One Lucky Girl.

Today marks 11 years of marriage to Boyd.

I'm still not sure if he is the one . . . .

That was a joke.

Sister1 set us up.  She has always been a bit bossy and this was no exception.  She and Ryan were in Watertown for a wedding.  I get a call from her.  "Get your butt over here.  I showed Boyd your senior picture and he seems interested." Ummm . . . awkward and a little creepy.  "Get here NOW."  Okay. Okay.   So, I arrive at the wedding dance with a reinforcement of friends **Because in high school that is how you roll**  So my friends and I danced and I managed to ignore him as much as possible.  Then Sister1 pulls me aside again:  "Get out there and dance with him!"  GOOD LORD!!  Remember me?  I'm your INTROVERTED SISTER!   Somehow this all worked.

I smile whenever I think of our dating time.  It was blissful.  

Boyd is 5 years older than me.   It doesn't seem like a big deal now but flash back to me being 18 and he's 23 - - it was kind of a big deal then.  Boyd had GRADUATED from college and was back in the area for supposedly just the summer.  But then we started dating and he decided to stick around until I was done with high school.   He even went to prom with me.  I was horrified.  NO WAY was I going to ask him to go - I was fine just going with a guy friend.  He finally asked me if I was ever going to ask him to prom.  Embarrassing.  And yet I love him for that.

He smashed my car that I adored - - on date #3.

He writes me love poems.

He made me a necklace that I still have and wear frequently.

He is an average bowler.

He makes me confident in his love for me.

He was, is and always will be faithful.

He is a fabulous dancer.

He laughs at all my hilarious jokes.

He is kind.

He is sort of smart.

Have I mentioned how hot he is?  Or how strong he is?

He encourages me in my crazy endeavors.

He eats all our leftovers.

He claims his "love language" is physical touch.

He loves his family and loves my family.

He is obsessed with the dorkiest of things . . . broncos and paintball.

He gives fabulous back rubs - - not to mention awesome hugs.

His handwriting looks like a 2nd grader's.

He is always up for an adventure.

***

Okay. Okay.  I will stop.  I am making myself gag a little bit.

I was warned that having an anniversary on December 30th would be a tough one to celebrate and it is -but at the same time, it is kind of nice.  It rounds out the year.  No matter how tough the year may have been . . . . our anniversary lets it end on a good note.

I am one lucky girl.

Summer of 2000

Wonton Crack.

A friend of mine from Minnesota recently emailed me asking for the recipe for my sausage-ranchy-olive-wonton appetizers.  She is also a fellow blogger.  Check her out at http://themaladroitwife.com.  We met through book club. So . . ummm . . . yes we are both nerds.  Hi Rachel!  AND to give credit where credit is due:  I got this recipe from a different friend in Minnesota who I used to work with.  She is an amazing cook and has often given me delicious easy recipes.  Thanks Shawna! :)


Once I received the email, I had an "aha!" moment.   See . . . THIS IS PROOF that I have made something worthy enough to be asked the recipe for.  I almost cried tears of joy but then I remembered that I don't cry anymore.  


Without further ado - - here is my recipe for "Wonton Crack"  (The crack is in reference to the drug because these are extremely addicting and also fun).


Ingredients:
1 package of wonton wrappers (16 oz)
1 pound of sausage (cooked and crumbled)
1 cup of shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped black olives, drained
1 cup ranch style salad dressing

Preheat oven to 350 and spray miniature muffin pan with cooking spray.  Insert wonton wrappers into the muffin pan so as to form small cups.  Bake 5 minutes in the preheated oven.  Allow the baked wrappers to cool.  Remove from pan.  

In a medium bowl, mix the sausage, monterey jack, cheddar, black olives and ranch style dressing.  Fill the baked wonton wrapper cups with the mixture.

Bake the filled wonton wrappers 10-15 minutes, until the sausage mixture is bubbly and slightly brown.  Watch closely so the wonton wrappers do not burn (I hate watching things closely).

*******

This recipe is foolproof since I have successfully made it 3 times.  Yes.  3 times.  AND if you are in my book club, you will be experiencing this delicious treat at the Nerd Holiday Party.  The last time I made these, Boyd ate so many that he threw up.  NOT because I had food poisoned him but he just couldn't stop . . .  just like crack.  

Baby Its Cold Outside

I'm rather fascinated with this song.  I love the beat, the lyrics - all of the date rape innuendos, etc.  Very festive.  I would like to hear a version of this song but switch the roles - -like have the guy basically trying to push her out the door and she's thinking of excuses why she should stay.  If someone out there does this and makes millions because of my idea - - please send me a check for $10.

*****

A recent article stated that Watertown was #5 for the coldest cities in the United States.  That's right - - we are COLD.  I like to say it keeps the riff-raff out or maybe it just keeps the "crazies" in.  Depends on my mood as to how I look at it.

******
This past weekend was a benefit for Tyler Taschner.  He is the kid who was recently paralyzed and is currently out in Denver at Craig Hospital for rehab.  We may be freezing our butts off in South Dakota but one has to admire the support a smaller community can give to a family.  The Hamlin gym was packed.  There was a dinner, silent auction and an alumni basketball tournament.  Dad realized later on that they didn't have a girl on his team (a requirement).  He then started asking every girl he could find if they had tennis shoes that would fit me.  Umm . . . no . . .  My legs are dry and flakey and I'm not mentally prepared to expose them to the entire Hamlin County!  Sheesh.  Dad didn't seem to understand the problem.  FORTUNATELY Sister2 let it slip that she had workout clothes in the car.  Ha!  Sucker.

