As seen at Walmart

On Tuesday night I went to Walmart to fill a prescription for Kaitlyn. Of course the pharmacy was incredibly busy, and of course "the slow one" was on duty. (As told to another customer by the employee at the drop off counter, in regards to the pharmacist on duty.)

The good news is I had about 40 minutes of uninterrupted alone time to wander around and shop.

The bad news is I spent extra money.

The good news is I got some things for the house, and we have the extra money to spend.

Anyway, I saw a few interesting things.

1. They are starting to put out their Christmas decorations. I actually had fun browsing the aisle all by myself. I don't think I've ever looked at Christmas stuff without having to maneuver around lots of other people. The lesson here is if you want to look at Christmas decorations in peace and quiet, you have to do it in mid-October.

2. I found two of these 6.5 inch round bar boards on clearance. I've wanted to get some new cutting boards, but most of the time I just need a small surface for slicing an apple, cutting the ends off carrots, etc. I think these will do the trick, and you just can't beat clearance!


3. I've been looking for bins that I can use in Kaitlyn's room to help organize her toys, that can slide under her bed. Last week I bought some big under-the-bed containers which work, but weren't exactly what I want. As I was wandering through the kitchen section last night I found simple, white, plastic dishpans that are the perfect size. And, they were 1.88 each. Now that I think about it, they also would be perfect for our family room downstairs. We have white shelving where we keep toys and games, but I need a little something extra to organize that space. Looks like I might be headed back to Walmart for more dishpans.
4. In my new decorating quest I've been on the lookout for a comforter set for our bed and a new shower curtain for our master bath. I've found a few where I like the design, but not the colors, or vice versa. Last night I saw that Walmart has both shower curtains and comforter sets in solid colors, and in colors that I've been looking for. Maybe that's the route I need to go...

5. When I was done with my shopping I went back to the pharmacy, only to discover that my prescription wasn't done yet. (See previous comment about "the slow one.") While I sat on the bench and waited, a woman stepped up to the counter and had the biggest dose of attitude I have seen in a long time. Her conversation with the pharmacy employee could have been a Saturday Night Live sketch. The employee deserves a medal for the patience and tact he displayed while trying to help her.

6. Public Service Announcement: When you have PMS and have 40 minutes to kill in Walmart, it's really best to not go wandering through the bakery section. You might end up putting some peanut butter cookies in your cart.

And you may or may not bust them open in the car and eat one (or maybe two) on the way home.

You may also eat a few more (ahem - maybe even half the package) after arriving home.

Don't try this at home

Yesterday morning I threw a cup of coffee down the stairs.

I had the cup in my hand, 3/4 full, and the sleeve of my bathrobe caught on the half-wall by our stairs as I walked by. Because of the way it all happened, my coffee cup went flying out of my hand, slammed against one wall, and bounced back and forth between the stair walls as it bumped down to the basement.

In a split second, there was coffee splattered on three walls, the kitchen floor, the hallway carpet, and the carpet on five or six stairs.

I couldn't do that again if I tried.

I just stood there for a second in disbelief and then tried to figure out where to start the clean up. I got everything mostly cleaned up when I looked up and realized that Kaitlyn had peed on the floor.

This is the scene my poor husband happened upon when he got out of the shower. This was also the moment when I gave up on the idea of getting to church on time.

We eventually got everything cleaned up, although there are still light stains on the carpet. Today I found myself wondering - if I had only used a tad bit more creamer, would it have matched?

Switching gears... I must share a conversation that occurred between Mike and Kaitlyn last night at Wal-Mart. For several months Mike has been talking about getting a flat screen TV. My standard response is, "Ok. You take a look at our bank account, and if you feel that's a wise way to spend our money, then go right ahead and buy it."

(Evil, yes, but it's quite effective.)

Last night Mike ran to the store to pick up something for work and he took Kaitlyn with him. While they were there he couldn't resist taking a stroll through the electronics section.

K: Daddy, what are those? [looking at all the display TVs]

M: Those are TVs honey.

K: Wow! Those are TVs? [she's in this mode of repeating everything]

M: Yes they are. Do you think we should get one?

K: But we have TVs at home that we can watch!

EXACTLY. Out of the mouths of babes...

We interrupt this silence to bring you a blog post

Hi.

I'm still here.

I had one blog post in March. I don't quite know what's derailed me, but I'm hoping to get back on track.

Why is it that the longer I go without a post, the harder it is to compose a new one?

My goal tonight is to simply post something. I believe I've achieved my goal.

Oh - I do have one piece of GREAT news! (This post really will end up with some substance!)

My mom had her post-chemo tests a few weeks ago, and when they did the CT scan there was a spot of concern in her colon. They couldn't tell if it was a tumor, or if it was scar tissue from her surgery. They did a biopsy, and her doctor called her on Sunday to tell her the results came back and the spot is benign! WOOOOOOOOOOHOO! Isn't God good??

Tweeted out

So, it's been a while, huh?

I didn't intend to take such a long blogging break, but I guess I needed one.

One reason for the break is that I've been investigating a lot of online/social media type of stuff at work (such as twitter, facebook, and zinch) so I think I've been reaching my limit on the whole internet thing during the day, then I have no interest in getting on the computer at night. I am really enjoying my job, but it's funny how, when your work starts to actually become one of the main things you enjoy, then you stop wanting to do that thing in your leisure time.

