Too Much Food - Just Enough Wine

Saturday night we had a party for my birthday. Rikki suggested it. She and I cooked up a storm! The theme was wine and cheese :)

I made some South Beach friendly shrimp dip. You use blended up cottage cheese instead of sour cream. It also has cream cheese, peppers and shrimp and a couple of other things. Kurt had veggies to dip in it.We also had Irish blarney cheese, goat cheese mozzarella, gouda and camenbert with crackers and french bread. We made some party ryes with parsley dill spread with ham on top. I made baked crab rangoons and scotcheroos. Brian brought chili, dried beef dip and another dip. We also had some other kind of dip I can' t remember and little smokies. There was also bacon wrapped Asparagus, and bacon cheddar puffs. Rikki was gonna make beer cheese fondue but once we got everything set out she decided against it.

I ordered filled cupcakes which was a crock of sh*t. She didn't fill them she cut them in half and put the filling on sandwich style. I was (and am) p.o.'d. Luckily Rikki made a tartufo. It was an Italian style ice cream cake. She layered Chocolate French Silk and vanilla ice cream with crushed oreos, caramel, and marshmallow cream. The whole thing was encased in chocolate ganache. It was OMG good!

We had 11 people counting us. The last guest left around 12:30 a.m. which is late for us! I shipped the leftovers to the kids and to Kurt's Thanksgiving potluck at work.I love to get out my crystal, depression glass and other pretties and entertain!

Blogger didn't put my pics in the order I wanted and we're leaving and I don't have time to fix it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

That Man has good taste!

My birthday earrings.

Gifts Galore!

Kurt got me the bestest birthday gift ever!

I also got Scene it Seinfeld, a garden rooster, an ipod holder/player thing and a party! I got money from Mom and Dad, my inlaws and Marn to take on my trip. My birthday is still 4 days away!

Quantum of Solace

daniel craig is HOT. and scrumptious! I think he is the best Bond EVER. I like that he is intense. It makes him much more interesting. It's a fun movie!

Things I find funny #2

• In attempting to rescue my strawberry frosted poptart that was sliding off my saucer I spilled milk all over the carpet

Things I find funny #1

• I just used a hotel bottle of lotion on my hands. Turns out it was voluminizing conditioner.

• Nick wants to earn Christmas $. I made a list and put "payment will be determined by quality of work". I get home to find ALL movable furniture in the kitchen and him vacuuming away!

The Skinny

Last Saturday Kurt and I went to the book sale at the library. I bought 2 diet books mainly for new recipes NOT for the diets.
Well, now Kurt is on:

yep....the South Beach Diet. So far he has lost 12# since Sunday. He's being very good about it. I'm being supportive. I'll start it when we get back from the country of carbs and pasta at the beginning of December.

Catching up

Not a lot has been happening around here but I haven't been in the mood to post. Why is it that we either have no invitations or multiple invites on a single evening?

Friday night we went to Okoboji Grill with my parents for my mom's birthday. We and the Steins gave her a Jim Shore ....sculpture? figurine? Anyway, it's the Mayflower one for Thanksgiving. We had a mix up about where we were meeting so it ended up being kind of a long affair. The food was ok (not very hot) and the service was very very slow. Of course, when only half our party was there the server was very attentive.

Saturday we were invited to a surprise birthday party. However, we had already committed to going to the CAAP - Community AIDS Assistance Program - benefit. We try to go every year. CAAP provides AIDS education and other programs as well as supports Hospice. The majority of the money goes to individual assistance for persons living with HIV and AIDS to help with medication, food, housing, and quality of life needs. Brian has been asked to apply to be a board member and he's trying to get me to apply as well.

Table deocrations - jelly bracelets, 80's movies, ring pops, pop rocks etc

The theme was "Rockin' into the 80's" so dress accordingly. Lots of people copped out with concert t-shirts. We dressed up. It was fun. I was disappointed that it didn't seem very 80's over all. The girls mostly did their regular acts. The goal was to raise $15,000. The last I heard we were at just under 14k.

Notice the tight roll jeans and the fingerless lace gloves!

Sunday was spent lounging around. Small chores were done in between naps. I really can't stay out late anymore. Add some gin and tonic to that and I was pretty much a slug all day.

YAY!!!

We're not a red state anymore!!!!!

YAY!!!!

Emotional

8:39 a.m.



I'm watching election coverage. Barack Obama is casting his vote. I find myself tearing up. Please Please please let him win.



They said his grandmother voted absentee ballot before she passed.



I'm hoping her death is a good omen - Imagine the history stories "Barack Obama's grandmother - who raised him - died the day before he was elected President of the United States of America"



Alex called last night. He wanted his dad to take him to the polls. He voted in his first election ever!



I'm off to vote! Make sure you do, too!

Suspected

I'm talking to Rikki about something a while ago and say, "I think I have ADD" in an offhand, joking manner and she replies, "I've thought that for a while." WHAT?? I tell Kurt about it and he says the same thing.

My lack of concentration, how quickly I lose interest in a subject, book, task, conversation. The way my mind races from one topic to another keeping me up at night. I took an online test. I scored very high on the "you should really get that checked out" scale.

Now, I'm trying to decide what to do. I've always said I could be amazing if I ever put my mind to it. Who should I see? A GP? A shrink?

I've already lost interest in it. I got bored reading about it.

Burn After Reading

Kurt and I went to see this movie tonight. It was HILARIOUS!! I'm sure our government is just like that. Brad Pitt was a complete doofus, George Clooney was comedy, and John Malkovich was his usual psycho self.

We highly recommend it!

Wildlife Saturday

Saturday Kurt and I went to hang out with Kevin and Theresa for a while. We half watched the Iowa game, had some beers, and chatted. Afterward we were going to go to see Religious the Bill Maher movie. It was such a pretty day though that we decided to leaf look.

