Books Read in January 2009

1. Kiss of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Note: This is book 7 of a series. The order in which to read the Dark Hunter series is found here.)
2. Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Note: This is book 8 of a series. The order in which to read the Dark Hunter series is found here.)
3. Seize the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon. (Note: This is book 10 of a series. The order in which to read the Dark Hunter series is found here.)
4. The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon

I had a long break between Sherrilyn Kenyon books. I've been borrowing them from a friend. I really like them, but I was waiting for the new shipment. In the meantime, I lost momentum in the series. I read these two books back-to-back and found I really missed the old Dark Hunters. I still have a a couple left in my pile. I hope to get to them soon. The third book was for book club. I finished it. I can't say I loved it, but it has stuck in my mind which is more than I can say for some other books. Something happened today that made me think of it. Either way, it's always good to read something I normally wouldn't and even better to have an excuse to have lunch with friends and talk books.

Weekend Update - First Haircut

Last night, we did nothing. We had dinner and then we watched a little television and hung out. Well, yesterday, we did have a little excitement. Little Miss has had a fever all week between 100-103 degrees. We had a doctor appointment on Friday. Of course, on Friday, she had no fever. Either way, I brought her to the doctor. The consensus going in was that she had an ear infection. However, the doctor dismissed that and any other diagnosis others made. She did say that Little Miss's throat was a little red so she took a throat culture. She woke on Saturday with no fever once again so we're hoping it was just a virus.

With Little Miss feeling well, we kept our Saturday plans. First things first, on Saturday, Little Miss slept until 10:30! Husband wanted to go in and check, but my rule is to never wake a sleeping baby. Ever. She woke up on her own shortly after our discussion. We went to Cartoon Cuts and met Sister, Brother-in-Law, and Nephew. Little Miss was still a little sleepy. She sat in the chair by herself until she saw the camera. Once she tried to get the camera, she wouldn't sit still so she had her haircut on Husband's lap.

Her haircut went well. It's a bit shorter than I imagined, but it'll grow out. This time, when it grows, it should be close to one length rather than the odd growth that was her hair before. We got a certificate and a little baggy of her hair to commemorate the big day.


After the haircut, we had lunch at the food court. Then, the kids played up in the Food Court's Germ Pit (that play area for kids). She had fun and loved the slide. After that, we rewarded the kids with some ice cream. Little Miss loves coffee ice cream. I shared a Sweet Cream with chocolate chips with Nephew.

We then went grocery shopping. Little Miss took a nap as soon as we got home. She woke up cranky and then went back to sleep with me. We took a long nap which we both needed.

She still doesn't seem herself today. There's no fever, but she's been super cranky which isn't like her at all. She's been picky about her food and not drinking so much. So, we'll keep watching her and see what happens. She just might be embracing her inner Princess... a princess not happy with her staff.

There's a special place in Heaven for those who cut children's hair. It can't be easy holding scissors and cutting hair on a moving object! I can barely bathe her without incident. Below is a video of her haircut:

Tales from South Park

We were watching a bunch of episodes of South Park this evening. I missed the last couple of seasons, but I forgot how much fun the show can be.

First, we watched an episode where Wendy beat up Cartman. Husband totally thinks this will be Little Miss when she is in fourth grade. She has a bad temper that gets worse everyday and definitely has a part of her that wants to teach the world a lesson or at least follow her leadership. Warning: graphic violence.



Then, I happened to be on Facebook and there's an application where you can make your own character. I believe you can do this on the website, too, but I never had as much luck with my character.

Anyway, if I lived in South Park, I'd look like this:

Baby, One More Time...

Every child likes to hear a book or watch a movie/tv show over and over and over and over. It was only a matter of time before our child developed a favorite anything. She does like Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain before bed. The rhythm of the text relaxes her. However, there is only one book she asks to hear over and over and over and over. That book is The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle. Today, we read it four times. And I hate bugs!

Sexy Friday

You all had great suggestions last week. Some will probably show up eventually. For now, Sexy Friday belongs to George Eads Despite the fact that he shares a name with my grandfather, he is still hot with his little dimples. I liked him before he was on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and I'm sure I'll like him long after.

Waiter, There's a Fly in my Pasta!

