What's for Dinner? - March

1. TH - Parmesan Chicken Paillards with Cherry Tomato Sauce (Cooking Light 3/07)
2. FR - Roasted Chicken (store bought)
3. SA - Chicken wings (prepared by Mike on our Weber Classic grill)
4. SU - Lemon-Rosemary Chicken, Spicy Steak and Italian Sausage (again, by Mike on the grill)
5. MO - Every Man For Himself (Monday nights involve soccer and karate with little time between for food)
6. TU - Chicken Tacos
7. WE - Crustless Quiche
8. TH - Salmon
9. FR - Crisp-Crusted Tilapia
10. SA - Heavy snacking early afternoon. We spent the evening with our friend, Di, at her Boulder City home.
11. SU - See last Sunday above. It was a delicious repeat.
12. MO - Little Caesar's Pizza for the kids, Smart Ones frozen dinner for Karen. For Mike, who knows. I leave as soon as he gets home.
13. TU - Sesame Ginger Pork Chops
14. WE - Turkey Burgers on whole wheat English muffins
15. TH - Chicken Dijon (the day from hell!)
16. FR - Fair Food - Sam had Chicken Fingers and Fries, Ana had fries and I had a Teriyaki Chicken Sweker at the St. Patrick's Day Festival in Downtown Henderson. Mike? Who knows. He didn't want to come. Then we went to the carnival.
17. SA - Ribs (grilled by Mike)
18. SU - Chicken (grilled by Mike) (Karen's family visiting from Phoenix)
19. MO - Leftovers
20. TU - Chicken Tacos (family here - this feeds a crowd)
21. WE - Pasta toss (clean out the fridge of cold cuts and cheese and throw it in pasta with Olive Oil)
22. TH - Potage Parmentier (fancy French name of Potato & Leek Soup with bacon, more family)
23. FR - 777 Brew Pub at Main Street Station for Happy Hour and the UNLV Rebels v. Oregon Ducks (family again - this was a good family week.)
24. SA - Papa John's Pizza. All the family here and Ana has a soccer game at 7:20pm
25. SU - New York Steak on the grill (Can you tell it's Mike's cooking again?)
26. MO - Little Caesar's for the kids (they paid) and Crustless Quiche for the grown ups (I'm starting to see a pattern)
27. TU - Cornflake Crispy Crusted Tilapia (I altered an earlier recipe. This one was better.)
28. WE - Turkey Burgers on whole wheat English muffins
29. TH - Parmesan Chicken Paillards with Cherry Tomato Sauce (Cooking Light 3/07)
30. FR - Salt and Pepper Salmon, seared on the grill pan and finished under the broiler
31. SA - Rainbow Trout on the outdoor grill. Who can guess whose night it is to cook?

A Sad Day for Ana

Based solely on genetics, I've known for many years that there would come a point where Sam would be taller than Ana. Sam's birthfather was 6 feet tall and was only 16 years old when Sam was born, so who knows how much taller he grew. Alas, Ana's birthfather was 5'9" tall and well into his 20's at the time of Ana's birth.

Today, that day arrived.

She is quite forlorn that her 10 year old brother is now 3/8" taller and she is more than 3 years older.

All I can say is - they're BOTH still shorter than me! I'm sure that won't last much longer either. But I've been expecting it so it won't bother me.

Today's Inspiration

Ability is what you're capable of doing.

Motivation determines what you do.

Attitude determines how well you do it.

Lou Holtz - American Football coach

Not Very Subtle

I very often tease Mike about trying to kill me by way of heart attack because he likes to grill things like ribs and chicken wings on the weekend. Because I am at higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and stroke (to name a few) I'm supposed to eat lean meats. I thought the electrical appliances in the bathtub were not very subtle.

If anyone wants to know WHY they are in the bathtub, you'll have to leave a comment!

First Tuesday

Last night I took the kids to First Tuesday. The first Tuesday of each month, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department opens all of their substations for a community event. Last night we got to climb aboard the big truck with all the cool chemical, biological and other anti-terrorist "toys" in it. Very cool! I was hoping they'd blow stuff up, but no such luck! Maybe when they get the bomb squad is there. Hmmmm........

Dreams? I wish!

