We made a quick stop at the store tonight, and as we perused the cookie aisle, I was sort of ambivalent. I wanted something dessertish and sweet, but didn't know exactly what that something was. As I checked out the Pepperidge Farm cookies, I wasn't really in the mood for my usual Chessmen, so I kept looking. Who knows, there might be some yummy, new cookie goodness that I'd previously missed?

Well, I found something alright. Something so good that they're exceedingly dangerous. I present you with Amaretto Milano cookies.

Oh my goodness! They are incredibly delish! Dark chocolate and amaretto sandwiched between two delicate, buttery cookies. Heaven in a cookie. These could be the source of my demise, they are so amazing.

And they're mine, all mine. Muwahahahahaha.

We just celebrated our 22nd anniversary over the weekend. Many thanks to Carrie for the anniversary game. We played at dinner at a favorite local Mexican restaurant. Then we wandered around Lowe's, creating a dream list of appliances for our new home. Nothing a few thousand dollar gift card wouldn't take care of. LOL!



The Anniversary Game (our version anyway) - We each had to come up with something from each year we've been married. I don't think we put any real rules or parameters on ourselves.

1986 - We got married!
Hubs - Went to work for the RV Department at the Ford dealership
Me - Went to Paxton, NE with my sister & cousin in the Toyota

1987 - We moved to California
Hubs - Got his first Jeep
Me - Got my first profit sharing check and bought a nice 18 speed bike

1988
Hubs - Went to work for Fred & Jack
Me - Took a Vivarin trip to Colorado with hubs & cousin

1989
Hubs - Moved to San Jose
Me - Experienced 7.1 earthquake (Loma Prieta - opening day of World Series)

1990
Hubs - Moved to Roseville
Me - Got impetigo after spending an evening in hubby's boss's hot tub (5 of 6 of us got it, not just me)

1991
Hubs - Made a crazy, 3-day trip to Colorado with my dad
Me - Went to work at the Biomedical Engineering Center

1992
Hubs - Moved back to Colorado
Me - Bought our first house (from my sister and brother-in-law)

1993
Hubs - Trip to California in November with a 5-week old baby that took FOREVER. Especially since we got stuck in Rawlins, WY
Me - Got Cody (our dog) and bought a camper (before having ClayGuy)

1994
Hubs - Traded his pickup and shell for his second Jeep (aka Speedy)
Me - Lost our minds while buying our second house

1995
Hubs - The Comedian was born
Me - Our house began to crumble

1996
Hubs - Oops, couldn't come up with one
Me - Left corporate position to stay home with the boys

1997
Hubs - Traded the Accord for a mini van
Me - Became a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

1998
Hubs - First trip to Easter Jeep Safari in Moab
Me - Went to San Diego for SU convention

1999
Hubs - Weekend to Empire and rode the Georgetown Loop
Me - Family's first trip to Easter Jeep Safari in Moab

2000
Hubs - Employer moved south
Me - Took the train to California

2001
Hubs - 9/11
Me - Helped move Mom & Dad back to Colorado

2002
Hubs - Employer moved yet again (much closer to home!)
Me - Tried to sell our house (114 showings, 4 failed contracts, no sale)

2003
Hubs - Stepped down from being service manager
Me - Got Canon Rebel SLR camera

2004
Hubs - Kevin went to be with the Lord
Me - Stopped being a SU demonstrator

2005
Hubs - House began to sink, bought the Scrambler
Me - Moved to our current home

2006
Hubs - Sold the Scrambler, got the van
Me - Threw a big surprise party for my dad's 70th birthday

2007
Hubs - Went to a fly fishing clinic with the Comedian
Me - Threw a surprise party for my sister's 40th birthday

2008
Hubs - Bought the Avalanche
Me - Went to see TobyMac, Jeremy Camp, and Matthew West.

And hopefully buying a house . . . very soon!

Looking forward to many, many more wonderful years.

It was a very normal afternoon, doing stuff around the house, having friends over, editing articles, and the like. What would really give this day a kick in the pants? How about a quick run to the grocery store?

