Other blog?

That's right.  I may not be blogging HERE, but I blogged on my other blog.  New book review.  Check it here.

Wine and and a good book?

I feel like kind of a loser sitting at home drinking a glass of red and reading a little of "The Catcher in the Rye", but you know what? I'm perfectly at peace with that. :)

Birthdays, Floods, & Mating Maxwells

So, it has been a while since I've blogged.  10 days.  That's kind of a lot for me!  I've been working more lately, so I think that accounts for some of it.  Some. 

I had an interesting weekend.  Friday night Jack & I went to see Grown-Ups.  It was pretty funny... mostly in a clean way, which I usually like better than dirty humor.  I think anyone can tell a dirty joke and be funny, but it actually takes TALENT to be funny in a "clean" way.  Anyway, back to the subject at hand.  It was a good movie; not something that I would say is a favorite, but I'm glad I watched it.

In other news, I went back to Maquoketa for the annual birthday bash of one Ms. Martha Schwartz.  She turned 90 on Friday!  CRAZY!  This picture is from Memorial Day weekend 'cause for whatever reason I didn't take a new one of us at her birthday party!  I love her!  She is the one who gave me my wonderful cooking abilities.  I must also add that I have found in recent years that I think I may have developed some of my sharp wit from her.  She must have withheld that from me when I was a child, but she sure doesn't hold back her sauciness anymore!

While I was home I also gave Destiny and Easton their birthday presents since I don't think that I will get to see them again before their birthdays.  Here is Little Man speeding away from the mess he made while opening up his presents.  LOVES himself some wrapping paper!

Easton & Destiny also liked jamming out to Destiny's new Justin Bieber cd.  Yes, I actually bought that for her, as much as I might be against the J. Bieb's.

We went to Bluff Lake for Grandma's birthday dinner, just like we do every other year.  I had to post the picture below because I can not figure out what Preston, Destiny Matt & Kim are all staring at!  They look like they are concentrating really hard on something.  Too funny.

If you can't tell, I love my family!  Now, let me tell you what I don't love.  My basement flooding.  Jack called me at 6:30 AM on Sunday morning (while I was in Maquoketa) to let me know that our (finished) basement was flooded.  NOT cool.  My house now smells musty and gross and we are still (2 days later) trying to shop vac. all of the water out of the carpet.  I'm pretty sure that we are going to have to replace it.  We didn't have any issues last year or this year yet, but this last rain must have been the straw that broke the camel's back.  We are supposed to have a whole week of sunshine!  Why couldn't it last through one more rain spell?  LAME.

In other news, we got a free load of firewood tonight!  That is a good thing!  I was not looking forward to paying for firewood this fall, but I HAVE to have fires.  LOVE them.  (Anybody know a good chimney sweep in the area?  I need one before this fall!  I want someone similar to Dick Van Dyke if at all possible...)

Lastly, the book challenge starts in 2 days!  Check it out.  I hope you all will be cheering me on!  I lack motivation people!  If you know me at all, you know this much to be true, so I need you!

Oh wait!  One more thing!  I saw a partnerless Mating Maxwell today in lieu of one Ms. Kate Bowman's birthday!  It may not have had a partner, but it still made me think it was just there to celebrate for Kate!  (If you don't understand the paragraph, then you don't need to.  I  mean that in the most polite way possible.)     :)  It was an amazing bluish tealy color.  LOVED it.  So did Kaiah.

Goose Goose GooseGooseGoose

I don't have to work today so that means that you all get to read a new blog!  Yay for you!  I guess technically I did do some work emailing this morning but other than that I get the day off.  We had tornado sirens and storms this morning so I was looking forward to a nice relaxing day of reading and being lazy.  NOW the sun has decided to come out so I suppose I will have to go out and take Kaiah for an adventure.  I suppose that's good... for both of us.  Either way, I was REALLY looking forward to being a lazy P.O.S. today.


Note to readers:  I'm going to start back up the YESS book club.  I know that I no longer work at YESS, but I like you gals and it's going to happen whether you like it or not.  Expect an email soon.  Also, let me know if there is anyone in the DSM area that is not a former member that would like to join.  [Perhaps one Ms. Kaci Sloss... :)  I would say that you fit both qualifications, but let's face it... being an employee at YESS is no longer a qualification. (The other qualification is that you read, of course... and that you're not annoying, so I guess there are three.)]  P.S.  I WILL be posting these aforementioned qualifications in the email, so be prepared to meet the needs of the group.  Also, any group members with requested qualifications, please notify me ASAP.

