~Izze's Cognitive Reverie~

Busy, busy...

2009-08-07T12:05:00.002-04:00

Boy am am busy with life theses days. Work, gym, home...pheww...I'm not tired or anything but the days where I woke up and say to myself "wtf am I going to do today" are over. I have stuff to do all the time, cleaning, yard work, and I still have to cook at home even though I cook like 35 hours a week at work. I am working later today and so far I made omelettes for Jack and I for breakie, served with bacon on the side and toast. Nothing major but the idea came cause I watched Julia Childs omelette show yesterday and got inspired. Now I am baking some granola to give to C.E since he and his family are going camping for a week.
This week I made 42 little lemon tarts, and some creme brulee. I brought some to work for sharing and people enjoyed very much. Short post since I work today...

have a nice day!

sun + day off = happy happy izze!

2009-07-21T11:32:00.004-04:00

Ahhh...my feet are up, I'm having my timmy's coffee and my pooch is sleeping close and my hubby is in the shower....life is good! I got up early this morning...well, 8 this morning and then went to the park with Pearl for an hour and came home and took a nap on the couch. Nice! It feels really good to do that when you are tired from a long week at work and have no pressing things to do. I will mow my lawn later...my friend Cat will come by and we will chat and giggle for an hour or so and then I prepare a faboush meal for my hubby. I think I will do cornish hen tonight. I've been cooking it all week at the restaurant and it really looks good...like baby chicken(sorry to all vegetarians and vegans but I love my meat). Apps will be deep-fried brie served with an onion compote and warm baguette. Like I said...cornish hen, I'm thinking with a wild rice stuffing(served on the side) and a Shiraz-demi glace sauce. For a veg I'm not sure yet...will see whats nice at the market and then decide. Yummers!

I worked a bit with my "frenemy" yesterday. What a two-faced person...that's all I'm saying about him since he does not deserve more attention. I was ALONE on the line all week this week...it's was challenging and at times un-nerving but I got through it and I obviously did well because my sous-chef asked me if I wanted to put a recipe on the menu. I feel very happy about that...I've come up with a couple of recipes that could be interesting...we'll just have to wait and see.

I've acheived my 5 months of not smoking...Feb 18th was my quit day...Have had many desires to smoke but did not. I'm very happy for that but I did gain a bit of weight but its ok. I feel so much better and less stressed and nervous that right now the extra weight just makes me giggle. I'm sure it will be a struggle for some time but I've gone this far and have had some stressful moments and I got through them without a cigarette. WOOHOO ME!

Funny how things can change...

2009-07-18T09:51:00.003-04:00

Well on thursday I emailed the Chef with my concerns and when I got to work we had a meeting about it all. He gave me sound advice on how to deal with the asshole and told me I was aloud to put him in his place if he got out of hand with his comments. Just that made me feel a whole lot better. Chef gave me an evaluation too which was really good in my opinion. He also said I was expected to make mistakes so not to worry about it to much and just go ahead and cook. Which is what I did yesterday and it went great! I was alone and we got a bit busy...not crazy and I took care of it all, with little help. AWESOME! I'm not gonna kid myself though...it's not going to be like that all the time but I know Chef likes my work ethic and just wants me to get some practice and we will be fine. I am happy about that and it's making me like my job even more since my confidence is building. The funny thing is that the moment I feel ok to do the line alone will be when they start cutting hours I'm sure. I don't know exactly how it works over the winter but I'm hoping to get a few shifts over the winter so I don't lose it....here I am already thinking of next summer.

Ha...I finally found what men think about!

found here

Back to work today..

2009-07-16T10:41:00.002-04:00

It going to be a weird day I feel. I am alone on mains, with a new person as my helper and I don't really feel ready enough but whatever...If I screw up tonight its on the chefs head cause he scheduled me like this...I didn't ask. C.E is going to be coordinating so if all hell breaks loose he can come and help but I still feel it's a bit early for me to be alone on mains. Maybe I will ask Chef for a little chat today to have him give me some input on how I'm doing. The only input I've been getting is from the asshole that keeps putting me down and assholes get no attention from me...I need it from someone I actually respect.

Rain again today...go figure! It's turning out to be a very green summer with all the rain. My grass is beautiful and grows...like weeds...ha! I actually have some mushrooms growing in my lawn becuase it never has time to really dry out. I think I have found a company that I will hire to help me to the front of the house landscaping. It's something I want done and find a bit intimidating to do on my own.

gotta go do stuff....brb...after work

Ahh...a few days off..

2009-07-14T12:25:00.003-04:00

always feels good. I had another emotional week-end at work. Same person as last time has been able to make me feel like a total loser. He has the meanest ways to try to tell you something...He's trying to be his own chef Ramsey with me and it really sucks. He thinks he funny and all, trying to embarrase everyone, not just me. What a prick he is....a small prick at that! whatever, he doesn't deserve any of my attention and that's all. Let him berate me all he wants, he won't win with me. It hurts, I cry(not in front of him though) but he won't fucking win! All this really shows me is that there are some really uncivilized people still out there in the year 2009. Oh well...

On to other more joyous thoughts...

I keep seeing this little chipmunks outside my office window and he's making me laugh. He(or she...can't tell from this far) is too cute!

ohh..my man needs me...brb

went to help J with the new power washer he bought...woohoo, new cleaning tool! Funny how cleaning tools make me happy! It's great! Powerful and really noisy. I love it! Now all I need is time to clean. I laugh when I say I need time to clean cause not 3 months ago I was sooo bored and had too much time on my hands...what a difference.

ohh, friend at door..brb again

head aches and rain.

2009-07-11T12:58:00.002-04:00

Ahhh...my head ache is slowly going away. It sucks when you wake up with one and then have to go work. Took some motrin so it should be fine soon, I hope. Yesterday was a good night at work, 10 hours on my feet...boy was I pooped when I got home. It was pretty slow til 8 then we got slammed from 8 to the close. Non-stop order after order. We were out of there by 11:30. I was in charge of mains for about one hour...which means lots of grilled meats and I'm still a little nervous about my temperatures for meats(rare, med...) Our filet mignon steak is a thick cut and I have a haard time judging the doneness. For the rack of lamb as well, I have a hard time but I will learn. What I'm gonna do tonight is while working with C.E., he's the sous-chef, I will ask theat when we are not busy if I can do the meats so he can supervise... that way I'll get more confident if I have him there.

Have to get ready, slept in really late today and am leaving for work in about one hour and I'm still in my P.J's....lazy me!

This is brilliant!

2009-07-09T08:10:00.004-04:00

Eternal moonwalk

found via:

Back to work today, after a relaxing week off. I hope I'm working with C.E on mains and not on the pub side. It's really hot on the pub side, bigger grill, both sides of the salamaner open, two deep fryers...lots of heat going on. On either side I finish my shift soaking wet. I can wring my shirt after a shift and it drips...yucky I know but that's part of it I guess. I really enjoy my job...I love cooking in these quantities and sometimes it's nonstop...love that too. Well, I love the feeling of satisfaction when it's over. Can you be addicted to satisfaction? Does that even make sense? Let us ponder this question today...Can one be addicted to the feeling of satisfaction? If so then I think I am.

I kept thinking of yesterdays post and how people talk about each other and all...I have decided to not play that game anymore. When people around me will be gossiping I will walk away. Granted at times it will be impossible for me to walk away but I will not participate in hurting another person with my words. Let people talk all they want about me...I know myself and they cannot bring my spirit down. I am at my job for two reasons, to work and learn. Not to put people down.

AHHH...I feel way better now about my first day back at work. Better prepared at least to deal with gossip.

life got in the way...

2009-07-08T10:41:00.002-04:00

This is the reason for my lack of posting. My new job at the restaurant, summer gardening, working out three times a week, general upkeep of the home...and I play mafia wars on facebook my time was limited. I love mafia wars game...if you read this and you play, come and join my mafia family please...we are only 11 and it's hard to make any real damage with such a small number. Anyhoo....

Job is going well, I like most everybody there, some people are just a little annoying and one person is an outright A-Hole! I'm getting my skills back quickly and I really like working with the sous-chef. He is a good teacher and doesn't put too much pressure on me. The thing I realized the most going back to work after 4+ years is that people talk about each other all the time. I hate that but find myself doing the same. I really just want to keep quiet and do my job but when it goes on all day around you, one sometimes gets caught up in it. And when I do keep quiet and just concentrate on my work then people talk about me! what the "F" am I supposed to do? People are odd!

Back from Vegas

2009-05-19T20:36:00.003-04:00

Had a blast in Vegas, more pics to come soon, my laptop died as well in vegas and I just got it back today so I have to load everything on and then I will post.

Gone to Vegas

2009-05-05T16:10:00.003-04:00

back next week with pics and stories...actually, might post from there...unless I'm a big winner...then I be spending!