Have I ever mentioned that I come from an intensely competitive family?   I do.  It is ridiculous.  And yet, as much as I KNOW it is ridiculous . . I get worked up at sporting events.  Sometimes I cry, my heart pounds, my stomach will hurt, I can be completely inspired by someone's drive and determination and feel so badly for someone if they miss a game winning shot.  Its a GAME for crying out loud!  Get a grip, Sabrina!

My dad is the guy wiping his face with his sleeve.  Trademark move.

I have not heard how the benefit turned out money-wise but I hope it blesses the family immensely.

******

Brother2 turned 30 the other day.  His wife lined up an 80s party at a bowling alley.  It was fun.  Brother2 loves big events and even more if they are in honor of him.  

Lots of reminiscing of the "good ole days".  We told stories and stories.  My all time favorite is when he bit his English teacher.  I know I should explain it further . . but I am not going to.   Brother2 has always been a fun part of our family and I am very thankful for him.  Even when I want to kick him.

*****

I have been trying very hard to think of the positives in life.  There are so many and yet the "physical failings" of this world get in my way all too often.  A friend of my mom's once said:  "Life doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful."

The Joys of Being a Shopkeeper.

I keep thinking I should write in my blog but then I can't think of something to write.  Its a problem - the whole "need-to-think-of-things-to-write-about".

So . . here are 2 random shopper comments instead:

Random Man "Shopper":   I used to be able to hunt deer and pheasant right here in town.  Now I can't.  Its a darn shame.

Me:  Wow.  What a bummer.

*******

Random Woman:  Do you have a rice beboppy-thingy?

Me:  No, I don't believe so.

Randome Woman:  It strains rice and makes potatoes.

Me:  Nope.  STILL don't have it.

Random Woman:  How about a lefsa board?  Do you even know what that is?!

Me:  Is it a board that you make lefsa on?

Randome Woman:  (surprised)  Well . . why yes it is!

*******

Ahhh  . . . the joys of being a shopkeeper!

Tis The Season

It is snowing today.  A lot.  And its not the nice snow of Minnesota.  Its the crappy windy snow of South Dakota.  ahh . . yes . . how quickly I forget.

It may be a tough day at the Shoppe.

Fortunately, I brought projects to do and I also decided it would be a good time to listen to some Greg Boyd sermons online since THE PLACE IS VACANT.  Sheesh.

During one of his sermons, he shows a clip from Conan O'Brien.  I love this clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk

It is amazing to me how impatient I can be.

Thanksgiving is next week (or in my case, Christmas with the in-laws) and I find myself being more in tune with all that I have to be thankful for.

Like windy crappy snow. :)

******

Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving with my family.  I am in charge of the green bean casserole.  Is it a problem that I work until 3pm today and dinner is at 5pm at the farm AND I DON'T KNOW HOW OR WHEN I WILL GET THE CASSEROLE DONE?  Blasted holidays.  But how thankful I am to have family to celebrate with.

I am starting to like my little house better.  I think I finally found my groove somehow and started to "nest".  It feels nice.  I think moving 3 times in 6 months (and big moves at that) drained me more than I could have anticipated.  But, I am determined to make this house a home for however long we may stay there.  AND I love it so much more because of that.

My Jeep is broken down near my parent's place.  Lovely.  Boyd knew the brakes were going to fail soon but told me to keep driving it until it no longer allowed me to.  I personally don't care for this type of tactic and told him so.  I find it a small triumph that it failed 30 minutes away and we are now in a blizzard. Ha!  Fix it now in the WET COLD SNOW.  :) I am the best wife ever.  BUT . . how thankful I am that I have a vehicle.

I should go.  Not because there are shoppers to tend to but I have run out of things to say.

Have a nice weekend.

Sabrina

I have a hard time

I have a hard time writing posts when times are dark.  I know there is much to be thankful for. I do.  Trust me . .  I chant them to myself frequently.  I just don't like to post frustrations, disappointments, etc on the world wide web - - after all - - I try my best to make this blog as shallow and flakey as possible.  I MUST MARCH ONWARD WITH THIS LOFTY GOAL.

No. I have not posted in awhile.  I forgot all about Mr. Blog.

Our long-time family friends, the Taschners, had a terrible accident in their family a couple of weeks ago.  Their son, Tyler, was hit by a tree while hunting in a deer stand.  He has a serious spinal injury.  BLAH.  Such a lovely family.  Such a terrible tragedy.

Umm . . . . in other news . . . .

We finally got renters to sign a lease for our White Bear Lake home.  Which is good.  But then all I have heard is complaints from them . . . and they haven't even moved in yet.  Ugh.  I feel like burying my head in the sand.

And you know what?  I KNOW THIS IS A SILLY LITTLE PROBLEM!  For some reason, its not helping my attitude.  I think I take it too personally.  I lived in that house for 10 years and I LOVED that house.   If you don't like it . . . THEN DON'T MOVE IN IT!  Sheesh.

Now watch . . . somehow they will find this little blog.  Oh well.

Shannon hosted a memorial dinner in honor of Ryan this past weekend.  I think that made me sad too.

Too much hurt in the world.

See? I can't even think of something to make fun of!

Where is my pizza that I ordered?  I'm starving.  Godfathers is going to get some hate rays soon.  I'm completely irrational right now.

I promise I won't write again until I have "TURNED THAT FROWN UPSIDE DOWN!"

Adios -

Updates

I have been fighting a cold.  I am blaming Oli.  I have heard that the older you get, the less times you get sick because of being exposed to different strains of sickness . . . . I find that to be bogus.  So, in honor of being sick (and in honor of every day of my life), I stopped at McDonalds’ on my way to work.  A new voice greeted me at the drive thru lane.  I don’t like new voices. I like the old voice that knows exactly what I want before I even say it.

