I Confess

Confession is good for the soul. Isn't that how the saying goes? No, no I'm not Catholic (I was once!) and I'm not advocating confessionals...but have you ever wished you had a place where you could rant and rave, get off your chest and let the whole world (or at least one person) know about your past acts of revenge? Come on! Everyone has something that they've done to another person....everything from the biggest, baddest ruined someone's life (NOT an advocate of that type of revenge) to the teeniest itsy bitsy act of revenge! This blog is a safe place (only because not that many people read it! :) So tell Rachel what your secret revenge is? Did you plot mischief and mayhem against your college roommate for stealing clothes? Did you plot sweet, sweet revenge against your little brother or sister for things that might have done (imagined or real?)? Being the sweet innocent thing that I am (ok, keep the laughter down!) I don't really have acts of revenge that I need to get off my chest. If I had something against another person I just plain tell them and have it out with them! Nothing better than duking it out verbally...I can carry a pretty good argument. Why the morbid thoughts on confessionals? Oh because the new Johnny Depp movie Sweeny Todd is coming out in theaters very, very SOON!!!! visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site and check out all the GREAT things about the movie...and more importantly, about Johnny!!!! And of course (for all you young things who are myspacers) can visit Sweeny Todd on MySpace. So my sister and I are totally excited to see the new Johnny Depp movie as soon as it comes out! I have seen some trailers for it, and I'm not sure that I would want to sit in that barber's chair and confess anything!!!

Good Morning America

Good Morning America is on the road "lighting up your Christmas". Since I don't watch this show on a regular, I'm not totally sure of what they are doing and what they are showing you the viewing audience. And supposedly it is a secret what destination that they are going to each and every day; however, it is all over the radio here that GMA is going to be filming in Leavenworth tomorrow. Yep, that's right, GMA is in our neck of the woods tomorrow. The frighting thing? They are expecting at least 6" or more of snow....that should make life fun driving through the mountains tomorrow!!!

So will someone watch it and let me know! Susana---that is your job...i know you watch those shows in the morning!

Buzz Lightyear Ride

Holly doesn't want to admit it, but I WHOOPED her butt at the Buzz Lightyear ride at Disneyland! This photo is on here for nothing more than for me to brag. I am Space Ranger 2 and see that score above it? That is my score! See that other score, oh yeah, that is Hollys. Can I het a Hoo-Rah!!!!!

From.....

Sun, Sand and surf to....







SNOW....Cold, Cold, Cold snow in less than a week! Yep, that is my car outside tonight getting covered in snow. It went from nothing to a ton of snow in about five minutes....and here I was enjoying the sunny days of Southern California just a week (or so) ago! Oh the trials we must face in life!

Simone, if you read this I was thinking about you when the snow was falling!

Maddy and Mason were way too excited to get out and play just a bit in the snow. Very quickly they were back in the house as it was freezing cold outside....I'm sure they'll get their chance to play in the snow as it snows in Moses Lake quite often in the wintertime!

I'm Back

Man oh man, what a busy weekend...obviously I didn't get back online Friday to tell you all about my shopping! That is because I was out all day, stopped for a quick break...went back to the mall, took a quick nap (very quick) and then went to an appointment with Holly, grabbed a quick sandwich and then went to a movie! WOW...a lot of stuff!

Shopping: Was fantastic! I was very surprised at how well it went...the crowds at the large department stores (even Walmart) were pretty good...lots better than the people at the mall. I got a lot of Christmas shopping done; however, I got tons of stuff for myself! I got a microwave for $25, a $50 portable DVD player, $3.98 toaster, coffee pot and hand mixer, $40 down comforter (queen), $20 flannel sheets, $40 suede jacket (faux)...just incredible deals! I bought a bit more than I thought I was, but it was well worth going out early in the morning. More importantly, it is good to go with a friend so you can tag team shop...we had strategy, cell phones and lots of energy (and nerve)....I had a lot of fun on this my first official Black Friday.

Movie we saw: August Rush! If you are looking for a fantastic, albeit a tearjerker, this is the movie to go see. All the characters did an amazing job, and the kid was outstanding! This is a must see movie...the music in it is amazing as well!

Now, I'm in Moses Lake...just got in an hour or so ago and I start work tomorrow! I will keep you posted

Shopping

Wish me Luck...OR....Call me Crazy....you decide. It is 4:20 am on Black Friday, and I am sitting here waiting for Holly to come pick me up so we can hit the stores at 5am!! Yes, that's right we are going shopping the day after Thanksgiving at 5am!!! I know, I know....are there really deals that are good enough for getting up this early? Well, I have a ton of Christmas gifts I'd like to buy and Walmart has a microwave for $25 and other kitchen gadgets (coffee pot, hand mixer and toaster) for $3.98 a piece. So if I can get my hands on just a few of these I will feel as if I was successfull. I'd say I'd blog about it later, but I might be taking a nap later!

