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Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!

Last week I took a break from all things social media and it felt so good.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. I know I did. It gave me the opportunity to catch up with old friends, make some new ones and spend some time with my loved ones. It also gave me the opportunity to look over the past year and firm up my Year Plan for 2012. (That's just a fancy way to say my Resolutions.)

I have twelve of them. One for each month and each month I will work to really make sure I am doing it.

1. Be active every day. I can walk, Trikke, Zumba, play on my PS3 (which seems to take great enjoyment
   in kicking my ass in table tennis. Thank you Sony!)
2. Work on being more patient.
3. Smile at strangers and say Hello.
4. Learn something new this year. I don't know what it will be, but I want to have a new skill at the end of
     the year.
5. Read at least 20 books a month. I think that is conservative. I know I can do it. (I already got a great
     start on this yesterday and today by knocking out two of them.)
6. Actually give up something for lent this year. Every year I say I am going to do it, but I never do. This
     year I would like to give up something I take for granted and see how I feel at the end of the 40 days

     and 40 nights. (I may need some help with this. I have been thinking about chocolate (one of the four
   food groups in my house). Or red meat. I don't eat it everyday but when I am craving a piece of red
     meat, I need it. Or maybe I could give up alcohol for Lent.
7. Control my road rage. This one will probably take all year as I have not patience when it comes to
     stupid drivers. This should also help me conquer patience. Refer to #2.
8. Unplug from the world a little more often. Maybe once a week. (Honestly I think this will be the
     easiest of them for me. Dedicating myself to not being on social media one day a week will be a good
     thing and is pretty easy to do during the summer months.)
9. Sticking to my Budget. I have created a pretty bold plan to get my house paid off. Not this year, but it
     will mean we have to buckle down starting this year to do it. I know we can and I am ready. No trips
     this year. No exotic vacations. One year down isn't going to kill me. I might think it will, but it won't
     and again, this helps me with #2 on my list.
10. Do a good deed for someone I don't know.
11. Do a good deed for someone I don't particularly like.
12. Show my husband how much I appreciate and value him. After almost 21 years of marriage it can be
       a little bit easier to take each other for granted. I want him to not just know I love and appreciate
       him, I want him to feel it too.

So there you go. That's my list for this year. Now you tell me. What great resolutions did you make this year?

Merry! Merry!

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

From us to you...

Happy Holidays!

James and Kelly Breakey

Happy! Happy!

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-06:00

Today is the Captain's birthday so we are incognito for the rest of the holiday.

In the spirit of Christmas and the fact that my love is a huge geek and lover of all things Star Wars this one is for him.

Have a wonderful holiday and here's hoping it is all shiny and bright.

Let's get this holiday started!

2011-12-22T14:54:00.000-06:00

We are on the countdown to the weekend. I am so excited about Christmas. I don't know if you guys can tell it or not, but I am just a little bit into the holidays. I love them. It's not about the presents. Okay, okay, it's not all about the presents.

For me the best part of the holiday season truly is giving. I love the look on some one's face when you have picked out that perfect gift just with them in mind. My Gram was a big believer in this season. Not that I got everything I wanted. We lived on a fixed income, but she always made Christmas really special and for that I feel truly blessed.

She always said when it comes to the holidays there are a few simple rules.

1. Always wrap your gifts. No gift bags in our house. To her they screamed LAZY and I have to admit that while I didn't agree with everything she said while I was growing up...okay, wait. Who am I kidding with that? I didn't agree with anything she said while I was growing up. Part of my charm. (When I look back on it I don't know how she didn't kill me?) It seems some of her life lessons did indeed rub off on my. I would like to say I practice this to this day, but I don't. Sometimes I just run out of time and gift bags are easy. But I do agree that any package wrapped and decked out in bows is way prettier than something just plopped into a gift bag.

2. If you take the time to wrap it, accessorize it. We always put ribbon on the presents in my house. I don't think my Gram would have considered herself crafty, but she was. She would use big ribbons to make her own bows. And she dressed every box as if it were going to the Academy Awards. There weren't a lot of presents under the tree but the ones that were there always looked fabulous. Kind of made us not want to open them. But we pushed through that. Yeah, sometimes that was hard.

3. And her final rule. If you think you cooked enough; cook more. My Gram always cooked for the holidays as if we were entertaining my entire high school. We had enough food to feed a third world country. We dined on leftovers for days. I know I get my love of cooking from her and feel pretty blessed by that, and I also know that when I am in the kitchen cooking this holiday season I will feel her presence, but not in a scary-ghost-haunting way. More like a you're-doing-a-good-job kind of way. At least until I put the cornbread in my dressing. We had very different opinions on what constituted a good dressing.

So from me to you....Happy Holidays.

Just Because...Happy Holidays!

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

Because it's one of my favorite Xmas songs and these guys made me appreciate it all over again!

My new dirty word.

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

I am on a diet moratorium until January 1.

Why?

Because telling myself I am on a diet has been sabotaging my efforts to continue my weight loss. I am sure it is that and not the fact I am on in full on make-the-candy mode and have to try everything I make.

In case you didn't know this about me, I take decking the halls very seriously this time of year. I put lights everywhere. Inside and out. I have up four Christmas trees and I'm only counting the ones over three feet. So, yes- there really are more.

I estimated it and we have about 35 strands of lights up around the house. I have lights on top of the entertainment center, around the doors, in the trees and even above the cabinets in kitchen. But we were talking about my weight loss remember?

At the beginning of this month I was still keeping off the fifteen pounds I had shed and was feeling pretty optimistic. Then the gifts started arriving from friends and neighbors. I am really big on homemade gifts. I love them. To me they say love like no other gift can and I am normally on the receiving end of a lot of home baked gifts.

Last year I made the mistake of announcing I love a particular hazelnut chocolate. No lie, I think I have received twenty packages of them. If I didn't like them so much I might have thought to re-gift those, but no such luck guys because these are my favorites. So I have been sneaking chocolates every chance I get and avoiding the scale at all costs.

In all fairness I don't think my weight has crept up that much maybe a pound or two, because I am keeping tracking of how my clothes feel, but no way are you guys getting any of my hazelnut chocolates. Sorry.

Happy Birthday Terri.

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

Remember when I told you at the beginning of the month I had a lot of friends and family members with birthday's this month?

Well, here's another one.

Sending out a great big Happy B-Day to my sister-in-law, Terri.

Hope 42 treats you as great as it's treating me!

Book Hungry: Life as we knew it.

2011-12-15T06:12:00.000-06:00

Our selection for this month's read was Life as we knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Description as borrowed from Amazon:

It's almost the end of Miranda's sophomore year in high school, and her journal reflects the busy life of a typical teenager: conversations with friends, fights with mom, and fervent hopes for a driver's license. When Miranda first begins hearing the reports of a meteor on a collision course with the moon, it hardly seems worth a mention in her diary. But after the meteor hits, pushing the moon off its axis and causing worldwide earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, all the things Miranda used to take for granted begin to disappear. Food and gas shortages, along with extreme weather changes, come to her small Pennsylvania town; and Miranda's voice is by turns petulant, angry, and finally resigned, as her family is forced to make tough choices while they consider their increasingly limited options. Yet even as suspicious neighbors stockpile food in anticipation of a looming winter without heat or electricity, Miranda knows that that her future is still hers to decide even if life as she knew it is over.

This month Abby posed a good question in the form of a book.

What if this happened to us?

I wish I could say I loved reading this book. I didn't.

I wish I could say this one didn't give me nightmares. I can't.

I wish I could say this one ended with some ray of hope. It didn't.

This was a tough read for me. As I told the ladies during our Tuesday night discussion, I had to put it down every few chapters and go get my holiday back on with some Fa-la-la-la Lifetime.

This book was well written. It was compelling. And I know, I know it won't be leaving me any time soon. Pfeffer did a great job with the voices of each characters. The mom sounds just like you would expect her to sound in the face of such doom. Her determination in taking care of her family at the cost of all else struck a cord in me. The older and younger brothers are equally as well rounded and you really feel for this family as they are forced to face bleaker and bleaker conditions.

The scenes are believable and even gut wrenching at times. There were moments when I felt as if I were sitting with Miranda or even walking in her shoes. Through the first chapters, after this catastrophic event has happened, her age shines through with her naievete' in believing things will get back to normal. This is a coming of age story that showcases hard choices and even harder outcomes.

While this isn't in my 'I love it' category, I need to be fair here and admit it has more to do with the subject matter than how the book was written. This was definitely a page turner and even when I didn't want to be riveted, I was. When I finished this story my heart hurt. Literally, it hurt. There were a few moments of suspended disbelief, especially toward the end, but overall this is a solid story that will leaving you asking the question: what if this really did happen to us?

My November Reading List.

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

We had a meeting of the minds last night. The Book Hungry Club got together for our monthly read and greet and during which time I was reminded that I have not done an update read list since...well...October.

I am so ashamed.

So I thought this would be a good time to update you guys and give you my reading goals for next year.

I am shooting for twenty books a month next year. I know I can do it, and I will. For me the summer months are always bigger months because we spend so much time on the water. Anyway, here is my list for November:

This month I read two cook books back to back. I love cook books and can't get enough of them. In fact I have three on my Christmas list this year.

Michael Symon's Live to Cook: This was a great book with a lot of info for beginning cooks plus I really liked the resources he included. There were some recipes using cuts of meat I don't think I ever want to try, but it's nice knowing I have recipes if I ever get a hankering for pig's ears.

Cook Like a Rock Star: 125 Recipes, Lessons and Culinary Secrets by Anne Burrell. I really liked the way this cook book was laid out. How she does the prep ahead of time. I have always cooked that way but it was nice to know I was reading a cook book where the chef encourages that completely.

Must Love Mistletoe by Christie Ridgway. This was a re-read for me. Since it's Xmas time and all. I loved it the first time and wasn't disappointed with my second go around. Mainly I downloaded this one because I found it for free on Amazon. Thank you Amazon!

Not Another New Years' by Christie Ridgway. I don't know how I missed this one the first time around, but was glad I snagged it when I did. Another cheap one from Amazon and I really enjoyed it.

Heat Wave by Richard Castle: This was a bookhungry selection and I even picked it. At the end of the day I wasn't overly impressed.

Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis: The final in her Lucky Harbor Trilogy. Or at least the final in her first Lucky Harbor Trilogy. I have to admit I loved the male lead in this story way more than the female lead. He was just all male.

Freedom from PCOS by Katie Humprey: If this doesn't show you how diverse my reading goes, nothing will. If you don't know what PCOS is you wouldn't be interested in the book.

Against the Odds: Kathryn Shay is another must read author for me. All of her books from her back list are making their way to Kindle and I couldn't be happier. This is one of my favorites. I can't tell you why except Nathan, her hero is one I fall in love with each time I read it.

I have downloaded about 200 books onto my kindle to read. Some of them were free, okay, a lot of them were free and I am hoping to find some great authors in the mix. Every once in a while I get lucky. I will give you my December read as we closer to the end of the month. But tell me, what are you reading?

Light it up!

2011-12-12T09:14:00.001-06:00

What a great weekend!

Not only did I get a new pair of smoking hot shoes...I also finished the wrapping of all the presents.

But the best is the video we finally got of the house. Check it out.

Giving Thanks!

2011-12-09T08:43:00.001-06:00

TGIF and what I am thankful for today.

Christmas Tree in the Living Room 1 of 4

1. Of course, it's Friday.
2. I have two great books to read this weekend. (I have to be ready for Book Hungry and the other one I have been waiting for. Guess which one I am starting with?)
3. I am going Christmas shopping this weekend to hang with some besties and the best part...all of my shopping is all done. (Insert evil laugh.)
4. Crisp mornings so I can drink hot tea.
5. Cool evenings which gives me just one more reason to snuggle with the Captain.
6. Bacon. (Do I even need to say anymore?)
7. All the cheesy Christmas shows on Hallmark and Lifetime this weekend.
8. Wrapped gifts.
9. Get to make the fudge this weekend.
10. And last but not least...it's Friday! (Okay so I used that one twice, but I am sooooo grateful for it that it seemed appropriate.)

To get you in the Mood!

2011-12-08T10:45:00.000-06:00

Lets get that Christmas Spirit going!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Birthday Angela

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

Sending out a big Happy Birthday to my SIL Angela.

Hope you have a great one!

Something to belive in

2011-12-06T07:26:00.001-06:00

Normally I am disappointed with the offerings in the way of movies. Last week if you had asked the last good movie I had seen I would have had to think about it. And it wouldn't have been a romantic comedy.

This week all of that changed. I got three good ones in a row. Okay, they weren't all romcom's, but close.

So just in case your looking for something good to watch here are my recommendations.

1. Crazy Stupid Love
2. Friends with Benefits
3. Super 8

Crazy Stupid Love reminded me of movies of yesteryear. It has a twist at the end I didn't see coming and I appreciated that. Friends with Benefits totally showcases Justin Timberlake and his comedic talent. Mila Kunis wasn't too bad either. Easily one of my newest favorite RomCom's. Finally Super 8. I had no interest in watching this movie, but the Captain convinced me. Was I glad I did. The story was fresh, the cast great and there were some one liners in this movie that I snorted over. That's right, I snorted.

So if your looking for something great to watch this weekend, here you go. Have you seen them? Did you like them?

Happy Birthday Kiddo!

2011-12-05T09:33:00.001-06:00

Update: This was scheduled to post Friday. I think I am blogger challenged. Either that or I am really stupid. So I am going with challenged.

Today my niece Kylie turns three. Wow, how time flies. Of course her mom doesn't think so. She is worn out by this kid. But she amuses me tremendously.

On Wednesday she went to see Santa. Here she is with Santa and her daddy. She refused to sit on Santa's lap for the pic. Guess she doesn't quite trust the old dude in red. Yet. But, she did agree to take the pic as long as her dad came over so she could sit on his lap.

While she was sat on her Dad's lap Santa asked what she wanted for Christmas. She gave him her list which I understand took some time. This kid wants a lot of stuff.

After she was done Santa asked, "Well, have you been naughty or nice this year?"

Kylie leaned back into her dad and replied, "I have been nice!"

Santa questioned her, "Are you sure?"

Kylie, from the mouth of a three year old, "Uh huh, cause if I'm naughty Mommy will smack my ass."

