Shopping.

Taking my husband to the grocery store with me is like taking a 5 year old. I suppose that's why I enjoy bringing him along. We don't have a 5 year old so when I get to spend that hour shopping with him, I feel like I do. :) Awww... that's nice.

The foods he contributed to the shopping cart while I wasn't looking:


1. LiveSaver FruitSplosion candies (which he quickly dove into as I put away the groceries)

2. Fritos Honey BBQ Flavor-Twists

3. Sun-Maid Yogurt Raisins

4. English Toffee Cookies

5. Cheese and Peanut Butter Crackers

6. A pound of honey ham (only strange because *I* don't eat ham... he expects to finish off a pound of deli ham in a week?! Wow. Just wow.)

And if you're wondering... no, I don't let him go shopping on his own. That would be quite dangerous!

Funny thing is that I'm so busy putting fruits, veggies and other healthy things in our cart, to even notice him doing these things! So cute. :)

So what did your 5 year old/husband put in the cart while you weren't looking?!

Reveling.

Bad idea: Feeding my dog cucumber at 2:00 am.

Good idea: Teaching her to throw up on the indoor potty.

That's right, folks! All of those, "No, wait, Ruby! Quick! WizDog!" moments, where I noticed she was about to spew on our carpet, and I grabbed her and quickly placed her on the indoor potty (the WizDog) have paid off...

She actually walked over there on her *own* accord and spewed her little tummy contents. My poor little baby for spewing chunks, but what a good little baby she is! :)

*And in my defense, I give her cucumbers on a regular basis. I have no idea what made her get sick. She *does* have acid-reflux though... I'm blaming it on the fact that it's 2am. And if the other dog gets sick, I'll blame it on old cucumbers. (Hey, they looked okay to me!) And the fact that it's 2am, and I'm still awake. Ugh. I hate insomnia...

Singing.

There's something about belting Celine Dion songs that makes you feel just so good. Not that I listen to her that often... never, actually. But when I'm feeling like I am today (heavy on the heart), singing her songs like their mine... just makes me feel so good inside. *sigh* Thank you, Celine. :)

Confusing.

Okay, so there is this house a few doors down from us. They have eleven bird feeders surrounding their back porch/deck. Yes, you read that correctly... *eleven*! (That's right, nothing to do in my life except stand around and count bird feeders.)

So the other day, I'm walking the puppies, and I see the man (who lives in the bird-feeder house) walk out of his house and wave cardboard (wildly, I might add) at the birdies who came to his deck. He's shooing them away and banging the cardboard on the deck... I can only assume he would do this to make enough noise to scare them off. So they all fly away.

I'm up at about 7am every morning walking the pups. And this man? He's doing this *every* morning. Now, I made a 2008 goal to think positive thoughts and make all things that come from me come in a nice and loving manner. But I'm just confused. Isn't it possible that the dozen birds around his house has *something* to do with the fact that he has ELEVEN bird feeders!

It's not like I thought, "Hmm... they have a lot of bird feeders. They must really hate birds!" Quite the contrary. It seems like common sense to me. It's like Field of Dreams style, "If you build [bird feeders], they will come."

Get rid of the bird feeders. Get rid of the birds.

I'm seriously considering leaving a nice, anonymous note on their front door, "If you take down the bird feeders, they will leave." That's nice, right?! :D





*bird drawing by Steve Hearn*

Noting.

Note to self: Don't eat chocolate cake and a candy bar for lunch... EVER.AGAIN.

That's all.

Searching.

You know that phrase, "A good panty is hard to find"? You don't? Oh, right... that's because it's "A good *man* is hard to find." True as that may be, my problem is with the panty. I already have a good man. So my search is on to find the perfect panty.

I mean, even this Roman woman in a mosaic at the Piazza Armerina is saying, "Dude! Romans! What's up with you? Make me some good panties!"