After reading about Shoshana's unfortunate dealings with a customer service rep, I thought I'd say something nice. One week ago, I was making linguine and, while I was boiling the pasta, I saw these little black things bubble up in the water. At first, I thought it was part of the spoon. We run everything through the dishwasher so sometimes the utensils aren't in the best of shape. So, I scoop up one of the specs with my ladle and put it on a lid. I ask Husband to come in and ask him if it's a bug. I don't actually think it's a bug, but it's my standard question when I find anything - a speck of dust, leftover food crusted to the stove after I'm done cooking, anything. The only difference is that this time he says yes. So, I freak out. While I'm freaking out, he discovers that we have an extra box of linguine. He empties the pot and throws away the pasta, washes the pot and fills it up with water again. Meanwhile, I'm going through every strand of pasta in the new pot.

Rationally, I understand that this is a possibility. It still creeps me out. While the pasta was cooking, I e-mailed the company on the e-mail provided on the box. I'm expecting some form letter, but within hours, I received an e-mail from De Cecco asking for the code on the box and in what country I live. Luckily, I didn't throw the box away yet so I responded with the information. The next business day, I get another e-mail outlining the shipment and storage policy they have in place and an explanation on what the code on the box means. Then, they ask me for my address and phone number to send me a token of appreciation. I figure it means another box of pasta which is fine by me.

Meanwhile, I go grocery shopping again. I needed the manager's help to reach something. So, while he was helping me, I mentioned to him that I bought some pasta there the previous week and, when I cooked it, there were insects in it. I just thought he should know just in case more people say anything, but I've already mentioned it to the manufacturer. He gives me a free box of pasta, too. I happened to have one in my cart. Plus, he directed me to a new line at the check out.

Obviously, having anything in your pasta other than pasta is bad, but it's nice to know everything got resolved really well. I know the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but it's nice to know the mildly irritating wheel gets a little attention, too.

Weekend Update - I Thrive Under Pressure!

It was a quiet weekend. On Friday, we caught up on some recorded television. I also had made previous arrangements for Husband to put Little Miss to bed and make dinner so I could devote the evening to reading our bookclub book, The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon. We were going to discuss the book on Saturday and, as of Friday at 5PM, I had not read more than 40 pages of a 400+ page book. So, I read a little less than half on Friday night. Then, I set my alarm for 8AM on Saturday morning. I woke up around 8:30AM and read the rest. Then, I met the bookclub at The Cheesecake Factory to discuss. After lunch, we walked around the mall. I bought Little Miss some Valentine's Day and Easter presents at a store closing at Waldenbooks. Then, I showed amazing restraint and bought nothing at the store closing of Filene's Basement. Well, the rest of that story is that I bought a new dress, stockings, underwear and socks last week. I hit the grocery store for some essentials then went home and spent the evening with Little Miss.

Little Miss was under the weather all weekend. She had a very low fever and was just stuffy and congested. Plus, on Saturday, she tripped and hit her chin on the entertainment center. She has a red scratch on her chin now. She's been sleeping and drinking and eating like a champ so I'm sure this will blow over quickly.

On Sunday, I woke up with Little Miss, gave her breakfast and then the two of us took a 3-hour nap. We woke up, ate lunch, and then hung out. She took another nap and we went to In-Laws' for dinner. This played well with our procrastination. We hadn't gone grocery shopping in awhile so we had nothing. That leaves me to today and the fact I have to grocery shopping by myself which I hate.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Today is the beginning of the New Year, and it is the Year of the Ox. In honor of the Lunar New Year, I'm going to share easiest bulgogi recipe ever. There are tons of recipes for bulgogi. I always say it's like macaroni and cheese because every family has its own version of it. This is the one I make because it's easy and has ingredients I usually have around the house. One day, I'll make a more complicated version.

Bulgogi

Ingredients
1 pound beef tenderloin, boneless
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3 scallions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced on diagonal
1/4 cup water
1/4 pounds snow peas

Directions
Wrap beef in plastic wrap and freeze until firm (but not rock hard). Once firm, slice beef thinly across the grain. Place in baking dish. In a small skillet toast sesame seeds. To create marinade, in small bowl combine scallions, garlic, vinegar, water, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and pepper. Stir well. Pour marinade over beef. Let sit for 30 minutes

In separate skillet heat oil. Add ginger and garlic and cook until aroma is released. Add carrots and 1/4 cup water. Simmer until carrots are tender, about 2 minutes. Add snow peas and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes.