And my sister in law couldn't understand where that came from.

It's beginning to feel somewhat like Christmas

2011-12-01T07:51:00.001-06:00

Today is December 1. Can you believe it? Yeah, me either.

We have a lot going on this month and not just Christmas. Although it would be nice if we could just concentrate on the holiday, we can't. There are a ton of birthday's this month we have to celebrate including the Captain's. Two sister-in-law's, one sister, one niece, three friends and of course the big Kahunas, which falls on the 23rd of the month.

Most of my decorating is done in the house. I know, I know, I am an over achiever. This year I limited myself to four Christmas trees. In my defense...oh, who am I kidding. I have no defense other than to say that I love this time of year and this holiday.

We aren't going to visit any family this year. The Captain and I are going to go it alone. But not really. We will be spending Christmas Day having dinner with some of our friends here.

Last year when we were making the trek to Michigan to visit with my husbands little brothers we had a stop over in Indiana. I don't remember the name of the place only that the lady at the restaurant where we stopped pointed out the John Mellencamp was from there. While were there I found a blue Christmas tree. It's artificial (I guess the fact that it's blue kind of gave that away, right?) and I have waited a whole year to put it up.

You can see it here. It makes me smile in joy just to look at it. Maybe I should have put some sort of sappy warning on this post, just to give you guys a heads up. Isn't she a beauty? Today the Christmas music goes on and tomorrow we put the lights up outside and I promise to share some video with you guys on how that turns out.

In the meantime...have a great day! Let's get this holiday season kicked off right. This song always gets me into the Christmas spirit. Hey! Don't judge.

Our Family is Expanding

2011-11-30T07:48:00.001-06:00

Oh no, don't worry it's not me.

We got a call last night from one of my husbands brothers and they wanted to skype with us. I should tell you, I wasn't in the mood. I am feeling pretty cranky and grumpy this week. Hint. Hint. Anyway, since we haven't seen the nephew since last Christmas we did it.

We talked to my husbands little brother for a while and then his wife An, came in with Ryan. They sat down and Ryan started to bounce on his mom's lap. They had written across the front of his onsie "Future big brother!"

It wasn't a shock that they are expanding their family. They have become great parents and while I know they both think a girl would be a nice addition, I'm hoping they have another boy. We already have three girls in the family and someone needs to even the odds for Ry.

So come the summer we will be adding to our family. I am pretty excited about it. I'm the awesome Aunt that gets them the loudest, funnest toys we can find. Their parents always love me for that.

When scratching just isn't enough

2011-11-29T07:27:00.001-06:00

My husband is the funniest guy I know. But his humor is very understated and sometimes dry. To know his is to love him.

The Captain had his yearly check up the other day. He has a new family practitioner because his long time doc retired. This new doctor is young and so far, so good. But he doesn't seem to appreciate the Captains humor as much as the last doctor did.

While in the middle of his exam he asked, "Are you doing self scrotum checks?"

My husband rubbed his chin and with a twinkle in his eye replied, "Well every once in a while I have a scratch. Does that count?"

Doc didn't even crack a smile. Me. I rolled out of my chair laughing.

Maybe you just had to be there.

They Do Exist!

2011-11-28T08:13:00.001-06:00

I had a wonderful holiday weekend and found myself suddenly thrust into the Christmas spirit. It may have had something to do with the continuous play of cheesy christmas shows on Hallmark, ABC Family and Lifetime or it may have been the adorably cute commercials they only roll out this time of year.

For me, my favorite holiday commercial is this one.

Unfortunately I don't see to many commercials with the invent of the DVR, but this one I found myself stopping and watching quite a few times this weekend. And it made smile. Every time!

Enjoy your Turkey Day!

2011-11-23T07:24:00.000-06:00

From me and mine to you and yours!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Our menu is simple but filling

2011-11-22T07:15:00.001-06:00

I am so looking forward to Thursday. Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. I get to spend it with friends and family sharing memories of Thanksgivings past and wonderful food.

The Captain and I enjoy tradition. We like to sorround ourselves with good food and good friends. Our offerings have changed over the years but sentiment remains the same today as it did twenty one years ago when we started.

Our dinner will consist of fried turkey, which the Captain has mastered. (I am so smart. Not only do I not have to use valuable oven real estate to cook a turkey, I don't have to cook the turkey at all. Plus, once you have a fried turkey you can't go back to the dried oven variety.)

I make a home made southern cornbread and biscuit dressing. This is a recipe that I developed after moving to the south and being exposed to all of these wonderful southern cooks. This recipe has stood the test of time at my table for more than fifteen years now.

We also offer up mashed potatoes, green bean casserole (this is made with the condensed soup, onions in a can and fresh green beans. I draw the line at canned. If I could convince everyone that the homemade variation is better I would make that instead, but sometimes you have to let tradition stand, just because my culinary skills have improved doesn't mean they really want the menu to change. And if I'm honest here, I like this version of the casserole myself.) Rolls, gravy, and the prerequisite berried cranberry sauce. Now, I must confess. Normally I make this from scratch too. But this year I had a special request for the stuff from a can. I could have made both, but decided there really wasn't any point. Homemade cranberry sauce is super simple, but sometimes you got to give the guest what they crave and this is particularly true when the requester is your significant other.

Pumpkin pie and coffee round out our dinner.

So tell me, what are the must have's for you and yours on Turkey day?

My trip to the grocery store

2011-11-21T07:43:00.001-06:00

On Sunday a good friend of mine and I went to the grocery store to stock up on our supplies for Thanksgiving. While we were there, I overhead a conversation that took me back. To that first Thanksgiving I hosted with the Captain who had yet to become my husband.

These two young ladies were standing in front of the selection of boxed potatoes when I passed them. Their buggy overflowing. Stove-top stuffing, canned corn and green beans. A frozen pie along with cans of cranberry sauce and a frozen bird. It was quite obvious they were doing their shopping for Turkey day as well.

The shorter of the two was standing post behind the buggy handle while the other one braved the wilds of senior's to forage through the box potatoes. As she was perusing them it was obvious she was getting more and more confused as she mumbled to herself. Finally, a break in the stream of shoppers, she turned holding up two boxes. Looking at her friend she asked, "Which one should I get. And what the heck is Yukon? Is that where the potatoes are grown?"

Her friend responding with nothing more than a shrug had the young lady grimacing as she turned back facing the wall of boxed potatoes once again. "I just don't understand the difference."

Feeling her pain, because lets face it, we have all been there. Maybe not the box potato isle in the grocery store. But at one time or another we have all been faced with making that special dinner. If your smart you pull a Holly Hunter in Always and buy it pre-made passing it off as your own. If your not so smart, like me, you choose a holiday to make your dinner party debut and cook the turkey with the neck and giblets still encased in the plastic inside the bird. To this day I maintain that it made the turkey that much moister, the Captain maintains I tried to poison our guests.

Hiding a smile, I stepped up next to her and asked, "Are you looking for something particular?"

Turning, gratitude ringing her smile, she wilted a little in relief. nodding. "Yes ma'am." (She called me ma'am, but I decided to let it go.) "We're making Thanksgiving dinner and I am trying to decide which potatoes to go with?" Holding up the boxes so I could read the fronts she continued, "What's the difference and what does Yukon mean? Is that where they grow them."

Smiling, because I couldn't outright laugh at her, she was so earnest, I gently explained that Yukon was a type and pointed to the sack of potatoes in my buggy. She was baffled. I then recommended that she just pick the box that held the most appealing flavor. Her friend piped up, "Can't we get both of them?"

I thought that sounded like a plan and it seemed they both agreed. If not they probably would have spent another couple of hours debating the merits of bacon and cheddar vs. sour cream and onion. (I shudder to think this will be served at Thanksgiving dinner, but then I remember they were about twelve so their guests will be close in age and probably think it's delicious.)

As she placed the boxes in the buggy she thanked me and then asked, "Does it look like we have everything?"

That time I did laugh as I looked over their stock and took note of the prideful gleam in their eyes. They were excited about the day, which prompted me to take it serious. "Are you making your gravy from scratch?"

Panic erupted from her in horrified waves, "Gravy?" Eyes wild, she turned to her friend and said, "I don't know how to make gravy."

Feeling everyone one of my forty some years and closer to my Grandmother than I ever have before I pointed her in the direction of the canned gravy and made a suggestion regarding crescent rolls. She thanked me profusely and as they turned away I heard her say, "This is going to be the best Thanksgiving ever!"

My friend and I delighted in this story all the way home. But mainly it reminded me of being that young and on my own in the world for the very first time. How excited I was by the prospect of that Thanksgiving. It reminded me that even though I had a major turkey blunder that first year, we still have great memories from that day. It also reminded me of how much I am looking forward to it this year as well and that hasn't dimmed over time. The faces around our table have changed over the years but the sentiment always remains the same.

My advice: check the bird really well before you put it in the oven. Sometimes those turkey people get sneaky and shove a bag in the both ends.

Happy Turkey Day!

Heat Wave: One more reason to dislike them.

2011-11-17T12:59:00.001-06:00

This months Book Hungry read saw me come up to bat for the selection.

During our last "meeting" Karla made a comment that she enjoyed a good mystery. It got me thinking that I hadn't read a good-or any-mystery in quite a while. I decided to search out one for us to read for November's selection.

Since I am a huge Castle fan...okay, Nathan Fillion fan. Sue me. He is totally hot and I can see myself enjoying a nice heat wave and black-out with him. Based on my love of the characters and the show I thought this would be a great continuation.

It wasn't.

Not that the book was bad. Okay, it wasn't that bad.

But when I sit down to read a book I want to be whisked away. In all honesty, because I am a big fan of the show I was able to picture Castle and Becket as Rook and Heat but that was where it stopped for me. There were some great one liners in the book, but I can get that from the show.

The mystery itself didn't do anything for me since I knew from the minute he was introduced who our bad guy was. Overall I was disappointed with Heat Wave because I had such high hopes for Mr. Castle. I think it kind of took something away from my passion for this wonderful character I love. They make such a big deal about how great of a writer he is (which he isn't, and thank god it's Richard Castle's name on the book and not Nathan Fillion's) and how he is included into the inner circle of some of the greatest crime writers of today (which I believe if they read this book that would no longer be the case.) It was more like reading a script for the TV show then an in depth crime novel.

And if your a fan of the show and expected nothing more than that type of entertainment you won't be disappointed. As it was, I think I will just stick to watching Castle in stead of reading Castle.   I get way more eye candy from my TV than I do from the words, or at least from these written words.

Did I mention that Nathan Fillion is a big bite of yummy? Well, he is!

But I am not to be deterred. I am going to find us a good crime novel for one of these reads if it is the last thing I ever do.

Have you read it? What did you think?

If this doesn't excite you...nothing will

2011-11-16T07:29:00.001-06:00

In case you somehow missed it. The story that started it all for our little book club.

To say I am excited is such an understatement. I absolutely cannot wait for this to come out. I will be making the trek to an actual theater to watch this one. Too bad I can't plan to see it with the rest of the Book Hungry Ladies.

Yes...he lights up my life

2011-11-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

Are you guys starting to feel the spirit of the holidays yet?

I don't know if I mentioned this before or not but I love everything about the holidays. In fact starting in October I like to think how we are going to decorate and light up the house for Halloween.. Starting November 1 I'm turning my attention to Thanksgiving and then Christmas.

Last night the Captain advised me he wants to set the lights on the house to music this year. When we first started talking I thought this was a great idea. I had already found a pattern for nutcrackers that he agreed to cut out of plywood for me to paint and a couple of candy canes to cross over near the front door.

Then he showed me this video. Now I am officially scared. Especially since he said we need to start working on it this weekend. What did I get myself into?

Did you see the part where it called for 42,000, yes you read that right, 42,000 LED light?. I can't even imagine what 42,000 LED lights look like.

Yes (big sigh) I will keep you guys posted. Promise.

Get those juices flowing

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

This weekend was jammed packed.

But the best part is what is happening today.

The Captain has jury duty. Yep, you heard me. Or, you read me. To say that I am happy about this is such an understatement. I have had jury duty and served six times. He has done it once. And he wasn't even selected. So, forgive me if I am enjoying this. Even just a little.

In other news I did something I have wanted to do for a long time this weekend. I test drove a mini cooper. We are looking at getting a new car and this is the one I want. The Captain isn't convinced, but since the new car will be mine, he doesn't get too much of a say. Actually, I really did want his input, but he kept insisting that since it would be my car it didn't overly matter much to him.

After test driving, I am thinking about building one from scratch. This way I can get everything in the car that I want including the color. The only problem is they have a new coupe and while I was pretty sure I wanted this one...

I am no longer certain. After seeing this one I am a little conflicted.

To be honest I have been driving a company vehicle for so long, I didn't care what it was. But now with the idea of adding to our stable plus me getting to choose has encouraged me to look around and see what is out there. I have had my eye on the mini for a while and think I would really love it.

What about you guys? What's your dream car and what do you think the car you currently drive says about you. I'm thinking I would look pretty hot zipping around town in this little two-seater. Swear to god, just looking at this picture is getting my blood pressure up. Who knew a car could be such a turn on. And sexy to boot!

Bringing a man to his knees

2011-11-11T08:25:00.001-06:00

Giving you something to smile about as you head into the weekend.

Men really are the weaker sex.

Just saying.

The first of the "F" stories

2011-11-10T07:40:00.001-06:00

I've told you guys before how the Captain is a true weekend warrior.

When we built our house in 2000 we were both anxious to get in and push up our sleeves and make our mark on this house. And we did a lot. There is not one inch of wall space that doesn't have paint on it. My formal dining room was converted to a book room and bookshelves and doors were added because who needs two dining rooms?

We hung blinds and drapes. Beefed up baseboards and door frames. Went searching for thrift store finds and reinvented them with sanding and paint to give them a new look for our home.

We've added tile, and installed our own hardwood floors. (That was a job you can read about here, Boys Comparing the size of their wood. That title alone got me 46 hits and I was only two months into blogging. Oh, the power of sexual innuendo.) We built a fence and landscaped the grounds completely. And it only took seven years.

