What's in your drawer?

A total stranger just made my day.

I've been lusting over the Nelson miniature chest of drawers for 2 years, but could never justify the $1300.

Today...on this dreary day to end all days I hopped onto one of my favorite web sites and found this fantastic DIY project someone made.

She to must have gazed longingly at this beautiful piece before coming up with this brilliant, although admittedly not as refined look alike.

I'm totally going to copy her idea! Off to IKEA!

On A Roll

I'm telling you, everything you've heard about meal planning is true.

It is a complete pain in the ass, but necessary to keeping a happy home. I wonder if week two will be as productive. I've been on a roll and have cooked a brand new homemade meal every day this week. Well...except for Tuesday. That's when Norwego and I went shopping. I got a fab new jacket and a hot new dress that I'm currently rocking!

Back to the cooking.

Wednesday was spicy jerk chicken. It was an homage to previous Project Runway dinners. Norwego and I cooked up a fabulous feast for Dave-o-licous. The two wives in the kitchen. Wonder if that turned him on?

Last night...Asian Pork Sandwiches. Some may say even as good, if not better than Jasmine's. This may be my new favorite. It had all my favorite flavors. Hoisen, a little kick from the chili paste, tang from the rice vinegar, fresh cilantro and basil. It was to die for! I may also try it sometime soon as an appetizer. Perhaps served as lettuce wraps or topped on crostinni.

Tonight we feast on leftovers!

Mush Bread

I turned into a happy homemaker last night. It was so cute that I could barely stand myself!

Picture this:

Me in my super cute kitchen, apron, baby blue Kitchen Aid mixer in the background.

Puppy following me around like a little black shadow.

I made the most delicious dinner in no more than 20 minutes.

Creamy orzo with marinated grape tomatoes and fresh basil. The combination of white wine vinegar and a hint of Dijon mustard with the creamy base was a thing of genius!

While this was all cooking, I started on my cake batter. My co-worker gave me the starter to something she called Mush Bread. I was a little worried. Turns out it is some sort of Amish bread. Somehow you get your hands on this super secret starter that only the Amish know how to make. Then you mush the starter for 5 days in a plastic Ziploc bag, on the 6th you mix in milk, flour and sugar. You mush for another 4 days.

If you can get past the fact that this bag full of flour and milk has been sitting out on your counter unrefrigerated for the last few days, you get to the point when,on the 10th day, you mix in some more eggs, milk, flour and sugar, etc. You separate that into 5 equal parts. They call it Friendship Bread because you keep one starter for yourself and give your friends the other 4. The cycle continues. If you add a box of instant vanilla pudding to the mix it changes the bread into more of a coffeecake, which is what I did.

It was delicious! The entire house smelled of cinnamon and sugar. I never, EVER bake, so this smell was something new to us all.

It was really nice to have Dave-o-licious walk in the back door after a long, hard day of work and have the house smelling of dinner and fresh bake goodness. Awww, to be a housewife....

Thursday

Me at work on a Thursday morning. Don't I look thrilled? Actually it has been a good morning. Sold some stuff, made some contacts. Waiting to go for sushi over lunch.

I look like I need some sleep. What's up with the dark circles?!

Fine.

Fine. Alright. Ok. I will! I suck. I have nothing to say.
These have all been things I have responded with when friends have asked, "Why no update?"

I actually do have a lot to say although laziness, illness, parties, and cleaning keep getting in the way. I will be back. Mark my words. I will be back.

-Crankers

Empty Cans

I'm not one for resolutions, but I'm trying really hard to break my addiction to D. Coke. It is a horrible problem.

This won't sound like a big accomplishment to most of you, but I'm down to 2 a day! I'm happy. I have had a bit of extra coffee in the morning, but at least the can has been curtailed. for now. I'm hoping to get to 2 a week my next month. That would be good.

5 days down, more to go....

Car Trip to Auntie JoJo's

La Dolce Vita

Things have been good.
days filled with new paint colors on the walls
suprise visits from in-laws
new sparkly drum sets
and new recipes tried

This is one of my new favorite photos. Sadly it is not one of mine, but can still stare at is longingly. Did I ever mention that vintage linens are one of my favorite things. I have to get over my fear of actually using them though. Alas, it is a disease I picked up from my mother!

Murray Schwartz

I love him because he's head is just a little to big for his body.

Childhood Memories

Mr. Softee

or

??

I've Got the Catalytic Converter Blues

I'm going to get Dave-o-licious to write me a song 'cause I gots the blues. the Catalytic Converter Blues.

Lets just recap the situation.

• Three years ago my little red bundle of joy got smashed to smithereens on a cold wet snowy night.
• This was followed by my current ownership of my piece of shit 2003 Saturn.
• I hate this car
• I have always hated this car. I signed the paperwork knowing I hated this car. Lesson learned.
  
• It started smelling like shit the week after I bought it
• We got rid of the smell, but still. HELLO!!!!!!!!!
• Fast foward to 2007:
• one tire blow out on the freeway: tow, tire replacement = $200
  
• oil change= $50
• car won't go faster than 45 miles per hour, what can it be?
• Lanhart Auto visit
• apparently I was working the car to hard in an attempt to make it go past 46 miles an hour =$300 sensor replacement
• front rotars shot =$299
• car still won't go past 45 miles per hour
• Kennedy Transmission visit
• Enterprise Rental = $39.99 per day
  
• test drive, computer thingy test $60
• "we have good news and we have bad news" Does anyone really want to hear these words? NOT I!
• Apparently I have a Catalytic Converter problem. I also just missed the fucking Saturn warrenty =$1250
• Total 2007 car expense. Someone give me a fucking drum roll
  

$2,198

Miss Jackson to you

Granted, this photo was taken while in motion, but should I worry that I look like Michael Jackson in it? We even appear to have the same hair don't. Jesus.