Anyway, here I am, and hopefully I'll be back to blogging on a more regular basis.

I have many Kaitlyn stories that have happened during my little break - I'll share more of them later on, but wanted to leave you with at least one for today.

After our trip to the ER we had a fairly normal week, until we got to Thursday morning. We noticed that Kaitlyn felt a little warm, and sure enough, she had a fever. I stayed home with her and decided to take her to the doctor to make sure everything was ok.

The doctor's verdict was that she had the start of an ear infection, so he gave me a prescription for her. Kaitlyn and I then went to the pharmacy and then went in search of some lunch. The whole ordeal was taking longer than I wanted, and I was so hungry, and I was very distracted as I drove around trying to figure out what to do about lunch.

So, I'm driving along, and Kaitlyn is jabbering away in the back seat, and I'm pretty much ignoring her. That's when I realized she was talking about Barack Obama. And the castle that he lives in, and something about a garden. And a bunch of other opinions that I couldn't understand.

????

Where does she get this stuff? We don't spend a lot of time discussing politics around her, so it's a mystery to me. Maybe she secretly watches CNN after we go to bed?

I'm looking forward to hearing her thoughts on AIG.

Random

1. It's funny how I thought I would be posting less this week. I've probably had more posts in the last few days than I've had in the previous few weeks. Weird.

2. Also weird - my daughter. After she ate breakfast, she threw an absolute fit, which included more whining than I could handle. I told her she needed an attitude adjustment, and asked if she wanted to go to her room to settle down. Not only did she willingly go back to her room, she also wanted to go back to bed. She laid there for a good 20 minutes, giving me a nice, quiet opportunity to do important morning things, like checking email and facebook. (She is now in a much better mood.)

3. Why is it that I can never remember how to spell weird? Why doesn't it follow the whole "i before e except after c" rule? Thank goodness for spell check.

4. I had a fun morning yesterday with my nephew and niece. They played with Kaitlyn (which she LOVED), we made cookies, we watched Elf and ate sloppy joes, and generally had a good time. My favorite part of the morning? When Josiah showed me his collection of Taco Bell sauce packets. He has quite a list of foods that supposedly are enhanced by this sauce - I wish I could remember them. (And I must say that I'm not entirely convinced.)

5. My sister made it through her surgery, which lasted a lot longer than expected. Visit her blog for the updates. I hope to make a trip to the hospital to see her today.

6. As mentioned in #4, we made cookies yesterday. I've never thought much about molasses cookies, but decided to try this Pioneer Woman recipe. Can I just say "YUM!"? They were delicious, and were fun to make. I'll definitely be making these again.

7. My mom got stuck in her driveway yesterday. I thought this was ironic, considering my last post.

I guess that's the end of my list. Mostly because I don't have anything else to say, but also because I'm pretty sure that Kaitlyn is filling her diaper right now. And she hasn't had a good poop in a few days. And I gave her some prunes this morning.

(Aren't you envious?)

A new trend in Christmas decor?

I have so many things that I've intended to post over the past few days. Serious things, funny things, Kaitlyn stories, Christmas preparation ideas, etc.

So what is it that actually brings me out of my blogging slump?

Toilet paper.

When I drove onto campus this morning, I saw that some college-age elves had been hard at work last night. Maybe this is a new way to decorate for Christmas?

I can do anything in fifteen minutes...

...including writing a post for my sadly neglected blog.

(Thank you FlyLady for the fifteen minute mantra!)

Life hasn't been overly crazy lately, but it has been a lot of life. Does that make any sense? I look back over the past two weeks and I can only think of one major, out-of-the-ordinary event, but I feel like I have been so busy.

Maybe it's the fact that the holidays are approaching? Who knows.

Anyway, the one major, out-of-the-ordinary event was Mike getting hives. Last Thursday he came home, ate some canned soup for dinner (my menu plan was non-existent last week), and ten minutes later he was itching like crazy.

He pulled his shirt up, and his whole stomach was red. I freaked out; he said, "Oh, it's probably just because that's where I've been scratching." I dropped the issue for about two minutes, and then I freaked out some more and practically forced him out the door to the urgent care center.

I suspected it was hives, and neither of us have ever had hives. I figured since it was the first time, it would be good to get everything checked out and, you know, get actual medical advice.

(As opposed to reading a bunch of stuff on WebMD. Not that I ever do that.)

By the time Mike got home from the urgent care center and CVS, he had HUGE, dinner-plate-size welts on his stomach and legs, and welts on his arms and feet.

(I will pause here to mention that, in the end, he was thankful I made him go to the doctor. Ahem. Thank you very much.)

He had one miserable night, and then everything pretty much cleared up. I don't know what caused the hives, so we are praying that it was a freak thing. And, he's never eating chicken and sausage gumbo from a can again.

In other news, Kaitlyn has hit a whole new stage of terrible two-ness. Everything in our house has become SO! DRAMATIC!

Her favorite thing is to melt to the floor, most of the time collapsing to her knees and putting her face to the floor, all while whining and carrying on. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Wow - my fifteen minutes is up. I guess that's all the news for now! I did make some yummy Christmas treats last weekend, so I'll have to return later and post the recipe.

Democracy was at work. The signs, however, were a completely different story.

So I got up at 5:30 this morning so I could make it to the polls and still get to work on time.