But one thing that has stayed true through each and every home project is this. Every single time we do something the Captain inevitably draws blood upon himself. Now, for the sake of full disclosure, I should tell you he is not a clumsy man. He is very careful and particular. But it doesn't seem to matter. When he is working at home, well let's just say, I have an emergency kit specifically for home improvement projects.

One of my greatest finds is a futon I have in my bookroom. (I don't know why we don't call it a library. I guess bookroom was what I called it when we moved in and it sort of stuck. Now that's what everyone calls it.) When we were moving from the last house the support 2X4 was broken in the back. (Okay, that's not how it happened. We had a party and a friend needed to crash because she had too much to drink and when we tried to pull out the futon we learned rather quickly that you don't use that bar as a foot rest to leverage the futon to fold out. But I like the other version better.)

For about three months the Captain told me he would replace it. But there was a lot of stuff getting done around the house and this little project seemed to keep getting pushed back further and further on the list. Until July 4th of the same year. We were having a BBQ. Burgers and beer and mixed drinks. Which meant that some of our friends would be crashing for the evening. (Kelly's rule: If you drink at my house you don't drive home from my house. Everyone has to have a designated driver. No exceptions.) Suffice it to say we had a lot of friends crashing regularly. Hey, these are all ex-Navy peeps. Have you ever partied with Navy peeps?

That morning he decided to tackle the job at the last minute before the BBQ started at noon just in case we needed some extra sleeping arrangements. He had to drill (I still cringe when I type that word) holes into the wood. He laid everything out and was working in the garage while I was getting the last minute kitchen duties done.

About twenty minutes later he came in with a paper towel wrapped around his hand. At first I didn't think anything of it, because we hadn't fully learned of his propensity to hurt himself during projects yet. We had only been in the house since April and this was July. The biggest projects we had done so far was putting together all of our furniture and setting up the house.

"Do we have any band aids?" There was a whiteness around his mouth that I didn't attribute to pain for another ten minutes.

"Sure, honey. In the bathroom." Setting aside the pasta salad I was working on, I washed my hands and went to our bathroom to retrieve them. When I came out he was laying on the floor at the bottom of the bed holding his arm straight up.

Laughing, I asked, "What are you doing?"

Breathing deep he countered with, "Can you put peroxide on this and wrap it for me?" Things finally started to click together in my head.

"Wrap it?" The white paper towel is taking on the color of pink cotton candy and I can see a dribble of blood racing down the arm he is holding up in the air. Looking at the little mermaid band aids, I suddenly had no idea what to do with them. (By the way did I mention that I have a blood phobia. At the site of it I feel queasy and have been known to pass out.)

Sitting down on the bed I could feel those tell tale butterfly's take flight in my stomach and started swallowing in an effort to stave off the urge to hurl.

"Honey?" He lifted his head to see what was taking so long. Catching site of the band aid box he informed me, "we're going to need something a little bigger than that." He smiled in an attempt to smooth over the situation. I hadn't been successful in my attempt to hide my phobia from him. "Maybe some gauze and bandages."

"Gauze and bandages?" I sounded like a whispering parrot who was being stalked by something big and ugly.

"Yeah, I hit my hand with the drill. It's pretty deep. I need for you to clean it and wrap it."

"Is it bleeding?"

He looked at me as if I had sprouted a new head. "Is it bleeding?" Yes, that was disbelief you heard in his voice. "Duh! Yes, it's bleeding."

"Oh no," I moaned and fell backward on the bed as visions of a bloody hand danced in my head. "I feel queasy."

"You feel queasy?" Now he had moved to outrage. "You cannot pass out on me now!"

Trying to breathe through it so I didn't, I leverage myself up and tried to be strong for him. "Just breathe, just breathe, just breathe," became my new mantra. "Okay, let me see." I was proud of how strong my voice sounded. All he heard was the panic.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"You think?" It's good to know I could still be sarcastic when necessary.

Unwrapping the paper towel all I saw was mangled flesh and blood. And that was enough. Later he would tell me that I went ghost white even as my eyes rolled back in my head. Thank goodness I was already sitting on the bed, my fall was soft and cushioned.

Of course he was stuck sitting on the floor, bleeding profusely with no one to help him, wondering if he could in fact bleed to death from the hole he drilled into his hand. He did make it to the bathroom and was able to clean it out. Unfortunately, I came around to the sound of his cursing and screeching. Since we didn't have any gauze bandages we had to improvise and use something that he would not like me sharing here on the blog. But it worked.

So now I have shared my embarrassing failure as a wife. Thank goodness we never had children. Could you imagine?

Bringing you some good cheer

2011-11-09T08:14:00.002-06:00

The middle of the week finds me slammed at work and at home. I am currently trying to tackle three beta reads, updating and tweaking my finished WIP for submission and settling in for winter and the holidays.

Last night I had to go to the local discount office store. On the way I passed a house that is already decked out for Christmas.

This bothered me. It seems every year we are in such a hurry to get there. The stores put out the decorations earlier and earlier. Next year they will probably be up before Summer ends. Hey, I know, why not just leave them up all year?

Of course I bitched and moaned to the Captain about this later in the evening and he, always the smart one, pointed out that maybe I was looking at this all wrong. Maybe they had put their Christmas decorations up early, not because they were trying to rush it along, but because they were trying to capture the feeling that seems to envelop people during this special time of the year.

Let's face it, right now we could all use a little good cheer.

Now you see why my heart still shimmers for this man after all these years. He is too darn smart for his own good.

And if I hadn't had my own head up, well let's just say somewhere it should have been, I would have seen that particular lining myself. But thank goodness he's around to nudge me back to the straight and narrow when I stray on to bitch lane. What would I do without him?

Who keeps you on the straight and narrow?

Sweet Heath, oh how I love thee.

2011-11-07T08:42:00.000-06:00

I missed Friday.

How did I do that? I had a posting all written up and scheduled and then on Friday, nothing. Did blogger eat it? Because quite suddenly it's gone. As in no longer there. Pisses me off. Mainly because I didn't save a copy of it on my hard drive and this one had humor. Oh, I know, all of them have humor. Okay, in my mind, all of them have humor. But I'm pretty sure this one knocked it out of the park.

It was the futon story.

Now I have to start all over again. From scratch.

Do you have any idea how hard it it is going to be to recreate it now?

Yes, I am going to try. But I don't have high hopes.

In other news I didn't check my weight and measurements this week. Not because I think I didn't lose anything, because I know I didn't lose anything. Instead of being a good girl last week I chomped down on the left over candy. Maybe the idea of buying what you don't like wasn't so bad after all. Maybe, I will try that one next year. And maybe, just maybe, pigs will fly out of my derriere.

I seem to have misplaced my will power when it comes to Heath and Snickers. Yeah, yeah, and let's not forget the Butterfingers. Why didn't I think to borrow some (will power) from someone else? Yeah, I dunno either.

Why is it that will power is always around when I don't have any candy? Another great example of things that make you go hmm.

Going the Distance

2011-11-03T08:47:00.002-05:00

You guys are still wondering about the fence and the futon stories right?

Okay, I did promise to tell you. And I like to always keep my promise.

First off, there are a few things you need to know about the Captain and his projects.

1. He always finishes what he starts. (Good news for me)
2. He is a tad obsessive about it being right. (Can you say Mr. Perfect?)

About two years after we built our house I decided I wanted to put a tile backs plash behind the stove. It was just drywall and the grease was getting more and more difficult to remove. I did my research. Picked my tiles, got the supplies and set up ready to start my project.

You should know that when I first started he was in the garage working on something else. But before long curiosity got the best of him. (Calling him curious is my way of being nice here. Just so you know.)

I moved the stove out, set down my drop cloth, marked my pattern and mixed the compound to adhere the tiles to the wall. I had only placed the first tile. The first one. When he came in and started to explain to me what I was doing wrong. Honestly, he just can't help himself. He looks at a project as another chance at perfection and for me I just see something creative I did myself. If it isn't perfect, I can live with that. I like the marks of a weekend warrior being visible in my house. It's what makes it mine.

But I had been married for just about ten years at this point and had already learned that it wasn't worth the fight we were sure to have if I dug in my heels. So I surrendered my trowel and relinquished my spot behind the stove and he eagerly moved in and took over. As he spent the next hour explaining to me the proper way to indeed install the tiles and give it an artistic flair I sat on one of the kitchen stools reading a magazine. I was a good wife and hm-um'ed every once in a while.

When he was done it did look good and I will admit I would have been frustrated with the problems he had with the grouting process. But overall he did it better than I would have and worked harder on the tile placement.

Almost as if I had planned it that way, right? Nope. I really did want to do that project. So when I decided to carry the theme of tiles behind the sink I made sure he wasn't around when I did that one and didn't even mention that I was planning on doing it until it was a done deal. Of course he had to come home and re-work the grout for me-there were some imperfections that only he could see-which was truly appreciated. (Insert eye roll here.)

Overall, we do work well together, but in marriage there is give and take and for whatever reason he likes to be in charge of household projects. I'm okay with letting him have that. His heart is in the right place and like I said earlier, he is a perfectionist.

I really am a lucky girl.

An Awe Moment

2011-11-02T07:52:00.000-05:00

My favorite trick-or-treat moment this year.

If you read my post yesterday, you know I dressed as the Grim Reaper on Monday.

While I was handing out candy, I had a lovely encounter with an adorable little boy. He was trick-or-treating with his dad and I watched how his dad halted at the end of the drive to let the little boy make his way to my door for candy by himself. One of those poignant moments in live.

It was still early yet. More twilight than dark, when this towheaded young man came racing up my walk. I had positioned myself in a chair between two Halloween Trees, waiting for unsuspecting youths to do exactly that.

As I raised my head and he saw my make-up he skid to a sudden halt. "Who're you supposed to be" he demanded? In the background I caught his father grin and shake his head, clearly proud.

I didn't have to smile as it was painted on, but I couldn't help myself. His voice was one part terror, three parts morbid curiosity. In as deep a voice I could muster I announced, "I'm the Grim Reaper!"

Cocking his head to the side, clearly not frightened he demanded, "What's the Grim Reaper?"

Thinking quickly I responded, "I eat little boys."

Straightening up suddenly, but not willing to rush off without his candy, he pushed his bag forward and squeaked, "Trick-or-treat."

After dropping a few pieces in his bag he turned and raced down the drive to his dad. As they walked down the street I heard him ask in an excited voice, "Dad! Did you see, that was the Grim Reaper?"

I watched as his father put a hand to his sons head in that universal dad sign and say, "I did, son. You were lucky to make it out alive."

Delighted, that moment carried me the rest of the evening.

My Halloween Hangover

2011-11-01T09:53:00.000-05:00

Me: The Grimm Reaper

The Witch

Last night was so exciting. There were ghosts and goblins. Phantoms and train conductors. Ghouls and ware wolves. We got a prince and a frog, football players and cheerleaders, Yoda and even a garden gnome. (Him I wanted to keep!) When the night finally ended I had given away a bunch of candy and was so ready for bed I couldn't keep my eyes open. My Halloween was a total success.

The Graveyard

Everyone forgets how much I love this holiday. I guess sometimes, even I do too. I can't tell you why this time of year is so special. I guess because there is magic in the costumes, community in the trick-or-treating and just all out plain fun in trying to scare the kids. For whatever reason this brings me much joy.

It's a White Wedding

The Captain didn't make it home in time to partake last night. He said he was working late. Okay, so this one time I am going to let it slide. Actually, he was pretty bummed that he missed most of it. His favorite part is talking with the kids and handing out the candy. He isn't up for scaring the kids the way I am, but hey I never said he was perfect.

Let me out!

We got lots of compliments and my front yard became photo central, which I appreciated. To know that in a couple of years kids will look back on these photos and remember the Grimm Reaper with the tricked out house tickles my funny bone. I posed, they posed, they played around the tombstones and then they got to go home and pig out on the candy. Over all it was a huge success.

Serious Sid

Now what can I do next year????

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T07:47:00.001-05:00

It was a late one last night, putting the finishing touches on our Halloween decorations and I am still not done. The tombstones turned out great and I am still tweaking the lighting on the witch and cats.

I promise to post the full photos tomorrow, but today I need to finish it up.

If I never have to make another tombstone again it won't be too soon and my great IT guy has been sending me scary sounds because the Captain and I rigged up some sound outside.

Should be Spooktacular.

If your close by, come on by tonight and say hello. We'd love to see ya!

Happy Halloween Everyone. Be Safe!

The "F" Story??

2011-10-28T08:02:00.001-05:00

Wednesday's posting was about my learning a new skill. Yay me! And of course the jigsaw.

Does anyone have anything that needs to be sawed? Seriously I can do it for you. I even got my own saw. Well, sorta, it’s not really mine. Belongs to the hubs, and he said I could useit. Sometimes. But I know where he keeps it, so it’s allgood. If you need something cut; callme.

Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. I mentioned my postingtopic to the hubs at dinner last night and he got a little panicky.

On a side note: Whatdid we have you ask? Well I made anawesome low carb ham in the oven. I willget leftovers from that baby for the rest of the week. The sides were just as spectacular. Roasted broccoli and an amazing cauliflowerdish that should not be considered good for me with all of the great stuff init.

But I digress.

After my initial surprise that he actually does listen whenI speak of blogging and writing, I wondered out loud why he would benervous. He gave me his fake laugh. You know the one that says he isuncomfortable, but doesn’t want to admit it? Yeah, that one. So I pushed. Come to find out, he was a little worriedthat I had told you guys the “f” story.

The “f” story? I wasflummoxed.

He clarified at the same time a light bulb went off in myhead and we both said at the same time

Me: “Oh you mean thefence story?”

Him: “I mean the futon story.”

The futon story? Nope, not going there.

Of course I assured him that I would never do that. Between me and you, I would never tell thefuton story because I don’t come out looking so good in that one, but I woulddefinitely tell the fence story. Oncehe was properly reassured (thank God he doesn’t read my blog; and I can’t evenbelieve I am happy about that) I started plotting how I could share these withyou guys.

Don’t worry I am going to tell both of the stories, but youhave to come back for those.

So here’s my question for the day. Does your significant other have a phonylaugh that only you recognize? Do you?

Ass and Elbows

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.

Oh, who am I kidding, I never met a holiday I didn’t like.

But Halloween is in the tops because it is the one time ofyear me and the hubs are allowed to act as childlike as we want and totally getaway with it. We do this up big. I know, I know I said this before. But see, this time I got proof!

