A Letter To Hugh Grant

Dear Mr. Grant,

I believe the time has come that you branch out.  I'm bored of seeing you in romantic comedies.  The Hugh-Grant-Romantic-Comedy wore out it's niche back when Bridgette Jones was writing her diary.  Please expand your acting repertoire to characters that wear something besides a suit coat and tie.  Put on something that wasn't pre-approved by your mum and grandfather.  And, by the way, tennis shorts do not count in this plea for variety. 

Grow out your hair, be a rogue bad-guy.  Be a sage old guy.  Hell, be a woman!  But, PLEASE, no more bumbling British snob from a big city who doesn't know how to be a good boyfriend/lover/husband.  Play Baryshnikov.  That would be awesome.  If by chance you've already played these characters I clearly missed those movies and I'm sorry.   I'm sure I saw your name and thought it was another droll romantic comedy.

Thank You,
The Viewing Public

Question of The Day Sept 39, 2010

My brain is farting left and right and I cannot come up with a post to save my life... well that's wrong because I have some fabulous ones but they're going to be long and if I don't want to take the time to write it you sure as hell don't want to take the time to read it.  Right?

So here's my compromise - a question:

What is the last thing you dug out of the trash can?



For me?  it was newspaper because I thought I tossed out a coupon.  And then I found it sitting on the kitchen table.

Genealogy Diversion

I would post something witty and insightful today, but a distant cousin contacted me through ancestry.com yesterday and I've been digging through my papers and doing online searches until really late last night.   And again this morning. 

I came across a link (nothing to do with this distant cousin) that has eluded me for many many many years.  It is impossible to explain my excitement.  I could barely sleep last night.  And the one person who knows my pain, is not available as she is galavanting across the country with her best friend from high school (that would be my mom - the gall!)

Oh well.  I'm excited and very distracted.

Time To Sweep

The temps are starting to drop that people are frequently commenting how wonderful it feels outside.  AMEN!   While it may feel like fall, it doesn't LOOK like autumn yet.  Over the next few weeks the trees will burst with color, but at the moment only a rogue leaf will peak and drop.  It's coming, we all feel it.

Lawns are still a lush green, not yet hidden by brown leaves.  My sidewalk, on the other hand, completely covered.  I grilled steaks yesterday and had to clear a path through all of the leaves to get to my grill.  Maybe the change in colors is closer than I realize? 

Sunday In My City - September 26, 2010 (anniversaries and weddings)

Today is my first wedding anniversary!

One year ago we tossed together a wedding in 24 hours, a small gathering in my mom's backyard.  It was intimate, but perfect.  My post a year ago is here, but there's a better run down here.   We don't have anything super special planned today.  I think we'll be doing steaks on the grill tonight - hopefully the weather holds out.

Last night I attended the wedding of a coworker.  It was a big, beautiful church ceremony in the afternoon and a reception several hours later.  The bride was radiant, smiling ear from ear.  The groom also grinned, but looked a little lost.  The bride jokingly referred to the whole ordeal as "Gale's Wedding" - Gale is her mom.  I remember the feeling as I tolerated my mom putting on my big formal church wedding 23 years ago.

Her reception was held at the 9th Street Abby in Soulard.  It's an old church renovated into a reception hall.  There's a little patio that is used for private parties which is where we gathered for hors d'ourves, then we moved inside to the old chapel for our meal.

I was agitated to see that people the bride wasn't terribly close to, but felt obliged to invite from work had accepted the invitation.  Her family paid a pretty penny for their meals and in exchange she received fake hugs and mindless greeting cards.  At least those who responded about attending actually came.  I was sad to see that several people came to the reception without attending the ceremony - that is total crap in my book.  Those same people also left the reception as soon as the meal was over.  Isn't that horrible?

I doubt the happy couple is aware of any of this, because a wedding day goes by in a blur.  Memories will be formed from pictures.

Already my wedding one year ago seems like it's been several years.  I don't know if that's because we lived together for a while or that my memory is bad or that we're getting older... or a little combination of them.