Have I ever mentioned that I'm not a morning person? But I was absolutely dedicated to making my vote count, and if this is what I had to do to make sure I voted, then I would do it.

Part of the reason I got up so early is because I didn't know what to expect at our new polling location. At our old location it wasn't a problem to get in and out quickly, but I wanted to give myself plenty of time just in case.

As I approached the location (a fire station) I realized that it was a good thing I arrived early.

The line was already around the building, and there was no place to park. People were parking on the grass, in the street - anywhere there was space.

I had to circle the building before returning to my starting point and parking in the grass. I got in line and realized that, out of all the people in line at that moment, I happened to have gotten in line behind a co-worker. What are the odds?

Jeanne and I began chatting and I found out that this is the first year voting has taken place at the fire station. Until now it's been at the high school. This, along with a very interesting election and huge voter turnout, only compounded a bigger problem: a complete lack of signage.

After standing in line for a few minutes, someone mentioned that there were TWO lines. One for precinct (or district or whatever) 73 and one for 74.

Which one was I? I had no clue.

I also had no clue which line I was standing in. Was I in 73? Or 74? Surely there should be some signs... or someone to give us some information...

Or not.

The good news is that I had grabbed my voter registration confirmation thing-a-ma-jig on my way out the door. (It was on the fridge, next to the coffee pot. If it was anywhere else, I'm sure I would have not thought to bring it.)

I looked at it and saw that I was 74. First problem solved.

Then I heard someone say we were in the line for 73. Of course.

I left my line and walked around the building, where I inadvertently walked through a flower bed and I think I stepped on a plant of some sort. I got to the end of the flower bed, was met with a small brick wall, and had to squeeze past some people waiting in line in order to avoid an awkward step/jump over the wall.

(Jackie, I thought of you.)

The people that I squeezed past looked a little annoyed. I tried to ignore them.

Immediately after I got past the annoyed people, I saw the signs on the door and realized that I had, in fact, been in the 74 line to begin with. Of course.

So, back I went. The annoyed people were still annoyed, and I still had to cut through the flower bed, and I think I stepped on the plant for a second time, despite my care to NOT step on it.

(Hey - it was 6:20 a.m., it was dark, and I hadn't had a full cup of coffee yet.)

I once again joined Jeanne and passed the word on that we were in the 74 line. She became concerned that she might be in the wrong line. We discussed this with the people around us, and no one seemed to know if they were 73 or 74.

I mean, really, who remembers this stuff from year to year? I had a hard enough time trying to research who all was running for office in my area and figuring out who I needed to read up on in order to make an informed vote.

I also have a hard enough time remembering all of my pin numbers, computer passwords, id numbers, and even my address and phone number, for Pete's sake.

Anyway, everyone decided to stay in the 74 line, despite their uncertainty. We figured that everyone else probably had questions about this and it would get sorted out once we got inside.

Or maybe there would be some sort of map as we got closer to the door that would help everyone know if they were a 73 or a 74.

Or, maybe that would make too much sense, and instead, maybe there only would be a few small "73" and "74" signs hidden in the grass, and no other signs whatsoever.

Once we got inside the doors and had our ID's checked, we proceeded to the next table where the volunteers had the incredibly big book of names. This was the moment of truth for Jeanne. Would her name appear in the book?

The suspense. You could have cut it with a knife.

(Well, not really. But I thought I'd throw a little drama into the mix.)

Jeanne's name was not in the book. It wasn't terribly tragic, because she just had to walk to the other side of the room and check in at the 73 table. Crisis averted.

However, when we had arrived inside, one of the volunteers at the table with the giant book of names said, "WHY are there so many people in the WRONG LINE?"

Several people commented that it was due to the non-existent signs.

While I sat at the table, filling out my ballot, this same volunteer carried on a conversation with herself. Apparently, she is hard of hearing because she had to talk very LOUDLY.

"Who is sorting these people outside???"

"This is the 15th person in a row that has come to the WRONG TABLE!"

"Who is supposed to be sorting these people??"

"Whoever is sorting these people is not doing a very good job."

"WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE SORTING EVERYONE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT DOING THEIR JOB."

Oh my word. It took everything in my power to not turn around and say, "Lady, considering the fact that YOU are the one with the giant book of names, it seems that YOU are the designated sorter. So get over it!!"

Sheesh!

Despite the disgruntled-with-the-sorting lady, I fulfilled my civic duty.

And despite my whining about it, the whole ordeal wasn't as bad as what it could have been.

(At least the right information was printed on my card.)

Now I'm just sitting back, waiting for the results...

Prayer request

I just read this post by Whitney at Baby Tunnel Exodus.

I am in shock, and am heartbroken. Please keep her (and this situation) in your prayers.

Efficiency cooking

I have been busy, busy, busy in the kitchen tonight.

Well, I'm not sure if my activity qualifies for three "busy" labels, but it does qualify for at least two. (It does. I checked the rules and guidelines on using the word "busy" and according to the powers-that-be, I am completely justified.)

(I just made that last part up.)

(Like you didn't already know that.)

Yeah, so anyway, back to tonight's "efficiency cooking." I'm calling it this because I cooked several things tonight that will make my meal preparation for the week a breeze. I also have some surplus that will go in the freezer for future meals. Yay!

