My little musician

For Christmas, Aunt T sent LB this toy called a Mozart Cube. I highly recommend it- it doesn't sound as annoying as other toys, and it has different instrument buttons, like the piano and harp. Also, it can be cycled through 8 songs so you don't hear the same one over and over... in theory.

LB has decided on a favorite one, already. Hubby and I got sick of hearing the same one over and over, so we pressed the big blue button to choose another song. Our smart little guy didn't like those songs, so he pressed the big blue button repeatedly until he found the one he liked.

*sigh*

So I guess Hubby and I really are stuck listening to the same one over and over because no matter how many times we change the damn tune, LB changes it back.

He also received a baby grand piano from our friend Y. It's so cute- it has big colorful keys and lots of other cool buttons all around it, plus there are plastic "pages" to turn. He really likes that! He'll sit there for hours okay, who am I kidding, minutes, and just pluck away at those keys, turn the pages, and flip the switches on the back.

It's still a little early for golf clubs and nunchucks, so we're not sure how much of Hubby's interests he'll have, but it's looking like I passed on the musician gene. I just hope he chooses my trumpet and not my flute (yup, I'm sexist).

Mele Kalikimaka!

Christmas day with LB was so much fun. He wasn't into the wrapping paper, like I thought he would be. But once the presents were open, he loved playing with all his new toys. Hubby and I had already bought presents for us, so we opened our stockings. We both ended up going to the same place to get stocking stuffers! Our new fave store is Lush, this organic bath supply store. I got him bath bombs (his favorite) and he got me some exfoliating body bars. I also got him a japanese/english pocket dictionary and he got me peppermint-chocolate cookies (YUM).

We had Christmas dinner at a friend's house. There were lots of people, and lots of good food. LB was kind of cranky, maybe had too much excitement that morning, so we left a little early. But it was a good time!

Last night, we had some thunderstorms, and the lightining (which Hawaii hardly ever gets) knocked out the power at 6:45pm. Hubby and I realized that it wouldn't be coming back any time soon, so we brought out the candles, flashlights, and wind-up radio, and we played Scrabble. When he woke up to go to work (yes, on a Saturday), the power was still off, and didn't come back on until about 10:30am. It wasn't bad- we have city water, so we didn't lose that, but hot water was scarce and I didn't want to take a cold shower, so LB and I spent the whole morning in our pjs. He loved playing with a flashlight (it was dark at 6:30am when he woke up)!

I'm still waiting on some Christmas packages from family, so once they get here, we'll have like a 2nd Christmas.

The most wonderful time of the year

Christmas is such a weird time. As the song goes, it's the most wonderful time of the year. I agree to a certain extent. I'm loving today. And I'm going to love tomorrow. But leading up to the big event is such a pain in the butt!

Here are a few of this holiday season's biggest pains in my butt:

1. Shopping. Don't get me wrong, I like to shop. Anyone who knows me knows I love a good deal. But when people start getting trampled to death, or push and shove, it becomes less of a fun adventure and more of a matter of survival. Who wants to deal with that during the happiest time of the year?? And don't get me started on the parking...

2. FedEx, UPS, USPS. I like to send presents. I like picking things out for people and wrapping them up and sending them along. But I despise long lines, outrageous supply and shipping costs, and slow customer service.

3. Understocked grocery stores. There's nothing more disappointing to me than looking for something simple like bread flour and not finding any in the two nearby grocery stores.

4. Obligations. I love a good party, but I hate feeling spread so thin. There are so many social functions and volunteering to do, it got a little ridiculous. Next year, we will be new to CA, so fortunately we won't have much going on. I think it should be limited to family (of course), one work function, one volunteering event, and whatever friends' functions one can handle.

5. Diet. Now is not the time to start losing weight, I know. But, all I want to do is not gain weight, and that's troublesome with all the yummy treats and good food around!

An anniversary

Ten years ago today, Hubby and I met on our blind date. It seems so long ago, and seems to have gone by fast at the same time.

My friend S called me up that day and said, "I need you to come on this blind date." She had met Hubby's friend B in a club, and her parents wouldn't let her go out with B unless it was a double date (hey, we were 18!). S had set Hubby up with another girl, but she got sick the day of the date. So, she decided to call me.

I really didn't feel like going. "He's in the military," S said. In all honesty, she knew that's all it took for me to go- I'm still a sucker for a man in uniform. So I agreed to meet at her house at 6pm, then the guys would pick us up around 6:30.

Hubby and B were right on time. Bonus! I love when a guy's punctual. S and I made our way down the stairs, and I immediately assumed Hubby was S's date and that B was mine. I was surprised (and ecstatic) that Hubby was my date because I knew the second I saw him that I was going to fall in love with him.

We went to the Salem theaters (which is now a BabiesRUs... ironic) and bought tickets for "There's Something About Mary". We purchased a later show, so we killed some time at Breckenridge. Hubby taught me how to shoot pool, then we got owned by B and S!

We arrived at the theaters and watched the movie. Hubby and I laughed at the same jokes, and I'm pretty sure he held my hand... hard to remember that far back! I knew that if we had the same sense of humor, we'd get along great.

After the movie, we looked for a place to eat. Bickford's was closed, but they had a payphone, so I used it to call my sister, T. I wanted to tell her I found the guy I was going to marry. :) But she wasn't home, and we ended up going to Dunks instead. We talked about what we did, what our interests are, etc. And, I got my first smooch from him, right there in the parking lot (how romantic, huh?)!

At the end of the night, Hubby and B saw me back to my house, and I gave Hubby my number.

The rest is history!! :)

So that's how we met, ten years ago. Now, we've been married for 4 1/2 years and have an adorable son. To celebrate, Hubby and I got massages today and went out for some dim sum, then relaxed at home as one happy family.

LB's personality

Now that LB is more like a toddler and less like a lump of baby, his personality is really shining through. For the past 11 months, he wanted nothing to do with a pacifier. Even as a newborn, he didn't like it all that much. But just this past week, he found his "old" pacifier (I use quotes because it's all relative, right?), and now he loves crawling around the house with the thing in his mouth, while blowing raspberries.

Cute.

He can also shut doors, which I found out when he shut himself in our bedroom. It's pretty much baby-proof, except for the toilet paper, which is baby-accessible... and which I found out the hard way, because when I went looking for him, I found him covered in an unrolled roll of TP.

*Takes a short break to get LB out of Mommy & Daddy's bathroom. Had to open closed bedroom door. As I was saying??....*

He also now likes his jumper. You know, the swing that suspends in a doorway? He would scream when we put him in it, but I tried it again today, with crossed fingers, and he loved it. It also probably helped that I hung it on the garage doorway, so he had fresh air blowing on his face.

And he's become a little picky eater. He doesn't like anything that has "peas" in the ingredients. I tried to be sneaky and buy the "vegetable chicken dinner", but it didn't work. Sometimes he'll eat it if it's mixed in with sweet potatoes. But he loves yogurt! Every day for lunch, he has one of those Stonyfield organic baby yogurts. He evens laughs as I'm peeling back the lid, maybe in anticipation.

Oh, and the voice... he loves to hear himself scream. Usually it's in a public, quiet place, like the doctor's office or the exchange. I hear that this stage lasts awhile, so I better get used to it. I'm trying to teach him "shh", but with an 11 month old, that's pretty useless. I always know who has kids and who doesn't judging by their reaction to LB's screaming- the people that do, smile and say "oh, how cute". The people that don't, give me dirty looks and roll their eyes. I just grin and bear it.

LB also has so much curly, blond hair now that people sometimes mistake him for a girl. It doesn't bother me much, but it makes me think I should get his hair cut soon!

Just a boring update

Hubby came home yesterday!!! He was only out for about a week, but it's nice that he's here and that we can celebrate Christmas. We're done with all our Christmas shopping stuff, so no need to worry about that. We're having dinner with our neighbors tomorrow, then again Christmas Eve, and dinner at a friend's house Christmas Day (after the presents and all). It's nice- I don't have to worry about anything but cooking, and that can be done with a baby around! It was getting a little difficult doing things that required a sitter. It seemed like for about a week straight I needed one, but finally I just couldn't take it any more and stopped doing those things. Just didn't need the stress, you know? :)

We do have one sitter-required thing- our massages on the 23rd. I'm so excited. It seems hard to believe that Hubby and I had our first date 10 years ago... It just seems like it has all gone by so fast! It'll be nice to relax and get an hour long massage. I've had one before, in FL, and it was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I'm hoping this time will be like that, too... but if we're both wicked relaxed, we might need a DD to drive us home! :P

Still looking into flights back home for the spring. It's getting better- the prices have dropped from the outrageous range to the mildly offensive one. Which is nice, because I'm going to need to do something with Puppy. The kennel might be too expensive, so I'll probably end up flying him with me... *sigh* It's just a huge pain in the a$$ with all the paperwork and stuff. We'll see what I end up doing. It might be worth the extra money to keep him here and keep my sanity intact.

Hiatus

You'd think with all the cooking I've done lately, with the holidays and everything, I'd have a butt ton of recipes to put here. But, I think the holidays are zapping my brain because I've forgotten to post recipes for, like, two months now. So I've decided to take a little hiatus until after the holidays... and the deployment... and LB's first birthday... so pretty much don't expect anything from me in that department until, like, February. :)

Today is the last "obligation" on my calendar, YAY!!!! It's not actually something I have to do, but it's more like mandatory fun, as the military would say. I'm decorating a boxer for Hubby. During halfway night, they show off these boxers and the guys have to guess which one their wife made. Sounds wicked easy- I mean, all I have to do is put a little inside joke on mine, and I'm golden.