As a child, I didn't care so much. I mean, sure it was "silk-like panties from Target or nothing", but my mom *got* that. She (obviously) knows, also, that a good panty is hard to find. But as a child, I didn't care about what I care about today.

Comfy fabric. Tagless. Wedgie-proof. No panty lines. I mean, isn't that what all women want in a panty? Well, okay, not *all* women, or there would be no imperfect panties out there. And let me tell you... there are *a lot* of imperfect panties.

"Oh, why don't you just wear a thong, Reyanna! Those are *oh so* comfy. Who doesn't like butt-floss?" Uhhh... yeah. HATE.THONGS.WITH.A.PASSION. The woman at Victoria's Secret told me, "Oh, just wear them for a few days. You'll get use to them!"
Uhh... no. Lady, it didn't happen.

Comfy fabric? Usually.
Tagless? You can find them.
Wedgie-proof? Don't kid yourself... something that is perpetually *in* your butt is not wedgie-proof.
Panty lines? Virtually never.

And now I have like $40 worth of thongs in my drawers AND panty lines. Sheesh.

This may have to do with the fact that I was a gymnast. See, gymnasts get wedgies... often. As in, those leotards have set up camp there, and they are not leaving until practice is over! Period. So maybe that's why I don't like thongs. *I* know that little string is not *supposed* to be there. I can feel it. It doesn't matter how long I wear it. It's not pulling a "Violet from The Incredibles" on me and disappearing into thin air. It's like I'm an eternal gymnast (wedgies forever, oh my), except I can't do the cool tricks anymore. OK, maybe *one* cool trick... ;)

So... the search continued... The Hanes Women's BoyChic? (Actually, are much cuter in real life. They look really strange in this picture!) A *great* panty. Found at Walmart for about $5.88 (give or take a few cents) for two pairs.

Comfy fabric? Check!
Tagless? Check!
Wedgie-proof? Check!
Panty lines? Oooh, so close.

They're made of cotton. The downfall. Cotton panties must give panty lines... it's their job.

And even companies who *claim* seamless/no panty lines (read Victoria's Secret $14/pair panties!) fall short. I know. I own the Body by Victoria Hiphuggers... in most colors. Very comfy. Some are tagless. Usualy wedgie-proof... but still... they usually have panty lines. *sigh*

So yesterday, I decided to try the Body by Victoria Boyshort. Yeah, I may as well put on a thong. They're pretty much setting up camp too. See, I read "boy short" as in "shorts that are boy-style." Oh, no, that's what they *want* you to read. But yeah... it really means, "Boy, are they short!" As in, shorter than a regular pair of panties. These are worse than briefs.

Another favorite of mine? Hanes Women's Boxer Briefs. Probably the most comfortable pair of panties *ever*.

Comfy fabric? Check!
Tagless? Check!
Wedgie-proof? Check!
Panty lines? Oooh, again... so close.

Now, Hanes, if you're reading... ditch the cotton and go with a Nylon/Spandex blend. The world of panties will be yours! We know you've been making panties longer than we've been wearing them so please, help us! Our bottoms are anxiously waiting.

And if *you* think you've found the perfect panty, please share with the class! :D

Flying.

So day after tomorrow, we're heading out again. This time to Texas. Weren't we just *on* a plane?! *sigh* I'm not much for flying. All that walking through the airport, and you're thinking, "I just want to get to my gate and sit down!" And then you get on the plane and you're thinking, "I just want to get there so I can stand up!" Tee hee. And I seem to be hungry ALL the time in airports. I think it's the overpriced food... it calls out to you... some sort of subliminal message.

Though, this plane trip won't be as long as the one to California so that's a relief. :) We're spending Thanksgiving with Jeremy's family. I finally get to meet the aunts, uncles and cousins... finally, after five years of marriage. :D

I have seriously been looking forward (for two months!) to warmer weather! 70s and 80s... sun, short sleeves, no jacket, for eight days... ahhhh... it'll be so nice...

