I Heart Deals

It doesn't really seem like there are any good deals out there anymore. The cost of EVERYTHING is going up. So it's really fun when you can find a good deal. Especially clothing for my son. He is growing like a weed and always seems to be sporting high-waters. It's nice when I can go over to Kohl's and find pants on sale for $6. I also happened to find a shirt for $3.60 and another for $7.20. What was even better was that I had a $5 off coupon that I received from the Kohl's email that I subscribe to. (Thanks LK for that suggestion!) So what would have been regularly $72, was only $12.

And speaking of deals, I also love the library. Today I got 3 books, 2 DVDs and a CD. All for free! And one of the books I borrowed was a Suze Orman book about Money... (Thanks for the idea, Amy!) So maybe I'll find more ways to be frugal. I know with the cost of everything going up, I am certainly open to find new ways to save money.

TGIF

First of all, I need to send a little message out to ol' Mother Nature... "Cut it out! We've had enough. You can knock it off with the snow and cold, we're more than ready for Spring. Thank you."

Now that I have that off my chest, I'm very glad it's the weekend. Work was busy this week and a little tense for some. The new VP was in town. He announced some future changes, made hints of cut-backs and more or less left a lot of people feeling a little uneasy about their future with the company. I am hoping that none of these changes or cut-backs include me. But you never know. All I can do is to continue to do my job as best I can and hope for the best. And perhaps dust off the ol' resume just in case...

In some fun news, I got my official engagement ring this week! JB Robinson (sorry Maria...) called Eric on Wednesday and we went over to pick it up. It's beautiful! And it sparkles so nicely... now to pick a date!

The Hamill Camel

I've been reading Dorothy Hamill's book, "A Skating Life" this week. (Checked out of the library of course.) And I just finished it last night. One interesting tidbit I found out was where Dorothy first started skating. She lived in Connecticut, near Greenwich. So one of the closest places to skate was the ice rink at Rye Playland. Many of you might not think that's terribly interesting, but to me and my family, it's kind of neat! My brother and his family live in Rye. And that's where my niece and nephew have taken ice skating lessons. Maybe little Katie will be the next Dorothy...




"A Skating Life" was an interesting book. I only vaguely remember the 1976 Olympics. It wasn't until 1980 that the Olympics really started to mean something to me. But of course we have all heard of Dorothy Hamill. Especially her fun haircut, which was sadly something I could never have with my crazy curly hair.

So I need to thank Robin for her suggestion for my new hobby. It seems that reading has taken up quite a bit of my time this past week! Last night was the first time in I can't remember how long, that I didn't even turn on the computer. I didn't even feel any withdrawals either.

Opening Day and Muscle Relaxants

Today was Red Sox opening day and they won! Can't ask for a better day than that... well, maybe you can. I got a nice prescription for muscle relaxants today. For the last 6 months or so I have been having horrible neck pains. They come on for a few days and then go away. Then they come back. During the last 2 weeks, I've had pretty much constant pain. It was really bad Sunday night in the middle of the night. I felt like a turtle trying to get out of bed in the morning. I was stuck and couldn't get up! But I eventually did and decided it was time to go to the doctor. (With much persuading from friends.) He not only gave me muscle relaxants, but anti-inflammatory pills and 4-weeks of physical therapy. That should be nice, having my insurance covering a twice-weekly neck rub. I sure hope it helps!

The Lake in the Spring, Easter and Diamonds

I had a busy and productive weekend! Aside from major amounts of cleaning, I went to the library, did some shopping, read some books, went to the lake, and had a wonderful Easter dinner with Eric's family. I took the above photo at the lake. Kind of like the spring version of the winter shot I took a few weeks ago. I think I'll take a version for each season and put them in a frame together.

On Easter Sunday, we had a wonderful dinner at Eric's mom's house. The above photo is of the eggs that Eric's niece, Laura, decorated with her Grandma Sheila. They did a very nice job, they are very creative!

This photo shows what a perfect Easter Sunday that Kelsey and Alex had. Kelsey was busy IM-ing her friends while Alex got his fix of the NCAA basketball tournament. You can see Grandma Sheila working hard in the kitchen from the mirror on the wall...

And finally, the news I've been dying to tell. Eric and I are getting married! Here's a photo of the ring. (Well, the 'stand-in'... I get the real ring on Friday, but it's the basically the same, just gold, not silver.) The wedding or elopement or something in between will most likely take place early next Spring. We'll keep you posted!