I love listening to this guy...so smart!

2009-05-03T07:27:00.003-04:00

Everytime I catch a show on the discovery channel with him I just have to watch.

2009-04-30T10:08:00.001-04:00

Auto Tuning from Casey Donahue on Vimeo.

this made me laugh...I would be that guy if I worked in an office!

Turban man

2009-04-30T08:10:00.002-04:00

This is very impressive, seems so heavy though!

found via:The Presurfer

A lazy saturday

2009-04-25T17:21:00.002-04:00

Milwalkee Spice rubbed pork tendeloin served on smashed potatoes and grilled asperagus
Jack Daniel and Milwalkee spice BBQ sauce duck breat served on a bed of mixed greens with pear and aged cheddar with a fig and white balsamic vinegrette.

Me flying a kite

moi again

Pearl with the newly painted pool.

Saturday UFC fights at the Bell Center

2009-04-19T21:32:00.004-04:00

Spent saturday night at the Bell Center watching the UFC fights with Jack and my brother in law and nephew and some friends...here are some of the 167 pictures that I took. There are some bloddy ones ahead so be warned...

I need this apron now!

2009-04-14T09:13:00.003-04:00

found via:nvrslowdn

This past friday I grated my thumb...yes, pain and blood...lots of blood! Who knew a thumb coild bleed so much? Not me that's who! Fudge it still hurts since the injury was right on the knuckle so every time I bend my finger it cracks...OMG! I've cut myself many times but this one is a memory-maker for me.

Spring has sprung here in Senneville...the sun is out, it's still a bit chilly but at least there is NO MORE SNOW! Gardening work to be started, much cleaning needs to be done...suck cause I have to wait a bit longer cause my thumb is still killing! I have some bulbs that are popping out...very exciting! I'm realizing though that I completely missed planting bulbs on one side if the tree...I'm pretty green on the gardening thing so it's to be expected I suppose. ha! I'll post a pic later.

for my Jewish better half on this Passover

2009-04-09T17:14:00.001-04:00

OMG! how huge is this bunny!!!

2009-04-08T06:53:00.002-04:00

Found via: Nothing To Do With Arbroath

the things that make a girl happy!!!

2009-04-06T13:32:00.007-04:00

This morning I was interupted during my vaccuming by the doorbell, which I hate hearing, and to my surprise the spices I ordered last week had arrived via the postman. When possible I like to order my spices from the Spice House in Chicago. I think I discovered them when I was at the C.I.A(culinary institute of america). I think the school carried their spices in the little store, I'm not sure but regardless, I love this spice store! Here are the spices I ordered: The deluxe BBQ and Grilling set includes...

JAMAICAN JERK SEASONING An exotic mix of the baking spices (such as allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon) along with the potent flavors of garlic and onion; all heated up by the addition of the hottest pepper known to man--the fiery little habanero. This seasoning can be used as a dry rub; however, for authentic Jamaican jerk, follow the instructions on the bottle to make the marinade and let the flavors develop on the meat overnight. Not for the wimpy!

TRINIDAD STYLE LEMON-GARLIC MARINADE A uniquely simple blend of garlic, salt and lemon with just a pinch of cloves which will delight you. A customer from the islands gave us this recipe because he knew his mother made the best fried chicken on the island. Also good for fried fish, grilled chicken, steaks, hamburgers, salads, eggs.

CAJUN STYLE BLACKENING SEASONING From our friends in Louisiana comes this classic American Cajun blend. Adds pizzazz to chicken wings, Louisiana-style catfish, chops, steaks, red snapper; use for spicy Cajun fries.
BRONZEVILLE RIB RUB Our best-selling seasoning for baby back pork ribs, bar none! Shake heavily onto ribs while grilling, or add to a tomato-based sauce for homemade barbecue sauce. Also great for pork chops, roasts, or chicken
KING CREOLE SEASONING Tasty all-purpose blend great on chicken, pork chops, steaks, fish, shrimp.

WEST INDIES BARBECUE SEASONING Use as a dry rub for poultry or pork. Mix in tomato sauce or catsup for your own homemade barbecue seasoning. Great for baby back ribs and a sure hit for baked beans.

BACK OF THE YARDS GARLIC PEPPER (BUTCHER'S RUB) Named after the area of Chicago famous for its meat packing plants, where thousands of new immigrants found jobs and homes in the 1800s, this is one of our best all-purpose blends. Great on turkey, chicken, duck, ribs, chops, hamburgers, veal, lake perch, eggs.

QUEBEC BEEF SPICE Mix a little red wine with some olive oil, shake on about 1-2 tsp. Quebec Beef Spice per pound and let marinate 20 minutes. When you throw the steak on the grill, add some beef stock to the remaining marinade and simmer a few minutes for au jus. The BEST!

MILWAUKEE IRON SEASONING The smokey chipolte chile pepper adds zip to this garlicky Southwestern seasoning. Tasty for homemade salsa, to zip up vegetables. Shake on chicken, steaks, or pork before grilling.

PILSEN LATINO SEASONING A spicy version of adobo seasoning we love on just about everything. Especially tasty to season homemade salsa, on chicken, pork, and Mexican fare.

Double strength Madagascan Vanilla Extract is made from 200 beans per gallon, as opposed to the single strength vanilla extract, which is made from 100 beans per gallon. Hence its name--double strength. Like all our vanilla extracts, the flavor of the beans is extracted using a slow, cold process to maximize the depth and intensity of flavor.

This vanilla extract is known as a bakers twofold vanilla, which means you need only use half of what the recipes calls for. This is good when making white cake or frosting, where you would want as little color change as possible. Most of our customers who buy this love vanilla flavor and use as much as they would of single strength for a stronger vanilla taste.

Our Pickling Spice blend is a mix of whole spices. Lots of rich, premium spices mixed with mustard seeds make this pickling blend special.

We use our richest cracked cassia bark, lots of sweet cloves and allspice berries, some hand-broken star anise, and a few ginny juniper berries.

This cinnamon has a high 3 - 4% natural oil and is appreciated for its rich, sweet yet slightly spicy flavor.

Adobo Seasoning is an authentic Mexican spice mixture traditionally used for South of the Border flavor.

The Spice House Go visit them and see their awesome spices!

too funny!!!

2009-04-04T21:28:00.000-04:00

Say no to violence against women!

2009-04-02T15:39:00.001-04:00

found here

Cinnamon rolls

2009-04-02T09:02:00.005-04:00

Made some awesome cinnamon rolls on tuesday...here are some pics.

They are really good, with a cream cheese topping...yummy! I have had ~~a request~~ many requests to make it for easter brunch so I'll be making them again soon. I'm slowly making the menu for said brunch. I don't know if I will keep it a secret from everyone til the day of or will I "spill the beans"?

for todays dessert I made...

2009-03-25T15:20:00.003-04:00

Sponge cake filled with chocolate pastry cream, topped with fresh strawberries, apricot glaze and chocolate shavings.

yummy!

Week-end pics

2009-03-22T20:37:00.000-04:00

Pearl and best friend Lola
Lola

Pearl being lazy

Lulu's mayo

2009-03-22T09:54:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I went to Marche Atwater to get some ribs for tonights dinner...which is "red wine braised beef ribs" and could not help myself when I saw the ham....I got a nice piece for our brunch today. I wish I could share the smells in my house right now....so good. In my family it is customary to make a sauce that originates from my grandmother Lulu. We call it "mayonaisse a lulu" roughly translates to "Lulu's mayonaisse" but it is not a mayo, it's more of a sweet and sour sauce but we call it may since it's white(ish) in colour. Funny story about this mayo is that a few times a year I ask my mom to send me the recipe since I have a tendency to ~~lose it~~ misplace it.

Posting the recipe so I will have a record of it and can stop bothering mother with same thing all the time...

Lulu's Mayo...

1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tab dry mustard
2 tab flour
pinch salt

Method: mix dry ingredients together and whisk in liquids. Cook over waterbath til thickened and coats the back of a spoon.

My ham I cooked in a sweetened liquid (water/brown sugar) and then I pour some of the "mayo" over a clove studded exterior and bake in a low oven for about 30 minutes. Very yummy!.

I like serving it the way my mom used to serve it, with mashed potaoes and a very light salad on the side. Simple but very flavorful!

Now for dinner tonight, we are celebrating a friends birthday and the rib recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

2 racks beef short ribs (4 to 5 pounds), cut into individual ribs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 stalk celery, trimmed and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup ruby port
2 cups dry red wine
4 cups veal or beef stock
1 pound butternut or acorn squash, peeled, fibers removed, and cubed
2 parsnips, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
12 ounces egg noodles, cooked al dente, accompaniment
1/4 cup chopped green onions, garnish
1/4 cup chopped parsley, garnish
Directions
Season the ribs with the salt and pepper on both sides. In a Dutch oven or large, heavy covered pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.