Happy Turkey Day

Happy Turkey Day everyone (well, a day early!) Are there people out there who are going to help the turkeys out and eat ham tomorrow? Me? I am all for the turkey...oh, yumm.....I can't wait for a big ol piece of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberries, and all the other fixins' that go along with Turkey Day! Eat safely..that means don't eat until your pants pop out!

Scared Spitless!

First of all, where does that saying come from? Scared spitless? Hmmm, just a random question for you.

Anywho...The Mist...a new movie about people stuck in a threatening situation and their true nature coming to the front and center is coming out! Are you going to see it? I think it looks interesting....more importantly, it looks real so I feel as if could actually happen in real life. UgH!!!!

So I have been in a threatening situation and the personalities of all us come out very clearly! So the situation wasn't threatening in that someone was trying to kill us, or the plane was crashing or anything like that, but it was definitely scary! When my sister Shannon and I were kids my Mom let us float down the Puyallup River along with a friend of my sisters. So, there we were...three girls (teenagers) on a two man raft. I know how to swim, my sister doesn't and I'm not sure about the other girl! The plan was for us to leave from our back property on the river and float down to the bridge, where my Dad was supposed to pick us up! Good plan...fun...we felt important as we were doing an adult type activity. The little trip started out good....then we spotted a group of guys (probably teenage punks) just up and across the river. So my sister, remember she doesnt' know how to swim and is wearing a life jacket, decided that she didn't want any boys seeing her with a life jacket on so she takes it off. We go a little further...then BAM! We got sucked into some trees that were over hanging on the river bank. We got thrown out...the raft kept on going down river...my sister got stuck on a tree branch (holding on for dear life with blood just pouring down her face)....I remember going underneath a tree face up underneath the water and pushed downstream from my sister...the friend got pushed downstream as well. Needless to say, it was quite a threatening situation...it was threatening my life!!!! Eventually we got ourselves up out of the water and found that we were down the river with no idea on where to go. We started walking through the trees and such trying to get to the main road while thinking that we hope our Dad doesn't see an empty raft float past him. We make it to a road, and start walking down it....here comes my Dad in the pickup...we are soaking wet and my sister is covered in blood...I'm sure he was feeling a bit shaky! How did we deal with the situattion? I cried over and over, "I want my Daddy!!!" I admit I was a big baby....my sister kept yelling at me to shut up...and my sister's friend was no help at all!

Now, you tell me what your threatening situation was and how people reacted. People react in such different ways when faced with threatening situations! Just like the people in the new movie The Mist by Stephen King!

Jennie Garth

Here's a little video snippit of Jennie Garth filming at Disneyland the night we were there! So we were a bit disappointed though that Derek, Jennie's dance partner, wasn't available this night. We suspect it was just a promotional diversion!!! I have to say though, if you have to have a dance replacement, you might as go with someone with the star power of the Big Cheese himself, Mickey Mouse. Although, he would be somewhat of a quiet dance partner, as he never talks!

Sorry, this video doesn't actually have them dancing, just Jennie's entrance on stage and some introductory moments...but hey, we were there and it was pretty cool, cool, cool!!!!

Pictures

Marcie I know you thought those other pictures were just for you...but really, I was thinking of you when these pictures were taken!

We toured through Minnie's house and then through Mickey's house. At the end of Mickey's house there was a line of about 20 people waiting to go into a secret room. Hmm, we thought...where does that room go and why aren't there more people in line?

Well, I be darned....the nice lady was letting groups of about 5-8 into a small dressing room for the star of Disneyland...MICKEY MOUSE! We got to get our pictures done individually and together. It was definitely the best character moment of our trip! Funny thing, we didn't see a whole lot of characters out and about the park the day we were there! Oh well....it's not like I haven't seen most of the characters at some point or other.

MIA

I know I have been MIA for a few days, and believe me the loss of my computer while traveling has been harsh. You want to know what's even harsher? The fact that the higher end hotels (i.e. The Hilton...where we stayed Sunday Night) doesn't have wireless for free; however, places like the Best Western do! I just don't get it!!!

So I got into Puyallup about 7 o'clock tonight...keep in mind that we started our trip back to WA at Noon on Friday! Obviously we took our time....LOTS and LOTS of time. I still don't have wireless connection so I can't get on my computer with all the pictures, but I will try to do that in a few days.

