Posts Coming Soon

Yes, I know I've been terribly lax about blog posts lately.... I have a lot to update everyone on, that's for sure! As soon as I get a day off, I will be sure to post!

Car Woes

As many of you know, I've had some issues with my car lately. And when I say lately, what I really mean is since 2006, which is when I bought it! There are sooo many things I love about my car. But everything is so expensive! EVERYTHING! I think it's a German conspiracy...but I won't go into it now. 2 weeks ago tread on my tire came off, which left me stranded somewhere around Hague Avenue. But fortunately, AAA came to my rescue. Side note about AAA: This has been the best give I've ever received. My dad has given me a AAA membership as a gift every year! Fabulous! So last week, driving home from work, I was sideswiped by a car on I-70. Fortunately, no one was hurt. My car, on the other hand, not so great. Very sad, indeed.......

Happy Hallo-Wynn

My nephew, Wynn, is all ready for trick-or-treating. Isn't he adorable?? He's a soccer player. Specifically, he's Christiano Ronaldo.





Is the resemblance uncanny?

IH8MRNGS

Random thoughts for a Wednesday morning....

1) What is the allure of personalized plates? This morning I saw a woman driving a car with a plate that said MAL A BOO. Really? Is she from Malibu? If so, what is she doing in Columbus, Ohio? I also passed a mini van that said IDOT 94. Now, since I'm in Columbus, I can only guess that the person driving dotted the i in Script Ohio in 1994. Which is a pretty freakin' cool thing. But, is it significant enough to put it on a license plate?

I just asked my mom, "If you dotted the i, would you put that on a personalized licensed plate?" Cheryl, a huge fan of TBDBITL, replied, "You bet"! She didn't even hesitate, bless her heart. So, I guess I just don't get it.

2) Why does the work week drag on and on, but a vacation week flies by?

3) What purpose does it serve to slam on your brakes when a cop has someone pulled over on the OPPOSITE side of the road? Seriously, they're already occupied....they're not gonna come after you. And, on the flip side, why do people NOT get over a lane when a cop has someone pulled over?? Come on, people, if you can get over, get over!

4) What will it take to get my wood floors clean? I've tried everything. And I still have streaks. Method's Wood for Good floor cleaner seems to be one of the best. I tried Orange Glo last night, and it worked really well for 1/2 of my floor....then it got all streaky. Maybe I just got tired.

Have a great Wednesday!

Game On! (Well, Almost!)

Exactly one week from today, "my" Penguins report to training camp. Wow! Didn't hockey season JUST end?? Seriously. I think it did. Pens single game tickets went on sale this morning at 10am, and nearly every cheap seat for any game I wanted to go to was sold out by 10:20am. (And by "cheap", I mean less than $100! It's crazy how expensive these tickets are! I guess they need to pay for that brand spankin' new arena in Pittsburgh!) I really wanted to see them play the Capitals (because I really don't like Ovechkin....mostly because he's wicked good and beats up on my boy, Sid). Or the Blackhawks (because I think the Blackhawks made some really dumb trades and I don't think they'll be as tough this year). Or Tampa Bay (because Vincent LeCavalier is seriously the hottest man on skates I have ever seen).

Side bar about LeCavalier: Seriously. If he ever got traded to a team closer to Ohio like Chicago, Detriot, etc., I'd probably have to really think about making the Pens my #2 team. Yes, I'm shallow. But he's smokin'.

But, alas, I had no luck. I was able to get some tickets to see Pittsbugh v Columbus at the end of September in Columbus! The seats aren't GREAT...and it's a pre-season game...but still! Woo Hoo!!! I hope Sidney doesn't get too jealous if I bring a date.

No White After Labor Day

Dear White Pants,

I'm packing you up this afternoon for the winter. No white after Labor Day, you know..... Don't be sad. We've been together for 5 years now and this is not the end. I still remember the day I bought you. You're just the perfect pair of flat front, flare leg pants. Classic. Never out of style. You're starting to get a little big on me, but my mom will give you a quick nip/tuck next spring and you'll be as good as new.

We had some good times this summer, didn't we?? The "Eclipse" premier, book club, a trip to Cosi, weekend in Cincy, a blind date or two.... You've been my "go to" item whenever I'm having an "OMG what do I wear" crisis. I know Labor day is still a ways away, but I do have some other items that I want to wear before there's too much of a chill in the air. (Like my that new maxi sundress and that cute white skirt that you're always talking to....)

But don't worry. Before you know it Memorial Day 2011 will be here and we will meet again! Enjoy your winter slumber, white pants. Enjoy.

Unbelieveable

As many of you know, my work is not in one of the *best areas* of town. Yesterday, one of my team members found a pit bull puppy chained to a tree in the woods beside my work. The poor thing was pretty much near death. One of my team members took it home, stopping by the vet on his way home and spending his own money to have it examined. It's a girl - 9 months old and already has had a litter of puppies. The vet said she'd been chained in the woods for about 2 weeks. The good news is she hasn't been in fights b/c she doesn't have cuts or scars. The bad news is that the pit bull rescue is full and not taking animals. I guess the humane society doesn't take pit bulls either. The team member that took her home can't keep her, but he is hoping to try to nurse her back to health so that she stands a chance of being adopted. I called work a few minutes ago (off today) to check on the status of the dog. She's not doing too well and the guy that took her home is calling animal control. Maybe the most humane thing at this point is for her to be put down.

Who would do that to an animal? It just breaks my heart. I mean, animals don't have a choice and can't defend themselves. I've been so upset about this....if you had seen the pics, you would be too. At least the poor girl has spent the last 24 hours with people who have showed her much love. God bless my team members who gave her food and wataer and brought her home. Okay - if you're sad now, read my post before this one called "Random Thoughts". That should bring a smile to your face!

Random Thoughts

My BFF had this posted on her blog the other day. A friend sent her the link, so these aren't my original thoughts or hers.... But I thought some of them were pretty darn funny and worth sharing. The link at the bottom is to the original post! Happy reading!