So anyway, I was thinking about how big we are going thisyear and it got me pondering past Halloweens and reminiscing on some funnythings that have happened over the years.

When the Captain and I purchased our first home we werevery excited to partake of this tradition of passing out candy. For me this rates right up there with givingmy nieces and nephews the loudest and noisiest toys I can find forChristmas. That’s right, they don’t livewith me.

When we were overseas we lived off base and Halloween wasn't celebrated. Coming back to thestates meant we would be able to spook out the house and give out the candy. It is important to note that the Breakey’sdon’t give out crappy candy. It’schocolate all the way, baby. I know the“experts” (Martha Stewart, Clinton Kelley) tell you to buy what you don’t likeand give that away instead, but really, where is the fun in that and what's the point?

So we're a favorite stop. Over the years the amount of kidshas decreased, but I still purchase the same amount because you just neverknow. Besides, it’s not like it won’tget eaten. Hello, do you know me? I love chocolate. So does the Captain.

One year at our last house the kid stream was prettyintense and we were living on a cul-de-sac. Ahouse down the street was being rented by some Navy guys. (We are located pretty near a Naval Air Station.) They were harmless but fun and the secondyear they rented they decided to give out candy. (The egg was hard to get off their musclecars that first year.) There was one little caveat. One of them was going to dress up like FreddyKrueger. He looked really good too. Had the sweater, the hat and the hands. Instead of a mask they did make-up and it wasspot on! We thought he looked pretty realistic. He found many ways to jump out and scare thekids and we kept seeing them running by screeching and laughing, but not overlyscared.

Toward the end of the evening we had these older kids abouttwelve and thirteen come by. They haddressed out so they got candy. We gavethem a warning that they needed to be careful down on the dark part of thestreet. One of them that was dressed allin blue (for the life of me I can’t remember what he was) assured us, as only acocky thirteen old can, that there was no way he would be scared. Idon’t think it was ten minutes later we heard what amounted to girlishshrieks. (I recognize these as I am acard carrying girl and can shriek with the best of them.) Suddenly this blaze of blue went whizzing by,pillow case (don't all kids use pillow cases to carry their candy?) goesflying in the air, candy spilling out in all directions and all you could seewas ass and elbows. Nothing could enticethat kid back down our street to retrieve his candy.

Yeah, I think the Navy guys won that round.

To this day, that is still one of my favorite Halloweenmemories. Tell me one of yours.

I got a new drug

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I learned a new trade.

That's right. I can now use a jig saw.

You're impressed. I can tell.

One things for sure, I was impressed. It scared me a little bit at first. There may have been some girly screaming on my part. It doesn't hurt that the Captain loves to torment me. He claims it's part of his job. I have tried firing him over and over but it hasn't stuck.

He didn't let me cut any of the important stuff out. I think at the end of the day he really didn't trust that I would do a good job. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have done as great a job as he did, but the learning curve was completely different. He has done this before. I should have gotten points just for that. But even so, there was a rush learning how to do it. What a high!

Anyway, I'm sharing because from now on when we have company everyone gets to see me run the saw. When you come to visit you'll get a cocktail before I rush you out to the garage and show you how I saw. Cuz that's how we roll.

What's next? Chain saw here I come.

Sometimes Faking It can be Good

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Good news...I lost two more pounds.

Hello!

Thank you very much. I am feeling pretty good today.

My measurements didn't go down, but my weight did. So I guess there will be some good days and some bad days.

This weekend we got our decorations done for Halloween. I got pics of the Captain cutting out things in ploywood. He is such a great guy.

But I am going to spend this week sharing funny video with you guys. Here is one that I found to be cute.

Love in the Elevator

2011-10-21T08:26:00.000-05:00

Halloween is just a little over a week away and I wanted to get everyone in the mood. Okay, this is really coffin humor, but it cracked me up.

Check it out.

Book Hungry: Sweet as Sin; Yum!

2011-10-20T08:23:00.000-05:00

Sweet at Sin by Inez Kelley was this months Book Hungry selection. It was Patty's turn to pick and boy did she select a winner.

I want to just lay this out there. I liked this book. A lot.

I also enjoyed the opportunity we had to speak with Inez Kelley this week. How freakin' cool is that this lovely lady took the time out of her schedule to chat us up? Plus I got to spend an hour the girls that are the Book Hungry crew. Check out their reviews today if you have the time.

Here's the blurb on Amazon:

John Murphy is tormented by nightmares. A bestselling young-adult author, he writes the ultimate fantasy: stories where good always triumphs. He knows better. His past has shown him the worst in people—and in himself. When he moves next door to the sexy, vibrant Livvy—a woman completely unlike his usual one-night stands—he's driven to explore every curve of her delicious body.

Pastry chef Livvy knows that giving in to the temptation that is John Murphy won't lead to anything permanent, but she deserves a passionate summer fling. John discovers she's as sweet as the confections she bakes while Livvy slowly unravels his secrets. But what will happen when she uncovers them all?

When I first picked up this story and started I really thought I was going to dislike John and maybe even the story. I didn't want to read another romance without depth, which is exactly what I thought I was getting. Thankfully, my feelings soon changed and I was hooked. I don't want to give any spoilers here because if you haven't read this story and love romance you need to pick this up.

I will tell you this; John Murphy has become one of my favorite hero's.

This book is dark and intense. But that's not why he leap-frogged to the top of my favorite hero's category. Nope. His unwavering spirit in the face of such despair was especially telling to me because he never sees it in himself. Which is the mark of a great hero, to me anyway. He knows that what happened to him as a child was wrong, but he can't help but still fell as if maybe there was some truth to it all.

There is also a great side story here regarding with the fantasy fiction John writes. We get a glimpse into his world of monsters and they truly enchanted me. I was routing just as much for Jondi and Vory and I was for John and Livvy.

This is a read I would highly recommend, but need to advise you there are some hot, steamy, need-a-glass-of-water by your side scenes. I was fanning myself through quite a few of them.

If you've had the opportunity to read this Ms. Kelley has a follow up interview on her website where she went back a few years after the ending of the book to catch up with John and Livvy and we get to see where they are now. That was just a bonus for me.

John is one character I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet.

The loss was in the inches

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I did my weigh in.

Disappointment should have washed over me since I had lost nothing since last Friday. It didn't. I strayed over my designated carb count this weekend. Don't get me wrong, I didn't go all out. But I didn't stick to under 20 grams of carbs per day Friday through Sunday. My portions were still small and controlled but I did allow sugar back into my diet.

We were getting together with friends and a glass of wine was in order, plus we went out for dinner. I find it harder to stay within my carb count if I am not the one making the food.

In other news, I still lost inches. Which was good news, even if the weight didn't come off. Plus it assured me I am still on the right track.

So yesterday I hunkered back down and returned to the low carb eating plan I had been practicing for the previous two weeks and hope to see more of this weight fall off.

I will keep you posted.

A whole lot of nothing

2011-10-17T09:11:00.001-05:00

I'm late. I'm late for a very important date.

That is all that kept going through my head this morning as I woke up and realized that I didn't have my blog posting done for today.

Scandalous.

In my defense...er...what defense. I simply forgot. I was really caught up in some reading last night and before I knew it bedtime arrived. And while you guys don't know this, Kelly needs her eight hours of sleep each night to function like a normal person. Or as close to normal as I get.

So I jumped out of bed, bright and semi-early to get to my computer to get this done. (See how much you guys mean to me.) Unfortunately, I don't have anything brilliant to say, mainly because today is going to be about the cleaning out the tornado ravaged office I am currently occupying. Yes, I was supposed to get this done yesterday, but Sunday is a day of rest. Even God got a day off, so I figured I was due. What I neglected to take into account was how depressing it is to start your day in such ruination. I have no one to blame but myself. By the way in case you missed it, that Tornado was named Kelly.

Plus, let's face it, I don't really ever have anything brilliant to say. Those delusions of grandeur are all mine baby. But I promise this week will be a week of good things.

I will update you guys on my ongoing weight loss. Yes, it is ONGOING, so I am glad about that. There's also a book review coming up. I'm pretty excited because our book club is going to have a conference call with the author of said book tomorrow evening. I will be live tweeting our discussion, so check that out.

What are you guys reading right now. Go!

PS: My pics not a tornado, it's a waterspout, which really is just a tornado on water. But since I live in a place where these are more common than tornado's I selected this one for my illustration. Although now I just feel silly explaining since you guys probably figured that out all by yourselves.

Her dress wasn't the only thing see through

2011-10-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's almost that time of year again.

Halloween.

I love everything about this night. We get to give out lots of candy. Decorate our house and play dress up. How is it that every adult doesn't love this night.

We go all out on Halloween. Dressing up. Scaring the kids and decking out the house. This year I got a great idea from a good friend Tim. He created a skeleton wedding in his front yard. And no I am not ashamed to say I am stealing this idea. But since I like to play fair, I'm giving him total credit for the idea.

We haven't decorated yet. In fact we won't until the day before. I promise to take pics and post them after so you can see how my yard turns out. But here is a pic of how he did it. I wonder what music they used as the bride walked down the isle?

And since I am looking for more ideas for the yard and I'm not above "borrowing", tell me what you're doing to your house this year for this ghoulish night.

Just a girl and her gadgets

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

You know I like to share new things with you guys when I find them. New techie things. Well, I've found a new gadget I'm hoping to find in my Christmas stocking this year. Seriously cool. Check this out.

Everyone is going to want one of these. I don't know how well it will work, and I'm not convinced that I could actually use this on a daily basis for my work flow. Me and my keyboard spend a lot of time together. A lot. But, being the gadget girl that I am, I am willing to take this one for a test drive.

I already told the Captain I want one for Christmas so we'll see if he comes through. But to be honest I don't know if I will be able to hold out until Christmas. Who am I kidding? Of course I won't be able to hold out until Christmas. I am rushing over to www.thinkgeek.com and getting one today. Shh...don't tell, okay?

Ghosts, Bones and some Glass Pear

2011-10-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last night the hubs and I enjoyed a Bones marathon. I forget sometimes how much I really like this show. Not so much for the forensics, I enjoy it more for the relationship between the two main characters. Which, by that way Hart Hanson, someone needs to get off their butt and get these two crazy-no-longer-kids together. I am just hoping that when the new season finally starts in November *silent scream* we don't beat around the bush for another season.

Of course I know the chances of me getting what I want are slim. I mean, hello. That was some serious bomb they dropped at the end of last season. We didn't even get to see them take the tumble. Not that I would have watched. Much. But I would have at least liked to have known something was coming.

Where was I? Oh, yeah. Last night we were watching a marathon and on one of the shows I heard this song that I just had to find. It fit the scene perfectly, but it touched a cord. Thankfully, I found it and thought I would share. Tell me what you think.

Don't worry, its worth the listen.

I give good party - Almost

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

In May I co-hosted a baby shower.

Said baby has arrived. Actually she got here in July.

But it has taken me this long to get the book completed. Yeah, I did a commemorative book to remind Mom and Maddy (that's the baby in the belly here in the picture) how that special day went. It turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. Hey, it's my blog, I can boast if I want to.

Anyway, I thought I would share some pics.

Here is Mom...we made her queen for day. How can you tell? The crown, silly.

She had a thrown and everything.

Well of course she did. You can't be queen with out a crown and a thrown. We threw in a sash for good measure too.

I made the baby cake. I thought, "what the heck...how hard can it really be?" Okay, I will tell you. It can be hard. And of course I didn't pick any easy cake either; even though the web site that I found it on said it was fairly simple. Yeah, maybe if your a BAKER!

But Mom liked it and she was touched that I went to all that trouble. Here's a tip. If you ever decide to take on the making of homemade fondant. Do it a couple of days in advance. You will need the time to let it set up so you can roll it out for your pattern.

Don't laugh. Oh, alright you can go ahead and laugh. Half the ladies that came kept giving me those looks as if to say, "You poor thing. You really thought you could do it huh?"

Yes, I learned my lesson. But on the bright side the centerpiece was a diaper cake that turned out much better. Here's another shot of that. In fact the Captain and I both agree I need to let him do all of the baking in the future. The only reason I couldn't get him to volunteer for this job was because "he ain't crazy." His words not mine.

Besides the disaster that was the cake, the day turned out pretty well. We welcomed the spring/summer season the right way. In style. Sadly, it's coming to an end. The days are getting shorter and my boating season is almost over. On the bright side, the book is done and I have a great present for our Mom. See, I can always find that silver lining. Or in this case pink.

Bitch-Scale is going down!

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm updating you guys today on my weight loss because it has been one week since I started low carbing it and as of yesterday morning I lost...drum roll please...

Seriously people! Somebody do the drum roll!

Nine pounds.

That's right. Yesterday marked a milestone in my life. No it wasn't the nine pound loss, I have done that before. Many, many times. No, yesterday was the first time that I can remember that I wanted to express an emotion besides extreme hatred for bitch scale. No really, that's her name. I actually felt a little like she was finally on my side.

In the past we've had a love/hate relationship. She's loved tormenting with the bad news and I hated getting it. But someone once said, "The one who cares less holds the most power in a relationship." I know this to be true. Especially in this case. She smirks when I walk by. Swear to God, smirks. I can hear her. And when I step up. Well, sometimes it's mortifying. She laughs. But the scales are starting to tip in my favor. (Oh, I love it when I am funny like that. Get it...scale tipping.) And I think if things keep going the way they are; that power may very well be shifting.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not throwing her a party or anything that drastic yet, but I promise to keep you guys posted and let you know when I get to that stage.

In the meantime go out and have some drinks and toast to my loss. Really, go. Out. Have a drink for me, since alcohol is one of the things I have cut out for the foreseeable future. Not forever. What? Are you crazy? But for the time being, while my body is in this super fat burning mode, I am going to abstain.

Promise to keep you guys posted.

PS: Thanks for all the calls, comments and good wishes sent my way via email last week. It really does make a difference. Now I am off, into week two. I am so kicking Week Two's ass!

A New Way to Say Douchey

2011-10-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, its Friday. I love Fridays.

Namely, because Friday means: end of the work week. True Story. Look it up.

Okay, maybe not.