Add the ribs in batches to prevent crowding and sear on all sides. Remove with tongs to a plate. Add the onions, celery and carrots to the fat remaining in the pan, and cook, stirring, until soft and starting to caramelize, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, red pepper, and black pepper, and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the Port and red wine, bring to a boil, stirring to deglaze the pan and cook until reduced by 1/2.

Add the ribs and stock and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (During cooking, make sure that there is at least 1-inch of liquid in the pot; add more stock or water as necessary to cover.)

Add the root vegetables and cook until they are tender and the meat easily falls from the bones, another 40 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the heat.

Transfer the ribs and meat to a large bowl and cover to keep warm. Skim any fat from the surface. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves.

To serve, arrange the egg noodles in the middle of a large platter. Place the ribs on top and spoon the sauce over the meat. Garnish with green onions and parsley and serve immediately.

will post pics later

**update**

Found...new favorite website!

2009-03-21T09:50:00.004-04:00

Anyone who knows me personally knows that I love organization....I am not always consistant with my organization but I try and I love it, so this site made me very happy and this is the first product that I ~~might~~ will buy.

scrap trap

Now that I'm looking at the design more carefully...it might not work in my kitchen. My cutting board has no drawers to "hook on" the container...darn!

oohhh!!! look at this awsome brownie pan!!!
found here

OMG I NEED one of these!!! i want, i want!!!!

2009-03-20T06:23:00.001-04:00

The Anywhere Greenhouse.
This greenhouse assembles anywhere, without tools, in as little as 30 minutes. Similar to setting up a tent, the greenhouse is supported by 10 flexible rods that attach to the waterproof PVC canopy. The unit anchors to the lawn with stakes and tie downs, enabling it to withstand winds up to 60 mph, or it can be set up on a deck or patio. The greenhouse shelters plants from wind, pests, and driving rain, allowing you to extend the growing season into the fall and start seedlings early in the spring when outdoor conditions are not yet optimal. The clear PVC cover keeps plants visible and provides 360° of sunlight. Nine screened windows and a door provide air circulation, or they can be zippered shut to increase the internal temperature and humidity--ideal conditions for facilitating and extending the bloom of annual, perennial, and tropical plants. At 10' high by 9' wide, the greenhouse provides ample space for tables, shelves, or chairs (not included), and it comes with hooks for hanging plant baskets from the ceiling. The entire unit fits in the included bag for convenient storage. 120" H x 108" W. (49 lbs.)

Item 76172 ................... $499.95
Available for Immediate Shipment.

found here

I guess we all feel this way sometimes! ha!

2009-03-19T15:51:00.002-04:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

2009-03-19T15:32:00.004-04:00

Charging my camera battery....tattoo pics coming...

My sister C is an avid soap maker and I think she will be very interested in the following:

Bacon soap.

instructions here

the song can get on your nerves but the little animals are adorable...love the rabbit at the end falling over! lol

Tattoos

2009-03-18T11:14:00.002-04:00

Spring is in the air and the smell of tattoo is getting stronger and stronger. I get very itchy every spring for a new tattoo and I think I will indulge myself this year. I skipped last year so I' am due. I would like to finish my half sleeve this spring if possible but there are certain spots that will hurt and I'm a bit chicken. I know I will eventually get it done but when? As for what I have a few ideas rolling around my head and will be taking with a tattoo artist for his/her opinion and input. I have a total of 6 different tattoos, three of which are on my arm. The funny part is since I started working out seriously, my tattoo got higher on my arm because of the muscle. I'll take a pic later of my tattoo now and post the ones I took just when it was finished. The difference is unreal.

post later with pics!

I can't stop drooling

2009-03-17T13:59:00.003-04:00

OMG! My face is frozen from the dentist. Well, my tongue, left cheek and a bit of my tongue. It's taking a long time to "unfreeze" today. It went well, nothing too major, just changing a crown. I have to go back in two weeks to get the permanant tooth put on. I love my dentist! He is really good takes awesome care of all his patients. Everyone at that office is special and I'm very happy I found them long, long ago because I don't think I would have as nice teeth as I do now hadn't I found them when I did.

I go rest while I "unfreeze"...

Oh b.t.w, super awesome dentist told me my gums were looking much better now that I have stopped smoking, he said they looked more pink and healthy. WOOHOO for healthier gums and teeth. I knew stopping smoking would be just great and have way more benefits than continuing to smoke.

Day one for AmyOops

2009-03-16T06:31:00.003-04:00

A blogger I really admire is taking her life in her own hands today and joining me and many others in the non-smoking path. A path I am not far into but so far has been great and only seems to get better. Go and encourage AmyOops for her great decision.

Again Super Congrats AmyOops!

I don't ususally post porn on my site but this one....

2009-03-10T07:48:00.003-04:00

will make you laugh...make sure you volume is up to listen to the little guy

found via: Bits and Pieces, love this site....much laughter found here!

Still not smoking

2009-03-08T08:54:00.003-04:00

It's going very well, almost 3 weeks now and I am feeling great. I don\t really have anymore cravings per se just during moments of boredom do I think of it. Even aftre meals now, which was a hard one for me to stop, it's all ok. I always have gum with me so I just pop in a gum and it's fine. Yesterday we went to the casino and I was a little apprehensive but it is now all non-smoking so there was no problem. Also...I had an alcoholic beverage, which can also be a trigger and....nothing. Woohoo for moi! I can feel it at the gym for sure, friday I jogged for 5 miles and was just a bit winded, had no chest pains and was not dizzy when I got off the treadmill. What wonderful changes have happened so far. I have also cut my hair, no more smokers hair, all nice and healthy hair. I laughed when my friend Cat said all I had to do was wash it and the smell would be out of my hair but that's not what I meant when I said get rid of my smokers hair....she's a boob! lol! MAny people have told me they love my haircut, that it fits me well. I like it too! I haven't had my hair this short in over 15 years too so it's a change. Seems to me that 2009 is a year of changes for me.

In anticipation of spring here are some pics and a video of some really beautiful gardens,

Most extraordinary gardens

found via:Neatorama

2009-03-04T19:33:00.003-05:00

Nadine Jarvis

Post Mortem Research
An ongoing research project looking to challenge our archaic post mortem traditions and to offer proposals for alternate treatment for our deceased.

I have been designing urns that lengthen death ceremony to give more time to come to terms with loss. My motivation for this project was my interest in the death and decomposition of materials and how the degradation of materials could be used to aid the grieving process:

Rest In Pieces
A ceramic urn with a lifespan of 1-3 years. The thread gradually degrades causing the urn to drop, and smash as it hits the ground.

I like this idea...I would want to be placed at the top of a mountain in California, where I could "see" the vineyards and "feel" the breeze.

15 days!

2009-03-04T12:46:00.002-05:00

Non-smoking....I pat myself on the back. *pat, pat* It's been going well, Now I am just a bit nervous since I'm running out of things to clean. Or rather I'm getting tires of cleaning and need to do activities outside. I've even pondered the thought of going to the gym 5 days a week instead of 3...Now that I can run without passing out after 3 minutes. 3 days weight training and 2 days heavy cardio. Well, that's what I'm working towards to. I biked 5 miles on monday...not bad for a start.

OMG!!!! this is too funny....

2009-03-02T07:04:00.001-05:00

wait for it....

found via: Bits and Pieces

izze's almond/raisin granola

2009-03-01T17:32:00.003-05:00

4 cups raw oatmeal
2 cups rice krispies
240 ml brown sugar
1 cup butter
120 ml honey
1 tab cinnamon
1 cup almond slices
1 cup raisins

method: combine the sugar, honey and butter in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat til butter has melted and sugar has dissolved.

In seperate bowl, mix cereals, almonds and raisins. Add buttery syrup and combine til all is well coated.

Pour onto sheetpan and bake in 350*f oven til well toasted, around 20-25 minutes.

Store tightly covered in dry place for up to 5 days.

non-smoking changes

2009-02-28T07:19:00.004-05:00

11 days and counting...still doing very well, no cravings at all. Since I'm making these changes I decided to make another one on myself...I cut my hair. Well, my hairdresser cut my hair, I didn't really. It's really short compared to before, I can't make a full ponytail anymore...smoker hair gone!

Funny ad showing how the sound on your television works...I like the bass guys..lol

Created by Train Horns

found via: Neatorama

Personally I can't wait till spring...need to know precisely how many days, hours, minutes and second left...click here

self-explanitory...

2009-02-27T06:26:00.001-05:00

I just love this lady...

