Thoughts for Thursday...

1.  Thai Fresh Rolls are very good - and could be my new fixation for days when I'm hungry but don't feel like eating a lot of rice - but still in the mood for something sushi-ish.  I got them today at the Commissary and they were fantastic.  Fresh vegetables (cucumbers, carrots and avacado) wrapped in a vermicelli "paper".  A nice, hoisin pepper sauce for dipping them into...and they were ice cold.  Love, love, loved them.   So I'm passing the recommendation on....

2.  So I just found out today that the 108 Sun Salutations Fundraiser is going to happen this Spring as opposed to this summer -- and I’m just getting back into my yoga groove now.  I took, what - 6 weeks off - and now I’m putting all this pressure on myself to get into shape to be able to complete the full 108 again.  I can't help it, I'm very competitive - especially with myself - and I think out of the 15 of us that participated last year, only 5 of us completed all 108 of them.  It was by far the most physically challenging thing I've done and I was in much better shape this summer than I am now; so I'm really going to be focusing on getting myself in amazing shape to be able to have the upper body strength to do it.  Even though I was in great shape this summer, doing all those one legged pushups had my hamstrings singing to me for two weeks!   But truthfully - yoga impacts your muscles so quickly.  I've been back just one class so far and my arms looked better the next day.  No joke.  A really good, athletic yoga class will refresh that muscle memory like you can't imagine….!

3.  David Archuletta(sp) is the new American Idol.  There, I've said it.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  I can't see anyone, male or female beating him in this.  If they do -- it would really be too bad.  Some really amazing talent on there this season, and I love watching it.  But truthfully, he should win.  Just this girls opinion…

4.  I am really bummed that the Sox aren't on NESN tonight.  They're doing a split squad game, sort of a double header against BC & Northeastern.  Unfortunately, untelevised.  I sort of had been planning my television watching schedule around it.  However, the good news is they are on tomorrow night against the Twins.  Can. Not. Wait.  How funny was it when they were at the White House yesterday?  Say what you want about politics, it's such an honor to meet the President of the United States.  Regardless of what you think of a person's views you've got to respect the individual holding the office -and realize it's a job just like anything else; it should never be personal.  And I’m sorry, I've got to say it -- how handsome was Jason?!?!?  Sigh….

5.  Boston is seemingly becoming Hollywood East.  And you know what, I'm really digging that.  There's plans for a new studio to maybe be built in South Weymouth -- and you know, it just makes it possible for a girl like myself to never let go of the dream.

I'm a Barbie girl in a Barbie World...life in plastic - it's fantastic!

So, the other day I was playing with my daughter and all of her Barbies.  She's only 3.5 yrs old - and already has about 12 Barbie dolls.  It's interesting, when I was young I might have only had one or two real Barbie dolls; they were very expensive and so I more often than not had the generic versions.  But who knew, right?  They're all perfect little people and I was just as thrilled with them as I was with any other trademark brand.  But I digress....

As I was saying, we were playing Barbies with her Barbie Dream House - that ugh, takes up 3/4 of her room might I add.  Which got me thinking as to all the different reasons why it would be fun to be a Barbie.  I thought I'd share a few…

The Barbie Dream House:  Um, hello - have you seen that thing?  So not the Dream House from when I was a little girl.  It's a flipping town house, and about the size of a real life one!  The door bell rings, the stove works, the toilet flushes -- there's a washer and dryer in the unit! Three levels, and I'm sorry -- food!  Wine glasses, cakes, pizza - just to name a few.  And she's got a bedroom that is more like a boudoir with those really fun tuille canopies that ties off on each side.  If only she had a good sound system with a little jazz playing and high definition television and an inground pool with an outdoor grill and fireplace it would be perfect!  Moving on...

Barbie's Vehicles:  Where else can a girl have a Pink Corvette, and still look hot?   Between the Corvette, the Horse Drawn Carriage (because what, Barbie doesn't feel like a Princess every now and again??), the Hot Tub Barbie Bus (where she and all the other hot dolls get to hang out), the Beach Jammer, the Jammin' Jeep -- she has got it all.  Who wouldn't be envious of that?

Fashion Sense:  Barbie is the only girl that can wear teensy tiny short skirts - and not fear anyone calling her a tramp or any other negative name.  And let's be honest, she looks adorable no matter what she wears!  Barbie has the best girly clothes, the best workout gear, and hello -- her shoes are nothing short of spectacular.  Her boots - to die for.  And, it all fits her perfectly.  Have you seen her hamstrings?  She clearly is the more athletic Barbie of the Millenium than the skinny minnie dolls I grew up with ; sure they had a great chest, but really were lacking in the leg area.  And let's be honest, a good pair of gams make any skirt and high boots look amazing.