So, first, here is my menu plan for the week:

Monday
Pork chops in the crock pot, stuffing, cooked carrots

Tuesday
Goulash, salad

Wednesday
Rush off to church night - leftovers, or whatever we can find

Thursday
Chicken stir fry, rice

Friday
Sloppy Joe's, fries, and some form of vegetable

And now, the efficiency part...

In the past couple months I've made an effort to stockpile things in my freezer. This means that I try to make extras of what I'm making already, or I am intentional about prepping foods ahead of time so they are easier to use down the road.

There are three things that I did weeks ago that will help me immensely this week. First, I bought a big beef roast on sale, made it in the crock pot, then sliced it and froze it.

Second, I made a triple batch of sloppy joe's when we had company two weeks ago, and froze the extra.

Third, when I make pasta or noodles, I try to make double what I need so I can freeze the rest. I figure if I'm going to have to wash my big ole pasta pot, I might as well make enough for several meals!

Now on to what I did today. Kroger had chicken breasts on sale this week so I picked up several packages, and I threw all of the chicken in the crock pot when we got home from church today. I cubed all of it tonight, and what I don't use for my chicken stir fry will go in the freezer for use at a later date.

Next, I pulled out some bell peppers, carrots, and mushrooms and chopped them up. I stir fried all of the carrots, and half of the peppers and mushrooms. I tried to leave them a little undercooked so that when I reheat them on Thursday (adding some of the cubed chicken that I cooked in the crock pot), they'll be just right.

In the same pan that I used for the stir fry, I cooked the rest of the peppers and mushrooms, along with some chopped tomatoes. Then I diced my pre-cooked roast, threw that into the mix, and eventually added my pre-cooked macaroni, a can of tomato soup, and some tomato sauce to finish off my goulash. This is now in the fridge, ready to be reheated and eaten on Tuesday.

Since I am using the crock pot tomorrow to cook my pork chops, and since my sloppy joes are pre-made and waiting for me in the freezer, all of this cooking tonight means that I won't have to do much cooking for the rest of the week. Woohoo!

Oh, and tomorrow I am making more pork chops than we can possibly eat (like the chicken, I bought extra because they were on sale this week), so guess where those will end up? In the freezer! For a future meal!

(I seriously need to get a stand-alone freezer.)

Another thing I accomplished tonight was making all of our lunches ahead for the week. I made enough sandwiches for the whole week and bagged up a bunch of chips, then set all of the other elements (cans of pop, fruit cups, 100-calorie cookie packs, pudding) together on a shelf where I can easily grab them in the morning.

Yeah, AND I set the coffee for tomorrow morning.

This was more than I wanted to do on a Sunday night, but knowing that I'm pretty much set for the week makes it all worth it.

Here are three more things to be excited about this week:
1. My birthday!
2. As of Wednesday, no more political ads.
3. My first bloggy award! (Thanks Whitney!) I'll be back to post about this tomorrow.

Head over to orgjunkie.com for more great meal plans!

100 posts!

When I started this blog I was skeptical about how long it would last. I tend to start things with a vengeance and then at some point I lose steam, and I eventually fizzle out and move on to the next thing that piques my interest.

I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy blogging, although I shouldn't be. In college I remember telling a friend that someday I thought it would be fun to write a book. He asked me what my book would be about.

"Oh, I don't know - miscellaneous stuff. Funny things that happen in life. Random thoughts that I have."

He looked at me like he wasn't quite sure about my idea.

Little did he know that I was simply ahead of my time, and that ten years into the future the internet would be chock full of miscellaneous, funny, random "books" called blogs.

So here I am, at home in a form of expression that I have come to love. I don't know how many people actually care about my forms of expression, but I'll continue to put it all out there just for the fun of it.

Many bloggers use their 100th post to write 100 random facts about themselves, and I've heard that it's much harder than it seems. Since I'm always up for a challenge, I decided to go ahead and try my hand at writing a 100 list. Here it is:

100 Random Facts About Erin
1. My family was convinced that I was going to be a boy.
2. My name was going to be Stephen Michael. (Or Steven Michael. I don't know if they were going to spell it with a "v" or a "ph".)
3. On the way to the hospital, my mom thought it might be a good idea to pick out a girl's name.
4. I have never colored my hair.
5. My senior year of high school, I got a "Rachel" haircut.
6. I have watched more episodes of Curious George in the past year than I care to admit.
7. I love the idea of being an avid reader.
8. However, I am not an avid reader.
9. At various times I will decide to go to the library and check out about 10 books, in an effort to become an avid reader.
10. The books then sit at my house and become overdue, and I end up with massive library fines.
11. I once held hands with Kirk Cameron.
12. Seriously. We were in a prayer circle together.
13. I have no clue what we prayed about because I was too worried about getting sweaty hands.
14. Being a good midwesterner, I love to play Euchre.
15. I pretty much love any card game.
16. I love games in general, and spend too much time playing them.
17. At least I am safe-guarding myself against Alzheimer's.
18. Right?
19. I once tried my hand at gardening.
20. I couldn't even get zucchinis to grow.
21. We went to Disney World for our honeymoon.
22. It was great and I would highly recommend it.
23. While we were there, we got some churros and this bird swooped down and took mine right out of my hand.
24. In college, I did a fun group presentation that was a parody of an infomercial.
25. We sold "fabu-flab" in our infomercial.
26. We had testimonials from people who had terrible, miserable, failed lives until they tried our product and gained 50 pounds. After using our product (and gaining the weight) they became popular and successful.
27. This group project was second only to another group project where we made a movie based on the "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" book from the "Chronicles of Narnia" series.
28. As part of the video, we put a lab rat in a toy boat and pushed him out to sea.
29. This was to represent a part of the book where one of the characters (a mouse) sails off to the edge of the world.
30. When I say that we pushed the rat "out to sea", I really mean that we pushed him about 10 inches into a lake.
31. After 10 inches the boat tipped over and we had a really wet rat.
32. Those were good times.
33. I am writing this post in segments, because I can't think of 100 random things all in one sitting.
34. During this segment, I am watching Monday Night Football and doing laundry.
35. I hate doing laundry.
36. I love watching football.
37. Fall is my favorite season.
38. I lived in Fresno, California for three months and I hated it because it was during fall, and there simply is no fall in Fresno.
39. Anytime I reference Fresno, Mike says, "Fresno? Nobody goes to Fresno anymore!" Apparently, it is a line from some movie.
40. In addition to #23, I have had other random encounters with animals in my life.
41. One time in college, a squirrel jumped out of a trash can just as I walked by.
42. It completely freaked me out.
43. Another time, I was walking out of the Student Union with a grilled cheese sandwich when someone asked if I could help them for a second - I think they were carrying something in or out and needed an extra hand. I put the sandwich down, stepped away for 10 seconds to help, and when I came back, there sat a squirrel, on my sandwich, looking very content while he ate part of it.
44. I let him have the rest of it.
45. I have also had 10+ encounters with bats, because they liked to get into our old house.
46. I found one tucked away and sleeping on the window sill one day.
47. I had one attack me one night while I was in the basement putting in a load of laundry.
48. Maybe this is why I hate laundry.
49. Ok, so the word "attack" in #47 might be a little inaccurate. But it did come from nowhere and start flying around the basement, which felt like an attack.
50. I'm so very happy to now be in a house that does not have bats.
51. My first date with Mike was on New Year's Eve, 2002.
52. We got engaged on the 4th of July, 2003.
53. We almost decided to get married on Valentine's Day, 2004, but decided that having our anniversary on that day would make it hard to go out and celebrate. We opted for the 28th instead.
54. We found out that we were pregnant with Kaitlyn on Christmas Eve, 2005.
55. Kaitlyn was born the day before Labor Day, 2006.
56. Do you see a theme?
57. Oh, my birthday (November 3) sometimes falls on Election Day. It's not exactly a holiday, but it sort of fits the theme so I thought I'd include it. Mostly this means that my birthday is full to the brim with either political ads or political coverage, or both. This year is no exception.
58. My grandma taught me how to crochet.
59. I've made one full size afghan.
60. And one baby afghan.
61. And lots of doilies.
62. I haven't crocheted in a long time.
63. I also used to be a demonstrator for Stampin' Up.
64. I really enjoy stamping, and it was nice to earn stuff for free, but the business part of being a demonstrator sucked the fun out of the hobby.
65. I guess I'm technically still a demonstrator - as of October 1 I was on probation, and I would have to sell $400 of product before tomorrow to stay active.
66. Contact me ASAP if you suddenly feel the urge to buy $400 worth of stamping and paper crafting supplies.
67. I used to sleepwalk a lot, and every once in a while I will do something really strange in my sleep.
68. A few years ago, I got up in the middle of the night and asked Mike if wanted some cat chow.
69. He said, "No. Get back in bed. Go to sleep." And I did.
70. I think Kaitlyn has inherited this from me, because she frequently talks in her sleep.
71. I once chewed three of my husband's toenails. If you haven't read the story, here it is.
72. I used to work for this guy.
73. And this guy. I had the honor of meeting him once, during the Crusade in Dallas/Ft. Worth.
74. Mike and I dated long-distance, while I lived in Oklahoma City.
75. When we got engaged, we had spent the equivalent of only two weeks together, if you count just the times when were physically together.
76. We spent the equivalent of about a million hours on the phone.
77. Okay, not a *million*, but you get the picture.
78. When I'm in the car I frequently think of other things to add to this list, and then when I sit down to add them, I can't remember what they are.
79. As soon as I type number 100, I will immediately remember the 20 things I thought about in the car and never added to the list.
80. I cleaned off my desk at work yesterday - it was a disaster because of a huge project I've been working on - and I found at least 10 pens scattered about.
81. My desk is usually in some state of disaster.
82. So is my purse. I cleaned it out last week and found no less than twelve old grocery lists.
83. I think I need a maid, or a personal assistant.
84. When I was little, I promised my mom that I would live with her forever and be her maid.
85. I have not lived up to that promise.
86. I don't think I would do a good job, even if I tried to live up to that promise. (See #'s 80, 81 and 82 for evidence of this.)
87. I took piano lessons for 13 years, starting when I was in kindergarten and going until the end of my senior year in high school.
88. I haven't played the piano in a while.
89. As soon as we are able to arrange for it to be moved, I will inherit my parents' piano. (The one I grew up playing.) Woohoo!
90. Someday, I would love to help women start their own businesses. I love seeing people use their gifts and passions to the fullest, and I especially love it when they can make it their career.
91. I'm not sure how that will happen, but I'll just sit back and trust God on this.
92. Speaking of seeing women use their gifts and turning it into a business, here is a shameless plug for my friend Sara's design work. She did our Christmas card last year, and it was incredible! Check out her Etsy store. She does baby announcements, party invitations, save the date cards, engagement announcements... The options are endless!
93. I'm really excited to be at #93 and finally wrapping this thing up.
94. I've spent weeks (literally) writing this post. I'm glad I got an early start.
95. I'm having an extremely hard time finishing this up, mostly because I'm a perfectionist. What if I left something really important out? Should I end this with something monumentally important?
96. Jesus, for example. He's pretty important, being my Lord and Savior and all.
97. But I haven't mentioned him yet.
98. So I guess he would be a great way to end.
99. After all, he is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.
100. The end. Amen.

