I'm moving.

I'm moving my blog over to a wordpress site. The new address is: https://frompennsyltucky.wordpress.com/

I'm hoping that my few readers will come along with me, as many things in my life have changed, so I thought it was time to keep up with it all.

See ya there!

Progress!

Things are moving right along on my weight loss journey. I have been sticking to the Weight Watcher's Plan for more than three weeks now, and I'm starting to see quite a bit of progress.

In my closet reside three different sizes of jeans.

1. Jumbo-Ginormous

2. Ginormous

3. Haven't worn since I was 24.

In a strange turn of events, My Jumbo-Ginormous pants are baggy, and my larger-cut versions of the ginormous pants are comfortable. But the most exciting thing of all? The smaller-cut versions of the ginormous size I can actually wear! YES! You see, I haven't worn these pants since I first met Sweetie. That was four years ago.

So, Progress!

But, my ultimate goal would be to wear size "Oh God! When I was 22 I totally wore you!" Which is in this line up:

4. Haven't worn since I was 23

5. Wore for a blip of time and on bloated days when I was 22.

6. Oh God! When I was 22 I totally wore you!

Ahhhhhh, the good ole days. Days when I could walk into a "normal" store and buy clothes that were cute...not feedsacks to cover my "fluffy" body. Also known as the days when I didn't have more than one chin, and my ass looked Goooooooooood. So good in fact, that I used to wear short-shorts...and turn heads in a good way. Days when guys acted like gentlemen toward me, and not as if I was invisible. (That happens a lot now, rarely does a man hold a door open for me when I'm out and about, even if my arms are full of stuff, they will let it swing shut behind them--this is a complete change from my "fairly hot bod" days.)

Point is, I'm well on my way to at the very least, the pants that I haven't worn since I was 24. Go me! The best part of all of this? I haven't even ratcheted up my workouts yet! I'm just doing 30 minutes 3 times per week! Imagine what will happen when I kick it up a notch to working out 5 days a week for an hour!

Visions of new clothes are dancing in my head.

Oh, I forgot to mention that Sweetie promised that when the clothes in my closet were all too big, he would take me shopping and pay for new ones!! Hell Yeah that's incentive! (And don't think I'm not adding bags and shoes to that! I am me after all!)

Oh, yeah, right, it is Fitness Friday, so ya'll wanna know my weight? 227. That's right baby! 10 lbs down!

The Trouble With Labradors.

I know you've all at this point viewed pictures of my two babies, Mojo and Macie. They are my children, or at least the closest I plan on getting to having offspring of my own. They're cute little buggers, but lately Macie had been having a smelly problem. Anyone who has Labradors probably knew this, but I had no idea that Labs are particularly sensitive skin dogs. They are very prone to dry skin and other skin allergies. I had no idea until I couldn't take the smelly gymsock smell that permeated her coat just days after she had been bathed.

Poor dog smelled like a gym locker. Yeesh. I had tried everything I could find. I even went to the pet store and talked with some of the associates. I dropped a lot of money on "fixes" that did not work. At. All. Finally, I was at the end of my rope and Googled smelly lab...yes that is what I googled "smelly lab". At that point I was introduced to the fact that poor Macie wasn't alone in her stinkiness.

I read all of the petowner message boards I was pointed to and got quite the edumakashun about the breed and the skin problems that come with it. Having never owned a Lab in my life, I had no idea these dogs were such sensitive little guys. So, armed with this new information, the fact that Macie had some severe dandruff finally made sense. She wasn't chewing her hair off or anything, but she sure did itch herself a lot, and since I never found a flea on her ever (good flea stuff buyer that I am), I knew that couldn't be why she did it. Everything came together for me while reading the boards...as Oprah would say, it was my "A-ha! Moment".

So, I read on to see what others had done. I kept seeing the same product mentioned over and over. It was one that I had never heard of, and after a quick call to the local pet stores, was surprised to find that they didn't even carry. We had to buy it online, and it didn't come cheap, but it is a total miracle! So, for others out there in my situation, I'm ready to "endorse" an awesome pet shampoo, conditioner, and doggie-coat deodorizer. Seriously, this stuff works or I wouldn't mention it. It's called Nova Pearls, and it is a god-send to us.

This is the shampoo
This is the Conditioner

And this is the deodorizing spray.

This is my happy, not stinky anymore dog.

Well, she sorta cares.

Look how shiny her coat is! She's super-soft now too, it's like her puppy hair never left. And, she smells fan-freaking-tastic! It's been two weeks since her last bath, and there isn't even a hint of the stinky gym socks anymore. It's awesome!

(I am in no way affiliated with this product, they have no clue who the heck I am, and wouldn't care if I ceased to exist.)

Beee-you-tee-fulll Sunrise.

This was the view out of my windshield on my way to work this morning. (Unfortunately you can't see the falling snow very well) The sunrise was beautiful, and once I got past that treeline ahead it was so pink! And all was reflecting off of the snowflakes in the air. Gorgeous! I couldn't get a picture of that though, because I needed both hands to drive. Our road was a rough drive this morning. Happy Weekend everyone!