The best hair...ever.  I finally figured out why Barbie looks good, no matter how ratty her hair gets after a child has gotten a hold of it.  You can twist it, twirl it - cut it even - and she looks gorgeous.  You know why?  Barbie doesn't need bangs.  Even when she has them - they're almost an accessory - she doesn’t need them.  She's got a perfect little forehead which makes her hair look amazing no matter what funky hair style you give her.  Which is quite a challenge for those of us who are, um....working with an eight-head instead of a forehead.  Yes, I guess I am a little bitter about that one....

Ken who?  Ken, schmen.  Who needs 'em.  Barbie is clearly entirely self sufficient, maintaining several positions as either a ballet teacher or dog walker - maybe even an early education teacher playing with Elmo.  Which leaves her plenty of money and time to hang out with her friends -- go shopping, take yoga - do whatever.  Without having to answer to anyone about anything!  I bet you that at some point, Barbie is going to come out with her own line of adopted children!  Angelina Jolie has been the pioneer in the world of adoption with out a Daddy - I can so see Barbie jumping on that bandwagon!   She's high speed, low drag.  When you're a girl that looks like Barbie, and has the attitude that Barbie has -- men just bring you down. 

And on that note…this very "un-Barbie" like real girl, is going to put some lip gloss on and prepare to go get herself a smoothie for lunch.

Ahhh but it's fun to dream….!

Academy Awards: Part Two

Okay. So I was very frustrated because my DVR cut off the Academy Awards in the middle of the "Best Actor" montage.
AAAgh.

I had to Google and find out who won for "Best Actor" and "Best Picture". I should've known, the Oscars always run over three hours - I should've set my DVR for 4. I hate when that happens! But here's the thing...it seems that I truly didn't miss too much. There were very few spectacular Oscar moments up to that point, outside of seeing "Best Actress" being awarded. Interestingly enough, I thought this particular Oscars show was a little...uneventful? Blasé even...?

I do know this much, there were some seemingly great movies nominated this year -- and I am definitely looking forward to watching them. Some years, the movies are just okay. Some years they are all really amazing. While two years ago I thought all of the movies were really outstanding - I actually saw almost all of them prior to the award show and so I was really excited to see who would win; this year, it's going to be a "Monday Morning Quarterback" kind of thing.

A little Oscar "pre-post" talk....Part I

So, I only watched the Oscars up to the Best Supporting Actor last night.  It's on DVR and so I plan to finish it this evening.

However, I did watch two Oscar winning movies throughout the day:  "The Godfather", and "The Departed".  And I also watched some of the Oscar pre-show before watching "The Departed", so while I haven't seen the show in it's entirety I do have some thoughts.  So my first collection of them are as follows:

The dresses:  From what I saw, everyone really called up classic Hollywood glamour.  Amazingly gorgeous.  Truly stunning.  I can't think of one celebrity that I saw where I thought "ewww.  Bad choice…."  Cate Blanchett -- love love love her.  Everything about her.  She's so simple, elegant and understated in what she chooses that she looks impeccable, always.  Jennifer Garner looked spectacular last night as well. 

The Nominees:  Outside of those whom I've seen their previous work, I truly can not comment.  Outside of "Rattitouile" - I saw not one of the nominated films.  But, I'm looking forward to seeing many of them "On Demand".

The host:  I love Jon Stewart's dry sarcasm anyway, and I really thought he did a great job.  The beginning when referring to the Writer's Strike fell a bit flat, but from there on up to the point I shut it off - he did really well.  Very funny.  Looking forward to watching the remainder.

Which brings me to my thoughts on "The Departed".  Truth be told, I didn't love this movie the first time I saw it.  I'm overly critical when it comes to actors forcing Boston accents; that always rubs me the wrong way.  I'd much rather watch a movie set in Boston and have no on speak with an accent, than watching it and having some have one - some not so much - and that really takes me out of a movie.  (Think "Robin Hood" with Kevin Costner.  Everyone else speaks in Olde English -- except Robin Hood. Um, Hello..?!?!).  Boston accents are difficult - even for those of us natives who have spent years perfecting the art of masking it - its difficult to force.  It either comes natural, or it doesn't.  So the first go round of the movie I was having a hard time enjoying it because the accents and forcing of them fell too harsh on my ear and pulled me out of the movie.  But by the second time, I got past it and really enjoyed it. 

Alec Baldwin is such an amazing actor, and one who I think is entirely underappreciated by many audiences.  He steals just about every scene he is ever in - no matter what show it is.  He was also one of my favorite "Inside the Actor's Studio" interviews.   Love him.

Leonardo DiCaprio has grown on me.  Never one of my favorites, it's only been since "The Aviator" that I've really grown to love Leo.  I mean I loved "Titanic" but more so for Kate Winslet He was outstanding in "The Aviator", and really just so good in "The Departed".