Let me back up a moment, Lucy and the kids came over and I decided to whip up a batch of ooey gooey Rice Krispie goodness. I opened the refrigerator to discover that {gasp!} I HAD NO BUTTER! ACK! No butter = no treats.

Never fear! Lucy & I would make the one-mile jaunt to the market and buy the much needed butter . . . along with a few other things of necessity, you know, like frosted flakes and sandwich bags.

Well, the hilarity began in the parking lot. Granted, I could certainly have remembered a list of 5 items, but I didn't want to appear inconsiderate to Lucy as we walked through the store, with me repeating some strange mnemonic shopping list and not interacting with her. No, I save mnemonic shopping lists for private shopping, thank you very much. We got out of the van, uh truck, er, JEEP. Yeah, that's it, we were in the Jeep. Anywho, in a moment of sheer brilliance, it occurred to me that my teeny, tiny little post-it grocery list might decide to detach itself from my purse, particularly if said purse were hanging over my shoulder. I glanced down at my purse and sure enough, the rascal had already departed. Problem was, I didn't really know where it went. Then I spied it - under the tire of the Jeep! Being the sweet friend she is, Lucy was quite compliant when I asked told her that I was going to pull forward and she could pick up my runaway list. In all fairness, I did offer to let her pull the Jeep up and I would get the list. She declined and graciously picked up my teeny little list.

Hi ho, Hi ho,
In to the store we go.

Got butter? Check.

Got Spam® Single Classic? WHAT?!? Excuse me? What is this? A handy dandy foil package of . . . yes . . . it's SPAM®! And it's NOT in a can!

OH. MY. GOSH!! Who knew?!?

Now THIS is definitely blog material. Being the lunatic enthusiastic photographer that I am, I always have my camera neaby, like on a shelf in aisle 5 in my purse. Lucy, ever the friendly and helpful assistant, kindly held up the SPAM® Single Classic package for me as I began my grocery store photo shoot. Out of the periphery, I noticed some people passing by. I got this funny feeling that we were being looked at. Not really sure what that was all about. I mean, doesn't everyone shoot SPAM® at the market? Just in case they were unfamiliar with my obsession hobby, I calmly said, "Don't mind me, the crazy grocery store photographer." I think it worked. They went right on out of aisle 5 and into some other region of the store. Either that, or they went to notify security.

I must apologize for the blurry shots. These crazy old foil packs are just not very cooperative when it comes to posing. They're so reflective, so uptight. Not the most cooperative model, but they know full well, that in their uniqueness, particularly when they contain SPAM® Single Classics, they can get away with being stand-offish.

After my initial cover shot, the folks at SPAM® really got my attention. Did you catch this one?



GET OUT! I was wondering how in the world could I get to CRAZY TASTY® town? In fact, I was pondering that very question . . . oh, I don't know . . . like once, when I was almost three, or maybe that was Funky Town. Nevertheless, I was still intrigued, to say the least. Incredibly amused, to say more than the least. Well, time to flip the package and see what other CRAZY TASTY® goodness the SPAM® folks might have for me.

I must say, they did not disappoint. On the back? Well, there's so much going on here, let's begin at the top.



Wow! Not only is it quick and easy AND the way to CRAZY TASTY® town, but it's quite welcoming in a dotted-line sort of way. (Side note: I was thinking a dotted line might be more congenial at the front door, instead of a solid threshold. Clearly, I'm on the right track.) Not only are they welcoming, they assist you with lovely, step by step illustrations demonstrating just how you may enter freely.

Step One: Grasp top corner
Step Two: Tear open pouch


Step Three: Squeeze pouch
Step Four: Enjoy tasty SPAM®


Next we have the SPAM™ IDEA O'WHEEL. This is where they share ingenious and often yummy ideas for SPAM® usage. Swell things like SPAM® Single and Cheese, SPAM® Single Spamburger® Hamburger, and the ubiquitous SPAM® Single Necklace (it appears you would run a piece of yarn, ribbon, or string through the special "necklace" hole at the top center, tie it off, and place it over your head and onto your neck). The special treat you can both eat AND wear!

