What I want...

As the New Year approaches here's what I want... .

1. Safety and health for my friends and family. Specifically, my mom, who is having major surgery on January 21st. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

2. More money and job security. I can't help it... I am always nervous about money and this crappy economy isn't helping at all.

3. Speaking of job security... I've been contemplating a move. I've been thinking of Culinary School... I can get a full degree for under $10,000 (I think). The only problems... how do we live on one salary with daycare and a mortgage? And the expected salary start base is only $23,000. Who can live on that with kids? What to do? I love to cook, I love to cook for people. Hmmm.... any thoughts?

4. Speaking of money... I've been thinking about more kids. I don't think it's possible without more money. Plain and simple. And besides... Weston's perfect. Do we need more?

And What do I want right now?
Right now I want Greek Spaghetti! A friend brought in homemade Baklava this morning. It was delicious (though I'm on sugar overload right now.) But it reminded me of Yanni's (local Greek/Italian restaurant) which reminded me of how every time I'm there I love the food, but what I really want is Anousha's mom's Greek Spaghetti. Trust me, I sound completely insane, but you do not understand the deliciousness that is Greek Spaghetti. This is so fabulous that Jessica Eyskens (one-time Study group member and former Drake Roommate, the former being why we haven't spoken in years) requested this as a graduation gift from Anousha when we went to her party in 1997. She wouldn't let anyone touch it. Not one bite, not even for Ms. Boyd if I remember correctly, and every girl tried to suck up to Ms. Boyd - but that's another story for another time. Greek Spaghetti is a blend of salted spaghetti noodles covered with browned butter (hard to achieve, but I have succeeded thanks to Mary Ann Tahmasebi), and then covered sufficiently with a Greek cheese that has more letters that I know and starts with an "M". I can never remember the name. I bought my last round of cheese for $11 in a convenience store in Greek Town in Chicago last March, about 2 stores left of the Parthenon Restaurant where the Jeff-Goldblum-look-alike owner kept making me slightly dizzy while Shannon, Anousha and I grazed on all things deliciously Greek for 3 hours. One of my favorite days. Hmmmm.... Greek food, the Nerd-Factor and the possibility of Greek Spaghetti all in one day. Aaahhhh!!! (angels singing, I swear. At least in my head.) I made 3 dinners of the wondrous Greek Spaghetti, I even shared with people not in my family. And now, I haven't had any in months. And it's all i want to eat.
So... what I want for the New Year is a name... a name of the Greek cheese I used or a fabulous substitute. Anyone who knows... Anousha, Erika, anyone... I will reward you with anything... Baked goods, cake... if you are closer, I will cook a meal. Just help me find this cheese! Please!

Be safe, be happy, have a happy new year!

Sports and Exercise: Damon Style

So... my Aunt Linda and Uncle Dave, who obviously love us very very much, gave Scott and I a Nintendo Wii for Christmas! I was honestly so shocked that all of the blood rushed to my head and I had a headache from the moment I opened it around 2pm until well after midnight, even with the obvious drugs in my system. A Wii is not something you ask for. I never ask for pricey items. It took over 5 years of asking for my combined family to get me a Kitchenaid stand mixer (which I do not use enough.) I got an iPod Nano from my parents this year only because I mentioned how I was going to pool the birthday money and buy one myself and they were planning on buying Nathan one for Christmas, so they asked if I wanted one. Ummm... hell yes. You pick the color, I just want the iPod. (I received the Royal Purple... very purple, kind of fun.)

Anyway back to the Wii... My Aunt and Uncle thought that with the addition of Weston, we wouldn't (and aren't) going out much anymore. So they thought the Wii could be our new prepaid form of entertainment. And boy was she right! My whole family (ok, not mom, but she and Weston cheered us on from the sidelines) got in on the game! Here's a sample of the fun we had:

My Dad rocked the bowling! He had great form, just look at him. Fabulous. I won the first round and then Dad took the second. Then again, I never got off the chair for the 2nd round since I was playing as my Mom. :)

Aunt Linda was great too. Her and Uncle David and Shannon got so into it, that they had Weston laughing (and snorting!!!) out loud when the shouted and jumped up and down over triumphs or whined in defeat. It was high-larious.

Compared to the rest of the family, Scott, Shannon, and I were pros, having played once before. But we had a great time. And this is honestly how we spent the night of my birthday. Jammies, cake and Wii games. It was awesome. We had Rastrelli's for dinner (I should have had the Seafood Ravioli Alfredo instead of the generic Fried Chicken, but oh well.) And then we came home to games. The only thing that could have been better was for Nathan to be with us, but he was sick with the flu, that he had spread around the house Christmas Day. I was sick by Sunday and Aunt Linda had it by Monday. Thanks, Nathan!

Best new game? Definitely Tiger Woods '09. I do not play golf, and am pretty lame at mini-golf (though I do try), but this was actually fun. And the commentators are hilarious. I wish I could purposely brain one with the golf ball sometimes. Best Commentator Quote, "This is ridiculous. If Tiger doesn't improve, I may as well just leave."

-Enough said.

Coming up...