Matt Damon.  I have to say, I've loved every movie he's ever done.  One of my all time favorites being "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (with my very favorite character actor Philip Seymour Hoffman -- love love love him!  I cant' stress enough how much I dig PSH.  Loved seeing him in the front row last night!!!)  I always say I'm not a big fan of Matt Damon's but that's not entirely true.  It's just that I don't "dig him" in that girlish ga-ga way.  He's just not my type…

I have to say I love everything Mark Wahlberg does as well.  Though I didn't necessarily think his performance in that movie was Oscar caliber… (sorry Mark!)

And of course, "the Man" Jack Nicholson.  Ever since seeing my all time favorite movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", I can't think of a movie that I haven't loved him in.  Can you???  Because truly, even the "flops" (Witches of Eastwick) - he's just awesome in.

Every time an award show comes on, I still can't help but wonder what my life might've been like had I fully pursued the opportunity - or even if Boston was the "hotbed" for acting that it is today.

And it's Saturday...

I'm fuming at the moment because the guy who plows our driveway is an idiot. I'm sorry - I know that sounds harsh, but...look, we know the driveway is steep. We overlooked the fact that last year he broke the landscape wall going down the drive way. We've overlooked the fact that he continually rips our lawn - and did I mention, practically killed my japanese maple? But last night - was the kicker. Not only did he slam not once - but twice - into the basketball pole, it's now turned and twisted. The lawn is entirely ripped up...he didn't sand - and I can not make it up my driveway. WTF?

Today, the kiddies and I are planning on hitting the pet store. My son's fish - "Mixed up Spidey" (because of course, he was all red, blue and black looking like a mixed up version of Spiderman, naturally!) has moved on to the big fish tank in the sky. So, my daughter is going to pick out a Beta for her room - and my son will get a new one. This is his 3rd one in three years - not too bad actually.

So, I'm blatantly stealing a survey from Nichole, who does these really fun "feasts" on Fridays. I thought it would be fun to do for my Saturday Survey this week!

Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so, what did you do and who was your victim? You know, I try really hard to play jokes on people, but I laugh so hard that I give myself away. I'm sure I've done one that was pretty good, but nothing is coming to mind. In work there's a small group of us who always play "jokes" on each other, but I don't have anything outstanding in my "reportoire" that easily comes to mind.

What do your salt and pepper shakers look like? Well, for every day use - I have those ones you buy packaged at the store that are prefilled and say "salt" and "pepper" on them. Then I have some pretty plain ceramic ones, just for show - on the top of my stove. Then, I have a salt grinder and a pepper grinder - but never use them because ugh, they're just too much work to fill constantly. But the BEST ones I got from my aunt this year as a gift at Christmas. 12 individual mini pairs of salt and pepper shakers, so when I do my big holiday dinners, everyone has their own pair! How fun!! And so very me.... I was more excited about those than some of my other gifts!

Where is the next place you plan to visit? I'm supposed to go for a girls weekend to Eastover for my girlfriend's birthday in May. But as far as places like, out of state - I'm just not sure. Still hoping to do a NYC weekend (Julie??) and I know for sure that either this summer or next spring, a road trip to Hershey Park for the kiddies is going to be planned!

What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands from getting too dry? I am a lotion addict. (Yet another group I need to join..."Hi, I'm Rebecca and I'm addicted to body lotions, body creams, lip glosses and mascara".) It varies, depending on my mood. I've got Victoria's Secret "Love Spell" and "Pure Seduction" on hand, though I just remembered I'm out of "Strawberries & Champagne"; as well as Bath & Body Works "Breathe: Romance". The key is not only do my hands need to be soft - they need to smell pretty too.


Make up a dessert, tell us the ingredients, and give us a name. Peanut Butter, mixed with dark chocolate ganache and layered between a devil's food cake, frosted with peanut butter and chocolate frosting...with shavings of coconut and peanuts on top. Hmm, what to call it? "To die for"...

Just when we thought Spring was around the corner....

So clearly all this Spring Training business has put me out of the
mindset for snow. But truthfully, this morning's snowstorm doesn't look
like it's going to develop into a whole heck of a lot. At least not in
my neck of the woods. I'm still at work - the roads are bare and it's
been snowing off and on since 8. They ("they" being the collective
group of weather forecasters who clearly are never sure of what's going
to happen - boy would I love that job!) said this is a fast moving storm
and with the worst happening between now and 4 pm. Well, it's not
looking all that bad now, so...