You, and you, and you! Get out of my head so I can get some sleep!! All you people, places, events and animals are disturbing my sleep. These are the things I think of at 3 o'clock in the morning. At least in the summer I can watch the ceiling fan turn circles. In the winter it's just a starfish (Patrick?), or a snowflake, or a sheriff made out of a star, or a sheriff's badge, or a .... You see where this takes me. Not to sleepyland. Did I mention Patrick? I'm not a fan of SpongeBob. I like Sandy. She's from Texas, right? I've heard it said you're not a Texan just because you move to Texas. If a cat has kittens and moves them to the oven, they're not biscuits. Mike makes really good biscuits. I shouldn't eat them because they're made with refined flour. I haven't bought myself flowers in a long time.

And so goes the thought process when it's lunch time in Europe.

Aunt Karen? Not Me!

The teacher gave her fifth grade class an assignment: Get their parents to tell them a story with a moral at the end of it. The next day the kids came back and one by one began to tell their stories.

"Tony, do you have a story to share?" "Yes ma'am. My daddy told a story about my Aunt Karen. She was a pilot in Desert Storm and her plane got hit. She had to bail out over enemy territory and all she had was a flask of whiskey, a pistol and a survival knife. She drank the whiskey on the way down so it wouldn't break and then her parachute landed right in the middle of twenty enemy troops. She shot fifteen of them with the gun until she ran out of bullets, killed four more with the knife, till the blade broke, and then she killed the last Iraqi with her bare hands."

"Good Heavens" said the horrified teacher. "What kind of moral did your daddy tell you from this horrible story?"

"Stay the hell away from Aunt Karen when she's drinking."

people i like - in no particular order

Now that I've done things I like - it's time for people I like. Again, in no particular order. It's just how I manage to upload the photos.


My dearest - husband, Mike





My Oldest - daughter Ana, 13





My youngest - son Sam, 10



Debbie, freshly back from the Dominican Republic, where her hair was braided into corn rows. Before she left, while they were in, the girls taking them out and after.




Debbie with our friend Denise. I was so busy getting
pictures of Debbie's braids, I never got Denise alone!

My favorite blonde family: Di holding Audrey, the beautiful princess Audrey and Matt, looking every bit the pirate next to Grant and Sam in the chair.

Most of my favorite young people:
Brendon, Ana, Sam Grant, Dana, Sera and Ethan.

Savage Chickens

This was funny so I stole it from another blog.

There are many more worth reading here.

things i like - in no particular order

Did I say in no particular order?
That may not be completely accurate.




Friday, March 2, 2007 - the show starts at 6:00pm



United Fighting Arts Federation
This is my karate organization.




no more frizzy hair





my latest from Brighton



this smells so good and moisturizes
so well


my favorite CD at the moment



Earl Grey Silver Tips.
Very yummy. Very
expensive - but very
yummy.



Only on special occasions.



Stainless steel - so easy to clean


This is good in the afternoon.
No sugar = No Guilt


My black hat - some say I resemble
Karen Carpenter when I wear it but
since she was anorexic and is now
DEAD...I'm not sure it's a compliment.




Kapalua in Maui - I need to go back.



Levi's - An American Classic.



Madeleines - go well with a Starbucks
coffee.


These are very useful.




This makes me laugh.




fun Italian wine glasses




this will be me soon




Tom Hanks - so talented

I hate ice skating!

This post is inspired by items posted on two other blogs I read regularly.


I hate to ice skate and will NEVER do it again as long as I live!

This time it's real

Notice the green light.
I should be going!

My last photo of a palm tree with snow was stolen off the internet. These two photos were taken right outside my house. It snowed overnight and actually hung around until morning for everyone to see.

The List

A friend "stole" this from another blog. An interesting list of life events. Of course, it has taken forever for me to post since I have to comment on everything!

Green is for "been there, done that"
Red is for "cold day in hell" - and I’m really busy that day!
Blue is for "I’d give that a try"