HOLY SHIT! We just bought a house!

Is it bad that we just realized that all the floors slope?

Carcinoma

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer, with over 200,000 new cases per year estimated in the United States. Squamous cells are cells that compose most of the epidermis. An abnormal growth of these cells is known as a squamous cell carcinoma.

Most SCCs are not serious. When identified early and treated promptly, the future is bright. However, if overlooked, they are harder to treat and can cause disfigurement. While 96 to 97 percent of SCCs are localized, the small percentage of remaining cases can spread to other parts of the body, and the results are often fatal.

Nice. Real Nice.

One more thing to deal with.

Sad to see ya go

2006.

I'm sad to see it go. I have to admit, I was trying to think of something in my usual Cranky Grandma style, but I can't do it. I can't think of anything bad that happened this year. Sure, there were a couple of plates chipped and few new gray hairs, but I have to say it was a truly great year.

It all started New Years Eve 2005. A few lies sprinkled around, "oh, you know we have a couple of NYE parties to go to" when secretly all we did was stay home on the futon. Alone. With spooky movies we were to spooked to watch. A great dinner cooked by Dave-0-vicious himself and dreaming of what would be.

What would be. Was. Great.

The new Husband.

The new life.

The Wedding. Glitz and Glamour

The trip Up North where we spent the day chasing down Moose tracks and counting the dancing deer.

Our fab new apartment that we love, love, love

Decorating

Trying new recipes

Discovering all the new "firsts"

Project Runway Wednesdays turned Top Chef Wednesdays turned just another excuse to eat a lot and be with friends Wednesdays

The Minivan purchase. Say it ain't so!

New friends

The weekend getaways

Driving the folks down to Chicago for a bonafide Midwestern Thanksgiving Extravaganza!

The lazy Sundays just sitting and reading

Our very first Christmas Tree

Watching Him run around the house looking for little treasures

The birthday trip to Chicago. The pimped out hotel!

Watching Jo and Kelly married!

Baby Jack

My best year ever at work

But the very best was just being. Just sitting back and enjoying.

Here's to 2007. Can't wait to see what's to come.

Contents of a 2 Gallon Purse: An Ode to Mme Piggy

Macy's catalog

Target catalog - full of coupons for toys the kids don't want. Or course!

Wallet stolen from Mona

Receipts for things I will never expense

Checkbook, also missing its holder

Pile-O-Bills. Most of which have not been paid since Aug.

4 way past due parking tickets (don't tell Dave-o-licious)

Package of Nice 'n Clean wipes. Have no idea where they came from.

2 packs of gum

1 tampon

lip gloss

Pomegranate aroma therapy roller ball tube thing

cork from really nice bottle of wine from Pierres

more coupons I have slipped and never used

uber soft Gap gloves

eye allergy relief eye drops

stack of fancy pants business cards

34 pennies, 5 nickels, 8 dimes NOTE: not even 1 quarter. This accounts for above mentions parketing tickets!

bottle of Alieve

1 fuzzy yellow chick

6 pens

bottle of Aveda Elements

Unopened can of Diet Coke

A List

1. It is Monday morning and all i can think about is the weekend. See. You have off on Saturday (I'm ignoring the 1/2 day) which means that we get to play, play, play.
2. Your loaf is better than my loaf. We can't be good at everything I guess.
3. My favorite days are the ordinary ones. The ones in which we wake up, make eggs and just hang out. I love my life. I love that ordinary days can be the best days. The days I most look foward too.
4. You look pretty cute in dust covered blue jeans.
5. Don't you think our underpants will look better in the drawers than the floor?
6. Da Bears.
7. Da Vikings
8. Here's to movies with no endings
9. Thanks for waking me up every morning
10. We'll always have the soggy hugs.

Aches and Pains

Is it when your left arm or right arm hurts that it means you are having a heart attack?

Mundane, but I'm ok with that.

Tasks for today:

1. book hotel rooms for Thanksgiving extravaganza - CHECK!
2. schedule church thing for Grandma - CHECK!
3. clean desk. - CHECK!
4. make 150 phone calls related to actual work. -CHECK!
5. sell $8000 worth of restaurants ads - STILL WORKING ON THAT!
6. gchat a few times -CHECK!
7. eat lunch - CHECK!
8. eat dinner with the girls- CHECK!
9. clean house - STILL WORKING ON THAT!
10. plan runway dinner- CHECK!

Where is the God Damn Fat Lady?

September sucked.
September has always sucked
Bad things happen in September.
Like, school starting.
Like, bad dreams and flying home early.
Like, people getting sick.
Like, people dying.
Like, letting down the one you love the most.
Like, creating enough drama to fill up the God damn Metropolitan Opera House.
I thought the fat lady had finally sang when we were at the Raw Bar.
I was wrong.

Enter October.
Fucking hell.
We all need an escape.
He keeps saying something about Telamark. I don't even know how to spell it. I'm not exactly sure where it is- Wisconsin, I think.
Sign me up!
All I know is that I'm game.
Game for anything.
Game for another car trip in the mini van. I even bought one of those little U-shaped neck pillows.
Game for a King size bed.
Game for the Jacuzzi.
Game for Nature (God help us all).
Glass of wine anyone?

October will be better.
It better be.
September sucked!