I've decided that starting up the book club again only makes sense (for me, personally) since I should be reading at least 4 books per month.  Why not make one of them a book club selection and get some of my favorite socialites back together?!  Let's face it people, you are the main reason I worked there as long as I did (no offense to YESS or it's uninvolved employees!)  :)

I feel my blog has been lacking in the picture department lately so let me leave you with this wonderful picture that Kaiah posed for so that we could try out mobile blogging (which failed miserably several times).  That means you get to see her show off her goose now.  :)

Recommendations!

If you aren't following my other blog yet, then you wouldn't know that I am asking for any and all recommendations for an entrancing premier book for my challenge. Help me out folks.  Go to my other blog and post what you think I should start my reading extravaganza out with!

Much love!

A New Goal. A New Blog.

I've started a new blog friends!  I am going to attempt to read 50 books in the next year.  Read about it in my very first post on My New Blog.  Check it out!  I am taking any and all suggestions to help me complete my goal!

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

So, last night I was being entirely too lazy and didn't feel like going upstairs to get one of the several books that I am currently reading.  I decided instead to grab one off of the shelf that I have been wanting to read for quite some time.  That would be "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer.  (I'm aware of the inappropriateness of using quotes as opposed to underlining the title of the novel.  I do NOT feel like changing any formats and since blogger doesn't feel the need for an underlined text option, you shan't be getting underlines!)

As many of you know, one of my favorite books of all time is "Everything is Illuminated" by the aforementioned.  Love, LOVE, LOVE!!! this book.  Love it.  Anyway, I've been wanting to read "Extremely..." for quite some time but I have this weird policy that doesn't allow me to read books by the same author next to each other in sequence.  Don't ask me why.  I just don't, okay?

The reason I tell you all of this, is that "Extremely..." made me laugh out loud within the first two paragraphs.  Books RARELY make me (literally) laugh out loud, let alone that early on in the novel.  I've only read the first chapter and I'm already in love with this book.  I think the character Oskar reminds me of myself with his ever-so-obvious ADHD and that makes the book super intriguing for me.  I felt this to be blogworthy news.  You're welcome.  I'll be sure to give you my final thoughts when I finish the book!

P.S.  For those of you that have seen the movie, but have not read "Everything is Illuminated", do yourselves a favor and read it.  I know everyone always says that "the book is better than the movie" and that is pretty much always true, but this movie truly does not reflect the beauty of the book.  Read it.

The Ghetto Gourmet

So, yesterday I was perusing books at Borders, and I came across the ever-so-fun $1 book bin.  Whenever I see this bin, I know I will buy something.  It turns out I bought 11 somethings.  (For $1, why not, right?)  But that is beside the point.  I found a real treasure in that bunch of books, and I want/need/must tell you about it.  Check it out.

That's right.  Cookin' with Coolio.  I know you all are very jealous of my killer find.  It has such fabulous recipes as: Bacon Rap'd Scallops (Yes, spelled like that), Chicken Lettuce Blunts, Bro-ghetti, &I'm-Gonna-Slap-You-With-My-Whisk Tomato Bisque.  Not to mention, such classics as Pimp My Shrimp, Coolius Caesar, & Heavenly Ghettalian Garlic Bread.  Let's also not forget what sold me on the book, Simple-Ass Mozzarella Salad (or "Mozzarella for the Pimpish Fella").  I must also add that there are such fantastic chapter titles as "How to Become a Kitchen Pimp", "It's Hard Out There For a Shrimp" & "Sweet Treats for That Sweet Ass".   How could I not add this masterpiece to my cookbook collection?  It would be such a shame.

However, unfortunately for me, ever since I found this treasure, I have been singing that stupid song "1,2,3,4 (Sumpin' New)" song.  You know that you know it... "1,2,3,4, Get your woman on the floor.  Gotta gotta get up to get DOWN.  Gotta gotta get up to get DOWN."  I hope it is now in all of my faithful readers' heads.  It's driving me crazy!

Anyway, I don't have too much else to say today, I just wanted to share this tasty little morsel with you all!  :)