We visited the Santa Monica Pier, Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Holly's good friends Kevin and Deena (who have the absolute most adorable kids ever!!!), a few Starbucks along the way, the Olive Pit in Northern CA and various other stops along the way. We had tons of fun driving, and figured it took us about 80 hours to make it home...that meant lots of random conversations!

Well, I just wanted to let you know I was home! I'll write more later and post pictures...right now I need to head off to bed!

Guess What We Saw?

Our day at Disney was a day of blessing and perfect timing....everywhere we went we just managed to either be the last in line before scheduled maintenance, the first in line for major attractions (Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, etc) and being at Disney when Dancing With the Stars was taping!!!

OMG!! That's right....DWTS star Jennie Garth was appearing LIVE at Disney!! This is earlier in the afternoon when we saw the sign about taping!




And this is Randy, one of the Disney important people who was introducing Jennie...his catch phrase? "Cool, Cool, Cool!" I think I liked him almost better than I did Jennie! :)

Sadly, Jennie's partner Derek was sick yesterday, so she ended up dancing with Mickey.

Watch Monday or Tuesday night and maybe you'll see us in the audience!

Just a Few Friends....

That Holly and I met up with yesterday while cruising around the Happiest Place on Earth....DISNEYLAND!!!

Cruella liked Holly's spotted shirt. Was she thinking of small puppies that she might like to make into um, a coat? We saw Cruella just upon entering the park! Nothing like one of those unexpected character sightings!


When we left she wished us, "A Terrible Day!"

Why, oh, why do the villians and vililannesses get such a bad rap? I personally, think they are magnificent!

After riding Big Thunder Mountain, we snuck around the back way and ran into Woody and Jesse. I think this is the first time in all the years I've been going to Disney that I've run into theses two....I could be wrong...but....

I love these guys. We saw Buzz later in the day but he was done with autographs and pictures...he was just stomping off to the Cast Member area!

Thank You!

I know it is kind of late in the day...

...however, I want to say thank you to all the men and women who currently serve, who have served and who will one day serve our country in the military. Thank you to all the families who have sent loved ones off to war, and a deep heartfelt appreciation to those who served during times of war and strife. My thoughts and prayers are with those families who had loved ones...brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, and friends....go off to war and not make it back home. I pray that you know your soldier died serving his or her country in the most honorable of ways. I know that pat words aren't enough, but I am truly an American who appreciates every single person who puts their life on the line each and every day that I might be able to walk outside my door and not be afraid of someone hiding behind a bush with a gun. That I have the freedom to vote for which candidate I feel is the most responsible for leading my country. That I have the freedom to worship a God whom I have a personal relationship with, not a "god" who tells me that killing myself for my country is my ticket to eternal peace in heaven. Thank you for being our military men and women of honor.

Secondly, I want to thank our President. I know he gets a lot of crap for taking us into war and for keeping our troops overseas; however, do any of us have the nerve to be the final ultimatum for an ENTIRE country? Do we have the guts to be responsible? Do we only speak out negatively and never take action? Do we think we could do a better job? I believe with all that is in me, that God placed George W. Bush in office for "such a time as this", and until his time is up I will support him and the place he has in our country. I challenge you to think about the hard decisions he has to make on a daily basis...decisions that would make some of cringe, make some of us dread going to work and some of us simply break down in discouragement. Think instead of the good decisions he has made and the lives he has touched.

Thank to all the soldiers who are members of the Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard, National Guard (and any others that I missed)...fully enlisted or in the reserves...thank you for your service and dedication. May God Bless you now, keep you safe and blessed in the days and years to come.

Started

So, I submitted my first task for my new term of school. I am on the go...well, not really, just getting started. It feels good to have an assignment done with...now I just wait for it to be graded and see if it passed or if I need to revise it and resubmit it. My current class is "Testing"...basically all the ins and outs of assessment in the classroom. How to assess and how not to assess....how to be non-biased when writing assessments....how to write a rubric for a writing project...etc, etc. I only have a few assignments for this class, but lots of reading...which I've been doing slowly but surely.

The next class is the one I'm not really looking forward to...I don't even remember what it is called, but it has like 15 assignments and they look kinda hard! UGH!!! Remind me again why I decided going back to school was such a good idea????

Tootles....I'm off to work (after lunch).

