pen to paper

it's that time of year when i begin thinking about the calendar i will use for the coming year. it's a tradition for me to go to the bookstore on jan. 1 and get one for 1/2 price.

i go back on mlk day and get the ones i want for 90% off! then i go crazy. my favorites are the ones with solid bound covers, like textbooks. i get a secret thrill, as if i'm defacing a text book.

i have been using a medium-sized blue sky for the last few years. i have a filofax i use to stick in info that is not relevant at this second. tree guy? he's in there. that kind of thing.

i have bought a small wire-bound planner, out of the the dollar bin. it's pink and black. it will fit in my purse easily. i am going to try it out.

but i might buy the blue sky one anyway. you never know.

the check with the lady liberty is coming. i got a notice to send more documentation for something, my bad. it didn't mention a tax, it just said my refund couldn't be issued until i sent it in. that thing is going in the mail tomorrow. i have to go to the po box, so i will mail it then, as well as something else i need to get in the mail.

i found an attorney and we have to come up with some upfront money so that what we can see if the documents i have is actually what was filed. i will have the money jan. 15 and we are working on an inventory list for damages. they will take the case on a contingency basis, so i am making sure i get every safety pin that was in the house.  i think it will only take a letter from an attorney to get a settlement.

i am still looking for a house. i think i have a line on one near the church. it's got a fsbo and a for rent sign in the yard. the backyard is fenced for the mutt. he's not really a mutt, but just a pedigree with a bad attitude.

disappointment

i got a very sad disappointment today.

i used to have a very horrible relationship in which she used me for whatever could squeeze out of me. she would steal from me even though i would loan her anything i could. she stole my engagement ring from an ex-boyfriend worth $10,000 and sold it for $50. she treated me like someone's easy mark. she never understood the difference from a loan and a gift.

we didn't see each other for a few years. when we reconciled, she admitted she had been diagnosed with bi-polar disease, she was taking effective medication and she apologized for all her pass wrongdoings.

things were okay. for a while.

she asked to borrow a sweater of mine and she is a smoker, so she promised not to smoke in it. this was too years ago. so i asked for it back again last week-end when i saw her. she had it hanging and the neck was all stretched out. it had several huge holes in it. it had a fine coating of dust on it and reeked of cigarette smoke and febreeze, which gives me a headache anyway.

i loaned her a tv for my niece to use. it was not to leave her house. today she told me that it was at my niece's house, one of those places where she would give you a tv for a pack of cigarettes and a 6-pack. then she said her husband was using it in the garage. then she claimed it never worked and she donated it to goodwill. all i know is i am out a tv. it was working when it was unplugged and put in her car. she claimed the tv on her taxes. it wasn't hers to claim.

i had an old honda. since bobo is unemployed, we didn't need it. she financed a hummer last year and she can't afford gas to put in it. i sold it to her for $500 bucks. i even set up a payment plan with her. she broke it the first month by asking to pay only half of a payment. now she's running around telling family members how she "fucked" me over on the car, that it is worth a lot more than i asked for it.

i don't get how someone can be like that and denigrate the people who are trying to help her. i'm done with her.

besides, she hung up on me and i don't tolerate that. i will not be accepting her calls at all.

i can now go back to not having a sister.

i like being an only child better.

i probably will never see the rest of the money for the car. but at least i can put that money down as valuable lesson learned.

pins?

what is the big deal about pinterest?

it must be amazing, it caused my daughter-in-law to try to cook something.

that is nothing short of a miracle. i requested an invite.

i am on a waiting list.

wtf does that mean?

pinterest. pinterest. pinterest. we shall see.

resistamce

i got a call from the bank. very strange. pretty much, she indicated it was the bank's fault but they wish to deal with an attorney, not me.

she then called me from her cellphone and told me how to win the case.

weird. but i am taking her advice. she is sending me some documents.

we shall see.

i don't care anymore. not in the least.

i guess i will go back to counting on the lottery.

i am still waiting on my check with the statue of liberty on it. i called and was told i will have it in 90 days or so.

woo hoo!

i don't feel very christmas-y today.

could ya tell?

christmas limbo

the bank denied my claim last week, providing with a proof of delivery of foreclosure papers.

they are counterfeit.

the local postmaster examined it and gave me a signed statement that the item had never been through the postal service and was filled out wrong in about 7 ways. i have the bank by the ballls.

she seemed very surprised today that i had questioned the validity of the proof. no one has ever done that. she idly asked I wonder how many people this happened to? you can't be the only one."
um, robo-signers. heard of that. prime example.


she said she was going to see what i wanted and how close she could come. i gave her some numbers but told her they were bottom line. if i have to go any further, i will make sure it is a much larger amount. she also asked for an inventory. i told her if i made one, it would take 5 days and waste a lot of her time when she reads it. i explained how i was figuring it- according to our insurance limits" and she agreed it would be much easier. i agreed but offered to inventory everything again. she declined.


in other news, still waiting on the check with the picture of lady liberty on it. it will come in handy.

regardless of these things, i am still going to get a home using the $14,999 satellite grand program and usda to get my mortgage. i would rather pay cash for the house, but i am not going to let a moneymaker like this pass me by. if i have cash, i buy. if i am still waiting, i use the usda. simple

i would like to be able to get a newer used car and new living room furniture. maybe a counter high bar table. those are easy to get in and get out. but i have enough junk to fill the rest of the house. i will be able to have the house of my dreams.

and maybe a new white smart car!

never enough

i didn't buy enough drinks, so i asked my dil to get the 2-12 packs i needed. was that bad?

i invited them over for dinner because we are getting a ham and its easy enough to throw out some bisquits and eggs. maybe some eggos or pancakes if the tiny country store has it.

send in the clowns...

i made my trip to the grocery store today. i needed to buy drinks to take to my aunt's house. i refuse to wait until tomorrow. everybody and their aunt will be running out to buy those few things they forgot, it's going to be a madhouse. so i went today and got what i needed and go out in about 1 minute flat. the drinks are out in the car. i am bringing them in to the refrigerator so they will cold for thanksgiving.

it is so nice not having to cook, but while i am enjoying my clean counter tops and clean dishes and no piles of pots and pans, i do kind of miss the family being busy together. but i console myself with the thought that i have SURFACES for the holidays. yes, all you ab-fab fans, i have SURFACES. i did not purchase them.

i didn't really decorate for thanksgiving. i just used my default flowers and curtains, which are kind of brown-y and fall-ish. it'll pass for thanksgiving.

but i am blowing this bi-otch out for christmas. i am excited for my friend to come see my house and spend time with me. i am getting out all my christmas decorations and floozy up the place. i have the urge to go to the craft store and buy a glue gun and go crazy, hot-gluing things everywhere. but i am going to control myself and wait until after christmas, when it is on clearance! clearance is my favorite holiday.