•I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.
•Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.
•I don’t understand the purpose of the line, “I don’t need to drink to have fun.” Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they’ve invented the lighter?
•That’s enough, Nickelback.
•I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.
•The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase “Regards” again.
•Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn’t work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ’s. We just figured it out. Today’s kids are soft.
•There is a great need for sarcasm font.
•Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the f was going on when I first saw it.
•The other night I hit a new low at an open bar. I had already hopped on highway blackout when, inevitably I had to find a bathroom. Eventually I decided it was probably on the other side of the bar so I tried to walk over there, but ran into a guy coming the other way. We played that, Both go left, Both go right game to no avail, so I finally put out my hand to guide myself past and that’s is when I realized, yup, that’s a mirror I just tried to walk through. And the guy on the other side is me. Even cats can recognize their own image.
•How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
•I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
•The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.
•A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.
•More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can’t wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that’s not only better, but also more directly involves me.
•Was learning cursive really necessary?
•Lol has gone from meaning, “laugh out loud” to “I have nothing else to say”.
•I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
•Answering the same letter three times or more in a row on a Scantron test is absolutely petrifying.
•My brother’s Municipal League baseball team is named the Stepdads. Seeing as none of the guys on the team are actual stepdads, I inquired about the name. He explained, “Cuz we beat you, and you hate us.” Classy, bro.
•Whenever someone says “I’m not book smart, but I’m street smart”, all I hear is “I’m not real smart, but I’m imaginary smart”.
•How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear what they said?
•I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a d*ck from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!
•Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using ‘as in’ examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss’s last name to an attorney and said “Yes that’s G as in…(10 second lapse)..ummm….Goonies”
•What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?
•While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it…thanks Mario Kart.
•MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
•Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died…
•I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.
•I would like to officially coin the phrase ‘catching the swine flu’ to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: “Dave caught the swine flu last night.”
•I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.
•Bad decisions make good stories.
•Whenever I’m Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don’t mind if I do!
•Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?
•If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.
•Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I’m from, this shouldn’t be a problem….
•You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you’ve made up your mind that you just aren’t doing anything productive for the rest of the day.
•Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don’t want to have to restart my collection.
•There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.
•I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
•I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There’s so much pressure. ‘I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren’t watching this. It’s only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?’
•I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
•When I meet a new girl, I’m terrified of mentioning something she hasn’t already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.
•I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it’s on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.
•Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles…
•Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.
•It should probably be called Unplanned Parenthood.
•I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
•I think that if, years down the road when I’m trying to have a kid, I find out that I’m sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.
•Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn’t know what do to with it.
•I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
•I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.


http://kbrownlee.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/fwd-random-thoughts-of-the-day/

Happy Birthday, Kid

Dear Sidney,

Happy 23rd Birthday! It seems like only yesterday that you were shooting pucks in your parents' basement. Well, considering how you're only 23, it pretty much was yesterday. But anyways, I know this birthday probably doesn't seem as special to you. I mean, you spent B-Day 2009 with the Stanley Cup....that's pretty tough to beat! But perk up, Kid, because hockey season 2010-2011 is just around the corner. And, you have a brand new arena to boot!

Best Wishes from Columbus,
Erin

To all you who don't believe in the adorable-ness that is Sidney Crosby, check out this Reebok commercial. The guy with him is Maxime Talbot....another Penguin.... I think they're BFFs becuase they're always together.

Lesson

Things you should ask a kid if they ask to play with or eat something:

1) Did you ask your mom?
2) Is your sister (brother) already playing with (eating) it?

Trust me, I've learned the hard way this week.

There Are No Words

... to describe how freakin' funny this picture is to me. I mean, seriously, I can't even look at it without laughing hysterically. I won't tell you which one of the Hilton girls this is. Because then I'd have to kill you. But she clearly was rockin' the Wonder Woman underroos. (Do they even make Underroos anymore??) And the wallpaper just makes the picture even more classic.

Is It Friday Already?

I'm having somewhat of a bad morning. Friday is my weigh-myself day. I only lost 1 pound last week! Really??? 1 measly pound? I was so good last week! Even with the holiday! I stayed well within my points range. (Note: Those of you that have done ww know what I'm talking about.) I worked out pretty hard every other day. I ate all of my fruits and veggies. Maybe I didn't eat enough points. Or, more than likely, maybe it was the 3 beers I had last night when I got home from work. (In my defense, they were Mich Ultras, which are only 2 points each and kind of like drinking water anyways...)

Ok, snap out of it, Hilton. 7 pounds in 2 weeks is excellent. Plus now next week will be an even better week, right? All I want to do is go to McDonalds and get a huge iced coffee and a sausage mcmuffin. I'm not, though. I'm eating my Kashi cereal that tastes like ass. Well, probably more like tree branches. With a banana cut up on top to make it taste like banana-flavored tree branches. And drinking my hot water with lemon. Because I think Shannon's right and that it does give you a good toxic-free start to your day. And then I'm going to go do my running/walking thing because way too many people know about my 5k in September goal.

But I'm still not happy about the pound.

Weekend Recap

Hope everyone had a great July 4th weekend! I was off on Saturday and Sunday, so I headed to the lake to see the parentals and Amanda. And, of course, my nephew Wynne. We had a great time - boating, cooking out, catching up on some reading.


Wynne loves the boat. I took this picture right before his ball accidently went overboard. He was one sad little doggy for a few minutes. Then a water bottle distracted him and he forgot all about it.


The lake was really crowded on Saturday, which is to be expected. What wasn't expected was Snooki from "The Jersey Shore" making an appearance. Okay...that's really my sister. But isn't her sequined bikini just Snooki-licious?


My mom at the cookout Saturday night. I was just too lazy to get up and take a proper picture. But that big pole doesn't distract too much, does it?

Dancing Queens

The weekend before Father's Day I went to North Carolina to visit my BFF and her family. Her oldest girls (Emma and Lily) had their first dance recital and they invited me to come see them. It was quite the crazy weekend. As soon as I arrived on Friday, Lori and I took off for Scrap Mania at her local Archiver's. The next morning, Lori ran a 5k and I took Lily for some special "Auntie Time" (Note: "Auntie Time" = shopping). Afterwards, we had to rush to get ready for Emma's dance recital. We had to pile the makeup on the girls so that they could be seen from the audience. Lori told me, "Make sure you bring your makeup because we need to make the girls look trashy". Really? So I was the designated makeup artist. Sunday? Church, Lunch, Emma's "Auntie Time", then Lily's recital. The girls take dance at a pretty large studio. At least it was large enough for them to do 5 separate productions of Snow White. Yes, that's right, 5. And, wouldn't you know it, Emma and Lily were on different days. And they only gave 4 tickets per kid per show, which stinks for my BFF's family b/c there are 4 kids, lots of grandparents and a couple of Aunties. I was lucky enough to go both nights. I know I'm biased, but Lily and Emma were really, really good. Lily saw us in the crowd and waved. It was enough to bring a tear to your eye! Admittedly, I was a little bored the first night.... It was a looooong program! But I got over that the second that Emma came out afterwards and ran straight to me. I'm sure it's only b/c 1) her mom wasn't there and 2) her dad was the one that came to their 'holding cell' to get her, but still....I felt pretty darn special and was soooo glad that I made the trip.