2009-02-26T06:35:00.002-05:00

Meet Clara, 91 year old chef extraordinaire...Clara shares with us the valuable lessons of life through her cooking. I can just imagine that cooking in the time of the depression was very hard but that does not mean you cannot eat well. By eating well I mean flavourful food and not necessarily variety since it seems that variety was not really something that was "available".

go see Clara's site here

Up at 5 this morning...again. I don't mind waking this early but with snow still very abundant outside it makes me a bit unhappy since I can't just go out and "play". I mean I COULD but I dislike the cold and snow. I like hot weather and green grass and flowers. That will come soon enough...I just have to wait a bit longer...spring is here on March 20th. Funny but just smelling my "french tulip" candle makes me feel like it spring in my office.

Courage Campaign

2009-02-25T19:17:00.002-05:00

Wow, this clip made me cry.

I signed the petition even though I'm in Canada...hope it works!
you can sign too, here!

Week one complete!

2009-02-25T06:19:00.002-05:00

at 12:30 today it will be one week I stopped smoking! Yeah for me! I did not cheat once, nor did I actually feel like smoking either. I have the "habit" to break but I do not feel the physical need of a smoke like I used to. I just have to find things to do instead of having a smoke, like after a meal now, instead of going straight from the table to light up I get a gum and do my dishes right away. I am surprised at how well I manage in my car since that was one of the harder places for me not to smoke but not this time. Of course I have a gum but that's ok. So far so good!

Today is training day at the gym, we do biceps and triceps and of course abs today. I don't know if we're doing more cardio like monday but boy did she kick my bumbum! I don't think she knows I stopped smoking you see...I don't think she knew I did smoke. When I started training with her almost 2 years ago she new I was a smoker but then afer a month or so of training I tried stopping again, and I did(for about 6 months) but started again and never mentioned it to her. In a way I think she may know I smoked again but it was never mentioned between us. So I've not been sharing with her my not smoking this time but I think she may be aware something is going on though....anyhoo I hope not to have cardio(lazy self talking) but in a way I do want cardio(active self talking).

maybe more posting later.

personal note to friend Erica

Hope all is good, still sending those good vibes!

new favorite scent

2009-02-23T16:24:00.002-05:00

I wish I could share the wonderful smell of this candle. If I close my eyes I feel like I am sitting in a field of tulips.

Seda France

thats all...

Steampunk

2009-02-23T11:26:00.003-05:00

You know...I've been seeing this word in many places but til today had no clue on what it meant. According to wiki, the term "steampunk" : "is a sub-genre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction...continued here.

Maybe not something I would personally get into but the art work created is very nice, I like it.

Cool link below!
The Steampunk Workshop

day 5...going strong!

2009-02-23T06:38:00.003-05:00

Still no smoking for me...5 days now. Woohoo!!! I am so proud of myself. My house is spotless...well, almost. I have a few things left to do but wow, I have done a lot since last wednesday. I even washed the dog car yesterday...that's how busy I need to keep myself. Spring and summer will be less stressfull I think. I will be able to go "play" outside.

This morning is chest and back day at the gym. Trainer mentioned we might do a bit of cardio on the bosu to prepare me for boxing in a few weeks. I hope it won't be too hard since my legs still hurt a bit from fridays work-out. I do the following chest exercise but wit a 40lbs bar not a teeny bar like this. 4 times 10 reps. Then we go do chest press on incline which I do 20 usually but since my sprain on my left arm we went down to 15lbs, again 4 times 10 reps...althought sometimes we do 15, it depends on how the arm feels. I like doing chest exercises...I always feel really strong after. LOVES IT!

this is NOT me

Sooo, I'm off to the gym. maybe more posting later.

personal note to friend Erica
Erica, I'm sending you good vibes today!!! Everything will be fine, let me know how you are when you can. No rush.

transfering some pics

2009-02-22T14:16:00.001-05:00

This is little Pearl the first week she arrived home...all together, AAHHhhhh!

no smoking still going strong!

2009-02-22T07:15:00.005-05:00

Well, mom and middle sister chose a great time to go on vacation....it's frigging snowing again! I am really sick of it all and I want to start gardening, mowing my lawn, swimming with hubby and doggy...bbqs....SUMMER!!! I guess it's coming soon enough but since I stopped smoking I wish it was sooner than later since I could go occupy myself outdoors.

I got my new computer yesterday...my other laptop(an acer, such crap) died on me...well is dying and I actually don't know for how long it'll last so I need to transfer my shit asap. Well....my new laptop...OMG check it out,
I just love it! I wish I could tell you all it does and all the high-tech dodads it has but to be honest I don't really understand it all. I went for look first and then asked hubby if it would fit my needs and he approved so I got it...It's so hard being me...lol, I am so kidding here! Since I have to transfer lots of pics and links and stuff I'll be posting links to some of my daily blog visits. Like this one below that made me giggle this morning!

found via: tri-ops

found new music player

2009-02-21T21:14:00.003-05:00

via one of my most favorite blogs Amyoops. I love this blog, I laugh all the time when I go there. Check it out!

really like this song!

OMG am I sore! yesterday trainer made me do squats with a 15lbs bar and now my legs are KILLING me. Just took a muscle relaxant a few minutes ago but I don't feel anything yet. ugh.

Still no smoking, doing well. My house is clean and this week I plan on hitting my pantry and office. The office will take some time since I have over 2000 magazines that I need to look through and find recipes I like and scan them in my computer since I do not want them anymore. I need space for books, not magazines!!! Yeah for more cookbooks!!!

alright, it's late enough...i can go to bed now. I hope to not wake at 6 tomorrow...

Day 3.... no smoking!

2009-02-21T07:37:00.002-05:00

Still doing good this early in the morning. I woke at 6 this morning, could not sleep anymore. Which is fine with me but I wish it were spring already and not -15 anymore, I would go running in the morning I think. I was able to stay up til around 10:30 last night. Jack was out at a friends b-day celebration so I fell asleep quite fast. When he came home though I was awakened with his flipping the channels but I asked him to stop cause it was really bugging me. I don't know but I seemed to be very sensitive to sounds yesterday...I really don't know how smoking can affect your hearing and I doubt it does but I was hearing very clearly yesterday...it seems all my senses are changing.... Maybe it's the vitamins the laser(or is it lazer?) guy gave me...I don't know but they also got me little "constipado"....lol Is that even a word? hope not but you get what I mean anyways....

I don't know yet how I will occupy my day, it's sunny out but cold. I don't want to cook all the time either cause then I'll just gain weight and that is a no no for me...well at least I'll try not to. Anyways...next week fabu trainer and I will start cardio work-outs slowly and by summer I will be boxing as well.

ok...I go find something to do...later

Let's do a little dance....

2009-02-20T19:27:00.002-05:00

the "there's no more nicotine in my body" dance.

It has been over 48 hours now and still no smoking. I've kept busy, my house is getting pretty clean and nice smelling. I also am forcing myself not to nap during the afternoon so I won't get insomnia which I am prone to getting. Right now, at 7:30, I am so pooped, I want to go sleep but I will tough it out at least til 10...or at least try. Last night was a good nights sleep but at 4:30 this morning I woke up and I would usually have had a smoke but not this morning, I just turned over and fell back asleep. My alarm waking my at 6:15 but then I realized that I only got up that early so I could have my two smokes before going to the gym....yes, I know...smoking and the gym don't mix. I slept a few moments more and when I heard hubby making my coffee I decided it was time to get up. All my habit have to change I noticed...I'm totally ok with that but EVERYTHING is changing. I am also chewwing massive amounts of gum when I am driving my car. I look like a cow chewing on crud. The car was one of the places I smoked the most...but not anymore!.

More updates during the week-end.

first 24 hours have passed

2009-02-19T14:03:00.002-05:00

and all is still really good. No withdrawl at all, just very relaxed. Will post later tonight since I am doing some major cleaning this afternoon.

First few hours...

2009-02-18T19:00:00.002-05:00

It's done! I am a non-smoker as of 1:30 today. I did my lazer treatment which is really cool. They target 52 pressure points on you hands, ears and face with a teeny little lazer which send pulses to your brain which increases the endorphins and the seratonin levels to kinda simulate what you are doing when puffing a cig.

It was really cool, I didn't feel pulses or anything but at about the halfway point I started to feel very relaxed and happy. I kept my eyes closed for most of the proceedure, not that you have too but I was wearing these funky blue goggles that the technician gave me(is it true that some men see blue when taking viagra? well if yes, I'm assuming what I was seeing would be the same...but I digress). During the treatment I felt the urge to smile a lot so I did, Tech guy said it was normal, some people fall asleep he told me. I have two weeks of vitamins to take to help "cleanse" my insides...big ASS pills...one of which looks like a baby suppository! I swear it's HUGE! I hate taking any kind of pill so this will be a challenge but so far so good. More news tomorrow...

on to better and bigger things....funny things!!!