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Friday Fragments - September 24, 2010

*It's currently 2 am and I woke up with a bit of math running through my head - in my circle of 5 friends we have 9 children, 8 of which were born vaginally, 1 caesearean.  1 friend has had nothing other than childbirth to her name.  The other four of us have 5 lapriscopic procedures between us (two in the last 10 days) removing 4 body parts and one of us has had major abdominal surgery with a resulting sternum to woohoo railroad track scar.  The babies happened in our 20's & 30's, the lapriscopic stuff in our 40's.  Over the summer we were laughing at the husbands as they whined and complained about their various physical conditions and ailments.  The next gathering of friends will have the women comparing scars and battle stories.  In other words, we're getting old.  

*Yesterday I had my follow-up appointment with my surgeon and received a clean bill of health.  He doesn't expect to see me back with any complications - YAY!!!  In case you didn't catch the news 2 weeks ago, I had my gall bladder out and my timing was perfect because it was in really bad shape.  Doc and I agree that I'm probably not suffering any adverse affects as my body had probably already adjusted to the dumb thing not working.  I'm back at work and although I'm moving much more slowly, doing quite well.

*Yesterday was also the grand opening FINALLY of our new business (explanation and pictures were posted yesterday).  It was kind of a lack luster beginning, as I suspected.  I really think today and tomorrow will be better.  Once word gets out we will be rocking.  Thank you everyone who posted their well wishes, it's truly appreciated.

*Monday was Talk Like A Pirate Day.  I took the opportunity to change my facebook settings so that the language is "English - Pirate."  Doing this amuses me to no end and so I haven't changed it back to regular ol American English yet.  If you've never done it I challenge you to look it up (email me if you need directions)..... "Monday were Yak Like a Pirrrrate Festival.  This scalywag happened upon the opportunity to change me facebook vessel to squawk like yon hearty pirrrrates.  Wit' many deep belly laughs I gone and kept my squawkin so and not yet parlayed like yon yanks.  Partake of the fun, matey, and if ye need any assistance to hoist yer sails just send yer parrot me way."


*Another bread thief moment (check out my labels for "CRIME" for previous attacks).  On Tuesday was our staff meeting at work after which we had two full loaves of bread left over.  At the end of the day they were in the kitchen.  Wednesday morning we had only one loaf.  We consumed not quite half at lunch as we noshed on yummy leftovers and maybe one or two slices were eaten later in the afternoon.  If you're keeping score we should have a half loaf at the end of the day and we did.  Thursday morning?  GONE!  Nothing else was missing, per usual.  One woman asked if maybe one of our coworkers is suffering financially, but if that's the case, take more food, EAT.  But the bread?  Always the bread?  And massive amounts of it?  Nah, this is something different.  We're ready to whip out the nanny cams.

Opening Day

It's here.  Opening day.  FINALLY!

It took us six months to get here and we are down to NO MONEY as a result.  Want to talk about nervous?  We are both scared as hell about this.  It has to work. 

Fortunately everyone sounds super excited about our mobile pizzeria.  With two ovens on our truck people will be able to get hot and fresh pizza just as if they were walking into an actual pizza shop.  We will be found in various towns down highway 44.  I didn't think St. Louis needed another pizza place as we would be lost in the shuffle with every other mom and pop shop slopping red sauce on bread disks (there are a TON of pizza places around here) so we are only going to be found in outlying towns. 

Wish us luck...

Get Well Cookies

On day one of my recovery there was a woman standing at my front door holding a bouquet of cookies from my coworkers.  Get Well Cookies!  My reaction was to burst out laughing, maybe not the best thing to do 24 hours after lapriscopic surgery.  But it didn't matter, I loved it!

I had to explain to both my son and my husband that those were not TURKEYS but buzzards.  Neither one got it - why would anyone send BUZZARD cookies?  I just shook my head and said my friends understand me and knew how much I would enjoy these. 

Back To Work

Well today I return to work.  The Husband is concerned that I might not be ready.  My biggest problem is sitting upright for long periods of time - I'm most comfortable in a reclined slouch with my feet up (aren't we all?)  I think my office chair has enough recline to it not to stress my stomach muscles and if it gets really bad I can retreat to the couch in the reception area with my laptop.  If that doesn't work I guess I'll come home, but I think I will survive.