Me (speaking slowly, loudly and clearly since I could tell she was new): I would like a small, nonfat hot mocha.

New Girl: Did you want that iced or hot?

Me: Hot

New Girl: Whole or nonfat milk?

Me: Nonfat

New Girl: Was that a medium?

Me: Nope. A small.

I find that whenever I pray for patience, I get A LOT of these scenarios.  I find that when I pray for wisdom, I get extremely complicated real estate stuff thrown my way.  I’m aware that God is toying with me.  Lesson learned - - stop praying. ;) (*Mom - Don't worry, I’m exaggerating . . . . sort of*)

*****

I was at Sister1's house a few nights ago for a get together for my dad’s birthday.  Oli hasn’t been feeling well (I’m blaming him for my current illness) and so I picked him up because he was so tired.  He looks at me and with perfect timing and voice inflection he says: “Have you been working out?”  I found myself being flattered by a 3 year old.  Come to find out, he was concerned that if I HAVEN’T been working out, I would not be strong enough to continue to hold him.  Love that kid.

*****

Our October sale ROCKED.  It was fantastic.  Cindy Grantham and Pam & Bob Gaikowski AND the Morgan Sisters from Minnesota were the spotlight vendors and their stuff was amazing.  At the beginning of the sale, I had to stand outside because there wasn’t room for me to be in the Shoppe!  My friend Natalie from Minnesota is the November vendor.  I am very excited.  She said she is "overwhelmed" by how much stuff she has.  The girl rarely gets overwhelmed so I am giddy with anticipation.

******

Sister1 surprised me with hiring out my house to be cleaned.  It was FABULOUS.   I now need to figure out how I can justify having that done weekly.  Maybe Boyd can get a 2nd job.

***** 

I started a book club through the Shoppe.  We recently read:  Until They Bring the Streetcars Back by Stanley Gordon West.  It is one of my all time favorite books.  We discussed a litany of subjects - - our love for wizards and vampires,  the Scandinavian awkwardness of hugging, etc.  We also discussed the book.  For next month we are reading:  Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  It is a magician love story.  

*****
I am at the Shoppe today.  I have been trying to call Boyd to come fix the sticky doorknob at the Shoppe.  He is ignoring me.  I will punish him later with grocery shopping.  I love being married.  
*******
I had a shopper in today and she beefed.  Or at least I think she beefed. It could have been her perfume but for her sake I hope it was a fart.  I have a bad cold with little access to my nasal passages and it was STILL awful.  Good heavens.
******
Our friend Darren is coming to visit this weekend.  It is our first overnight guest.  Boyd has been busy lining up paintball and Bronco parts so that he is ready for MAN TIME.  I have been busy thinking of any electrical work I need done. :)
******
I hope you all have a fabulous weekend.  

Misc.

I hate thinking of titles for my posts -hence the "Misc".

******

The other day Boyd and I were discussing where we would like to live next - - assuming we stay in SoDak.  I had responses of:  a big yard, a barn for a cool sale, an old farm house, a lovely gravel road with a bend in the road, etc . . . you know . . . normal stuff. :)

Boyd replies with: "I want a place that I can walk outside naked."

Honestly.  There are days I wonder WHY or HOW we still like each other.

*******

Boyd finally has the Bronco home.  Its in the garage sitting there basking in its glory.  The green is kind of a Christmas green and has a thin red stripe.  Sister1 and Sister2 came over yesterday and Boyd proudly opens the garage doors.  They ooh and ahhh and exclaimed with: "It's SO cute!" and "It looks festive for the holidays - you need to put a wreath on the front!".

Boyd quickly stopped them from saying anything more.  "There will be no wreaths!  What about the great tires?  Or the cool seats?!"  He was slightly disgusted and shut the garage door.

******

The October Occasional sale begins today at 4pm.  I am always slightly anxious. What if no one shows up?  What if people think its stupid?  The list goes on . . . .  I should be working on stuff but I am not.  My friend Kim has offered to help me this afternoon so I thought I would be nice and make sure to leave some tasks.  I can be extremely thoughtful. :)

It is definitely a humdinger of a sale.  Very cool items.  Another reason why I want an old farm house with a big front porch is that I have been unable to buy stuff because it won't fit in my small house.

******

I just received this text from Sister 1:  O just randomly proclaimed today from the back seat of car, "When I grow up, I want to be a dancer!"

*****

Poor Mel and his cone are not doing well.  He is bumping into everything and appears depressed.  I let him ride in the Jeep today while I ran some errands this morning.  He jumped into the Jeep and hit the cone on the side of the vehicle and fell back out.  I laughed a little bit but quietly so he couldn't hear me.  He's old.  Which means his hearing is bad, his eyesight is bad and he now has "old man farts".    Poor dog.

******

Must get  back to work.  I am a very good procrastinator.

Boyd's Obsession

My husband is great.  He really is.

And one of the great things about him is that he only has 2 obsessions:  paintball and Broncos.  See?  I CAN be optimistic. :)

He searches the internet for anything involving paintball, makes us stop at strange hole-in-the-wall shops that carry equipment and are run by weirdos dressed in army fatigues.  Honestly.  It is nerd central.  And he loves it.  But enough about paintball.

This weekend, after months and months of searching, he is replacing his last Bronco with a "new" one.  We loved the last one but had to sell it with the house debacle of 2010.   He handled it like a champ -   probably knowing that there was no way I could say no later on.  Jerk.

Super cute, right?! 

He used to have a picture of it on his desk.  Not a picture of me.  A picture of his truck.  True love.