 

i have this really bad craving for sushi, i will wait until saturday lunch and go to the good sushi place. i can bring a book, then go the back way to my secret parking place at target. there are 4 spaces immediately to the right of the target store, ring along the edge of the building. one is handicapped. they might as well paint my name on that one. by going the back way, i avoid all traffic.i'm just navigating between 3 different shopping centers back lots. but it works for me.

and now for something really thought-provoking:

john lennon said it best.

giving thanks!

i have something big to be thankful for:

i don't have to cook this year. i am going to my aunt's house. all i have to bring are drinks. those are easy enough to conjure up.

no dirty dishes, no sinks full of sorted china and crystal that take forever to wash and dry.

i think i am having a special christmas breakfast. i bought a stand that holds 12 appetizer plates, so i can use those and not have a million dishes to wash. those grandkids love some pork, so here is what the menu is shaping up to be:

1. scrambled eggs
2. a big ass ham
3. bacon
4. sausage links (and maybe patties too)
5. biscuits
6. sausage gravy
7. hashbrown casserole 
8. pancakes or french toast (or maybe eggo waffles but cook them in the oven
9. hot cocoa
10. sweet tea

i have enough time to buy the things i need on sale between now and christmas. the ads are very good at the grocery store at this time of year. i will use my holiday book and write it all down. 

did i ever tell you about the holiday book? it's a big red journal i got at some dirty santa game, but i like it. it's got a red leather cover and about 200 lines pages. i write a menu for each holiday i host and make out the shopping list. i also have a list of ingredients in each dish, so if i want to remove something from the menu, i know what ingredients i don't need to purchase. i also make copies of the recipes and tuck them into the journal. i make paper pockets and label everything. i also make a copy of the recipe to fit an index card and file them in the recipe box. it's a very martha thing to do. 

i also feel being very fancy this chistmas, my gay friend is coming up and i love him to death. so we will drink sweet tea out of my best wal-mart goblets and dine off my pampered chef appetizer plates. we are doing a huge christmas feast of mainly appetizers and a ham. we also have the grub list of places to visit, like the mexican buffet. he's never been. the oriental huge buffet with a big sushi bar.  the good sandwich shop from 30 years ago. 

dang, i'm getting hungry!

the end of a nightmare

i finished my little government project last night.. i called them as i had been instructed to do. i got two of the biggest assholes i have ever spoken to in my life. it seems like the more i make things right, the more they try to ruin my life. i was told to fax them in. sorry, too costly.

i offered to mail them via priority mail, with a tracking number. they said it would take too long for someone to record them as received. again, their problem, not mine.

i offered to take them into the nearest service center-the easiest option and that was when the crap it the fan.

i am not speaking ill of the mentally challenged, but i think this certain government agency hires mainly mental defects.they certainly have no souls.

i was told that even if i bring them in, they would still have 4 months to process them. they could also dip into my bank account or take my disability insurance. there was no way around that. i would need to set up a payment plan that would require me to pay $600 per month. sorry, not happening. not when you consider that when all is said and done, it was their mistake. i actually have a refund due, why should i make payment arrangements on money i don't owe?

i didn't sleep last night. at all.

luckily, i got someone today who actually knew their behind from a hole in the ground. she has put a freeze on collection efforts to give me time to get them the records. i have her name and number so i can call her again once i put the records in their hands, she will continue the freeze on the collection efforts. god bless you, ms. hooks!

she made up for the rude bastard i got last night. all i can say is, i hope a house falls on him. i got the impression that he doesn't have any balls at home, but double balls at work.

the bank is still playing their game of legal review. they missed another deadline and failed to call me yesterday. i was told they are having to get records pulled from various storage facilities because it was several years ago. if you have been following the news, in a lot of cases there are no actual documents to pull. if they had listened to my concerns before all the crap happened, the files would have been easy to access. i had to read part of a letter THEY wrote to me to their representative because she didn't have a copy of their own correspondence. they want me to think they kept up with all the records from years ago? they need to give up the game now. i plan on filing my case with the attorney after jan. 1, regardless of where they are in their little game.

i spoke with a mortgage lender and we discussed purchasing a house. i can start looking at the beginning of the year. i qualify for 2 programs- usda 5% mortgage and $14,999 down payment assistance. for a house comparable to the one i am in now, my house note will be about $250 less per month. the house i am in now is a lease-to-own, meaning i can walk away tomorrow with no consequences. i forfeit my down payment, but i plan on taking my appliances. i have had too many problems with this house to stay  here. did i mention the sewage tank is full of roots because the builder didn't properly clear the land? i won't even go into the incident with the jacuzzi other than to say thank god i didn't turn the jets on while i was in it! i probably would have ended up with some 3rd world country disease. luckily, i have a separate shower.

my hope is that i will get a nice chunk of change from the bank and just buy a house, but i am looking into other options just in case. plus i have time to clear out my junk hoard in the garage. i will be burning up ebay and craigslist, turning junk into moola!

i keep telling myself that it will all be over soon, ending with me being in great favor sitting pretty and smelling like a rose. i pray a lot, probably selfish prayers, but i really identify with job.

i broke my blog!

back in a few days!

crab rangoons with all the goodies!

2 oz. crab meat, or more if you prefer
2 oz. salad shrimp, add more if you like
handful of green onions, chopped with scissors in tiny pieces
1 8z. block of cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. wonton wrappers
paint brush and water

• mix crab, shrimp and green onions, chop into small pieces.
• holding wonton in your palm, put a teasponful of cheese mixture. 
• paint two side sides of the wonton wrapper. fold sides over and seal. be sure you have no air bubbles. the wonton should smoothly form around the filling.air bubbles burst and fill up with grease.
• fry wontons and turn frequently. they should be a light golden brown when done.
• drain thoroughly. enjoy!

red hot jezebel

1 8 oz. block cream
1/2 cup pepper jelly, brought to boil in a skillet- VERY HOT!

pur hot jelly over cream cheese. eat with crackers and fruit. very hot!

halloween confessions

i know, it's a time when you're supposed to be scared. i celebrated halloween in a very special way- i would take off work for 1/2 day and decorate my yard with a lot of vintage halloween decoration i had collected on my thrifting runs. then i would pass out big ole goodies bags- including a toy, i gave away pinochle cards and hand-made seek-a-word puzzles rolled around a tiny golf pencil and tied with orange and black ribbons. it also included a black AND an orange wrapped taffy. then some gum. maybe a sucker.

i would put them in 2 different colored treat bags. so when they would meet at the door, i had them make a choice on the spot- trick? in the bags, or treak in the white bags? i saw terror on their faces as i saw the indecision in their eyes. trick or treat? trick or treat? i had kids come back and try to change, but i had a policy of you live with the choice you made.

what were in the bags were exactly the same, the fun in the bag was wondering what you missed out on. but everybody always got the same thing.

so, trick or treat, it didn't matter.

don't let october pass me by...

i know, someone should beat me with a stick, really hard. i promised to be here more often but i have been been scattered. no other word comes close to describing everything going on.