I just got the BEST thing at work! A friend at work offered to do a
Dunkin's run - which that in of itself is wonderful, but - he also
brought back a surprise for myself and one of my other friends. He's
given us before these German dark chocolates that have this amazingly
strong Brandy in them. They are called Asbach Uralt - should anyone so
choose to Google them. It took me some time to get used to the liquer
but they are wonderful! They're only sold at holiday times and clearly
- the BX has their Easter candy out. So he surprised my friend and I
each with a box. So, we just "toasted" and drank/ate some chocolates,
and now - I've got myself a nice little buzz. No, not really but it's
just fun to say that I do. The chocolates are delicious and truthfully
I don't think I could ever eat more than two otherwise I would truly
have a good little buzz going.

Quiet weekend planned. I'm hoping to get out on Saturday night for
dinner and drinks with some friends - but not sure how that's going to
develop. Worst case is I'll get some amazing sushi to eat in, right?
And Sunday, I invited a girlfriend and her son over for brunch in the
morning - but I've yet to hear from her either. So I'm sort of up in
the air all around, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'm not going
to mind a fun weekend with the kids with nothing in particular planned.
Sunday, if my girlfriend opts not to come over - then I think I'll take
them to Cracker Barrell for breakfast.

I'm not going to mind a little low drag this weekend to be honest. If I
could just work on the "spring" aspect, I'd be all set....

Think pink....

So yesterday ended up being a very good day, though I wasn't entirely convinced that it was going to be that way when it started.

I had my third follow up for breast cancer yesterday. (Gulp. Even just writing the words is scary.) The first one was a year ago, when I found a lump - which fortunately turned out to be nothing more than a lymph node floating around, and a perfectly healthy one at that. But when they were checking that out, they found an issue of concern on the other side - which they ("they" being the doctors) didn't like the look of. So they wanted to follow up in 5 months, which they did. And it hadn't changed - which was good, but they wanted to follow it up again - just to be safe. That day was yesterday.

You ever wake up in the morning and just not have a good feeling about the day? Well, that was my feeling yesterday. And traditionally, I tend to "go with my gut" because it very rarely lets me down; however, it was hard to determine what was instinctual - or just plain nerves. So, in for the mammogram I went -- and the ultrasound -- and fortunately, it was deemed that this little "whatever it is" is just normal for me. Nothing needs to be biopsied (whew!) and when I tell you the wave of relief that came over me was unbelievable. Almost as good as the news of finding out that the lymph node that I felt was not only not a "lump" - but healthy. To quote the doctor, she said it was the "prettiest lymph node" ever. What a sigh of relief that was, because truly, when the doctors start talking about lymph nodes - that's scarier than thinking about any kind of lump you might find elsewhere. At least to me it is.

And now I can forget about the nagging fear that has been lying in the back of my head.

This girl's feelings on Spring Training thus far....

1. I am so pleased to hear that so far, Manny is "happy being in Boston" and hope to see that last throughout the season -- and into contract negotiations when the time comes. He is by far my favorite player (second to, ahem, the Captain) and I would hate to ever have to think about us playing against him. There is no player that I can think of that would be a comprable replacement for him -- and I truly enjoy watching him play. He's a hard worker (from what I've read, because clearly - I don't know him personally) and I am so looking forward to watching his antics on the bench if NESN shows them like they usually do. Who's better than Manny for making everyone laugh? Nobody....

2. Okay. A little gushing about Jason....great quotes from Terry Francona on how Jason came into camp in amazing conditioning shape - and that's just one of the many reasons why he's the Captain. Leading by example, that is by far one of the best ways to be a leader not just in baseball - but in life in general. Sigh.... Love him.

3. Not digging the media frenzy on the Curt Schilling injury.... What's the deal with trying to paint him in a negative light about this injury/contract deal? Seriously! Enough already. I have to tell you, they build you up just to bring you down. Tough crowd the Boston media is...tough crowd. Speaking of the media, I'm so sick and tired of hearing about Spygate. Give me a break, would you?

And that's really about it; it's been pretty quiet considering - and I just can't wait to see the season start. Wish I could travel to Japan, but you know - I'm just not made of money. But what I wouldn't give for some amazing sushi....!

A long weekend is here...

It's so quiet here at work today.  It's a "family day" which basically means that the government allows it's civilian and military workforce to have a day off.   Us contractors?  Not so lucky.  And here's the issue I have with this.  Our respective companies get paid for "x" amount of days of service - or, hours of service - and so they're already paid for days such as "family days", or unexpected inclement weather days.  But do you think they pass that on to us?  No.  "One team, one fight" doesn't apply when you're a contractor.  And it's not the government's fault necessarily; our companies are paid for this day anyway.  Back in the day, if the base was closed due to inclement weather or something then we were issued an overhead charge number from our respective companies and they paid us out of their overhead account - which made sense due to the fact that the companies were paid for those days anyway.  But now, everyone is in in "cost efficiency" mode and so they think, "hmmm. how can we save money?  Oh, I know!  Let's keep the money that we're alread paid for on days that the government isn't there - and make our employees work rather than affording them the ability to stay home during a blizzard without worrying about getting into a major car crash!  We know the government deems it unsafe and a State of Emergency, but our employees need to use their vacation time for this!"   See how that works?   No, I'm not bitter at all....