Fitness Friday

I want to start off by saying that I have gone four days with no junkfood. This hasn't been easy, feels like I should be in "ding-dong rehab". lol. I did work out on Wednesday, and I will work out again today, that's my way of easing into the every day workouts. My biggest complaint right now is that it is so freaking expensive to eat healthy. Seriously. It costs almost twice as much to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Especially in the off-season. I would love to eat the organic versions, because I don't like the idea of ingesting chemicals, but those are even more expensive. I think that is the main reason a lot of people are overweight. When you have an extremely tight budget, especially if you have multiple mouths to feed, healthy food can seem like a luxury. And lets face the facts here, it's not like there are coupons for apples.

One of the things I have been consuming is the GNC Total Lean Lean Shakes. If you follow the weight watchers program, these shakes are three points apiece. They work well for me when I'm in a rush because I throw two scoops and 8 ounces of water into a bottle, shake, and run. I have the Vanilla and the Swiss Chocolate versions at home, but there are more flavors. And, GNC is running their Gold Card promotion right now. They've extended it through January 10th.

Because I am easing back into my exercising, I haven't been doing my Jillian Michaels DVD's just yet. I will start back up on those next week. They are killer. Seriously, if you want to work out, but can't afford a gym membership, these DVD's are the way to go. She has several out right now and they are about $10 each at Walmart. I'm telling you, when you are done with that video you KNOW you were exercising. I spend a lot of time cursing at my TV.

Another few suggestions, Jello sugar-free pudding with a tbsp of sugar-free Cool Whip. This snack is low in WW points, and helps curb the sugar craving.

For the salty fix I recommend Pringles Snack sticks. They are really yummy.

What I like about these snacks is that they are already portioned for you, so it is a no-brainer. No measuring necessary.

Now of course, you don't want to make a habit of eating these all day long, but they are great when you are really craving junk.

Now, my weight for this week is 235. As usual, it is a work in progress, and of course, I indulged over the holidays--including New Years. And lets face it, ham, cookies, and alcohol is no way to lose weight. So, now I'm back to my uphill battle. I'm on the "serious track" right now, so that number WILL be smaller next week.

P.S. I don't have a personal stake in any of the products I have recommended. They have no idea who the hell I am and if me or my blog disappeared next week, they would not bat an eyelash.

Happy 2011!!!!

Happy New Year everybody! I woke up on new year's eve to the following:

That my friends is a ditch on our property. We actually had a huge snow melt, and my entire yard was flooded. Life in the country sure is fun. I'm not kidding when I say I was standing up to my ankles in water, all from the snow melting.

Luckily, along with the melting snow came balmy temperatures. It was 58 degrees on December 30th, in Pennsyltucky! Far out! But, that only lasted a couple days. Now we are back down to freezing temperatures, and it is snowing again. Such is life near Lake Erie.

But, I wanted to take some time to wish you all a very Happy New Year! It's 2011!

Oh, and I'm getting married this year!!!! (Sorry, still a little excited about that.)

Christmas, Finals, Wedding...oh my!

OK, so I know that I didn't do my Fitness Friday post on Friday...I have a very good reason though. Last week was finals week for school...ugh. I detest finals week. It's truly the most awful week of school...aside from midterms of course. They both rank right up there on about the same level. The only difference between the two is that the week of finals is when most projects are due as well. So, I was completely engrossed in "school-world". All of this doesn't mean that I didn't weigh myself though. My new weight is 233. So, I lost a pound. Not bad...but not as good as I was hoping. I will be posting again on Friday, for those following the saga.

Christmas...ugh. I used to love Christmas. But all it has become to me in recent years is two weeks of complete stress. Mike is a Christmas nut. He would never, ever admit it, but he is Clark Griswold at heart. Basically, he is a really annoying nut who carries around lights, extension cords, and timers. Oh, and makes me his very unwilling helper. No matter how many decorations we put outside, he always finds another spot that "needs something". Move on to the indoor decorations. This is my realm--whether I like it or not. Mostly anymore, not. Luckily, as you all know from my earlier post, I was able to scare up some "minions" for the tree that resides in the Family Room. Oh, how I love minions!

I love you my "minions"! I need more! Brothers! Get on this! However, no minions were to be found when I had to put up the tree that I refer to as my "pretty" tree. Behold, the "pretty" tree:

OK, so I am aware that the tree skirt doesn't "go". This tree has been a work in progress, and used to be Blue and Silver, so at that time it did "go". But since the first year, I turned to the colors in the room as inspiration for the tree. And though you cannt tell from this picture, the color palette for that room is autumn tones. "Pretty" tree--check.

Next on the list of "Crap for Christmas" is buying presents. This is not my favorite, and thus, is still not finished. I. Hate. To. Shop. Yes, I realize this is not a normal thing for a chick, but I do not enjoy the crowds, the lack of parking, the helpful salespeople (which is strange since I work in sales), the holiday carols playing over the store intercoms (mocking me), driving in bad weather to spend hours at the mall, nor waiting in line at the cash register. Shopping--not check.

Wrapping--oh, my favorite! It really is. I wrapped all of the presents that Sweetie bought so far (except for what he got me) and thoroughly enjoyed every sweet second of it. Observe: That's not all of 'em, just a small selection. I will be wrapping more as well, the only thing that makes shopping worthwhile.