Emma was a hip hop dancer. Doesn't she look oh-so-thug here?


Lily was a feather duster. How cute is this outfit? That's Julia in the background. She was my make up assistant.

Happy Father's Day ... A Little Late

Hey, Curt, what's with the blue velvet shirt?

Last Wednesday, when I was sure I was about to die from a sore throat, I was woken up during my mid-afternoon nap by some crazy noise in my backyard. Sure enough, there was my dad out there mowing my lawn. (Note - it had been a while since my backyard had been mowed.... Actually quite a while. He had to mow it twice.) Curt even loaded up his brand spankin' new trimmer (courtesy of his daughters) to make sure the edges were done to his liking. Now how wonderful is that? I don't know many dads that drive 40 minutes across town to mow their daughters' lawn. Well, that's just the kind of dad I have.

As you can see from the picture above, he's pretty much always been about his girls. You can't see it here, but he's reading to me. And I, according to my mom, am eating a hot dog. Yes, even at an early age I was all about food and books.


And I have always been a daddy's girl.... By the way, is that a 70's kitchen or what?

Many of you know my dad. And most people will agree that he is one of the best people ever. Ever. I hate that I didn't see him on Father's Day, but I was just way too sick to participate in a family event that day. I just don't have enough room to list all the things that make my dad so great. I'll just say this: I'm so, so, so lucky to have this guy for a dad. And I'm so thankful that I'm back in Columbus so that I get to see my family so often. Happy belated Father's Day, dad! I love you!

Couch to 5k

I've set a goal for myself to run a 5k by the end of September. Don't laugh. I'm serious. My inspiration? My BFF, Lori. When I was in NC a few weeks ago, she ran a 5k and had been working really hard to get ready for it. And, by the way, it was at least 90 degrees the morning of the run, so she gets bonus points for doing it. My sister and mom are going to run it with me, which I'm really excited about. Yes, this is the same sister that runs marathons, but I think she will be very supportive.

So today I started my training. I won't bore you with the details, but the first week is basically 30 minute runs where you alternate jogging and walking. I about died. Died. Those of you that are in shape and actually enjoy running, try not to fall out of your chair laughing. But I did learn 3 things today:

1) I can do anything I put my mind to.

2) I am really, really, REALLY out of shape.

3) I need a better sports bra.

Enough said.

Alive!

Yes, I am alive! It's been a crazy week. I've been sick consistently since Friday. I haven't posted in forever, and I have pics from my North Carolina trip and a Father's Day blog post to do. If I had a laptop, I might have been able to do some bedside blogging, but it's not so convenient to have a regular computer in your bed - haha. My BFFs, Katie and Lori, have their own opinion as to why I am sick, but I'm not going to go there right now. At first I thought it was my allergies, but I just couldn't shake this fever that I had..... Then the sore throat started. By Sunday I was out of my mind with pain, and convinced myself that I would indeed die if I didn't go to the Urgent Care. The good news is that Urgent Care (being Father's Day and near dinner time) was empty, so I had basically no wait. The bad news is that they still haven't invented a pill to magically make me all better. I was sent home with a prescription and instructions to rest and drink plenty of fluids. Easier said than done, as it was excruitating to swallow. I mean, I dreaded it. Now I like me some food, but I have eaten very little over the past 5 days. And that's sayin' something. I made another trip to the Dr. today, and was given a shot, some cough medicine and some mouthwash that kills pain. This stuff is the best. stuff. ever. Ever! And, I lost 4 pounds! I know I'll gain that back as soon as I start eating again, but hey - it was a good feeling at the Dr.'s office this afternoon!

I am so thankful that:
1) I have air conditioning. I can't imagine how horrible it would have been to be sick and hot!
2) That my mom lives so close by. She came over on Monday, did my laundry, and basically force fed me hot tea and made me gargle w/ warm salt water. I was so miserable and in so much pain, but her being here just lifted my spirits. Also, I was out of clean underwear.
3) My dad finally took pity on me and mowed my backyard yesterday!
4) I had the chance to get caught up on The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. You know how I love those guys.... And I'm now only 3 shows behind.
5) I have a great team at work who was able to hold down the fort. God bless 'em....they called me very little. I'm very proud of them.


After my trip to the Dr.'s this afternoon, I took a 4 hour nap. That's the longest I've slept in one block in at least 5 days. I woke up feeling actually pretty good. That shot must have done some good, because I have no fever whatsoever. Looks like I survivied this one!

Summer Hot Spot

The Hilliard branch of the Columbus Library is apparently THE hot place to see and be seen this summer. I stopped by around noon to pick up a book I had ordered and the place was PACKED! Now it's always pretty busy there, but today was exceptionally busy. It is a pretty nice library. The librarians are super friendly. There's even a "teen" section, which had a bunch of teen lounging around in it. I was a little annoyed at first because, well, teenagers can be obnoxious, but then I thought....."You know, there are certainly worse places for teenagers to be hanging out". I went in for one book, and came out with 4. I had to stop myself from getting any more books, because I already have quite the summer reading list. I did pick up this cookbook by Jimmy Buffet's sister. It has some wicked good recipes in it. All southern-gulf-coast-lots-of-shrimp-and-cheese cooking. I'm making some Hot Gouda Grit Cakes tonight... Yum.

I've always been a big fan of the library. And I'm happy to be back in a city with such an awesome library. Akron's pretty much stunk.... Actually, Erie (of all places) has a really nice library. It overlooks the water and it attached to a museum. I don't even mind paying late fees. Because I believe that libraries are pretty much the best use of our tax dollars (besides schools).