• i am still finishing up the evil evil main project. once i finish, i get a check with the statue of liberty on it!
• i am working on finalizing financing for a new house in the town i moved from 4 years ago. the only problem is that while i am trying to get financing in place, the house i had my eye on SELLS! so i have to find another home. i have found one that has everything i want: 3 br/2ba, hardwood/tile/carpet in the two small bedrooms only, fenced yard, level lot and a roof line where i could easily have a covered porch added to the back concrete pad. i am purposely not pulling it up on the internet, so the ethereal evil spirits won't see how excited i am about it.
• my mom spent a week here and i can see how much her condition has deteriorated. she was being very argumentative about every little detail and very demanding about things that were unimportant. it's time for my sister to begin thinking about putting her in a home. my sister is being resistant because she claims to need the money for her household to function. whatever.

i have upset about stuff i see in the news, more so than ever before. baby lisa being taken in the night. the bronx baby who overdosed because it was given a bottle of pills to use as a rattle. the 9 year old who was driving her drunken father home. i think i am going through some hormone thing.

i am going out to dinner with my husband, my son, his wife, her mother and father, and her cousin i have a school girl crush on. yeah, a crush. on a big old teddy of a guy who is 6 years younger than me and just as friendly as can be. i hate to admit it, 46 year old women shouldn't have crushes on younger men. but i do. we are celebrating the birthdays of my daughter-in-law and the cousin. if i give him a birthday smooch, i guess i'll have to keep my tongue to myself. haha. i'm not taking any chances, i got him a birthday card and a starbucks card. i'm keeping my hands to myself.

46 year old women also shouldn't spend hours coloring in "hello kitty" coloring books. but i do.

maybe one day i will grow up and be responsible.

i hope not.

fall is falling...

sorry i have been MIA. i am trying up a lot of loose ends from my various evil projects:

• i am expecting a check with the statue of liberty on it! turns out their boo-boo is my windfall!
• i am waiting on a certain bank to send me a settlement offer, leading to...
• i am looking for a new home, one which i will NOT owe a house note on!

my mysterious pain has disappeared. i think the "low-fat, no booze, no beef" diet worked. i am bringing this issue up to my doctor the next time i go. i hope it's nothing. i am no longer bed-bound!

looking for a new house is a fun thing. but i can't get my husband to agree on everything. my only stipulation is that we don't owe anyone a penny on it! it doesn't have to be perfect, since we can do renovations with the funds we are paying the house note with now. i am in a lease-to-purchase deal. i will lose the money i put down, but the guy i am buying the house from has failed repeatedly to fix things. my drive-way is a muddy slip-n-slide. the septic system is malfunctioning- and that's one thing that MUST work! i let him know that if we move i expect my deposit back. he says its not refundable but i reminded him of all the unfixed things we have going on around here. i can always take the appliances which would reimburse me a bit. i told him i would be taking them if we can't resolve things. he make a quick promise to fix them- but that was 3 weeks ago!

i am looking at older homes, homes that have been occupied long enough so the bugs are worked out. the home i lost was brand new and the builder did a crappy job. one of the cable outlets was connected to nothing, just slapped on the drywall and screwed in. we went back to the neighborhood and it is really run down. i told the bank in no uncertain terms i didn't want the house back- i want CASH! i am waiting for them to send their first offer to settle and i'm sure there will be a little back and forth there. i have an attorney on the back burner ready to hope on it at a moment's notice, so i won't be wait too long for an acceptable offer. i don't want the statute of limitations to run out.

i talked about my garden before, but it was so hot and i was sick, so i wasn't able to take care of it. i ended up getting 6 edible tomatoes, i think. back in april, my granddaughter had planted a brandywine tomato plant in the shade and i didn't want to hurt her feeling by moving it. surprisingly, it has 8 eight tomatoes on it right now. the plant is so large i ended up putting a 4 foot wire trellis to support it! i hope they ripen enough for me to get to eat them. it's getting colder, but since we are in the south, maybe the warm weather will hold out long enough to do them some good!

i went swimming the other night at a friend's heated pool. it felt great and i slept like a baby that night. the next morning, however, everything hurt! i guess i need to grow a tail and become a mermaid.

did anyone see the item about starbucks writing an obscenity on a woman's cup in the new york area? if i ever get a starbucks cup handed to me with the word BITCH written on it, you can bet soon they will be calling it leebucks. i don't go to starbucks often, usually just when i have a free gift card i got somewhere. i got a keurig  coffeemaker from ebay, for .01 and free shipping. YES, one shiny penny! it makes delicious coffee, i just wish the k-cups were cheaper. i have found you can use each k-cup twice and the coffee is still good. who needs to drive 23 miles to starbucks when i can walk to the kitchen and get a cup just as delicious for 1/10th the price? if anybody calls me a bitch, i can just hit him in the back of the head with a hammer!

later, gators! i promise to be back here on a regular basis! i'm better and life has gone from black-and-white to brilliant technicolor!

*i apologize there are no photos today- blogger is being a true blue starbucks bitch! i will add them later! please don't give up on me! oh, and i think it's time for a new cake!

how many seasons do we have again?

i am wondering how the weather will play out. we've had lots of weirdo weather- an earthquake in nyc, hurricane irene torturing the eastern seaboard, the mississippi river flooding for the first time in 100 years. bad.

the school of thought is that the hotter the summer is, the colder the winter will be. oh crap! we have had a lot of very hot days, days where bobo and i just laid around in next-to-our-undies and let the ceiling fan cool us off. we had a plant atomizer of water we used to mist ourselves, to get that good breeze going.

at one point in the summer, we had a problem with the a/c, and i had to deal with the asshole a/c guy- he's the one who showed up drunk and claimed to be his own twin brother. yeah, the one who showed up late over an hour and didn't call or apologize. yeah, the one who showed up almost an hour early and spent the time sitting in my driveway on his cell phone. this time he showed up and claimed it was a part not covered by the warranty. uuuummm, the entire a/c unit is still under warranty! but this would cost me $800 and $200 labor. he said it would take 10 days to get the part. no! he ended up cursing me and slamming the door so hard my perfume bottles a room away rattled.