-mom, if you watch this...it's not a real drug, it's a spoof-

One more day....

2009-02-17T10:18:00.003-05:00

Here are some techniques I will be using in the next couple of weeks...I will watch every morning before starting my day.

Stop Smoking Techniques - Creative Visualization - video powered by Metacafe

Cleaning my computer...

2009-02-16T21:46:00.004-05:00

of some of these somewhat useless but still funny pics. Click to embiggen.

Men are all the same!

this ones for hubby...it's an inside joke

this ones for my mom...sorry mom but this is funny! and for all women out there, we should all come back as bears!

and to finish it off, a little video of Pearl jumping in the pool last summer.

Two more days...

2009-02-16T17:03:00.001-05:00

Well...I'm hoping this is it. In two days I will be attempting to stop smoking with the help of lazer therapy. I am very excited about it and feel really positive about it as well. Since I started working out regularly at the gym, I've realized how much harder it is for me since I do smoke. I cannot do any cardio because after 3 minutes I am winded and feel like passing out, ok, maybe not pass out but I just don't feel well. I want to run and go further in my workouts so it's all a big plus. I can't wait to not stink like an ashtray anymore. My house will smell better, be less dusty and my windows won't be yucky from smoke.

Here are a few interesting facts about what happen to you immediately after you stop smoking.

In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.

In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.

In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.

In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.

In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.

In three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.

In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.

In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.

In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.

In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.

Pearl meets Gaston

2009-02-13T15:05:00.004-05:00

Here is Pearl meeting Gaston the English Sheep dog last year. Gaston is so adorable and HUGE now, look...

Gaston is Pearls neighborhood boyfriend. She loves him soooo much, you just have to say his name and she runs to look at the door to see if he's coming. Too cute!

this is what I miss on rainy winter days...

2009-02-12T17:54:00.003-05:00

but since we are far away from that kind of weather and I felt like warming up from the inside I made

Chicken and white bean soup with herb swirl
4 to 8 servings

8 tabs evoo, divided
2 tsp chopped fresh sage (I skipped cause I don't like sage)
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1 lbs skinnless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/4 inch pcs
1 small onion chopped
2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch pcs
1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced
1/2 cup tomato puree
4 cups chicken or veggie broth
2 15oz cans of white kidney beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinced
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 bay leaf

Method:
In small skillet heat 4 tabs of evoo and herbs and heat for about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour herbs oil into small bowl and set aside.
Heat 2 tabs of evoo in large pot over medium heat. Saute chicken for 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to plate and set aside. Add rest of evoo and add carrots, onion, celery and saute til begins to brown, about 15 minutes. Add chicken and rest of the ingredients and bring to a light simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
ladle soup into bowl and gently swirl 1 tsp of herb oil into center of each.

enjoy!

It was really good, hubby loved it!

Tagged!

2009-02-11T14:25:00.010-05:00

My sister tagged me with: find the 6th picture of your newest folder so here it is...
My Pearly-bear just lazing around the house. She is such a sweetheart! 85lbs of "LOVE". Her only fault is the noxious gasses that emanate from her posterior. OMG...room clearing at times, but with a face like that what can you do?

To finish yesterdays post of 1973, here are what happened the last months of that year.

In september 1973,Soyuz 12 was launched into space.

In october 1973, the oil crisis occured.

In november 1973, a free three day festival called Millenium 73 was held in Houston, Texas.

In december 1973, Pioneer 10 sent the first pictures of jupiter.(cool!)

Some people who died in 1973:
Charles Greeley Abbot Astronomer 31-May-1872 17-Dec-1973 Solar energy
Conrad Aiken Poet 5-Aug-1889 17-Aug-1973 Earth Triumphant
Marc Allégret Film Director 22-Dec-1900 4-Nov-1973 Entrée des Artistes
Salvador Allende Head of State 26-Jul-1908 11-Sep-1973 Chilean President deposed by Pinochet
Kenneth Allsop Critic 29-Jan-1920 23-May-1973 London Evening News book critic
Leona Anderson Actor 3-Apr-1885 25-Dec-1973 House on Haunted Hill
Margaret Anderson Author 24-Nov-1886 18-Oct-1973 Founder of the Little Review
Robert Armstrong Actor 20-Nov-1890 20-Apr-1973 King Kong
W. H. Auden Poet 21-Feb-1907 29-Sep-1973 The Age of Anxiety

more here

People Born in 1973:
Jason Acuña Actor 16-May-1973 Jackass dwarf
Afu-Ra Rapper c. 1973 Whirlwind Thru Cities
Keiko Agena Actor 3-Oct-1973 Lane Kim on Gilmore Girls
Akon Singer 30-Apr-1973 Trouble
Peter André Singer 27-Feb-1973 British/Cypriot singer
Natalie Appleton Musician 14-May-1973 All Saints
Leila Arcieri Model 18-Dec-1973 Wild Things 2
Dean Armstrong Actor 24-Apr-1973 Blake on Queer as Folk
Mackenzie Astin Actor 12-May-1973 The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human
Jamie Bamber Actor 3-Apr-1973 Battlestar Galactica

more here

I need a pair of these!

2009-02-10T21:08:00.002-05:00

Sony releases new...

2009-02-10T20:00:00.000-05:00

Sony Releases New Stupid Piece Of Shit That Doesn't Fucking Work

1973

2009-02-10T09:09:00.012-05:00

I turn 36 today...woohoo! Happy Birthday to me! I like 36, it's a good number. Here is a commercial that aired on the day I was born...O.M.G! Look at those amazing computer graphics!

So what happened in 1973? I can't really remember personally...(ha!) but thanks to the wonderful world wide web it's all at my fingertips. In January 1973, Eldfell erupts

In February 1973, well, I was born and construction started on the
CN Tower

In march 1973, Pink Floyd released Dark Side of the Moon

part 2
part 3
part 4
part 5
part 6

In april 1973 pioneer 11is launched to study the solar system

In may 1973, Secretariat wins the Kentucky Derby

In june 1973, Secretariat wins the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing

In july 1973, St. Andrews Cathedral is made a national monument

In august 1973 is released

More to come tomorrow...and here's my funny joke of the day.

One evening a Husband, thinking he was being funny, said to his wife
'Perhaps we should start washing your Clothes in Slim Fast.
Maybe it would take a few inches off of your Butt!'

His Wife was not amused, and decided that she simply couldn't let
such a comment go unrewarded.

The next morning the Husband took a pair of underwear out of his drawer.

'What the Hell is this?' he said to himself as a little 'dust' cloud appeared
when he shook them out.

'April,' he hollered into the bathroom, 'Why did you put Talcum Powder in my Underwear?'

She replied with a snicker, 'It's not talcum powder, It's 'Miracle Grow!'"

Sunday morning ritual

2009-02-08T10:03:00.002-05:00

My sunday morning ritual has been the same for the past 20-23 years now. I may have missed a couple during that time but not many... For me, sundays are not sundays unless I watch CBS News Sunday Morning. I remember being around 15 and watching Charles Kuralt...I loved his voice, granted I used to fall asleep maybe halfway through the show but faithfully watched every week. There have been so many fabulous inteviews and reports through the years. One of my favorite contributors being Nancy Giles as seen in the clip below on procrastination.
I can relate well with procrastination...really! I actually started this post while I was watching this mornings show but the I stopped midway to do other things...now I'm back and all the great ideas I wanted to share are gone....one of the drawbacks of procrastination.

Here is Charles Kuralts last appearance on the show, being replaced by Charles Osgood. I remeber watching that episode...I was sad C.K was leaving and since I had no clue who C.O. was I was doubtful I would contnue watching but I did tune in the next week and I must say I really did and still like mr. C.O.

Girls dinner night

2009-02-07T12:07:00.002-05:00

Last night was girls night dinner at my house. What a meal!!! I made Mushroom Bourguignon (recipe can be found here) and I highly suggest you check out the site, it is wonderful! It was such a hit with all my friends, one of them being a vegetarian, which is really why I made this recipe. I was seriously very pleasantly surprised with it and I will definately put this in my recipe box. Darn...wish I had leftovers right now... For dessert I made Molten chocolate cake found on the Godiva website. Again, very yummy! One friend had had it before but not the other 4 friends and they just went gaga over it. I served it with ice-cream and macerated strawberries.
Tonight it's dinner at "La Perle" an asian restaurant and then a bit of bowling with friends, that should be interesting to say the least. I haven't bowled in at least 12 years.

I doubt I will be doing any of these trick shots tonight though...ha!

ummm...I also WILL NOT be doing this kind of bowling...O.M.G!

and I don't really get it here but whatever!

superbowl food at izze's house

2009-02-05T15:08:00.002-05:00

moi...pushing some trays around.

side view but with missing food.

There is a lot of food missing but still nice pics. Missing was the sausage bar with different dipping sauces and of course the buffalo wings.