 

 

It's "big girl bed" weekend for my little one.  She loves her crib, but truthfully she needs to be in her bed now.  My son was a year younger than her when he went into a bed; and truthfully, it has been easier with her in a crib.  But with her Barbie playhouse in the room - which is about the size of a real life town house - we really need to get her into a bed and re-arrange her room.  Her room is quite small and so it's going to be a challenge.  But it's time...and long overdue.  I'm so ridiculously picky on the bedding I want her to have; I really want this very "shabby chic" kind of floral - but it's got to have the right colors in it, and so I've really been struggling.  It can't be too pink...can't be too green...and it's got to have that really nice cottage blue in it.   So, I'm thinking I'm going to go and see what I can find this weekend.  But the bedroom overhaul has got to happen....

 

 

 

I'm toying with trying acupuncture.  I have so many days of having headaches - I almost have them more frequently than I don't.  Which is really a pain in the "fill in the blank with whatever body part you so choose".   I'm actually recovering today from a headache that came on yesterday morning, and my eyes are just so tired right now.  I have noticed that since I haven't been able to go to yoga now, that my headaches are more frequent and worse than they had been previously.  There's definitely something to be said about what yoga does for you on an overall basis.  I mean, your muscles and joints benefit --as well as clearly your state of mind and center; but I'm noticing my headaches are more severe now.  I'm going to have to go back to taking yoga at night because the late afternoon classes have shifted a half hour which really changes my availability.  Truthfully though, I enjoyed taking it at night better anyway; I slept better - and felt more energized anyway.  But either way, I need to find my way back - hopefully on Sunday and Monday this week.   But I digress...the bottom line is that I am going to try acupuncture because I do believe in holistic medicine and I know that there is truth to acupuncture -- I just need to overcome my overall fear of needles to be able to reap the benefits that it may afford to me in the long run.

 

 

 

So, in an effort to get away fromthe dreadfully quiet office where I'm entirely caught up -- prepare for dinner with my girlfriend Jess and our kids this evening -- think about the bedroom transformation and ease the tension from my eyes -- this girl is going to leave work in a few minutes and hit the mall.  A little Sephora pick me up is just what the doctor has ordered and since I have a balance on my Sephora gift card fromChristmas, I am going to use it!   Hello Lip Fusion mini trio....here I come!

 

 

And in the famous words of Dennis Miller:  "And...I....am.......outta here!"

Top 10 Reasons why Valentine's Day is fun...

10.  I'm such a sucker for romantic cards....

09.  It's a great excuse to wear red, which is such a bold and fun color - and one that should be used sparingly.

08.  On Valentine's Day, calories really don't exist.  Cheesecake, pastries, chocolate -- it's all fair game.

07.  It gives you a day to believe in love.

06.  If you're single -- it's a great day to say "I'm going to love myself!" and do something extra special and indulgent for yourself.

05.  Valentine's Day is a great excuse to go out to dinner..or make a fancy dinner at home!

04.  Kids all over the world are taking chances and telling their "crushes" that they like them.  How fun is that??

03. Chocolate... Dark.  Milk.  Mint.  Caramel.  Peanut butter filled.  Need I say more?

02.  It gives you a good excuse to sip on champagne...or a good prosecco!  Anything with bubbles will work...

01.  And the number one reason why Valentine's Day is fun is..... from here on in, I get to see Jason Varitek every night practically - in high definition, might I add -- as today is the official date of Catchers & PItchers reporting to Spring Training. 

Have a lovely Valentine's Day!

Bla, bla...Blah. It's Rainy Yukky out today...

Your Personality Is

Guardian (SJ) You are sensible, down to earth, and goal oriented. Bottom line, you are good at playing by the rules. You tend to be dominant - and you are a natural leader. You are interested in rules and order. Morals are important to you. A hard worker, you give your all at whatever you do. You're very serious, and people often tell you to lighten up. In love, you tend to take things carefully and slowly. At work, you are suited to almost any career - but you excel in leadership positions. With others, you tend to be polite and formal. As far as looks go, you are traditionally attractive. You take good care of yourself. On weekends, you tend to like to do organized activities. In fact, you often organize them!

The Three Question Personality Test

Must be doing something right....

So, last night I had a phone conversation with a person from "In Style"
magazine.

Seems they called down the store looking for me yesterday morning. When
I found out, I was shocked and awed to say the least. I mean, "Me???
Why would THEY call ME?" was exactly what I said. And so I started
feverishly thinking about the different casting ads I might have
answered, and was one of them for "In Style"? Turns out that's not the
case. However...