i ended up getting the company to send someone out how could handle a warranty call. it only cost me $125 and it wasn't even the same part that was broken, it was only a $200 part that was covered under the warranty.

might i mention this flaky guy has a jesus fish on his business card? way to go!

anyway, back off the soapbox!

i hope we have a good autumn, more than just a few days here and there where we're not boiling or freezing. when you can wear a hoodie and not be cold or hot. 65 degrees, i guess.

i'm afraid we'll end up losing spring and autumn, and having only 2 seasons, hot and not hot. i should check with the utility company and see if i will have natural gas. otherwise, i need to start saving for propane!

i miss the fall days, walking home from school or going for a walk on the week-ends. jeans and hiking shoes. sweatshirts. thermals. plaid flannel shirts. ok, i miss the autumn fashions i guess! the crisp air and the smell of leaves burning remind me of when my friends would have bonfires at the empty lot, and toast marshmallows and hotdogs while they passed bottles and cans of stolen beer around.

but now i'm older and i miss those days. i miss the seasons, i guess. the seasons will become a myth, an urban legend.

but aren't we supposed to cease to exist on december 21, 2012? oh, well, never mind then. won't be my problem.

censorship

like most of you, i am on facebook. i have a unique "name" that is well-known to people who know me but would meaning nothing to strangers. i have friends and family on there. i can sometimes be a bit bawdy, but i never crossed any major lines and i respected the people on there.

but suddenly, my preacher friended me!

and i accepted!

so i really have to watch what i say now. no one who knows me reads my blog except for one person and she better call me! you know who you are! i kind of liked the anonymity of the web. now my preacher even knows me! no more dirty jokes or snarking replies to stuff.

i gotta be good.

so i may begin using the facebook account linked on the sidebar. if i do, will you be my friend?

dinner

my husband is cooking chicken legs in the oven and i have a bag of salad mix. i've got popsicles and yogurt to eat if i want dessert or a snack later.

this diet sucks, but if it keeps me pain-free, i'll eat it!

i saw "the help" last week-end and i liked it. i think i might like the book better. i kept meaning to read it but never got around to doing it. the movie has a lot of characters and it was hard to keep them straight. i am easier able to follow along if i read the names.

dirty little secret

today i was told someone's dirty little secret.

it wasn't THEIR dirty secret, it was the dirty secret of their pedophile rapist. i explained that to them.

their rapist is someone i know.

someone i never liked anyway.

i feel rage, that someone could do something like that to a little child, even though the rapist was the same age. i want to hurt him.

i want to call up his rich mother and tell her what a little pervert she raised.

add this to my stress already and i am very "on the edge" tonight. i can't concentrate on doing any paperwork. i am going to bust it starting tomorrow.

i promise.

time for a party...

...a pity party! if i come off as a bit whiny, please forgive me and check back later. i'm just going to vent. hope everyone is okay with that...

i have been in constant pain. it is in my pancreas. i played dr. google and discovered that diet can help, so i adopted the low-fat, no beef, and no booze pancreas diet.

i am also trying to avoid overly spicy foods. i may as well give my intestines a little rest.

it has helped. the pancreas pain has decreased but not disappeared.

to be honest, i'm terrified.

i took a diabetes drug that, it has been discovered, will shred your pancreas apart.

i have an appointment with the doctor next week. i explained everything and i'm getting a hefty discount, he may end up charging me nothing at all.

per drs. orders, i have contacted an attorney and i have proof i took the prescription, which was my biggest obstacle in filing an accutane lawsuit. i have that proof and my life insurance policy in a vinyl clear envelope in my nightstand.

i am scared something is really wrong.

patrick swayze died from pancreatic cancer. bobo's cousin died from pancreatic cancer- he was going to the doctor on wednesday and they buried him on a saturday. he never had any symptoms until 5 days before he died.

i am afraid to go to the doctor. i am trying to get things accomplished now, so i don't have to deal with them once i get my diagnosis and have to go through whatever the treatment is....or whatever the treatment isn't.

i am finishing up my evil job of recreating my financial landscape for one certain government agency. i am afraid i have missed a deadline and i spoke to them about it today. i'm screwed. she said they initiate a levy again at anytime. of course, i just have to call and get it extended again, if they reissue it. i am SO CLOSE to finishing the whole darn thing. i keep going back and adding things. right now, i am due a refund, which pisses me off, because they want me to make payment arrangements to keep them from collecting. just give me a few days! please, for the love of god, give me until monday!

end of pity party!

sumo

has anyone heard about the famous/infamous mommy blogger who posted a picture of a couple of her children doing the naked dirty dancing thing? i'm not including the link because i find she is repugnant.

she also linked her blog from a craig's list ad for a garage sale, so she handed out her address to anyone who looked there.

when did it become okay to give out your address to anyone who has a computer?

i really have no words for this.

as a child, my sister and i were called over to a parked car. i stood on my bike and refused. she ran over before i could catch her.

he wanted directions. he had a map.

he had no pants on under his map.

and he asked her because you know what well developed senses of direction 5 year-olds have.

she backed away and he drove off.

i had a flasher once. in the spring of 9th grade. right after the ceremony that wasn't. i told the women in the office and they called the police. i was called out during first period. the rumor was i had brought a pound of pot and it had been found in my locker. they just talked to me. they had already found him. he was the mentally challenged brother of one of my friends. did i want to press charges? no, i couldn't do that to jack. his parents promised to get his brother further help.

in both cases, we were victimized, no matter how slightly.

but i don't think my mother ran nekid fotos or published and address out in the paper.

damn you, internet!