Remove beef from baking dish and grill until brown around edges, about 30 seconds per side. Add vegetables to beef. Stir and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with boiled white rice.

Notes: 1. I usually add more carrots. 2. I make the marinade in a gallon-size Zip-Loc bag so it's easier clean up and the marinade is easier to squish around the meat. Usually, by the time you cook the carrots and everything, the meat is done marinating.

Enjoy!

Snow!

Today, I left the apartment, and it was snowing! It was very pretty. It snowed enough to coat the sidewalks and just started to stick to the ground. It was still flurrying last I looked so I hope we get enough to coat the ground. I've heard reports of only a dusting to 1-3 inches in parts. I doubt I'll get a lot in my town, but it's nice to hope. It's so pretty!

Sexy Friday

Today's Sexy Friday is dedicated to Eric Dane from Grey's Anatomy. He has single-handedly made the show a little watchable for us. He's often shirtless and never disappoints in that department.

Any suggestions for future Sexy Friday posts?

When the Mama's Away...

You need to know that today is a holiday. There is no mail. It is a Day of Service. Well, it is a holiday unless you're me. I had to work. Husband had the day off so he watched Little Miss. So, I get home today, relax, and later, I take a photo with the digital camera. I notice there is already one photo saved, and I laugh and laugh and laugh. Husband said that's what the house looked like this morning.

Weekend Update - Relaxing and Fun

On Friday, I worked late. Then, I got home and did pretty much nothing.

On Saturday, I met friends for lunch at Gordon Biersch and then we saw Bride Wars. Despite bad reviews, I thought the movie was fine. The theater was packed. Afterwards, I picked up a new skirt and blouse at Old Navy and head home.

On Sunday, I slept very late. I got up, ate lunch, fed Little Miss lunch, took a nap with Little Miss, made dinner while Husband fed Little Miss dinner, put Little Miss to bed, watched some tv and went to bed. It was a very low-key weekend.

Sexy Friday

As mentioned last week, Husband mentioned I should do a Sexy Friday post like one of his favorite blogs. As I also mentioned, I'm pretty sure this is not what he had in mind.

This week's post belongs to Jensen Ackles from Supernatural.

Did I Mention...

that Friday Night Lights premieres tonight? Well, if I didn't, I just thought I'd mention it.

My Famous Family

Last Friday, my dad was in the paper. You can see the article and video on-line. Then, we found out my grandfather was in a magazine. Unfortunately, we found out after the stores stopped selling the issue, but I found the article on-line. I wonder what else the family will do to be famous.

Now, to work on the rich part...

Friday Night Lights Tutorial - Part 2

Using the above photo to introduce you to the characters, I thought I’d introduce you to the town of Dillon and its Panthers. I’ll introduce the characters from left to right.

1. Brian “Smash” Williams – Smash starts as a great football player. He was fast on the field, flirted with the ladies off the field. We’ve seen him with two girlfriends. As I’m trying to do this as spoiler-free as possible, I won’t go into further detail. He lives with his mother and two sisters. Even though he acts fairly self-centered, his family is very important to him. He’s the good son and the protective brother. See Season 1 to see what happens when Smash gets into a little trouble with Coach and his mother. In Season 2, he is injured and that’s what brings us to the beginning of Season 3. With the injury, Smash figures his hopes of college and pro football are over. His storyline is, by far, my favorite this season.

2. Tami Taylor – I mentioned the Taylors in a a previous post. Tami is a great supportive and outspoken wife in Season 1. She does tend to get her way almost every time and can be overbearing, but at the end of the day, she and Eric are a team. She starts work as a guidance counselor at the same school in which her husband is the football coach. At the end of Season 1, she shares the news that she’s pregnant. In Season 2, Gracie Belle makes her arrival. We also see Tami have post-partum depression which is well-played. During this time, she’s stays in Dillon while Eric is at TMU. My Tami highlights from the past seasons are when she’s dealing with being separated from her husband and in any scene with her daughter, Julie.

3. Landry Clarke – Landry is the school geek and Matt’s best friend. He’s always the one to tutor the main characters. He has a band called Crucifictorius which, during a Season 1 concert, is painfully bad. He’s in the worst storyline ever in Season 2. We won’t discuss that. However, during Season 2, he did join the football team as a bench warmer. During Season 1 and Season 2, he started hanging out with Tyra and dated her. By the beginning of Season 3, they are broken up but friends. He still has his band.