Uh-huh. Yeah. Then I decided to check the weather. *sigh* Just.My.Luck. The day we leave? Sunny and 86 degrees. The whole week we're there? Rain. RAIN.RAIN! And temps in the 30s and 40ss. And the day we come home? Sunny and 70 degrees, of course. *laugh* You just have to laugh at that.

San Antonio is punishing me for what I did last time. Yeah, that handstand picture? That's me. I'm doing a handstand at the Alamo. I don't just stand places and take pictures. That's too boring for me. I must do a handstand instead.

And see, you're allowed to take pictures of the Alamo. You're allowed to take a picture of yourself in front of the Alamo. But doing a *handstand* in front of the Alamo? Umm... yeah, not allowed.

And word to the wise, if *you* ever decide to do a handstand at the Alamo... and you're up in the handstand, and you hear a loud whistle, and some big guy yelling... yeah, that would be the security guard, yelling at you to get down and get out! Or so I've heard...

Questioning.

I found this at LauraVegas' blog, and I thought it looked fun. :D

1. are you taller than your best friend? Yes, for some reason, I'm always taller than my best friends. Oh! except Britt... we're the same height. :D But Camille? She's a shorty. ;)

2. do you have a favorite type of pen? I do... fat ones. Especially these. Mmm... those are good.

3. look at your planner for November 28, what are you doing? I will be flying home from Texas.

4. what color are your toenails usually? during the summer, they're Mamma Mia by OPI. During the fall/winter, I don't paint them. *sigh* I should.

5. what was the last thing you highlighted? hmmm... I'm thinking... some sort of text... with a highlighter

6. what color are the curtains in your bedroom? beige (IKEA was out of dark brown, darn it!)

7. what color are the seats in your car? grey... yeah, I'm pretty sure they're grey.

8. have you ever had a black and white cat? I love black cats best. I've had Asher and Sydney (both had a bit of white on them).

9. what is the last thing you put a stamp on? My student loan bills. Ugh.

10. do you know anyone who lives in wyoming? uhhh... nope, but my mom was born there! She lived there for about 3 months. :p

11. why did you withdraw cash from the ATM the last time? I don't do that unless I do laundry at the Laundromat. Does using your debit card at the grocery store count? If so, then I took out money to tip our bagger. :)

12. who is the last baby that you held? Wow... it's been a while. I think Corbin, my friend Rachel's baby.

13. can you spell well? yes, I can. And I also have spell-check-as-you-type on Firefox. YESS. :)

14. do you like cinnamon toothpaste? yup, and that's what we always use!

15. what kind of car were you driving 2 years ago? same one as now. My Toyota Corolla. Love that car. :)

16. pick one: miami hurricanes or florida gators? Well, I wouldn't like to be in a hurricane, and I wouldn't want to meet a gator that wasn't in a zoo. Wait... are these sports teams?!

17. last time you went to Six Flags? Oh, gosh, umm... it was either last summer or the summer before that. We had annual passes.

18. which show currently making new episodes should be canceled? I have no idea because I don't watch television. But I heard they made a show about the insurance cavemen?! What?! Probably that one. Tee hee.

19. closest thing to you that is yellow? A cereal box. It's on the computer table because I was eating cereal while I was on message boards. LOL.

20. last person you gave a business card? Weird! We were just designing my business cards this morning! So... nobody yet. :D

21. who is the last person you wrote a check to? Again, student loan payment to St. Mary's University of Minnesota. :p

22. closest framed picture to you? Directly to my left. I'm swinging on a tire swing. :D

23. last time you had someone cook for you? Just a few weeks ago. I was visiting my grandparents. My grandpa made *THE* best omelet ever!! It was bacon, onion and avocado... seriously best omelet ever (and I don't even *like* avocado)!

24. have you ever applied for welfare? nope

25. how many emails do you get in your inbox daily (excluding spam)? hmm... maybe 5?

