Ms. Fix-It

After a year and a half of living in our first house, I am finally painting the third and final bedroom. Right now, it has the most annoying wallpaper trim around the ceiling. It has sea life on it. It is stuck like gum in my hair. I took down two feet of the border and it took me one hour. This does not bode well for my motivation to get this room finished. However, I am currently researching how to remove wallpaper. I am reading that fabric softener, soap, and water are all very helpful.

I am not going to go after it for about a week because I have the trim to cover. The last bit of trim in my house that is periwinkle. You read that right. Periwinkle. It is now a crisp, clean white. White is a color that will go with any color. I am thinking about making it a very boring color like tan.

Our life has revolved around home improvement projects and they just keep going. I like it. I like doing something and having a result. I am also going to do something that will shock a few people. I am carpeting our stairs and upstairs that have hardwood on them. It isn't like the beautiful hardwood that comes in new homes. My home is over 70 years old and some of the floors look like it. I have also had one fall down steps that resulted in one x-ray to confirm a sprain and not a break. I do not want to risk this again. Good bye, hardwood. Hello, plush.

And So Am I

As much as I love the seriousness of our political system, I also love the fun that is poked at the politicians. This weekend, one my favorite entertainers, Tina Fey, made her triumphant return to Saturday Night Live. She is a hot mess of funny. Satire. It is a little long, but the whole skit is pretty entertaining. Even when she teases about Lindsey Lohan.


Go ahead. Be offended...or laugh.

Midwestern Endorsement: Jelly Belly Sours

Tim and I went to the local CVS to pick up sidewalk ice because we both have a snow day! It is not the kind of snow day that would make us stay home. It wouldn't even be close to a snow day in either Iowa or North Dakota, but you don't see me complaining.

I am getting distracted...

Ever since my holiday trip to California, I have been mildly obsessed with the Jelly Belly Sours. Tim's mom took us to the Jelly Belly factory store where you can dish out your favorite flavors. Without knowing, I had discovered my new favorite candy. I love every flavor of the Jelly Belly Sours except watermelon. I detest anything flavored peach or watermelon, especially candy. My favorite is the strawberry and raspberry. Every once in a while you will get one that is especially tart and it is my version of Heaven.

Sick, right? How can the pain associated with a yummy kind of sour be so fantastic? I don't know, but the Jelly Belly gods do.

Not every store carries the Jelly Belly Sours so when I stumble upon a package, I must buy it. Well, I don't actually stumble upon them. I hunt the candy aisle at every store with a possibility of having such a treasure.

Cold Turkey and More

I was craving a midwestern specialty this week when I made some Chicken Noodle Casserole. It is one of those classic kind of dishes that you bring to people who just had a baby or they have just lost a loved one. We are neither and just wanted some good ol' noodle casserole. Feel free to replicate it.

On another topic, I am considering not watching American Idol. I have given Fox many hours of my life already with this show and if there is ever a time to go cold turkey with this reality show, now is the time. I haven't started watching it yet and was only reminded today by my friend that it was going on. She has coaxed me to watch this evening's women's competition, but I am not sure if my heart is in it anymore. I am more interested in the competition than what the singers do after the competition.

I went to the dentist today for my six-month check-up. It must be written all over my face that I am not from around here because this woman in the waiting room started up a small-talk conversation with me. Within a few sentences, she said, "You're not from around here, are you?" The dental hygienist is my new best friend. She doesn't know it though. She has a husband who is a science professor too. She just spent three years in Kansas where he was doing a post-doctoral appointment. She has lived here for a few months. She was a talker and I left the dentist know a lot about her. She knew that I should floss more.

Fairway and More

I am enjoying my last day in my four day weekend. On Friday, I took the train to New York City to see my friend. We enjoyed some Italian food in Brooklyn and lots of great conversation. Our time continued into Saturday when we went to a grocery store called Fairway.

I realize that most would not get so excited about a grocery store, but Fairway is very special. I am feeling a little jealous of Amy having the Fairway because I wish I had the Fairway. Great cheese and meat counters and yummy bakery too. I enjoyed a cherry danish.

Along with the Fairway, I enjoyed a party game called Balderdash for the first time. This game has been around for a long time, but this was the first time for me. It is all about being creative and guessing the meaning of obscure words. I won't bore you with the game details, but it seems that I will have to invest in this game.

Finally, I will be using my gorgonzola cheese that I bought at the Fairway to make some yummy gorgonzola butter for our steaks this evening.

My Take

I am a day late with my annual Valentines two cents.