4. Coach Eric Taylor - Coach is the head coach of the Dillon Panthers. You can find out more about him in this previous post. He was a quarterback coach and taught Jason Street when he was younger. He then goes onto mentor the new quarterback, Matt Saracen. There are many other instances where he tries to add guidance or support to the players. On the homefront, he mostly just tries to stay out of trouble and keep his head above the ever-changing waters of his female-filled home. In Season 2, he takes a new job at the college level at TMU only to decide to go back to Dillon.

5. Tyra Collette - Tyra is the town bad girl. She was on-again/off-again with Tim Riggins in Season 1 until she ends up in an unlikely relationship with Landry. She lives with her single mother, Angela and has a sister, Mindy who works at the local gentlemen’s club, The Landing Strip. Angela briefly worked for Buddy Garrity which ended poorly and results in her approaching the Garrity family outside of church. She’s not the best example and only shows moments when she’s not the worst mother ever. Mindy is engaged to Billy Riggins and cracks me up whenever she’s on screen. In the past two seasons, Tyra tries turning her life around and goes from skipping school to joining the volleyball team temporarily. Tami takes a big interest in her life when Tyra starts hanging out with Julie. This self-improvement and self-confidence continues into this season though it takes a couple of detours. Tyra breaks up with Landry in Season 2 but finds she's jealous when it looks like Landry finds someone else. They begin Season 3 as friends.

6. Julie Taylor - Julie was mentioned in this previous post. She starts off Season 1 as the new girl in school. She then starts dating Matt Saracen, befriends Tyra, and starts to fit in. In Season 2, she dates a lifeguard nicknamed the Swede. She's also kind of bratty in Season 2. Luckily, that doesn't last too long. I keep waiting for bratty Julie this year, but she hasn't appeared.

7. Matt Saracen - Matt Saracen was the back-up quarterback to the star, Jason Street. Then, he finds himself the starter overnight. He leads the team to win the State championship at the end of Season 1. His father is in Iraq and his mother was never in the picture. In Season 2, he's a little cranky - most likely due to the fact that Julie found someone else. Meanwhile, he cares for his grandmother who is suffering from dementia that gets worse throughout the series. It's heartbreaking to see Matt accept his responsibility especially as he nears college age when some go away to school. As mostly shown in Season 1, Matt is also a very talented artist. You do see Matt's father in Season 1 as well. He's back to status quo going into Season 3. He's friends with Julie and starting quarterback.

8. Lyla Garrity - Lyla is the school goody-goody. She is a cheerleader in Season 1 dating the star quarterback, Jason Street. They have a plan to graduate and go to college near each other and get married and live happily-ever-after. She then cheats on Jason with Tim Riggins, Jason's best friend. Her father, Buddy Garrity is a big-wig booster in the town. He was a former high school football player who owns a local car dealership. He has a wife and three children - Lyla and a younger son and daughter. Then, he cheats on his wife with Tyra's mother and is then publicly humiliated. He's a little outrageous and loves to be important. In Season 2, Lyla's parents get divorced and Lyla's mother dates. Before Season 3 begins, everyone but Lyla moves to the West coast. Lyla stays with her father in Dillon. Lyla becomes religious in Season 2 and starts to date Chris, a guy who works with her at Christian radio. No real explanation as to where Chris went, but Lyla turns her eye back to Tim.

9. Jason Street - Jason begins the series as the star. Then, in the first episode, he's tackled and paralyzed which changes everything. In the rehabilitation center, he befriends Herc who is completely crazy and never treats Jason with kid gloves. He sticks by Jason through it all. Jason's parents, at one point, sue the school and the coach over the accident to help make ends meet. In Season 2, Jason, Lyla and Riggins end up in Mexico to find some cure for the paralysis. It was a weak storyline. I won't lie to you. Maybe not as weak as the Tyra/Landry storyline I refuse to mention, but it was unnecessary. Jason ends up having a one-night stand with a waitress in Season 2 that results in a baby boy.

10. Tim Riggins - Tim is Jason's best friend and kind of a bad boy. He cuts class. He drinks a bit. I don't think there is much mention of a mother, but his father left him and his brother years back. Tim lives with his brother, Billy, who has one grand scheme after the other for getting rich quick. He also played football in high school but never really went too far because he had to care for Tim. Billy means well. Going into Season 3, he is dating Mindy and really wants to provide for her and for Tim, but he's not really the brightest bulb. They steal every scene they are in. You do see Tim's father in Season 1. Soemwhere along the way, Tim decides to straighten out and date Lyla seriously.