Yesterday I finally made good on a promise to myself and sat down at my sewing machine.  I started a quilt for my daughter quite some time ago.  The date on the picture is 2007 - wow!  It was inspired by doodles I frequently scrawl while taking notes at work.  I pieced this together and then I embroidered it.  It came to a screeching halt when I couldn't come up with a satisfactory border.

Determined to find an answer, I flipped through my quilting books yesterday and saw a zigzag that should be exactly what I need.  So I tooled around with colors (more purple) and decided how to attack the zigzag.  It looks like I have a lot of triangles to cut out - boo!  I hate cutting triangles.  It's easy but tedious.

Now that I have this one "solved" my brain is now wandering over the rest of the purple fabric.  My son's girlfriend needs a quilt too and purple is her favorite color.  I have the fabric selected and patterns are starting to bounce around in my head.

Sunday In My City - September 19, 2010

Another amazing bug edition...

Yesterday while running errands we noticed this little guy catching a ride.  At one point we were going 70 mph on the highway and he was still clinging on, the wind blowing through his... antennae.  Don't a couple of these look photoshopped?  And others like a really bad 1960's low budget horror flick?

RADIOACTIVE GRASSHOPPER...

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Learning to Eat

The good news is that I'm not on any dietary restrictions.  That said, after my last round of gall bladder attacks I decided that I need to severely alter how I eat.  I've always known WHAT I eat isn't too bad, my problem is HOW MUCH.  That if I reduce how much I take in, especially in the evening, I could possibly quell heartburn and future gall bladder attacks.  Since the offending organ has now been removed, the devotion to modify my habits is stronger than ever.

I've been struggling with this for some time.  Earlier this year I posted how I refuse to use the word "diet" as I was raised by a mother on a perpetual diet.  To this day her cabinets are filled with low fat this and sugar free that.  Her snacks of choice are sticks - pretzel and carrot, to be precise. 

Up until fourteen years ago, I was the skinniest girl in the room.  My teen and college years were filled with accusations of anorexia.  The day I got married in 1987 I weighed a whopping 104 pounds.  Like I said, I was rather thin.

Because of the constant commentary and teasing I did everything possible to gain weight, mainly eating without restriction.  Dorm-mates watched in awed wonder as the toothpick shoveled heaping servings into her tiny mouth.  Somebody, a lot of somebodies, wished that one day my metabolism would slow down and did they get their wish!  My metabolism slowed, but my eating didn't.

So here I am.   For three weeks I've been taking almost half as much for each serving as I normally would.  Fortunately I'm not suffering with hunger pangs.  I'm also noticing the desire to "munch" when I'm not hungry (the hardest one to break).  I haven't been on a scale in over a week so I don't know how this is progressing, but I will be downright depressed if I haven't lost over ten pounds.

Hopefully I can keep up this pace.  Then we have to attack my lack of exercise, but that's on hold at least for another week. 

New Jobs

Both of my older kids start new jobs today.  I guess my son has already been there for a couple of hours now (it's currently 7am - YIKES).  I'm so happy for both of them and hope both positions work out. 

It's crazy how much I've been worrying about them.  I remember my mom commenting how much she worried about my brothers and me when we became adults.  I try to behave and not become a total facebook stalker, but it's about the only way I ever get any updates on their lives.  Oh crap, that sounds like a whiny mom "you nevah call meee."  That's not right either because you know what, that damn phone works both ways.  But it was through facebook that my ex and I both discovered that our son had actually gotten the new job.  I didn't feel so bad when I saw his dad's posting, "when were you going to tell me?"

I guess the worrying doesn't subside.  My mom was glued to my side all day Friday - or as much as the surgeons would let her.  I'm quite sure she would have gone in the operating room had they allowed her.  She was worried about me and she didn't it make much effort to veil it either.  And if you sat next to my Grandma you would hear her voice endless concern about my mom. 

Once a parent, always a parent.  And a parent's job is to worry. 