When I was little I took a book into the bathtub with me and dropped it in the water. My mom made me take it in to the library and explain to the librarian what happened and apologize. (I know! How mean was that???) But the librarian looked at me and said, "That's okay. When we love books, sometimes we want to take them everywhere with us". So Cheryl was a little disappointed that day. She thought that her daughter would learn a big life lesson about respecting books. I don't know who the librarian's name.....I was probably 5 at the time....but that kind lady is probably who helped turn me into the book whore that I am today. Well, I do owe some thanks to my parents who taught me to read also!

I had a lot of big plans for my day off today. I was going to do some painting, catch up on laundry, clean my floors. Instead I spent the morning checking out icanhascheezeburger.com and I suspect I'll spend the afternoon reading. Oh well....

Prom Season

So, my mom just forwarded me a picture of my cousin's oldest kid before at prom. He looks absolutely adorable. And I can say that because I'm pretty certain that he does not read my blog. First of all, I cannot believe that I have a cousin who has a kid that's a senior in High School! WTF?? True, my cousins on that side of the family are WAAAAAAYYYY older than me... :-) But, still..... I remember when THEY were the cool older cousins in HS. Now they're parents of HS kids. UGH. Makes me feel super duper old.

But here's what made me feel REALLY old. I emailed my mom back with the usual blah blah blah about how adorable they were..."Is that his girlfriend?"....etc.... Then I tacked on this statement: "Back in my day, the prom dresses weren't so revealing". Seriously? Did I just say that? It's true. But me saying that makes me old.

So sad.

Note: The above picture is NOT of my cousin's date. I did a google search for prom dresses and this is the type of dress I found. Really? Below...now THIS is more like it.... Better, yes? Would YOU want your daughter in the dress above?

Summer Reading List

I went to Barnes & Noble this afternoon in search of a book club selection for May. I've decided that I miss my reading friends and want some excuse to have them over again in a month to drink wine and talk.... I also went to Target where I happened to find a few more good reads. I found sooooo many great books. I bought a few. Okay - more than a few. More like 8. But I have my summer reads all selected. Here's what I'll be reading this summer:

1) Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer. This is the third of her New Moon series. I've read it before (several times), but the movie comes out on June 30th, and I want to be fully prepared. If I remember, this one was my favorite. I'm still a Jacob fan.

2) The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. I hadn't heard anything about this one, but it looks pretty good. It's the story of a man who, while recovering from a car crash in a hospital burn unit, meets a woman. Said woman claims they were lovers in medieval Germany. Interesting, no?

3) My Fair Lazy by Jen Lancaster. Okay - if you haven't read anything by Jen Lancaster, get off your ass and go buy one (or all four) of her books. My favorite of all of them was Pretty in Plaid, which was her I love Target.

4) The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. This one may be my book club pick for May. It's about a girl who is abandoned on a ship headed for Australia in 1913. She arrives totally alone with clothes and a book - a book of fairy tales. The dock master and his wife raise her and, on her 21st birthday, they tell her the truth about where she came from. So off she goes to trace her real identity. It sounds really good, and it has a reader's guide in the back of the book. I'm a sucker for books with reader's guides in them.

5) Little Bee by Chris Cleave. This is the other contender for May's book club selection. I've heard about this book, but for some reason never checked it out before today. I think it's new to paperback, which is what caught my eye. Anywho, the back of the book says, "This is the story of two women. Their lives collide one fateful day, and one of them has to make a terrible choice, the kind of choice we hope you never have to face. Two years later, they meet again - the story starts there...." Hmmmmm......I'm intrigued! The book's a bestseller and has won a bunch of awards. True, a bunch of awards does not always equal a great book. But the author's from the UK. And you know how I love all things British.....

6) Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn. Historical fiction is my favorite genre. It's about first-century Rome, the Emperor Domitian, gladiators, etc.... I probably picked it up because I've been watching that series "Spartacus" on Starz lately. Interestingly, the author wrote her first story at age seven after seeing the movie "Spartacus" with that famous guy....I can't remember his name.... She said that she always wanted to write a book about a gladiator and this novel is the end result of that first "book" she wrote as a kid. Cute story, huh? That alone was enough to make me buy the book!

7)The Anglo Files: A Field Guide to the British by Sarah Lyall. This book has mixed reviews on GoodReads.com, but it looked good to me. I bought it last year and, although I've started it, I keep putting it down and forgetting about it! I know....you're probably thinking, "Well, it can't be THAT good then". But, really, it is! It's about a woman who moves from NYC to London in the early 90s. I'm going to finish it....soon.....

8) The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan. This is the 3rd book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I really enjoyed the first two. I've been waiting a few weeks to buy it in hopes of scoring one at Half Price Books. My mom (who I have reading them too) said that they told her that since the movie came out, there haven't been any of the Percy Jackson books handed in. Bummer. So I broke down and bought #3 today.

9) The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. This is book #1 of Riordan's new series, The Kane Chronicles, which is about Ancient Egypt.

There are definitely more books I'm interested in....but this will get me started. Now if only I had a beach and a smokin' hot island man to serve me pina coladas all day, I'd be set!

Senior Spring Break 2010

Well I'm up and at 'em early this morning to dog sit for the parentals. They left bright and early this morning for Alabama to visit my mom's BFF. Another couple will be joining them. It disrupts Lucy's schedule (that's the dog)too much to have her boarded, and my backyard isn't fenced, so it really is easier for me just to go stay there. Not really sure that it's all that easier on me, but it IS a heck of a lot closer to work for me. Besides, my parents do so much for me, it's only right that I pay them back.

But here's the funny part... Last night, just as my mom and I were wrapping up a phone conversation, my mom stopped to yell at Curtie for wanting to bring a bottle of Jack Daniels with them. Seriously? It's like they're HS kids packing for spring break. I'd just rather not know what they're up to down south.....

Wednesday Afternoon Update: The parentals are not in Northern Alabama. I just realized that the majority of my conversations with my mother end with her saying, "I need to go and yell at your father about (just about any topic can be insterted here)".

Truly Inspiring

A friend recently loaned me a book called "Artful Blogging", which has a bunch of blogs by these super-crafty-super-inspirational women. I've been checking them out a lot lately. One in particular struck a chord with me. There's a woman in Utah named Stephanie Nielson, whose blog is called The NieNie Dialogues. She's a wife and a mom who also just happens to be recovering from a near fatal plane crash. Her post yesterday was a recap of the weekend. She called it "perfect", yet her family did everyday, "normal" things (like a bike ride, etc...). Anyways, it really puts things into perspective about what's important. I know we all understand that, but sometimes we lose sight of it.