3rd times a charm

okay, bear with me! last post, i promise.

i planted some tomatoes i have been growing on the windowsill. there was a pot outside and the tomato plat there wasn't going to give any more tomatoes. i planted it out back, in case i could get a tomato or two from it being shocked back into production by the move.

so i have 4 more chances to get tomatoes. they are indeterminate, which means they don't require additional propogation and they don't have an assigned season. provided the temperature is right, i should have tomatoes at halloween. i mean, it takes one person to discover something, right?

maybe i will discover, yes, you can have tomatoes on halloween!

winer winner chicken dinner!

i blogged awhile back about a giveaway zaza couture was giving away a few weeks ago.

i won!

the blogger kindly shipped it to my niece's house so i didn't have to remail it. my niece's daughter loves it!

she twirls around in in it until she gets baby-drunk. you remember that, right?

just thought i would let you know i am a winner!

i missed something

i just noticed something.

my beautiful cake in the header is crocheted.

yeah, that would taste might mighty ding-dang-licious.

so i will find a another cake i covet.

the bad part is, it was probably some type of toilet paper roll cover. like i want to look at a delicious cake in the bathroom. that just ain't right.

so say good-bye to the crocheted cake.

i am still embroiled with my many paperwork projects involving secret gubment work and a bank that shall not be named. i am in the escalation department, which is a good thing. this is the office that sends out settlement letters. i would have been bumped by now if i weren't going to get some type of offer. i have been looking at homes in the area i want to move. i found a gorgeous house with a pool within our range (leaving enough money to decorate) and as it happened, my dil asked me to a thirty-one party on the same street. the homes are beautiful.

the yards are freaking tiny.

and all the yards go either straight up or straight down. it looks like they just dug furrows and built huge houses on tiny lots. my neighborhoods in the sims game looks better than this. great.

in other issues requiring a red pen and some hello kitty duct tape, i am making progress. i just get so burned out doing this. i have notes in every folder and i keep adding things for each year as i remember them. i need to call tomorrow and have my deadline extended. 

one day.

i will be concluded with all this paperwork and out from under a sea of figures. and then maybe i'll be able to sleep again.

hopefully i will have some hair left.

i am getting a haircut next week. i think i will post a picture of it.

i wonder if i look like you think i look like?

did anyone realize how hot it is? i mean, really HOT!

ok, it's hot.

so hot, i can think of nothing better than sitting in front of a fan eating a popsicle.

the problem?

by the time i drive 15 miles home from the store, all the popsicles are belted. i meant to get some of those cheapo plastic tubes of liquid you freeze to make po' kids popsicles. i forgot.

so i am making poor kids slurpees by sticking cups of kool-aid or soda in the freezer.

the only thing worse than it being this hot, would be if i were wearing layers of petticoats and pantaloons and a big ass hoop skirt.

for once, i don't envy laura ingalls wilder.

swag!

I’m posting this to enter a contest offered by OxyElite Pro at Nutraplanet at Mamavation! I want to win the Nike Watch! Enter to win here!

picnics in the moon light

i ended up making 2 thing for the picnic:

• a jell-o and frozen fruit granita kind of thing. i was told later i was supposed to enter it in the contest but i screwed up and just stuck it on the table with the food. it was all eaten.
• i opened 2 small cans of collard greens in one side of a divided pyrex dish and put a big can of turnip greens on the other side. it was all eaten. 

they had some great bbq meat which we turned into nachos. plus they had tons of side dishes, homemade ice cream, tons of desserts and ice cold watermelons. we help set up, so we left when the fireworks started and beat the crowd home. i want to join the church but something is holding me back. could it be...satan?!?!?!?

i had one of my favorite dinners tonight: rosemary and olive oil triscuits, sharp cheddar, sweet grape tomatoes and thinly sliced cajun fried turkey. i didn't have to cook. i just had the adult version of lunchables. all i needed was a capri sun and an oreo to complete the meal. i ate on the patio, it was so beautiful and overcast, not sunny, so i didn't haul the umbrella out. we have same patio umbrella 11 years. we only bring it in or out when we are entertaining or having a cook-out. i think i got my $30 worth.

i have a recipe for you, from a friend whose grandmother has been making for it years. i can't wait for my tomatoes to come in good, i'm SO making this savory delicious pie! thanks, SRC!

Grandma's Garden Tomato Pie

1 frozen pie shell

2 medium size tomatoes, cored & diced, chunky

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

salt & pepper

Fresh Basil, 10-15 leaves, torn or cut up (more or less to your personal taste)

Heat oven to 350. Put tomatoes in a colander, salt really well, let drain. It's really important to remove as much water/liquid as possible from the tomatoes. You can squeeze or blot w/a paper towel if you want to. Mix fresh chopped basil in the draining tomatoes & pepper. After tomatoes have been drained, line the bottom of the pie shell. Mix cheeses & mayo together (you can put some basil in that if want to) & spread on top of the tomatoes. Bake for 30 minutes, until crust & top of pie is browned.

if only i were a little girl...

have a little girl who would love a pretty twirly size 4T dress? enter at http://tinyurl.com/3bugn8m

independence

we were originally supposed to eat at church tonight- they always have a fellowship dinner the first sunday of every month. we were going to cook out tomorrow- hotdogs, porch chops, steaks (stuff from the freezer).

the picnic at church has been postponed until tomorrrow evening. then i found the coupon for bogo at logan's steakhouse and i really want to go. so we may have to cook the meat then refreeze it and eat it next week-end.

i need to make something to take to the church picnic. i realized today that all my go-to recipes are oriented to being winter dishes, although i live in the south and it's fall/winter only 4 months of the year. i need to learn to make some wonderful summer dish that travels well.

i usually make something italian and in bulk, like pans of stuffed shells, lasagana, or a crockpot full of pasta de fagiole soup or chili.

which doesn't sound very appetizing in 100 degree weather.

and i will get the reputation as "crazy lee who brought chili to the fourth of july picnic."

so i'm off to wal-mart to cruise the aisles in my special cart, looking for something tasty, summery and easily toted to a picnic.

treated

i have gotten an extension on getting my paperwork into the eye who sees all. i have another month. i have had a hard time making myself sit down and do it. so i took a page from the parenting handbook and ordered a very coveted item from sephora- a nars blush in super orgasm.  i can't use it or even open the box until i mail off the stack of paperwork. that will be my reward, my carrot on the stick. i've really wanted it for a while- i love the color- so i figured if anything will make me it done, this will.

i also took on 1/2 days work doing a resume for a friend. he doesn't have a job and he had mentioned he found a propane tank for a grill when he was moved and had no idea where it came- his house is in forclosure. i need a propane tank for a grill. so we decided to swap. he brought the tank over yesterday and will be bringing me his info for the resume tonight. a resume is pretty easy and won't take me any time to finish. i told him it would be ready monday but i'm hoping i can bang it out in no time, by friday if he gets it here tonight.

my housework is suffering. but i am doing okay. the dishes are done, and bobo aand i have decided to just eat off two plates, 2 bowls and 2 glasses. it makes dish washing time much easier. i've boxed up a bunch of stuff i know i won't need everyday- like thanksgiving crap. i've left some things out, like extra plates in case the kids and kidlets come over. i refuse to eat on paper plates and i feel like my culinary masterpieces deserve something better than paper plates.

i'm kind of doing a slow purge in prep for moving sometime in the next year.i'm having one more yard sale in the fall then all my clutter should be done.