Next on the list is cookies. Normally, I do about a bajillion different kinds. This year, I am doing three. That's it. If they don't like it then they can bake them. I do not have the time.

On to drama-creator in my life number three...wedding plans. This should not be a problem. I am slowly beginning to understand why the brides on Bridezillas are well, bridezillas. Planning a wedding is really, extremely, exhaustingly stressful. Aside from figuring out all of the logistics, and the money portion of the wedding, I still have to pick out my dress (which I haven't done, because it requires shopping, and worse than that it requires shopping and trying things on...I'm allergic to trying things on. I don't even like to try on shoes.) and I have all of these meetings and appointments that I have to get done now. I mean it, I have to get the bulk of it done now. I am on break from school right now, so my schedule is only half as crazy as normal. For some oddball reason, the vendors for my wedding can't seem to make it to a single scheduled appointment. And frankly I am getting tired of hearing the myriad of reasons why. I do not have time for the drama. My wedding date is not waiting, and I am running out of time. I am pretty patient as it is, but my patience is being pushed to the breaking point. I actually had a meltdown at work today, Bridezilla style.

Seriously...me. I broke down. Freaked. Lost it.

The wedding planner from the venue that I am using cancelled. This isn't the first time. But, right now, we really need to get some of the things that are being done there nailed down, set in stone, finalized. Such as what the hell we are going to be feeding people. I honestly have no time for these delays, so I was really mad. Funny thing is, she cancelled with me over my voicemail. I think she actually asked for my voicemail, because then I couldn't lose it with her.

After my initial meltdown, I happened to get a call from Sweetie, who had gotten a message at home from her off of the answering machine. Boy, I thought I was mad. He was livid. He's the "money-man" by that I mean that he wants numbers right now. Plus, he's sick of all of the cancellations that are going on as well. Especially since he works third (oh, did I mention that chink in the schedule?) and the meetings are hard to come by, and, as I said, this is not the first cancellation. So he was losing it on the phone. The innocent person who had to hear it? That would be me. Like I wasn't mad too! Thanks so much Wedding Planner Lady!

Anyhoo, now I'm home, my blood pressure is starting to return to normal, and I am pulling the last stinkin' batch of freaking cookies out of my oven...

So how's your holiday going?

Merry Christmas.

Fitness Friday

Well, it's Friday, so it is time for my first "Fitness Friday" post. This is going to become a regular thing. Today I'm going to talk about something that sucks the life right out of your healthy eating plan, stress bingeing. Raise your hand if you do this . This is one of the worst habits that I have. I am by nature a nervous person, so I get upset and stressed out really super easy. I don't deal with this by losing it, I deal by eating everything in the immediate vicinity that is not nailed to the floor.

Unfortunately, when it comes to stress eating, vegetables and fruit are out of the question. When stressing out, the only options available are the foods that are "comfort foods". You guys know what they are: doughnuts, cookies, chips, french fries, Big Macs, ice cream, a handful of Hershey's kisses...stuff that tastes like heaven, but later makes you feel like hell. These foods to do absolutely nothing for your energy level.

Handling stress is a real problem for me, and I can get stuck in the rut of grabbing crappy food and scarfing it down. And lately, I've been stressed to the max. That is why when I weighed myself this morning and found that I have gained weight this week and not lost it, I wasn't at all surprised. I was surprised at how much I have gained however. That never ceases to amaze me. I haven't stuck to my plan at all. With Mike back on third shift, evaluations at work, the last week of school, trying to deal with holiday madness, and wedding stuff weighing on my mind daily, I've managed to pack on seven pounds. Yup, seven. 234 this morning. Not good.

So, what does everyone out there in cyber space do to deal with stress? I'm looking for ideas/suggestions here. Don't be shy. You would be helping me deal, and I appreciate any help.

I really wish I was one of those people who had the opposite problem and didn't eat when they stress. This isn't really healthy either, but would be way more helpful in my quest to not look like the Stay Pufft Marshmallow Man at my wedding.

So ideas??? Anyone???? Bueller????

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful...

Who ordered the white stuff???!!!??? It's cold, it's snowy....did I mention, it's cold???? Here in good 'ole Pennsyltucky, you would think that after thirty five years, I would get used to bundling myself up for twenty five minutes to take the dogs out for ten, but, not so much. I would prefer to throw my flip-flops on and have it done. But, we live where there are four seasons, and you take the good with the bad.

I would much prefer it if it would only snow two days before Christmas, and then stop once New Year's Day arrives, but alas, I don't get a voice in the matter. Oh well, it is pretty. Something about a recent snowfall makes the world look clean and new and untouched again. I would be much more enthusiastic about it if I didn't have to give up my four-wheel-drive vehicle because the cost of gas was more than the payment! Now that I'm driving a rollerskate to work, I'm not as excited about snow. (Stupid oil speculators! If I ever run into you, I'm giving you an asswhumpin'!)

Looking outside at the white landscape turns thoughts to Christmas, and all of the stuff that is not done yet for the holiday. As of right now, Mike and I have bought a grand total of one Christmas present (Michelle, I got your back, at least you know you'll be opening something Christmas morning!) Nothing else is done...oh wait, that's right, I hosted Thanksgiving this year at our house. Due to my quick-thinking, I used the "free labor" and put those kiddos to work! The tree in our Family Room is done!