Truly, there is nothing that says lovin' like the helpful, wearable, and welcoming SPAM® Single Classic foil pack.

And if all this isn't enough SPAM® madness goodness for you, please, oh please, go to SPAM® dot com. They have a THEME SONG, people. You can also JAM WITH SPAM®, check out their spankin' new SPAMTASTIC™ television and print ads, as well as, and here's the best part, play Monty Python's SPAMALOT™ game. It just doesn't get any better than this.



fyi - If you make it over to view the Spammobile™, hubby has worked on it before. Being the RV SUUUPER GENIUS that he is. What can I say, it's his claim to fame.

Remember when I said I don't like to wear my hair the same all the time? Here's a very different look for me.

Michele at Just A Minute tagged me for the Six Quirky Things meme. I have participated in this one before, but since I'm so full of quirks, I'm sure I could come up with six more. Ha! Ha!

1) Link to the person who tagged me.
2) Mention the rules.
3) Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about myself.
4) Tag six other blogger´s by linking to them.
5) Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged.

In no particular order:

I think I'll tag some Twitter pals:
Robin (the Pensieve one)
Alyssa
Phyllis
Amber
Renae
Lisa B
Karen
Kytikat
Kim

I know, that's more than six, but it's just what I felt like doing. The more the merrier, right? Feel free to join in, even if you're not tagged. Consider this an open tag invitation to you because I'm tired and have to go to bed now. I can't type any more links.

It's not okay to hit someone with glasses!

That's what ClayGuy told the Comedian earlier today.

How about that? Both boys have glasses and no one had to see an optometrist.

Because I'm super busy not ever home of late, you are treated with a bit of piratey fun today. Argh!

If you're looking for a good laugh, let me highly recommend Letters From Your Friendly Cashier, Volumes I & II. My dear friend, Carrie, aka the Gremlin Wrangler collects her thoughts as a late-night cashier onto paper for the enjoyment of many. And they are funny, funny, funny.

WARNING: Do not read these hilarious anecdotes while eating and/or drinking. I read the most recent installment aloud to hubby one evening while he had some dinner. Big mistake. Made me wonder if I still knew how to do the Heimlich. Fortunately, no choking ensued, and we were able to enjoy the mirth found within Carrie's stories.

So go buy a book. Or two. Buy more and give them to your friends. You won't be disappointed. These books are looking like a number one pick for the top of my own Christmas gift-giving list.

Go here for more information and to see her contest that I've entered. You can too, if you'd like.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

This is my first foray into Photostory Friday. A place where you post a photo that you took and tell the accompanying story.



Any thoughts?

Lest you think the romance has faded in over 21 years of marriage, I'll have you know that's not even remotely true. This was our dinner out last week. At closing time. At the big red bulls-eye store. Well, not really. We ate the actual meal in the van. Cause you know, we're so wild and crazy like that.

The menu, more specifically:

Salami sticks (for mi amore)
Triscuits with Rosemary & Olive Oil (tre bien)
Dr Pepper (not mine, amazingly)
Fruit snacks (for dessert)
Dry roasted sesame seeds (for protein's sake)
Cheese sticks (dairy and protein, all in one conveniently edible stick)
Vitamin water (yes, for me, complete with antioxidants - blueberry, pomegranate, and acai, whatever that is)

Don't you like how I put my exceptional mediocre photography skills to use in this unfocused, poorly staged, and badly lit photo of our exquisite meal?

The rest of the story . . .

Well, Carrie, the Gremlin Wrangler, and I have been talking about her wranglings with the HD converter box and the tv antenna. Since hubby's a very handy and technically minded guy, I've been trying to provide her with some of his wisdom to get it up and running out in the land of eternal flatness.

You know how it goes . . . you're talking with a friend about a thing and then pretty soon you go get the thing. In this case, the thing being the HD converter boxes that the government commands us to purchase before February of 2009 or else lose all ability to watch any television whatsoever. Unless, of course, we cave to the cable and satellite tv movement. Which we won't. So back to the HD box.