i did have one bright spot. i bought a keurig coffee maker for .01 and free shipping on ebay. it was supposed to be non-working for parts only, and i was going to let bobo work on it. but it works! now i just need to buy some k-cups. i know this doesn't fit in with frugality and decluttering. i only drink coffee once in a while and i figured out i can make it a lot cheaper than starbucks. seriously, i drink maybe a cup a week, so it's not really an issue. i'm going to buy a few types of k-cups and eventually it will all even out.

nothing else is going on. soon i will be over the paperwork and i will be running around cleaning the house wearing beautiful nars blush in super orgasm!

just an old school slacker

at just the time my body breaks, my time runs out. there is no was i will make the deadline. plus add into it the fact that i was shorted 5 days because of the holiday, i'm saying eff it. i can't do it. i did a big portion and i think by tomorrow, i will have the first set due- 5 sets! and then i have to do 3 more. the total together should net me about $5K. i think as long as i show i am making an effort, i'll be okay. we are talking a few days here. i don't owe it, so what's the deal?

i'm just sick of looking at it, so tonight i am slacking. tomorrow i will get up and go buy a beef roast and cook it until it's falling apart. i can make rice and vegetables too. tomorrow while i complete my mid-point of this huge task, dinner will be cooking itself! woo hoo!

i'll be around later, when i get my mess finished.

done

i was going to have a pity party here today, saying i am done with everything. 

but i changed my mind.

i am taking a short break from printing forms from the eye arr ess website. i have a folder for each year, with 2 copies of every form so i will have a copy to keep. i have sorted the stuff they sent me by year. my stupid old boss would be very proud of the care i am taking.

once the packets are finished, i begin the actual math on saturday. i am going to buy a system just for these documents. i am NEVER going through this again (recreating 8 years worth of stuff).

but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. and it's not a train. it's a possible $$$$. yes, $$$$!

gotta go back, their website is working again.

picnics in the moon light

i ended up making 2 things for the picnic:

• a jell-o and frozen fruit granita kind of thing. i was told later i was supposed to enter it in the contest but i screwed up and just stuck it on the table with the food. it was all eaten.
• i opened 2 small cans of collard greens in one side of a divided pyrex dish and put a big can of turnip greens on the other side. it was all eaten. 

they had some great bbq meat which we turned into nachos. plus they had tons of side dishes, homemade ice cream, tons of desserts and ice cold watermelons. we help set up, so we left when the fireworks started and beat the crowd home. i want to join the church but something is holding me back. could it be...satan?!?!?!?

i had one of my favorite dinners tonight: rosemary and olive oil triscuits, sharp cheddar, sweet grape tomatoes and thinly sliced cajun fried turkey. i didn't have to cook. i just had the adult version of lunchables. all i needed was a capri sun and an oreo to complete the meal. i ate on the patio, it was so beautiful and overcast, not sunny, so i didn't haul the umbrella out. we have same patio umbrella 11 years. we only bring it in or out when we are entertaining or having a cook-out. i think i got my $30 worth.

i have a recipe for you, from a friend whose grandmother has been making for it years. i can't wait for my tomatoes to come in good, i'm SO making this savory delicious pie! thanks, SRC!

Grandma's Garden Tomato Pie

1 frozen pie shell

2 medium size tomatoes, cored & diced, chunky

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

salt & pepper

Fresh Basil, 10-15 leaves, torn or cut up (more or less to your personal taste)

Heat oven to 350. Put tomatoes in a colander, salt really well, let drain. It's really important to remove as much water/liquid as possible from the tomatoes. You can squeeze or blot w/a paper towel if you want to. Mix fresh chopped basil in the draining tomatoes & pepper. After tomatoes have been drained, line the bottom of the pie shell. Mix cheeses & mayo together (you can put some basil in that if want to) & spread on top of the tomatoes. Bake for 30 minutes, until crust & top of pie is browned.

update

nothing is happening with me.

i have been praying a lot for those affected by the tornadoes. i am having a big yard sale and after i pay out my friend for what ever she sells, i am donating the proceeds toward recovery efforts. i am also donating what is left to the church that is taking donations down there. the kids have some books and clothes that i am bringing. i have about 15 boxes of stuff from my friend who moved. i have a laundry pile of clothing i have "outgrown" by losing weight, so i can be shed of those. there are a few pieces i am putting on ebay. i think i could get more than a buck for those.

otherwise, everything is a dollar or less. i don't plan on bringing anything home with me.

i will get gift cards that i will give the church to pass on to those who need it. the only reason i am going to all this trouble is to get money that can be used for needed items. plus a $100 gift card takes up less space than a trunkful of household doo-dads.

the next couple of days are going to be busy. i don't want to sell dirty clothes, so i am making sure everything is clean. i have some hangers but i need more. i am selling more of my stuff. i am moving the car out of the garage and just dragging everything out in the middle of the floor before i box it up.

it's not supposed to rain and the yard we are using is shaded. i will get my change thursday at the bank.i have a bank full of quarters, i may use that instead. i could work on collecting $1 bills for the next couple of days.

wish me luck!

Bette Midler - The Rose

here's another of your favorite songs...

the bad letter

i got a letter from an entity that shall remain nameless. it claimed i owed $40K dating from 2002! after my heart stated beatting again, i called the 800 number. after about 40 minutes, she came up with a refund amount of $8K in our favor and gave me explicit instructions as to how to fill out the forms. let's hope it pans out. i know i don't owe any money, as i have someone i trust go behind me and doublecheck my math- my achilles heel!

i am still trudging along with the house stuff and it gets real depressing. i have to file this, wait, get a response, send back my part, wait, get another letter telling me to initial here and mail it to the other end of the united states from where it came. gotta love the government!

i guess i am officially a CRAZY person cuz now i got papers about the house. you know how crazy people always have their papers. i got mine in a big binder with tabs and page protectors and stuff like that. i'm ready to take it to judge judy! yes, your honor, i have that documentation right here.

haunt me

please come see me in my dreams. haunt me if you want to, it's okay. i ain't afraid of no ghost, not even you.

i hope wherever you are, even if its just in the memories of your friends, you are happy.

but i wish you would visit in a dream. i would give anything to see you again. if you could have waited a week, we would have seen each other. one. last. time.

know i love you. please come see me.

bring the lottery numbers, if its not too much trouble.

the end of an era

i just realized that the world as we know it changed today.

oprah won't be there to tell us how to behave and be nice and save money and read books and get bras that are the right size.

however will i live my life without oprah telling me each step to make?

i guess i will have to live the way my grandmother did, flying by the seat of my pants. she was a woman to be admired. she married and divorced a few times while she was young. but she turned it around and broke the cycle. she started a company in the late fifties, sold it for a generous profit in the early sixties and was dead broke by the seventies.

i always thought she was a bit glamourous, in an elizabeth taylor kind of way. caftans and cigarettes. brandy snifters and cigarettes. dick cavett show watching and cigarettes.

she died of lung cancer at the age of 73, about 5 years ago.

that's why i'm an avid non-smoker.

i'm sure oprah would approve, were she still in power.

how will take over for oprah?

should i even try?

the least i can do is tell people to read, regardless of what it is they want to read.