I still haven't even bought the boxer for tonight. Not only are the holidays zapping my brain, but they're also zapping my bank account. This Christmas, my family and Hubby's family got the same things from us. I won't say because I don't want to give it away! :) But, they're small and meaningful, and I think they'll like them. I just didn't go crazy because now that we're isolated in the middle of the Pacific, it's a little more costly to send things to people. I also sent a little something to M, but nothing outrageous... but I know she'll love it.

Preparing for deployment also kind of sucks, because it take some moolah to get the business end taken care of (6 months worth of toiletries, yikes), plus more moolah for the fun stuff (halfway night boxes, placemats, and other activites). I actually broke down and bought a few Lean Cuisine dinners, simply because I can't justify buying a pound of beef for one person... I don't want to eat beef for three days straight!

But even with all this going on, it's shaping up to be a fun Christmas. LB is mildly interested in the tree. He loves to tear things up, so opening presents will be really fun. He'll probably be more interested in the wrapping paper than the actual presents! Hubby and I are getting massages on the 23rd, the 10th anniversary of our blind date. We're also having dinner with our neighbors a couple of times, so that will be nice. I don't want to say that I'm a homebody, but more than ever lately, I just don't feel like straying too far from home. Probably because I have a baby constantly attached to me and he won't fall asleep anywhere but his crib. :P

I'm in trouble...

LB has figured out how to throw fits. If I take away something he's playing with, or if I close a cabinet so he doesn't take everything out of it, he immediately puts his head on the ground and kicks his legs and starts crying. *sigh* AND, he's realized that he can make really loud screaming noises, so it's getting more complicated to bring him places.

I volunteered to wrap presents at the NEX for a fundraiser for our FRG. I brought LB with me, and he was good. He sat in the stroller, or played with the other ladies, or drank his bottle. He only fussed around noon when it was time to go and about an hour past naptime. Not bad. But this afternoon in the commissary, that cute baby turned into a little toddler monster. He wasn't throwing a fit, but boy was he screaming, just because. He'd smile and shriek, then smile and shriek.

And he's such a boy. His favorite thing to do is make a mess, or destroy something, or hit something. Right now, I'm listening to him rattle the blinds and smack the glass. Sometimes I get a little bit of the cute baby, but lately it's been more mischievous toddler. I guess we're just entering a new phase. :)

Ice & batteries

Well, I guess NH got slammed with an ice storm. I called my parents, and they said they'd be without electricity for about a week. Let me tell you, NH in December is no tropical vacation. They made a fire and all, but I'm going to predict that my mom will request a hotel in a place that has power in about ohhhhh... 3 days. That's about the same as last time, when we lost power for about 6 days after the junior semi-formal. Haha, sleeping and not showering with cans of hairspray in your hair sucks.

So, I feel bad for the NHers. If any of you out there would like to visit, come on over! Although, we're cleaning up after our share of storm. It knocked down a bunch of branches, so there is debris everywhere. And, we had mudslides and flooding. But, I've heard that my parents' neighbors have had flooding too, and even a tree through a basement window! So, I feel really bad for all of them.

My best bud lives up in NH, and with all that, she's fighting a sinus infection. :( So I think I feel the worst for M!

Anyway, like I said yesterday, my car died. I could have sworn it was something major, but it turns out I just needed a new battery. I've jumped cars before, but I've never replaced a battery, so I consulted my human encyclopedia, aka Dad. He gave me all the steps I needed to do, and it worked! Although, I did have my blonde moment. When I connected the positive cable (last step), it made the alarm go off. That sucks when you're head-deep in a car! So, in all my confusion, I was trying to tighten a bolt with a ratchet in the loosen position. DUH. I also lost a socket in the car, but managed to slowly reach in and grab it with my fingers. It was kinda like playing Operation, except with much larger amounts of electricity.

I'm pretty proud of myself. Hubby told me to just wait until he got home next week, so he could do it on Christmas stand-down (aka, a semi-vacation where you really can't wander too far from base), but I'm not a good driver of his stick shift... I'd say I don't drive the car, I operate it. My dad suggested that I pick him up in my car- I think I'll do that. He'll be pretty proud of me, too! Either that, or he'll be bummed that I did the one manly, play-with-tools thing that needed to be done around here. Maybe I'll put the dead battery in his car so he'll have something to do. :)

Just kidding.

Two more things that bug me

1. Loose / Lose. I have seen this mix-up too many times to count. "Loose" is when something is not tight, like "This shirt I'm wearing is very loose" or "This screw is loose and about to fall out". "Lose" is when you don't win or when something disappears from you, like "You lose" or "I'm about to lose my mind."

2. A trailer is not a house. It is a trailer. A house is a sturdy building- a trailer is a tin piece of crap. I hate to see "houses" displayed for rent that are trailers. If you are so embarassed by the fact that you live in a trailer, then just called it a manufactured home like the rest of them.

Just that kind of day.

This morning, at about 6am, Hubby poked me to wake me up. "The baby's crying," he said. It had been storming really bad all night, and since we have no insulation in our house (don't need it when it's usually gorgeous), the rain sounded like it was going to beat a hole in the roof. Since I was dead to the world, I assumed it was like 2am, so I said, "Well, he has to learn to fall back asleep." Then I realized the power was out. "He's probably just awake because the power's out, and his fan isn't on," I mumbled. Hubby replied, "It's 6am."

So, I very reluctantly got myself out of bed. The sun doesn't rise until 7am, but the baby's been waking up early, so I lit some candles and started my routine. Hubby had a doc appointment that morning, and I had a holiday party to go to. I figured the power would return before we both had to leave.

Nope.

Luckily, I had baked last night, so I was prepared, but it still sucked to not be able to shower. We both left the house, with Hubby saying that I'd need to drive him to work when he got back, which meant I might have to leave the party early.

I waited all morning for the call, but got nothing. After the party, on my way home, I called him, and he said he was just calling me, that he was home, and the power was still off. I pulled into the garage that he had (so nicely) opened for me. He asked me to move the car over so he could pull in his car, but when I tried to start the ignition, all I heard was "scrit scrit scrit scrit".

Shit. The battery was dead.

We were supposed to pick up one of the other JOs to take him and Hubby to the boat, so we scrambled to put the baby and the carseat in the car, along with some of Hubby's clothes and the diaper bag. We finally picked up the other guy and left for the boat at around 1pm. Oh yeah, and Hubby has duty tonight, so I won't see him until late next week. Awesome.

LB still hadn't taken a nap all day, which he desperately needed. He managed to sleep on the way home, but only for about 50 minutes. So tonight should be fun! :P

During all this, we had the biggest storm we've seen all year (which isn't bad considering the weather is usually so calm), so I was constantly drenched, running from the car to the house to the car, out the garage, to the car, etc. *sigh*

So that's it, I've decided not to leave the house for the rest of the day. I do need to pick up a prescription, but it can wait until tomorrow. :)

Strange things

1. Handicapped motorcycle plates. If you're handicapped enough to require a special plate, wouldn't it make sense that you could not operate a motorcycle safely?

2. "If you are playing the melody or the harmony, I need you to bring that out." Um, aren't you playing one or the other??

3. If I see another STUPID hawaiian commercial, I will scream. The worst has to be Battery Bill's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhzFTLer1ds).

4. Road work during a major holiday season. There are actually a few weird points to this. First, the city closed an entire three lane major road eastbound on a Friday night. Second, it was during the holiday season, when people are out the most, doing shopping and whatnot. Third, the "construction" was some new pavement... which could (and should) have waited until after New Year's. Fourth, this construction was within 500 feet, yet the road was closed for about a mile and a half. Fifth, the construction, which was in front of several nice hotels, was scheduled from 5pm to 1am... I'd hate to be someone who planned a vacation to Hawaii, only to hear road work being done until 1am (which, if you think about the east coasters, would be 11pm to 6am their time... yikes).

5. Plaid fedoras. You may only wear them if your name is Justin Timberlake. If you're not Justin Timberlake, then you just look like that dork Ricky in "Not Another Teen Movie".

Bye bye, Dallas :(

Remember the gym class that I raved about just a few posts ago? Well, my wonderful instructor Dallas, who was ridiculously motivating, took a position as a basketball coach, so now the class is being taught by Leigh.

Leigh talks A LOT, which is kind of annoying. Plus, she makes it feel like work. I don't know how else to explain it. With Dallas, it was almost as if I was happy to do squats until my knees were shaking. But with Leigh, I didn't get the same feeling- in fact, the more we did, the more I hated her! :) Just kidding.

So I still went to class, even though it's not the same AT ALL. I'm hoping that I'll warm up to Leigh and I'll be motivated again to go, but right now I'm not feeling it.

Sunday was our neighbor's son's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. LB and I had a lot of fun! I took him on the toddler rides, and we even tried a big-boy motorcycle ride! He really liked that one. I was surprised that he was in such a good mood, since we didn't leave the place until 7pm. Usually he's ready for bed by then.