I'm done!!

Oh yeah... I have a blog!

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted. Here is a list of excuses reasons why I have not had the energy to blog:

1. Our furnace went out and we lived for a few days with space heaters before we had a chance to get it fixed.
2. I got sick for a few nights with the worst (worst, I tell you!) indigestion in the history of the world. A little melodramatic, yes, but it was AWFUL. (I'm doing much better now, thank you very much, and am much more diligent about things that are just a teensy bit important when it comes to digestive health, like water and vegetables.)
3. Mike has been super busy at work, and Kaitlyn and I have ventured out on a few occasions to help him organize his office and run around to pick up things he needs.
4. Our coffee maker bit the dust, which was only slightly less of an emergency than our furnace going out. We had to set aside all other activities to immediately go and purchase a new one.
5. Laundry.
6. Cooking.
7. Taking the "Financial Peace University" class at our church. (I highly recommend it.)
8. Three all-day workshops at work that sapped my energy. (One was an all-campus staff meeting, one was a grammar and proofreading workshop, and one was on marketing the arts. Exciting stuff.)
9. A general need to take a break and focus on family stuff.
10. Last, but not least, my new obsession with couponing.

I'll have to come back later and write a bit more about some of these things individually.

Honestly, it's been a really rough week for me this week. But things are looking up! Today I feel refreshed and ready to go again.

Plus, my birthday is on Monday and we are celebrating with my family this weekend. My mom and my sister Monica will be making me a yummy dinner, and I'll get to spend some quality time with my favorite people in the whole world!

That's all for now... I hope to return soon to write about a few things that have been rattling around in my head for quite some time. The topics include coupons, trains, being a working mom, and sand paper, among other things.

(Oh, and my 100th post. I've been working on it for quite some time, and I can't believe it's time to unveil it!)

A menu plan by the incredible shrinking woman who also gave herself an early birthday present

This post is a combination of three posts that have been running through my brain in the past two days.

Hence, the never-ending title.

I hope the post won't be never-ending.

Subject #1: My menu plan, in no particular order...

Chicken noodle soup and homemade (!!!) rolls
Pork chops and stuffing (carried over from last week)
Chicken and noodle casserole
Shredded pork enchiladas
Chicken left overs
Enchilada left overs

I was Susie Homemaker this weekend! I bought some bone in chicken breasts and used them (along with carrots, celery, and onion) to make my own chicken stock.

I took the chicken off the bone and divided it in half - one half to be used for soup and one half to be used in the casserole. I also set aside a couple pints of the chicken stock - one for the casserole, and one for future use.

Then, I made my chicken noodle soup and included homemade noodles (using my mom's recipe). Mmmmm.

In addition to the homemade noodles, I used this recipe to make dinner rolls from scratch. Mmmmmmm.

Then I cooked some noodles (not homemade) for my casserole, and put them, the chicken, two cups of chicken stock, a can of 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, and some seasonings in a casserole dish. I put in the fridge and heated it up for dinner tonight. Simple, but good, and we have lots of leftovers.

Today I also cooked a four-pound pork loin in the crock pot. When I got home I divided it into four sections, shredded it all, put three sections in the freezer for later use, then mixed the fourth section with some taco seasoning and put it in the fridge for Thursday night, when I plan to make enchiladas.

Whew! I promise you that I'm not always this productive. In fact, I don't know what's gotten into me lately. All I know is that I want to get as much stuff in the freezer while I have this crazy energy!

Subject #2: The incredible shrinking woman

I joined Weight Watchers (again) last week. I had success with WW before I got married, and since Kaitlyn was born I've tried several times to get back on track. But lately I've had renewed motivation to lose the 75 extra pounds I'm carrying.

75 POUNDS.

That's crazy!

Anyway, this renewed motivation happened to coincide with a recent revival in my prayer life. Coincidence? I think not.

It also happened to coincide with the start of a "Weight Watchers at Work" program through my employer.

So.

I weighed in today and in the first week, I lost 5.2 pounds! WOO! HOO!

(People usually lose a lot of weight during the first week because of all the water weight, and then it's supposed to level off to 0-2 pounds per week.)

I have lots of other thoughts related to the weight issue, but I'll save those for another day.

Subject #3: My early birthday present

For a while now, I've wanted to get a FoodSaver vacuum sealer. Kohl's has them on sale this week - their normal price is $199 and I got it on sale for $79.99. Happy birthday to me!

I got it yesterday and I've already used it to seal up leftovers from last night, the three pounds of shredded pork I mentioned above, and a bag of baby carrots that was soon to go bad.