GO READ!

more garden stuff

as soon as i figure it all out, i will post photos on here of the plants i am talking about. technology was always my favorite thing, but lately i have had no desire to learn new things. i have to watch out, that's how you become a shut in!

i have 1 tomato plant in the front floor bed, planted by my granddaughter. i bought 3 more plants today- a big    jet star to put in a pot, and roma and goliath for the topsy turvy. i know, they are probably little more than gimmick, but my friend had one last year that just had a buttload of tomatoes on it. since i already have them, i may as well use them.

i also have red onions to plant. i think i will plant them in the flower bed, in the front yard. not because i am a hillbilly, but my little patch of flowers could use more green! i also have the bottom of a clove of elephant garlic, which hopefully will yield a big head of pungent goodness! i got some at the amish community a while back and it's so good! i chopped up half a clove and put it in a bottle of red wine vinegar along with lots of ground peppercorns, and it made the best salad dressing ever! i don't even miss the olive oil.

i got paid sunday and i feel like i am broke, but i bought $60 worth of frozen meats from angelfood ministries that i will pick up saturday morning. we got a small box of different meats and 10 lbs. of chicken nuggets, which we are splitting and sharing with root's bunch in exchange for half of the 10 lb. bbq pork packet. yum, bbq nachos and bbq pizza!

i need a vacation!

i need a vacation. i need to get away. i may even drive to the amish settlement just because it is so peaceful. i need to recharge.

i am stressed not only because of my friend who died. i have a friend moving away.  i have the daughter-in-law from hell. my husband doesn't have a job and his unemployment is running out. he should be saving his money but he has developed an addiction to getting food from the convenience store. he's gaining weight. i'm losing weight, but it's hard to be around someone eating 5 meals a day, and not eat!

i have a garage full of stuff i have had forever, as well as some stuff i am selling for a friend. i hope i get $50 bajilliony dollars. everything must go. i don't want to have anything to take back home. i want some money.

to be honest, i still want a smart car. a white one please.

strange days ahead

somebody broke blogger.

not me, i swear.

but it's okay, it's back again.

and i will try not to break it again.

i got a camera! for cheap! so you will soon see pictures from my real life, such as it is! does this mean i have to clean up the house?

another monday of tuna fish

i am starting my diet again tomorrow.

very strict.

no fast-food, no sugar, no flour and no seconds. i have been leveled out for about 6 weeks, so i think that's long enough that a new diet will shake up my metabolism. i'm going to do the original weight watchers diet. it was published in 1973, and included the idea for you to photocopy it and hand it out to your friends, to spread the word. it's the only edition that doesn't hold it's cards against its chest.

i plan to make a grocery list and buy groceries tomorrow morning. i will eat a boiled egg before i go. that should hold me and shouldn't break any ww rules. heck, i could probably have a slice of toast too!

i will be on that damned ball again! i hate that thing now. not really, but i;m sick of doing it and it's the only exercise that doesn't make me feel like shit the next day. i do have a copy of the 30-day shred. maybe i should bootcamp myself and cuss myself out daily, to keep my morale high. right, dah?

i will do ww and the ball for 30 days, then i will do the 17 day diet my friend is doing. i hope it's not the royal diet plan, i don't eant to do that thing. very unhealthy.

did anyone watch the wedding of the century? i missed it. i do remember watching lady di's wedding. i also had her haircut. i also line the white of my eyes with blue eye pencil, which she did. look at the photos. i did it too!

i am a princess!

osama bin laden is dead...

and i'm not feeling too great myself.

shout out to the late lewis grizzard!

and that's all i have to say about that.

shout out to forrest gump!

'cuz sometimes life is like a box of chocolates.

happy mother's day!

happy mother's day to all the mothers,

happy sunday to all the others?

tell someone you love them today.

then tell me all about it!

lord willing and the creek don't rise

lots of plans have been changing.

we can't have the yardsale saturday, so we are going to have it june 3-4.

we can't get the ashes because the memphis bridge is going to be closed.

even if we got across the bridge, the road is closed at the first exit.

we will never get the ashes.

i have been going nuts getting ready for these 2 weeks to play out in a nice plan we had finalized.

and god said no.

one day, we will get it all together and it will be a whirlwind spree of ash scattering, inherited items received and a lovely meal to be feasted upon by all.

secretly, my gay friend and i are planning a trip to texas de brazil in october. i am registering with them and giving halloween as the anniversary date, so we get a 2/1 coupon to use. it will be nice to be wined and dined by an attractive man, although he pitches for the other team.

it's spring

i gave my place a make-over.  i like it but i want YOU to let me know if my new site:

• if it hurts your eyes
• blinds you
• hurts your feelings
• give you weird flashbacks
• makes you have seizures
• makes you want to kill, kill, kill
• makes untoward advances

please notify me immediately!

tons of eggs

i got myself in a bit of a pickle. i offered to make deviled eggs for the dinner Sunday. no problem. but i am trying to outdo myself, so i am making eggs with 3 or 4 toppings. the yolk part is all the same, but i am thinking of doing different sprinkles:

• paprika- for wussies- 5 dozen halves
• ranch powder- 12 halves
• corky's bbq spice- 12 halves, if i don't do this, i just add 6 to the ranch and dill
• dill- 12 halves, i know, it is very very martha

i will let you know which went over well. yes, i will count the eggs. that way i will know and have actual numbers to back up my responses. plus izzy has to do a match project and we have to take notes that she will then place on index cards and cover them in pink glitter.

but i have to boil 4 dozens eggs. i am starting tonight, so tomorrow everything will be chilled and i can make the yolk goo. i have the biggest rubbermaid tote that really shallow and it shall hold eggs. i am also taking a nice glass dish if my grandmother's.

so i will be boiling eggs.

for a long time.

hey again

i know i haven't blogged lately. i have a good reason.

my best friend died.

we had been friends since we were 12. god, that's 34 years! we were like sisters. in fact, before my sister got her mental illness/bipolar disorder under control, i called her the sister god forgot to give me.