Sunday In My City - September 12, 2010

Last week, after doing the finishing touches for inspection in our new pizzeria, we took a drive through Lone Elk State Park.  The elk weren't out.  I was a little sad about that.  One of my most vivid memories of this park was driving through during mating season - that was interesting to say the least.  The males were ripping the crap out each other.

This time, though, we got to see one meager herd of buffalo.  And they were rib-viewing skinny.  Not sure if there's a problem or what, but it was a little disappointing.

Afterwards we stopped at Steak-N-Shake for happy hour (1/2 price milk shakes)

Ian got Oreo Mint

And I got caramel apple (notice the huge blob of caramel!)  It was quite yummy.

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In Recovery

Thank you for all of the good wishes.  I'm home safe and sound now, minus a very battered gall bladder.

My surgery was moved up by an hour so no laying around when I arrived. I heard from several of the nurses from work that I had chosen the best surgeon. AND he happens to be a cardiac surgeon so with my heart history that made me feel very calm going into things today. Then a coworker's daughter bopped in to check on me. She arranged my anesthisiologist - again, the best one. I was back into recovery after an hour.

Doc says I was in pretty bad shape and he was really surprised I wasn't in any discomfort outside of my attacks. I had twelve stones about the size of the foil wrapped chocolate eggs and the gall bladder was filled with lesions and was a horrible dull gray. Damn good thing I had it out when I did.

I lingered in recovery - kept getting nausea and lightheaded. I took a really long nap when I got home and now I feel pretty good.  I haven't used any prescribed pain pills since I left the hospital, the ibuprofin seems to be sufficient.  Mostly I feel bruised, but it's not awful.

And yes, mom, I won't let that "good" feeling deceive me and I promise to keep my ass on the couch. 

Surgery Tomorrow

It's funny, I'm almost excited about getting my gall bladder yanked out.  I'm quite calm about it, not nervous at all.  If anything, I'm giddy.  Not about the surgery or losing body parts.  I'm rather attached to the pieces God gave me, but if one must go, so be it.  No, it's the full week off I've scheduled.  I know I'll feel puny, but I am looking at a full week of NOTHING. 

And what do I anticipate doing during this Week Of Nothing?  Well there's going to be TV watching and catching up on crappy chick flicks and maybe read a book and certainly reading plenty of blogs and naps and more naps.  My biggest goal is to trim all of the recipes I've pulled out of magazines over the past several years and glue them to index cards.  Absolutely everything I have running through my head can be performed from the cushy comfort of my couch.  I fear one week may not be long enough!

I may or may not get my Friday Fragments posted tonight and I'm not all that sure about Sunday's In My City.  We'll see how crazy life is tonight.  I have to find a bottle of glue that certain people swear exists in our house.  I may have to drive all of the way to Walgreens and purchase more supplies (tossing flour on my face and looking overly exhausted... pity me)

So I'll catch y'all next week sometime.  Play nice.

Happy Labor Day

So what's the game plan today?  What's on the menu?

Here?  Labor - and I don't mean the type that results in a screeching baby.  Nope, manual labor.  We had our building and health inspections for the mobile pizzeria last week.  The fixes are minor, but needed none-the-less.   Yesterday we spent seven hours at the shop painting exposed wood, a rusted piece of metal we overlooked in set up, scrubbing more pans and the boys worked and worked and worked to increase the slope of the pipes leading to the sewer.  Today... more of the same.

On the menu?  Since brother-in-law has to get on the road later this afternoon we nixed the BBQ.  So we'll be headed home for a pot of spaghetti.  Not exactly how I had this day planned, but we need to get this stuff done.

I hope to hear everyone is loading up on saucy ribs and all sorts of calorie-laden sides and sticky desserts.  Let me live vicariously through you, okay?

Sunday In My City - September 5, 2010

Last night the friends gathered.  One is scheduled for surgery next week and my gall bladder is coming out in the near future.  So the friend said she wanted a sangria party and we each brought an appetizer and a component for the sangria.

3 boxes of red wine

1 can of orange juice concentrate, 1 of lemon and 1 can of grape

1 bottle of cherry brandy

Sliced oranges and lemons

We put it in a big 5 gallon jug with a spigot and then serve over ice in wine glasses.