An Ode to Christmas. Presents, games, Wii Contests and food. Plus a thank you to friends for their wonderful Christmas gifts to Weston. Who took Christmas like a champ.

Here is a preview:

The Power of Homer's Deli

So... while in Clinton for the Christmas holiday, I was supposed to meet 2 of my favorite people for an early lunch on the 24th, Beth (Gansen) Knight and Sue Buelow (soon-to-be-White.) Beth, her husband Alex, and their daughter Bella became trapped in an Ice Storm in Cedar Rapids. (No one can leave CR once they arrive. It's ridiculous.) So, Weston and I met Sue and her fiance Bryan for lunch at Homer's Deli. I love Homer's. I try to eat there every time I go home. Best deli sandwiches anywhere.

Ok... back to point - everyone who knows me or my family well, knows that we can generally "read" people, especially my dad and I. We know when someone is worth knowing or not in about 5-10 minutes. It's just a feeling. I met Bryan White, Sue's fiance around 1220pm on Wednesday the 24th. First impression... I had the urge to hug him. No kidding. Which according to my internal diagnostic basically means that he is a wonderful person for my friend.

And when they visited the family later (yes, I bribed them with fudge for the road) my family really seemed to like Bryan too. So... Thumbs up, Bryan. You are in with the Iowa friends. Now... just make sure to take very good care of our Sue... there are too many people who will not be happy with you if she is unhappy. See you guys in July!!! (Yes, I stole this pic from A Gal Named Sue.)

Another Homer's weirdness... I remember eating there all the time when i was younger or visting during college. I never run into anyone unless they work there... until this week. We saw a lot of people... Andy Grotelueschen and Joe Rogis to name 2... a few more. It was weird and interesting all at the same time. Homer's Deli... Clinton gathering place. I guess that's better than the Lion's Tap (which was actually closed on Christmas Eve!)

My family

I generally live every day on a hour-to-hour or day-to-day basis right now. I am just too tired to do otherwise. But then there are some occasions when fate takes my hand and forces me to stop and appreciate the moment. I've had a few of these lately.

Yesterday, Weston ate rice cereal for the first time. Three times! He sat in a high chair last night and literally ate from a spoon, honestly getting 92% of the cereal into his tummy. He's getting so big! Sometimes he looks like my little baby and I remember how tiny he started out and soft and surreal he used to feel, and there are times he gives me this looks that says, "Mom... I know what you're up to and it is not going to work."

My favorite moments lately... lazy Saturday or Sunday mornings when we bring Weston into our bed and he just laughs at us while standing on us or laying between us letting us make funny faces at him... Saturday night church services when he "sings" during the songs and keeps going after the song is over... early mornings when I go in to get Weston up and he grabs my hand and licks it, then sucks on it... when I move him to the changing table first thing in the morning and he finally figures out that he is awake and gives me the biggest smile ever... when I sing to him (which I do a lot and we all how horrible my voice is) and he just laughs at me, but seems to like it... when my husband loves me enough to get up with Weston and let me sleep.

We got our Christmas pictures in yesterday... a sampling scattered throughout for your enjoyment. Have a wonderful day and enjoy the moments.

Hum a little, Mr. Bones

So... my illustrious and somewhat evasive "Little Sister" Erika (little sister of my best friend who may as well be my sister too) clued me in to the fact that she is blogging. Hum a little, Mr. Bones (aka handkerchiefsandwich at tumbler) is an interesting name... and honestly, it's funny. It's like reading TMZ, but actually understanding what's being said 94% of the time. And there is some insightful commentary on world events as well. Definitely check her out. If no other reason, than to waste time at work. :) Check it out in the sidebar.



I told you she was beautiful didn't I? I stole this off her Facebook page, so it's her fault if she hates the picture.
But honestly, it eerie how much she looks like Kim Kardashian. Done up right, they could be sisters.

Shout Out!

So I recently heard that my friend Anousha has my blog bookmarked on her computer. And that occasionally her sister Erika gets to enjoy reading it with her. So... this is a huge

SHOUT OUT

to Anousha and Erika saying hi!!! I wish you would give me a call once in a while or return a text message so that I know that you are alive and well in the sunny happiness of California. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my lost ones that probably miss the snow.

Anousha with the Bee Gees on Hollywood Blvd when I visited in June 2006.

I don't have any Erika pictures on this computer, but she's gorgeous. She looks like Kim Kardashian, trust me. But you'll just have to settle for a picture of her adorable puppy!

And last, but certainly not least... a SHOUT OUT to my original "girls"
Sue, Anousha, and Beth
even though thousands of miles separate us, I'm grateful for all of you every day.

Nightmare before Christmas... Iowa Style

To the left you see my view of the world today. This is what it looks like from our front windows at work today. And it's 6 degrees outside, and only 61 degrees in our building. So basically it feels almost as cold inside work as it does outside of work. (One of our boilers is broken.)