Happy Easter

I can't believe it's Easter already. This is the earliest Easter in 95 years. The next time it will be on March 23rd? The year 2228. (I'm full of useless information, I know.)

I read a book last night! We went to the library yesterday and I picked up a book called "Last Night at the Lobster." It was a quick read and very interesting. About a group of Red Lobster employees from New England who share their last night at the "Lobster" before the restaurant shuts down. Having worked in the restaurant business for a few years, I could sympathize with the characters and enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look. I didn't realize this when I picked up the book, but the author, Stewart O'Nan, is the co-author of the book "Faithful" that is also written by Stephen King. It's about the 2004 Red Sox when they won the World Series. Both great reads.

The Madness of March and other stuff

Here it is! The display of Wegman's brand tissues. Thanks for guessing everyone! That was fun... maybe I'll do another someday.

In other news, we had a "goodbye" party for our VP today. They had a nice cake (see above) and lots of other treats. He was the first casualty of our company sale. He knew months ago this would most likely happen, so it did not come as a surprise. Although now that things are progressing, many of us are feeling uneasy and wondering what might come next. Hopefully nothing, but you never really know.


The NCAA Basketball fun began today. Several people in our pool still have perfect brackets. (I am not one of them.) But maybe they won't, once the evening games are over.


I'm watching LOST right now and blogging during the commercials. This is the one show I've really gotten into this season. Maybe because it was the only show that was airing new episodes. I think my other favorites (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice) will be back in time for May sweeps.


One more random thing before I end my ramblings for the day. My dog is a sissy. I just wanted to get that out there. She hates it when it rains and refuses to use the bathroom. She tip-toes (or is that tip-paws...) when she goes out on to the wet and muddy yard and then runs back inside without taking care of business. It's a good thing she can hold it for extended periods of time. She does eventually go, as long as I'm with her and forcing her to stand on the wet grass... but I'm kind of a sissy too and don't enjoy it much either. Let's hope the warmer, drier weather gets here soon.

What am I?

Today while shopping, I found an interesting display. I applied a sponge filter in Photoshop to make it a little more "artsy." Can you guess what this is??

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March Madness starts tomorrow! I've gone from hosting a "bragging rights only" bracket contest to an all-out, big-bucks, winner-take-all challenge. Thanks to those who have entered so far. If you don't have your bracket in yet and you'd like to play, you still have time. Or if you know someone who would like to play let me know, I'll send them an invitation. $5 per bracket. 11am tomorrow is the deadline. Good luck everyone!

Photo of the Day

I took a drive around the city during my break today. I thought this was an interesting view. The road was made of brick. And it was quite a hill, although it doesn't look as steep in the photo. I thought the photo deserved to be black and white. The city is very grey now, there are no leaves on the trees and the road is dirty from the salt and sand buildup. The snow has just about melted. You can click on the photo for a bigger view.

I need a hobby.

Ok, it's time. I need something to do. I come home at night and I do the usual things. Eat dinner, clean the house, watch tv, surf the internet. But I don't do anything real useful or exciting. I need a passion! Eric has photography. He spends his spare time creating masterpieces and even makes money from his hobby. Alex loves sports. He spends time drawing logos, writing articles, researching sports. I have nothing. I used to scrapbook. I lost that interest years ago. It was fun, but it's also expensive. Same with rubberstamping. And other crafts. Anyone have any fun ideas for me??

Speaking of hobbies... if anyone wants to play Alex's NCAA pool at CBSSportsline... drop me a note. I'll send you an invite. It's for bragging rights only, no money needed. He loves a good friendly competition. (You need to sign up by Thursday at 11am.)

Kiss Me, I'm Irish

Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day. Or so they say. Some of us are Irish all year round. Happy St Patrick's day to everyone tomorrow! Tonight I made a nice corned beef, cabbage, mashed potato and carrot dinner... and Eric brought the "Half-Moon" cookies for dessert. (Half green of course!)

We had a very nice weekend. It was relaxing and productive all rolled into one. I painted a bathroom, did some shopping, watched a movie with Eric (Beowulf... well, I tried to stay awake!), and I even went to a Northern Lights Candle Party and spent too much money.

It should be an interesting week at work this coming week... The parade is over, so it's back to the normal daily routine. And we will all be wondering what will come of us as our company sale was complete Friday afternoon. Hoping for the best for all!