They did call because they are doing a coast-to-coast design issue and
they are featuring a high profile and amazing interior designer from
Boston who was kind enough to say some lovely words about our shop! So
glowing in fact, that they called and asked if we could send 3-5 bottles
out today for a photo shoot - along with a writeup and brief description
of each wine and why we'd recommend it as a Springtime selection. They
told me the designer's name, and what puzzles me is that I don't recall
meeting him personally so I'm not sure why my name specifically was
mentioned -- but I'm not complaining! So I said that I would be
thrilled to do so, and to please -- when they speak to this designer --
pass along my personal humble thanks for thinking so highly of us.

Immediately, my creative juices started flowing and I thought to myself
"if only I can impress them with my writeups enough that they'd say
'hey, this girl isn't bad...maybe she can write a little somethin'
somethin' for us occasionally on entertaining...". It's so hard to let
go of the possibility of "if's". "If" I could just get an interview for
NESN maybe I could do on-air work..."If" I could snag an interview for a
radio station I could possibly find my own little talk show..."If" I can
get a good acting audition, I just might "wow" the casting director.
Sigh... A girl can dream, right?

Once the issue is released, I do believe we are going to send this
designer a "thank you" card and a bottle of wine. Never in a million
years could we afford even a text ad in "In Style" - let alone pictures
of our product and by name mentioning in an article. So, while it's
always the goal to be the wine shop that everyone loves -- it's really
just so nice when someone in a position of capability to afford you a
little exposure - is kind enough to do so.

Reversed the Curse!

No, not baseball...
My "baking" curse!

I. CAN. BAKE!

Oh yes, I can. This weekend, I baked from scratch -- oatmeal chocolate
chip cookies, with coconut and peanut butter. (Yes, I thought to
myself, "how many different flavors can I jam into one little cookie and
still have it taste good?") They were soft, and chewy... As Saturday
Night Live would suggest: "like butt-ah".

But the best, were the brownies. They were amazing. Like fudge almost!
So flipping rich I cut them into fudge-like squares. And they were so
easy to make! I'm actually going to make some more and bring them in to
share with my co-workers who have laughed along with me on my
"unsuccessful adventures in baking". I'd also been hoping to make a
pineapple upside down cake (oh yeah, insert choirs of angels singing
HERE) but didn't have time, so I'm thinking that my Valentine's Day gift
to some of my favorite co -workers (very, very short list...) is going
to be some sweets.

Clearly, the Kitchen Aid and I have "come together as one" and have
found each other.
Okay, well maybe not. But I do think I've found my "baking mojo" and
I'm very, very excited about that.
Cake, anyone..?

Things that make you go "Hmmm..?"

It has been a very busy week newswise.

Surprisingly sad news out of the Red Sox camp yesterday regarding Curt Schilling. Although, I have to say -- I had a sneaking suspicion that something wasn't quite right. I read his blog regularly and he's so very good about writing regulary -- and with Spring Training so close around the corner, he hadn't mentioned anything about it. Not a word. Now, does that mean anything? No, of course not - but my "woman's intution" said, "hmmm. I wonder why there's no buildup to the upcoming Spring Training"...and then yesterday the news broke. So, since I'm a Sox fan -- and a Curt Schilling "enthusiast" so to speak -- this news is really so disappointing. It will be interesting to see how things will or won't change now with regards to the pitching rotation come the start of the new season.

Okay, what is with all of these gun-toting crazy folks? Last night, a man shoots up the Mayor and his City Council in Missouri; and today, a student in LA (that would be Louisiana, not Los Angeles) kills two students and then herself. I'm just going to put it out there and say "WTF?". No matter how angry I am at another person - short of them harming my children - I can't think of any reason as to why I'd ever want to kill another human being. Seriously! Cheating on your wife? Get a divorce, don't kill her!!! Lose a lawsuit to the town? Move away! Don't kill them...! Come on now - I'm going to end up going back to my mindset of thinking that anything south of the Carolinas is a third world country!!! (Sorry my Southern friends - I don't really feel that way, it's just a funny "Damn Yankee" comment to say sometimes!)

Former Massachusetts Governor and double talking poll watching flip flop flim flam man -- Mitt Romney -- has dropped out of the Presidential Race. Can I get a resounding "yee-haw!"? (A little "shout out to my Southern friends to make up for the comment previously written..) I was a little nervous there before Super Tuesday thinking he actually stood a shot. Here's the thing. I've got to be honest...I really dug him as Governor. But as Presidential nominee? No thank you. He contradicted just about everything he said he believed in when he was running our state. However, I liked how he was fiscally conservative and he cleaned this state up pretty darn well -- yes, a lot of public programs had to stop for a while. I know that parks closed and other extra niceties went away for a little while. But I look at it this way; medicine often tastes like crap going down - but you sure feel a lot better afterwards. And a lot of the programs did end up coming back. Interesting conversation I had with a careeer drug addict, who's been a user since he was 17 -- and he has been in and out of rehab more times than Jeff Conaway. You know what he had the audacity to say to me? That one of the reasons why he didn't like Mitt Romney is because he closed a lot of the "Free Methadone" clinics. Oh, I'm sorry - no more "free heroin" for you? No more "state supported dependency"? Oh, so sad. I'm sorry - my tax payer dollars should not be used on supporting the drug habits of others. Just this girls humble opinion...