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid (does the Luxor Las Vegas count?)
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone (not on purpose, but the kids wouldn’t stay out)
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea (makes the ship rock - YUCK!)
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights (I vaguely remember that as a kid)
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa (is there an elevator?)
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg (before they melt. Watch "An Inconvenient Truth")
19. Slept under the stars (Think "poor kids, camper" - we didn’t all fit inside)
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon (France would be a good place to do this)
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight (food was a precious commodity - we didn’t waste it by throwing)
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight (grew up in Montana)
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb (not after seeing the farmer reach in after it!! GROSS!!!)
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run (played baseball one summer - batting average: .000)
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer (what’s a hard drive? Driving seems easy to me)
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk.
42. Had amazing friends (still do!)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales (didn’t set out to, but there they were!)
45. Stolen a sign (that’s illegal!)
46. Backpacked in Europe (okay, suitcases, but still low budget)
47. Taken a road-trip (many times)
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving (a tandem jump would be fun - maybe when I’m 50)
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero (I have a son)
58. Sung karaoke (not in public)
59. Lounged around in bed all day (too boring)
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving (I hate being underwater)
62. Kissed in the rain (Hello!!! Lived in Oregon for more than 20 years)
63. Played in the mud (see comment at #62)
64. Played in the rain (see comment at #62)
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business (bad idea)
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken (married to my love for 20 years)
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class (black belt test is March 2, 2007)
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party (not on purpose - ended up with a German tourist group in France)
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch (did that today)
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice (not even at the Venetian Las Vegas)
80. Gotten a tattoo (gotta get that one past hubby first)
81. Rafted the Snake River (not the Snake, but others)
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas (did this today, too. It’s only 3 miles away just across Eastern Ave)
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date (yeah, but the date lasted 3 days AND I married him)
89. Gone to Thailand (missed my best opportunity when my brother lived there)
90. Bought a house (three of them)
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents (they’re still alive and resist my efforts :) )
93. Been on a cruise ship (three of these, as well)
94. Spoken more than one language fluently (Ig-pay atlin-lay?)
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (Raising)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country (maybe France after the balloon)
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (Driven both ways several times. Walk? Uhh, no!)
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking (daily)
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived (let’s hear it for seatbelts)
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback (I don’t get this one)
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart (every teenager has)
111. Helped an animal give birth (see # 32 above. Eww, Eww, Ewe (this was on purpose)
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone (more than once! OUCH!)
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery (does cutting my foot open and breaking bones count?)
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon (the top is nice)
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents (this used to be a goal but I don’t like the cold-no Antarctica)
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days (this would involve camping)
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Para-sailed (but not in Mexico)
132. Touched a cockroach (I pay someone to KILL them)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author whom you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream (everyday!)
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts (that’s what husbands are for)
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head (no, but I would. It’s just hair and it grows back.)
149. Caused a car accident (been in a few, not my fault, mostly)
150. Saved someone’s life (yes, my beloved, who was choking. REALLY SCARY!)

Not MY Pets!

My pets don't like each other this much! I thought this was funny so here it is for your viewing pleasure.

Too Good to be True

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 31 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

How lucky are the rest of you? More than one of me? Yikes!!!
I "borrowed" this from the blog of my friend Laurie in Oregon. Thanks, Laurie.

Ran the same search for Ana...she's an original!!!

WHATEVER!!

Math

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

I guess all this homeschooling is paying off (even though we're only doing 5th grade math!) At least I'm doing something half way constructive as I sit here at my computer while Sam is behind me doing long division.

Akeelah and the Bee

Just watched Akeelah and the Bee with Sam and Mike. I really enjoyed this movie. I got it from Netlfix because Sam and I talked about it last year when he was in his Middle School Spelling Bee. (Keep in mind that Sam was in the third grade at the time.) I think the best lesson that I was able to share with Sam tonight during this movie is that just because two people of the opposite gender come together, form a close relationship and fulfill a need for each other does not mean they need to be romantically involved. Out of all the wonderful lessons in this movie including overcoming stereotypes, pleasing others instead of achieving something for yourself, accomplishing goals and persevering in the face of great odds, being "good friends" with someone of the opposite gender was the most important point to me.

I'm sick of A/C!!

This weekend the temperature neared 100 degrees on both Saturday and Sunday. It's October in Southern Nevada! My favorite month of the year precisely because it's supposed to be around 80 degrees everyday. I have a real problem with my air conditioner running in October. The alternative, of course, is to be miserable in the heat. Ana and Sam both had soccer games at around 2:00 in the afternoon. Nice and toasty warm! Luckily, there was a nice breeze blowing so it was bearable. The forecast is looking much better for the rest of the week so OFF goes the A/C. I try not to turn the heat on until late December or even January, but since we homeschool and are here all day, we usually have to break down and heat the place. This was Sam last November during school. I broke down (or into my wallet) and turned on the heat. I'll do a post on the first day I have to turn on the heater.

The Devil's Work?

Highly Skilled Air Traffic Controller


My religious training ended too many years ago for me to remember the exact saying but it is something to the effect of "idle hands doing the devil's work." I have decided that YouTube.com is the devil's work. I spend too much idle time watching videos there and what's worse is that so many other people have enough idle time to post videos there. That having been said, this one is my favorite.