Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Will work for gas!

I've been going on job interviews this past week and I've been asked more questions than I ever expected to answer. Everything from how I would handle certain situations and what qualities do I possess to make me a good employee. You have to downright brag on yourself and that feels a bit awkward.

So I guess I did a pretty good job of bragging because two interviews went really well and this past weekend I've been trying to decide which job I would be more interested in doing day in and day out. The decision was made today when I went on my second interview with Lowes. I liked the position they offered me enough to accept it right then and there and had my drug screening shortly after. I only work on Tuesdays and Thursdays and when I can on the weekends. Plus, who wouldn't want a job where you can wear blue jeans, sneakers and t-shirts. Not that I ever wear tshirts, but if I wanted to, I could. I'll be working in the cash office preparing the money for the registers and balancing the register drawers when they come back in. I think I can handle that for 2 days out of the week. I'll also work some weekend hours when I'm not shuffling kids to soccer games.

For now, it sounds good and hopefully I enjoy it.

Monday, July 28, 2008

Recluse

I'm in a funk these days and that's why I haven't posted in the last few. Probably has a lot to do with being on a diet. Everytime I've ever been on a serious diet, I always seem to go into this zone where my mind and body become reclusive for a bit. I'll try to do better and post about the "going ons" soon.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Dear Lord,.... help!!

It's hot here in Oklahoma this week with temperatures nearing 100 if not actually reaching those temps somewhere in the area. What is it that usually happens during a heatwave like this where the forecast calls for a hot, blistering day with humidity levels high and never when the temperatures are a bit cooler and bearable? The air conditioner stops working.

I called the repairman only to be told that he could come out next Tuesday and would I like for him to go ahead and schedule me in. WHAT??!! Tuesday??!! I'll die by that time. Let me think about it.... uuuuhh.. NO... thank you.

So I made a call to the second repairman on the list, was teased about my Texas accent and told he would have to charge me extra just for that, and given suggestions on what to do until he could get here... which is luckily this afternoon. Thank you!! I love you.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Got 'er done

15 minutes on the elliptical machine today! And that's BIG!...For me anyway.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Low Cholesterol Foods

Here I go... talking about cholesterol again. I want to share this website that I found on what kinds of food to eat to lower cholesterol and maintain a healthy diet. I found it to be extremely helpful and I liked the way it was organized. Just fyi.

Nutrition: How to Make Healthier Food Choices

Monday, July 21, 2008

She Doctor

Did I mention that I had my annual doctor appointment last week? I'm sure I would have mentioned it if it hadn't been for the fact that I had guests last week and I was too busy to blog. Anyway, I checked out ok and received the results from my blood work in the mail today. I already knew what it said since the nurse called me last Thursday to inform me that my cholesterol was high and I needed to work on getting it lowered. That meant exercising more and watching what I eat. My number was 242. The good news was that my HDL (good cholesterol) was high and for the first time in years, I wasn't anemic.

So now I'm trying to make sure that I'm not eating foods high in cholesterol. So far, I've been making better choices but I'm sure I'll slip up at some point. At least I'm trying.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Four Foods

This is coming quickly after the last one because I was late posting last week's food subject. Anyone who blogs can join in the fun and share food facts with your readers. This week's topic is about baking.

#1. When you need to serve desserts, do you buy them or make them?
If I need a pie, I buy it and I make most other desserts. Like the Strawberry Heaven that I made when my sister was in town... yumm.

#2. When baking do you use butter, margarine or something else?
I tend to use margarine but lately I've been purchasing butter to use occasionally.

#3. What meats or veggies do you cook in the oven?
I cook pork chops and potatoes in the oven because the chops are tender and the potatoes are perfectly delicious.

#4. Share a recipe for anything that is cooked in an oven.

Pork Chops and Potato Casserole

Cooking oil
flour
1 large Onion
5 or 6 potatoes
1 can cr. of mushroom soup
6 pork chops
1 can cr. of celery soup
butter
salt and pepper

Salt and pepper chops; flour and brown in oil. Set aside. Thinly slice onion and potatoes (scalloped) and put in baking dish. Add salt and pepper, both cans of soup and toss to evenly coat onion and potatoes. Add about 6 or 7 pats of butter and place browned chops on top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until potatoes are soft.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Texas Kinfolk

It's what we look forward to most, Tanya and her family visiting us during the summer and we look forward to it more than any other event in the year. The first thing that is usually planned is the menu. I made roast the first day so that all the work was done before they arrived. And as usual we also made several trips to the store to pick up ingredients for other snacks. I made a strawberry dessert that we later renamed "Strawberry Heaven" because Bailey kept saying that it looked and tasted like heaven. Tanya made some delicious quacamole that we enjoyed... frequently.