As a kindergarten teacher, I love Valentine's Day. We have been making Valentine creations and reading Valentine stories for the past two weeks. I like to focus on the love of our families and friends. As an adult, I do not like Valentine's Day. I think it is kind of a BS holiday. The pressure and commercialism that is pushed down our throats annoys me. If I hear that Zales song one more time...

I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things and I couldn't believe how many people were buying flowers. They had a special station set up at the front of the store for people who wanted to buy flowers and balloons. I am not sure if Tim meant his take out cheesesteaks to be a Valentine's Day present, but I would take a sandwich over flowers any day. I am not judging the people who do give flowers. Flowers are lovely. I am just too practical and I am glad that Tim knows that about me.

The Weekend

I went to my first Villanova basketball game last night with Tim. Villanova beat Seton Hall by two points in the last seconds of the game. It was a great date night out with Tim. Along with having a good time, I was able to add one more thing onto the list of things I just don't get.

1. Why do people scream at the players and coaches when they are in the nose bleed section? They can't hear you. All you do is scare the little kids around you.
2. Why do gas stations right across the street have a significant difference in prices? One was $3.15 and the other was $2.97.

Along with the Villanova game, I have been entertained by In Treatment on HBO. Each episode is a patient meeting with her therapist. Same therapist and different patient each night. Although the show is a lot of talking, it is interesting. You can watch the episodes online, free.

Torn By Tuesday

Super Tuesday left me with a case of democratic schizophrenia. Is anyone else suffering from this? It isn't a terrible malady to suffer. Hillary would win a state and I would be glad. Barack would win a state and I would be glad. It is like I am being offered a piece of pepperoni pizza and a piece of cheese pizza. Both very appealing. I could enjoy both. I wish I could have both. At this point, I do not have to choose. However, the way the pundits put it, it come down to Pennsylvania and I would have to choose.

Let me say this much...my husband has always leaned to the right of center in the world of politics, but even Tim was talking about donating to Obama. That is huge. This entire process makes me proud to be a democrat because we are going to be the party to nominate either a woman or an African-American.

Tales From My Desk

Being a little embarrassed by my last post about the cuteness of Tom Brady, I hope to redeem myself with this post. Not high hopes. My big mission style desk is more than just a place to put my computer. I do everything there. I am one of those terrible people who eat at the computer. Gross, right. I listen to music at the desk. I scrapbook at the desk. I talk on the phone. So, inspired sitting at my desk, I write the happenings of my desk.

Scrappin'
Many of you know that I sacrificed many of my Saturday nights between 1994-1997 to the frozen yogurt gods at my job at TCBY. During that time, I got what is called (by me, not actual doctors) Scooper's Wrist. Swollen from July nights of scooping that gross Cotton Candy ice cream. Well, on Friday night, after hours of scrapbooking, I got what I call (by me, not actual doctors) Scrapper's Shoulder. This occurs when you are going crazy fast cutting and cropping photos and papers. Imagine, in cartoonish style, me at my desk with paper flying all around me as I am in the scrappin' zone! Kind of like Pigpen from Peanuts but instead of dirt, it is paper. It was only after coming down from this scrapbooking high that my shoulder started to ache. It moved up into my neck for about four days! The only thing I can attribute the pain to is scrapbooking. It is a pain that I must endure because you know how I love to scrapbook, readers.

itunes and Mixed Tapes
Every Tuesday, itunes puts up free downloads. Today's download is a goodie. Check out Yael Naim's "Far Far" and We the King's "Check Yes Juliet". The guilty pleasure that I purchased with an ounce of shame was "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne. She just doesn't appeal to me except for this totally ridiculous song.

Favorite lyric...
" You’re so delicious."
Worst lyric...
"She’s like so whatever."

I am working on a Valentine's Day mix. I do not like Valentine's Day for grown-ups. Like we need another excuse to buy, buy, buy. However, I love Valentine's Day for kindergartners. We are using a lot of glitter glue right now at school. So, it is a pretty big step for me to make a mix for Valentine's Day and give it to all of my friends and family. I haven't decided on the theme, but these are a few that I am considering...

- Songs I Love and You Should Love
- Songs That Are Love Songs and We Didn't Know It
- Songs With the Word "Love" in It
- Songs That I Love Right Now At This Moment
- Songs That Old Boyfriends (1989-1995) Used to In Very Cheesy Moments...probably why I broke up with them...Two Words, One Number - Boys II Men

Who wants part of this Midwestern Mixed Tape action?

Super Bowl

I don't like it when the media forces things down my throat. Let's take the Super Bowl. I don't like when the news media, local mostly, makes a big deal about the commercials, a big deal about the Patriots, and a big deal about how I am supposed to be at a party of some kind tonight. No thanks.
I feel the same way about New Years Eve.
Now, all of that being said, that Tom Brady is a looker.