This weekend we traveled to Minnesota to work on the basement of the White Bear Lake house.  We THINK we have renters moving in November 1st (pending application approval).  Ahhh . . . . Breathing a big sigh of relief.  While I was obsessed with finding renters for the house . . . the only thing Boyd could think about was the stupid green Bronco.  I decided to hate it for awhile since my husband was not stressing, biting his nails, having weird anxiety dreams, etc.  Frankly, it just wasn't fair.

But, at long last, I can stop my obsession of finding renters and he can stop his obsessing of find the perfect Bronco.

Not a huge fan of the green but Boyd adores it.

At this moment, I am in Sartell, Minnesota waiting to leave for SoDak.  Boyd is chumming it up with Mr. Bronco Gearhead and I'm starting to mock them quietly in my head.   The tires are too big and the green isn't my favorite.  I would prefer a vintage dusty blue but no one asks for my opinion. :)

I'm not a big fan of road trips - 6 hours is is my "cap".  Yes.  I know that is pathetic.  Boyd is really stretching me today with the trip to Sartell from White Bear and now the trip to Watertown from Sartell.  I get bored easily and Boyd doesn't always feel like talking.  I have grown accustomed to his silence and no longer wonder if he is cranky.  Supposedly silence does not necessarily equal cranky for him.  It only does for me.  Once I asked him what he was thinking.  He said:  "Nothing".  I disagreed and said: "SOMETHING has to be going on in your head!"  He answered with:  "I am counting the mile markers and calculating the speed in my head to see if my speedometer is correct."

I no longer ask him what he is thinking.

You know who doesn't mind road trips?

This guy.

Happy as a clam and somehow found my pillow and made a perfect little bed for himself.

Mental note:  Must do laundry.

*******

OCD, Weight Loss and Glue Guns

Mel has been licking his tail.  And licking it and licking it.  He licked all the hair off of it down to gross skin stuff.  Boyd kept ignoring it.  I kept gagging every time I saw it.  I finally scheduled a vet visit.  I was informed Mel is OCD.  And to let his tail heal, he has to take medication for this disorder, wear a cone and take antibiotics.  Ugh.  

I’ve been a tad emotional lately.  I’m not sure if it is just hormonal or if things have just been tougher than usual.  Regardless, I started crying while at the vet.  I really like Mel.

I love our dogs.  Granted, we don’t have children so that may be part of my love for Mel and Lou but the joy they emit when you come out the door is overwhelming.  They don’t get bogged down with the daily grind.  They may be bored out of their minds for 8 hours a day but you would never know it when you are around them.  They don’t complain.  They eat whatever I give them and their self-confidence is amazing.  Oh to be a dog. 

******

Sister1 and Sister2 have started a weight loss contest.  It made me start to think about the fact that I should start exercising again.  So, I went in on Monday and weighed myself at the gym.  I wasn’t pleased but wasn’t surprised either. . . . Ok. I can handle that.  But then I tried making dinner that night and I underestimated how long it would take to make the meal so we didn’t eat until 8pm.  By then I was starving and I also noticed leftover chocolate cake from Jim’s birthday. I had FORGOTTEN about the chocolate cake!  So I had a large helping of that WITH icecream.  I weighed myself on Tuesday.  I was up a pound which in the scheme of how much I ate . . . wasn't too bad.

History has proven time and time again, that whenever I TRY to lose weight, I lose all self-control because my mind can only think about how GREAT it would be to EAT this/that RIGHT NOW.  Today, I was still going to give it a shot.  But then I had to skip lunch to take my OCD dog to the vet and spend $140 that I don’t have which then made me STARVING at 5pm when I left the office.  I promptly went to McDonald’s and ordered a McDouble with fries and a Coke.  Lovely.  I think this officially ends my weight loss program.

********

I’ve also been struggling in my creative life.  Good grief!  Pity party all around.  I haven’t created anything in a long time so I finally sat down and decided to dive in on a window project that I have been meaning to do.  But then I realized that my glue gun was missing. WHAT CRAFTY PERSON CAN’T FIND THEIR GLUE GUN?!  Forget that I only have ONE glue gun and should probably have 5 . . . but I can’t FIND IT ANYWHERE.  No glue sticks either.  The whole thing is confusing. So much for my organized work table that takes up half the living space in our house.  

I know. I know. 2 Posts in a Row!

Wow.  I am such an overachiever.  2 days in a row of posting!

********

I went to my very first City Council meeting this past week.  I am not entirely sure why I did but decided that if I'm going to live and own a business here . . . maybe I should put my 2 cents out there.  So I did.  It was kind of scary for me to throw out my opinions in public . . the whole "being an introvert" issue.  But I wore my lucky Beetles t-shirt and persevered.  Personally, I think I have some great ideas but I'm not sure they agreed.  It's possible I may be deported back over the border into Minnesota.

********

Little Oli got to be a homework assignment for a friend getting her education degree.  She was to ask 3 year olds some different questions to see where they were in terms of development, etc.  Oli is, OF COURSE, especially gifted but Sister1 was disappointed that he was having a hard time with part of the study. The girl would ask:  What do you do if you are tired?  What do you do if you are sad?  Oli was silent.  Afterwards, Sister1 asked him the same questions.  He answered thoughtfully:  "I go to Starbucks."  See?  Gifted.

********

The weather has been fantastic lately which means I spray paint like a maniac.  I ran out of stuff in my garage to paint which then led me into the house.  Boyd came home and our boring blonde/pine chairs are now a sassy red.  He said something like . . . "What the H . . .?"  But then quickly came around and agreed they are WAY BETTER now.

********

Our September sale was fantastic.  We had live music and a mini-crowd waiting to be let in!  We are such a big deal. *Bragging about myself is a new habit I am trying out.  Yes, I do it with sarcasm but it is a lot of fun.  Try it sometime.   For example: If your husband says, "I love you" You can reply with: "Of course you do . . I'm totally awesome."*  If he laughs, he is just agreeing with your statement.  Promise.