I highly encourage you to check out her blog. You can click on the little typewriter on the right of my blog page to get to her blog.

Now, I don't think my blog is inspiring in the slightest. I started this blog to keep my friends and family who live far far away current on what's new in my life. But, I do feel compelled to recap my weekend.....

* I didn't work for three whole days straight!
* I slept until 11am on Friday and then took a nap at 3pm. And, best yet, I didn't feel guilty at all about it!
* Got one of the cutest messages on my celly from my BFF's oldest child, Emma. Apparently she announced to her mother, "I'm going to call Auntie" and she did! I know she's seven and that's probably not so amazing that she figured out how to call me from her mom's cell phone, but her message was adorable. And she is one of the smartest children I know.
* Went to the parentals for Easter dinner. Yes, I know that Easter was weeks ago. But my sister was in Florida and I worked on Easter. But, seriously, how cool is it that my mom made an entire Easter dinner for us because we missed Easter?? My mom rocks.
* Totally rocked out to "Just Dance" on the wii. I had to groove by myself, though, because my family sucks and wouldn't participate. Personally, I think it's that they were too afraid of my mad skillz on the dance floor.
* The Penguins won! And with that win moved on to the next round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* My sister brought me a kick-butt Easter basket. Except for the mug from the Miami Ohio School of Business (which she got free) and the empty plastic eggs (wtf???), the basket was awesome.

Probably one of the best weekends I've had in a looooonnnng time. And, yes, a lot of it has to do with the fact that I didn't work for three days! Yeah, definitely not as inspiring as some blogs that I've read.... But, hey - it's always good to think of the good things you have going on in your life, right? Have a good week!

Monday Musings

I had a grand day today. I started the morning with phone calls from not one but both of my BFFs (Katie & Lori). Then I met my mama and we went to The North Market. I've been dying to go there since I've been back in Columbus. Some of the shops were closed, but we still managed to have an awesome lunch followed by Jeni's ice cream. I had fig & goat cheese and Cheryl had peanut butter Thai chili. Sounds gross, but my ice cream was FABULOUS! Then we did a little more shopping before I came home to do some boring stuff around the house. It all got me thinking about how lucky I am to have such wonderful friends and a nearly perfect family.

Here's another revelation. I love the Giant Eagle by my house. Most of my friends know that I hate Giant Eagle. I worked for them and I really hate them. (Please note - some of the best people I know work for that company....but I hate the company.) When I moved back to Columbus, I swore that I would NEVER set foot in a Giant Eagle again. As luck would have it, there is a Giant Eagle literally 2 minutes from my house. I really don't even have to leave my development to reach it. My dad told me, "The time to stop being stubborn is when it starts hurting you". So, I grudgingly shopped there. And here's the kicker - it's seriously the best Giant Eagle ever. Ever. The people are so so nice. And today, the guy at the deli spotted me perusing the rotisserie chickens and said, "I have a fresh one here for you if you'd like it". And who doesn't love a cute young man with fresh chicken? And, in case you didn't already know this, Giant Eagle truly has the best rotisserie chickens around. I know this to be true because when I worked for them, I had my team taste testing rotisserie chickens from Wal Mart, etc.... My point is this: Maybe it's not so good to hold a grudge.

So Trashy

I spent my morning off yesterday cleaning out the area behind my store. Apparently the local homeless have been using the woods beside my building as a summer home. It was not what I wanted to do on a day off, but it needed done. And here's the cool part: My parents came over to help. There were some tense moments, like the argument between me and my dad about correct placement of trash in the dumpster. But I was soooo thankful for their help. I would have been out there all day instead of 3 hours if it weren't for them. Just one more reason why I have the best parents in the world! Here's a partial list of what we cleaned up:

1) One mattress (full size)
2) One sofa
3) 39 bottles of beer (40 oz, mostly Busch Light)
4) 9 bags of leaves that someone dumped.
5) 8 tires
6) 13 other bags of random trash. Mostly empty drink bottles.
7) 1 headboard (queen size)
8) 1 large (3' at least) wooden spoon....I guess proabably used for wall decoration somewhere.
9) 2 drinking glasses - probably lifted from Bob Evans.
10) 1 large garbage can filled with roof shingles.
11) 2 buckets
12) 1 cooler

I tried to think of what we could make out of the beer bottles (vases, anyone?), but Cheryl nixed that idea. There are still quite a few beer bottles that we didn't get, so I still have the chance to come up with some additional thoughts before Christmas!

Think Globally, Shop Locally

There's this coffee shop close to my house called New Grounds. Their coffee is pretty good. Probably every bit as good as Starbucks....and just as expensive. But here's why I love them:

1) They're local. And I think it's really important to support local businesses. Every time I go through their drive through I say a little prayer that they will survive.
2) If you order a muffin from them they warm it up for you. Do they ask if you want a warm muffin? Nope! They just do it automatically. And I love them for this.

So, shop locally my friends. It's a good thing.

This Little Piggy

I got this amazingly adorable piggy bank at Target last night. Only $9.99 for a ceramic piggy bank. Pretty good deal, don't you think? They have a ton of super cute ones in all kinds of great designs .... like pink polka dot and light blue argyle. I'm going to grab a couple when they go clearance for baby gifts. I think piggy banks makes great baby gifts! Love it!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all! I just spent some time trying to figure out the connection between St. Patrick (you know...the guy who drove the snakes out of Ireland), Leprechuans and green beer. I mean, my name is Erin after all, so it's kind of like my own special holiday. (My friends Shannon and Katie will agree with me on that one.) Turns out, there really is no connection! Americans have pretty much made up the whole wearing green thing. What about pinching people who aren't wearing green? Yep - that's pretty much made up by Americans as well. See, back in the 1700s, people thought if you wore green, it made you invisible to the Leprechauns. Apparently, Leprechauns have a nasty habit of pinching anyone they could see. So the pinching is to warn and remind you about the Leprechauns. Hmmmmm.... I won't go into too much detail. I have a couple of super smart friends who probably already have all kinds of historical info on their blogs already, so click the links over there on the right if you want some real education. (Morgen and Shannon, I'm talking about you!) It's still a fun holiday, dontcha think? I personally don't think I'll be partaking in too much green beer today. I went in to work at 4am and am fighting either allergies or a bad cold. Beer + Tired Erin + Benedryl = Not a pretty picture. If you're out and about today, be safe and watch out for Leprechauns!