26. last time you received flowers? Actually, Jeremy got me tulips for Valentine's this year! Wow, they were beautiful. :D

27. what is the weather like? It's 2:42 pm, and it's 39 degrees. Brrr...

28. do you play air guitar? LOL. Yes... whenever I hear the Who on CSI (if I ever watch it).

29. has anyone ever proposed to you? yeah... Jeremy did twice! LOL. He said it felt so good the first time that he wanted to ask me again... so he did. So two proposals in a time-frame of about 60 seconds.

30. do you take anything in your coffee? depends on my mood... sometimes black, sometimes milk and sugar

31. do you have any Willow Tree figurines? never even heard of them

32. what is/was your high school's mascot? we were the Pirates. The Pagosa Pirates. But I once was able to convince a gullible friend that we were the Pagosa Springs Wombats, and our colors were baby pink and sky blue. That was funny.

33. last person you spoke to from high school? one of my best friends from high school, Kim. She called me Friday night, just to say hi (and that she has a new boyfriend... a guy we went to HS with. LOL.)

34. how often do you use hand sanitizer? a few times a day usually. LOL. I'm so anal about germs because I get sick so often.

35. would you like to learn to play the drums? uhh... nah.

36. what color are the blinds in your living room? I don't have blinds in the living room. I have curtains... ivory ones. We have blinds in the kitchen and bathroom... they're white. What a strange question.

37. is you furniture cloth or leather? wood and cloth

38. last thing you read in the newspaper? does online newspaper count? I read about a love story in Manhattan. Very sweet.

39. what was the last pageant you attended? pageant? Does the average American attend those?

40. what is the last place you bought pizza from? That wasn't frozen? Disneyland. LOL. They have gluten-free pizzas at Redd-Rocket's Pizza Port. :D And it was super tasty.

41. have you ever worn a crown? my wedding day... I bought a gold Disney princess crown and my sister hooked my veil to it. :D

42. what is the last thing you stapled? I don't even remember!

43. did you ever drink clear Pepsi? Yeah, I did! It was strange.

44. are you ticklish? yes, very. Jeremy is the most ticklish person ever though so in order to get out of being tickled, I just tickle him. :D

45. last time you saw fireworks? Labor Day. :D Oh wait! A few days after Labor Day, there were some RIGHT out my bathroom window. That was weird.

46. last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut? I've never actually had one. I didn't find out about them until after I discovered I was allergic/intolerant to wheat. I did chew on one once and then spit it out. Tastes like a doughnut. LOL.

47. who is the last person that left you a message & you actually returned it? Camille... to confirm our movie date for Friday. :D

48. has your mailbox ever been full? I think on Yahoo. Oh, wait, snail mail? Definitely.

49. do you have a black dog? nope, Amber is gold/white and Ruby is red/white.

50. can you give one reason why David Caruso is allowed to keep acting? UGH! NO! Can't STAND that guy. Worst actor ever. Perhaps he... you know... gave something extra special to somebody high up? It will boggle the mind forever... LOL.

51. are you an aunt or uncle? yup! I'm Ani (aw-nee)! Aunt to London (in Heaven), Cullen, Reysa, Alaura, Brenna and Mairen (May-May).

52. who has the prettiest eyes that you know of? Probably my sister. Oh! And my friend Melissa. WOW!

53. last time you saw a semi truck? yesterday... we did lots of driving around.

54. do you think people lie on these surveys? perhaps. I don't though!

55. what is something you know you need to do, but you keep making excuses? Putting stuff on ebay. The thrift store is so much more appealing

Okay, so now your turn! I mean, if you'd like... :D

Watching.

A friend of mine asked me about my favorite movies and TV shows. When I replied to her (through email), I thought, "You may be sorry you got me started... I am quite long-winded... in case you didn't know..."

See, most people can just spout of some answers, but for me? It's more than that.