Our "crowd".   I use the term loosely.

One of the Kinney girls creations.  Donna snatched it up.

The October Sale should be a humdinger.  I will explain more in a few weeks.  Hang in there.

*******

I have been going to some of Brother2's football games.  He is in 7th grade.  It's weird to have him getting so old and "adolescenty".

Brother2 is #22.  

I grew up as a Hamlin Charger.  I have a soft spot for the Chargers even though they are now less than stellar since the "golden years" of the Chargers' athletic reign.  My mom would always chant:  YOU CAN DO IT, YOU'RE A CHARGER! whenever we were complaining about being overworked.  I found this annoying and yet, I say it to Boyd to be mean:  "You can do it . . you're an . . . . Owl."  Ha Ha snicker snicker.  Henry just didn't quite get the glamour that Hamlin had.

*********

We still do not have renters signed up for our White Bear Lake house.  Breathe.  Don't panic.  Breathe.  I may have just thrown up a little.  BUT.  The good news is that I have a plan to get money to pay the extra mortgage.  McDonald's Monopoly.

Problem solved.

The Little Man Turns 3.

Oli turned 3 this past week and since my family loves a good party we threw a "poop party".  Oli cried when Sister1 told him the theme of the party:  "But I don't WANT poop!!"  What a turd (I made a pun!).

A lot of friends and family showed up and gorgeous weather was enjoyed by all.  Dad lined up a tractor and gave hayrides.  I may be allergic to hay.  It is appearing to be the case.

Boyd does a great gorilla imitation.  Honestly.  It is uncanny.  There were times while dating that he would go into "gorilla mode" in public places.  Humiliating.  He would sometimes break into his ape-walk while we were going to our car in the parking lot.  I would yell at him to knock it off . . . . consequently, there were a lot of stares.  And most of them were directed at me with disgust:  "Be nice to that special needs man!"  So unfair.

Anyway.

During the hayride, Boyd was gorilla running in the corn field and scaring the beejeebers out of the children.  Its what he does best.  They were supposed to throw bananas at him to tame him.  He was supposed to throw dirt chunks (as in "poo") at us.

We served the ever popular poop tacos.  Sister1 made guacomole coming out of a jack-o-lantern and labeled it "upchuck".   There was popcorn with little plastic mice in it, maggots and beetles (rice and beans), etc.  Clever and disturbing, right?!

Kickball and football were played; children laughed and cried; dogs caused mayhem and stole food and the adults ignored the children and the dogs.  It was a lovely day.

Brother2, Cooper, Oli, O, G and Baby Cate

Ugly Couch.

I had a beautiful couch.  It was groovy and special.  But alas, there was no room for it in the house and Boyd said there was definitely no room in the garage.  Boo.  So, we took some pictures with it and then transported it to Salvation Army.

Last weekend Donna had lined up a surprise party for Damian at the Zoom Zoom Room.  And what should pop out at me . . . but my old couch.  HOWEVER.  It is the couch they are using for their "Ugly Couch Potato" promo.  Surely they must be looking for an ugly couch potato NOT an ugly couch.

See?  Groovy Couch.  End of Story.

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I am gearing up for the Sept sale.  Which means, yes, after 2 weeks of silence NOW I find the time to post on the blog.  I am a procrastinator.  Never do something today that you can put off til tomorrow . . or later.  In my case - - until 4pm this afternoon when the Kinney girls show up with their stuff.  Then I run around like a crazy person arranging furniture and cursing at myself for not being more diligent.

I believe one would call this a character flaw.

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I saw a bumper sticker today that said: "God, Guns and Guts Made America Great".  I typically don't give opinions on this blog . . mostly because they are my own personal opinions and if someone really wants to know what I think . . they can ask (and I will inform).  But I would like to state for the record that it makes me very uncomfortable putting God and Guns in the same small sentence.  I don't care for it.  (and for clarification, this does not mean that I am anti-military).

I am opinionated.  That may also be another character flaw. :)

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Is anyone missing my Nerd Sections?  I didn't think so.  Plus, it has become a little embarrassing to report what I read since I am now on Book 6 of Harry Potter.  Yes.  I am reading the young adult series and am loving them.  HOWEVER.  We have started a book club at the Shoppe so I will do an update on the book every time we meet.  This last meeting we discussed The Help.  I will spare the details of the strange cell phone going off every 5 minutes and my mother so smugly stating: "It is not MY phone!" just to find out at the end of the hour that indeed . . . it was her phone.  Ahem.

Next month we will be meeting to discuss: Until They Bring the Streetcars Back by Stanley Gordon West.  Feel free to read along and if you are in the area . . join us!  We will be meeting on October 25th at 7pm at the Shoppe.

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It is windy today.  AND last night I came across a chair that I THOUGHT was ready for the sale but then noticed dried glue.  I need to sand it down and it looks like I need to spray paint after all.  BUT . . it looks to be windy and chilly until Thursday.  Blasted!  I view months in terms of spray paint weather.  Is that strange?

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I thought I would end this with a favorite little video from the Flight of the Conchords.  Warning:  Not child appropriate.  My apologies if I have posted this in an earlier post.  It is one of my faves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGOohBytKTU

I Maybe Don't Have the Best Tactics.

Remember a post WAY BACK about being in Brainerd?  There was a small segment about "poop tacos"???  Well, I feel I may need to apologize.  See . . . at the TIME it made sense.  The boys were being very dramatic about NOT WANTING to eat tacos and I replied with the fact that they were not any plain old tacos . . . they were POOP tacos.  And wala!  It worked.  I thought I was maybe a genius.  Unfortunately, O has a crazy good memory.  Go figure.  I thought all males had the memory of gold fish.  Alas, come to find out, its just my husband.  Ehem.