Tuesday was a concert downtown, which turned out okay. Even if we weren't moving away next year, I think I'd still quit after I serve out my term as VP. Things that the director does (and doesn't do) annoy me and are pretty unprofessional. Hubby watched LB, which was NICE. Hubby's boat is at a place only accessible by ferry, so unless he wants to sleep on the boat, he HAS to leave by 5pm. It's a really nice way to get people home at a decent hour! :)

Ooooh, LB's asleep. I'm going to take advantage of that and take a shower, bake some lemon-poppy seed pound cake (for holiday parties), and make some lunch. :)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

This weekend marked the unofficial start of the Christmas season for me. Hubby and I have already put up the tree, bought some presents, and sent the cards, but now I'm really starting to feel the traditional hold-on-to-your-hat-it's-gonna-be-a-whirlwind season.

Friday night was the boat's Christmas party downtown. It was a fun party, but getting there was a pain in the a$$. The city of Honolulu decided that the busiest time of year would be ideal to close a major road for repaving. Seriously. So the 6 mile trip took an hour and a half. But once we got there, we had tons of fun! There were door prizes, like a big screen TV and stuff. We didn't stay too long to see who won that- the dinner and everything was pushed back to allow people more time to get there. Oh, and speaking of the dinner, it was very yummy. Salad with craisins (YES!), veggies, chicken, rolls, pork... yum. And, a cranberry cheesecake. Holy crap, probably the best thing I've tasted in awhile.

Anyway, we had to leave "early" at 10pm so we could get home to LB, so we didn't stay the whole time, but up until we left, it was very enjoyable. Everyone was in a good mood (or pretended to be). I was extremely unfortunate to have to sit right next to the Parenting Genius. She definitely drank more than she should and disclosed some TMI right during a mouthful of chicken, but I just acted aloofishly polite, if that's possible. :)

Yesterday, the band had a concert at Mililani. I brought my keyboard because we couldn't borrow the school's, and somehow, between set-up and the start of the concert, it broke. I'm pretty sure someone tripped over the power cord, because when I went to play it, it wouldn't turn on and the plug seemed very loose, like it had been yanked on. *sigh* It's disappointing, because it's the only keyboard I have, which means I'll be waiting several years until we get a nice one. But, it was old and bound to break at some point. I'm just bummed that it choose yesterday to do it!

When I came home, we took LB for a drive around the island, then took him to the park at the air force base. He didn't like the monkey bars or slide much, but he loved the baby swing! Hubby swung next to him and they had a blast laughing at each other.

Today is a birthday party for my neighbor's boy, then all this week I have something to do almost every day. Monday is the only exception, which is nice because I think Hubby will be home a little early that day. Tuesday is a concert, Wednesday is the kid's Christmas party, Thursday is the SOWC holiday party, Friday is the band holiday party, Saturday is another concert, and Sunday is our last concert. Whew! Somewhere in there, Hubby will be underway for a little bit, which just makes it all that more stressful!

Friday recipe (finally)

Because I've slacked off in the past few weeks, here are a few recipes. :)

French Silk Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry for one-crust pie (store bought or homemade)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled
3/4 cup fat free cholesterol free egg product (like Eggbeaters)
Whipped Cream
Chocolate curls

How To:

Make pastry for one crust pie and cool completely, or thaw frozen pie crust completely. Beat sugar and butter medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and chocolate. Gradually beat in egg product on high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Pour into pie crust. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours. Top with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate curls. Store covered in refrigerator.

*Hubby didn't like this one- he said it was too rich and thick, like the inside of a chocolate truffle. I, being the chocoholic I am, liked it. Also, using the egg product instead of raw eggs reduced the risk of salmonella, since it's pasteurized. And, for those of you that have never had to melt chocolate, the best way to do it without burning it is to place the chocolate in a double boiler- chocolate in the top pan, boiling water in the bottom.

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips
6 flour tortillas
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 small green bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
Shredded cheddar cheese
Guacamole
Sour cream

How To:

Combine the first eight ingredients in a shallow dish or large resealable bag. Add the chicken, cover or reseal, and refrigerate for 8 hours. In a large skillet over medium high heat, warm the tbsp of vegetable oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, add the chicken to the skillet, and cook until it is no longer pink. Add the onion and bell peppers. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Serve wrapped in tortillas and garnished with cheese, guacamole, or sour cream, as desired.

*Hubby LOVES the fajitas. Very husband-friendly! You can make this in the morning, or even the night before, and let the chicken sit all day in the fridge, then just cook it up at dinner time.

Surfing Santa!

Mommy Long Legs

It's a curse, I tell you- these legs of mine.

They're very long, especially from my hip to my knees. In fact, I have a good two or three inches over Hubby in the femurs, even though he's about an inch taller than me. It makes wearing skirts impossible, unless they are supposed to hit at the knee, then they'd be acceptable. I remember wearing a skirt in church and getting reprimanded by one of the "church ladies" because it was short. It was actually a normal skirt- it just appeared to be a mini on my freakishly long thighs.

Now, sometimes this does work to my advantage. I can get away with certain fashions that typically make people look a little squatty. I'm sure if I put my mind to it, I could probably leap over the Merrimack River in a single bound. But it's the times that they work against me that I hate.

At the commissary (aka, grocery store), I usually like to get in and out. Real quick. Just get what I need and checkout. But sometimes most of the time, everyone in there is sauntering around, looking all about, everywhere except straight ahead. And, a lot of them will just leave their cart in the middle of the aisle, so no one could get through.

Since I have mile long gams, I like to take big strides. And, since I'm from the north, I like to get things done quick. I hardly ever go without a list, and I hardly ever stray from that list (unless I see something like chocolate at 99% off).

So this is when my legs work against me. If I had shorter legs (or maybe a frontal lobotomy), I'd be happier walking a little slower, but it's just not for me.

My legs hate the commissary.

Thieves and Black Friday

I was just reading an article online about how a lady's turkey was stolen off her porch on Thanksgiving. I do feel bad for her, since she's disabled (whatever that means... it seems lately you can be disabled if you have a hangnail). Her mother, however, said that it's just awful to steal from people who don't have much.

I have only one problem with what the mother said. "From people who don't have much." How about saying, it's just awful to steal... end of sentence?? Where are the morals??

Lately, there has been some awful stuff in our neighborhood. Someone broke every sprinkler in our yard. The maintenance staff finally put up a road numbers sign, only to have someone steal the clamps (which were there until the glue cured) and let the sign fall. Across the street, someone keeps overturning a stone garbage can. And even last year, someone stole Halloween decorations right off my house (I'm not letting that one go).

Where's the decency? I'm pretty sick of being subjected to crime when I haven't done anything to invite it. And maybe it's not directed at me (like with the stone garbage can), but this is MY neighborhood, too. And I'm getting ready to install some security cameras around here.

In other news, I'm a little hooked on Black Friday. You just can't beat the deals. But I know what you can beat- the crowds. Church is big around here, so I went to the outlets this morning, just to use up a coupon at Carter's that would have expired tomorrow. The store was 50% off everything, and with the coupon, I bought $142 worth of clothes for LB for only $56. Daaaaaaaaamn!

Yesterday, it was rainy, so Hubby and I abandoned our plan to watch the Triple Crown, and instead went to the mall. It's a nice mall without a roof, and there are big plants growing right in the middle. Pretty cool. We stopped at Williams Sonoma (LOVE that store), and ended up getting two pans to replace our old ones. They were $215, but marked down to $60! Couldn't resist. :)

I don't think I'll ever go out at 4am on Black Friday. It's just too much. The outlets here were open at midnight (holy crap)! But, the deals are worth it, so I'll just do what I did this year and go Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning.... now I just hope that everyone doesn't have the same thought next year. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year was our first Thanksgiving as a family! Hubby and I stayed home with LB. I made a turkey breast- no sense in having a huge turkey for just the two of us! I also made some stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls, and a chocolate cream pie. The pie was a little rich. I'm going to post the recipe anyway.

Fortunately, Hubby had the entire day off. He had to go in to work today, but showed up at home around 10am! We braved the crowds at ToysRUs, and got LB a bunch of Christmas presents. I've never done the Black Friday thing- too many crowds, too many people being bitchy to get what they want, ugh. No thanks. It was crowded at ToysRUs, but the employees were moving everyone through the checkouts so fast that it didn't seem bad.

When Hubby and I got home, he went to the gym, and I baked sugar cookies for the bake sale tomorrow (for the FRG). After all that was done, we put LB to bed and put up the Christmas tree. :) We had to buy a huge gate to put around it, so LB wouldn't knock of ornaments, or break ornaments, or (worse) knock the tree over.

Hubby has tomorrow off, then duty tomorrow, so we're going to just spend the day chilling out together. It's been very different with this captain- under the old captain, he'd keep the guys on the boat the day after a holiday, just because they were already there. This captain realizes that the guys want to spend time with their families, so this morning he said, if you don't have to be here, just go home. :) Very much appreciated!!

It's just nice to do something normal as a family. Our life is anything but normal, most of the time, so it's great to have days that we can spend together. Although, the 24 hour tether is looming, but we try not to think about that!

The music of my life

I was just farting around on the internet today while LB slept, and my playlist on facebook was playing. It came upon a song, "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon. There are certain songs that remind me of certain people and certain places and certain times, and this one is by far my favorite.

When I was a kid, my whole family would go up to a particular lake every summer. And my dad had Paul Simon's Graceland album on tape (CDs weren't popular yet... can you imagine?). We'd all pile into our big blue diesel van and trek up into the mountains to the lake. My dad would play that tape over and over, and that song reminds me of everything up there.