Printer Cartridge

Are you one of those people who never knows which printer cartridge you need when the ink goes out in your printer? Do you have to open up the printer, dig out the cartridge and write down all the information before taking yourself to Office Depot and finding the right cartridge? Or are you one of those completely anal people who keeps the manual somewhere handy so you know exactly what to buy? Well, let me make it easier for you to find the exact printer cartridge! Cartridge Finder is a website that makes it easy to figure out the right cartridge for over 10,000 different models. What's even better? They also have pricegrabber.com on their site to help you find the merchant with the lowest price! Nifty!

Money

Is it sad that I made almost more money writing three blog posts for Payperpost then I did all day working? In the last three posts that I did made me $55...that's quite a bit of money for just writing three posts! You know you can make this kind of money blogging too! All you need is an active blog that you have been posting to for at least three months and then click the Payperpost link on my side bar and sign up. Once you've been approved then written your first post...you'll get your money in 30 days. I've had $1,780.92 deposited into my Paypal account over the last year, and I have over $100 ready to be deposited over the next 30 days...even more if I take more opportunities. Try it out...it's easy and and hey, it's money!

Chocolate Chip Cookies!

So my family really doesn't have "family" recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. Every once in awhile when I eat something totally delicious at my Grandma's house, then I'll write the recipe down (but shame on me, I usually misplace the recipe or just don't use it....I know, I know, I need to treasure those Grandma recipes because one day she won't be around which means those recipes might not be around either!) Anyways...one "family" recipe that has been passed down is the wonderful Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, which goes like this:

1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated [white] sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups (12-ounce package) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 cup chopped nuts

---

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: PREPARE dough as above. Spread into greased 15"x10" jelly-roll pan. Bake in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack.

FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (>5,200 feet): INCREASE flour to 2 1/2 cups; add 2 teaspoonfuls water with flour; reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookies for 17 to 19 minutes.

One way to make this recipe easier is to use a Hamilton Beach®Mixer or a Hamilton Beach

®Stand Mixer...both of these products will make your life so much easier when mixing together all the ingredients to make these yummy, yummy chocolate chip cookies. These wonderful mixers are the Ford Tough mixers of life...you can mix up to nine dozen cookies at once! That is great when cooking for the holidays! It features a stainless steel locking bowl, more power, more control, quieter operation an d my favorite...a two piece pourer and splatter shield....you can pour into the mixer as it is going and it won't splatter on you! Genius, I say, genius! The Eclectrics® Mixercan be bought in one of these fabulous colors: Sugar (white), Ultra Marine, Apple, Pineapple, Sterling and Licore...I think I'd either chose an apple or a sterling one! These are definitely a must have for any kitchen counter...especially a counter belonging to someone who is thinking about making my world famous Chocolate Chip Cookies!

CMA Awards

Ok...let's revisit the CMA Award show...

...Kellie Pickler was just on singing her latest song. I guess the hoo-rah about this show is that it was written about her mom not being there for her while she was growing up. I know this is a hard thing to deal with...

However, as she was singing, she broke down crying. Come on! You do not cry on national TV while singing a song on an award show. Really...I mean I kind of feel bad for her!

News flash...Brad Paisley just beat out Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban for male entertainer. Guess who was sitting by Keith? His wife...Nicole Kidman...you don't usually see her at events with him. Anyway I just thought you needed a little CMA update...just call me the roving reporter, reporting live from my bedroom in Oceanside, CA!

Tooth Aches

Do you have fillings or caps in your mouth? Well, if you are like me and most of the American population, you DO. If you don't please let me know what you have been doing all your life to have such beautiful teeth and no major problems (not that I can ever achieve that, but maybe my kids can!!!). Seriously though, I have fillings galore...top, bottom and all around. Once, I had one of my fillings fall out....and let me tell you that it hurt. I think what hurt the most was trying to eat and drink while there was no filling in my tooth...UGH!!! Cold liquid going over a tooth that is missing a filling is NOT fun..it is agony!

There is a product though that helps you in situations where you have lost a filling, a crown or a cap...wouldn't that be excellent to have when you lose a filling after doctor's hours? I know I don't want to pay emergency fees for a missing filling. Dentemp OS is a product for temporary dental repair! This product, developed by a dentist, provides fast, temporary relief of pain and discomfort. It is a product that you can find at local retailers and apply at home. There is more than one application in a box...so it is worth your money. Better yet...you can eat on that tooth within thirty minutes of applying it to your tooth! Having this around your home may save you in emergencies when you can't get to a dentist...especially if you are on vacation or during the holidays! Of course, all these products have been tested by the required medical fields and such...so they are safe to use at home!

It would have been nice to have Dentemp OS when I lost my filling and was in agony for a few days before I got into my dentist to have my filling replaced. Plus, just think of the money I would have saved...hmmm!