezer for hours ahead of time, waiting for us whenever we're ready.  Then we get out the heavy whipping cream, the sugar, and the vanilla extract.  There's no recipe or measurements to be followed.  One of us will pour in the cream, while the other starts getting sugar ready.  Dad starts up the mixer, and tells me when to start (and stop) putting the sugar and vanilla in.  When we think it might be ready, we grab spoons and taste it.  If it's not to our liking, the solution is normally more sugar.  And eventually, it'll be just right.  It always is.

So I know there's some big thing about being against Thanksgiving because of what it stands for, etc, etc...  But I never think about the history involved.  Maybe that's naive of me, but I prefer just to think about what I'm thankful for and enjoy the day with the people I love the most.  

My advice?  Stop over-thinking holidays.  Have they been commercialized?  Sure.  Are the things they were founded on maybe less than happy/PC/whatever?  Sometimes, yeah.  But does that mean they have to be ruined and we should all be unhappy and stressed?  Hell no.  Make holidays what you want them to be.  They're much nicer that way.  :-)      

   

*Yes, I actually do have to work Friday after Thanksgiving.  In fact, the only reason I have that morning off is because I requested it almost 2 months in advance.  No, I'm not in retail (thankfully).  No, I don't get overtime or holiday pay.  Yes, it sucks.  

Flookies

I have this habit of baking for my husband for special trips he takes.  For example, when he went fall camping last month, I sent him with Snickerdoodles.  A few years ago I made peanut butter cookies for him to take hunting.  I've made sugar cookies once or twice as well.  I like to bake this time of year!

So last night I attempted chocolate chocolate chip cookies, only I made them with peanut butter chips AND chocolate chips.  They're fine, I suppose (hubs likes them), but they turned out as flookies.

What, you may ask, are flookies?  Flat cookies.  Flookies.  Yep, that's what they are.  

This term got coined while I was on a road trip with my non-biological sisters in August 2009.  Kristy had made these cookies that were really tasty, but flat.  I mean really flat.  At some point, we stopped asking to be passed the "flat cookies" and started asking for the "flookies" instead.  Thus, a word (or Phippsism, if you prefer) was born.

And now, apparently, it was my turn to make some flookies.  

Again, they're tasty enough, I guess, but they just look so goofy, especially compared to the pics shown with the recipe (apparently using shortening could have helped, so say the reviews, but I tried just using butter).  And it's even more amusing to me because I just read my friend Sarah's blog yesterday about the cookies she attempted where she had almost the opposite problem.  

Why are some cookies just hard to make?  They should be easy and tasty and wonderful!  And yet, sometimes, you get flookies. Oh well.  They'll still get eaten.  :-)

So, anywhoozles, hubby will be going hunting this weekend (alas, yes, I am to be a hunting widow), so the puppers and I have big plans to do a whole bunch of nothing.  Well, that's not entirely true.  We're going to see my parents on Sunday, so I guess that's something, eh?  I really don't like sleeping in the house alone while he's gone, though.  Just feels so empty.  I usually try to make Maxine sleep in bed with me for the company.  We'll see if she puts up with it.

And now, I leave you with 5 random songs you should listen to today for fun.  Why?  Why not?

"Only Girl (In The World)" - Rihanna

"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" - They Might Be Giants*

"In My Room" - The Beach Boys

"Love Is A Dirty Word" - Jason Collett

"End Of The Line" - The Traveling Wilburys

*Or you can listen to the original by The Four Lads.  I just like the TMBG version. :-)

What A Wonderful Weekend

Ok, so, morons aside, this Monday I also have to write about my weekend with my hubby.  

Normally, Zach and I like to try to get away a few weekends of the year.  It's a chance for us to get away from everything and just be us.  This is a little harder with Maxine in the picture, so the only getaway we've really had in the past year was our honeymoon.

So, rather than a trip to Door County or a weekend camping trip, we decided to have a date weekend in our own area.  Not only did this mean we didn't have to find arrangements for the puppers, but it also saved us some money since we weren't paying for a campsite or hotel room.  Huzzah!

The only "rule" was that we weren't allowed to go on the computer during the weekend.  A few exceptions presented themselves (I needed to re-order my meds and we had to check on a pints-to-cups conversion), but otherwise, we stayed offline and made each other our focus.

Saturday was pretty low key.  Maxi and I went to wake Zach up around 10:30 and ended up napping with him until about 11:30.  After getting some dishes done and looking up recipes, we headed to Milwaukee Public Market for lunch.  We got some great burritos (with chips and guac - yum!) and did some window shopping around the market.  We did end up buying a bag of Herbs de Provence for a recipe we intended to make for dinner, as well as a container in which to store it.

Then we headed out to do some fun shopping.  We went to World Market (because I could spend a lifetime in that store and never get enough of it), PetCo (to get some belated gifts for Miss Maxine's anniversary) and finally Sendik's to get things for that night's dinner.

As it turned out, we weren't able to do the recipe we had planned for because I'm an idiot and didn't notice that it needed to marinate for 8 hours before grilling.  Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.  Instead, we kind of winged the entree and I focused on the rest.  For those curious, our dinner consisted of the following:

• Grilled beef tenderloin, seasoned with dried garlic, dried onion, kosher salt, pepper and herbs de provence.  Complimented with a gorgonzola cream sauce.
• Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. 
• Alexia brand Oven Reds (Olive Oil, Parmesan & Roasted Garlic).
• A slice of chocolate orange dream cake from the Sendik's bakery.

Some quick notes on this dinner, if I may:

1. These were some seriously rich foods.  And while I love rich foods, this was a lot even for me.
2. In the past, we've used cream cheese (even light or fat free) in place of the Neufchatel for the asparagus.  It really doesn't make a huge difference, in my opinion, though the cream cheese probably makes it lighter.
3. The oven reds were good, but were more like steak fries than I had anticipated.  They also went great with the cream sauce.
4. Speaking of the cream sauce, we made a HALF recipe and still had tons of leftovers.  Also, it didn't reheat well, so next time we plan to make only a quarter recipe.  Should be more than enough.
5. The recipe we didn't get to make (but someday will) can be found here.  We're excited to try it when we have enough time and foresight.  As it was, the tenderloin was pretty awesome, AND the leftover meat was great in the morning for a makeshift "steak and eggs" type breakfast.

Anyway, we pretty much lounged for the rest of the evening.  We watched some episodes of Castle on DVD and watched Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian on TV (huzzah for cable!).  Then we went to sleep, full and happy.

Sunday we had a nice breakfast of leftover tenderloin and fried eggs.  Then we got dressed and headed out on an adventure.  We stopped at Fowler Lake in Oconomowoc, and then headed on to Astico County Park near Columbus.  Our final destination for the day was Day One Pizza in Columbus, an awesome pizza place we stumbled upon a few years ago that we make an annual mecca to just because it's just that good.

Once we made it home, we watched Knocked Up and then Zach caught up on his new zombie show (Walking Dead).  Overall, I'd say it was a successful weekend indeed.  :-)