And finally... Yes, it's back to baseball. I'm sorry, but when I heard that Brian McNamara has old gauze pads, and syringes with steroids and Roger Clemens' DNA on them - I was eerily brought back to the days of Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinksy -- with the famous stained blue dress. How disturbing is it to think that he saved these things?!?! (Insert another "WTF" here if you'd like...) Did he know that he was going to have to testify? Did he know that Clemens would deny it and he'd have to exonerate himself with DNA? And if he knew those things...then wouldn't one think that it's almost entrapment on his part? I'm sorry, while I totally believe Brian McNamara - I think it's creepy that he has his own personal DNA collection, as if he's "Dexter"!

Creepy.

Some advice for a snowy, slushy Thursday...

Do one thing every day that scares you.


Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.


Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.


Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. (If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.)


Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.


Stretch.


Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.


Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.


Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.


Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.


Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.


Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.


Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

How does one determine the difference?

This morning, as I was working I received a CNN News update.
Heath Ledger's death was an "accidental" overdose.

How does one determine the difference between an accidental or
intentional overdose? Is it the amount of drugs in the system? Is it
the combinations used? And if it's the combination that is doctor
prescribed - where is the culpability and responsibility of the doctor?
Isn't it their responsibility to ensure that their patients aren't
taking medicines that if accidentally combined, will cause an
"accidental" overdose?

Often, you will hear of accidental overdoses when a person mixes alcohol
and drugs. Who's to say that was truly accidental? I know that Heath
Ledger had everything to live for...and no one saw this coming. But I'm
not entirely convinced that the ruling of accidental overdose is
entirely accurate.

How can one speak to an individual's state of mind - isn't it possible
that maybe someone intentionally mixed or took a combination of the two.
Here's my thing. The following drugs were found in his system in this
"accidental overdose": Oxycodone is a painkiller (Percocet), Hydrocodone
is also known as Vicodin, Diazepam is commonly called Valium, Temazepam
treats anxiety or sleeplessness, Alprazolam is known as Xanax, and
Doxylamine is a sedating antihistamine often used as a sleep aid.

I'm sorry kids. That's an intentional overdose in this girl's mind.

It's Super Tuesday...

And that means if you live in any of the 20 states that have elections
being held today, and you don't vote - then in my mind, your opinion
doesn't count - and you are in no position to voice it.

Harsh? Sure. But here's the thing -- it's your freedom and gift to have
the rights to vote in the presidential election primaries. This is the
very freedom and privelege that others have died for. Soldiers have been
killed bringing that right to a country; and citizens have died for
wanting to have the right that they are deprived of.

You can not voice an opinion on the wars our country are involved in,
the state of health care reform, the environment, pro-life/pro-choice or
any other topic that consumes the life of an average adult American
citizen. Because if you don't take a moment of your day to support a
candidate that might be able to best support your own views of how you
want your America to be -- then I don't want to hear your point of view.
While you may have the legal right to do so - this girl just doesn't
want to hear it.

.....Wow.

Hmmm. And that's really all I have to say about last night's game.

Okay, that's not entirely true.
First of all, I knew it wasn't going to be a good night when I saw the
red hoodie. Red?? Since when does Bill Belicheck not wear his grey
hoodie?
Here's the thing. In my opinion, our defense -which has been suspect
all season - really was ineffective last night. And funny thing is,
last year our defensive line was really not that great; this year it
wasn't as noticeable because our offense was THAT good. But wow, was it
noticeable last night.

"Bend but don't break" worked until the 4th quarter. And then it
snapped in half didn't it. When you think about it, despite how "off"
the offense was last night - and let's be honest, this was not one of
Tom Brady's best games, even when he had coverage to make plays -- the
defense really failed in the 4th quarter.

My rose colored glasses want to say "Yes, but they still went 18-0 and
we know that on any given Sunday things can change!". But that doesn't
erase the fact that this was a major letdown, and what may be considered
the biggest (gulp) "choke" in NFL history.

So it's a sad day in New England...to say the least.
Even chocolate covered peanut butter can't reach the "happy place"
inside today.

Are you ready for some football...?

It's Superbowl Sunday and I can't wait for the game.