Favorite movie of all time: Sound of Music

Favorite movie I watch over and over and never get sick of: Love Actually

Other movies I could watch over and over and over: Groundhog Day, When Harry Met Sally, Speechless, 50 First Dates

Did you want genres too? I usually do those, but I'll just list my other favorite movies! :D

V for Vendetta, The Parent Trap (both), Pollyanna, Disney's Sleeping Beauty, The Motorcycle Diaries (you MUST see this if you haven't... it's a drama about Che Guevara... awesome! I was forced to watch it for college Spanish, and I'm SO thankful now. Who knew?!), Wayne's World, Stranger Than Fiction (I brought you flours!), The Shawshank Redemption, Rudy, White Oleander, Amelie.

Then there's a few that I thought were AMAZING, but I couldn't watch again... like Monster's Ball and Adaptation. I thought V for Vendetta was one of those too, but I've seen it three times now, and I just close my eyes at scary parts. :D

And TV shows. Well, okay, here's the thing. A few years ago, we hardly ever watched TV, Jeremy NEVER watched it so we got rid of it. We watched movies on our computer. Then this last summer, Jeremy decided he *needed* a 32" flat screen, HD LCD TV and HD antenna so that he could watch CSI in Hi-Def. The only show he'll watch (a friend got him hooked). So... we got a TV (MUCH to my chagrin... I put up a fight like you wouldn't believe!), and you know what?! We do watch CSI... most of the time. But that's it. It's used for DVDs. I forget we even have one until I want to watch a movie. It's a glorified movie screen, hanging on the wall.

That being said, I still have favorite shows. Favorite of all time is Friends. I own all seasons on DVD, and I watch it *every* day (pathetic? I think yes!). I used to be a faithful Desperate Housewives fan, but when we got rid of our TV, I fell out of that phase. I was able to watch it a few weeks ago, I still like it, but I always forget to watch it. And Jeremy hates it with the very core of his being so he probably wouldn't let me watch it anyway. :p

So... the only show I watch religiously now (that's *not* in syndication) is Pushing Daisies. It's just... *sigh* awesome. Lee Pace is adorable, and I think I like it because it's just so different from everything else I've ever seen. Jeremy doesn't like me watching it though (remember... hates TV... if he would only *watch* one episode... sheesh) so I watch it online on Thursday mornings. Guess what today is?! Thursday! WOOHOO!!

I also LOVE the Ellen DeGeneres Show. I used to watch that religiously too, and if I was going to miss it, I'd tape it. We no longer have a VCR, and get this... I *forget* to watch it on a daily basis. Grrr. Then when I realize I've missed it... usually at like 3:57, I'm like, "SHOOT! I missed Ellen! Dang it!"

I guess that means that I'm over the TV thing. I'm too busy scrapbooking, thinking about scrapbooking... or visiting scrapbook.com and private messaging, blogging or posting threads regarding scrapbooking. Or yesterday, getting my oil changed.

I contemplated changing the channel to Ellen at the oil change place, but this 90-year-old man was watching CNBC. After much deliberation:

"I want to watch Ellen! It's 3:00! I'm remembering! Should I ask the old man if I can change it? He's old. And maybe all he wants to do is watch CNBC in peace. Perhaps he could die tomorrow, and he will be lying on his deathbed thinking, 'I'm so glad I got to watch CNBC while I got my oil changed. Knowing that gas prices are astronomical is definitely what I wanted to hear before seeing the Big Guy. It was so nice that they just let me watch my CNBC in peace.' Should I ask these ladies reading the latest Britney gossip? Should I just change the channel without asking? I want to watch Ellen! It's possible they don't like Ellen, and Ellen for them is the equivalent of Soaps and Infomercials for me. Oh, dang it. I'll just read this book on Money-Management that I brought. Dang CNBC."

But I digress. Sigh.

So the short answer to the TV question: Friends, Pushing Daisies, Ellen DeGeneres, CSI, Desperate Housewives. :D (But you really appreciated that story, right?! ;) )

I just don't have a simple answer for anything. Does that make me opinionated or interesting? Both? Maybe? Maybe. :)

Update: Pushing Daisies was not a new episode last night. Bummer. :(

Celebrating.