The menu consisted of: Buffalo wings, sausage bar, shrimp cocktail, refried bean dip with nachos, crab cakes, stuffed potato skins, bacon-wrapped waterchestnuts, crudite and dips, chips and pretzels, and two homemade kinds of cookies for dessert. Needless to say people enjoyed the food very much...I can't say that much about the results of the game though, we had some sad campers here....only one winner team fan.

Today it's cold and I'm just chilaxing ~~nap~~ since it hasn't really stopped here since last friday...Superbowl cooking, my dishwasher broke (is now fixed) before superbowl so had tons and tons of dishes, then the superbowl day itself. Tuesday our friend M. came to visit from toronto and has just now left a few moments ago...so I'm pooped! But not too pooped to post some pics of Pearl and new puppy friend Duke (a mini australian sheppard)...the first meeting was today and he is just adorable, check it out!

Pearl is the best with puppies...she LOVES them all!

Old memories via youtube

2009-01-29T08:53:00.002-05:00

Did you know that...

Getting ready for superbowl this week-end...lot's of food, lot's of friends so posting might be sparse over the next few days.

Post for my sister

2009-01-27T14:33:00.002-05:00

Hey sis, this site is right up your alley! Craftster an online community of crafty people just like you! There is also a soap section you should check out! Here is a recipe for "rainbow salt scrub" looks kinda fun and something I might like for my b-day...uhhhhum...

check out this video...in the intro...this is your dream home I'm sure!

2009-01-27T12:29:00.002-05:00

I would love and wear proudly this t-shirt...love it!!!

In anticipation of Obamas visit...ha!

Finally...Now it's really accomplished!

This was me last week...kind of.

Acne Info

2009-01-26T20:07:00.002-05:00

Everybody gets acne once in a while...which sucks. Although many suffer daily help may be on the way.

A new drug might be a breakthrough treatment for acne; it works by preventing acne from forming in the first place.Sebum is the oily substance produced by your follicles. When it becomes trapped and builds up under the skin, acne is born.read more here

more info on SMT D002

Hoof-Hearted

2009-01-26T11:50:00.005-05:00

make sure your volume is up...prepare to giggle

Here are a few other funny names I found:

FANGSFORTHEMEMORY

FUHR GOODNESS SAKE

PYJAMA PARTY

SOME GIRLS WON'T

LEG WARMER

found via:RacingNSW

Application in the year 2015

click to embiggen

to the spider living in my shower...

2009-01-25T20:31:00.003-05:00

I will find you! It's been a while that I've been on the lookout for you. No matter how often you weave that web, I will take it down. I know you are in there somewhere...I've tried to steam you out...no luck. I've tried to "C.L.R" you out and still no luck. What do I need to do? I feel stared at all the time now and I don't like it. Go Away!

Stains: just look st this dogs expression...O.M.G! too funny!

found via I really enjoy this site, nice pictures, funny content, I always leave with a smile.

Sleep

2009-01-24T10:01:00.004-05:00

I have slept at least 16 of the past 24 hours and I am still very, very, tired and sleepy. This is why I hate winter...all I do is sleep. I sleep my nights as usual and during the day I need a nap, well, it's not really a nap if it's 4 hours or more I guess. I should start my light therapy like I did last year but I'm afraid of insomnia which sometimes happens to me when I do the light therapy. I woke up maybe 1 hour ago and all I can think of is sleeping. I'm on my second cup of coffee and the caffeine is not kicking in...will it today?

To boost my moral a bit here are some summer pictures of my garden and miss Pearl playing in the pool.

Early summer garden, tomatoes on the left and flowers on the right.

Pearl and new Boyfriend Gaston

Pearl playing with ball in pool

Fountain at back of pool

Flowers

Habanero peppers and herbs

Now what am I going to do today? I really don't want to go outside unless I really, really have to...it's -20!

Sore and pooped

2009-01-21T10:15:00.001-05:00

Mondays, wednesdays and fridays are gym days for me and today was brutal. Since I have injured my arm I have to modify my workouts to try and not use the left arm as much so we are now concentrating on legs and abs and this morning fantastic trainer was making me jump on and off the bosu ball for lke 15 minutes. I only fell off once, not too bad. But needless to say my legs feel like jello right now. I love working out! I'm so happy I started alomost 2 years ago now. Granted I HAVE to have my trainer with me to do it but if that's what it takes to get me more active then it's a small price to pay. I can't seem to concentrate for long enough to do it alone, I get distracted by the smallest things and then I can't seem to get back on track, but not with fabu trainer, she is just AWESOME!

Changes!

2009-01-20T09:11:00.009-05:00

I am so happy for the Amercian people and for the rest of the world that today we(the world) are inaugurating Mr Barack Obama, first black President. I will be watching the ceremonies all day, not wanting to miss history in the making. I'm happy to be living in this time and to be able to see such things. I laugh in the face of all racists today and say "HA!" you will not win! I wonder if this is how people felt when J.F.Kennedy became president? I don't know but I guess it's a feeling of hope in a time of dispair, but I tend to be over-dramatic so I dunno??!?

Wow...it's now real! Mr President Barack Obama!!! Congratulations everyone!

and goodbye....

Now that changes in this part of the world have started happening, let us work on this:
it too can happen!

talking about changes...(on a lighter note)

HA! I laugh at this one!!!

Installing LOVE

2009-01-19T09:43:00.004-05:00

Since my sister started her blog and has gotten into html coding I figured I should show her another program that is very, very practical(I'm not saying she doesn't have it already though...you know what I mean, you'll see)

Customer:: I really need some help. After much consideration, I've decided to install LOVE. Can you guide me through the process?

Tech Support: Yes, I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer:: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready to install it now. What do I do?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART?

Customer:: Yes, I have, but there are several other programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running?

Customer:: Let's see... I have PAST-HURT.EXE, LOW-ESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.EXE running now.

Tech Support: No problem. LOVE will gradually erase PAST-HURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOW-ESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGH-ESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.EXE. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?

Customer:: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until it's erased the programs you don't want.

Customer:: Okay, now LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes. You should receive a message that says it will stay installed for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message?

Customer:: Yes, I do. Is it completely installed?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEARTs in order to get the upgrades.

Customer:: Oops. I have an error message already. What should I do?

Tech Support: What does the message say?

Customer:: It says "ERROR 412-PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS." What does that mean?

Tech Support: Don't worry, that's a common problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTs but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but in non-technical terms it means you have to "LOVE" your own machine before it can "LOVE" others.

Customer:: So what should I do?

Tech Support: Can you pull down the directory called "SELF-ACCEPTANCE"?

Customer:: Yes, I have it.

Tech Support: Excellent. You're getting good at this. Now, click on the following files and then copy them to the "MYHEART" directory: FORGIVE-SELF.DOC, REALIZE-WORTH.TXT, and ACKNOWLEDGE-LIMITATIONS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELF-CRITICISM.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer:: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with new files. SMILE.MP3 is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.EXE are copying themselves all over my HEART. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes a while, but eventually everything gets downloaded at the proper time. So, LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. Ah, one more thing.

Customer:: Yes?

Tech Support: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some similarly cool modules back to you.

Customer:: I will! Thanks for your help

The silent treatment

2009-01-18T19:50:00.004-05:00

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment.
Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.
Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper,‘Please wake me at 5:00 AM .’ He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn’t wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.
The paper said, ‘It is 5:00 AM . Wake up.’
Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.
found via: Funny and more

My computer has been acting funny lately...my screen is jumpy and I see little white lines across the screen...how annoying! At first it wasn't that often but now at least once a day. Ugh, maybe I'll get myself another one soon but for sure not the new apple wheel one, did not find that too interesting personally. I like the traditional keyboard concept...call me old-school!

Hi Caroline, this is an example of a simple html code.

2009-01-18T00:15:00.004-05:00

this made me laugh so hard and for a second there I was like..."this would happen to my mom"...lol sorry mom but you know it's true!!!

and this is how I felt all week with the incredible freezing temperatures we've been getting...ugh it's cold!

I want summer back...NOW! I want to see this:

Oh the fun we had over the summer in the pool with Pearl. She just loved it, went it on her own to play, used it as her summer water bowl(it's a saltwater pool). It was just great. Hope to have as much fun this summer.

One year and a few months away...

2009-01-17T09:30:00.007-05:00

does a mind good. I'm not sure how often I'll be posting but I have been thinking of starting over again. Winter is really boring for me since I don't work and I dislike most winter activities which take place outside. Today it's -21 degrees...that's just crazy! I'm sitting in bed with my laptop and watching the snow fall right now but wishing I could be putting my bikini on to mow the lawn or plant some flowers, finish painting my fence....in the summer I do not lack things to do at all....LONG LIVE SUMMER! So...what has happened in the past year and few months...Pearl has been welcomed to the family after Sophies tragic passing last year. this is she on her first few days at home...so small back then....ahh the puppy!

