Monday, October 31, 2011

happy halloween

In case you couldn't tell, I am a farmer.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Monday Night Football - a sports post

Who is going to win in the game vs. the Steelers and the Spartans?


I guess we'll just have to wait until tomorrow night!!!


I'm so excited I could scream at the television and eat nachos with fake cheese and canned meat smothered all over them.


I need a bud light.


appleseed applesauce - secret recipes

I was told that I might actually hit 5,000 blog views if I posted a recipe.  So I have decided to post a secret family recipe that has been passed down for thousands of generations.


I don't care too much for measuring so I'll just show a picture of the needed ingredients.




Peel apples, slice apples, boil apples with some water to cover apples and cinnamon to taste.  Smash apples.  Add some raw local honey to taste.


Devour.



Someone once told me that appleseeds are poisonous.  There were a couple at the bottom of this serving.  I ate them.


Not really worried.


Happy apple-saucing!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

steam rooms & google searches

Apparently someone came across my blog by doing a google search of steam rooms in Ohio.


I find that incredibly interesting.


Porcupines, hedgehogs and steam rooms.


All in one place folks.



life's little surprises

Sometimes, really great and unexpected things happen.  Sometimes worlds collide and it's beautiful.  I met Lissette and Josue in 2003 in the Dominican Republic.  They were both about 10 years old.  I got to know them and their families well and grew to love them very much. I never would have imagined when I moved back to Michigan four years ago, that today they'd both live just a short drive from my house.  I didn't have to get on a plane to get to Jarabacoa today.  It was brought to me.

We went bowling, we had dinner with my mom, we took goofy pictures, we ate ice cream and we skyped with their families.  It was great and I loved every second of it.

Josué y Lissette, los quiero mucho y estoy bien orgullosa de los dos.  Son bien especiales.  No se cansen de hacer lo bueno y sigan con la determinación de alcanzar a sus sueños.  Nos veremos pronto.  Abrazos.


Thursday, October 27, 2011

5,000!!!

Dear Readers/Random Clickers -


In celebration of reaching the 5,000 mark I treated myself to a haircut.  I probably would have done so today even if I hadn't reached 5,000 blog views.


But who cares?!?!?


No one.


That's my point.


My point is, I have a fresh look and over 5,000 views.




I am convinced that there are only a handful of people who have contributed to the high viewage because they incessantly check it to see if I have any new news to share with them, as opposed to old news.  In addition to the proven fact that people worldwide are highly interested in hedgehogs of course.


It doesn't matter to me how I got here, just that I did.


Thanks for clicking my dear readers.


Love.


P.S.  I can't lie.  This post was premature.  There have only been 4,999 views.  By the time you read it though there will have been 5,000.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

hairs

i'm scheduled for a haircut on thursday but considering how awesome it looks today maybe i should cancel...


in case you were wondering, yes, i am an expert at procrastinating and this is one of the many things i do to distract myself from doing the things that i should have done several days ago...






i looked at my syllabus yesterday and saw that i only need a 74% in the class in order to get credit for my program...


i can do that...


goals...


you gotta have them...

Monday, October 24, 2011

p.s. i love you

So the whole point of my trip to NY was to visit my sister in Saratoga Springs.  Despite all of the parking issues and my car being taken hostage by NYC parking nazis, the trip was quite delightful.


You've seen pictures from NYC and my new hobby, but you've yet to hear about the sister part.


It was quite typical.


I watched her groom a poodle.






We went junking.


We had tea parties.






We did some office work.




We made some calls.






We pissed off an antique dealer for trying on hats and pretending to smoke his pipes.



We drank a lot of coffee and ate good food.


I think I gained about five pounds.


We drove through some colorful mountains and got lost in them.


We snuggled.


It was great.


I love her.

note to self

Next time I should not plan on trip the week before I have an exam, a quiz, a presentation and an 8 page research paper due the day after I return.


8 hours is not enough time to accomplish all of these tasks.


You would be impressed with the goals I have set for myself in the masters degree program.