Side tracked there.  Sorry.  So now O cannot stop using the phrase poop tacos in just about EVERY SENTENCE he utters or sings or yodels.  (If you know O, you completely understand the yodeling issue).  Sister1 has now made the rule that he can only use that term in the bathroom and that is it.   But before that rule had been implemented, he had been spreading the good cheer for quite some time . . and at times, would tell people that Aunt Sabrina taught him about poop tacos.  Good Lord.

Fast forward.

O came home with me for a little bit today after lunch with Sister1 and Grandma.   He watered my lawn, picked some tomatoes (might as well put him to work), begged to paint my furniture (I said no) and tried to get me to hook up the Wii (no luck - - I don't do electronics).  *Obviously, its a blast at my house.* While we were in the living room trying to figure out the Wii, he went into the bathroom, left the door open and yelled and sang about poop tacos for a good 5 minutes.  I tried not to laugh . . but honestly . . . "poop tacos" get me every time.

******

Shoppe update: I traveled to Britton, South Dakota because some family friends were cleaning out a farmstead.  It was fabulous.  Old doors, windows, trunks, galore!  It was a delight.  I have finally changed out the window display and have tried to get rid of my "summery" items; painted several furniture items and spray painted quite a few too! I've been so productive lately, I am worried that I might become an "overachiever".

******

But then again, my house is a mess and I have yet to make more than 5 meals since moving.  Ugh.  If cooking wasn't so inconvenient, I might enjoy it.  I tried making omelets the other day.  I failed.  I ended up terming it:  "Egg Mash".  Boyd didn't seem to mind.  I will suffer through his "goldfish memory" if he keeps his nonjudgmental taste buds.

Skate Park.

We went to the skate park with the boys today.  A little girl was telling Boyd he was breaking the rules.  I'm not certain, but he may have stuck his tongue out at her.

He is such a rebel.

Caterpillar Man.

The weather has been gorgeous lately.  I should probably type up this statement, have it witnessed and notarized so there is proof of it once winter hits.

This past weekend was fantastically fun.  We were SOCIAL again.  Crazy, right?  Went to Thursday Night Live at the Goss and drug Rock and Kim out there too; Deuces Wild (dueling pianos) at the Event Center with Ryan and Lisa; and Boyd finally got to play paintball on Sunday with a group of guys.  He has several welts all over his body and is as happy as a clam.  We can all breathe a sigh of relief now.

Deuces Wild was insanely hilarious.  I was crying from laughing so much.  I started to write down some of the sarcastic slams they would throw out.   They are now my heros.

I found a caterpillar in my garden this weekend (this post just keeps getting more exciting!) and brought it over for O since he and I share an interest in little critters.  He was coloring when I came over and somehow that picture just "happened" to be for me once I gave him the caterpillar.  I asked him what we should name him and O dubbed him:  Caterpillar Man.  So creative, that boy.

Kim introduced the skate park to the boys.  They love it.  Boyd brought them the other day so Sister1 could have a little break and he is now just as excited about it as they are.  He told me he plans on bringing his bike next time (supposedly he was riding Oli's bike - - good grief).  Have I ever mentioned what excellent taste in men I have? :)

Now its Monday.  I knew it had to arrive but was melancholy about it all the same.  Must put in some time at the Shoppe and at my house.  I have basically put anything that seems like a "chore" on hold.  We are officially out of milk and clean underwear.  Its time.  Yes.  Its time.

I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Flea Markets. Food. Forts.

This post has nothing to do with Forts . . . I just like F words.  :)

We were in Minnesota this past weekend.  Shocking, right?

Rock and Kim Arnold joined us this time.  Rock had mentioned once to Boyd that he would like to help out some weekend on the Stillwater house.  I'm unsure if he knew that Boyd would take him up on it.  We don't turn down help.  No sir, we don't.

I was able to talk Kim into coming along so I wouldn't have to shop alone.

We stayed in a hotel in Roseville.  I thought I was beating the system by using hotwire but both rooms ended up only have double beds.   I THOUGHT the beds looked small but never realized that hotels STILL USE double beds.  Why?! Boyd thought we could still "snuggle" and kept coming over to my bed.  I kept pushing him out.   He then started saying: "It's opposite day!"  Obviously, we spend a lot of time with humans under the age of 8.

My main goal for the weekend was to check out the Oronoco Flea Market.  It's supposed to be one of the biggest flea markets in the midwest.  It was HUGE.  Kim and I even got lost.  At some point, all the tents and old crap started to look the same.  Unfortunately, for my purposes of trying to find merchandise for the Shoppe, it was a little over priced.   We may have gotten a little lost but managed to find icecream - - are you ever lost if you can find an icecream stand?  

Boyd and Rock got a lot done on the back porch.  I was very impressed.  As I'm sure they were impressed by our hardcore shopping skills and drive.

We ate a lot.  Yes.  We made sure to introduce them to Nacho Mama's . . . it is a Stillwater favorite of ours AND who can resist a restaurant with a name like that?

Such a great weekend.  I think Boyd is still full.

The Shoppe's August Occasional Sale begins this Thursday at 9am (Vendors of the month are the Noem sisters from Bryant, SD)!  I am scrambling once again.  Spray painting station is set up in the backyard and Boyd is receiving orders on what to fix, tighten, etc.  He's a lucky guy.

I need to go - - have a million things to do in the time frame of 24 hours.  I'm channeling my inner "Jack Bauer".

Adios!

P.S.  No proofreading has been done (even Jack Bauer probably has misspellings in his texting) . . .

Paintball.