It reminds me of the 50s-kitsch ice cream parlor with Frankenstein. It reminds me of Uncle D's cabin. It reminds me of kneeboarding, skiing, and tubing. It reminds me of nighttime boat rides to the ice cream stand across the lake. It reminds me of Funspot- a cheesy place, but to a kid, it was the most awesome place in the world.

It reminds me of playing games with my sister and brother. It reminds me of videotaping us lip-synching Michael Jackson. It reminds me of grilling and melting marshmallows with my dad. It reminds me of talking about astronomy with my Uncle D. It reminds me of reading good books with my mom. It reminds me of playing heated games of Catchphrase with both families.

So now every time I hear that song, I think about all these things and how they made me feel. And as I type this, sitting in my kitchen in Hawaii with the windows open, I want to be there, even though it's November and frigid. Just because I love those memories.

*Which songs are the music of your life?

Hooray for USS Keep-My-Husband-Away-From-Me-For-As-Long-As-Possible!!!!!

Please pick up on my sarcasm.

Hubby pulled in today (yay!). I usually meet him at the pier, but it was a very short underway, and I wasn't feeling good so I just stayed home with LB. Hubby called to see if I was okay (so sweet), then dropped the bomb- he has duty today. That means, I have to go one more day without him, and when he comes home tomorrow morning, he'll be completely exhausted.

I don't really hate the Navy, but I hate how Hubby always seems to have duty the day they pull in. It just sucks- I have to wait all that time for him to come home, and then they say "Oops! Sorry! We're keeping him on the boat just a little longer! Just to irritate you! YAY!"

*sigh* Thus is the life of a fast attack sub wife....

Do a dollop, do, do a dollop of Daisy.

I have that stupid sour cream commercial stuck in my head. The song is just so annoyingly catchy!

This morning was the SOWC auction. I ended up donating the chocolate cake, my mom's cookies, and a cinnamon raisin bread w/ walnuts. I also won a few bids- a plate of chocolate pops in the shape of submarines (to be donated to the boat's Thanksgiving dinner for the guys that have duty that day), a scrapbooking case with three premade designs, and a pot of herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley..... YUM). I spent just a little more than I thought I was going to, but at least it was for a good cause!

The auction was really long. We had 76 items donated to auction off, and there were a few bidding wars on several of them. LB managed to stay up until noon without any major meltdowns, so he's now taking a much-needed nap while I relax. I was in pretty bad pain the entire auction. The pain has been overtaking my back, especially the lower left side. It's hard to find any comfortable position, sitting, standing, or laying down, so it's also really bumming me out!

Hubby gets home soon, though, and that will be the highlight of my week. We're supposed to get a "storm". I use the quotes because any storm in Hawaii can't be that bad (unless it's a hurricane). They're forecasting rain and thunder and lightning.... ooooooooooh. <- That's me making my sarcasticly scared noise. We may lose power, which will suck because there won't be anything to get this stupid jingle out of my head.

The Beatles got it wrong

Sorry Paul, John, George, & Ringo- Love isn't all you need. Apparently, you need laughter, too.

It's been the autumn from hell around here. Actually it hasn't really been that bad, but you know what they say. When it rains, it pours.

Tomorrow is the Make It, Bake It, Grow It Auction for the SOWC. I signed up to bake stuff. No problem- I bake all the time, and everything usually turns out well. I decided to make an italian chocolate cake and my mom's chocolate dipped cookies. I went to the commissary today and picked up some things I needed to make them. My back was killing me, and LB was whining just about the whole time. And, I ran into the RADM's wife, looking all lousy and without makeup. Just great. Not that she cares what I look like, but it's just... you know.

Anyway, I came home and Puppy had jumped on the kitchen table and ate half a loaf of blueberry bread that a friend of mine had brought over. I'm sure he would have eaten the entire thing, if I had been gone longer. So my back-up bake stuff was destroyed. I then got to work on the chocolate cake. I've made this several times, and always had good reviews, so I thought it was a "safety". The top came out all cracked (first time ever that's happened), and when I inverted it, some of it stuck to the bottom of the pan. Plus, it seemed a little moist (okay, it seemed a little undercooked, really).

At that moment, LB overturned Puppy's bowls, spilling water and dog food all over the floor. And that's the moment that I completely gave up. LB's shorts were drenched, but I didn't care. He seemed to be happy, and I was losing it, so the only thing I could do was laugh out loud. I couldn't remember the last time I laughed at nothing funny in particular!

I haven't even started on the cookies. They're not really hard at all (only 5 ingredients- Mom, you rock!), but just the thought of screwing up another baking dish is driving me nuts. Just to increase my odds of success at something cooking-related, I started making a raisin-cinnamon-walnut bread in my bread machine. Seriously, I'm not involved at all, the machine does all the work. So hopefully it won't suck, and I'll have something presentable to bring tomorrow!

It never ends

LB is teething. This morning, I noticed two new little guys poking through his bottom gum. At least I know what I'm dealing with now! He didn't nap AT ALL today, and the neighborhood kids woke him up a half hour after he went to bed, so he was up even later. I gave him a little Tylenol, which seemed to help. But, it's been wearing on my nerves, figuratively speaking...

Although there really is something wearing on my nerves, literally speaking. It kind of sucks. I have stinging, burning pain all down the left side of me, and apparently this thing is going to last a few weeks.

And now I'm here by myself, since Hubby is underway for a little bit. *sigh* Makes things a little bit tougher. I actually have a bunch of things to do this week, so at least I'll be busy, but I hope that means I don't have to stress out, because with this stupid affliction, I need to relax!

Holy crap

LB woke up at 6am this morning. Hubby didn't. So I got the baby up and fed. I'm pretty sure another set of teeth are coming in because he's been super cranky lately. Hubby came out of the bedroom, made himself breakfast, then announced he was going for a motorcycle ride. Fine, as long as he takes care of Puppy first. His version of that is letting the dog only pee (which is not all Puppy has to do in the morning). So after Hubby left, I was home with a screaming baby (tears and everything) and a dog literally in my face needing to *ahem* go.

I was also trying to sweep and mop the floors, since they were pretty dirty. But with all the screaming and panting and running around (the last two were Puppy), I'd about had it. LB would cry if I picked him up and scream if I put him down. The dog was running through piles of dirt that I'd swept together. And Hubby was nowhere to be found.

So I just placed LB in his crib, took Puppy outside, and even though it's 8:42am, I'm cracking open a beer. No judgements.

Recipe

Beef & Guinness Stew

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 lb stewing beef, cut into 1 inch cubes if not already cut up
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 yellow onions, quartered
2 sprigs of thyme
2 cups Guinness stout (or other dark beer)
1 tsp salt

How To:

Place flour in resealable bag. Add the beef, then shake to coat the meat thoroughly. Heat a large saute pan over medium and add the oil. Cook the beef for 8 to 10 minutes, until all sides are browned. Place the beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, and thyme in a slow cooker and pour beer over the top. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove and throw out the thyme, and season with salt.

*I skipped browning the meat, and just threw all the raw ingredients in at once, and it was fine. Also, if you don't have a slow cooker, you can probably still make this in a large pot or Dutch oven over low heat on the stove, although I haven't tried it that way.

Dumb Americans

Last night, I was watching The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and his segment on Jaywalking. This is when he walks around asking random people questions that they should know, like "What's the capital of Mexico?" and "What is the Yukon?" and "Where does champagne come from?".

I am surprised at the stupidity of the general public. No, not surprised, more like frustrated. Don't these people feel really dumb that they can't answer the most basic questions about the world, things they should have learned in grade school? Don't they realize that they are completely out of touch with the rest of the world?

One woman condescendingly said she hated that segment because she can't believe how many dumb people there are out there. What she doesn't realize, or won't admit, is that she is one of them, which she demonstrated by her utter lack of knowledge!

Are we really that ignorant about how dumb we are? Has it come to a point where we just refuse to see that we're one of the most educated countries with some of the most clueless people?

I know it's always easier to look at someone else and point out their flaws. But shouldn't most people's concerns be on themselves? I'd be appalled and embarassed if I was caught on national television and couldn't answer any trivia questions about the world! I guess what I'm wondering is, where is the shame, the humility? Why are we accepting mediocre of ourselves?

PS- In case you were wondering, the answers are Mexico City, a sparsely populated territory in northwest Canada, and a region in the north of France.

Downward Puppy

Today was the yoga class that I take at the gym. It's a strange class for me. There are things that I'm really good at, and then things that I'm extremely not good at.

My favorite part of the class is the balancing in poses part. We stand on one foot and pull the other knee up high, then twist and look in the opposite direction. Cake. So easy. And, I don't remember what it's called, but we stand on one foot, and intertwine our legs and arms (kind of like a pretzel on one leg). No problem. I can do that for hours.

But the rest of the time, it was kicking my butt! I've realized that my arms are really flexible, but my legs definitely are not. And I can just forget about the cobra stretch- my back just doesn't bend that way. Plus, my abs are terrible. I've never had trouble with them, but then again, I've never had them sliced open before either.

And on top of this, I have a gigantic bite on my ass. Yup, a huge, red welt right on my butt. It's pretty nasty- Shawn says he thinks a centipede bit me, but if I think about that, I'll cry, because I despise centipedes.