But since I wanted to give every one a reason to smile today I decided to share this video that cracked me up. This is a 2nd City skit called Sassy Gay Friend. Just so you know, every girl should have a friend like this.

Favorite Line: "Stop being a 'Summers Eve."

Just watch, you'll see.

Enjoy!

Battle of the Bulge Update

2011-10-06T08:17:00.000-05:00

I know I told you guys recently that I was going to start Weight Watchers.

I did.

It didn't work for me.

At all.

Instead of losing weight I found myself gaining.

Something else you guys might not know about me. I am insulin resistant. I have to take bio-identical hormones or I become the Hulk minus the green skin and I love carbohydrates.

Yeah, that is a lot to overcome. But I got lucky. I found a new doctor. He advised me that while WW was a good food plan, for what I was dealing with it would be very difficult for me to lose. He recommended low carb and I cringed. No way, I had been down that road before. Give up my potatoes? Give up my bread? I resisted.

Then I hit the third week of WW and was disappointed with the results. Again. So after talking it over with the Captain (who can eat anything he wants and still maintain, no I don't hate him...much) I did some research on this diet. I was a little bit familiar with it and had tried it once before. But this time I had a plan.

I researched it, got my pantry and refrigerator cleaned out and even had a party with all of the foods I love before I started. Yeah, that menu was balanced. Chocolate, pasta and Funyuns. No wonder I needed help. But here we are a week into this and I am a believer.

I can't believe how good I feel. I am coming to the end of the first week of induction which is pretty restrictive in the amount of carbohydrates I can have, but I don't feel deprived. Mainly because I stocked up on a lot of protein before I started.

The withdrawal was hard, but one of the websites I researched at suggested taking a potassium supplement and it worked. The withdrawal symptoms have seemed non existent. I promise to keep you guys posted on my success. For the first time in a long time I feel like I am back in control, and for an OCD control freak that is a really good feeling.

The Pages I Was Between This Month

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

In September I got my read on. For those of you in the know, I love to read and was able to spend some quality time with my kindle.

Here is my book list from the last month.

Next month it's going to be my turn to offer up the bookhungry read. I have been revisiting some of my favorite titles in the hopes of finding something awesome to offer. One set of books that I read a couple of years ago was Kathryn Shay's Hidden Cove Firefighting Trilogy. I was so happy when she started putting her back list in ebook format. I immediately went to Amazon and bought these three up for my kindle. I had to re-read them immediately. Great news; they stood the test of time. After the Fire, On The Line and Nothing More to Lose. Right now you can get them on Amazon for $2.99/$3.99/$3.99 each. If you haven't read them; go and get them right now. I promise you won't be disappointed.

The next selection of books I read was the first two books in the Stepp Sister Trilogy. Getting What you Want and Wanting What You Get. The first one wasn't so impressive, but I did enjoy the second one. I haven't decided if I want to invest in the third one yet.

After a discussion with a good friend, I found myself going back for another re-read. This one was Susan Mallery's Tempted. Love this one too! This is the last in a four book series. I liked all of the books, but the last one of the series just stayed with me.

I checked out Heaven Is For Real, a book that I am still thinking about now, but am unsure of my final thoughts.

As a huge Day Leclaire fan I am currently downloading and reading her back list books. This month I took on Shotgun Marriage and Long Lost Bride.

I found a new author this month that I had never read before. Jaci Burton. I took in her Dare to Love which I found enjoyable. She has a series that I am hoping to get to next month or at least before the end of the year. So many books; so little time.

I rounded out the month with some Christmas stories. I know, I know, it's not time for the holidays yet. But I found some good ones really inexpensive so I decided to check them out. Shannon Stacey is a new author that I discovered at the beginning of July, I picked up two of her holiday novella's. Holiday Spark's and In the Spirit. I also picked up one of Jaci Burton's holiday novella's All She Wants for Christmas.

So check back next month and I'm hoping to have some new reads to offer up.

From one generation to the next...

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a pretty big deal in the family. One of our youngest members was baptized.

To be honest I haven't really thought about what that could mean to a child because I don't have any.

I was born into a Catholic family and my baptism happened when I was two months old as the first part of the sacrament of initiation. I have no remembrance of my baptism. Not like that of Confirmation and Holy Communion.

Here's a peek of me on that day. See how cute I was. That's me in the while dress.

On Saturday my niece followed in these footsteps. Kylie was baptized. She is almost three years old. A lot older than I was when it happened to me.

I don't know what her thoughts were on Saturday. Other than the fact that she got to spiff up in a pretty dress with shiny shoes. Of course afterwards, there was a party in her honor with cake and gifts.

I guess the good news of her being older is that she will have a memory of today. Or at least I think she will. I have memories of that age, so I am assuming she will as well She did look pretty fantastic and I have to admit I was impressed with her shoes. Of course I have a pair that are very similar. But I think her expression is priceless. It truly says she knows she is in for a long, long (sigh)...long day.

Blogger Help

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have lately noticed that I can not embed videos in blogger.

I didn't have any problems when I was working in the "old" blogger. But this new version, while sleek, seems to not want to work the way the old one did.

I am frustrated.

So if any of you have any suggestions on how I can embed videos better, please offer them up.

Don't misunderstand. I can upload videos from my computer, but I don't have the ability to embed them from other sources.

Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

Meet Gracie Lou

2011-09-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

Lately I have been a little morose due to the loss of our beloved cat, Rocky.

But I have a bunch of reasons to be happy and not sad.

And here is one of them. She makes me smile every single day! As you can see she is not quiet at all. She loves to talk to me.

So say hello to Gracie Lou.

Do you Diary?

2011-09-28T08:16:00.001-05:00

Do you diary?

In all of my life I have never felt compelled to write about my day. Which is odd to me. After all of this time I wonder why that is. I mean I can wax poetic about storms, or even about great books that I've read. Yet, in all that time I've never felt the need to turn my musings inward and examine myself that way. All that changed in the beginning of September when I decided that for a year I'm going to journal. So far, so good. Yeah, I know it's only been a month but it's not as hard to keep up as I had originally thought.

Something to be happy about.

It's definitely not as hard as blogging everyday because I don't have to be politically correct when I look inward. If the Captain's been a little less than his stellar self, I can be honest there. After all it's for no one's eyes but my own.

The biggest thing that I realized is that journaling is very cathartic. And it has really helped me work through some trying times. As I said before, September has been a sad month for us here. But, last night the Captain pointed out that even though its been hard, my rallying skills are getting better. I can only contribute that to being able to let it all out between the pages.

Each evening I take twenty minutes to clear my thoughts before I put pen to paper or in this case fingers to keyboard. Plus, I've given myself permission to write whatever I want while including pictures, stickers and other fun things that gives it a decided kellified look.

So what's next you ask? I think I need a theme song.

Welcome to Paradise

2011-09-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

I want to take another cruise. Mainly because we had so much fun the first time we went. But this past weekend as I was confined to the kindle, I discovered a place that I really want to visit.

Because I like to be completely honest, when I don't feel well I normally reach for a re-read. I always go for something that I have previously read and loved because when I don't feel good I don't want to have to think about what I'm reading. Go ahead, read that again, I promise it does make sense.

So one of the books I have read over and over again takes place on an island in the Caribbean called St. Barts. Honestly, I always thought it was a made up island. Sadly, geography must leave me the older I get because I swear when I was a kid I was good at it.

This weekend, after reading the book, AGAIN, I decided to look this place up. And to my forever amazement, it exists.

So of course the next step was for me to see if I could find an all inclusive or a cruise line that visits here.

I was successful.

So now I want to plan another trip. I think I could get the Captain on board if we hadn't already been talking about taking an all inclusive trip to the Dominican Republic this spring. The difference in the cost is significant, but in all fairness the trip to the Dominican is flying to one destination and that's it. The cruise, as you can see by the picture I have attached, would give us the ability to visit six ports.

SIX!

I haven't figured out how I am going to get him on board yet, but I am working on it. After all, I'm not getting any younger and I want to see new places every time we leave home. To me, what is the point of seeing the same places over and over? I need to get my travel on. And, I am not getting any younger.

Have you ever been inspired to visit somewhere based on a read?

Back In the Saddle Again

2011-09-26T10:01:00.000-05:00

The month of September has been a trying month. We dealt with some personal loss and then last week on top of that I got a nasty sinus infection. But great news came my way on Friday (thanks Patty!) and I got to spend the weekend in bed with the hubs. See, silver lining.

So I'm officially back. (Applause. Applause. Applause.) Really, the applause isn't necessary. Yes, I know you missed me. I missed you too. No, I did. Really.

I don't have anything to offer up today in the way of entertainment, but I will be back in full swing tomorrow.

In the meantime, tell me what new shows you are loving?

Growing Up is Hard to Watch

2011-09-20T08:28:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, I had one of those crap moments. You know the one...

"Damn, I'm old"

Yesterday one of my favorite people had a birthday. And for the entire day I told myself he turned 19. I was wrong. He turned 20. He is also currently serving in the Unites States Air Force.

Now to put this into perspective for you I have know Bubba since the beginning. And yes he hates that nickname. But for me he will always be our Bubba.

I met his folks when we were stationed in Alaska. His mother and I are were very close. Still are. Our friendship has seen us through some ups and downs. But he was a light for me and the Captain.

Where we were stationed at there was only one fast food restaurant. A Mickey D's. He loved it. I could get him all riled up by just popping in and asking if he wanted to go. He would laugh, he had the best laugh. And he would run around the living room for me to catch him in order to get him into his layers so we could go outside. After all it was Alaska.

The Captain had a brand new black Jeep Comanche and Bubba loved that truck. It was the only one like it on the Island so whenever he saw it he knew we were close. He also loved "driving" it. So we would get into the truck and he would climb on my lap and "drive" us to the restaurant. He would giggle every time "he" put the truck into gear.

This has been one of my most cherished memories.

And as I learned yesterday, one of his.

Totally made my day!

Hope you had the time of your life

2011-09-19T08:29:00.001-05:00

Picture was taken 091611

Today's going to be a quiet day for me.

Well, the whole weekend really was.

Saturday was the day we said good bye to Rocky. Even now as I write this I can feel the emotions rising to the surface. My throat is getting thicker and my sadness is pushing at the back of my eyes in an effort to get out.

It has been a sad weekend here in the Breakey house.

My only consolation is he is no longer in any pain and he I am positive my Gram was waiting for him.

Goodbye sweet Rocky, I'm already miss you so much.

TGIF: Things that make me go hmmmmmm

2011-09-16T09:15:00.003-05:00

Self Portrait Celebrating Friday

It's Friday and I am rejoicing. I swear, at least on the inside. I know you are looking at the self portrait I have attached and thinking to yourself: "Girl, you need to get out more." Or less, depending on your perspective. I think I went a little heavy on the eyeliner.

Just so you know I have been waiting for this day to get here all week.

Sometimes on Friday I find myself wondering why the world is the way it is. Go figure.

For example, why does Friday always, and I mean ALWAYS come after Thursday? Because I don't know if you've noticed this, sometimes Thursday resembles the date from hell. Usually a blind one at that. He takes his own sweet time showing up. What's that all about? And once he arrives, he settles in like he's planning on spending the night. I don't think so. By the time you do get rid of this guy, you're so stressed out you can't even enjoy Friday. Well, at least not until 5:00.

These are things I wonder about.

I don't know why we can't get the days of the week to mix themselves up. You know, one week it could go Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And the next week maybe Monday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It would definitely keep me on my toes.

I wonder if I should write my Congressmen about this?

Something to think about.

If you'r not here in 15 minutes, you can find a new best friend.

2011-09-15T08:39:00.000-05:00

Last night after everything finally quieted down and I was all done with my awesome massage (Thank you Tommy!) I decided I was in the mood to be carried away and since there is not a grain of Calgon in this house I decided to use movies as my escape.

They are really good for this. And really good for me. Especially when you pick movies from your childhood. The ones that take you back to a time and place that you remember with sweet nostalgia. By the way if I ever invent a perfume that is what I am going to call it. Sweet Nostalgia. Hello, Sweet Honesty has already been spoken for.

So last night, after my exhausting day was finally over, I snuggled up with the Captain and we zipped back to the 80's through a few of our favorite flicks. By the time we had worked through two of them we were both mellow and relaxed. It was just the kind of evening everyone needs to reset their clocks. We each selected one of our favs and laughed ourselves silly. Something that has been sorely lacking in our house this week.

As you can tell by the photos I uploaded we settled on Caddyshack and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. If it had been up to you and yours to select for us, which two movies would we have been watching? Enquiring minds want to know!

Do you do it?

2011-09-14T09:02:00.001-05:00

As most of you know I attended a funeral yesterday.

The service was tailor made for my friend.

Two of her favorite singers performed two of her favorite songs. To say the singing was angelic is not testament to the fact I was in a place of worship. This gal's voice soared and would give Celine Dion a run for her money. Okay, Celine isn't really a good example, but you get my point.

The pastor quoted scripture directly from my friends personal bible. Passages that she herself had underlined and dated, frozen in that specific moment in time. I found it lovely how she had just as many sticky notes, notes in the margins and pieces of paper jammed between the pages of her bible. You can take the educator out of the classroom but you can't take the educator out of the educator.

Afterward as we made our way home and the sun was shining through the clouds drying the tears that had somehow leaked during the service, I found myself thinking of all of the good works she had been know to do and the turn out of people she had at her visitation and funeral service. I'd seen fewer people at rock concerts.

Well, it made me question why I had stopped my service of volunteerism. When I was in the Navy I had been very involved with the Red Cross chapters at the bases where I was stationed. I was certified to teach CPR and conducted this class once a month.

I also volunteered for a navy program called Saturday Scholars. We went to the schools on base and worked with kids who were having difficulty in subjects as tutors. It was a fun and rewarding experience. Working in conjunction with the teachers to get these students excited about school.

I think I want to get back to that. Find something I can be passionate about now and dedicate some time to it. I have been revisiting going back to the Red Cross and even volunteering as a Guardian At Lit. I am doing some research right now to see what would be the best fit for me and my time. I don't have a lot of it, but I would like to make the most of what I do have.

Any suggestions?

A kangaroo walked into a bar...

2011-09-13T08:31:00.001-05:00

I have decided to take a walkabout.