Wow, this is long... but, good story. ;)

Today is the 7-year anniversary of us. :)

We had met when we were 15 (had a BUNCH of classes together... lucky me!), and I liked him RIGHT away. I told my best friend that I wanted to marry him. He was cute and funny and wicked fun! And he just... well, he was glowing... all the time. He walked around school like he was in a bubble. A bubble on top of the world and everything was wonderful. I loved that.

He would stick my pencils up his nose. I would ask him to smell my perfume, and he would lick my hand. He tortured teachers mercilessly (he would fake wetting his pants... poor, Ms. Gozigian)! He was never serious about anything, and I thought he was hilarious. He left our high school at the end of our junior year. We were 16.

Fast forward three years. He moved back to our town. I came home from college due to illness. We started to hang out a lot, and we had SO much fun together. His friends kept telling me that he liked me. I didn't believe them. I didn't care. I was over Jeremy. One night in October, we were playing truth or dare. My turn to choose somebody. I chose Jeremy. He chose "truth." I knew he had never kissed a girl so...

Me: Jeremy, if you could choose *the* girl to be your first kiss, who would you choose? It can be anybody!

Jeremy: Actually, Reyanna, I'd really enjoy kissing you. (He said it very softly and slowly, peered up and smiled.)

Me: *Blush* (Had NO idea that was coming.) Uhhh... okay, thanks. Uhh... err... your turn!

Jeremy: I choose Reyanna!

Me: Uhh... okay. Dare?

Jeremy: Okay! I dare you to kiss me!

Me: (Oh, crap! What have I gotten myself into?!?! Okay, all our friends are here. All our friends are watching. All our friends are thinking, "Holy Crap! Reyanna is about to kiss Jeremy!" Okay, he obviously *wants* me to kiss him. Well, alright, I'll just kiss him... I mean, it's what he *wants*... I should be nice and just, you know... kiss him.) Uhhh... okay. (I lean over slowly and kiss him. He doesn't kiss back.)

So yeah, that was in October. Later that night he pulled me aside and said, "I just wanted to thank you for the kiss. And I just wanted to let you know that I didn't kiss back because I didn't want to be rude. I dared you to kiss me. I didn't think it would be very gentleman-like if I kissed you back." Awww! Sweet! Anywho... okay, so... nothing ensued. We just hung out a lot. He was fun. We had fun. I *still* didn't believe that he liked me.

November 1, 2000, he asked to do laundry at my house. He brought it over... and then left it there. Me, being naive and a complete dork, thought that was an accident. (SOOOOO not an accident.)

So, November 2, 2000, Jeremy calls.

Jeremy: Uhh, hi! I left my laundry at your house!

Me: I know. I noticed. You're dumb. (or something to that effect)

Jeremy: So can I come over and get it?

Me: Yes, of course.

Jeremy: Right now?! Can I come over right now?!

Me: (Strange that he's so excited, but...) Uhh... sure. Yeah. Come over.

So Jeremy arrives and right away says, "Can I talk to you? In you room?" Uhhh... weird. Okay. So I mutter a "yeah, sure," and I walk to my room (as he follows). No sooner did I get in there and he closed the door did he spin around and say, "Do you know how much I like you?!?!"

Me: *shocked* Uhh... no... how much do you like me?

Jeremy: I'm totally stoked on you! You're gorgeous and lively and kind and cool and fun and funny, and you're a tease... but I'm not complaining. And I just think we should be together.”

Me: (Still shocked. How the heck do I reply to that?! Come on. I don't really want a boyfriend. I just got out of that 10-day dating mistake with that stalker guy.) Umm... well, wow, thank you. But I'm not really looking to have a boyfriend.