That pretty much sums up the cast of characters. There were other players who made cameos and you are introduced to more in Season 3. I tried to keep spoilers to a minimum. If you decide to watch Season 3 without going back to Season 1, it's really a good time to tune in. The first episode catches you up a bit. You may miss some backstory, but I kept enough quiet so you can watch the past seasons to catch up later and still enjoy the show. Storylines involving mental illness, race relations, steroids, murder (which I won't discuss), and recruiting among many others. So, I promise after this week that I will lay off the Friday Night Lights posts, but the show is seriously good.

P.S. If I've forgotten something, I'm sure someone will tell me.

Breaking my Friday Night Lights Assault for Weird News

Check this article out. The woman is assaulted by her boyfriend for buying him a Wii for Christmas instead of a remote control airplane. Seriously? You need to dump him... and give the Wii to me.

My Mission, and I Choose to Accept It...

I told Husband last night that I will make sure everyone watches Friday Night Lights this weekend even if it takes me going to everybody's houses and duct taping them to chairs and propping eyelids open with toothpicks. Seriously, I said this. I totally would mean it, too, if I wasn't also extremely lazy. So, I will have to keep up the blog. For those who have no intention of watching the show, don't tell me. Also, the blogging will stop (for the most part) by Friday though I can't promise it will stop forever.

Anyway, today just one post on the positive aspects of the show before I move onto the summary tomorrow.
There is something for everybody on this show. There is football for boys. I mean, talk about wide receivers and quarterbacks and passing and sprinting and practice and blah blah blah. There are the politics of local sports with the boosters and rally girls. I had never heard of either really. Boosters provide money. Rally girls provide, and I paraphrase, anything the players require to play a good game on Friday nights - be that homework or a girl in a bikini in the hot tub or a cake.
There are cheerleaders for the boys though this photo is misleading because Minka Kelly as Lyla Garrity doesn't wear her cheerleading uniform any longer. I'd have to say honestly that there was more in the way of eye candy in the first two seasons than in this season. This season is very plot-oriented and moves quickly because of the shortened season. Still, the cast isn't hard on the eyes.

Now, onto what's in it for the ladies... well, it is a show about guys, and it's got a lot of heart. I mean, trust me, I am the last person to watch a show about football of all things. I do my best to avoid all things football. The relationships between married couples, family members, and friends are so strong. Because many of the actors aren't well-known, they become the characters they play with an authenticity most shows don't have. Plus, though I am a big fan of Kyle Chandler, many enjoy Taylor Kitsch who was featured in Sexy Friday last week. The below photo is the best of both worlds. It's from Season 1.
In the beginning of this season, you'll also want to pay attention to Smash and his storyline. He and Mama Smash rock their roles. It's the strongest arc of the season and if you don't cry, I say you're heartless and have no humanity.

Know Any Single Guys?

According to this article, a 107-year-old woman is seeking her first husband so she does not become a burden to her children. It looks like the local officials are helping her search. I love the fact that she didn't want to marry (for good reason!) and moved to the country to become a farmer until she was 74. How awesome is that for a woman in China? Or a woman anywhere? She must be special. I wish her well on her search.

As a sidenote, the wedding cake topper is a double happiness symbol (so says Google - for all I know, it's a big middle finger to wedding guests which is why I have no Asian symbol tattooed on my body - I don't want to be some tattoo artist's practical joke.) Hm... is that a sidenote to my sidenote?

Friday Night Lights Tutorial - Part 1

First, in the tutorials, I want to say that I will not give any spoilers for Season 3. There will only be minor spoilers for Season 1 and 2 but none that would ruin the show if you seriously want to view previous seasons.

Above is a photo of the show's main family (though it is really an ensemble cast). Kyle Chandler plays Coach Eric Taylor. Connie Britton plays his wife, Tami. Aimee Teegarden plays their daughter, Julie. They also have a second daughter named Gracie Belle. In Season 1, the family moves into Dillon where Coach Taylor begins his position as the Dillon Panthers coach. In Season 2, Tami takes a job as a guidance counselor and works in the same school. Throughout the series, you see them announce they are having another baby (end of Season 1), have the baby (Season 2), and live with Julie dating the quarterback (Season 1), date a pretty boy (Season 2) and be a typical teenager bouncing from loving daughter to pain in the backside.