This is this summer, enjoying the pool, she just loves the pool!

more later in the day...

Tomorrow..crab cakes

2007-11-17T22:13:00.000-05:00

I have found this wonderful recipe for crab cake from Emerils Delmonico book and Cat and I are making two batches tomorrow. The are frigging fabulous and I will post pics and the recipe tomorrow.

So sorry for the long hiatus

2007-11-10T11:38:00.000-05:00

but Facebook had taken me hostage there for a while. Ah the stories I could tell. Not that it matters cause you don't know these people but I got some good gossip out of it. Found and was found by old friends from highschool. People I hadn't seen in forever. Make me feel a bit old but hey...what are you gonna do.

In the hiatus many things have happened. Jack and I got a new puppy. Pearl is her name and God willing this one will stay with us for longer than one year.

and here she is...Miss Pearl(the black Pearl cause she is all black)

this was the day of Halloween. She is now about 12 weeks old. She is a great dog, we both love her very much. We still sometimes call her Sophie but less and less. She is very different that the other two but has many of the things we loved from both the dogs previous. We miss them both very much still also.

What else...um I had a lazy harvest season this year. I made only one batch of jam and nothing else. I don't know why but this year the thought of making 130 jars of jams and another 50-60 of homemade ketchup didn't really appeal to me. I am now getting in the mood for christmas chocolates and brittles though. Sucks that I lost my brittle recipe but I still have my dragee nut recipe.

I did make a few new good recipes this summer though. My favorite being photo from slashfood
slashfood-article found here. I have the perfect rib recipe for this so I tried it. I was a little disappointed in the guy at the cheese store cause the cheese he recommended was just so-so.

I am still working out and I love it. I've formed muscles where I thought there were none. I'm less "pointy" than I was four months ago. Jack calls me "pointy" cause I'm so slim. We'll get into that some other time though...lol

yard work awaits!

I remember

2007-09-11T06:08:00.000-04:00

What a bust!

2007-09-09T17:53:00.000-04:00

Last night was a disaster, just like I predicted. I won't go into details cause I will just get mad all over again but lets just say that after 10 minutes of being at the party I made Jack take me back home and we are still not really talking. I am vowing to myself never to attend another egagement, wedding, or any other "festive" event with more than 10 people. I can't do crowds, I panic. That's all there is to it. Now that I know I won't put myself in those situations again. I'll just stay home and Jack can go on his own and that way have more fun than if I were there. UGH!

not much else to say today

saturday mornin'

2007-09-08T07:34:00.000-04:00

It's early and I'm up yet again. I have to say it was nice to sleep in til 7 this morning though. What a treat from the normal 4:30-5:30 wake up. I think it's the new flanel sheets I put in a couple of days ago. So soft and warm, just perfect for people who are always cold like me.

Tonight Jack and I have a party to attend. I don't really feel like going but thats not new. I am not that social of a person when it comes to parties with people I don't know. Tonight I only know the guy who is having the party and no one else. That should be interesting. I hope we can leave early. I know why I don't like attending parties and any overall gathering. I feel very useless since I don't have a job to talk about to people and Jack and I are not having kids and most people my age have kids and that all they talk about. I have no interest in hearing about your kids potty training and how their first day of school went. Yes, that's rude and unkind but it's the truth. If I had a job it would be a bit different cause people are always interested in food so then I would have something to talk about.

Not a good start to the day if this is how I feel this early, it can only get worse as the day goes on. By the time the party come around I will be so stressed and worried that I will for sure not have a good time. UGH!

minor frustrations

2007-09-07T07:35:00.000-04:00

My lack of posting over the summer was totally deliberate. I was not busy at all but I did not feel like writing anything at all. Now that the weather is cooling(not today though, it's hot aleady and it's not even 8 a.m.) I think I might do more posting.

My summer was pretty uneventfull. I did lots of swimming and am still getting the new house organized. There are still things that need to be done, little things but nothing that one person can do so we still have people coming to the house on a weekly basis to finish up. I'll take pictures later this week and post them. The house looks so different with grass and a fence. Well almost all of the fence. That one of the things that need to be finished.

We should be getting the new puppy within the month. Her name will be Pearl. I am a little nervous to get this dog. With our past luck it makes it a bit bitter-sweet. I miss Charlotte and Sophie everyday. The passing of Sophie, especially in the tragic way she died has changed me I think. Luckily I was not present when she did die but it has changed how I see many things. Maybe not in a good way either. With time who knows, maybe that will change but not now. My change in feelings will not affect the new puppy I'm sure and maybe will even change how I feel, we'll just have to wait and see.

UGH!!! I've been waking up way to early these past few months now. My usual wake time is 5:30. Today was 4:30. Why??? I don't know but it has been happening since I stopped smoking. Not that it makes a big difference in anything since I just get on my computer and watch the news. What is a person to do at 5:30 in the morning? I can't make to much noise cause Jack is still sleeping and it's dark at 5:30, I can't go and walk or jog. I mean I could but I choose not to, it's just to depressing.

I did start working out during the summer, I started in late may and still am going strong. I train twice a week with a trainer and once(have been lagging) on my own. My trainer is very nice and she make my training fun and so far I've seen major results. Being a thin person muscles start to show pretty quickly so that's a bonus! I;m not getting "muscular" like a body builder or anything but just toning and adding muscle to places that previously looked to skinny. Yes, some people have a hard time putting on weight. We do exist and it's not our fault. I wonder if there is a group for people like me?

Ok, enough staring at the screen, I should get dressed already!

Today is Cedrikas birthday

2007-08-29T16:22:00.000-04:00

She turns 10 and she is still not back home. Police are still searching and family and friends are still praying. I think of her everyday and I could almost say every hour and it wouldn't be a stretch.

Thank-you Bob for asking about her, please keep her in your prayers still. We will find her and bring her back home to her loving family.

Happy Birthday Cedrika, where ever you are,
many people are praying for your safe return
so stay strong and you will be with your family again.

Cedrika Provencher- missing

2007-08-14T06:30:00.001-04:00

13 days now. Since I physically cannot do anything for this little girl I have been praying for her and her family everyday since this horrble tragedy has happened and I have joined a prayer group online and I would like to share some of the prayers that have been said for little Cedrika.

~~Dear Lord, Please guide and protect this little girl, keep her safe in your arms and please Lord take her home safely to her family in Jesus name Amen~~from South Africa

~~Gracious and most merciful heavenly Father God i asked thru the power of Christ that this little girl Cedrika be brought home safely. I asked Father God that you put a hedge of protection around this little girl an guide her home.I also ask you comfort the family of this misssing girl in their time of need, i asked it all thru Jesus the Christ amen~~U.S.A

~~Dear Lord, Cedrika is a child and missing, its sad its awful, Lord i pray for her safeness to return to her family who love her. Lord please protect her in everyway. Amen~~South Africa

~~May the power of prayer to the Almighty God save Cedrika. We ask that you dear Lord favor this child's parents and grant them the wish that their daughter be returned to them unharmed and healthy. Please hear our prayers and be merciful, O Lord. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen/ Peace and Blessings to you Isabelle~~Houstan Texas

~~Dearest Heavenly Father,
As we pray for the return of this child to her family, unharmed and in good health, we also pray for the person(s) who have removed her from her home. Lay upon the heart of this person that her return is in his best interestes. Forgiveness comes easer when the child is returned unharmed. I pray that you will give Cedrika strength to endure the troubles that she is experiencing. I pray that the person that has her returns her asap. Please bring her back to her family. Amen!~~

~~There is no way we can adequately put into words how we feel when something like this happens. And no words to decribe what her family is going through. Please Father God...for the sake of Cedrika and her parents and the rest of her family. In Jesus' name we humbly and very earnestly pray,
amen~~

There are many more prayers for little Cedrika so if you want to add you prayer please go visit link below. We need all the prayers and positive thoughts for this little girl. We must find her and bring her back home to her parents.

add your prayer here

Pictures of Cedrika:

Cedrika Provencher-still missing

2007-08-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Call 911 or 1 800 659-4264.

I haven't posted anything in a while before little Cedrika went missing since I was enjoying the beautiful summer and having a great time in my pool. Who would really want to post anything when it's so nice to be outside? Not me. I guess I should write how I know Martin Provencher, the father of little Cedrika. I used to always go dancing at the same club back in the day(makes me feel old) and he was a doorman/bouncer there. We became friends there and I always remembered his red hair and warm smile. I have honestly not really thought of him since my father past away 3 years ago when I saw another good friend of mine at his funeral(my dad) and he mentioned his name. Wow, what flashbacks! I highly doubt he even remembers me but that does not change the fact that he needs all the help anyone and everyone can give. I keep good thoughts everyday and there is not one hour of the day since this aweful thing happened that I do not pray for him and his family. I do not think I know his wife but she must be going through hell right now and I also pray for her. I sometimes think to myself "oh maybe I should just go down to Trois-Rivieres and show my support" but I really do not want to hinder anything. I think my way of helping an old friend will be to keep praying and keep posting her picture where ever I can.