Because hubby works on RVs (recreational vehicles, not real vats, or red vapors, or any other silly thing like that), he's been dealing with HD converter boxes. Imagine our surprise when he found out that there are EXTRA channels available - for FREE - when you have an HD converter box attached to your boring, old, analog tv! RTN, for example, where you can watch all these cool, retro tv shows like Hawaii Five-O, Magnum P.I., A-Team, Hardy Boys, and Rawhide.

I just assumed we'd procrastinate wait until a little later to get our handy dandy little HD converter boxes - well, before the expiration date of the government-issued cards (called coupons) for $40 off each box. However, we decided that it was time to go ahead and make the jump. After all, if the gremlin family out in the land of eternal flatness was going for it, so would we.

Hubby called around to locate a couple of cheap reasonably priced boxes in stock. He was able to track down the last two of the model we wanted at Super Target. On the other side of town. Of course. So off we went, to purchase two black, plastic boxes that would bring us retro television and HD quality. The offspring stayed home, because 1) ClayGuy has a sinus infection, and 2) They didn't want to intrude upon our highly romantic evening out.

Well, we didn't exactly just jet off right away. We sort of hung out a little while, and then we left. So it was well past dinner by the time we arrived at Super Target. We hightailed it to the electronics department only to learn from the sweet, kind, and helpful ST electronics department employee that the two coveted boxes she had placed carefully on the counter inside the special employees only zone were gone. GONE!! She even had a little note (which was still on the zone counter) there with some words on it.

Apparently, she had gone on break while we rushed dilly-dallied out the door. Ten little minutes. I mean, really, how hard is it for those two little boxes to just sit there, patiently awaiting our arrival? Harder than I thought. While our helpful and kind employee was at her break, an annoying and snarky employee filled in for her. And promptly sold OUR BOXES to a couple of ladies who came in and claimed to have had some manager call over about these very boxes. OUR BOXES! The boxes we already drove all the way across town to purchase, leaving our sick child and his sibling at home. Hmph!

Annoying and snarky employee kept trying to . . . I don't even know what to call it. I guess pacify the situation or something. He was sooo irritating!! I just wanted him to go away. But no, he had to keep running on at the mouth. "It's no one's fault. Things happen. I didn't know. Blah. Blah. Blah. I take the blame for this. Blah."

Poor sweet, kind, and helpful employee. She just felt so terrible. She understood that we drove all the way across town, on an empty stomach at dinner time, leaving our sick and possibly dying child at home with his little brother. So she called the other Super Duper Target even further across town to the north. Their records showed that SDT had plenty of the highly sought-after boxes. We really had no desire to drive further out to another store, but we'd already come this far in the journey, we might as well accomplish our mission. She spoke with a fellow electronics employee at SDT and he personally pulled the boxes from the shelf, and placed an even larger note upon them. He then set four gargoyle guards upon the boxes, with strict instructions to use their laser beam eyes to shoot anyone who dared venture near our boxes. If that didn't work, they were to beat them severly about the head and neck with their wickedly sharp wings.

Back to the van and off to SDT. Along with a call to check in on the mostly dead, feverish child at home. Fortunately, he was holding up. I think it was Super Mario Smash Bros that really helped sustain him. And his dear, loving brother was gracious enough to play alongside him, knowing how much Super Mario Smash Bros benefitted his elder sibling.

Now we were really getting hungry, as we drove into the night, in pursuit of our HD converter boxes. We hadn't eaten for days hours at this point, and were nearly famished. But we were on a mission. There would be no stops for such frivolous things as food.


We arrived at SDT, and behold, there was a beautiful and glorious sunset, illuminating the clouds with lovely pastel shades. A photo op if ever there was one. Quick bunny trail to the side of the building, a couple shots, and we're on our way in the automatic doors to the world of Super Duper Target. Across the store to the electronics department which is in an entirely different location than the previous Super Target. Fortunately, the gargoyles worked. The two boxes were there - in their cardboard glory, upon the counter of the special, employee-only area, guarded carefully by gargoyles pretty much no one. Although there was a store security guy there. I suspect sweet, kind, and helpful employee from the other store gave him a heads-up after we departed her store. I don't think she could've taken it, had she known we went to yet another store only to leave empty-handed.