The weather has been BEAUTIFUL this weekend so we moved the party outside.  It was actually a little chilly so we were slipping into coats and sweatshirts.  But then they broke out the fire.  We sent the husbands to the store for marshmallows (probably not a good combination after several glasses of wine, but it hit the spot)

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Friday Fragments - September 3, 2010

Welcome to all of the visitors from Friday Fragments!  It's exciting to see the increased traffic during these blog hops.  I've been a lax visitor lately and I'm very sorry.  It looks like I have a few days coming up to do nothing but surf the net.  My happy ass is meeting with the surgeon on Tuesday.  My gall bladder is coming out.  YAY!

Of course the timing sucks.  A few weeks ago would have been better.  It looks like opening the new business is imminent.  This has been, what, six months in the making?

Last week my daughter found a full-time job with benefits (real YAY) and this week my son got a call back on one of his applications.  Please join me in crossing a few fingers and tossing some good thoughts his way.

A few days ago our CEO brought in milk and cookies for an afternoon break.  I had Oreo's and chocolate milk.  Can it be any more perfect than that?  I don't think so.  We joked that we should take naps and then head out for recess.  I'm all for a gameplan like that!

Oh, fundraiser season is starting up.  Just last night I sat in a meeting as we discussed the prices for selling holiday wreaths.  Having led youth groups through their money problems I know how important these sales are, but damn, they are a pain in the ass.  I'm disliking the order-type fundraisers more and more, but I also don't really enjoy the time commitment required for event fundraisers. 

I just finished watching Twilight New Moon.  No I'm not a Twilight groupie, I'm more of a Team Buffy sort of person.  I did read all four books and it's pure curiosity that drives me to watch the movies.  I have a beef with the whole mess.  Each book pissed me off in different ways.  The movies actually make the story more digestible.  Curious about my beefs?

*Book One - whiniest little shit EVER.  And for however lovesick this teenager is, she is too much.  Reading through my diary from high school there are hints of lovesick and whining and self absorbed crap, but NEVER did I get that bad.  Bella, shut up already, you make my head throb.

*Book Two - probably the more brilliant of the series.  I actually liked how Bella's pain and emptiness was displayed with blank pages.  My issue with this book, however, was that one of the main characters was completely missing and the point of view changed from the first book.  I get why it was done, but felt like it was violating some unwritten story telling protocol.

*Book Three - had decent action.  I imagine that guys will be able to sit through this movie more than the others (but not the book).  The jumbled love story makes me want to slap the ever living shit out of Bella.  Quit stringing poor Jacob along you selfish bitch!

*Book Four - WHAT THE FUCK!  I have an active imagination.  I can handle the vampire/werewolf/shape shifter bullshit.  I can sit through whiny teenagers.  But the new vampire (trying hard not to reveal too much if you still haven't read this garbage - wouldn't want to spoil it you know), but the new vampire?  What the hell?  Really?  And Bella's rescue?  Really?  And the love scene?  Really?  And the new living accommodations?  Really?  You know what?  What's her name, the author, was high.  That's the only way this convoluted book could have been written.  In between Doritos munchies and another toke she scribbled another sparkly chest scene and some more gushing in-love teenager bouncing from the trees.  My head exploded in the first chapter and like watching train-wreck TV, I kept turning the pages while my gray matter just spilled all over the couch.

PS Sarah, I hate you for allowing me to read this crap.  You are hateful.

Wild Grapes

Did you know Missouri has a fabulous wine district?  German and French pioneers settled here because it was similar to their homeland and the first thing they popped in the ground were grapes.  Okay, maybe it didn't happen exactly like that, but close.  I'm sure they weren't too surprised to discover grapes already growing here.  I would encourage you to check out one of the many wineries that populate the Missouri River Valley that cuts straight across the state.

Just blocks from my home is a bramble of trees, weeds, and all sorts of green stuff including wild grapes.  It is where I found the mating butterflies last week and many of my other nature shots.  The surprising thing about these grapes is how itty bitty small they are.  Standard blueberries are larger.  No, I didn't eat any of them, most didn't look quite ripe.  I'm also curious about the little dots covering them and everything else.  It's some sort of fungus, I'm sure.