There is really actually only one:


Just barely good enough to pass each class and graduate.


I think that's a pretty lofty goal.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

new hobbies & success -- the brighter side

In my last post I was eager to return to NYC and not get a $65 parking ticket.  I report with great pride, that I did not get a $65 parking ticket.  Let's not discuss what I got instead.  Word to the wise.  Just park outside the city and don't trust your friend's parking advice when she doesn't even own a car in NYC.

No hard feelings.

Moving on.

Stacey and I decided to take up planking.  We discovered that it really is a great hobby.  We documented our first two attempts.  

Brooklyn Planking

3AM NYC Impound Planking

I assume you can imagine what I got instead of a $65 parking ticket.

"It's better to laugh than cry."
--some lady

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

i heart NYC but not parking tickets

Hello.

Yesterday I was in NYC.  I am on an epic roadtrip with Stacey and Dan.  I dropped them off there and this morning headed up to Saratoga Springs to visit my siiiister for the week.

Here are some maps of the trip.

epic roadtrip part I
Part II
And here is the scenic overlook some place in Pennsylvania or maybe New York.  Some guy let loose a bunch of "racing pigeons."  We asked him where they were going and as if we should already have known, he replied with a thick NYC accent, 

"to New York, bout fifty miles from here.  they're goin' home where they belong."

Duh, stupid travelers.

I've been watching Minnie the poodle get groomed since I got to sister's dog grooming shop.


I'll be returning to NYC where I hope to not get another $65 parking ticket on Saturday.  Stacey and Dan do not yet know that I got said ticket or that they will each be expected to pay 1/3.  So I was looking up in google images "I love NYC" and found this photo.  We'll be meeting up Saturday afternoon to kiss in Central Park.


He looks like a keeper actually, considering his tag line.


See you Saturday Salomoncito.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

windy city brats

I would like to share some memorable dialogue from my beatific weekend in Chicago.  No, I did not take this picture.




___________________________
At the house after we ate lots of food and guacamole...
Michael: Here is a set of keys for you Shelby.
Shelby: Oh, thanks.


The next night...
Michael sees keys on table.
Michael: Oh Shelby you keep those keys so whenever you come you can always get in.
Nika: NOOO!!!  Why does she need our keys?!?!?
Michael: Just let her have them.  I thought it would be nice.  We can make another copy.
Nika: NOO!!! It's our spare set.
Shelby: That was a very nice gesture Michael but I don't think I need a set of keys to your house.


__________________________


Walking home from the train station...
Nika says something bratty...
Shelby stomps down the stairs...
Michael says,


"Nika, I can't believe you.  Look, you made the nicest girl in all of America mad.  She's stomping down the stairs!"
_______________________________


Getting up in the morning...
Me (in a sweet precious voice): "Nika...Nika...Nika..."
Nika: "WHAAAAA?!?!?!"
Me: "Come out I'm leaving soon."
Nika walking out of her room sneezing and sniffing and coughing: "What God awful disease did you bring with you Shelby?"
Me: "I didn't make you sick but now I have dog hair all over me."
Nika: "Serves you right."




Then Nika got mad at me because I didn't know how to get to the train station.  


I think she hit me at one point.


Then I hugged her.


She was a little resistant.


Then we said good-bye and she said something snotty, so I pulled her hair.


Then Michael said,


"I think I'm going to trade you in for Shelby.  She's not so bratty."


_____________________


It was a really great weekend.


I love them.


I google imaged "I love Chicago."  This is what I found.  So on my next trip we are going to meet up and kiss all afternoon in front of the giant bean.  Don't worry we'll take pictures.


To be continued.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

utterly confused

I really really just don't understand why the people that made medicine created an allergy medicine that doesn't relieve congestion.  Isn't that the part of the allergies that most makes you feel like your life might come to an end?


That is what I look like just before sneezing or as I gasp for what seems may be my last and final breath.  


For the love of God when is hell (michigan) going to freeze over?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!



Someone told me that I'd never find a husband if I didn't get a hold on this.  This time of year I apparently am anything but attractive.