Have I mentioned that my husband is a tad crazy for Paintball?  He is.  He is obsessed.  And he has not played AT ALL this summer.

So for lack of playmates he has recruited the nephews.   Poor little guys.

I love the look of concentration they all have.

Look at that little tongue!

O -  Love that they were using their daddy's gun.

G showing is great skills.

For the love . . . is there anyone out there who will play with Boyd?  Pretty please? :)

The Hills.

We love to visit Ryan and Christy.  Christy is my cousin and Boyd and Ryan might be long lost brothers. . . I’m not sure.  Boyd gets excited to go REAL mountain biking and Ryan obliges and takes him on some trails.  EVERY TIME Boyd goes he is quickly reminded that he is a flatlander while sucking air.  I guess this last little excursion was made even more interesting bc Boyd had consumed A LOT of cream cheese just before taking off.   That does not sound like my husband at all.

We also did a couple of fun hikes.   Ryan always says its a "secret trail".  I'm not sure if it is true or not but it makes us feel special.    

We went out to lunch with Bob and Aileen (Christy’s parents).  They are fantastic.  I would like to give a shout out to Bob - - Hi Bob!  He is a conniseur of the local restaurants and has great opinions of what we should order.  Boyd took his dare and consumed the entire Meatloaf Sandwich (did not learn from his cream cheese episode) and I had the Mango Berry Salad (delic!).  Bob always knows what we are up to because he reads my blog:

Bob:  Out of my entire family, I am the one who keeps up with your blog religiously!

Me:  Nice!  I suppose you now know I am a terrible cook?

Bob:  No.  I now know you are certifiably crazy.

See?  Family is the best. ;)

After Ryan got off of work - we headed to Spearfish.  We did a small hike that was completely gorgeous and got to stop in and see Dale and Sandy Boe and Stacy Miller.  Dale and Sandy run Vocations for Orphans.  This is the organization that we hooked up with when we went to Chile to work on the orphanage.  It was so great to see them - - would love to go again someday.  Dale had just arrived that day from Chile.  Check out:  www.vfo.org for more info.

AND then we ate at a crazy good pizza joint.  mmmmm.....

On Saturday, Ryan was gracious enough to take Boyd on another ride.  It was a trail he had not been on before, it was titled:  The Bone Collector.  Boyd immediately perked up at the name of the trail.  He kept trying to use the name of the trail several times in a sentence.  It was slightly annoying but kind of cute all at the same time.

Boyd came home with blood on his arm.  He felt pretty special. 

Christy is pregnant.  Boyd was showing off his pregnant belly too.

I got to hit a few garage sales, went to a BBQ with even more relatives, and laughed a lot.  It was a nice weekend.

I tried. I really did.

IMPORTANT NEWS UPDATE:  

And no, its not about the stock market.   It’s bigger.  I cooked the other night.  The whole: Go-to-the-grocery-store-search-the-aisles-looked-so-confused-that-someone-offered-to-help-me COOKED.  And it was awful.  I was going to make this yummy spicy pasta dish.  It called for garlic cloves.  I saw garlic cloves (after 25 minutes of looking) and they seemed rather complicated.  So I decided to see if there was a garlic clove powder instead (I really like shortcuts).  YES!  There were ground cloves.  Wala!  I was patting myself on the back for such innovative thinking.

I simmered the bacon and tomato sauce . . had the fresh mushrooms going and added my spices . . mmmm . .  looks complicated AND delicious!  Boyd is going to be so impressed!  

I did the taste test.  It tasted funny.  And kind of gross.  I may have thrown some things.  I can’t remember . . . I blacked out.  Supposedly, ground cloves ARE NOT THE SAME as garlic cloves.  I guess they are used more in pumpkin spiced foods.  

The lesson learned in all of this:  Take a nap instead.  I had a sneaky suspicion that I was being too ambitious.  I shall heed my inner voice more carefully next time.

Boyd laughed hysterically and said he was glad that I was unique (whatever that means).  The ironic thing is that he eats ANYTHING so I probably should not have even told him.  He probably would have raved about it.  Dork. 

He did mention that its my own karma biting me in the a*s . . supposedly it is getting back at me for calling him a happy lesbian.  Whatever.  

******

In other news:  Our White Bear Lake renters were gifted a house from one of their parents.  Who does that and in what world?!  So, that means we have to find new renters before the end of September.  Its August.  Fantastic.  Anyone want to live in a quiet little suburb of St. Paul?  It’s great.  Really.  We loved it there.

Looks like my fall just filled up.  *sigh*

Such a great house.  I miss it.

******

Our nephew Jake is visiting from Oklahoma. We don’t get to see him often so it was fun to see him this summer.  We went tubing at Sister1’s.  He and Graham could tube for hours.  It looked exhausting.  We also did some go-karting, miniature golf and pizza consuming.   He’s such a great kid.

******

I painted some furniture items today for the next Shoppe Occasional Sale.  I think it is going to be pretty stellar if I say so myself. 

My Hero.

I'm not sure that I complain enough in this blog.  Yes? No?

Boyd said he would hit some garage sales with me this morning before I head to the Shoppe.  He tried. He really did.  But then he REALLY HAD TO GO TO THE BATHROOM RIGHT THIS MINUTE!!  ARGH.  And then he nearly hit a car because he continuously fails to look both ways before turning into intersections.  My anxiety disorder was in full working order this morning.

So.  I made him go home.  And then I went by myself.  Much easier.

I ran to McDonald's right before the Shoppe opened so that I would have my mocha fix for the day.  I forgot that they are not my usual weekday workers.  I ended up with a caramel mocha.  I HATE caramel mochas!!!  So Boyd came to the rescue.  He may not have control over his bowel movements but he does understand my addiction to mochas.  He is definitely my hero.