On Tuesday, we made a trip into Tulsa and did some shopping at the mall. After we had shopped the stores on the first level of the mall, we took a break and headed over to Olive Garden for lunch. We then went back to the mall to tackle the second level. We headed home with a pretty good start on school clothes.













Caitlin and Bailey slept on the trampoline one night and I'm not sure what went on out there but I bet it left our neighbors curious.











What day did we go bowling?.... I'm not sure. But we all enjoyed the bowling and Hayden and Cody didn't want it to end. Maybe next time we'll play an extra game.











Somewhere in our week, we managed to fit in some pool time. The kids swam on and off through the week and my friend, Leslie, came over and joined me and Tanya for a dip in the pool.

And what would our visit be without popcorn and a movie? So we headed over to the local theatre where Tanya and I, Bailey, Caitlin, Hayden and Cody saw "Hancock".

And like all good things that come to an end, so did our week. We look forward to the next time that we get to see them and hopefully Alan will be there too.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Four Foods

This week's Four Foods is about what your nose knows. Visit Fun, Crafts and Recipes if you'd like to participate.

#1. Fruits and veggies. Do you prefer them peeled or not?
I can handle my fruits and veggies with the peel still on them.. I'm tough like that.

#2. What’s your favorite fresh fruit or vegetable smell?
I love the smell of strawberries and I have a strawberry candle to prove it.

#3. What’s the worst food smell you’ve ever smelled?
Broccoli can get pretty stinky and I won't say what it smells like because that's just awkward.

#4. Share the recipe for the dish that you love to smell cooking in your oven.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 C. butter
2 t. soda
2 C. sugar
2 t. baking powder
2 C. brown sugar, packed
1 t. salt
4 eggs
1 – 8oz. Hershey bar, grated
2 t. vanilla
24 oz. Chocolate chips
4 C. flour
3 C. chopped walnuts
5 C. oatmeal, blended to fine powder (optional)

Mix all ingredients and roll into balls. Place 2" apart. Bake 10 minutes @ 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Visitors

I haven't posted the past few days because I have company this week. Tanya and Bailey are here and we've been shopping and enjoying the pool. I'll post some pictures soon.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Clouds of Blue

There was a lot of wind and rain that came with this storm, but before all of that... aren't the clouds beautiful? I love when they roll in like this, but I don't like the lightning that comes with it.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Princess and the Pea

Our mattresses were delivered last Saturday and everyone was happy, except for one little thing, mine was too tall. The mattress was so high that we were jumping, climbing, lurching, and dragging ourselves up on it in every way we could manage. A relaxing evening of slumber only began after this aerobic warmup. On Monday morning I called the store and asked them to bring me a low profile boxspring. I had this option offered to me at the store, but not knowing just how high this bed was going to be, I opted for the regular boxspring. I was so sick of mattress shopping that I wanted to get the heck out of Dodge and go home, so I didn't put much thought into this offer.

The low boxsprings made all the difference and bedtime is what it should be from beginning to end... relaxing.

And as for the reason that I bought a new bed, I'm a side sleeper and I was having terrible arm pains that would wake me up during the night. And throughout the day, it was a strain to lift my right arm. At first I thought I had strained a muscle in my arm when cleaning the pool last Fall, but when it never improved, I became concerned.

Now I don't want to jinx anything, but the last three nights I have had no pain and my arm is feeling better everyday. I'm not saying it's the bed yet, but I'm a bit perplexed by this sudden change.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Rude!

I went to Bunko last night and became a little miffed when I got there because we had a person there substituting for another player who also decided this was going to be an opportunity for her to have a home and garden party. She passed out catalogs for us to look at and I placed mine on a table and got something to eat instead. I think we should have been told that this Bunko night was going to include a sales pitch whether it be Tupperware, Home and Garden or the Pampered Chef. Maybe it was just me, but I was a bit surprised by this ambush.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Four Foods

This week's topic is about parties. If you want to particpate, visit Four Foods on Friday.

#1. Cake. Buttercream, whipped cream or ice cream?
Buttecream is divine, but the whole cake experience is better with ice cream.

#2. When entertaining do you use real, paper, plastic or styrofoam dishes?
My type of entertaining is usually very casual so we use paper, but a good quality like Dixie.

#3. When hosting a party do you cook, have it catered or go to a restaurant?
If I were hosting a party, and I don't do this often, I would prepare the meal myself.

#4. Share a recipe that you frequently serve when having a party.