I feel pretty good, though. I always feel really good after a class, even if during the class I feel incompetent. It's funny- I'm the tallest one in there (by a lot, because most of them are tiny asian ladies), so even when we are bending down at the waist, my butt is much higher up in the air than everyone else's. And when I stretch my arms up over my head, they completely stick out in the crowd. It's kind of embarassing. But, I have fun, and I feel like the class is getting me into shape, and that's all that counts, right? Tomorrow is my most funnest class- 24Lift. I'm really looking forward to it! Now that I'm taking classes and not working out on my own, I actually am more optimistic about going to the gym. I guess I just feed off of the instructors' energy. Whatever it is, I'm thankful for it!

Is it Monday?

Yup, I slacked off and didn't post a recipe this week... again. I just had so much to do!

Y's rehearsal dinner was Thursday night. It was gorgeous- her aunt-to-be organized it, and it was all decked out in red and gold (chinese colors... very cute). I finally got to meet her fiance and her family-to-be, plus my sister T flew in earlier that day, so it was doubly nice.

The next day was the wedding. It was crazy. Let me rephrase that- it was insane. There was so much to get done, and I tried to help out T in the morning, but had to leave to take care of LB. Hubby was lucky enough to be able to come, which I think Y was happy about.

The ceremony was great. Y had a real hawaiian minister, doing hawaiian blessings and the leis and all. It was overlooking the ocean and Chinaman's Hat, and it was a gorgeous day, so it turned out really nice. The clouds started rolling in after the ceremony, but the reception was luckily under a tent. Y had hired a luau to perform with dancers and people spinning fire and all. It was really fun! I even got up to perform a hula with a few of the party-goers (including Hubby.... was VERY surprised at that.... he must have had a few beers by then). Driving home was a breeze compared to the chaos that morning. We didn't leave with nearly as many things as when we arrived, so it was much easier.

The next day, Hubby, T, and I (and LB) went up to Ka'ena Point and checked out the waves and tidepools. We had lunch on the north shore at Kono's, then T spent the night packing up since she was leaving Sunday afternoon. On Sunday, I drove T and a wedding guest to Hubby's boat, and he gave them a tour. It's not every day that you have the opportunity to tour a commissioned fast attack sub! :) So they really liked that. Hubby had duty that day, so after I dropped T off at the airport (and went to my meeting for the board of directors), it was very lonely at home!

So that's how my crazy busy weekend was. I'll be crazy busy for the next few months (holidays and LB's bday), but not so much that I'll forget to post my recipes again! :P

Busy bee

As November starts, so does my social life! :) This year has been pretty tame, and that's been very nice, considering we have a baby now. But my life is about to get ridiculously busy.

Halloween was great. Hubby gave out the candy, while I fed LB and made sure Puppy didn't run out the open door. He shouted every time he opened the door, which made all the little trick-or-treaters (and their parents) scream and jump! It was very cute. Next year, LB will be old enough to walk from door to door, even if it's just the houses right around us.

Saturday, the band played a concert at a retirement home. I'm all about that- I think it's nice that we do that, but I absolutely had the worst time. Our director made us get there an hour early (so we could "warm up"), but when I showed up, he told me to just go around and check out the craft fair, because we couldn't set up. I did, then came back well before concert time, as everyone did. But despite our punctuality, we still started ten minutes late. Plus, the emcee (our bass clarinetist) went on and on between the pieces, so what could have been a quick 45 minute concert ended up to be over an hour, with all this babble between the songs. Plus, nobody put in an effort- wrong notes everywhere, people missing their entrances, no agreement on tempo... After it was over, I didn't stay to help load the equipment, I was so mad. I just took off, called Hubby, and had him pick me up. So disorganized....

This week is Y's wedding. My sister, T, is flying in, then we're going to the rehearsal dinner at a nice hotel downtown, and the day after that is the wedding! The two of them are going nuts, but it will all work out. Y will be here soon, and we're going to tie up some loose ends around here, like getting the favors assembled and such.

Also this month, I have a Dive Tower Social, an SOWC meeting and auction, my parents' anniversary, Thanksgiving, and my 10 year high school reunion. And, of course, the election! Next month will be even busier- the boat's holiday party, six Christmas concerts, 1 kid's Christmas party, the SOWC holiday party, Christmas, and prepping (still) for a westpac. It's a little ridiculous.

So I apologize if I don't get that Friday recipe in (like this past week- oops), or if I only post recipes because I'm too damn busy and tired to post anything else! :) I will try my hardest to post often. Just be forewarned that it may mean several posts of me just venting stress, haha!

I'm a bitch, so sue me.

I know that people really get into the spirit of things with Halloween. And that's fine and dandy. I love this holiday. But what I love more is having a baby finally take a nap after protesting all morning.

So when scary music started to shake my walls and wake LB up, I went from gossip-mag-reading mode to instant-bitch mode. I think the neighborhood kids had something to do with my irritability, as usual. I went outside my house to see which of my neighbors was blaring the music, and realized it was from a house two houses down and across a street.

Seriously? Am I the only one who found that annoying??

These are the same people that participate in a Christian rock band that practices every week at night. A live band. At night. I'm surprised I'm the only person that has said something to these people.

Now, if you know me, you know that I love music. And I love Halloween. But can't they exist without obnoxiousness? I understand that he was just testing to see how loud it was, or whatever lame-ass excuse he said, but this is my neighborhood, too, and this is my house that his music was penetrating, so I think I had a right to be mad. I wasn't mean. I didn't swear. I just explained that LB was taking a nap, and the music was waking him up and shaking my house. Simple. Straightforward. But I think the guy took it wrong anyway, because he kind of rolled his eyes at me.

Whatever.

I've made my point, and I hope that LB can now continue his nap in peace.

My fat ass

This morning, Hubby came out of the bathroom to announce his weight. He's not pleased with it, but I think he looks just fine. Anyway, I got curious to see what I weighed, so I jumped on the scale.

Now, aren't you supposed to weigh less in the morning?? If that's the case, then I'm in serious trouble. I haven't weighed this much (or put this much weight on so quickly) since I was preggers with LB. It was really shocking to see that number! And, despite my trips to the gym and eating well (most of the time), I'm actually seeing the numbers go up. Depressing.

This morning, just after I finish this post, I'll be heading to a kickboxing class at the gym. I'm still pretty sore from the last class (if you're a 24hr Fitness member, I highly recommend the 24Lift class.... kicks your ass). But maybe if I can just work myself to the point of exhaustion, I can lose those extra fifteen (actually, now more like twenty) pounds.

And just one last thought, when do I have to stop calling it "baby weight" and call it "fatass"? This weight was put on because of the baby, so there's my argument for calling it "baby weight", but now that I'm actually heavier than when I delivered, I'm thinking I've lost the rights to that title and now have to call myself "just fat". Bummer.

Feeling good

I called my bestest friend today, and it's funny how just talking to her about anything puts me in a great mood.

I've been a little bummed out lately. Not really emotional or anything, just feeling blah and bitchy. Hubby's been tied to the boat lately, so I haven't seen him much. And rehearsals have been a little frustrating. Plus, I'm feeling extra-unmotivated to work out, which makes me more out of shape, which makes me more unmotivated, etc. It's a vicious cycle.

Anyway, my friend M was online this afternoon (her night), so I IMed her via facebook. Between typing and getting the baby from his nap, I just finally decided to call her. And I'm so glad I did!

She can read me so well. I didn't even have to say much, she just knew I needed to vent. And vent I did! She's the kind of friend where TMI isn't in our vocabulary, and she knows literally everything about me.

So we chatted for about a half hour, and it was like therapy. No, better than therapy. I spilled, she spilled, we talked about... I don't even know... everything, it seems. I love those conversations with M. I love having someone I can call up that just gets me. And yes, Hubby gets me, but it's good to have a girlie friend that gets me, too.

Luckily, I have several friends that get me, that can read me like a book. But M is my oldest "gets me" friend, and she is the first person to know something about me, good or bad. She's the first friend I see when I'm home, and the first one I call up hang out with. I'm not sure what I'd do without our friendship! It's been 14 years, but it doesn't seem like that at all...

While flipping through my yearbook the other day, I came across M's message to me... more like a novel. It made me laugh so hard just remember the things we've done, and it made me miss M so much! M, if you're reading (and I know you probably are), I love you, MWA! :)

Friday recipe

Yes, I know it's Saturday- I'm a slacker. :) Here's this weekend's recipe.

Risotto with Mushrooms, Peas, and Sausage

Ingredients:

6 cups (48 oz.) meat stock
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb. italian sausage, casings removed and meat chopped
1/2 lb. white mushrooms, sliced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

How To:

Pour the stock into a saucepan and bring barely to a simmer. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp of the butter with the olive oil. Add the onion and saute 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cooked about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook until the kernels are hot and coated with oil, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until liquid is absorbed. Add the stock 1/2 cup at a time- make sure the liquid has been absorbed before adding more. When the rice is about halfway cooked, add the peas, salt, and pepper. Cook for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tbsp butter and parmsan cheese.

*DO NOT try to be healthy and use brown rice- it does not cook the same! Also, use the salt sparingly, since the stock will most likely have loads of salt in it already.

Reminiscing...

My 10 year high school reunion is coming up. I'm not going, since it's on the other side of the country and airfare is ridiculous right now, but it got me thinking. I also was IMing a friend from high school that I don't talk to very frequently, and we were just trying to remember names and chat about old times.