I think Mike is skeptical that I'll use it on a regular basis, but I have high hopes. I gave it a place of honor on my kitchen counter, which I've read is one of the keys to actually USING it, versus storing it in a cupboard and intending to pull it out when needed.

If anyone has a vacuum sealer, feel free to share any tips or suggestions!

Subject #4: My mom

Ok, so I cheated and threw this one in at the last minute. (Get over it.)

My mom started her chemo today. I talked to her tonight and she was in good spirits. If you think of it, please pray that the rest of her week (especially once the medicine really kicks in) will go smoothly.

Subject #5: Mike and the fire

Yeah, I cheated again and threw another one in. (Hey, it is my blog, after all.)

The majority owner of the company has found a building to lease for the short-term, and is thinking about rebuilding on the site of the building that got BBQ'd. They will hopefully be able to begin portions of production tomorrow.

In the meantime, they are getting orders like crazy! This is a big answer to prayer! For 3+ years we've been waiting for things to take off, and we seem to finally be getting to that place. Ironic, because they manufacture RV's (fold-out campers, to be exact), and while so many RV companies have been laying people off and closing down factories, we are GROWING.

Praise the Lord!

(I'm done now.)

Menu Plan Monday - week of 9.22.08

So this has now turned into "Menu Plan Tuesday". Oh well. Here is what is on the menu for this week:

Monday
Omelets

Tuesday
Pork roast and potatoes in the crock pot

Wednesday
Tacos

Thursday
Chili

Friday
Up for grabs

It's a pretty simple menu, but this week will be fairly busy between Mike's work load and family activities.

Next week Mike's company will be moving to a new factory, and to say that he's a little stressed about the details would be an understatement.

Regarding the family activities, we are celebrating my parents' 40th wedding anniversary this weekend. Their anniversary is at the end of October, but we originally decided to celebrate early as a family so they could take the time around their actual anniversary date to celebrate as a couple.

Unfortunately, my mom's chemo treatments will probably prevent them from doing anything too flashy for this year, but I'm sure they'll make up for it later.

Speaking of chemo, she is set to start this on October 7 so if you think of it, please pray that things will go as smoothly as possible.

On another note, I must tattle on her just a little. Last week she got a teensy bit carried away while rocking in her glider, and she tipped it over backwards.

I think she just wanted a little excitement and decided to create some.

She's always been a rebel like that.

(Next thing you know, she'll be trying to roller skate in the driveway.)

Ok, anyway, back to the topic of menu planning. If you want to see more menus, head over to orgjunkie.com. This week Laura is doing a themed Menu Plan Monday and has asked everyone to post a family favorite recipe, so you should be able to find lots of great recipes to try out.

As you may have noticed, I have not posted a family favorite recipe. In light of this, and in light of the fact that I am posting my Menu Plan Monday on a Tuesday, I will not link to my blog from Laura's MPM post.

I would hate for people to come in search of a family favorite and all they would find is a story about how my mom is off her rocker. (They would also probably think that I inherited the rebel gene from my mom, which I probably did.)

Unwelcome houseguest

Ike, or at least what was left of him, came for a visit at our house this past weekend.

It rained and rained and rained on Friday night, most of the day Saturday, and most of the day Sunday.

I didn't mind the rain, until I went down to the basement after church on Sunday. I was in my bare feet and I thought, "Why do I feel like my feet are getting wet?"

Then I realized that water was oozing up through the carpet, and a small puddle had formed in front of our entertainment center.

Nice.

So, Mike ventured out in the downpour to buy a shop vac and some extenders for the downspout on that corner of the house. I thought he might also come home with pairs of animals, a dove, and an olive branch.

Thankfully it only affected that one room, and nothing was damaged. With the help of a couple fans, the trusty shop vac, and a few dry days, hopefully everything will be back to normal soon.

I also realize that our visit from Ike is trivial compared to what happened down south. My prayers go out to those who are facing weeks and months (and maybe years) of clean up and recovery. After seeing pictures of the damage, I think I can handle a little water in the basement.

(Plus, it's better than having bats.)

Random thoughts, in list form

1. I love Aldi's. I've heard from several people (including BooMama) that shredded cheese is up to $4-5 for a two-cup bag. Yikes! I went to Aldi's today and their shredded cheese is $2.99 for a three-cup bag. Yay for Aldi's!!
   
   Other things worth mentioning - their milk is $2.29/gallon, and their generic cereal (which, in my opinion, is just as good as name brand) is $1.89 for a 14.5oz box of the generic honey combs. If you've never shopped at Aldi's but have one in your area, you really should check it out. (Just be sure to take a quarter for a shopping cart, and realize that you'll bag your own groceries and will either need to buy bags or take your own.)
   



2. I realized today that my life has been taken over by little girl's hair thingies. You know, hair clips, hair bands, barrettes, etc. I find them in the car, in my purse, in my pockets, and all over the house. This realization made me feel simultaneously content and old. (Odd, I know.) Content because it makes me feel so mom-like. And old because, well, it makes me feel so mom-like. Oh the irony!



3. Confession: I made chocolate chip cookies this weekend and I think I ate an entire dozen (or two) all by myself. I felt blah all day yesterday.