Here's a picture of the kiddos that were used in my "Christmas Sweatshop". Clockwise from Top left is: My nephew Tyler, my great-nephew Isaac, My nephew Tanner, and my great-niece Tola. Cute kids huh? Enough chit-chat! To work with you! No pumpkin pies until that tree is done! (I'm such a meanie!)

Here I am putting hooks on the ornaments. I look thrilled, no? That would be because after searching and searching, I couldn't find the hooks to put the ornaments up with...but because my Mom was Mrs. MacGyver, I didn't let that stop me. I made hooks out of paper clips...there's a hint for Heloise!

So, because I was fashioning hooks out of paperclips, it took a little while for the kids to get the ornaments to put on the tree, so they waited somewhat patiently in line for their turn.

Tola was so funny, she is a definite Christmas Nut, and wanted to hang all of the ornaments up...If I had a nickel for every time I heard "OOOOOh that's pretty! Can I do that one?" I would be on an island in the Caribbean right now instead of in the frozen tundra.

This picture is Tola in heavy negotiations with Tyler for a purple-glitter snowflake. She loved those snowflakes, so I'm going to get some for her for Christmas. Shhhhh! Don't tell her!

My elves, busy at work! They really want some pumpkin pie huh?

Isaac was so funny, you could tell he wanted to be the "cool boy" and not get excited about the pretty ornaments, but when I would unwrap each one his eyes got really big and he got this expression of Wow! Too cute.

Work my minions, woooooork! Bet you didn't know that I had minions, did you?

Ahhh, getting closer. More ornaments than room on the tree...

A lot of Tola's hanging was very low on the tree. I wound up moving them after everyone left. Due to the four-legged children I have.

The finished product. One of the prettiest trees I have ever seen.

I'd like to thank my minions for a job well done! "Can we have pie now Aunt Minnie?"

"Sure, once you get the lights hung up outside!"

"We're going home to have pie Aunt Minnie. Mooooooooooooooom! She's trying to make us put up the outside decorations now! Aren't there child labor laws????"

Well, it was worth a try. I don't have free labor like this often.

I'd like to thank one of my "former minions" my cousin Elizabeth, for taking all of the photos. She's a freshman photography major. And, because she is now nineteen, she's over listening to me when I bark out orders...all good things must come to an end I guess.

But, she did a really good job helping to corral the "staff" and help them get the ornaments on higher branches. Plus, she took some nice candids of the day.

This is Elizabeth, who used to be tiny and wore pigtails and thought I was cool...now, she's grown up and arty and ridiculously smart. (Runs in the family.)

Thanks all of you, because if you hadn't helped, I'd be putting that tree up today. Thanks!

Okay Guys, I realize it's not Friday, but I have put this off long enough...

This was me at Halloween. Well, me, and the girls in the family. The girl in the ginormous Police hat is my Sister-in-Law Raine (married to my brother Jim, and expecting the new addition to my family...right now I'm calling the new addition "the Nugget"). The feisty feline is my Sister-in-Law Nan, my wine-drinking partner (see photo below). The cutie-patootie blondie in back is Alley, my Cousin Billy's girlfriend (she's dressed as Alice--so adorable!) And, the chubbo dressed as Little Red Riding Hood would be me. Don't be saying to yourself "geez, she's really hard on herself." Because, you see, it's the God's. honest. truth. I look like Little Red Riding Hood twenty years after the whole debacle with the Big Bad Wolf, and she's really let herself go...although, she does have some awesome rockin' hair going on. I look like I ate all of the goodies in the basket that was being delivered to Grandma...thrice.

(obviously too much wine here, folks...lol)

What's the point of all of this? Well, obviously it's not because I'm overly proud of myself. Because I used to look like this:

(I was 21 here. The cute blonde is my friend Jennifer)

(Taken the same night. The Guy is one of my old "pool-playing buddies" Tom)

(I was 19 here, That is some hair, huh?)

(Fifteen here)

(Sixteen here)

(This picture serves no other purpose than that it makes me lol. I was so cute and drooly huh?)

Now, to the point of all of this. I said a while ago (yes, I did) that I would start posting my weight on Fridays. I have certainly put this off. I know it's not Friday, and I will start posting a regular "Fitness Friday" post. (I would be happy if my readers, small group that they are, would like to join in. Whatever point you would like it to serve to you is fine. You don't have to post your weight like I'm going to be doing. That's very personal. But if you want to do that too, it would be awesome!) I'm going to reveal just how pudgy and out of shape I am....okay....drumroll please....

227lbs

What, you can't read that???? Okay, yes, I weigh 227 lbs. (Hello world, I now feel completely naked...)

Nobody but me (and one of my BFF's Shanna) knew what it was that I weighed. Not "fo sho". Sweetie's been trying to get it out of me for a long time. He doesn't even know. Good thing he's not a web surfer.