Birthday Ideas Needed

What do I get the sister who has everything?? I've just spent the past hour looking online for ideas for Amanda's birthday gift. Her birthday's right around the corner, and I probably won't be able to go with the parentals when they go see her next weekend....so....I should probably get something now.

I thought about Sephora, because, like myself, Amanda is a makeup whore. But all I did was find a lot of stuff for me.

I found some candles that sound amazing....but they're waaayyy too expensive and I just wanted one for me. (Do you see a theme here??)



I thought about a gift card to Barnes & Noble, because Amanda loves to read. However, in general I just don't like giving gift cards. I think they're so impersonal.

See, the problem with my sister is that if she wants something she just buys it. (Uh...kinda like me I guess....) She makes fun of my craft projects, so I won't be making her anything homemade. If she does read this, I'll get yelled at. But it's true. She mocked my handcrafted envelopes made with recycled antique sheet music and my decoupaged clothespins. And, if I must say so myself, those clothespins were freakin' adorable and perfect for holding bills together! So, I give up.

Any ideas???

New at Target!

So it's been probably close to 2 weeks since I've been to Target. Crazy, but true! I was amazed to find this new line called "Liberty of London for Target". Liberty is a department store in England, and they're kind of known for big, crazy floral designs (the one above is one of my favorites). They (meaning Target) have several endcaps of this new line....one in home decor, one in stationary. It's really cool and I love it all. It combines two of my favorite things: all things British and Target. Way to go, Target!

Poor Sid

Perez always has the latest scoop! According to one of his most recent blog posts, Sidney Crosby (aka my 2nd favorite hockey player) had his equipment stolen after the gold medal game on Sunday. WTF??? Poor, poor Sid. This is just wrong! I'm so disturbed I can't even come up with a joke about "Sidney Crosby's stick"....

Here's what Perez says:

Sidney Crosby, who scored the winning goal for Canada in the Olympics, had his hockey gear stolen!

After scoring the game-winning goal in overtime Crosby's equipment got lost in the shuffle and now he doesn't have his gold medal-winning hockey stick or gloves!

Hockey Canada is launching a full investigation. His mouthguard was already returned and supposedly his helmet as well, but the stick and gloves are still missing.

Well whoever snatched them can't put them on eBay now without getting caught — he or she should probably just send them back!

Do the right thing and send them back! There's a Sidney Crosby museum in Nova Scotia, dontcha know? His gold medal winning stick should be there!

Oh Canada!

Okay, let me set the record straight. I was totally rooting for the US to win last night's hockey game. Even though one of my favorite players ever was on team Canada, I still wanted Canada to win. Now, to be fair, I did watch Canada play hockey every chance I got. And I complained every time those mean boys went after Sidney. But Sidney gets roughed up a lot, so I'm used to it. (Hey - I guess that's what happens when you're one of the top players in the world....)

And, in case you missed it, it was Sidney Crosby who scored the goal in overtime that gave Canada the goal. (The picture of him above is him just after he scored the goal.) And today I'm feeling a little conflicted. I want to be happy for Sid, but I really did want the US to win. Memo to Canada: You may be better in hockey, but we could still take you over if we wanted to.

Things I Love

Since it's the season of love, I want to share a few things that I love:

1) Haircuts. Is there anything that makes you feel instantly prettier than getting your haircut? Ladies, you KNOW what I'm talking about! Throw in an eyebrow wax and - POOF - your entire outlook on life is changed. And all it took was $40 or so and about 30 minutes.

2) Yosick's Chocolates. My mom got me some of their chocolates for Valentine's Day and they are DELICIOUS! Their shop is in German Village. I've never been there, but my mom raves about it. According to their webpage, they also have pastries. Yum! I need to check it out.

Puzzling Situation

My mother has a new obsession. Puzzles. Here's how it went down: Her BFF, Ann, is totally into puzzles. And apparently on some trip together, my mom caught a wicked bad case of the puzzle bug. The past couple times we've been to Target together, she always makes us look at the puzzles. (Side note: That's our thing. When we get together we always find an excuse to go to Target. Even if one of us has already been there that day.) And one Saturday afternoon, my parents showed up at work to buy puzzles. "Your dad's buying me TWO puzzles", she exclaimed excitedly. I guess there could be worse things that your mother could be into, right? There's no end to her madness. And when she's on a roll, she does this little dance and sings this song... ("I'm so good at puzzles...I'm so good at puzzles....") It's beginning to scare me a little. Even my dad thinks she's gone crazy. He was talking to Ann's (remember, she's the BFF) husband last night on the phone and he told him that Cheryl was a master puzzler now.

"I mean, it's after 9pm and she's up there doing puzzles!"
Curt Hilton

Clearly my father is just as perplexed about this strange behavior as I am. I suggested she take a break from puzzling, and she insisted that she could quit any time she wanted. Cheryl, the first step is admitting you have a problem.

Two Things

1. I heard on the radio today that Taylor Swift is writting an autobiography. Seriously? Now I love T-Swizzle. I have her CDs...I'm a fan. But isn't she like 16? What could she possibly write about? Of course, she has dated one of the Jonas brothers and Taylor Lautner....and she has won a Grammy.... So, maybe she has a little to write about. But maybe she should wait a while. I'm just sayin'.

2. Don't go out unless you have to. I just told my mother that I thought that Erie did a much better job of cleaning the streets in the winter. I think I mentioned that I actually missed Erie a little because of it. (Shocking, I know!) And she said, "Ummm...I think not!" Then she reminded me of the time that she drove her little red Toyota Matrix with the racing stripes to Erie and feared for her life. Maybe she's right.... I probably just don't remember how horrible it is in that oh-so-chilly corner of Pennsylvania. But here's my point - be careful out there! I personally wouldn't go out if I didn't have to. I had a lady tell me that she didn't send her kid to school today (he goes to Columbus). She said, "I don't want my baby out in this". But you're out shopping for toys? I don't get it....