****

Last night we rode our bikes to Dempsey's Pub for dinner.  It was a beautiful evening.  5 minutes after being seated on the patio, I hear a commotion behind me.  Lou comes darting up the stairs full speed ahead to our table.  Honestly.  We have a fence.  It is latched.  He is amazing.   We got a lot of strange looks.

Sweet Lou hates to be left behind.

****

Mr. Hobbs needs a home.  Remember Mr. Hobbs?  He is Sister2's cat.  However, since she and Jordan are now married, they also have Bowser (black lab).  Mr. Hobbs and Bowser do not mix and Jordan claims that Hobbs isn't a hunting companion.  What does he know?!    Our house is small - like really small.  That is my excuse.  But, if you like cats . . Mr. Hobbs is a spectacular cat.  Honestly.  He laughs at all my jokes.  So, if you crave companionship and don't care for people . . . . Mr. Hobbs is fantastic.

See?  He's very accommodating.  

****

Wow.  I have successfully posted pics of my pets.  Well . . I might as well get Mel in here too.   Poor guy.  He gets out-shined by the needy one.  Plus, I love this pic of Boyd.  He was insecure that his hair was falling out so he combatted this fear by growing out his lovely locks.   We look like a happy lesbian couple.

See? I have a picture of Mel. He's sweet too.

****

Tonight is 3 Dog Night at the Redlin Art Center.  I might go.  Although I'm concerned that Boyd will inspired to grow long sideburns again.  Or his hair out.  Intervention may be in my future.

*****

In other news, I booked a camping trip to the Boundary Waters.  I have a love-hate relationship with camping.  The last time we went I glimpsed a wolf walking in the woods.  Yes.  A real one.  I was a little jumpy the rest of our time there.

****

Sister1 called me and told me to stop at a church because it looked like they had a garage sale going on. So I did.  It was a wedding.  Awesome.

Typical.

I locked myself out of the Shoppe yesterday.  It was frustrating.  And you know what else is frustrating?  There are very few businesses open after 6pm.  Another frustrating fact: I knew Boyd would be smug about it since I am always criticizing him for misplacing his wallet, cell phone, keys, pants . . . .

I walked to Dempsey's Pub and used their phone to call my mom since I knew she was in town (and to avoid giving Boyd satisfaction with my airhead move).  Fortunately she had been trying to stalk me at my house so was only seconds away.  Unfortunately it took her 20 minutes to find the key I had made for her.  *sigh*

All-in-all I lost MINUTES out of my evening.

Family Vacation.

Our time in Minnesota is drawing to a close.  All-in-all the time here has has been nice and relaxing (*although at this moment the boys are having sugar meltdowns and DO NOT want to go to bed! *).  The home was spacious and the lake was shallow and clear.   There is also a very comfy hammock that got quite a lot of use.

A few tidbits from our trip:

The boys were very pleased with their "new house".   O kept hugging Sister1 and saying: "Thank you mom for the new house!".   She decided to just go with it.  

I’ve been trying to peer pressure Brother2 into reading Harry Potter only to lose to the book:  "Preparing for Adolescence".  

My new adjective that O taught me:   adventurey! (as in:  "This looks adventurey!")

The boys have been busy busy catching fish.  Later on Brother2, Jordan and G were busy bringing in buckets of lake water for the utility sink.  There were no rules about NOT keeping live fish in the the house sink.  

Sister1 has started to read again.  She has a bit of an OBSESSIVE gene.  I made a little game with the boys about keeping her book hidden.  They found it hilarious until she threatened an early bedtime.  She also stole my laptop and used my Facebook profile page.  See?!  An intervention was necessary.

POOP TACOS is a Strande delicacy.  I know I should explain this statement but I’m not going to.

Boys:  I want food!  Can we have icecream!  I’m thirsty!  WAH WAH WAH.

Me:  The only snacks any of you are receiving are the boogers out of your own nose!

Boys:  stunned silence then some nervous giggling.

G:  Oliver just ate a booger!!

We went to visit Auntie Vi.  She is 94 and quick as a whip.  She lives by herself and is very independent.  She was lamenting how it has become more difficult to cook now that she is blind.  I find cooking difficult even with all of 5 senses working properly.

We all went to Pirate's Cove and played mini-golf and rode the go-karts.  Sister2 ended  up winning in go-karts.  Fortunately she didn't rub it in too much since the boys were very disappointed and were not being very good sports.

Ryan died one year ago tomorrow (Aug 2).  It still really really sucks.  I have no eloquent way to express how this loss has affected my sister, the boys, extended family, etc., except to say. . . . it just really really sucks.  I would like to give a shout-out to all of you who have helped out Sister1 and the boys in so many ways this past year.  I won't start to list everyone because I know I will forget someone . . . but I just wanted to say that we are forever grateful for all of the kindness shown.  

Ok then. 

A few pics of the weekend:

Fishing Fishing Fishing

Its not fun unless you bring the wildlife indoors

Sister1 teaching Oli how to golf

Jordan and G

O and Boyd.  THE NEED FOR SPEED

Firefighting May Not Be His Calling.

We are on a little family vacation getaway this weekend.   Lots of smores, lots of mosquitos and lots of fishing.

Mom loves campfires.  She was busy doing what she does best:  whittling sticks and setting up a station for smores.  The boys have been having a blast but O has been especially hilarious on this trip.   He loves the cabin we are staying in and keeps telling Sister1 "Thank you mom for the new house!".  She has decided to just go with it for the time being.

Here is a short little video of O and his art of marshmallows over a campfire.  There is not much to actually see but the audio is kind of funny.

Enjoy.

I will try and post more later.