I'm ashamed of how unhealthy I have let myself become. Here is a list of stupid things that cause this:

1. I have a monthly gym membership that I have paid for for going on two years now. I never go.

2. I eat late at night because I have trouble sleeping.

3. If given the extra time, I take a nap rather than exercise.

4. I buy healthy food and it goes to waste because I am too "tired" to fix a salad.

5. I have lost my old habit of vitamins, lots of water, and using the alloted gym time at work (that I get to use on company time--mind you!)

The time for excuses is over. I have a wedding in less than 220 days. I have to get a handle on this SEVERE PROBLEM. And it is a SEVERE PROBLEM.

You may ask yourself "What brought this on, Minnie?" Well, I just finished watching the Biggest Loser Reunion Special. Now, for friends of mine, they know that I love. this. show. BL is awesome. Anyway, I'm watching it and realizing that I weigh as much as the contestants do! I could be on that show! I don't want to be on that show, that would be something I could never ever do. But, I can put myself out there in the world--on my blog--and have a place where I am held accountable for what I have done to myself.

I literally have my engagement picture session on Friday. It will be the LAST TIME I will be that fat. That's the mission. I choose to accept it.

See ya Friday...

Oh, and don't tell anyone what I weigh, OK?

Just Checking In...

This is going to be very quick, as I am getting ready for work, and still have to take my two mongrels outside.

My "giveaway" went over like a lead balloon...lol. But, I don't have a ton of readers, so that's okay. My Sister-in-law Raine is expecting, so I'm going to put the extra Fundoodies in her shower gift. Hopefully, it will be the gift that keeps on giving ;)

I'm going to the gym tonight. A huge (literally) Biggest Loser fan, I am so inspired by watching that I realize it's time to get off my ass and do something about it, fer ruhl.

Anyhoodle, I'll be posting about my weight loss on here, since I need to be accountable to someone other than myself. So, weekly I will be posting my weight. That is very scary, because anyone could read this. But, dammit, I'm gonna do it!

So, Friday, and every Friday, you will see my number...fat jokes optional.

Minnie

I was just thinking about this,

Doo Doo head, Fartknocker, Butthead, Hosebeast...all names my brothers and I used to call one another. We were so mean with the horrible names. My brothers used to call me L.A. (stood for lard ass...nice huh?) so that they could "swear" without being caught. I used to swear at them in Spanish... Once in a while the word faggot would slip out of our little mouths. (I know it's not politically correct, but it was the 80's and kids threw that word back and forth to one another all the time). If that happened we would take in a very deep breath, because we knew if Gram overheard us, we'd have to look it up in the dictionary. She had a very deep hatred of us calling one another that. I can hear her now: "I don't know why you all think you are so cool when you use that word! Look it up! You are just calling one another a bundle of sticks!" And, she was correct. We'd pull the dictionary out (with her standing over our shoulders) and look it up. There it was Faggot: a bundle of sticks.

That page was so wrinkled and worn, we could turn right to it after a while. Like I said, we were mean to one another. We're not anymore though. We've grown to really love and respect each other. I've found that since we've "grown up" my bros are two of the most wonderful, loving men in the world. We've had to hold one another up during some really tough times. I have nieces and nephews because of them. John is the best Dad I know, and Jim will be when the child they are expecting in May is born. Those two little Fartknockers turned into wonderful guys.

Which brings me to why I was thinking about this today. My nephews have gotten to the name-calling stage. They don't call each other butthead, or fartknocker, I swear, those two have a language all their own. Their name of choice? Dooner. Um, I have no idea what it means, but that's what they say. "You're a Dooner!" "You are such a Dooner." "You Dooner."

I asked them once "What the heck does that mean?" They just shrugged their little shoulders and grinned. It was then I knew...this is a replacement curse word. They think they are getting away with something.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree...They're going to be Awesome Men.

Sound the trumpets! I'm givin' sumpthin' away!

Tell your neighbors, tell your friends--read my blog dammit!

This is my very first give away, and it is a cool one, especially if you have a bunch of crumb-snatchin' littles runnin' around the ole homestead. (I've really got to stop the Frontierville-speak, it's a sickness I tell ya!)

A little bit of a backstory here...

I'm an Auntie, but you all know that. What you may or may not have known is that I was also at one time an Elementary/Special Edumakation (he he) major. I love learning about how the rugrats learn, and I only switched majors because I ran out of courses I could take in the evenings. (I work full-time and have adult responsibilities unfortunately, so I couldn't continue my classes, which sucked because I was awesome at that major...4.0 GPA. Then I switched to Marketing. Let's just say I'm reeeeeeally not cut out to be a businesswoman, but I want that stupid piece of paper anyway!)

Anyhoo, my wonderful S.I.L. (Hello Nanners!) was talking with me one day about how she and my Brother (Hey Johnny-boy!) were trying to figure out a new chore system for their house. No kidding guys, the very next day I was on one of the blogs that I lurk often (I'm a lurker, I can admit it, I don't always comment but I do read a lot of blogs) and saw this card game. Long story short, I got on their website and ordered it.

I waited about a week and a half and still hadn't received my little gift for my brother. So, I contacted PayPal, who in turn, contacted the seller at the site. Turns out, the seller was having issues at the time with PayPal not emailing the orders to them in a timely fashion (bad PayPal! very very bad!). She assured me that she would drop my order in the mail that very day. And behold! I received my shipment three days later!