A Prayer For The Missing

O, Blessed Mother and St Joseph,
you searched when your Son Jesus
disappeared when he was twelve.
You would not give up
until he was found.
You know the pain of having someone missing,
and the joy of finding them,
as you found your son.
Help those who are searching now,
to find the answers to their questions,
and an end to their searching.
Inspire people to be vigilant,
so that their eyes and ears
may see and hear news that will bring hope.
Comfort those who feel lonely and sad
because the one they love has vanished.
Be with them in the storm
and guide them in their efforts.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Please help

2007-08-08T07:38:00.000-04:00

***new link***Cedrika
An old friend of mine is living through the worst kind situation. His 9 year old daughter has been missing since last tuesday(august 31,2007). Please post this picture on your blogs. Let us keep her picture out there.

Race: White
Height: 1, 52 or 5 feet
Weight: 31 kg
Hair: dark red/brown, long and curly
Eyes: brown
She has a fair complexion with freckles and looks like and 11 years old but really is 9.
Call 911 or 1 800 659-4264.

TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- Police in Quebec were asking for the public's help in finding a 9-year-old girl who went missing in Trois-Rivieres, Canada.

Cedrika Provencher disappeared six days ago and the police's only lead was that a man reportedly was asking young girls in the area to help him search for his little dog, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday.

"So far, we … know three other girls around the same age and same area were approached recently by a man asking for help to find his black-and-white small dog," said Quebec Provincial Police Sgt. Isabel Gendron. "We are asking parents … if they have little girls around that age … to keep asking their child if they were approached by that man."

The police's only information on the man was he is between 30 and 60 years old.

link to story

This is an old friend I haven't seen in over 15 years but that does not matter. He needs our help by keeping her picture out there and he needs you prayers and good thoughts. Please help. I know most people I will ask are far from here but that does not matter. Please do all you can for little Cedrika.

~on a personal note I would like to thank all the fellow bloggers out there who are helping me keep her picture out there.
Look at this-thanks
Big shot Bob in Texas-thanks
The Presurfer-thanks
if I'm forgetting anyone I'm sorry and I will add your link soon.

we need this for Jack

2007-06-17T21:53:00.000-04:00

This swimming pool golf game has a floating, felt-covered green and Velcro-covered whiffle golf balls, allowing you to practice chipping onto an island green from poolside and challenge fellow golfers to a game of "closest to the pin." The balls are chipped from an artificial grass mat, and players attempt to hit the balls as close as possible to the flag on the green. The moveable flag adjusts for different pin placements, a floating sand trap attaches to the green, and the twelve golf balls come in four different colors so multiple players can participate. Golf balls that are hit awry will float on the water surface, ensuring easy retrieval with a pool skimmer. Golf club not included. Green: 3' L x 5' W. Chipping mat: 18" L x 24" W.

69.99$

best choreography I've seen in a while...

2007-06-14T20:17:00.000-04:00

AHHH summer!

2007-06-13T08:08:00.001-04:00

very busy this week with new landscaping. more post soon!

genius!

2007-06-07T19:35:00.001-04:00

glumbert.com - Saltwater into Fire

Crack!

2007-06-07T18:45:00.001-04:00

via:Bits & Pieces

Ugh!

2007-06-04T10:46:00.000-04:00

Almost every day I get to see how important it is to teach your children the basics of taking care of a house. I remember how I hated being woken up Saturday mornings so my sisters and I could clean the house. We(as well as my mom) would clean the whole house from top to bottom. My mom taught us everything about the care of a home and the best of all she taught us to do it with pleasure and to make it fun. Yes, at the time we would mumble and grumble but now that I have my own home to take care of I see the importance of it all. Especially when your better half was not taught any of these things and you(in this case me)have all the home projects on your shoulders. OK...he does do SOME things but never or rarely starts a project(home related) on his own. It's like he has blinders(what a horse wears during a race to not be frightened by other horses)on, just sees what's in front of him.

Yes I'm complaining here because complaining to Jack is useless. He hears what he wants to hear and somehow makes it my fault that he doesn't do anything. At least here I can vent without being interrupted.

I don't have kids but one piece of advice to parents out there, make your kids do chores around the house. Teach them that on garbage day you need to take out all the garbage and this means going from room to room to empty all the garbages and then you take it outside. Teach your kids how to cook for themselves, they don't have to become great chefs but at least give them the knowledge so that if they are home and there is food in the fridge and pantry they know how to put it together and not rely on delivery services. Teach your kids how to wash a floor in case something happens when you are not there and they know how to pick up the mess before you get home. Teach them how to do dishes so if you have a sprain like I did two weeks ago, the dishes won't stay on the counter for 4 days until you can bend your arm again. The basics so when you have someone like me who 95% of the time takes care of all the house can get a small break when she feels under the weather. So you can see on your own what needs to be done because asking what needs to be done when it's plain and simple is very irritating and stressful.

very powerful...

2007-06-01T13:59:00.000-04:00

~edited june 13~ I forgot to place the link to where I found this. I don't want to take credit for this so here is the wonderful person I found it from. I just love this place.Big Shot Bob in Texas

Hypothetical Millionaires

2007-05-22T20:57:00.001-04:00

A little boy goes up to his father and asks: "Dad, what's the difference between hypothetical and reality?"

The father replies: "Well son, I could give you the book definitions, but I feel it could be best to show you by example. Go upstairs and ask your mother if she'd have sex with the mailman for $500,000."

The boy goes and asks his mother:

"Mom, would you have sex with the mailman for $500,000?"

The mother replies: "Hell yes I would!"

The little boy returns to his father:

"Dad, she said 'Hell yes I would!'"

The father then says: "Okay, now go and ask your older sister if she'd have sex with her principal for $500,000."

The boy asks his sister:

"Would you have sex with your principal for $500,000?"

The sister replies: "Hell yes I would!"

He returns to his father: "Dad, she said 'Hell yes I would!'"

The father answers: "Okay son, here's the deal: Hypothetically, we're millionaires, but in reality, we're just living with a couple of whores."

I know...

2007-05-21T21:11:00.000-04:00

it's been a while but I didn't feel like posting while I was p.m.s since I can get rather crabby but now I feel great so I am posting. Today was such a beautiful day and I spent the better part of the afternoon outside reading while I was trying out my new smoker. Here are just a few pictures to show off a bit.

So I spent the afternoon reading and tending my smoker and I just smell of smoke now. My hair...every time I move I get a whiff of the apple chip wood I used. The wings were great and so was the pork. I'll be making a nice pork sammywhich for lunch tomorrow. MMmm.

ok, that's it. good night!

Did you know...

2007-05-10T17:23:00.000-04:00

found via:Neatorama

I've been keeping busy testing recipes, Today I made 4 kinds of coleslaw and a test recipe of pulled brisket. My house smells of BBQ and it smells real nice. Yesterday I made a batch of BBQ beans and they turned out just fabulous. I will retest this same recipe but with more jalapeno peppers next time. I think I'd like more heat in them.

I'm pooped so that's all for me today. I have tons of dishes that are calling my name.

Sunday funnies

2007-05-06T19:34:00.000-04:00

The fututre of Google
Invented words
A radio station was running a competition - words that weren’t in the dictionary yet could still be used in a sentence that would make logical sense. The prize was a trip to Bali.

DJ: “96 FM here, what’s your name?”

Caller: “Hi, my name’s Dave.”

DJ: “Dave, what’s your word?”

Caller: “Goan… spelt G-O-A-N pronounced ‘go-an’.”

DJ: “You are correct, Dave, ‘goan’ is not in the dictionary. Now, for a trip to Bali: What sentence can you use that word in that would make sense?”

Caller: “Goan fuck yourself!”

The DJ cut the caller off and took other calls, all unsuccessful until:

DJ: “96 FM, what’s your name?”

Caller: “Hi, me name’s Jeff.”

DJ: “Jeff, what’s your word?”

Caller: “Smee, spelt S-M-E-E, pronounced ’smee’.”

DJ: “You are correct, Jeff, ’smee’ is not in the dictionary. Now, for a trip to Bali: What sentence can you use that word in that would make sense?”

Caller: “Smee again! Goan fuck yourself!”

Busted!

2007-05-05T12:41:00.000-04:00

Stupid guy tries a little 007 action and get what he deserves!(I watched Casino Royal this week, hence the reference to James Bond)