Crab Dip
2 pkg Cream cheese (8 oz)
1 T. Tony Chachere's Creole
1 T worcestorshire
3/4 C ketchup
1/4 C horseradish (prepared)
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. worcestorshire
crab meat (fancy white)

Mix together: cream cheese, tony's creole and worcestorshire.
Blend together: ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon juice, worcestorshire sauce, Fancy white crab meat.
Spread cream cheese mixture onto platter. Lay ketchup mixture on top and sprinkle with crab meat. Serve with Town House crackers.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

No bath for me, thank you.

Isn't she adorable? Ray gave all the pets a bath, one by one. She found a place to hide so that she wouldn't have to take a bath, and while she was hiding, she fell asleep.


Monday, July 07, 2008

Life of the Stay At Home Mom

Wow! What a day I had. Ever have one of those days when you know what you are going to do but then the next thing you know, you find yourself taking on some big project that takes up more time than you expect? Yea, that was me when I was cleaning the kitchen this morning. While wiping off the stovetop, I saw how dirty the aluminum burner bowls were and put them in the sink for a soak and a scrub real quick. Once I had removed these bowls out from under the burners I then chose to clean under the burners, where spills sometime happen. This was all well and good until I noticed some gook on the side of the stove. So what started off as wiping off the stovetop evolved into pulling the stove out from the wall and scrubbing it up and down both sides and cleaning the floor. Two hours of unplanned, back breaking work.

I still had to complete the things on my agenda for this Monday, like calling the furniture store to switch out my boxsprings this week. Next I was making a dentist appointment for Cody, teaching the boys how to fold their own towels, taking the dogs to the vet for their allergy shots, picking up frontline for all the animals and doing 4 loads of laundry. I also managed to work in a couple of phone calls from Tanya and Daddy because there is always time for visiting on the phone.

I'm not sure how I found the motivation but the next thing I found myself doing was cleaning out my refrigerator and you know what kind of job that is. Every drawer and shelf was pulled out and washed and old items were thrown in the trash. Two hours later and I was standing at the fridge, admiring my hard work. Cleaning the fridge was on my "to do" list because Tanya and Bailey are coming next week and I couldn't have a dirty refrigerator.

I did find time to take a shower today and I'm exhausted to say the least. And you know what the worst part is... I don't get paid.

Behind closed doors

This time every year Ray ends up giving our cats a bath. Poor Abby. She never enjoys bathtime and she was going to let everyone know just how much.



After her horrible ordeal, she retreated to safety.... and to pout.

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Fourth Festivities

We started celebrating the fourth by having a midday feast of ribeye, sides of vegetables and garlic toast, all prepared by Ray. Then there was swimming and later that evening the boys had fun lighting fireworks. We then retreated to the firepit area and roasted marshmallows. Hayden did not enjoy the roasted marshmallows and Cody could take it or leave it. What is wrong with these children? We never did get the wood burning because we were out of lighter fluid so we roasted marshmallows over the kindling that we were able to get lit. That kindling being a couple of paper sacks. Mmmmm.

I was gone most of the morning to shop for new mattresses for the boys' beds since most stores were having sales. The boys were sleeping on mattresses that were only good for small children and since those mattresses are now over 15 years old, it was time to upgrade. Ray and I also purchased a new set for our room because our mattress sags in the center and even has a hump in the space between us that doesn't see much use. I've tried sleeping on that hump to even things out but it would take years to work it down. I'm anxious to try out this new bed with memory foam on the top layer to see if it alleviates some of my aches in the morning.

I'll be washing sheets and making beds today after the mattresses are delivered. This will be the one time that I can't wait to wash bedding and make beds.

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Spa day for the girls

Our schnauzers had an appointment at the groomers today. Their hair has been getting matted because they have allergies and they lick to soothe their skin. So I had the groomer remove the longer hair, called skirts, that grows along their sides and leave only their beards. This style keeps them cool and makes life simpler for us all.


Not the traditional schnauzer cut, but they look pretty better all the same. Although, Brandi doesn't look happy about it at all. She's not exactly our foo-foo girl.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Four Foods

Fun, Crafts and Recipes has made "me" the focus this week. Ok, maybe not just me, but all cooks in the kitchen that particpate in Four Foods on Friday.

#1. Name your biggest cooking influence.
I would have to say my mom and step-dad. They are both great cooks and although I do some things healthier, I want my food to taste just as good as they make. Especially the chicken fried steak and gravy. So delicious.

#2. What is your ultimate comfort food?
All food is a comfort to me, but pasta is my favorite.

#3. Name one must have tool that you think every kitchen should have.
A really good knife. A sharp knife makes the cooking process more enjoyable. And that's coming from someone who does not love to cook.

#4. Share a time saving tip.
This is probably more of a time saving tool. Get a kitchen chopper for chopping up onions, peppers, etc. It's a great tool and much faster. I almost listed it as a must have for the kitchen.