Jeremy: (Not giving up.) Well, you've had boyfriends before. And you just went out with that stupid guy. (Referring to stalker.) We get along so well, and we'd be so good together.

Me: (Well, he *does* really like me. I guess I can just humor him for a few months, right?! He is pretty cool to hang out with.) Well, I don't know. I do love to hang out with you.

Jeremy: Great then! Okay. Well, I guess I'll go get my laundry.

Me: (Uhh... so are we together now, or what?!)

We both walked out of the room... I'm pretty sure we were both VERY confused about what had just taken place. We hung out the rest of the day, and he kissed me goodbye (on the cheek) when he left that night. Actually, he got all the way out to his friend's car when I saw him RUNNING back up to my door. With a huge smile on his face, he said, "May I kiss you goodbye?!" I turned my face so he could kiss my cheek. We both smiled and he ran and skipped and shouted with glee... all the way back to his friend. Tee hee.

"I REALLY like him," I thought. "Yeah, we're together now."

Oh, Jeremy. Honey, you are adorable. Thank you for being "stoked" on me. The last seven years have been amazing. Here's to 90 more. :D And who knew that humoring you would land me a SUPER-cool husband?! ;)

(Picture taken a few months after we got together. This is a picture of a picture because I couldn't get the scanner to work. I'll post the better one soon.)

Eating.

I took some photos of Tasha, my neighbor (age 14). I can't wait to scrap them. She is just so beautiful!

I was at a loss as to what to make for dinner tonight so I decided to Google some type of casserole with broccoli and pasta. This is what came up, and it was pretty tasty! I took out the chicken (but still used chicken broth), as we eat vegetarian at home (preparing meat/poultry grosses me out). Decided to share. :)

3 oz. cooked penne or small tube shaped noodles (I used macaroni)
Salt and pepper
3 c. steamed, chopped broccoli
2 1/2 tbsp. butter
1 c. chopped onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 bay leaf
3/4 lb. chicken breast tenders (strips)
Pinch nutmeg
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/2 c. cottage cheese (I didn't have this so I left it out... tasted great without it.)
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese (I think I put more of this on, and it was good!)

In large bowl put cooked pasta and broccoli. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a sauce pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 3 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and flour; cook for 1 minute. Stir in thyme and then slowly whisk in the broth and milk. Add bay leaf, bring to boil, reduce heat and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until chicken is barely cooked through. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Add to the bowl with the pasta and broccoli along with parsley and stir until mixed. Put casserole into oiled 11 1/2 x 8 inch baking dish. Dot with cottage cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for about 20 minutes until heated through and the top is lightly browned.

Enjoy! :D

Loving.

I'm so loving life at this very moment. Funny how a simple call from a friend at 9:30pm can just lift your spirits. Not just a friend. Camille. The epitome of a fabulous girlfriend. The kind of girlfriend who gift-wraps a bottle of nail polish one day... just because she knows I liked that color she had showed me (on her toes!) a week earlier. *sigh*

I can truly say that my life is not the same without her. It is more fabulous because she's my friend, and we enjoy (and savor) every moment together because they are few and far between these days. Camille, you're my best girl, and I heart you much.

Deciding.

I've been so down lately. I haven't been able to decide why. Well, I'm home now... all the time. Okay, all but six hours of my week where I get to take a break from my house and go coach some gymnastics. Those kids are way cute (not when they're screaming, mind you, but cute nonetheless). Oh, and please... for all that is good and precious in this world... please, please do not name your child after a car. Okay, the car Mercedes was named for a person so that doesn't count, but no Toyota, Chevrolet or Nissan. Please? Thank you from the bottom of my heart. :D Because though I LOVE children, and I'm nice to them, and I love working with them, there are just some things I won't do. Sue me. Fire me. I won't call a child the name of a car. Or Princess. Or Hercules. Or Your Highness (yes, there are children named these things)! I digress...