We whipped out the nifty government-issued cards (aka coupons) and paid the balance on our highly prized HD converter boxes. Whew! That was quite the endeavor. Now we were really, really hungry.

Seeing how we were in a Super Duper Target, where they sell things like food, we bee-lined it for the other side of the store to locate some sustenance for our withering selves. Turns out they close at 9:00 on Sunday evenings, and we weren't too far away from being locked into a dark store, far, far away from our progeny. So we scrambled for something we could eat en route with no cooking or preparation on our parts.

I think you can figure out the rest of the story for yourself. From the picture. You know, the one you could see if you scrolled and scrolled and scrolled waaaaaayyyyyyy back up at the top of this ridiculously long story. Maybe I should stay away from Photostory Fridays in the future. Apparently, there's far too much story attached to my photos.

Who knew?

So, what do you think these signs really mean?

And then there's this:



So, the next time you're bored, have dirty clothes, a bunch of quarters, and time to kill, take a trip to the local coin-op laundry and see what fun you can dig up!

My friend Dawn tagged me for the 6 Quirky Things meme. Here are the rules:

* Link to the person who tagged you.
* Mention the rules in your blog.
* Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
* Tag a new set of six following bloggers by linking to them.

In no particular order, here they are:

1. I have the exact same breakfast every single day - vanilla chai and a brown sugar, cinnamon mini-bagel with whipped butter.

2. When two light switches operate the same light, I have specific preferences as to which should be up and which should be down when the light's on or off. Even if I have to walk to the other end of the hall or across the family room to change them, I'll do it.

3. I can't stand to have water sitting in dirty dishes in the sink. They must be rinsed and the water poured out.

4. At one time, I couldn't imagine leaving my house without my cell phone. Now the phone takes a back seat to the camera. I would turn around and go back home to get my camera if I'd forgotten it (if I wasn't TOO far away and had time). That doesn't often happen, because it lives in my purse.

5. Whenever hubby, the boys, or I leave one another (at home, on the phone, or anywhere else), I always say "I love you." Same with going to sleep.

6. I take some weird odd pictures. Case in point:











Sometimes there's a story, other times - not so much. And yet others, I forget why I took it in the first place.

And I choose Carrie, Bev, Hallie, Michele, Robert, and Gina.

I'm sure that many of you, if not all of you, have seen Anita Renfroe's Momsense song. It's been all over the place this past year and is absolutely hysterical.

Well, apparently, the guys are feeling a bit left out, so here's Dadsense on YouTube. Check it out.



ps - I think Anita said we were BFFs. Either that or Best Wednesday Weather. Nah, that couldn't be - it was a Thursday. Must've been the BFF thing.

I've noticed over the past few days that my eye is twitching. And it's getting to be more consistent. Not just a little twitch here or there. In fact, as I sit here, cleaning out my overflowing inbox, I realized that it has twitched almost non-stop for the past few hours. A quick web search provided me with the following information:

Why Does My Eye Twitch?
Eye twitches can be triggered by a variety of different factors. Some of the conditions that cause eye twitches are environmental, some are physiological, and some are psychological in nature. Below is a list of some of the more common causes of eye twitch:

(Disclaimer: The comments here are purely in jest, other than my twitchy eye. Eye would NEVER make fun of nor mock anyone who has serious issues such as brain damage, neurological disorders, epilepsy, etc.)

Maybe EYE could make a guest appearance on Lost. What do you think?


What does it say about me that EYE keep taking pix of my EYE?


Does that creep you out? EYE mean not that EYE took the photos, but that EYE posted them. Reminds me of awhile back when Carmi had an EYE-related post that was, well, . . . slightly surprising. You can go see for yourself. But don't say EYE didn't warn you.