For those who don't know what that is let me explain. A walkabout refers to a rite of passage in which you undergo a journey where you live in the wilderness while communing with nature and getting in touch with your spiritual side. (I may or may not have just adjusted this definition to suit my own needs today.)

Now, I know what you are thinking.

What you talkin' bout? (I just heard that in Gary Coleman's voice too.)

Seems I need to spend some time communing with nature and getting in touch with said spiritual side.

Again.

So, in the true tradition of my people. No wait, that's the Aborigine and I'm Irish. If I was following in the true path of my ancestors it would include a couple of pints of Guinness and no walk in the woods. Well, I guess they could have had a walkabout in the woods after they consumed too many pints. Hey, I might be on to something here.

I can just go to the Irish pub here. Have a couple of pints, wonder around for awhile and hope that divine inspiration will strike. Wait! It just did.

There are no bathrooms in the wilderness. Okay, that settles that. I will just stick to the pub and the pints. That's right, pints. Plural. I guess if I take the long way back and forth to the ladies room that could kind of count as a walkabout? Right? Maybe?

Hey, it's my spiritual journey.

Today Angels Walk Among Us

2011-09-12T06:25:00.000-05:00

You know I really like it when days start out all bright and shiny and Saturday was a great example of that.

As the morning lent itself to afternoon we learned news that saddened us greatly.

On Friday afternoon a friend passed away. She was 53 years old and after less than a year from diagnosis, lost her battle with cancer.

Karen Farr was married to my co-worker and good friend, Houston Farr, Jr. for almost 33 years. They were a lovely couple to witness. Still very much in love and enjoying their lives, the kind of couple you strive to be after that many years together. Still able to find enjoyment and so obvious in their delight with each other.

Karen was a teacher and influenced many lives. She worked for the same school system for 31 years and passed her love of education to her two children who are both college graduates. Something she took great pride in.

She was a bright light that extinguished far before she should have and is remembered and survived by her loving family. Her husband Houston; her children, Allen and Kristen and their spouses Ashley and Trey. Her brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles.

Sadly, she will be laid to rest tomorrow afternoon. There is no way for me to convey to my friend how my heart hurts for him and his children today. Nothing I can do to alleviate the sadness that will permeate the very fabric of their spirits in her absence. It is my hope that they find some comfort in knowing she was surely granted her wings upon her entrance into heaven.

It was my privilege to know her. Rest in peace Karen, rest in peace.

Always Remember

2011-09-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Can you believe Sunday marks the tenth anniversary of 9/11?

Me either.

Recently I took part in a discussion where a friend mentioned she hated that they referred to it as an anniversary. In her opinion this was the wrong word. An anniversary is something you want to remember. Something to celebrate. Something to find joy in.

I don't know.

I didn't have an answer for her at that moment. In retrospect I guess my silence was my answer.

The morning of September 11, 2001 I had a dental appointment and got to work late. When I arrived at the office the first tower had just been hit. I heard it on my car radio as I pulled into the parking lot. I remember thinking it must have been a joke. The guys on this particular radio station liked to pull practical jokes and while it wasn't in good taste, I still assumed that's all it was.

It wasn't.

I remember going in and the silence that greeted me. Everyone had gathered around the desk of one of the girls in the back because she was a news junkie and had it steaming to her computer when the announcement was first made.

My boss had not arrived yet that morning. He was scheduled for an outpatient procedure and when I got his wife on the phone she insisted we close the office and come to their home to watch the TV coverage.

I can remember the quiet of her house as we all sat around the TV and witnessed the first and then the second tower collapse. The gross magnitude of what we were bearing witness to was not truly comprehensible to any of us.

Around two that afternoon I finally decided to head home. No business had been conducted that day. In fact I think it is safe to say no work was done that day across the world. All I wanted to do was go home and hug my husband.

I remember getting home and waking up the Captain. He had been working nights and hadn't gotten to bed until about 7:00 that morning. Luckily we had turned off his cell phone and unplugged the house phone so he wouldn't be disturbed. When he heard the news he was dumbfounded. We parked ourselves in front of the TV and watched the coverage into the wee hours of the morning praying that survivors would be found. Praying for the families of the lost. Praying for peace.

Of course we stayed close to each other because we needed to ensure the other was safe and sound. Tragedy has a way of making you realize what you have and appreciating it a little more. As we snuggled together in bed that night I remember him whispering to me, "I went to sleep this morning and all was right in the world, when I woke there was only terror and I didn't even know it until I turned on the TV."

September 11 of this year marks the 10th anniversary of that horrific day. It falls on a Sunday. I find a little bit of peace in that. I think that's the Catholic in me. We plan to spend the morning on the water communing with the fish. There is peace in that for us. Remembering, talking and getting a little lost in thought. I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect and remember.

Wishing on my lucky charms

2011-09-08T08:01:00.002-05:00

Did you hear the squealing coming from my part of the world yesterday?

Yes, it was loud.

That was me wussing out as I tried to give Rocky his fluids. Remember, it involved needles?

I think it was hurting me way more than it was hurting him. Finally he just gave up on me. I think if he could have taken the needle in his own palm and stuck himself he would have done it. That really would have worked for me.

So I get to try again today.

I don't know if I have enough wine in the house for this. I mean, for after. Because believe me, I will need it.

I'm thinking we need to go to the vet and get another crash course in how to do this. The Captain missed the first one so he totally wouldn't do it.

Wish me luck.

I need a Calgon Moment.

2011-09-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

It seems as if the only things I have been reading lately involve cats and grubs. No the two are not connected. Or at least I don't think they are. Crap, now I have to go and look that up.

This weekend I'm hoping to find some me down time and spend it reading. I have a bunch of stuff on my to TBR list but am feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. I guess I need help. Tell me what your reading and if its not on the depressing-as-hell side, maybe it will give me an idea where to start.

If all else fails I will do a re-read, but I'm hoping to find something new to get lost in.

Tomorrow starts my new scheduled with the little one that's sick. I have to start giving him subcutaneous fluids. This should be fun. Did I mention it involves needles? Did I mention I hate needles? Well it does, and I do. If you hear whimpering, don't worry, it's just me. Sympathy is appreciated. Hey, don't judge me.

When MIA doesn't mean Missing In Action

2011-09-06T15:57:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends:

Yes it really is me. I know, I know. Where have I been? Well, I have been dealing with a very sick little cat. As you guys know; or maybe you didn't, Rocky was diagnosed with Feline CRF. In layman's terms it means his kidney's are giving out.

So I haven't really been missing in action so much as I have been on My Intermission Away. (Applause sign lights up.)

I've had a very difficult time coming to terms with this and it has made my on-line presence seem unimportant as of late. Or at least for the time being.

Obviously we are trying to spend as much time with him as we can since we are sure his time is limited to days and not necessarily months now.

I thought it would be easier this way. The knowing that he is going to be leaving us soon, but I can honestly tell you that's just a big load of BS. The knowing has not helped. Or at least it hasn't helped me. I think it would almost be better if we had just woken up one morning, noticed something was amiss and taken him to the vet only to find out that he was already in the final stage.

But no, I have to be a conscientious pet owner and take my cats in regularly. Of course we diagnosed it early. Unfortunately, we can't cure it. He will die of this disease and there is nothing I can do.

Frustration anyone?

I will try to pop in from time to time and maybe even make an appearance on twitter. I know ALERT my twitterati. They will be so thrilled.

"Dammit, this is me smiling." Rocky after a long photo shoot.

And if you pray, say one for Rocky.

Adding a little bling to the blog

2011-08-22T09:05:00.000-05:00

Last week I created a favicon for my blog. How do you like it?

What is a favicon you ask?

Really?

Okay, I didn't know what they were before last week either, but lets pretend I did.

It's like adding a little something-something extra to the blog. Making your brand that much more recognizable.

See up there in the address line of my blog. You should see a little KB preceding the address. That's a favicon.

I stumbled across a post for a web design site talking about key components to your site. The favicon was one of the things I had never heard about. But I started to play with the idea of creating my own. I knew what they were because I had seem them all over the web but had no idea what they were called.

After some more fun research ~~and begging, pleading and bribing IT Guy~~ I stumbled upon a site that offered up a way to create one for free. And you know I love me some free stuff.

So now the question is; do you like it? Chances are you would never have noticed it had I not pointed it out, but lets just pretend you did notice it. Is the KB pretty clear? Do you think the colors are good? Just a little feedback so I can get it tweaked.

Also just an FYI. If you decide to play around with a favicon and add one to your blog it takes a couple of days for it to show up after you have uploaded it. Originally I thought I had done something wrong until I learned that it can take sometimes two or three days for the favicon to show up.

Bookhungy: Needed a Saltwater Fix

2011-08-18T09:22:00.002-05:00

Bookhungry spent this month on the high seas.

Our selection come from Ms. Karla Nellenbach over at The Last Word

We reviewed Tawna Fenske's debut novel Making Waves.

I spent a Saturday reading this delicious tale about a crew of dysfunctional pirates, a crazy cook and one quirky heroine.

The blurb from amazon reads as follows:

She always wanted to belong...just not to a dysfunctional pirate crew

Juli has trouble fitting in, though she'd prefer to keep the reasons to herself. But when she mistakenly stows away on a ship of misfit corporate castoffs, her own secrets become the least of her concerns.

He knows plotting a diamond heist may be considered unusual behavior...

But Alex isn't feeling very normal when his unscrupulous boss kicks him to the curb. Meeting Juli doesn't do much to restore normalcy to Alex's life either, but it sure is exhilarating!
As Alex and Juli bare their secrets-and a whole lot more-they find that while normal is nice, weird can be wonderful.

This book was a satisfying read from start to finish. Kind of like watching a hurricane name Juli run roughshod over an unsuspecting man on a mission. The plot of this book was original and the hilarity that ensures is sure to keep you laughing through the entire story.

A funny thing happened to Juli on her way to spread her Uncle's ashes. Yep, that's a good way to start this review. Add in a wacky rendition of the Newlywed Game, an allergic reaction to some seasickness medication, a couple of pirates a boat loaded with diamonds and you got yourself a madcap laugh-yourself-silly story that only Tawna could tell.

But don't take my word for it...read it for yourself. This is one read you don't want to miss.

Sometimes it's the little things

2011-08-17T09:24:00.000-05:00

A few months ago when we were in Miami I found a magazine that I fell in love with.

It's called Olive.

I had desperately wanted to get myself a subscription to this magazine but since it's a British publication was having a difficult time. At least until I found it on Amazon. The only problem was they wanted $134.00 for a one year subscription.

Yes, really.

Hello, I didn't like the magazine that much!

So imagine my surprise last night as I was pursuing the internet looking for fun and funky new apps when I stumbled across a magazine app that allows me to buy my favorites in a digital format.

And they offered Olive.

O.M.G.

Guess what I am doing today? I am taking a much needed day off to lounge by the pool and catch up on my magazine reading. No only was I able to buy a new yearly subscription but, I was also able to purchase back copies of the magazine as well.

In case your wondering the app is Zinio and it's free (one of my favorite words when it comes to apps). The subscriptions aren't. I'm okay with that though, because if I could I would have purchased the printed version. This way I save some money and make my carbon footprint just a little bit smaller. God, I love technology.

Happy Birthday BookHungry

2011-08-16T09:30:00.003-05:00

This month BookHungry turns One. Okay it was technically last month as we formed the book club in July of last year. But since our first review was in August I'm going with August.

How cool is that?

A year ago during a twitterfest session with some of my favorite tweeps an idea was born. It was quite brilliant in its simplicity. We enjoyed sharing we all loved to read so why not start a book club. Of course this book club wouldn't be your normal type.

We weren't going to take turns hosting dinner or debating over who should bring the wine. In fact I had never met any of the other book club literary lovers since we all cover different areas of the United States there was definitely a challenge here.

But one we were willing to rise to.

And rise we did.

Through emails and blogs we have managed to "meet" to discuss our selections and debate what we did or didn't like about each title. And let me tell you it has been interesting. Every month a new member brings their selection to the table. We read and discuss and every third Thursday of the month we post our review via our own blogs.

But last night we introduced a game changer. And I think it was appropriate that it happened now. Right when we are turning a year old, growing and changing. We conference called with each other and this months book selection author. It was awesome. The best part was after this months author left the line the Bookhungry ladies stayed on the call for another thirty minutes just chatting.

I for one am hoping this becomes part of our monthly norm. I realize we won't always be able to have said book author join us, but after last night we're sure gonna try.

So Happy Birthday BookHungry and thank you to all the ladies of Bookhungry. You give me something to look forward to each and every month.

Going the Distance

2011-08-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

I had a conversation with a lovely young women that has met that special someone. She is in love. For years she has been asking me how did I know? When I met the Captain, how did I know he was the one?

Like any smart women I went with the standard patent answer; you just do.

Because really, that is how it worked.

She laughed. And went on to explain why that couldn't possibly be the right answer. First of all there had to be something that attracted me to him? Well duh, of course there was. His chiseled good looks. Those electric eyes that look like blue flames when he is in an amorous mood. That smoking hot body. That's right I said it, boy's butt is so tight you can bounce a quarter off it.

Too much information?

Seriously, it wasn't just his good looks that convinced me he was the man of my dreams. The one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Quite simply, it was how I felt in his company. That magic, make-my-heart-beat-at-the-speed-of-light-think-I-could-fly feeling that started that day some twenty years ago and has never left.

Then she asked if I knew why I was one of the lucky ones. Lucky ones? What? You know, how some women are lucky enough to find that one person they are meant to spend the rest of their lives with? How did I get to be one of those women? Honestly, I don't consider myself lucky. I consider myself a hard worker and lets be clear here, marriage is the hardest job you'll ever have.

Recently another friend said if she had met her husband later in life and not when she was twenty, she doesn't know if she would have been so courageous to have leaped. Me, I think I agreed for about a minute. Then I remembered that no one has ever loved, challenged, encouraged, infuriated, supported and exhilarated me all at the same time quite like the Captain has.

And in the end love is ALWAYS worth the risk.

Something to sink your teeth into

2011-08-12T13:32:00.000-05:00

Today I had a dental appointment. I had to get a crown delivered.

Why do they say it that way? And by they I mean everyone in my dentist's office.

Receptionist at dentist office, "Good Morning Ms. Breakey, I see your here for your crown delivery."