The family scenes are always some of my favorites. All three do subtle scenes so very well as well as the heavily dramatic.

Weekend Update - Still No Winter Wonderland

This past weekend, I took a half day from work to drive with Sister and Nephew to my parents' vacation house in Maryland. The plan was to see Nephew ski some more and take Little Miss sledding, but once again, it rained. So, we played indoors. It was fun, as always. Little Miss and Nephew are always entertaining to watch. They do love each other, but they're clearly on different levels so, because of that, they get on each other's nerves a little, too.

It was a quiet weekend, but Little Miss loves to spend time with the relatives. She loves the extra attention and amusing the masses. Because Christmas few by so quickly and Mom didn't get her annual pics of the kids at the tree, we put the kids in front of the tree this weekend. Little Miss hates wearing dresses because they make crawling difficult, but she looked too cute not to put her in a dress. Also, her hair is crazy long right now, but we just haven't cut it yet. She'll be a little girl as soon as we do that and not our little baby.

There's still next month, when we visit Maryland again, for us to get Little Miss out in the snow.

Did I mention Friday Night Lights premieres this week?

Seriously, this is my blog. If you have no interest in Friday Night Lights, this is not the week to read my blog. If you haven't heard, the show both concludes on DirecTV and premieres on NBC this week. Check this previous post if you are interested in cramming in 2 seasons worth of viewing or learning more about the show. Or, if I have enough time this week, my goal is to post enough about the show that you'll know everything about it by Friday night.

I originally started watching the show for Kyle Chandler. I've followed his career for quite some time. To say how long would date both of us. He plays the role so well in this show. Though the show is about high school football, my favorite scenes are the ones when he's with his family. He always has his angry face on when he's coaching football.

Golden Globes

So, I'm watching the Golden Globes. It's always good fun to kick off the awards' season. I don't watch as many as I used to, but when I do watch a show, I sit for hours with Red Carpet coverage, the awards and the post-show. It's insane. Usually, for the Oscars, Husband will make us a special dinner. More on that when the awards draw near.

Anyway, I'm watching the Golden Globes. I stopped feeding Little Miss to catch a glimpse of Simon Baker. I also got to thinking that, if I was a teenage girl, I'd totally have Zac Efron's photo up on my bedroom wall. I always thought he looked young (because he is), but he's growing up to have potential. Sadly, I haven't seen many nominated films, but maybe this ceremony will give me an idea of which I need to see by the Academy Awards. I wonder which celebrity will drink too much and embarrass him or herself...

Sidenote: if the Red Carpet coverage continues to have advertisements for Grey Goose, I'm going to have to get some. It just so happens that I have a bottle in the kitchen. Plus, at this rate, Little Miss will be in bed in about a half hour. She's been running around in a circle (though the kitchen and living room) carrying around a plastic container.

Sexy Friday

Husband visits a website (I'd link to it, but I don't know which one it is, and it's guaranteed to offend most of the readers to my blog) that has Sexy Friday. He suggested I do a Sexy Friday as well.

Today's photo is of Taylor Kitsch from Friday Night Lights. If you have DirecTV, you should be watching the show already. The finale is next week. If you do not, the show premieres next Friday. Don't worry, this is only the first of many posts about the show. You can watch and catch up online in the meantime. Both Season 1 and Season 2 are on NBC's website.

I don't think this is what Husband meant when he suggested Sexy Friday.

A Milestone!

Today marks one year since my first blog post. The blog has 219 posts (220 as soon as I click on Publish Post"). I originally just started this blog to ramble on and, if anyone read it, that was just a bonus. It was going to be pretty generic. Then, when I realized some photos were too large to e-mail to family and friends, the blog morphed into a family blog with a couple of ramblings thrown into the mix. I still wanted to keep it somewhat generic because I didn't want to make it private so that's why I don't mention anybody's names (though you can find them scattered throughout if you look real hard). I figured it was a good compromise without going private. It's still far from perfect - a work in progress you could say, but it suits its purpose.

Happy Anniversary, blog!

Weekend Update - Too Many Cooks? Nope, the Perfect Amount!

Last Friday, Brother- and Sister-in-Law came over super early so we could all make loads of Polish food. There was pierogi (see above photo), nut bread, babka, and chrusciki (see below photo). For this, there are many spellings, but this is the only spelling I found online.

