Enough!

I LOVE pizza.  Give me a thin crust, pepperoni, green peppers and onion and I am in pizza paradise. It's a meal in a wedge.  You have your starch, add some veggies and protein and voila! 

 

Michael gets tired of pizza.  I don't get that, but I suppose it is because I eat one slice and am done and Michael has a healthy appetite and eats more than that.  I laugh when he says, "I am sick of pizza."   I guess it would help if he had a salad as a side instead of making pizza the side AND the entree.  

 

 I never thought I would see the day where even I would be saying, "No pizza, puhleeez!"  But it has happened.

 

 

 

 

 

Last week we both were late in finishing up our day Tuesday.  Michael had planned to grill, but I knew he would prefer to do something different with the long day, so before he got home I ordered a pepperoni, green pepper, and onion pizza from Pizza Hut.  (I don't grill.  I have no clue how to use a gas grill. I know, everyone says it is easy but not for me.  That's Michael's thing.  Anyway back to the pizza!)  Pizza Hut also has a dessert Hershey's chocolate chip cookie pizza, so I had to order that too.  They were both pretty awesome.  

 

The next day I had a slice of leftover cold pizza for lunch.

 

Yum - O!

 

The following night the Salt girls came over to help us bring some things up from the basement for the garage sale.  We treated them to.....

 

what else...

 

pizza! 

 

This time Michael picked the pizzas and made sure he got at least one that was a bit different.  He picked up a cheeseburger pizza (pickles - blech - this one was safe from me) and the other was pepperoni (sigh). 

 

And we had to have dessert for the girls so I made chocolate chip cookies.

 

Sound similar to the menu the night before? But who doesn't like pizza and chocolate chip cookies???

 

Thursday we stayed away from the leftover pizza(s) - it seemed they were multiplying in the fridge. However on Friday my friend Linda and I were running our garage sale and you have to have a quick easy lunch....

 

so leftover pizza it was!

 

And Michael and I had leftover pizza again that night.

 

I think I have officially overdosed on pizza.

 

I don't want to see a pizza for quite a while.

 

Michael thinks he is good until the first of October.

 

I think that is a little extreme.

 

I'm tired of pizza today. 

 

But who knows what tomorrow could bring!

Pshoo!!!!

It's a brave man who buys his wife a staple gun after spending two consecutive Friday nights in the ER due to a mandolin-thumb collision - one Friday night we were there for placing of stitches, the second we were there to have them removed.

I have a project I want to do that requires a staple gun and I told Michael  I would need to use his.  He reminded me that we no longer had it as it quit working.  

A few days later Michael had to go to the hardware store.  Hardware stores are to him what TJ Maxx is to me.  He can spend hours in there oohing and aahing over things I never knew existed so I usually encourage him to go by himself, or I head to the kitchen aisle. I love kitchen things!

This time I headed to the grocery store while he headed to hardware heaven. When we got home he excitedly said, "I got you something at the hardware store!"

I have to be honest, I wasn't too excited about the prospect of a gift from a hardware store.   All I could think of that would appeal to me was something from the kitchen section or candy from the checkout line.

Sad but true.

But then, I saw what it was!

I immediately picked it up, still in the packaging, and pointed it (pretending I was stapling something) and made an air gun sound "Pshoo! Pshoo! Pshoo!"

It was at that moment Michael wondered if this was really a good idea and told me not to staple my thumb to anything.

Like I would do that!

Well, intentionally anyway.

He even got me several lengths of staples.

I can't wait to start my project! I'm keeping it hush-hush for now, but will tell you about it and post pictures when done.

In the meantime I would appreciate prayers for safety while using my new staple gun.

Look out world!

No, seriously..... look out.

A Limerick & Request

There once was a bright metal grater

That for decades helped me with taters

Green peppers and cheese

Onions, carrots (not peas)

To then use in recipes later.

Our time together's now done

Using this thing is no fun

My fingers lose skin

Fingernails never win

It's time to "upgrate" - (a pun).  

So what do you choose to slice

Chop, grate, shred and dice?

Please recommend

As you would to a friend, 

Something not extremely high priced.

Will Work For Treats

The other evening this was the sight at our house.

It's nothing unusual, it's the norm.

We talked about the fact that the dogs were sleeping... again.  The next thing I knew Michael had the Kindle.  

Me:  "What are you looking up, D?"

Michael:  "I'm looking up why dogs sleep all the time."

Here are some interesting doggy facts he discovered:

1.  The average pampered house dog sleeps 50% of the time, rests 30% of the time, and is active 20% of the time.  

2.   Doggy sighs, much like human sighs, mean dogs are content.  

(Except when I threaten to spray Belle's paws with Bitter Apple  - aka "Apple Dapple" to keep her from licking them.  All it takes is to say "Apple Dapple" and I get a dog sigh, however, that sigh is the equivalent to a human rolling their eyes.)  

3.  Dogs sleep so much because they are bored.  

4.  Nonworking dogs sleep because they have no responsibilities.  

5.  Dogs rest to conserve energy.  With the energy conserved at our home Alliant should be paying us each month. 

So we thought maybe we needed to give Belle and Willow some responsibilities.  We brainstormed some jobs we could give the dogs.  Since July is National Ice Cream Month we thought about saddling up Belle and Willow with mini saddles with cup holders and sending them to McDonald's to fetch us ice cream cones. The image was fun to picture, but we really couldn't imagine them returning with two intact cones.  

To be honest we couldn't come up with any chores to give them.  Belle is already in charge of security in the house and neighborhood and Willow is comic relief.  They are both wonderful company and listen really really well. Okay, I need to clarify that sentence:  they are good listeners!... listen well as in obeying commands  - not so much.  