It's funny how things work out- people always change just when you think they won't. I was flipping through my yearbook (initially, looking for a last name for said friend, but then got distracted), and reading what people had written in there. What a different time. I didn't realize how many people wrote nice things in mine... maybe because I was too busy being a bitch (I'll admit it, I wasn't the nicest person in high school).

And with all those great people, I remember all the not-so-great people. The ones that called me a "fat cow", and the ones that said I should have never been born, because every unwanted pregnancy should result in an abortion (ouch). And it's funny to see the people who were genuinely nice, but caught up in a circle of bitchy friends. High school can be so dramatic...

But it's even more entertaining to see how people have changed (or haven't changed, really) and what they are doing now. One girl who I thought was totally all-american is now living in England. One girl who I thought was really nice turned out to be a snob. It's funny how people's true colors show once they get away from the stereotypes and the cliques... You can really see who was true to themself in high school, and who was just faking it to be accepted.

It makes me a little sad that I won't be going to the reunion. It would be fun to see most of those people again. And given that I am always living so far away, it would be nice to see ANYONE from back home again! Perhaps I'll try for the 15 year, or 20 year one.

Am I the only one?

Last night, I came home from my meeting, and there was a printed email sitting next to the computer. I picked it up, and it said that we are getting a new ensign to the boat and Hubby is his sponsor and his wife wanted more info about the move, the area, etc. Above the original email was another one from someone in the FRG saying, uh, what do we do?

Is it really that hard? How about reaching out to the family? How about instead of wondering what to do, just do it? So I took the matter into my own hands and emailed her back, giving her my cell number and told her I'd help her out. She called this morning and was so thankful. Hmm, why am I not surprised?

It seems like so many people talk and talk and talk, but they don't DO anything. Even if we didn't know what info to give her, doesn't it make sense to at least respond, just to say, hey, we didn't forget about you or are ignoring you, but we'll get back to you? Sheesh.

She seems very nice. Her hubby has done almost exactly the same Navy career my hubby has, so we'll have a lot in common. She seems intelligent and normal, so she'll have no problem getting along with the other girls, too. She also seems very interested in the FRG, which is great.

Our future

So it begins. My week of not seeing Hubby at all. Tonight and Thursday is band rehearsal. I would cut them to half a rehearsal, but we have a big concert coming up, and practice is *ahem* needed. Hubby has duty on Friday, so I won't see him until Saturday morning. It sucks, but at least he'll be able to be with LB while I'm at rehearsals/meetings.

I've been doing a lot of planning and thinking about our future. I know it's kind of futile, since the Navy will change just about anything at the last minute. But, it's nice to know what general direction our lives are headed in. So far, we will probably be headed to CA in Nov 2009. The shore duty should be about two years long. Then after that, who knows. So at least we have the next couple years tentatively mapped. :)

Hubby and I have been doing a lot of thinking about our permanent life (after he retires from the Navy). We're undecided about where we want to live, but we both like the northeast and the northwest. Colorado is also an option. We're finding, though, that it's easier to pick out where we don't want to live! No offense to those who are from there, but we despise the south. We also don't want to live anywhere that is too city-like. So that narrows it down a little bit. I've been (just for fun) looking at houses in NH for sale, just to ballpark what we will be able to afford, and it's been pretty fun to daydream about it! It's amazing what you can get in NH- for the same price, it can buy you a wonderful sh!tbox here in Hawaii, haha. :P

Naturally, the kids (yes, plural, as in we will have one more) will factor into our decision quite a bit. I want them to attend great schools and have the opportunity to play freely in the neighborhood, so low crime is important. I want to be able to take the family hiking through the woods, then go to a symphony that night.

I did the quiz on www.findyourspot.com, and it came back with a bunch of places in Washington state. Hubby did the same quiz, and we got a lot of the same cities. It's been entertaining to see what the website comes up with! (I highly recommend that site, even if it's just for fun)

Well, it's years away, so I guess I don't need to worry about it too much right now. :)

Just a recap

Hubby and I took LB pumpkin picking on Saturday. We plopped him next to a big pumpkin, and he seemed really intrigued- slapping it, making noises, etc. We bought two pumpkins, which we'll carve whenever Hubby isn't working late (which is not often, lately). They also had fresh veggies, and we got some corn on the cob and red peppers. They were SO fresh and sweet! I forgot how good corn on the cob is.

Hubby had duty Sunday, which was alright with me, because I was taking LB to do the Race for the Cure thingie. A bunch of people from the boat signed up, but I was a little late getting to the start line, so I walked with one lady and her three (cute) kids. It's nice to talk with the other wives and not mention the boat at all. I think we talked about it once, when we were discussing where we were both going after getting off it. Her daughter loved LB and fed him his bananas after the race. There were a TON of people there, both running and walking. It was nice to see that kind of turnout for something that benefits a charity.

I mentioned that Hubby had duty last night, which means he sleeps on the boat. So you can imagine when I heard the garage open and him walk through the door! Turns out, one of the other officers singled him up (took his workload so he could go home.... it's acceptable when there are two qualified duty officers). In return, Hubby's going to single that guy up when they are in port on westpac. Although LB was already asleep, it was nice to see him when we weren't expecting him! He did catch me watching "Bring It On: All Or Nothing", hahahaha. But that's my thing when he has duty- that's my night to do the girlie things that he hates. :)

This week will be busy for me at night, which sucks, because that's when Hubby and I have time together. I have rehearsal Tuesday as usual, and an additional on Thursday night, because we have a big concert coming up next Sunday. Plus, Wednesday night is an FRG meeting. I doubt Hubby will want to come, but maybe I can get him to, just so we can see each other more!

This weekend, we also discussed Christmas presents for each other. I will be getting his Emeraldback certificate framed, and I asked him to get me a bread machine. I like the idea of making my own bread, but I really don't have the patience to let it rise for several hours, so I think the machine is a great idea. We haven't thought much about LB, but I have a feeling it will be easy to shop for him!

*yawn*

Yeah... it's 6am. LB has decided that he wants to be an early bird. Yesterday, he woke up at 5am, so I guess today's a little better for Mommy!

It always seems like whenever I figure out his schedule, he changes it. He used to take naps at 10am and 2pm- now, he takes them whenever, sometimes at 11am, sometimes just one nap. Sometimes he's tired at 5:30pm, sometimes he stays up until 7:30pm, like last night. *sigh* I'm not liking this whole indecisive thing he's got going on!

Recipe Day

Pasta Salad with Roasted Autumn Veggies

Ingredients:

1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
1/2 lb eggplant, peeled and diced
4 plum tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt (or table salt- I prefer sea salt)
1/2 tsp black ground pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 oz crumbled feta
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1/2 lb cellentani (the corkscrew pasta)

How To:

Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine veggies, oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast about 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Stir in garlic and cool. Once cool, put in tupperware and put in fridge. Combine cheese and herbs, and put in separate tupperware in fridge. Chill both containers overnight. Cook pasta, then rinse under cold water. Toss pasta with both veggie and cheese mixtures. Serve immediately, or put in fridge to chill the pasta even more.

The Debate

YES!!!! Finally, McCain said something that I've been thinking and that I've been wishing he'd say! "Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run 4 years ago." GO MCCAIN!

Plus, he completely challenged Obama, asking how many times he's stood up to his party leaders. Obviously, Obama couldn't give a straight answer. He's the ultimate, beat-around-the-bush politician. And McCain called him on it.... that, and his ridiculous spending on negative ads.

It seems to me that Obama's view on our economy is almost socialist-like. He wants to build up the middle class- what happens when we're all middle class? In a democracy, there are people at the top and people at the bottom. We can't just give away money to people so they have just as much as the ones that work hard! That's not democracy, that's socialism. And it seems to be the democratic view... ironic, huh?

Obama feels so sleazy to me. McCain puts everything out on the table. You never have to guess where he stands, and you never have to wonder where he'll take the country. He answers questions directly. Obama talks an awful lot, but never seems to have anything to say. And I get the impression that he's hiding something.

I don't think Obama would be a bad president. In fact, this is first time I haven't felt imminent doom about the election. If either candidate wins, the country's economy will turn around... eventually. I think Obama really does care about the future of the country, but I feel like McCain has a better plan on how to follow through and turn it around quicker.

Not to mention the VP picks. To me, Biden also seems like he's hiding something. Palin may be a little different and full of character, but she's pretty direct, like McCain, and despite her short career in the government, I feel like she has a natural talent for politics.

Fuel was also a topic they debated. I don't understand why Obama won't consider nuclear power. I'm glad to hear he is open to alternative energy, but to assume nuclear power is unsafe, when the military has been using it on subs for decades, is crazy. Also, I thought he was opposed to off-shore drilling, but tonight he said that he supports it. Huh?????

I wonder what Obama and McCain think about Clinton signing NAFTA. Personally, I think that was the beginning of the end.

.... okay, there's my answer (I'm writing this as I watch the debate). :)

Oh geez, healthcare....

Hahahahahaha, the question was, should we worry about cost or coverage more? Of course, Obama says "both"- what else would a democrat say?? So, he wants people without health insurance to buy into the same coverage he gets as a federal employee, but at a fraction of the cost? How would that work? Wouldn't the federal employees have to pay more so these other people could get coverage? Is it fair that someone who works hard to have the same benefits as a person that doesn't work hard?