That's a little freaky for me. Your taking out the temporary and installing the permanent one. How are you delivering anything during this process? And if you are delivering something during this process how come I'm the one in all the pain?

These are the things I ponder.

And it does hurt.

Okay the deliver part didn't actually hurt. Doh, now they have me doing it. No while I was in there getting delivery of one I had to have two more teeth prepped for another delivery. Or would that be deliveries? No clue.

They shaved the teeth down and let me look at them. I really wish I could delete that visual from my brain. It totally grossed me out. I will have dreams that this is how I now look, I know it.

Then I got a look at the instruments on the tray. Some of that stuff was more intimidating than what my gyno uses. Seriously.

By the way if this write up doesn't make sense I have a perfectly good explanation. I'm on pain meds.

Whipped into a frenzy

2011-08-11T08:41:00.000-05:00

Life seems to be moving at the speed of light lately.

And I gotta tell you I don't like it.

I'm the kinda gal who likes to stop and smell the roses but at the rate in which things are going I don't even recognize the roses lately. Instead I have been wearing the rose scented perfume. Yeah, its a little like cheating. But it makes me feel better.

Monday night we had a hellish storm come rolling through. There was lightning dancing across the sky and water was being dumped on us at a rate that was reminiscent with the water falls I had experienced in Jamaica. It was stunning to watch from the inside of our home.

But like foreplay the best part of the storm was right before.

The sky started to darken and the clouds started to rise. There were flashes of light high up in the tops, in the lightest part. I watched as the palm trees started to sway to music only mother nature could provide and only they could hear. As the pace started to increase and the clouds changed their direction, diving away from each other and rolling out like dark ominous waves about to crash down on us, I couldn't help but stand right there and watch.

It was amazing and it was beautiful. Reminding me of how small I really am. Then the rain started lashing out as if to say, "you idiots, get into the house" and the lighting streaks were no longer shooting up toward the heavens but snaking down toward the ground. We were directly in their path. Finally we listened and headed into the house.

But right before we closed the door I could have swore I smelled...no it wasn't roses. But that would have been ironic huh? No instead, I smelled the grass as it started to drink the rain. One of my favorite smells. Reminds me why I love summer so much. Who needs roses anyway?

Cheer me up Charlie

2011-08-09T08:19:00.002-05:00

Because he makes me smile. Every. Time.

It has been decided. When I die I want to come back as one of my cats. They have the perfect life. And quite frankly, I am jealous.

This is Charlie...and he is taking his afternoon Siesta. He does it every day at the same time and in the same place.

Jealous, right?

Getting my Read on!

2011-08-05T07:50:00.003-05:00

Today's Friday and I am sooooooooooooooo glad.

This week has been super-crazy-busy-nuts! That should really be capitalized. But I am just too tired to worry about it.

Work has been gangbuster. Things are starting to pick up which is good news for the company but means that I am burning my candle at both ends. And let me just say that I am pretty entertaining when my hair catches fire, not when my nether regions do. Let's just say; it ain't pretty.

There are like 100 things on NetFlix I want to be streaming to my TV and watching but I am too busy for that right now and by the time I have the time to watch it NetFlix will no longer be offering these title for stream. Wait, did that make sense? Whatever...too tired to worry that as well.

I have about 1000 books in my TBR pile that keeps getting bigger and bigger and the time I get to spend with said pile keeps getting smaller and smaller. Of course my TBR pile is actually all of the titles that I have downloaded to my kindle but have yet to read.

Yes people 1000 is a large number and I have many interest and diverse taste in subjects and authors so when I say 1000 I mean 42. I know this because I counted. Good God, when I am going to find the time to read 42 books that I am sure will have grown before the end of the day because something else will have snared my attention.

So this weekend I'm thinking it's going to be all about me. I am going to spend some quality time alone. Hanging by the pool with my kindle and reading. I am going to finish at least three books this weekend or hurt myself trying.

Wish me luck.

I'll never see a bicycle the same

2011-08-04T07:26:00.001-05:00

Here's what I got for video Thursday.

Say what you will...but this was pretty amazing even using spotters.

I can't even dance in sync with my hip hop abs DVD. No way in hell could I ever do this.

AquaPalooza was AquaFabulous

2011-08-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Saturday we spent the day on the boat.

Gasp! Shock!

I know. You can't believe that I spent a whole day out on the water.

Anyway, this is a story I want to share with you guys...but I think I want to do it in pictures.

So here they go.

It was a great day. Okay, the hamburgers they served were a little to raw for me, but Nae' liked them.

That's what friends are for...

2011-08-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've started a new tradition.

I like tradition. I'm a big fan. Every year at Thanksgiving we fry our turkey. And at Christmas time I put up four trees and no that is not excessive. When the Captain has a birthday he gets to wear a crown. Come on, I have to let him be king for at least a day. For my birthday every year the Captain treats me to a wonderful lunch at my favorite restaurant.

See, tradition. I like them. So now lets talk about my new one.

From now on; instead of buying gifts for my girlfriends when their birthdays roll around I'm doing something out of the ordinary. I'm buying a gift for myself.

Blows. Your. Mind. Right?

I know what your thinking. This could be a new trend and I always wanted to be a trend-setter.

At the end of July Muffy had a birthday. She turned 27. Again. I wrote about it here.

Since I posted I received the shoes and here is what they look like on.

Pretty smokin' hot don'tcha think? Yeah, they kill but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do for this look.

Well yesterday; another friend had a birthday. Angie...I think she turned 30. Again.

So in honor of her birthday I decided to celebrate with another pair of shoes for myself. See, tradition. I'm loving this new idea.

Here is what they look like.

Yeah, I like these too. So Happy Birthday Angie. Hope it was a good one and just know that every time I wear these...well I'll just be looking hot, hot, hot.

And I just love that.

This is one you'll Flip for...

2011-07-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while something happens and you ask yourself a question.

Why?

That happened to me last night.

The new version of blogger decided to un-follow me from all the blogs I had been following.

Every. Single. One.

This in turn forced me to find a solution to the problem. Yes, I could have just run back and re-followed every blog I had previously been un-followed from. And don't get me wrong I did immediately do that with a few. The ones that were currently stuck in my head. But I realized that could take all night.

Instead I got on my trusty iPad and started playing around with an app I already downloaded called Flipboard. I liked this app before yesterday, but after my mini-melt down last night I think I kicked like to the curb and fell head over heels in love. With an app no less.

As a self proclaimed tech loving geek I feel no shame in admitting this.

Here's the description from the iPad store:

Flipboard is a fast, beautiful way to flip through the news, photos, videos, and updates your friends are sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, Flickr, and Instagram. See your social media in a magazine layout that is easy to scan and fun to read. Catch up on the latest stories, videos and posts from popular publications and people such as National Geographic, The New Yorker, Wired, Rolling Stone, Oprah, Forbes, Robert Scoble, and Brain Pickings' Maria Popova. Share articles and photos, comment on posts, and like or favorite anything. Customize your Flipboard with sections created from your favorite news, people, blogs, and topics.

Your Flipboard is everything you care about in one place. It's your magazine. It's your Flipboard.

And keep in mind. This one is Free! If you have an iPad and don't have this app go and get it now. If you don't have an iPad...um, sorry.

I was able to go back and through Google Reader add most of the blogs I was following and now I can browse the content in a much more streamlined and cleaner way. Plus I caught some postings I had missed the first time around and yes I can even comment form this app. The downsize is it doesn't show me following your blog; but I just wanted all of you to know I'm still here and I'm still reading your stuff.

Thinking Thursday...see if this one doesn't make you go hmmm...

2011-07-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

As you know on Thursday I like to give you guys some fantastic video's to look at.

Okay, maybe I don't do it every Thursday. So what if I not always consistent. That's what keeps you guys coming back. My blog is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get. (In case you didn't know I totally ripped that line off. Scandalous.)

Anyway, yesterday, as I was surfing the tweets of my twitterati I stumbled upon one from @THansenWrites. It blew my mind. Seriously. With a capital S.

No, don't take my word for it. Just go ahead and watch it.

I'll wait.

\

How freaking cool is that and where can I get mine?

After watching this...what would you "print"???

Stuck between a wedge and a muffintop

2011-07-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

I was spending some quality time in the office this weekend.

Well I had to get my monitors installed. Not for work. So I can play the shoe sites against each other while I am shopping. I like to save money while I add to my shoe collection. Shhh.

Today is Muffintopmommy's birthday. She turned 27.

Again.

I think this is like the fifth or sixth time. I can't keep track. Hell, I can't keep track of how many times I turned 27, so no way am I trying to keep up with hers. That is too exhausting. Kind of like when you want to stuff your fat butt into a pair of too tight jeans and have to use a clothes hanger to pull the zipper up. E-X-H-A-U-S-T-I-N-G. You know who you are. And yes we've all done it.

Well since today is her birthday and we are going to out to celebrate tonight. No, not me and Muffy, me and the Captain. In all actuality I have never met Janet AKA muffintopmommy. Although she did come to Pensacola one time not too long ago. She even had the nerve-the nerve I tell you-to ask me for directions to Destin, never once inviting me for a drink or anything.

Bitch.

I couldn't have went even if she asked. I was doing something that weekend.

No, I can't remember what it was now. But I am sure I was really busy.

What were we talking about?

Oh, yes. So this weekend in honor of my friend turning 27.

Again.

I went shoe shopping. Well, DSW did send me a coupon and I had like another $15.00 in free money to use on their site. What's a girl to do. Me? I bought shoes. (Aren't they fabulous?) Plus I got a great free tote out of the deal.

So here's to you Muffy-wherever you are-and just know; tonight I will be strutting my stuff in my new shoes as we head out for dinner and drinks in your honor. Okay, I may tell the Captain that tonight is your birthday or, I may not. If I was a couple of years younger, and by that I mean 21, I would beer bong a couple just for you. Since that is a big no-can-do my little muffintop friend, I feel like I am going to drown, how's about I just promise to lift a can in your honor?

Happy Birthday!

PS: I did buy more than one pair of shoes. I. Just. Couldn't. Help. Myself.

Reading...it does a body good

2011-07-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

Recently I have been acquainting myself with GoodReads. If you are not familiar with it, this site is for people who love to read.

When I was first introduced to it I thought, "Oh, no. Not another networking site." But this weekend I spent some time going through it and was pleasantly surprised. Yes it is another networking site, but this one connects me directly with peeps who like to read the sames types of titles I do. Plus through some fancy footwork I stumbled across some stories I now want to go back and re-read. And it allows me to keep track of what I have read and when.

Here's my question. Am I supposed to log in every book? Because I've gotta tell you that could take a long, long, looooooong time. I am a book slut. If I were a homeless person my sign would say, "Will work for books." Okay, I'm not proud, I would work for money, but it would all go to books. I can't imagine a world without them.

Of course I used to be a proponent of only the written word and not the digital one. I clearly remember when the Kindle first came out. I scoffed at the idea of an e-reader. Puh-leeze. No way was I giving up my beloved books. The feel, the smell of the paper, the sound of a new spine when it was opened for the first time. For me these things were almost orgasmic. I said ALMOST.

But then something funny happened. I got a Kindle as a gift.

It was one of those unfortunate situations you find yourself in when you are presented with something you swore-on a stack of books no less-that you would never own. I would not be drawn to the dark side. Along with the kindle itself I was also presented with a prepacked amazon gift card. Enough to get me started. That was what the devil said, "Enough to get you started." No, the devil didn't give me the gift, but he was the hand that orchestrated my downfall. Of this I am sure.

So there I was, practically forced to the computer so I could register my new device and purchase the first of many, many, many, and I mean many, e-books. It was like a drug.

One that I now have no intention of ever giving up. Not only does my kindle take up less space, but I can actually see the words without squinting or using my glasses. But that wasn't the most important thing to me. I travel a lot. And when I did I carried books in my overnight bag. Packed in my suitcase, even in my purse. Inevitably I would stop in a bookstore no matter where I was because I knew I didn't have enough to get me home. Ergo, the drug reference. Once I got my Kindle up and running, I realized I could take books with me wherever I went and they took up less space than my day-timer. Don't worry, I finally went digital with that too.

I swear I had a point when I started this rambling. Oh, yeah, I know. Do I seriously have to go back and enter every book I have ever read into this website? It could take years. Literally.

Are you on GoodReads? If so come and find me so we can be friends. I want to see what you're reading.

Three really is a charm

2011-07-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Last week I was supposed to get my three monitors set up.

I didn't.

I needed a special video card or some such do-thingy that I didn't have. Instead I had to wait another whole week while said do-thingy was ordered and delivered.

It came on Friday!

Whoo-hoo.

I was so psyched I couldn't wait for the Captain to get home and get it installed. Well, I did wait. So I guess that statement is a little misleading. I mean, I didn't want to install it myself and since only the two of us live here (as much as I beg IT Guy, he won't move in). I hate the hardware part of computers. I'm much better with the software.

So Friday night the time arrived and the Captain did his job. In the fairness of full disclosure I should admit that by the time he did get to it, I no longer cared that he was doing said install. I was working my way through a bottle of wine and I was closer to the bottom of the bottle than the top.

When he finished and couldn't make it work I called IT Guy who was MIA. I had to wait until Saturday to get my three beauty's running right. Not that the Captain didn't do a good job. The computer could see the new monitor, it just wasn't recognizing it as part of my desk top.

Don't worry. Don't anybody panic. It's all working just fine now. And see, I have the picture to prove it.

The side monitors are looking a little bright here because I haven't tweaked my settings, but overall I am really happy with this new set-up. Plus it was about 1:30 AM Sunday morning when the I took the picture, that's why the room is so dark.

So what did you do on Saturday or should I say Sunday morning?

Yeah, its Friday...so what?

2011-07-22T09:38:00.001-05:00

Today is Friday and all I got it...Thank you God!

Have a great weekend everybody!

I searched for a video to express how I feel and I couldn't find one. So since I want to get the party started and was in the mood for a little teenage dream I am pulling this one out of the archives.

Or at least I was until I found out the video was no longer available. What the f...?

I didn't think Friday could suck, boy was I wrong.

So I have the music turned up really loud and Darren Criss is singing teenage dream...unfortunately I can't share with you guys today.