For those of you who've seen My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding, you'll totally get the story behind this photo:

That was my birthday cake - a lemon bonk cake. It was yummmmmo! We had a delicious Itlaian dinner at Zio's, and then came home for cake and presents. I was blessed with some pretty awesome birthday loot! Here are a few highlights:







All in all, it was a great evening.

What does a cat have to say about the game Risk? Seems to me the caption options here are plentiful. So, crank up the imagination and tell me what you think Savannah's thoughts might be.

Hubby was off this past Monday and has been wanting to start teaching the boys "shop" classes. He has an engine stand with teeny little wheels that don't roll well, which he has wanted to replace for some time and decided this would be a good homeschool project. So the boys got all suited up (extra work shirts and goggles) to spend some garage time with Dad.

After removing the little pathetic wheels, they got to use a cutting torch, the grinder, and the welder. Naturally, I had to head out and take some pix.

While I was out there, Clay Guy mentioned that the sun is green when you look through the welding helmet. As I was checking that out, it occurred to me that this might make for a cool photo. After all, the camera was right there in my hand.

So this was the first shot, where I held the camera inside the welding helmet to get a picture of the green sun. However, I had it back so far from the face shield, that inside the helmet reflected me and the camera. But it still took a picture of the sun through the shield. Pretty strange and interesting shot.

For the second shot, I held the camera much closer to the shield so I could get just the sun. Although if you look closely, you can see the trees in the lower part of the picture.

Of all the commenters, there was one who got it right. Funny thing is that she kind of laughed it off, like I think she felt she was taking a wild guess. Sometimes those wild guesses are spot on!

See more WW here and here.

Yesterday, the girls all got together for lunch and some time to visit and hang out together (and let our kids hang out and play). Following lunch, my kumquat friend pulled out her Chonda Pierce DVD for our viewing and laughing pleasure. (We did, by the way, laugh - a LOT!)

As the DVD continued to show the audience members' reaction to the concert, I was thinking, "Gee, wouldn't it be kind of fun to see someone I know?" I don't know where thoughts like that come from. I mean, she was filming in Tennessee - a place I've never visited. I don't have any family members there. I don't really know that I know anyone there. If it were somewhere in Colorado, I could understand. Never let it be said that I'm not all about off-the-wall thoughts, though, this being one of them.

We continued enjoying the show and all of a sudden, the camera pans to a lady laughing in the front row. STOP! Back that up - I think I know her! And as much as you can know someone in the blogosphere whom you've never met IRL, I DO know her!! It was Robin at Pensieve!

Okay, I didn't KNOW for a fact that it was her, but I emailed her last night and got the response this morning that it was indeed her!

I love this kind of thing. Puts a big old grin on my face and makes me laugh, cause it really is a small world, after all.

What "small world" story do you have?

One Sunday morning, I thought I'd bless my family with some breakfast coffee cake. I have a recipe from my friend that results in the kind of coffee cake I used to get at Starbuck's. Yum.


I pulled out a couple of mixing bowls - one for the cake, one for the topping - and began assembling ingredients. Both bowls required flour, so that was quick and easy. As I added the other items, I discovered that I was putting them in the wrong bowl. Sigh. It was the chicken enchilada soup episode all over again.

A quick bit of math (see, kids, multiplying fractions is a very useful skill!) and I made somewhere around a double batch of coffee cake. Definitely enough for more than one breakfast!

And there was much rejoicing.

I woke the boys up this morning with the promise of a surprise breakfast. They often ask for certain cereals that I don't typically buy. Some of you might know what I'm talking about.

I do let them eat those frozen waffles, so I'm not sure why I won't buy the cereal, but I never have. I also refuse to buy cereal that is miniaturized cookies or donuts or whatever (I did ONCE buy Cookie Crisp, but that was an anomaly).

It was a surprise all right. A surprise to find out that your cereal and milk were FROZEN! April fools!!!

You simply prepare a little bit of cereal & milk the night before and freeze them. Let them sit out of the freezer a short time before serving. Add some more milk and cereal to camouflage the frozen goodness and serve your children a lovely, surprise breakfast.

As a bonus, they actually got to have the real deal, freezer-free.