It took awhile to make fillings, make dough, wait for the dough to rise, and assemble it all. Everyone had a big role. I can't say I did as much or I didn't feel like I did as much. I did go to the store for forgotten items and bought lunch. Brother- and Sister-in-Law picked up a pizza for dinner. All of us pretty much took turns entertaining (or being entertained by) Little Miss. It was a nice first-time tradition. It's always interesting getting family together for long periods of time, but I think we did well. Next year, there's already a plan to make things go smoother.

Little Miss hasn't tried everything yet, but she has liked what we've given her so far. She'll have pierogi tonight so we'll see how that goes over. Seeing as how she enjoys pasta and potatoes, she may like it, but it'll all depend on her mood. I suppose with all the Polish food, I should do my part and make the one Korean dish I know or (*gasp*) learn more.

The rest of the weekend isn't really worth mentioning as I spent it sleeping in bed or on the couch with a cold. Husband was great watching over Little Miss. The cabin fever gets to her so she was a handful. Still, just when she's working your last nerve, she'll look up at you and give you a kiss and hug so it's hard to stay frustrated with her for long.

Scrubs is back!

Just a heads up: Scrubs is back on Tuesday, January 6! The show was mistreated by NBC and moved to ABC and has gotten more promotion in the last month than it ever has. I'm very excited. Yes, it is going to end after this season or at least end with the current cast, but it's definitely worth watching. It's one of the very few shows where we own every season on DVD. Actually, today, we had a Scrubs marathon. Fun times! So, I thought I'd do my part as a fan and hype the show a little more.

If you think that's obnoxious, I don't care it's my blog. Also, you may want to ignore it in a couple of weeks when I go all full out about Friday Night Lights.

Christmas Tour - New York, New York

On Monday, we drove into the city. We had a quick lunch at TGIFriday's and prepared for playing tourist. The lunch was a little crazy and, if we had planned better, we wouldn't have had a big lunch or eaten at Friday's, but we were hungry and it was there. We went to Rockefeller Center, saw the tree, the skaters, and store fronts. It's always nice to be in the city around the holidays. You see such friendly people taking a photo for you so you can get the entire family into the frame. You see people almost getting into a fist fight. Seriously. Two women started swinging until they were separated. Husband and I had a grand chuckle over that.

After seeing the tree and taking a zillion pictures, we walked across the street to St. Patrick's Cathedral. I took many photos of Husband and Little Miss throughout. At one point, in front of the Nativity, a nun was holding Baby Jesus and let Little Miss give Baby Jesus a kiss. We took a picture and wished her a Merry Christmas. Husband lit a candle and we went back out into the city.

We found a great little pizza place for dinner. Little Miss slept but she woke up to have a little bit to eat. It was a nice quiet place which was good because we got to spread out and Little Miss got to sleep.

After, we walked to Madison Square Garden to watch the New York Rangers defeat the New York Islanders. Little Miss was excellent during her first hockey game. She didn't pay much attention to the hockey, but she flirted with all the men in our section and made friends with the women. She slept through 3 of the goals and even the noise didn't wake her, but the goal to tie the game woke her. The crowd went wild. She was so good. We bought her a Little Princess New York Rangers hat (which she won't wear) and also, while in the city, we bought her a New York Mets jersey and keychain (and perhaps a sparkly New York Mets purse for me). So, she's good for the next two sports seasons. No football because the football season is over for the New York Jets and it's a little too early for Husband to be thinking of next year with this year's disappointment still hanging over him like a big, black cloud.

It was a great trip to New York City and we're so glad we got to travel. On our last day, we stopped into Husband's favorite restaurant for lunch and then to the gravesite of his grandmother. Little Miss was very good at both the restaurant and at the cemetary. It was very cold that day, but she hung in there with both of us.

Christmas Tour - New Jersey

On Saturday, we drove from Maryland to New Jersey with the hopes to arrive around dinner time. We were going to check into our hotel room and then head to Husband's best friend's house. Then, we hit some rain and had to make a few stops and that put us a little behind schedule. So, by the time we arrived in New Jersey, Little Miss just melted down. So, we just went straight to our friends' house and tried to get Little Miss some food as soon as possible. It worked out well. We ate dinner and hung out all evening.