Oh well.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

why I attract creepy weirdos

A conversation Mandy and I had about men...

Me: "I don't get why I only attract creepy weirdos."

Mandy: "Because you treat them like people.  They aren't used to that so they think you are attracted to them."

Hmmm....


I kind of want to stitch this into a pillow.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

mañana

Ok so let's face it.  I can't stand not working.  I'm getting bored and feeling lazy.  I watched two episodes of Mad Men today and all I can think about is all of those messed up relationships and all of the scandals and the affairs.  It's disgusting.  I went running and I just kept wondering who Don was going to sleep with next and if Pete ever finds out that Peggy had his baby.


SICK!!!!!!


What the hell is wrong with me?


So I've decided that even though I don't have to, I'm going to work at least 15 hours per week.  Flowers, babysitting, catering, whatever.


And I'm going to make some lists of things that need to get done around here and quit saying "mañana" whenever I think about all of the things that could be done... because it's depressing me.


Maybe if I write them here I'll feel like I have to get them done since everyone in the blogoshere knows about them.


Accountability.


List:
- write a letter I should have written about 8 months ago
- clean out attic
- get rid of all of that stupid paint in the basement
- clean the basement
- tear down that stupid disintegrating wall in the basement
- sweep the steps
- wash the rugs
- weed
- mow the lawn before it reaches my waste
- write that thank you note
- make 30 pairs of mittens
______________________________


ok.  I'll start with that.  I don't want to get too ambitious.

missing car parts... genetics

The other day I drove to Mason to get my brakes fixed.  My dad is my mechanic so I met him at his house and then we took the car across the street to the garage.  When we talked about fixing my brakes he said he could show me how to do it and I could do it myself.  Instead, I just decided to take a seat on the lawn mower while he worked.


He took the tire off.


Then took some parts off.


Then he went out to his car to get a tool.


Then he went to the other garage to get some other tool.


Then he took some more parts off.


He got the new parts out of the boxes.


Then he started grumbling.


I said, "What's the matter?"


He said, "I don't know what I did with the damn part."


I said, "What part?"


He said, "A bracket."


I said, "What does it look like?"


He said, "Like this but a little bigger maybe."


He pointed to the piece to the right in this photo.




Pay attention to the rest of the story.


After we both spent about a half hour looking around the garage and looking in the trunk of his car and looking in the other garage he left everything and started working on the other brake pad.  


I said, "What the heck did you do with it?"


He said, "I dunno you'll have to find it, I'm busy!"


hmmm.


I texted my mother who gave me some advice I could have used before this whole project started.


After I told her that he couldn't find the part she proceeded to give me the following information.


"Well you are supposed to watch him keep track of stuff.  That's what I always did.  Then if he starts acting weird you say oh what's wrong and then you can say oh I think maybe it's over there."


Anyways, I went over to the other side where he was working and stood over him watching to see if I could figure out which part he was looking for.  When he looked at me I said, "I just need to know what the part looks like so I know when I find it."


"It looks just like that."


"And there is only one?"


"Yeah."


"Come here please."


We walk to the other side of the car where we "lost" the piece.


I point to the piece you see at the bottom right of this photo.




And I say, "That piece?"


__________________________________


Ladies and gentlemen that is the end of the story.  


I am still laughing.


__________________________


While trying to help him find the "missing piece" I chose not to say anything like, "well it's got to be around here somewhere" or "where did you last see it" because I lose things all the time and have no idea what I did with them and get even more frustrated when people ask such dumb questions.


This must be hereditary. 
I have to go look for my keys now.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

search key words

I have a few favorite blogs.  Two of them belong to my dear cousins Linda and Adie.  A few weeks ago they mentioned the search key words that bring people to their blogs.  So today I'd like to address a few issues about hedgehogs, children and 50 year olds because for some reason everyone finds my blog when they have questions about these things.


a.  hedgehogs are like little porcupines
b.  i really love children between the ages of 0-4
c.  i hope that when i am 50, i will be at least as half as cool as many of the 50 year olds i know today