Bristol Motor Speedway

My parents are down in Bristol, TN this weekend to see the NASCAR race. They took their travel trailer and are staying in a campground right near the speedway. And thankfully, they have internet access! Mom sent me a couple of photos this evening. The top photo is from practice, a photo of the infield. The photo below is Mom posing with Kevin Harvick's car. Looks like they're having a great time!

Happy Pi Day

In honor of "Pi Day" (March 14 aka 3.14), we ate an apple pie. Well, we bought the pie yesterday just because it looked good. But today happens to be the 14th of March. So maybe it's a sign. I don't know, but it was quite tasty! And there's even less of it left since this photo was taken. Yum.

TGIF!

No Butts About It

Yesterday I was watching our morning show during the "Beauty Tips" segment and took notice when the guy was talking about under-eye cream. Much to my surprise, he suggested we use Preparation H to help reduce under-eye puffiness and dark circles. I guess if you think about it, it does "reduce swelling" in other areas, so why not under the eyes too?

I decided to uh, get to the bottom of this by researching it on the internet.

- An article on Maxim.com says this: "Dermatologists agree that Preparation H does the trick. It tightens facial skin by temporarily constricting blood vessels and shrinking under-eye tissue..."

- Seventeen’s magazine Beauty myths and secrets: One of their 17 all-natural beauty secrets is: Preparation H shrinks bags under your eyes.

- The makers of Preparation H say this: Hemorrhoidal tissue and is not meant for the area around the eyes. There is no clinical evidence to support that it reduces eye puffiness.

I guess I should stick to my Avon products!

Team Colors

Alex already had an "SU" inspired room. (These photos were taken pre-Patriots obsession, so there are a few more posters and things here and there now...) Well, he saw a commercial for "Team Color" paint and he had a few ideas for his room and for a "future" room... we went to Home Depot and bought a small can of "SU Blue". Last night we painted the white shelves blue and will re-install them this evening. I think his next room will be a bit more elaborate (and possibly cleaner??) He's already plotting out new designs... Oh, and Go SU! Alex is hoping for an NCAA tournament appearance this year. So you kind of have to win this game today or you're done.

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In other NY news... I am glad that the one time I had to shake Eliot Spitzer's hand, that I thought to use Purell afterwards.

Also, let's hope for warm, sunny weather on Saturday for the 26th Annual Syracuse St Patrick's Parade! (Ok, the forecast so far says 37 and snowy... but what do they know??)

T-minus 13 days to opening day...

Wax-on, Wax-off

Last night, I discovered how easy it was to use the "unlimited downloads" on my Netflix account. For $8.99 a month, I get to have 1 movie out at a time (a DVD mailed to me), but I also get unlimited downloads. I've been going crazy with the DVDs, trying to squeeze in as many as possible in a month. (I got 6 this month.) Then last night as I was searching through the millions of movie titles, deciding what to put in my "queue", I thought I should see what the unlimited downloads was all about. I honestly didn't think my DSL line would work very well for this, but it was great! Alex and I watched "Karate Kid" right from the computer. The movie is able to go full-screen and we could watch it right from my bed. It was quite a comfy set-up! And so simple. It only took a few minutes to set up and it was off and running.


I hadn't seen "Karate Kid" since 1985. I had literally forgotten all about it. It's a fun, innocent movie from the 80s. After the movie, Alex was doing the "crane" move (see photo above) all the way to bed time. Next up is "Karate Kid II". We already watched the preview!

Everyday with Rachael Ray

I love this magazine. It's fun and full of easy, yummy recipes as well as interesting articles. Each issue comes with a 7-day menu planner pull-out. These are the best! They're usually quick and easy recipes. Tonight I am making Mini Ham & Egg casseroles with a side of tomato slices drizzled with olive oil and scallions.

Here's the recipe:

1/4 baguette (cut into small cubes)
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into 12 slices
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of cut-up ham
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
6 large eggs
1/3 lb plum tomatoes, sliced into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 12-cup muffin pan and fill each cup half-way with bread cubes. Top each with a cream cheese slice.

2. In a small sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add ham, scallions and a pinch of pepper. Cool, stirring until the scallions are tender, about 5 min. Stir in the half-and-half and bring just to a simmer before removing from the heat.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and then whisk in the warm, half-and-half mixture. Fill the muffin cups with this mixture and bake until puffed and golden around the edges. Abut 15 min. Run a knife around the edges and invert onto a cooling rack.