McCain emphasizes fitness and nutrition.... the thing about McCain is that he's always thinking about prevention of a crisis. Obama is always thinking about managing the crisis. Doesn't it make sense to avoid the crisis in the first place?? Whether it's obesity, the economy, energy, etc??? I feel like that's a major difference between the two, not just with healthcare, but with all their views.

McCain said that the difference between him and Obama is that Obama wants the government to mandate health care, while McCain wants the people to decided for themselves. It's all about accountability and responsibility.

McCain wants to overturn Roe vs. Wade. I'm not sure I agree with him. If I were ever in a situation where I needed that procedure, I don't know if I would back out, so I can't say that I'm completely in agreement with him on that. However, I personally would not be affected if he were to overturn it (and honestly, there are so many people out there that are pro-choice, it would take longer than a 4 year president term to pass). So, that's not an issue with me.
However, I do not view children as "punishment", wanted or unwanted, like Obama has said in the past..... this is probably going to open a huge can of worms, so I'll pass on this subject.

Whew. I think I'll stop for now. This debate is getting me all fired up!

PLEASE SLEEP!

LB woke up this morning at 7am. He's usually up between 6am and 6:30, but he slept a little more today. It was fine, because I had to drag him to a meeting at 9:30. He was fine, even though the meeting dragged on until 11:30. He was getting cranky toward the end, and even fell asleep in the five minute drive back home. But as soon as I put him in his crib, he started fussing, and eventually crying. I rocked him, and he started to snooze on my shoulder, then woke up again when I put him down. By then, it was 1:30pm, and he was hungry, so he cried and cried. I tried feeding him some carrots, but he suddenly decided he didn't like them any more. So I gave him a bottle and put him in his crib, crossing my fingers that he'd finally sleep. Nope. He was awake and fussy for another hour. Now it's 2:30pm, and he's finally sleeping.

Now don't judge me for putting him to bed with a bottle. I know it's bad for his teeth, but it was just this one time, and I was at my wit's end. He was obviously exhausted, since he hadn't napped at all this morning, so I was willing to do anything to get this kid to sleep!

PS- Why don't kids realize how good sleep is? Isn't it funny that we fight it when we are little and can sleep however long we want, then when we're older and want / need sleep, it's so hard to get!

It's Tuesday!

This post really has no point. Actually, it does- its only objective is to keep my readers (aka: family and two friends) updated with my life, so here goes.

The band I play with had a concert Sunday at the Ala Moana Mall. It was a lot of fun- we played the Wizard of Oz medley, another medley of jazz tunes, themes from "Hawaii", theme from "Somewhere in Time", and this piece called the Lotus Sutra (movement 3). We sounded pretty good, despite missing three people due to health issues. Hubby's captain and his wife and kids came to watch, which was so great. And my neighbor came, too, with her kids (her hubby is currently deployed). It was nice to have that kind of support! :) We have another concert coming up on the 26th, and we'll be playing even more pieces, since it's our 35th anniversary concert.

Hubby had yesterday off, since it was Columbus Day. We didn't do anything special, but I loved that. We just stayed home and had a massive cleaning day, plus a quick trip to the commissary. And we sold our old vacuum (we got a Dyson Animal to replace it- score!). Then we watched DVDs of the Muppet Show. So entertaining!

Today, Hubby is playing golf with the captain in lieu of going to work. We're also getting our new couch delivered! I'm really excited about that. It's a long, black leather sectional. We've been dying to replace our old couch, just because it doesn't seat a lot of people, and it's really easy to spot anything that gets on it. The leather will be easier to clean, and that's important now that we have kids! :)

Tonight I have rehearsal, tomorrow I have a SOWC Auction meeting, then Thursday I have a SOWC general meeting. On Saturday, Hubby and I are taking LB pumpkin picking (YAY!!!!), then we are going to see the HSO put on a few piano concertos with some guest pianists.

We're also gearing up for deployment, even though it's still several months away. Just getting everything he needs day-to-day is a huge task, not to mention pretty expensive. Imagine buying everything you need just for toiletries for 6 months (shampoo, toothpaste, contact lens solution, mouthwash, floss, soap, etc). It's pretty insane. He's filled up one huge bag just with that stuff, and he still needs uniforms, civilian clothes (for port calls), shoes, socks, etc. Plus, I don't know if any of you have seen the inside of a fast attack, but the living space is small. I seriously don't know how they do it- they must teach a course in boot camp on how to cram as much stuff into a tiny space as possible.

Anyway, so that's what's going on in my life right now. Not that exciting, huh? :P

Recipe

Pumpkin Spice Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup raisins (optional)

1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Crushed walnuts

How To:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease bottom and sides of jelly roll pan. Beat eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir in raisins, if using them. Spread in pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack, about 2 hours. While cooling, prepare the frosting. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. Frost the bars and sprinkle with walnuts. Cut into 7 rows by 7 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

*I used a 13 x 9 pyrex pan, and it worked fine. I did not add the raisins, so I don't know if that actually tastes good! :) I also cheated and used canned frosting in the picture. Baby = Lack of spare time to make homemade frosting, heehee.

Rapunzel, rapunzel!

I'm sure you all know about the story of Rapunzel, who was held captive in a tower by an evil witch (I think), and her prince charming rescued her by climbing up her hair which she dangled out the window. Yuck... I kind of threw up a little bit, too. But, I supposed those cheesy fairy tales really do happen in real life. I will now tell you a modernized version of Rapunzel...

Once, there lived a Queen Mommy, in a house in Hawaii. She had a Little Prince, who she loved very much. But, although he wanted her to, she could not hold him all day long, because she had to clean the magical toilet and scrub the enchanted floors. So, she would let him crawl on the floors, playing with his toys.

One day, the Queen Mommy and the Little Prince came home from the gym. She was very tired from slaying the Dragon of the Spare Tire, so she placed the Little Prince on the floor and flopped face down on the bed.... just for a minute.

The Little Prince was fascinated by his surroundings. The Queen Mommy's beautiful t-shirts and socks lay in the laundry basket, waiting for bluebirds to sweep in the windows and start folding them. After attempting to fold them himself, the Little Prince looked for something else to do. And that's when he saw the Queen Mommy.

She was being held captive by the bed! I must rescue her, the Little Prince thought. So he crawled to the bed, but could not reach her. There must be a way, he thought, and then he saw it- a dangling, golden ponytail.

The Little Prince was delighted that he was going to be able to rescue his Queen Mommy, and laughed out loud. The Queen Mommy was too pooped to see what he was laughing at. Then, he shouted courageously, "I will save you!" (which sounded more like "da da duh sh duh". The Little Prince extended his little fist, grabbed the glistening (okay, sweaty) ponytail, and gave it one big tug to pull him up onto his feet.

Success! He had done it! The Little Prince had pulled up onto his feet and could now rescue the Queen Mommy. However, it appears the Queen Mommy was NOT being held captive, because she promptly leapt off the bed and seemed a little peeved.

THE END

F*****************************ck

The bad day continues. Actually, it was only this one incident.

I was rearranging the kitchen and dropped a glass on the floor. Naturally, I was barefoot. For some reason, I decided to put LB in his playpen in the living room, so thank god he wasn't there when it happened. So there I was, stuck in the kitchen, and no foot protection (plus, my vision was all skewed after last night's run-in with a wall). So, I stepped really carefully around the big pieces, but still was poked with tiny shards. I managed to sweep it all (or what I hope was all) up.

But now I'm worried that I missed some huge piece, and LB is going to see it and think, ooooooh, shiny! And he'll put it in his mouth and we'll end up at the ER, and I'll have to explain to the doctor that it was an accident and I wasn't trying to make my baby eat glass. LB will probably stay in the playpen (he's actually pretty quiet right now, just babbling to himself) until I deem it safe enough for a baby to crawl on the floor. That may mean sweeping my bare feet across it, just so if there are any shards left, they'll stick me instead.

*Ironically, the glass I broke was given to me by L, who is notorious for breaking her own glasses. I'll have to call her up and see if she's broken any lately- perhaps the curse has rubbed off on me! :)

Bad Day Rant

Holy crap- it's only Monday and I'm seriously about to throw furniture out the windows. I don't know what it is, but I'm in a foul mood, and I've been like that almost all day. First, I went to Tripler for an appointment. It's something that I've been there for before, and it's just the most annoying thing ever. I won't go into it, because it's TMI, but there you have it.

The parking was atrocious. I had to park on the lower level in the grass, and had to walk up the hill (it's steep, since the hospital was built on a mountain). Hubby had the stroller in his car, and he's on duty, but fortunately I remembered the sit 'n' stroll, so I was able to push LB up. The appointment went well- it was the only thing that went smoothly all day. The pharmacy was ridiculous- I think we wait a half hour just to get to the counter. LB was exhausted since it was an hour past his naptime, so I was frustrated when my number was called. Then the pharmacist gives me two out of the three prescriptions. I asked her about the other one, and she said the doc never wrote it, but "I can call him if you'd like". Yeah, right. And wait another half hour with a wailing baby? No thanks.

I was starving and thirsty so I hit up Wendy's (it was on the way home). They forgot my drink- I don't think that place has ever gotten an order right. I must be crazy to keep going there and expect better service.

LB took a nap went we got home, and I was laid out on the recliner with bad back pain (related to the appointment). Finally it subsided and LB woke up so we could go to the NEX and commissary.