Super Bowl Alternatives

I am so excited for the big game today! And, no, I'm not talking a bout the Super Bowl. I have no interest whatsoever in that! Well, to be honest, I am a little bit intrigued to see the Taco Bell commercial w/ Charles Barkley in it....but that's about it. I am talking about the matchup this afternoon between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals. Now, I'm sure you're wondering, "Why is this game such a big deal"? Let me tell you. It's a big deal because Sidney Crosby (shown above with my real favorite Penguin, Evgeni Malkin) and Alexander Ovechkin (who plays for the Capitals) are probably what most people consider to be the #1 and #2 players in the NHL. Sidney Crosby, for those of you who don't know is a hockey wonder. He's just a baby - only 21 - but he is good. So freakin' good it's scary! Until this week, he was the #1 scorer in the NHL. Yep, that's right, he was de-throned by Ovechkin. It's always a big deal when they're together, on or off of the ice.






So Sid's at 37 goals and Alex is at 39. Now, I'm not a big fan of Ovechkin, but the guy is good. And this afternoon's game will be one heck of a good one. The Capitals beat the Pens the last time they played, so I'm sure my guys will be out for blood today. Game's on at noon....and I think it's even on one of the major channels (I believe NBC). Anyways, check it out. You won't be disappointed. And, in case you can't get enough of Sidney Crosby after watching him today, you'll be happy to know that you will be able to see him at the Winter Olympics. Team Canada, of course.



And, in case neither Hockey nor Football float your boat, "The Sound of Music" is on TV tonight. 7pm. Possibly the best. movie. ever. That's what I'll be watching tonight!

Nerd Season

"I don't see much of your father these days. It's Nerd Season, you know"

-Cheryl Hilton

Of course, my mom is referring to Tax Season. My dad loves doing taxes. Loves it. The year after he retired he took an income tax class. I asked, "Oh, are you going to start doing taxes professionally?" And he replied, "Nope! I just always wanted to learn more about taxes". Seriously? Wow. And, because I'm now back in Ohio, he's doing my taxes again. He does my sister's taxes, my grandma's taxes, my uncle's taxes, my mother's, etc..... And he loves it. He practically met me at the door this morning. Barely even acknowledging his first born child, he snatched my W-2 out of my hands. He looked like a little kid on Christmas morning. I took special pains this morning to ensure I had everything he needed. (You know....the mortgage interest statement and the like.) My mom said, "You know, now he's going to fret about whether or not he has the right papers". As if on cue, my dad said, "Well, I think I have everything I need, but I'm not sure".

He has a super weird obsession with using a tax program AND figuring them out by hand. It's like he's in a man vs. computer race. But if anyone could find a flaw in the Tax Cut program, it would be Curt Hilton. Very strange. He also fills out the tax forms in pencil as well as printing them up on the computer. He also honks at the poor unfortunate souls that stand outside of Liberty Tax dressed up like the Statue of Liberty. You know the ones I'm talking about.... It's like with every honk he's saying, "Hey! I dig doing taxes too"!

Best. Grilled Cheese. Ever!!

I dropped by my parents' house today. Conveniently, it is lunchtime. My mom just made me a Parmesan crusted toasted cheese sandwich. It was delicious! I think it had at least 3 different cheeses and ciabatta bread. So, so good! Seriously. Probably the best grilled cheese ever. If not THE best, definitely in the top 3. And you all know how serious I am when it comes to matters involving cheese. I would've taken a picture of it, but that would have required me putting it down long enough to take a picture of it, which wasn't happening. I'm going to have to do something to work off all of the calories I just took in. Does Wii Bowling count as exercise??

But this grilled cheese got me thinking how lucky I am to have the parents that I have. And not just because they cook for me. It's been a long time since I've lived within 30-40 minutes of my parents. They do so much for me.....like watch Mollie when I go out of town, help me paint, insulate me garage, etc.... They've even stopped by work to bring me dinner during the crazy holiday season! How sweet is that? And my parents are still pretty cool. Well, Cheryl is cool....Curt is mostly because of Cheryl's influence.... But look at them in this picture.... Aren't they adorable? You would never know that they are card-carrying members of the AARP. (By the way, did you know that seniors get a discount at Andersen's on the first Tuesday of the month? If you need something, I'm sure Curtie will let you come along with him and use his discount!) Sometimes I feel like I see them a little too often....but then I think of how long I wasn't able to see them whenever I felt like it. And of how many birthdays, Christmas celebrations and other holidays that I missed And then I don't feel bad anymore. So, Cheryl, here's to you and your kick-ass grilled cheese! You're the best mom ever. I wonder what's for dinner.....

Weekend Review

I spent this past weekend in North Carolina with my bff and her family. What a great time. Lori already beat me to it and blogged about our adventures (see the link to her blog on the right), but I wanted to post this pic of me and the girls. Aren't they the cutest girls ever? We took the girls to the NC Museum of Natural History on Monday, which was free. And it's a good thing it's free because their attention span wasn't all that great! But that's okay...because it was free! Plus Lori and I felt that we were doing something educational for the kids. After the museum we had pizza at Mellow Mushroom in downtown Raleigh. Seriously, the best pizza ever. Ever. I also had enough time to go out for an adults-only dinner with Paul and Lori on Saturday night. Emma and Lily weren't very happy about that, telling Lori, "You always hog all the time with Auntie. It's not fair!" But Lily and Emma got their special time with Auntie. Separate time, of course, because they can't be expected to share special time with Auntie! And by special time, I mean shopping. And sometimes coffee (for me...hot chocolate for them....). All in all, it was a great weekend. Too short, though! I miss them already and can't wait to see them again!

Dr. Phil in Training

I'm in North Carolina this weekend visiting my bff, Lori, and her family. This afternoon, Emma, her oldest and I were having a heart to heart. See, she was getting ready for her Daisy Girl Scout meeting. Auntie (that's me) was very excited because they were going to a police station for a field trip......and who doesn't love a man in uniform? Emma told me that she would tell any cute, single cops that she had an Auntie that needed to get married. So then she drops this bomb on me....

"Auntie, you don't need a man to be perfect".

Then she said,

"Trust me, men are nothing but trouble"!

Seriously?? How did she get so wise???? It was, quite simply, the cutest thing ever. Ever.

The Future Mr. Hilton

If Perez Hilton says it, it must be true! After months and months of speculation, it appears that Justin is now a single man. Here's what Perez sayz:

Is it for real this time?

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel have reportedly split up and gone their separate ways.

FINALLY!

Jessica has been working hard in Africa, just finishing a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro that was originally supposed to be completed alongside her now ex-boyfriend Timberpuss.