The next day, we went over again. The boys watched football and Little Miss played with her new friend. She tried everything to get his attention. She tugged and pulled and kissed. Finally, later, they did play together, but older kids always find younger kids a bit of a nuisance. Little Miss was great. At nap time, she'd sleep on the sofa. At meal time, she ate. Now that there are kids, we hope we are able to spend more time with friends so that our children can grow up together as Husband and his best friend did.

Christmas Tour - No Winter Wonderland

Both Husband and my office were closed on Christmas Eve. This was unexpected for me, but it was nice to have the day off. So, we got ready to go the night before and had plans to head out to Maryland as soon as possible on Wednesday. However, Little Miss had other plans. She woke up a handful of times during the night perhaps with Christmas excitement. So, we got off to a later start than we had hoped. Little Miss was great in the car.

As soon as we got to Maryland, Little Miss was very excited to see her cousin and vice versa. The rest of the family was excited to see her as well. Uncle, Aunt, and Cousins hadn't seen her since November. Since then, she grew teeth and can walk!

Later, Christmas Eve night, we went to church. Everyone was so nice to us. Everyone said how beautiful the children were. Sister didn't go so everyone assumed Nephew and Little Miss were ours. We took full credit. Then, we all ate too much for dinner.

On Christmas, we dove into a sea of presents. Everyone was very generous and Little Miss made out like a bandit! We even had time to play with some of them. We ate too much again. We also dressed Little Miss up as Santa. She seemed to tolerate it. I definitely think she loved all the added attention. She went to everyone easily even though she's wary around anyone other than the two of us. I'm glad to see her reaching for others in the family though.

The day after Christmas, everyone went skiing/snowboarding. We bundled up Little Miss to go meet them at the mountain. She saw snow last year, but she was an infant so she doesn't really remember. Unfortunately, during our Christmas holiday, it was either raining or unseasonably warm so she didn't see much snow. Either way, she got into her snowsuit. I think she was a little confused, but she was glad to see everybody. We're going up a couple more times this year so maybe she'll see more snow during those trips. At the resort, we got there just in time to take some photos and eat lunch.

We did get to see Nephew ski, and he's a rockstar on the mountain. He just learned to ski a trip or two ago and now he can go down the big mountain and use the chairlift (with help). He's awesome! Pretty soon, that'll be Little Miss.

After lunch, I have to admit we went back to the house to make dinner. As with most holidays, it was one of food. Both kids crashed as soon as they hit the car. Little Miss woke up first and squealed with delight when Nephew woke from his nap.

Throughout the trip, we also went into the hot tub and watched The Forbidden Kingdom. Plus, while looking into the movie, I found out that Michael Angarano is dating Kristen Stewart. I digress...

Anyway, Christmas was great. The Saturday after Christmas, we left to drive to New Jersey. Stay tuned.

Books read in December 2008

1. The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts. (NOTE: This is the third book in the Sign of Seven trilogy. Book 1 is Blood Brothers. Book 2 is The Hollow by Nora Roberts.
2. Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb

It was a Nora Roberts month for me. I liked both books, but I can't say either was my favorite in its respective series. I wanted the Sign of Seven series to be scarier and, though it had its creepy moments, it never clicked for me. That said, there were some adorable and tender moments in The Pagan Stone. Salvation in Death was different than I expected in terms of the plot, but I never claimed to be good at figuring out mysteries. It was a solid book.

I have the option of reading Suite 606 to continue the Nora Roberts trend, but I think I'll move onto something else. You can see what I'm currently reading on the main blog page. However, I'm also eagerly looking forward to 20th Century Ghosts, but Joe Hill scares me! So, it's slow-going (not to mention that I haven't finished Heart-Shaped Box yet). He's so talented, but ghosts really freak me out. Maybe soon, I'll get my courage up and finish Just After Sunset and get on the horror bandwagon to read/finish them all but, for now, I'll stick to the non-scary.

My Friends are Talented!

My friend, Sanna, is having a contest on her site. If you follow the instructions, you can win a handbag (see above) or a child's apron (see below). As I posted before, I've purchased a handbag from her. She's so talented, and the patterns are so unique. Someone always compliments me when I use that bag, too. I doubt I'll win because that's the kind of luck I have, but you can't lose if you don't play. Please note that there are two contests - one on each of her websites.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I hope this year brings you all good times and good health.

Stay tuned for updates and photos from our holiday travels!