she died sometime over the week-end, between april 8-10. her homemaker visited with her friday, then found her dead in her bed monday morning. she went peacefully and hopefully didn't suffer.

the only good thing to come out of this is that the person i have known longest on this planet and i have reconnected. we went to nursery school together. he is gay and has been with his husband almost as long as i have been with mine.  i have no problem with him being gay, we have always had a ton of fun together. my friend who died met him through me. they played at dating for a while he worked through some issues.

we did discover that she did some things that now seem a bit distasteful to keep us apart. that's how i lost contact with him. i think she was afraid that somehow he would become ungay and i would end up with him. i don't know. but she did go to great lengths to keep us apart, causing us both to have bad feeling toward each other and drift away. but we worked it out and we are cool again.

we have spent a lot of time on the phone together. we had 20 years of crap to catch up on. i told hm about how i terrorized my last boss. he knows i am not prejudice or anything, so when i say thing things like fairy or froot loop, he just laughs. because that's how he talks too. if you ever wanted a girl friend, he's your guy. i have decided to nickname him rider for my own purposes here.

i have missed my friend. several times i have picked up the phone and started to call her. but she won't answer. because she is dead.

i gave myself last week off of all responsibilities. i cried a lot. but i am better today. i can think of her without bursting into tears. i made a website for people to visit, write their memories and write letters and such. it has some of her favorite music on it. i've spoken with her mom whom i shall call queen and while we haven't actually addressed it, we both know she died of a drug overdose.

her mom has danced around it, but if it had been a heart attack or respiratory failure, her mother would have shouted it from the rooftops. it's just like the pink elephant in the room. we've made tentative plans to get together to scatter my friend's ashes, as well as those of her husband who committed suicide 7 years ago. they will always be together and i know that's the way she wanted it.

it's back to responsibilities this week. i have made a list of things that need to be done: letters to write, laundry to do, housekeeping that must be done before the crew of hoarders shows up at my door. i've spoken before about problems i had with a house i lost to foreclosure and i have a feeling it will be resolved in my favor soon. i'm trying to sort out the garage stuff as well, since our big garage sale is only 2 weeks away.if- and i know it will be- resolved in my favor, i will have things half-ready to move. i even have a house picked out. that's half the battle, right? i've picked out a real estate agent from church. she's someone who got her real estate license right when the market went bust and i feel better knowing that the commissions will go to someone who needs the money, rather than someone just adding more money to the stash in their mattress. she won't have to do much, just get us a showing and do the paperwork. i have a few in reserve, so if it's sold, we go on to number 2. big deal. when we get to number 5 on the list, i lose the pool. big whoop, we just join the ymca, right?

i've made sure that each house is in the right area, has at least 3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms, has a covered outdoor area so i'm not stuck in the house and is on one level. i didn't like a few of the countertops but those can be changed. nothing i can't live with. plus i will have a big surplus of cash each month since i won't have a housenote so i can renovate it as needed.

i'll be here, it just may be spotty until we get this crap worked out. but i'm here and i am okay.

i had the grandbabies yesterday. i put them to work. after church, we took bobo home, then after going to target, we went to lunch and then lowe's where we each picked out a 6 pk. of annuals. i need more, but i didn't want to get more than we could finish in the one day. they put on their playclothes, i got on my gardening togs- a pair of shorts and a ratty t-shirt. they weeded the entire bed of every weed, i transplanted a huge hosta to the middle and i showed them how to lay out the flowers before digging. we got everything in the ground and they were so please of what they did. when their mother picked them up, she was impressed with their efforts. i know what she will make them do next week! i had some iris bulbs in the back corners of the bed anyway which are starting to show some growth and i plan to get some more flowers to fill in. we bought yellow, orange and red yesterday, so i am thinking pink and white to fill in the bare spots. maybe some dusty millers.

then i get to go to work on the trellises. i am going with some scarlet and orange flowering vines, plus moonflowers for nighttime interest.

we've had some space issues with the neighbors. they threw a huge party and i had to listen to rap saturday night as they stood outside and drank their 40 ounce beers. they finished up by midnight or i was going to call the police. then sunday they decided to use my driveway as part of their estate. i do not like being part of a drive-through. if i happens again, i will say something to her. if it keeps on happening, i will have the police over to explain boundaries and noise restrictions to her. if she won't listen to me, maybe a badge will help.

i hope it doesn't come to that. but if it does, she asked for it. they may discover some of her "home-based business" is not quite legal. i know i didn't sign up to sell crack for her, so you can see my concern over her friends using my driveway. i want nothing to do with any of that, even though i don't plan on being here  very much longer. i don't want any mess, especially when i will have some BIG money soon. i don't need that kind of money seized by the state for her monkey business.

what works for me!

i avoid carbs, sugar and second helpings. i watch tv only while i bounce on my balance ball like a hippity hop.

i lost 64 lbs. since january of this year! now i only weigh 199 lbs.

the dark side?

i tried weight watchers, atkins, the grapefruit diet, the 3 day diet, the hotdog/egg/banana diet that gives you atomic farts, slim fast, phen-fen, dexatrim, and every other diet known to man.

i went from 135 to 328 lbs. from 1991-2010. i lost a bit at the end, so i weighed 263 lbs. by january 2011.

i'm going to sit on that ball until i reach 150 lbs!

yeah, this will be me!

Staying on task…

Staying on task…

it's my birthday!

yes, i am 46 years old today! i have gotten some great gifts:

• $50 target card- i have decided to buy a gas grill and will add this to the $50 in rx gift cards i have already.
• $50 gift card to my favorite gift shop- they sell vera bradley and tervis tumblers! my son and his wife cooked us a great dinner sunday night- which is halfway between our birthdays.
• a new vera bradley purse and key ring in the baroque pattern- hubby asked me what pattern i wanted and i gave him the $20 gift card i got from vera bradley for my birthday. kudos to the saleperson who helped him pick it out!
• i have a box of gifts coming from my oldest friend who lives in missouri.
• a flip ultra video camcorder- just wait, i'm going to bore the crap out of you with my stupid videos of my dog!

now, drumroll-

• $646! i won 2nd prize in a weigh loss contest i found on the internet! the buy in was $20. i will be buying a set of tires for my car and probably buy something weird with the rest. i lost over 60 lbs. in the last 12 weeks.
• in direct contradiction to the above entry, my husband is taking me out for sushi tomorrow. we would have gone today, but i have my weight loss class tonight and i want to weigh in skinny! tomorrow, i will stuff my face with sushi!

i really have great friends and family, right? yes, people love me.