Justin, however, has been off partying in Jackson Hole, Wyoming — even performing and beatboxing at The Brother Ali Show.

Blah, blah, blah.

We're sure neither of them will have trouble finding another boring replacement for the other.

Shame on you, Perez! That last comment was kinda bitchy! I have to go now. I need to make sure I'm available when JT calls me, you know.....

Etsy - It's a Good Thing

I love Etsy! For those of you not in-the-know, Etsy is kinda like Ebay, but has all sorts of homemade things and you don't bid. Well, I guess that makes it not really like Ebay at all.....but you can find EVERYTHING on there! Pottery, art, paper, you name it! And I always feel good buying from someone on Etsy because I feel like I'm supporting artists. You can even shop locally, which is a good thing if you live in a metropolitan area like Columbus. (Not such a good thing if you live in a tiny place like Erie, PA.)

One of my friends, Morgen, has an Etsy shop called BellisiMo. He has some super cute notecards on it. Morgen, I don't even want to know where you got those vintage clip on earrings! :-) Check it out:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/morgen1967

Oh yeah, I still haven't figured out how to add a link to my blog posts, so you have to copy and paste this.... Will one of my techy friends please help a sister out, here? Be warned! Once you get hooked on Etsy, it's tough to stop!

Method To My Madness

I am absolutely in love with Method cleaning products. Specifically, I love Method Wood for Good. It works great and it smells fantastic. Because isn't one of the best parts of having a clean house how it smells when you've just cleaned??? I also love their wood floor cleaner and their Daily Granite cleaner.


Plus their products are 100% natural, so I feel like I'm being oh-so-environmental when I use them. Usually I don't go for those natural and organic cleaners....I just don't think that they work well. But these do. I tried their steel wipes, but they didn't work very well and they dried up super fast, so maybe next time I'm at Target I'll grab a bottle of the Steel for Real and give that a try. Oh, by the way, you can get everything at Target. I've just discovered that Drugstore.com sells a HUGE selection of Method cleaning products, including some I've never heard of. Gasp!

I think I've just reached a new low in my life by blogging about cleaning products. Some people will appreciate this, though. Like my BFF, Lori. She's crazy about cleaning products. CRAZY, I tell you!

Channeling My Inner Barista

This morning I made the best coffee! I've spent the past few hours lounging in front of the fire getting my game plan for my house cleaning together. Yes, house cleaning requires a game plan.... For example, do I do room by room or do I do all the dusting, then all the glass, then all the floors, etc.? I haven't cleaned really well since before Thanksgiving. And, since I don't have a husband or kids to mess things up, I can pretty much get away with it. Last night I was super-productive and cleaned the entire upstairs. Today, downstairs awaits. But I digress.... I made the best coffee! Here's the recipe:

2 cups coffee
1/2 cup milk (I actually added a touch more....)
1/4 cup honey
1/8 t. Cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1/2 t. vanilla

Combine the first 5 ingredients into a saucepan and heat through. Do not boil! Remove from heat, add vanilla and serve. This really only makes about 2 cups. Next time I'll double the recipe. It's delicious and didn't cost me $4.50 at Starbucks! Now to get back to thinking about cleaning.....

Resolution Review

Before I get serious about making my resolutions for 2010, I thought I'd review those resolutions I made one year ago.... And, of course, I posted them on my blog for all to see, so I have to face the music and see if I followed through on any of them. (Excerpts from my 2009 post are in bold.) So here's where I stand:

1) Eat more cheese. I love cheese. When the fam was out to dinner a few nights ago, I overheard someone say, "I can't imagine a world without cheese!" I feel exactly. the same. way. One of the best parts of working in the grocery industry was that I got to attend 2 weeks of classes to become a "certified cheesemonger"! So much fun! I try to get a new cheese every time I go to the grocery store. So not only do I want to eat more cheese in 2009, I want to make sure I keep track of them all in my "Cheese Lover's Journal". (Yes, one exists, and I actually bought it!) By the way, if you need me to help you make up a cheese plate, I can do that!
Hmmm.... Well, not working in the grocery biz has hurt me a little on this one! I have wanted to get to that cheese shop at the North Market, but never quite got there.

2) Spend more time with my family and friends. I don't want to not do something because I have to work the next day. I want to do a better job of keeping in touch with friends who live far away.
I definitely did a good job with this one! I've reconnected with many friends from High School (Don't tell them I said this, but MAN are they getting old!) I also saw my sister more this year than I have in a long time. I can definitely get better at this one, though, so it should go on my 2010 resolution list.

3) Stop rolling my eyes at my mother. I've already broken that resolution, but from this moment on I vow to be better. Promise! Ummmm...yeah....didn't happen.

4) Take more bubble baths. I love bubble baths. Almost as much as I love cheese. I lived in my house in Erie for 13 months and didn't take a bubble bath once. Something about sitting in a 70 year old tub that so many other butts have sat in just gave me the willies. But I'm moving into a brand new house in 14 days! Brand new! The first booty to rest in that tub will be mine...and I plan to take advantage of it!
I was super super good at this one! I've taken more bubble baths in the past year than I have in 3 years!

5) Read more books. I read every single day. Even if it's only for 10 minutes before I go to bed. I love love love books. Love bookstores. Love the library. In 2009 I want to go to the library more often. And maybe not buy quite soooo many books.
6) Not feel guilty of sleeping in. I swear I have one of the best beds in the world! Crisp cotton sheets, a fluffy down comforter, lots of pillows! There is nothing like a nap in the middle of the day. So decadent!
Check and check! Man, I'm on a roll! I need to make more of these kinds of resolutions! I also made a general resolution to get healthier, and I've lost a little over 20 pounds. Still not exercising as much as I should, but I'm definitely eating better. So, other than eating more cheese and not rolling my eyes at my mother, I did pretty good in 2009! Stay tuned for those 2010 resolutions!

Unanswered Question of 2009

Okay - what is the deal with Lil Wayne? Why do women find him so attractive? I mean, in 2009 he had several babies (I don't know....2 or 3.....) with several different baby's mamas! I don't get it. He's always stoned, he is not respectful to women, and his voice is horrible. I've tried to like his music. Really, I have. I came this close to liking that "Mrs. Officer" song. But then I focus on his voice and think, "Man, he sucks"! I don't get it.....