I don't know why I subject myself to these places. Obviously, they are way cheaper than civilian stores, but the place is usually mobbed, and you can't honestly tell me that everyone in these stores is DoD, dependent, or retired. You could probably flash a copied ID and they'd take it. Anyway, the checkout SUCKED. I did the self-checkout, and it kept telling me the weight in the bag was incorrect. Plus, they suddenly decided to sell loose carrots, but not make it an option in the checkout computer. The oh-so-highly-trained teenager-in-angst cashier wandered over and helped me out, but all while talking to her equally-emo friend. I swear, courtesy and customer service is a dying art. And, my turkey roast rang up twice as much as advertised, but by that point, I was ready to get the hell out of there.

My unlucky day continued at home. Hubby is prepping for deployment, so there is shit everywhere. He's also working on our spice rack, so everything that was neatly shoved into the cupboard is strewn all over the counters. In my attempt to tidy up and rearrange the storage closet, I squished my head between the wall and Christmas tree box (I jerked it suddenly and didn't expect it to move so fast), and I bent my glasses, so now my vision is all warped.

LB has been whiny today, too. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood, so I notice it more, but he was really driving me absolutely crazy. Getting into the dog food, whining, and now he's gotten major separation anxiety. *sigh* So I think I'm just going to postpone anything I was going to get done until tomorrow. Hubby has duty so he won't be home tonight anyway. :)

Recipe

Oops- I didn't post one for last week. Probably because I had yet another cold, courtesy of the boat. So, to make up for it, here is a full, complete meal, which Hubby and I loved (and Puppy, because that sneaky little guy stole some off my plate when I wasn't looking).

Steak with Slow Roasted Tomatoes and Artichoke Crostini (for two... you can always double this for more people)

Ingredients:

1 large top sirloin steak (or two smaller ones, depending on how much steak you want to eat)

McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning

2 tbsp olive oil

4 plum or roma tomatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 teaspoon thyme

Salt and fresh ground pepper

4 slices of french bread

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and fresh ground pepper

1 jar (6.5 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and patted dry

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)

How To:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare the artichoke crostini topping. Finely chop artichokes and combine with parmesan, 1 tbsp oil, and parsley. Chill in fridge until ready to top the bread. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise. Place in rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle on thyme and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 90 minutes. When there is 15 minutes left, brush bread slices with remaining 1 tbsp oil and top with artichoke filling. Place on baking sheet and put into oven for the last 12 minutes of the tomato cooking time. Heat the 2 tbsp olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Season both sides of the steak with the steak seasoning. Cook in hot oil for 4-5 minutes on each side, longer if the steak is thick. When the steak has turned light pink on the inside, place on heat-resistant cutting board (wood is good to use) and slice the steak into long strips. Serve all together.

*I made a few variations. I topped the crostini with mozzerella, since we had it in the house. I also used oregano instead of thyme on the tomatoes- I guess you can use whatever spice you like with them. Pictures are courtesy of marthastewart.com.

Sex And The City

I finally got around to watching Sex And The City, The Movie. I meant to actually go to the movies, but with a little baby, it gets complicated. :)

I was kind of disappointed in the movie. Sure, it featured beautiful (and bordering on ugly) clothes, wonderful shoes, and the same cast, but something was different. It was... a little pathetic. These women were supposed to be powerful, successful, independent women, and the whole movie was spent pining after men who wronged them somehow. The only character that didn't annoy me was Charlotte.

I'm surprised that Miranda took Steve back after what happened. I'm surprised Carrie took Big back after what happened, and I'm surprised that Samantha was so messed up in the head. I'm also a little surprised at myself for talking about these people like they are real. :P But, the situations can be real, and for a franchise that tells women to make their own destiny and that they are in charge of their own lives, I'm shocked the writers had the characters make the decisions they did.

Plus, was it just me, or did everyone in the movie look like the past 4 years had aged them a decade? For those women to be at the age that they are in the movie, it seemed sophomoric to be clubbing and drinking all the time and acting like 20-somethings. Doesn't that bug anyone else? Doesn't anyone think that they need to all grow up? It was just, like I said before, pathetic. I almost felt embarassed for the characters, the way you'd feel if you heard a grandmother say "That was off the chizzain".

Anyway, I'd give it three stars out of 5. The set was great and some of the scenes were really good, but what I had mentioned above was a significant negative.

Husband 1.0

Just a reaction to a recent onslaught of 3am wakings, piles of dirty dishes, and financial nagging.... seriously, I really do love Hubby. :)

Husband 1.0 Tech Support

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Subject: Service guide for husbands

Dear Tech Support: Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed that the new program began making unexpected changes to the accounting modules, limiting access to flower and jewelry applications that had operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0. In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.9 but installed undesirable programs such as NFL 5.0 and NBA 3.0. Conversation 8.0 no longer runs and House Cleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.

Desperate

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Dear Desperate:

Keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an entertainment package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating system. Try to enter the command: C:\>I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME and install Tears 6.2. Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications: Guilty 3.0 and Flowers 7.0. But remember, overuse can cause Husband 1.0 to default to GrumpySilence 2.5, Happyhour 7.0 or Beer 6.1. Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will create "snoring loudly" wave files.

DO NOT install MotherInLaw 1.0 or reinstall another Boyfriend program. These are not supported applications and will crash Husband 1.0. In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. Consider buying additional software to improve performance. I personally recommend HotFood 3.0 and Lingerie 5.3.

Change is in the air

Several things have happened in the past week, both personally and nationally, which have changed my day-to-day life. Our dear friends, L & G, have moved on to Cali. It was really sad to see them go, even though we will be a much shorter drive to them in just a year. G was Hubby's buddy on the boat, someone who got his warped sense of humor, and someone who liked to go hiking as much as he does. L was my Ross buddy, someone who I hung out with while the men were on those hikes, and someone who got MY warped sense of humor. They were also Auntie and Uncle to LB, so even though he can't speak, I'm sure he'd say he misses them, too.

Last week, Hubby came home from duty with boat nastiness, and oh-so-kindly passed it on to LB and me. So, we've all been battling yet another cold for a week now. LB's much better off than Hubby and I are, so I'm glad for that. The last time he got sick, it seemed like the world was going to end!

And, speaking of that, holy crap- what's going on with the economy? I'm a little nervous that we've already started the descent into recession, but nobody seems to be acknoledging that. I, for one, have been trying to live like we are, only buying things that we absolutely need and holding off on splurges... okay, MOST of the time. :P But, what's going to happen? All of these banks are going under and being taken over, it makes me nervous about the state of our future (and I use "our" meaning the entire country, not just my family).

On to other things, I have noticed something that has been noticably absent as far as change in the air. It's another autumn in Hawaii, meaning another autumn without the crisp, cool air, the changing leaves, the hayrides, the pumpkins, the sweaters and jeans, etc. It's actually (and I can't believe I'm saying this) depressing to live someplace where it's ALWAYS the same, weatherwise. It's so boring! I miss the changing of the seasons.

I suppose with all these changes around me, maybe I should make a change, too. The 3 of us were walking past some stores yesterday, and we stopped to look at the puppy store. They were adorable, but I told Hubby, "You know we could never buy them." He asked why, and I explained how puppy mills work. "You should google it, or youtube it sometime," I said. It got me thinking, why haven't I been pursuing this more? I watched a video this morning that had me in tears. So maybe my change will be to stand up for those animals and help take down the puppy mills.

PS- Go ahead and youtube it if you want. Be warned that it might make you cry.

In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.

That quote is from English writer George Orwell, and I think it sums up why I will be voting for McCain this election. Based on the debates last night, McCain is the one candidate that I feel is truthful, with his past decisions and ones that he regrets, with his future decisions including unpopular ones, and with current decisions. He acknowledges when he has made a mistake. He acknowledges the current situation in Iraq, Afghanistan, the economy, etc. And, he has a plan to fix them.

I get the feeling that Obama is playing the role of presidential candidate, and doesn't really understand that once he is elected, he will have to solve the American crisises (is that a word? if not, I just made it up). He seems more preoccupied with winning than with what he is going to have to do if he does win. There are things about Obama that I like- I'm not saying he'd be a terrible president. I just think McCain would be better.

OUCH

I was talking to my mom on the phone today, just laying on the couch chatting, when LB came crawling up to me with a big grin on his face. I watched as he swung one leg up and tried to pull himself up onto the couch.

How cute, I thought. He wants to chill out with me.

So I helped him up, gently pushing on his butt while he grabbed and clawed his way with his little arms. Once he was on the couch, he smiled another big grin. I continued talking with my mom about LB and Hubby and Puppy.

All of a sudden, I feel this pinch on my arm. Shit, I thought, I hope that wasn't a centipede. I yell, "Ouch!", and look over to find LB's face firmly attached to my bicep... okay, who are we kidding? To my fat-arm-where-a-bicep-should-be.

He bit me! I can't believe it! My darling baby boy, who cries for me when I leave the room, who uses me as his own personal jungle gym, who hugs me so fiercely, BIT ME!

I was in such shock that it didn't register that I should be scolding him. He smiled another big (and mischievous) grin, then giggled. What a little monkey! He didn't do it again after that, but it has started, the I'm-a-different-person-than-you stage.

I suppose it could be worse. I can remember times when my brother used to bite my mom's behind. All I've gotten is a little pinch on mine. But now that LB has discovered his teeth and that they can be used for cool things, I'm afraid my ass is next.... literally.