We stopped at a park and they had some elk. It was cool. One of the bulls had half his rack broken off. He and the other (bigger) one started sparring while we were there. It was cool!

So. I have spent the ENTIRE morning scrubbing the kitchen floor Cinderella style on my hands and knees. Gross! I'm shocked the health department n'tcome in here and condemned it. At one point I had to leave and go get more pinesol and another scrubber. I still need to do the bathroom floor, but it's going to have to wait til tomorrow or the next day.

Monday I vacuumed the entire main floor. Why is it that my favorite kind of dog is a hairy one?

I'm working on a cover letter/job application/salary requirement letter for a job with the Alzheimer's Association. I think I would really enjoy it. Kurt and Rikki have been helping me word it just right. I plan on sending it out tonight.

50 years later

We went to Sioux Falls last weekend to visit my husband's parents. One of our main objectives was to scan in old family pictures. We had a lot of fun doing so. We scanned in over 280 images and learned a lot we didn't know.

Audra Kae and Lyle will be having their 50th wedding anniversary in November. I was commenting on pretty her dress was and she says, "do you want to see it?"


I figured it was packed away, but she had it hanging in her bedroom closet.


She said, "I always hoped I'd have a daughter or grand-daughter who would want to wear it." Well, since Christy is the first girl born into the direct descent in 92 years it's not too likely. We did get her to try it on though.

Does it make me a bad step-mother?

That I look forward to the kids being gone on the weekends?

That I don't want to oldest two living with us because of their crappy attitudes and how much strife they cause in my marriage?

That I think if she isn't going to see her kids on the weekends or take any responsibility toward them that she should have her parental rights terminated?

I certainly don't think it does.

Hey Sarah Palin is a great video. Check it out!

Giving Pigs a Bad name

The people I live with (mostly the children)(but Kurt isn't always excluded) are giving pigs a bad name.

They don't wipe off the counters after they spill stuff on them.

They don't scrub spilled food and drink off the table cloth. DISGUSTING. There was food on there from last Monday once I moved the napkin holder.

Or the wipe the crumbs etc onto the floor ~ which is carpeted!

I have lovely cloth tablecloths. I'm afraid to use them. I have a gorgeous oak table. I'm afraid to uncover it. Even using place mats it would get destroyed.

UGH!

People are Beginning to See.....

A little history - I've been friends with Rikki for 7 years. We were roommates for a year half a decade ago. When she moved in with me I asked, "Have you changed your voter registration?" Her frustrating reply was "I'm not registered to vote."

Since then I have hounded and hounded her. I have given her all the examples I can think of as to why she should vote, why not voting is idiotic, and how important it really is to vote.

As this administration has continued to turn back time in women's rights, gay rights, and international diplomacy (Cold War II anyone) she finally registered. She got her girlfriend, Amy to register, too. They've been registered for a few years now.

Now - the two of them plan to move to New York City. It could be as soon as October. I suggested they get absentee ballots in case they got moved and didn't meet the deadlines when they got to New York. Now more than ever we know that every single vote has got to count!

We had lunch yesterday and she told me that they signed up for their absentee ballots! Woo Hoo! Call me shocked! Then she told me she'd convinced her aunt and her grandma to both get absentee ballots! Shocked #2. THEN she told me she talked to someone else about voting and why it is so important to vote. She said, "For the first time I realize how important this election is!"

What has motivated Rikki into action? She was at a wedding this weekend. She and Amy have been together for almost 5 years. Since the last election she has realized she is gay. She is pissed off and has sprung into action because she is being denied her basic human rights. She and Amy are not allowed to get married. Which is ridiculous and sad, but at least it has motivated her to get involved.

Now if others can just see the light as well - women who want to have control over their bodies, families who want to be able to have a place to live and get an eduction, elderly people who want to be able to have food AND medication -

The time is now! Vote!

An Important Message

I came across this on the blog Open Trench a blog I read. The "I" below is Don Cummings a writer in L.A. who grew up on the East Coast.

I received this today from my good friend, Marian. No one knows better than her that it is TIME.

Hi My name is Marian Fontana and I lost my husband Dave Fontana, a firefighter on September 11th, 2001. On that day, (which coincidentally was my 8th wedding anniversary) I not only watched my husband die on television, but I watched the world, country and city change forever. After my husband died, I worked with political leaders including Hillary Clinton to slow down the clean-up at Ground Zero and advocate for the firefighters and the victims families. What helped me through that difficult time, was the profound shift that took place in our country and our world. For the first time in history, "everyone was an American," united in our humanity, collective grief and effort to fight terrorism in our world. For me personally, it made something positive come from the ashes of Dave's death and I was buoyed by seeing the very best of who we are. Why am I telling you this? Because, it has deeply saddened me that the current administration squandered that once in a lifetime opportunity to unite and fight terrorism globally. Because this administration has used 9-11 as an excuse to go into a country that had nothing to do with that day and start an infinite war that has lost more lives than 9-11. Because more women are becoming widows every day. Because I am tired of seeing our country go from united, to divided in a unprecedented display of partisan politics. More than anything, because now, it is happening again. McCain/Palin are using 9/11 to prey on people's deep rooted fear and once again, it is working. On this 7th anniversary, my sadness and grief were deeper than ever. I not only grieved for Dave, my best friend for seventeen years, or for my son who will grow up fatherless, but I grieved for this country and how far we have fallen from that profound moment of unity. I grieved because for the first time in my life, I am losing hope. I am writing this campaign because I will do whatever it takes to help Obama win. We need change because to me, it feels like humanity itself is at stake. Thank you Marian Fontana