4. Drizzle the tomato slices with olive oil, top with scallion greens and season with salt & pepper.

Black Eyes

I had a request for information on the new eye cream that I'm using from Avon. Here's the low-down... I've been using it for 4 days now and don't really notice a difference, but maybe I'm looking too close. I'll keep using it though. Maybe it will be more noticeable soon. If anyone needs an Avon lady, I know of one! (RB knows her too...)

Lighten Up Plus Eye Cream

A light, silky cream formula that significantly reduces the appearance of under eye circles. Delivers vitamins and minerals to help firm and moisturize delicate eye area. Leaves behind skin that looks brighter and healthier. Instantly: Brightens the eye area. In 2 weeks Customers saw: 34% improvement in dark under eye circles. 38% improvement in under eye puffiness.

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Other assorted thoughts:

1. What a complete waste of $42 million. Why does the government need to remind people to get their taxes done on time to get an extra rebate? If they're too lazy/stupid to get their taxes done on time, they don't deserve a rebate. Besides, it's been on every news website, TV newscast, newspaper, etc across the country for weeks.

2. Don't forget to change your clocks tonight! Spring ahead. No more driving home from work in the dark. Not that it was that dark for the last few days, but now it will be full sunshine. Er, not that the sun shines that much here... but at least it will be light.

3. Red Sox opening day is only 17 days away! And 30 days 'til our Spring Break... Yippee!

It's Friday!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so happy it's Friday. It's been a very busy week at work and I'm ready for a break. I have nothing major planned, so I'm looking forward to some nice relaxation.

Last night (before LOST) I made a million spice mini-muffins. They're really just little cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. Several people I work with are having birthdays today, so I was volunteered to make treats. (Actually Sara made me do it, but she's one of the birthday girls, so that's ok... and besides, I forgot to get her coffee yesterday.)

Miscellaneous

I feel like I haven't been blogging much lately. I think my life has hit a wall for blogging. Oh, no, it's true! I'm boring!! Or is it that I have lots going on and I just don't have time to blog. Or maybe I am unable to blog at this time about some things that are going on... Hmmm... Oh, that makes me suddenly mysterious! Heh heh heh...

In the mean time, I do have a few odds and ends that I'd like to brush upon.

1. Good bye, Brett Favre! May you enjoy your retirement. Alex will wear his #4 Packers jersey and his cheesehead hat with pride.

2. Will this political primary season ever end??????

3. I swear I will set up voice mail on my cell phone this time. I promise!! (RB... help!)

4. The CNY snow total count is up to 101.9". We need 10" more to get to the "norm"... can we do it? I think this year I'd like to be below normal, thank you. Congrats to NH for beating us for once!

5. I'm trying out a product from AVON for helping dark circles under the eyes to fade. My AVON lady Sara recommended it. I took a before picture yesterday. I'll take another in a couple of weeks to see if there's any change. I'm skeptical.

6. Welcome back, Tuffy! My parents cat was missing for 2 weeks, and has returned. You can read about her adventure here.

Fone Fun

I got a new cell phone. Well, I got it about a week ago. Then I realized it was a piece of junk. Or at least the one I was sent was a piece of junk. (I'm not having much luck with electronic devices lately!) Anyway, the camera didn't work, the picture was horrible. You couldn't preview the ringtones and the screen was pretty much unreadable. So they sent me a new one, which I got today. I transferred all my numbers tonight. (I hadn't bothered to do this with the other "new" one since I knew it was going back.) I'm hoping this one will last awhile. My other phone lasted 2 years, it was a decent phone. This phone (as all the phones I've ever had) was free, with a 2-year contract.

This is my 3rd time renewing a 2-year contract with what used to be Cingular. I like my plan, it's basic and cheap. Which is all I need. And nobody else offers what I have at the price I have, so I'll stay with Cingular... err AT&T... whatever they are now. They were nice enough to waive the "upgrade" fee after I had problems with the first pink phone. Although, I'm not sure why I had to pay an upgrade fee in the first place, I didn't upgrade. I just signed up for another 2-years.

Signs of Spring

Happy March 1st everybody! It's here, it's really here. Although I did just get back inside from snow blowing the driveway! But it is nice to know it's March 1st and not January 1st. It's warmer out and the sun is getting stronger. In 33 days, it is opening day for the Syracuse Chiefs. Hard to believe the field will be ready, but I guess they know what they're doing. And in 6 weeks, we're heading to Cleveland for a Red Sox game. So I think it is inevitable, spring is on its way. Which in turn will lead to longer, sunnier and warmer days... I can't wait!