4. Do you know how nice it was to take all of the dishes I dirtied while making cookies and plop them into the dishwasher? I love it! I feel like a whole new woman in the kitchen. (Does that make me sound like an infomercial?) If only it would also wash away the calories. **sigh**
   



5. Do you also know how nice it was to pull into an attached garage yesterday after church, during the Ike monsoon? At our old house we would have had to concoct a strategy for getting everything and everyone from the car to the house, and it would have involved some form of running or dashing or, at the very least, speed walking. Maybe a hop and skip in there as well. Between the dishwasher and the garage, I feel like I'm living in the lap of luxury.



6. Regarding this lap of luxury, something I realized a few weeks ago is that I would not appreciate the luxuries of my new house if I hadn't experienced the frustrations of my old house. Having to live for a time without certain things makes us appreciate those things even more, once we do have them. This is a good reminder for me, and also a good truth to remember as I parent.
   
   Sometimes being a good parent means saying no, even when it is within my power to say yes.



7. It is shocking to look at Kaitlyn and love her so much, and realize that sometimes being a good parent means saying no, even when it is within my power to say yes, and wonder how often God feels that way about me.
   



8. Kaitlyn had her two-year check up last Friday. It was an eventful visit to the doctor because she was SO! LOUD! in the waiting room. By the time we were called back, everyone in the waiting room knew that the fish tank had blue fish, and that the batteries in the toys were dead. For fifteen minutes that's all she talked about - over and over and over and over again.
   
   Hopefully everyone in the room either understands what it's like to have a two-year-old, or they went home with a new-found appreciation that they don't have a two-year-old.



9. Kaitlyn is 36" tall and weighs 23 lbs, 2 oz. She is in the 95th percentile for her height, and the 50th percentile for weight. And yet, she is still in 18-month pants. (And 2T or 3T shirts.) Crazy.



10. Our cat, Emmy, has formed this strange love/hate relationship with Kaitlyn. She'll saunter over to where Kaitlyn is playing, and pretty much beg for Kaitlyn's attention. Then she complains and looks tortured the whole time that Kaitlyn pets her, but she won't go away. Weird.

Videos for which there are no words

Well, there probably are words.

Like, please don't do this at your church, or on your Christian TV show.

The first video was found through a friend on Facebook. (Thanks Tal!) The second was found via the blog of a guy that went to middle school with my sisters.

Well, technically, I also went to school with him since we attend the same small Christian school. But I was in kindergarten and he was probably in the seventh or eighth grade, so I think you can understand why we didn't hang out much.

Anyway... I found Matt's blog about a week ago - just in time to see him post this jewel.

On this first video, you have to hang in until at least the two minute mark to see the guy do some really bad dancing.

(I promise that the dancing at the two minute mark is worse than the dancing at the beginning. Oh yes ma'am, it certainly is. You may doubt that it could get any worse, but I'm here to tell you that unfortunately, it really does.)

Bouncing back

I think we are finally getting back to normal, whatever "normal" is. I am still not feeling 100%, but I am close to it. I can't believe how much this virus kicked my butt - today is day #12 or 13 that I've been affected by it. Yuck.

One sign of normalcy is that I created a menu plan this weekend. Creating it took more energy than I thought it would, so I definitely wasn't going to get it posted. (Maybe next week.)

Another sign of normalcy is that I went shopping at Aldi's. I generally buy half (or more) of my grocery list from Aldi's because it is so much cheaper, but I have to be more intentional about shopping there because it's farther away from home. (And the past two months have not lent themselves to being intentional about anything.)

I am also back to work, which is bittersweet. I'm glad to be back in the swing of things but I am very much missing my afternoon nap. It's amazing how you can become so accustomed to something after just a week and a half.

My mom is also bouncing back, and had a good doctor's appointment today. It seems that her recovery is right on schedule. Praise the Lord!

I need to stop by later to write another post, dedicated to my little girl who is turning two today. I can't believe that my profile picture is already a year old, and I can't believe how much she has grown up since it was taken.

**sniff sniff**

But, more on that later. For now I am off to try and knock out more of my work to-do list without falling asleep at my desk. Maybe I should go grab some caffeine...

My apologies to Michigan and Tennessee

Kaitlyn tried to eat Michigan and Tennessee yesterday.

And she put several of the New England states in her ears.

I have no idea which states she put up her nose, but I know there were at least two casualties on that front.

Needless to say, the small foam United States puzzle has gone to the top shelf in the closet for a vacation, and we aren't sure when it will return.

Before all of these casualties occurred I did get a great video of her repeating the names of the states, so I'll have to post that when we finally get an internet connection at home.

Speaking of the glorious internet connection, it should be installed on Tuesday. Woohoo! I never realized just how much I use the internet until now. In some ways, it's been nice to have a vacation from it, but in many other ways, it's just plain annoying!

Also, my mom, Priscilla, is scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday morning. She will have a complete hysterectomy and a small part of her colon will be removed, and then she'll be in the hospital for 7-10 days for recovery.

After she recovers from the surgery she will have six rounds of chemo, and we are expecting that she'll kick cancer's butt. :-D If you think about it, please say a prayer for her on Tuesday!

On a good note, my sister is coming home from California for a week and a half! Yippee! I wish my mom didn't have to have surgery, but this is a very nice side effect.

I'm trying to quickly post this during my last few minutes in the office, so I'm going to sign off for now. I hope to be back on Monday for a Menu Plan Monday post, but I'm not sure that will happen since we have a lot happening in the office on Monday. At least I'll be able to post from home on Tuesday!

Have a great weekend!