The company involved is called Fundoodies (how cute is that?) and they can be found at http://www.fundoodies.com/ and the girl who handles these orders is THE BEES KNEES man! Because she sent me TWO SETS! One to give to my fam, and one to do whatever with. So, I'm giving it away to ya'll!

This is what it looks like:

Now, this is a game for your kids to teach them how to do chores. It's personalizable for your fam, and has a cool little chart to go with it. I gave my SIL the game over the weekend and she was thrilled. The nephews couldn't wait to give it a try, which of course, is the reason I'm an awesome Auntie--who else could get the kiddos excited about doing work?

So, here are the rules (this is a contest, of course there are rules!):

1.) Please take a gander at the fundoodies website...let's give this wonderful lady some love!

2.) In the comments section of this post, answer this question: "What was your least favorite childhood chore?" (I can't wait to see what gets posted here...)

3.) I will hold the contest open for one week and it will close at 8PM on Friday, October 8, 2011.

4.) I will draw one person's post at random and they will win the giveaway.

4 1/2.) Hey, show me some bloggy love and give me a follow if you get the chance ;) (not necessary to win--I don't want to be accused of bribery).

Ahhhh, Philosophy...

...How useless I find you to be...to be, what is useless??? What is to be??

Um, yeah.

This class is a total waste of my time. Much the same as Algebra was. Never mind the fact that I just got my first test back and it was a 70%...which doesn't make me (overachiever) happy at all. I hate classes where there no black, no white, only shades of gray. Be freakin' specific! Give me the right answer and I'll learn it.

Not only that, but, every time I see the name Socrates, I think of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (So-crates! lol, I'm afraid I'll actually call him that name because that is how I have pronounced it since 1989.)

Of course the most wonderful thing about that class is that the professor is the same age as me...that makes me feel sooooooooo unbelievably old. It doesn't help that the two girls that sit in front of me are high school juniors and I could have given birth to them. Nope, that's definitely not helping. Oh and this is a quote from one of them: "I um, know you are like, older than us, but, um, like how old are you?" My response: "Shut the hell up whippersnapper!" just kidding... "35." Then she says "Duuuuuude, like, I didn't think you were that old, my Mom's only like, a year older than you! I thought you were like 28 or something!" Then I told her to turn around and not speak to me for the rest of her natural life. Just kidding. I did give her the old stink eye though.

Annnnnyway, back to the class...

Tonight's topic was "what is good?" Of course, lots of things popped into my head...coffee, chocolate, tequila, chili-cheese fries, beer, chocolate raspberry cheesecake...but that's apparently not what was meant by the topic. Literally, we talked about what "good" is...I'm still not sure what the answer was, sounded like a bunch of pontificating to me, but Philosophy, I'm finding, is mostly B.S. that was given a name so a bunch of pretentious people could try to out-talk one another.

Seriously, do you know what "wasting my time is?" how about "what spending my money on a ridiculous class that has no bearing on the real world whatsoever is?"

I have never known an hour and a half to tick tick tick by so painfully slowly. Algebra wasn't even that boring. At least in that class, the professor wrote notes so fast that your hands were busy copying, even if you weren't paying any attention.

What a long day...

So today I had to do something that I absolutely detest. I had to go to the funeral home. The worst part about it all was that the viewing was for a very young man who lost a battle with a diseased liver. Such a terrible waste.

No offense to the funeral director, who I love (Hi Mr. Edder! You truly are one of the most wonderful people I know!) but I have been to his "parlor" way too much in the past few years. The young man was a veteran, which also wasn't easy because the local VFW does a prayer service at the viewing and I was just in time (talk about lousy timing) to see it. My problem is not with the VFW (you guys are wonderful men, and I thank God every day for those of you who put themselves in harm's way to keep us free) or with the prayer service (I pray a lot myself) but they are so hard to listen to without crying like a baby. The gentlemen from the VFW were the same that were there for my Dad's funeral, I recognized so many of the faces. One of the hardest parts is watching these men, all at different stages in their life (I'm talking even ones that you can tell struggle to walk), file by the casket and salute the deceased. Even now, writing about it I am tearing up. Talk about love, family, comraderie, and just plain respect. Umkay, I'm moving on. Rest in peace Michael, you deserve it. Say hi to my family please? Tell them I love them.

Aaaaaanyhoo....after that ball of fun, I went to my brother's house with a surprise for my nephews. I had bought them each their very own desk. They were so excited. My poor brother had to assemble them right away because the munchkins couldn't wait to organize their little workspaces (they are so much like me sometimes--including an addiction to stationary supplies--okay, maybe I feed that madness a litte, but I'm their aunt and that's what I do...nuff said.).

I didn't spend a ton of money on the desks (they were $39 at Wallyworld) but they were supercute and should take them clear to college. They are both identical with metal frames and a glass top that is red glass. The kids reallllllllly got a kick out of them, and I got many many many hugs in return, which as any aunt will tell you is why we spoil them! I helped them sort out the office supply stashes I brought for them (what? come on, like I couldn't part with some paperclips and rubber bands?) they took their time loading some notebooks and other personal touches. I also gave them each a glass that belonged to my Grandmother and they put their pens and pencils in them. I love that my little guys totally get how special family things are like that. They were so excited to get something that was Great-Grandma's that those glasses almost outshone their spanking new desks. My brother is really teaching them the respect of things like that and I love it.