Now... look at this picture. It's incredibly dreary and depressing. And that's the way it looks outside! Less than 10 days until Christmas (and my birthday) and I want to crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head and nap. Winters like this make me want to hibernate! I think I was a bear in a past life, large and sleepy in the winter. I think we are up to 3 inches as of right now, and it's still falling. It should only snow on the weekends when I have nowhere to go and I can sleep in, all cuddled up with Weston, my cats, and probably Scott. Stay warm and try to drive safe... I'm driving with my most precious cargo this evening!

Merry Almost Christmas!

We had a wonderful Spring-like Saturday with Santa! Weston did wonderful and actually smiled right before his picture was taken. I hope that you all are having a wonderful holiday season and are anticipating Christmas as much as we are. We had a miraculous year and hope that 2009 has as much to offer!

Predictions and Salutations

In the Land of Erin... there will be a Blizzard. Or at the very least a Severe Winter Storm Advisory. We're expecting anywhere from 3-5 inches of snow between 3pm today and 6pm tomorrow night, starting with rain. Which means ice under the snow. I am not very excited. I hate driving in snow. I never know which route to take, all I know is that I need to avoid the highway as much as possible, which leaves 2 possibilities, neither of which are plowed very well. Snow scares me. There is nothing I like better than snow when I am sitting at home with nowhere to go. It's cozy then. But in the middle of the week when i have to go to work, or tomorrow night when I have dinner plans with the Chi Os... it just plain sucks. Enough said, I dislike snow and ice, I don't care how pretty it is.
So... I put up our Christmas decorations yesterday. And I will admit, I took the easy way out. I only put up the 3' Christmas tree from my apartment days. The funny thing is... after placing various small bulb ornaments, I only decorated with snowman ornaments. I figured it was easier to pick a theme than to decide on my favorite ornaments. I think it turned out kind of cute once I placed it on the trunk and decorated with the tree skirt. I also decorated the house with the wreath and various trinkets, and i put a gorgeous tablecloth on our table. It looks lovely, though I still feel somewhat guilty about the small tree. But we will only be home this coming weekend. After that, we're out of town until January 5th. I love family holidays!
I hope you all have a wonderful few weeks until your holidays. Enjoy the candy!

A Clinton Thanksgiving

So, we drove back to Clinton for Thanksgiving. We try to evenly divide up holidays among the families, and Scott's mom used to spend Thanksgiving with her husband's children. This year I felt incredibly guilty since Hugo had passed November 2nd, and we had already committed to Clinton. But Scott's nephew and sister stepped up and had a traditional holiday with Lila. And we called during the day. And Weston sent his Grandma a card with pictures taken 3 days before the big day so she could have a recent look at his gorgeous face. I hope we did ok.

We arrived in Clinton around 11pm. Very late. And I actually stayed awake for most of the ride. Shocking, I know. Weston did awesome, barely waking up at all.

We enjoyed our wonderful dinner about 2 hours late, and Nathan's girlfriend still didn't show. She came later as we were cleaning up and then filled her and her daughter's plates... I'm not so sure about her motives sometime, but that's a different tyrade for a different time. Trust me on this.

I love family holidays. Generally we are all happy to see each other, but as the day wears on and on, emotions come to the surface and everyone takes everything personally. And then we yell, fight and cry. This year... none of that really happened. It was awesome. Some people were kind of touchy, but I actually did my best to hold in my snide comments (that usually run out of my mouth of their own free will) and I think things went ok.

We generally try to watch movies or play dice or hang out... but if we are doing something, then the happiness seems to continue. We usually play dice... basically you roll 6 dice, 1's are 100, 5's are 50, and then 3 of a kind = that number times 100, like three 3s - 300. three ones = 1000, and rolling 1,2,3,4,5,6 on a single roll = 10,000 and the game is over. As long as you roll at least one counter die, then you can continue rolling the remaining dice. My grandparents used to play this, and it's great especially for groups and for talking around a table. I rarely win, and hardly ever lose, but when I do lose, I lose horribly.

So, the point is, we usually play dice. But this time, I brought home a few games... and shockingly, they picked one! My Mom, sister and aunt chose to play Scattergories! And my Dad joined in about 1/2 way through. It was high-larious! I generally play board games with Scott's family (and I usually win) so I am usually rated PG or PG13. Not my family! For the list starting with the letter "P"... name "Something Soft" I put "Plush toy." My adorable, sweet Aunt Linda started giggling and wrote "Penis"!!!! Seriously! Same letter... name "Something played with" I said Puppets, my Dad wrote the same answer as my Aunt Linda's "Something Soft"!!!! What kind of game are these people playing?!?!? I very rarely ever laugh that hard at anything. But this Thanksgiving reminded me of the time that my Dad stopped by for dinner on his way through town. Our power was out and we were grilling and playing board games. We played Cranium Pop5. My dad did a charade of Paris Hilton that would kill you with laughter if you had seen it. It still cracks us up.

I had a wonderful holiday. Weston seemed to enjoy himself. I can't wait for Christmas, I left the games with my parents. And the best part? My birthday is the 26th, I think we will be having Chinese takeout and cake and sparkly bubbly beverages and a family game night! Because it's my party and that's what i want! And my Aunt and Uncle are living with my parents while their new condo is being completed, so it will be like a slumber party!