Anyway, I'm home... all the time. And I was thinking... Am I down because being home is reminding me that I can't work or get my Master's degree? I thought that's what it was. Turns out, it's not. I mean, I'm sure that's a part of it. But then my landlord said to me (she's also home because she's sick), "I love being home!" Yes. There it is. Those four words. I need to embrace it.

And by embracing it, I need to get out more. I hung out with my neighbor last night. We had SO much fun! We ended up having so much in common, and we just totally hit it off. And I was smiling... and laughing... and having a great time. And it hit me. YaSeeTimmy. I need to get out more. I'm down because I'm a social person. Well, I'm not down *because* I'm a social person... that sounds silly. I'm down because *though* I'm a social person, I haven't been very social. A complete and utter social butterfly. I need people! So I'm deciding now that I will get out more. I will go to the stamp store (my one stop shop for socialness). I will hold MemoryWorks parties/crops. I'll have people over for dinner. I'll simply take the dogs for a walk downtown.

Decisions are good. *sigh* I feel better.

p.s. YaSeeTimmy... it's from the movie, Speechless. It's the lesson learned. It's that moment you realize you hit the nail on the head.

Learning.

Something I learned yesterday: If I'm feeling down or depressed, cleaning out and organizing my scraproom and/or scrapping always helps. It just makes me feel so good. And I finished 2 1/2 pages! Woohoo! I had SO much fun doing it... the best part. :D

Pondering.

I drive down Post Road often enough. The health food store is there. The Post Office (surprisingly ;) ) is down there. There are shops, ice cream windows, restaurants, pharmacies, retail stores, etc. It's just your typical "get-anything-there" city street (though RI has so few of them).

And every day that I drive down Post Road, I look over to see the empty space where Blockbuster used to be. I've always wondered what it will be next. Though judging by how long it has been vacant, it still could be a bit longer. After all, it *is* Post Road. Rent is probably expensive. The one thought that usually crosses my mind is: "That would make a great scrapbook store location. I wish somebody would open one there. That would just be neat."

There was nothing that special about yesterday's drive down Post Road. Just another Tuesday. I had gone to TJ Maxx with a friend. She needed new bedsheets. We took along her elderly grandmother and her younger (teen-aged) sister. I will be pushing the irrelevent button now. Who I was with has nothing (that I know of) to do with my story. So we parted, hoping to meet for dinner later on that evening. Leaving them always leaves me with a smile on my face. I have never met a family that makes me feel so happy and welcome.

So... as I was saying, there was nothing particularly special about yesterday's drive down Post Road. Just another Tuesday. I passed the Blockbuster as I always had... thinking, "That would make a great scrapbook store!" And then... it hit me. Hey, I could open a scrapbook store of my own! It doesn't necessarily have to be right there in that space, but that would be a wonderful challenge to open a scrapbook store.

Yes, a lot of work. I already have one skeptic. A friend of mine said she had already written up a business plan for one in our area. She said, "You'd have to sell a lot of buttons." Hmmm... not exactly the mentality *I* have. I consider my daily time at sb.com to be "research" for my business. I've been studying buying habits, likes and dislikes of the clientele. And visiting other scrapbook stores (over an hour away) is just a perk of the "research."

We currently have one scrapbook store in Rhode Island. I'm not impressed by it. There are several in Massachusetts, however, that are fabulous. But the one in Rhode Island? The people are very nice and helpful, but I just feel like the selection is much like our local AC Moore. Not many name brands or things that make it stand out. It's a bit cluttered and difficult to walk through.

I have so much on my mind about this. There are so many ideas I have. Hopes I have. We'll see. I mean, I'm just *thinking* about it. It's something to do. And I think it would be wonderful. Yes, it's a big risk. But I think I would rather take that risk knowing that it's something I'm really passionate about, rather than staying at this job that is just mediocre. That thought makes me feel good inside. Like it's a good idea to pursue a dream. After all, my mom is opening up her first bakery at age 54. That's risk! ;)

I'll keep you posted...