I'll post pictures once the littles have had a chance to totally personalize their little spaces. I think it will be way more interesting to see how each "decorates" their area.

I didn't get home tonight until 10PM...poor Sweetie. He's barely seen me at all this week, and I miss him so much (third shift--you suck butt!), and I can tell he misses me. Now that school is in full swing, I am at class after work Monday through Thursday until 7:20, and after my commute home, I don't walk in the door until 8:20. That would be on the days that I don't have errands to run (grocery shopping, you are right up there with third shift...). I'm looking forward to tomorrow though, because I'm going to go see Eclipse. I'm going by myself because anyone who would be interested in watching it has already done so. I'm late to the party on the whole Twilight thing, but I'll bring you up to speed on the mania of reading the "saga" really soon. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to put me in a straight jacket and send me to a rubber room...

Well, it is now 12:30 in the morning, and I do need to get some sleep, so, until next time peeps!

Hello Again.

It has been so long since I've posted anything. I'm sorry, and I promise to never stay gone this long again! Mwuh! I've missed you.

The summer went by in the biggest flash that I'm still checking to make sure that all of my body parts are attached. We had a wonderful summer filled with screeching children in the pool, visits from family, a new car for Michelle, a wedding for Wes & Hailey (congratulations to the beautiful newlyweds), lots of golf (for Mike--my golf clubs were sorely neglected this summer), and me knee-deep in wedding plans for next year.

Oh, and LOTS of hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill.

I promise to fill you in with lots of pictures, stories of newly married friends, impending births, our garden, fireworks, stories about our crazy poochies, and my new love--the Twilight Saga (yes, I've gone to the dark side).

Unfortunately, I have to get ready for work right now, so I must move along and get my crazy puppies outside. I will be back tomorrow for a longer post...and maybe some funny stories about my failed summer dieting attempts.

((((HUGS)))) I promise never to leave you for this long again!

AAAAACK! It's like it's summer or sumpthin!

Okay, these are totally random thoughts in no particular order:

If my dog Mojo does not stop barking, I may have to rethink my stance on animal cruelty.

To the green Pontiac Sunfire that was tailgating the old guy driving the motorcycle today...you are an asshat, you could've caused an accident, and it's drivers like you that make motorcycle people mad at car people...you seriously suck.

To the person who invented french fries...I heart you and want to marry you.

Those of you who are off work tomorrow and have rubbed it in to all of the rest of us...I'm holding up a finger, can we guess which one?

It's freaking hot outside today, like sweat your balls off hot...not that I have balls, but if I did, they would be sweated off and I would have to put them in my golf bag, because that's where I keep Sweetie's balls, and they might like the company.

To the maker of Dell laptops: stop making shiny laptops. I'm sick of wiping the fingerprints off of mine. That is all.

Never, ever eat a french fry out of the deep fryer for less than three seconds...it's not a smart thing to do...donth askth me how I know thith.

I really need to do an actual post with a point, and also, download the pictures from my camera...

I only have one more room in my Pet Poopsie's house on Petville to procure, which is obviously a cry for some serious help.

Seriously, it's freaking hot out...it's like it's summer or sumpthin!

Brontealong....last Jane Eyre Post

I'm late in posting my last Jane Eyre reflections. That may be because I have watched the movie, but have not finished the book. Thing is, my life can get crazy-busy, and free time to do things that are enjoyable is at a premium, and 90% of the time, sleep rules.

So, my last J.E. post will be about the movie rather than the book. Don't get me wrong, the book is great, but time-consuming as it requires a dictionary at times to check what some of the words mean. At times the dictionary doesn't even have the words I'm looking up and I have to google. That is a little much when I may have fifteen minutes to fit something in.

But the movie...sigh....oh man. I (at first) rented it from Blockbuster. I then went on the wagon with the rest of the folks that have fallen in love and bought it. I now fall asleep every single night with Rochester. Sweetie works third shift, so I am alone at night most times and live out in the country, every little noise keeps me from falling asleep. So, the TV has a sleep timer and I've been putting the DVD in and falling asleep watching the movie. Toby is such a dreamy guy! I'm very interested in finding some of his other movies, just to see more. Melissa and Beth were not only right, but have fueled a new obsession in me. One that Sweetie just doesn't get. He shakes his head and wonders what the attraction is. Although romantic, Sweetie just doesn't get into the period movies. I try to explain, but it is futile. I love the ending of the movie. At that point, Jane has found herself and is so much more confident in her skin, and that is so appealing to me. This is how life is. As I get older, I get bolder.

A people-pleaser like myself can see so much of themselves in the character of Jane. She wants to have friends and loved ones. Once she finds them she is exceedingly loyal. Tending to see the good more than the bad in those around her, and forgiving those who have wronged her are more traits that I share. I have such a hard time holding a grudge, as it is so time-consuming and negative. Jane is the same. Things like that get in the way of living. There is so much of life to be lived. Also, Jane wants to have a voice, one that is heard rather than ignored. I can relate to that. This experience so far has opened my eyes to these things and allowed me to reflect more on the way that I live my life. I want to live it fully, and make sure that what I say is direct to the point. I want to love and be loved, because that's what life is about. All of the money in the world may guarantee that you are comfortable, but it will not make sure you are loved.