From me to you...hope your Friday is fairing a little better.

Book Hungry...I'm on a different diet

2011-07-21T09:11:00.000-05:00

Today I am supposed to be telling you about this months read.

I'm not gonna do that.

My Gram always said if you didn't have anything nice to say you shouldn't say anything at all. And since I don't want to bash any books because I love to read I'm keeping these lips firmly clamped. Well not really, but you get where I'm going. I was disappointed, but not surprised that this book didn't resonate with me. So go check out the other book hungry reviews for this month.

Instead I'll tell you I've been reading like crazy this month. I just found a new author that I'm really enjoying. Shannon Stacey. Well, new to me. Her Kowalski trilogy is a new favorite. I liked all three and they each would stand alone really well, but I love authors who write big families. Especially when they do them well and Stacey does them well. She is working on the next three from this family and I. Can't. Wait.

I discovered Marie Force last year and more of her books are being released in e-book format. Good news for me, not so good for my credit card. I just finished another trilogy about Ganstt Island and am now working on True North.

With Lifetime's release of Nora Robert's Carnal Innocence I found myself going and re-reading that one again too. I have the paperback, hardback and e-book. I am a Nora junkie. No help needed, thank you.

Catherine Mann had a new book come out this month called Cover Me. I'm saving that one for this weekend. Sitting in the pool on my float with my kindle. *Happy Sigh* Best way to spend the day. Ever!

Julie James is another recent discovery. And I was finally able to download Practice Makes Perfect. This was her first book and I enjoyed it as much as the others.

I did step out of my comfort zone to read Bad Taste in Boys by my twitter friend and undead spice sista Carrie Harris. I enjoyed the book, even though I am not a zombie loving girl. I would never have read this on my own, and honestly bought the book to support Carrie. Bonus for me that I enjoyed it.

I sucked down a couple of Maureen Child books, one was new and one, an older book re-released in e-book format. That is the one thing I love about my kindle. Books that I read years ago are being re-released and sold.

I cut my teeth on Harlequin and Silhouette books. I wish they would release all of the older ones and sell them for like a dollar or two. There are definitely books I would love to go back and re-read. Why haven't they thought of this?

So that's my reading list for this month and there are still a couple of weeks left. What are you reading right now?

Reasons to be sad

2011-07-20T09:15:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I got some pretty bad news.

Rocky, my "oldest" has been diagnosed with kidney disease.

I'm heartbroken. He has been with us since he was a kitten and found by a co-worker in a box in a Wal-mart parking lot.

I just don't have it in me to try and be happy today. I don't have it in me to be perky today. All I really want to do is curl up with him and pet him and tell him everything is going to be alright. Only it's not going to be. His is pretty advanced and while the vet didn't give us a timeline, we had to make some changes to his diet immediately. I can pretty much tell you I will be spending my weekend researching this to see what we can do to prolong his life.

At some point yesterday I had a friend say to me, "He's a cat." As if the fact that he is only a pet should have made me feel better. It didn't. He's my cat. He has lived with me for 13 years and has been a trusted friend. When I worked outside of the home he would meet me at the door everyday and tell me about his day as I headed into my room to change into comfy clothes. His purr has quieted over the years going from a jet engine type of sound to a softer motor-boat putting around the bay, but when it is time to say good-bye to him it will be hard.

I am not going to spend the time left fixating on the fact that he won't always be here because that was inevitable anyway. I am going to make sure I enjoy the moments we do have left and spend as much quality time with his as I can.

A Birthdays a good excuse for a Mojito

2011-07-19T08:28:00.003-05:00

Saturday was my birthday.

Another year has sped on by.

Where does the time go?

In true Breakey tradition we decided to stay in. Okay, decided is not the right word. We were more or less held hostage by the Captains Job and the Rain.

Since he pulled call he had to hang close to home plus it rained solid for two days. My grass is really happy this week.

It didn't turn out to be too bad. I got to spend a couple of days getting lost in someone else's stories, which is always fun. I finished the Kowalki books by Shannon Stacey. And I loved all three of them. She has a knack for dialogue that I am totally envious of. Magic Penis and all. (You would have to read the books to get the inference. But they were good.)

Saturday night we stayed in and had cocktails. We had some friends stop over but they left before the cocktails got started. I made up some of my now famous Mojito's. Well, they're famous to me. I think I have become pretty good at mixing these little darlings up.

Here's the recipe in case you want to give it a go.

1/2 can club soda

1 lime squeezed

Dark rum (to taste)

Sugar

Mint Leaves

Mottle the mint leaves in the bottom of a glass with a teaspoon of sugar. You can use more if you like them sweeter. Add the lime juice. Add the rum. I prefer the dark rum just because I like the taste better, but if you were to ask a Mojito Master, they would tell you that they are made with white rum. Don't get me wrong, those are good too. But when you are in the comfort of your own home you can do it however you want. You should use about a shot or more if you want them stronger. I think my Gram would have called that a jigger. Add some ice to the glass and pour about a half of the can of club soda over. Taste and adjust accordingly. Oh, yeah and enjoy!

How'd you spend your weekend?

More Cloudy Days

2011-07-18T07:32:00.001-05:00

The week after July 4th we took some time off. Vacation was lovely, and necessary. Before I took the time off I was cruising the blogs and stumbled across one of my favorites. Lenny's World. He did a post on clouds which if you are so inclined you can find here.

Lenny is one of my favorite bloggers because of his shiny personality and upbeat take on life.

In his post he talked about how clouds can inspire us. Sometimes revealing themselves in ways that constantly surprise.

I found myself intrigued. And then I found myself wondering when the last time I had stopped to look up and check out the clouds. It had been awhile. So, me being me, I decided to accept Mr. Lenny Lee's challenge and spend some time chasing clouds on my vacation.

Let me tell you it was definitely the week for it. We had perfect weather and even better...perfect cloud formations.

Here are a couple that caught my attention.

We took a day to go have lunch and we did it via our boat. The Captain told me we could go to one of my favorite restaurants for fish sandwiches. The first pic here looked like a wolf to me and reminded me of when I was a child and got lost in The Call of the Wild, one of my favorite stories from when I was a child. Do you see it?

As we made our way back from lunch and moved through Perdido Key I watched as the cloud formation changed as the wind kicked up. As we rounded back toward the bay the cloud changed and this was what it looked like.

This reminds me of a chicken and upon seeing it I could here my Grandmother's voice telling me the story of Chicken Little. It seemed appropriate as I was looking at the sky and that story was about the sky falling.

The last one that I am offering up is another one that I snapped as we were moving through Perdido. At the time I didn't recognize the formation as looking like a fish. It wasn't until after I uploaded the photo's that I noticed this one. Since I was on the water when I took the photo it seemed serendipitous.

So in honor of my friend Lenny Lee I hope you all enjoy this posting. What messages have the clouds sent to you?

In Florida we know how to Make Waves

2011-07-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

I know what your thinking. Not another book contest.

Okay, it' not another book contest.

Yes it is.

I know, I should make up my mind, right?

Anyway, another tweeter that I stalk, Ms. Tawna Fenske and her first book Making Waves is coming out August 1, 2011. Those in the know, and by that I mean the folks that follow Tawna via her blog and twitter are all a ga ga over this book. We have been waiting a very long time.

When Alex Bradshaw's unscrupulous boss kicks him to the curb after 20 faithful years as an executive with the world's largest shipping company, he sets out to reclaim his dignity and his pension. Assembling a team of fellow corporate castoffs, he sails to the Caribbean to intercept an illegal diamond shipment. None of them counted on quirky blonde stowaway Juli Flynn, who has a perplexing array of talents, a few big secrets, and an intoxicating romantic chemistry with Alex...

In honor of her book debut, our book club, BookHungry is going to be reading this one as our August selection and blogging about it on August 18. Yes, shameless plug for the ladies of BookHungry. In my defense they are an awesome bunch, so no, I don't feel bad. We are always looking for new members so if you are interested just email us at bookhungry@googlegroups.com and we can send you the info on how to meet and discuss interesting and diverse books. We choose one selection monthly and everyone is welcome.

But I digress. I am bad about that sometimes. (Shut up Karla.)

Anyway I am looking forward to Tawna's first book and know that it will be an instant success, probably shooting straight to the top of the New York Times Best Sellers. But before that happens I want to offer a couple of copies for a give-away. Rules are simple. In the comment section you have to share your very own Making Waves story.

We don't care what they entail, just share. A beach moment with the kids. A boating memory with your hubs that may or may not include a bottle of wine, a faulty anchor...er wait, that's my story. Just share something humorous below.

Make them dark or funny because this month I am letting my hater-sister, AKA sourpuss and not Ms. Marshmallow Momma, Karla Nellenbach select a winner. Don't even go and think she's doing me some sort of favor here. I will most definitely have to buy her a copy of the book as well. She is always holding me hostage that way. Heads up: she is hard to please and loves drama. Contest closes on August 1, 2011 which just happens to coincide with the release date of the book.

Good luck and thanks for allowing me to feed your need to read!

When ever you call me gets new meaning.

2011-07-14T07:36:00.003-05:00

It's Thursday already and this week is flying by.

For serious, am I glad about that.

Today's posting is me sending a great big cosmic shout out to tweeps who make my day. You know who you are. But since not everyone else does...I am sharing.

Abby Mumford whom you can find here and here.

Yesterday sucked for me, but Abby found a way to make my day when she tweeted this...

.@kbreakey on book clubs: "I love that at any time during a given month we are all lost in the same world. There is comfort in that." #AMEN

She wasn't the only one who made my day either.

Karla? Karla? Are you in the house? By the by, you can find her here and here.

YOU had to know I would mention this. Ms. SourPuss who never has a nice thing to say to me sucked up yesterday and not in a little way. She sucked up big. She needs me. Oh, I always new it would happen, and now it finally did. She needs my *cough* computer expertise. And she asked so nicely. Well as nicely as she can. It took me a little while to respond. Mainly because I was basking. But she elevated me from "biotch" to "friend". I swear the sun was shining directly on my head yesterday. Either that or I am in a coma and this really is all a dream.

Anyway, thanks ladies for dragging my ass out of the doldrums yesterday and making it, at least a bearable one. And for the rest of you...if your not following them, why the hell not? Hit them up on their blogs and twitter. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Thank God today isn't Monday

2011-07-13T10:01:00.001-05:00

Well this morning has started off horribly wrong.

My computer for work is not working. Well how are you blogging? I had to log into my laptop to post this today since I am pretty sure I won't have access to anything until my IT guru gets here this afternoon. Yep, the husband did have to work today and I, unfortunately, have to wait until this afternoon to get some help in this department.

Makes me miss the days when all I had to do was pick up a phone and call IT.

How I miss those days.

So if I don't get to say hello to you guys on twitter today. Know I am here in spirit.

Happy BTIB release day!

2011-07-11T08:02:00.001-05:00

My vacation is officially over as well as my social networking silence. Go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief. I know you missed me.

We have a great week ahead of us here on the blog, but first I have to figure out what the hell blogger did while I was gone. Everything has changed and it is totally freaking me out. I really don't like it. Today. Maybe tomorrow I will feel differently.

But since this is a new week I am just going to go with it. And in starting this new week off I need to announce a couple of winners. Yes I said a couple because at the end of the day we had a tie and then an extra one I through in just because. I love giving books away.

Okay so the BTIB giveaway goes to...drum roll please.

Mel Rob and Pokadots1121.

Congratulations.

And just because I love my undead Spice Sister Mummy, I am going to send her a copy too!

Rock on Carrie Harris and Congratulations on you Bad Taste In Boys release day!

Happy 4th of July...Early

2011-07-01T08:02:00.001-05:00

Today is Friday and once this week from hell is officially over I will be on vacation.

We're not going anywhere. Hanging around town with some friends. Going to a few cook-outs this weekend. In fact we have an entire weekend dedicated to cook-outs with Monday's being on the beach followed by an amazing fireworks show that we will have a first row seat to right on the water.

I want to wish all of you a wonderful holiday and find some time during the weekend to remember the men and women who are currently serving our country so we can enjoys these little things like fire works on the 4th of July.

If you haven't entered my BTIB contest yet...get over there an do it.

Also if you have been keeping up with Grace and Harper...Karla finally found a cure to Lazy Writer Syndrome and some relief from her Sucky Writer Disease. She posted yesterday here. Check it out.

In the meantime have a righteous Holiday weekend and know I will be thinking of all you as I while away next week sitting on a beach sipping cocktails and stuffing my face with seafood. Cheers!

Undead Spice Girls Rule

2011-06-30T07:56:00.001-05:00

Happy Thursday.

Below I am sharing a video today that just about cracked me up this morning.

This one is for my Un-Dead Spice Girl Sisters Mummy and Lurchy. You know who you are, but just in case the rest of you don't, I'm talking about @abbymumford and @carrharr. This is my version of what the three of us would look like, of course we wouldn't wear our shirts this way. Don't worry, we would be wearing shirts. We aren't like those Spice Girls. Yeah, and we would be Zombie's...and girls. I think. Check it out.

The things people put on youtube. Have a great day and if you haven't entered my BTIB's contest in honor of @carrharr debut, get your butt over here and do it. Now! Move it! This would be scarier if I looked more like a zombie, right?

This is my dilemna

2011-06-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

I don't know if you guys caught wind last week that I have joined weight watchers.

I have.

That being said, I didn't realize how hard this was going to be. Not the not-eating-bad-things part. The eating all of your points part. This is becoming quite trying for me after only one week back on the program. Here's the thing. Fruits and Veggies are free. And I eat more than I realized when it comes to these.

For example, I love frozen cherries. These are like candy to me. I snack on a couple of ounces every day. Plus I eat an apple every morning for breakfast to go with my yogurt. The yogurt is low on the points spread for a full meal and the fruit is zero. Lunch time finds me having a salad of...that's right, you guessed it veggies. I can use the full fat dressing here b/c I am trying to load down on those points. But by dinner I am trying to find things that will add the points without filling me up so completely that I am uncomfortable before bed.

But I am finding it hard to scrounge up things that I can eat that will keep me in my points range and do it without me wanting to eat the whole gallon of chocolate ice cream.

Any suggestions?

PS This week I have two BBQ's to attend and I am bringing the dessert for each. I am so screwed.