Who am I kidding - I can't wait to start watching the pre-game! I've got chili cooking, subs to be picked up...and kiddies in the bathtub waiting to get dressed up in their Patriots gear.

And, I'm curious to see the commercials too...last year there were really no standouts. I really appreciate a good creative mind, so I sort of dig seeing great commercials - although I do feel that there are entirely too many of them during a football game, let alone the Superbowl.

Half time with Tom Petty ought to be good. I really like his music, but he's so low key normally - he's not what I would've expected for a half time show. I have to say I think my favorite to date has been Prince.

Predictions for the final score, well I'm entirely up in the air. It depends on which Eli Manning shows up to the game -- as well as how good our defense is with covering the center. The Jets were probably our most challenging game all season, but then again - we were missing Kyle Brady, Matt LIght and one other player (I forget who actually!). We have more than just our passing game to win (my favorite Laurence Maroney being just one weapon!) and so I really think that we should not have much of an issue today.












But football IS an "any given Sunday" kind of game. While I'd love to say that I think it will be a blow out, never underestimate the underdog. We here in New England should know that better than anyone! So, I'm going to predict a Patriots win - but I'm going to be cautious and say that it's going to be a challenging game - and that while I think we will win, I don't know that it will be a landslide.

Wonder if there's any truth to this...

http://www.livingto100.com/ is a website that has a "calculator" that calculates your life expectancy based upon the answers you give to their lifestyle questions...

Here were my results. Let's hope it's accurate! Of course taking into consideration all of the "what if's" in life...

Yawn...snore....zzzz....

Last night I was watching my latest guilty pleasure show, "Celebrity
Rehab with Dr. Drew Pinsky". I have to tell you -- it's pretty decent.
A sad commentary on celebrity and indulgence, but decent none the less.

Today is definitely one of those "blah" kind of days. The weather isn't
being overly cooperative...and I ate far too much sushi at lunch today,
and while that was entirely delicious -- this sleepy feeling I'm now
surrounded with, is not. Instead of taking yoga today, I'm going to run
all this blah-ness away - hopefully.

Speaking of yoga, l just discovered that my favorite 3:30 - 5 class has
now become a 4 - 5:30 one. Sort of puts a kink in my scheduling, but
I'm going to have to find a way to make that one work. And...the
price went up? Still so very much worth it. I've not been able to go
that much, but life is settling in now that the holidays and vacation
are over -- so I'm thinking February is going to be a good "back in the
groove" kind of month.

Oh, and I got a fun little surprise this morning...my sitter is
pregnant. I can't say anything to anyone else - and since no one who
sees her on a regular basis reads my blog, I can share the news here.
My kids don't even know yet! She's very early on, only 5.5 weeks - so
in the instance of being cautious, we're opting not to tell the kids
until she's a little further along. Wow. She still wants to work when
she has the baby -- bringing he/she with her, and I'm actually okay with
that. A newborn and my daughter who will at that point be 4 - isn't too
terrible. Plus, it will give my little girl who's always "the baby" the
opportunity to be the "bigger" one and get to do a little mothering of
her own. I think it will be a good thing. The downside: wintertime.
Will she really want to drag a warm, happy baby out of the house in the
winter? But, these are the bridges we'll cross as we get to them.
Another little fun upside: I get to have a newborn in the house again -
without having to actually have one myself!!! It will satisfy those
baby pangs I feel once and a while, that's for sure....

The store situation seems to be moving right along... Not exactly sure
where it's at specifically with regards to the licensing and the State -
but we're moving forward. That much I know. I know the builder and
architect are sending me plans shortly for the outside and the shell of
the space itself. So exciting. Last word was that the town wants to
not have it be a "strip mall" or "high tech" looking building, but
something more small townish, which is perfectly fine by me -- I do not
want to be in a strip mall type of place anyway! So they're thinking
something that is a mix of retail and residential looking, possibly with
a farmer's porch of sorts (without the steps up) - and I'm perfectly
fine with that. So not fussy - and I think it's quite charming to have
a wine and cheese boutique in an eclectic looking, quaint space.

A little Red Sox news....they signed Shawn Casey to a 1 year deal, which
I find very interesting - I don't know much about him but I'm going to
assume that he's a defensive-type? Ah yes, and then there's Sunday.
Superbowl Sunday - can't wait. For the first time, I'm actually not
having a big party at my house. Truly I just don't feel up to it. And
I want to really watch the game...because I do really enjoy football.
So, I'll make a pot of chili - and maybe some chicken or whatever and
just relax. But best of all is that after the Superbowl is over, it's
really time to start gearing up for baseball....!

Oh, and one last note...has everyone seen those really smoking pictures
of Tom Brady that have been circulating through the internet? They look
like outtakes from his Stetson ads, and I have to be honest here and
say: "Oh. My. God." He is really very, very handsome.