Ahhhh, Rochester Is Growing On Me.

Last night when I got home from work I checked the mail and found that I had received the first disc of the movie Jane Eyre from my rental company. Of course I had to wait until I had fed Sweetie, then did a few minor chores very quickly so I could settle in to watch. OMG! Totally hate that I must wait for disc two. Mailed the first disc this morning at 6:30 AM in the neighborhood mailbox so that the process would go quicker! The rumors are true, this movie is awesome. Even though I'm about a third of the way through the book, and generally know what the ending will be, patience for the arrival of the second half of this movie is going to be hard to come by. According to my calculations, I will have to wait until Monday to receive it, which means that Dancing with the Stars (current guilty pleasure) will have to be DVR'd so that time is free to watch part two.

So now that I've watch the movie, my impressions are:

1. The guy playing Rochester is hot. Um, in the same hotness category for me as to add him to the list of "he's so dreamy" that includes, but is not limited to...Colin Firth, Sean Bean, Viggo Mortensen, Matthew McConaughey, Neal McDonough, (young)Ben Cross, and Gerard Butler.

2. Something that has always bothered me about books adapted to the screen is that so much is either left out, combined into the plot in a different way, or added to it. Sometimes things like this are okay, but other times, it does nothing to move the story along and leaves questions unanswered.

3. I was born a few centuries after I should have been. I would have loved to have been alive for so many other eras, including the ones involving corsets and full skirts.

4. It would be so much fun to be able to wander through that estate. I love the old castle-like illusion of the manor houses shown in films set in Europe. If I had the money, I would re-do our house to resemble one.

5. I could listen to an English accent all day.

6. I want a dog that looks like Pilot...don't you just want to cuddle him?

I'm seriously considering purchasing this movie. If the second half is as good as the first, I probably will.

I googled the actor who plays Rochester and found out that his mother is in the Harry Potter films (which I have also watched), interesting tidbit. He also played James Bond on the radio. I love checking stuff like that out, you can find out so many interesting things. Ruth Wilson, the girl who plays Jane, is also really pretty in full-on makeup (googled her too. lol). She makes a good Jane.

My First Official Brontealong Post!!! (Do you hear sirens, bells and massive applause?)

I went online yesterday to put the *highly acclaimed* BBC movie Jane Eyre on my queue on Blockbuster.com (disclaimer--I am not advertising this website, though it is the one we use in our house, and they provide fast service, they have no idea about little old me or my itty bitty blog. Ahem, that is all.) I found out rather quickly that there are literally a gajillion versions of this movie. Wondering right now why I've never seen one!

This one is from 1996, or so it says online. Um, the cover makes it look pret-ty steamy! I may rent to compare. Says that Anna Paquin plays the "young Jane" for all of you True Blood fans.

This one is from the eighties and HEL-LO has Timothy Dalton in it--when he was hot aven! Yum...might have to check this one out as well. It's also almost 4 hours long (239 minutes it says).

This here ditty is from the seventies, the decade I was born in. Actually, it is two years older than me...they don't look at all happy do they? I mean I know it's not exactly a comedy, but they look rather pissed off about something. The Rochester in the picture looks like he's doing the good old "smell the fart" acting.

Ah, yes, the 1971 version with George C. Scott. I don't know if I could watch him as Rochester when the visions of him playing Scrooge would never leave my head.

The 1944 version, with ORSON WELLES???? M'kay, may be worth a view! Elizabeth Taylor is in it too, along with Margaret O'Brien--who I love! Ever see Meet Me In St. Louis? One of my favorite Judy Garland films, well Margaret O'Brien plays Tootie. That movie debuted the song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"...but, I digress...

And of course, the 1934 version, which boasts that it is the first adaptation to use sound. And of course, it is a double feature!

So, I put THE movie in my queue...but I have to wait until we watch and return 2012 to get it. Since Sweetie and I have Friday off, that shouldn't be an issue. I should be able to receive it and view by next weekend! Then I'll know what all the buzz is about--hate being out of the loop!

I've begun to read the book. Now, I read this book years ago for school, and of course when you are forced to read something, enjoyment is out the window. Had I picked it up on my own I would have loved it. So far, I wish I had more time to read, because I don't want to put it down. I've fallen asleep reading it two nights in a row. Can't read before bed anymore, puts me right to sleep! The way Bronte paints the picture though is marvelous. When she talks about the chill in the air, I pull the covers closer to myself. When she describes the attitude of Jane's cousins I want to crawl in that book and smack 'em. I know that the book describes the Aunt as "stocky" but I picture her in my head looking like Margaret Hamilton:

It's a compulsion that can't be helped. I feel the same way about the Superintendent of the school. Keep picturing Eliza Jane from Little House on the Prairie.

Okay, so, here's my question, if you were to cast anybody, in any role in your own awesome, mind's eye view of Jane Eyre--who would it be?

Come on, Indulge my craziness!