I guess maybe they are already doing their "job" as they make our home complete.    

But... if you find you need someone to chase a squeaky stuffed frog, lay in your flower beds, hold down the blankets on the sectional or sofa, snore you to sleep, bark when the UPS guy arrives, let you know when it is 4:30 p.m., follow you around the house so you are never lonely, or go in and out of the house repeatedly for no reason at all - these are your girls.  

Will work for treats.

****

Reference sources:

petmd.com

ehow.com

yahooanswers.com

#62 - Things I Have Quit

I was having trouble coming up with a post for today.  Sometimes I have so many I want to use that I don't know which one to post and other days, well.... I've got nuthin.  

There is a site I saved that has 600 blog ideas, but I've never used it.  It's overwhelming to even start looking at that many ideas!

So I would open that site, scan a few, then feel overwhelmed and leave the list for a while.  After sitting here with the computer and realizing I was getting nowhere, I asked Michael to pick a number between 1 and 600, and decided whatever number he picked, that would be the blog idea on the list I would go with.  

He chose #62 which was talk about something you quit.

Things I Have Quit

You know those writing projects I was doing?  That extra writing kind of came to a screeching halt in April.  We'll see if I get back to it.  My blog is my top priority.  

Numerous diets... seriously, way too many to list. 

Buying cheap shoes... it just isn't worth it!

Trying to please everyone. 

Basketball.  I played through 10th grade.  It took me that long to realize sports really weren't my forte.  I was much better suited to sit in the stands and play in the pep band.  

Denying I am addicted to chai.

Considering making homemade dog food.  The thought lasted about 1 day and I gave it up after Michael said, "You'll cook for the dogs but you won't cook for me?" I told him if he was willing to eat chicken, brown rice, and carrots or beans he would do just fine.  (The guilt trip worked.)

Feeling inferior.

Using the weedeater. 

Talking Michael into a 3rd basset.

Using my charge cards.  Only rarely do I use one now.  

Asparagus and anchovies. (Wait I never ate those in the first place.)

Disliking my age.  I am thankful for every year I get to be a wife, mom, stepmom, and grandma.

Soda.  I've had about 20 ounces in 5 years.  Does that count?

My teenage crush on Barry Manilow.  Sorry Barry.

Saying, "I'll never _________."  There is no faster way to find yourself doing that thing, than by making this statement.  

A Sport To Sink Your Teeth Into

I've never really watched soccer before. I kinda sorta like it.  It is like hockey only there's no ice, no puck, no pads, no fights, and they play in much warmer temps.  It is like hockey in slow motion. 

So I guess maybe it really isn't like hockey after all.

Regardless I found myself watching a couple of games in the last week.  I'm probably most amazed at the handling of the ball with the feet and how accurate and well-timed the passes are.  I was also impressed with the players' ability to resist putting their hands up when a ball flies at them.  I know, unless you are the goalkeeper touching the ball with your hands is a no-no. I would struggle with that.  Self-preservation would have me raising my hands to protect myself constantly. 

The similarity to hockey (although apparently not as similar as I thought) is what kept me interested enough to watch the US team play on Sunday.  

It was a good game.  I don't completely get the clock.  A game is 90 minutes but apparently the refs (I think that is what they are called in soccer) add in time that is "wasted" (my wording, not theirs), so I was never really sure how close it was to the end of the game.  Even the announcers seemed to guess at how much time was left to play.  That's a little too vague for me.  I like seeing that clock ticking down and knowing exactly how much time is left to make that last minute play that could win the game. And actually, in soccer the clock counts up.  That was a bit unusual for me.  

I admit that hockey fans can be fanatics.  As in every sport you have people who go to the games because they don't have much else going on, people who really really like the game, and people who live for and through the game.  This last group is likely the ones sporting the wacky wig, the face paint, the "we're #1 finger" (we've all seen them). This group roots on their team with every ounce of passion in their being.  They rejoice with their team at every win, as if they were there on the ice with them, and they leave the arena dejected at a loss.  

I discovered soccer fans are pretty similar.  One U.S. fan dresses up as Teddy Roosevelt.  He told why, but obviously it wasn't enough to grab my attention as I don't remember his answer.   I don't totally get that,  as Teddy Roosevelt and soccer aren't two things I think of in the same sentence, but I don't need to "get it".  While some of the fans are totally "out there", so is at least one player.  

Luis Suarez, a Uruguay soccer player in the World Cup, just got a hat trick.  No, he did not get 3 goals, but for the third time in his soccer career he bit an opponent.  This time the unfortunate player was a member of Italy's team. As one headline said, "If you can't beat em, eat em." 

Seriously, Luis, the rest of us learned as children that this was a no-no.

Even hockey players know you don't bite an opponent.

Fight yes, bite no.

I think I've had enough soccer for now.  It has only made me miss hockey more.  

Only 114 days until hockey season starts.

I have to go find my foam finger.

Midlife Mantras

In the 90's when I returned to college after being a stay-at-home mom, I said a mantra each morning so I would remember to do all the things on my checklist before leaving home for the day. Now, 25 years later, I can still remember that mantra:  "shower, teeth, meds, makeup, hair, dress."  

I know, some of it seems pretty obvious doesn't it?  I mean, shower and dress?  But heading back to college at age 31 was a BIG change for me and a huge change in my daily routine.  I had done daycare in my home for years and I now needed to be more pulled together each morning before walking out the door and heading to class and  I wanted to leave nothing off the list! In addition, I needed to make sure my two kids were ready for school before leaving, so the mornings were busy and I needed that mental list to get me in an efficient routine.   

Now in the thick of midlife, I do the same type of mantra when I have a list of things I want to accomplish around the house.  One morning last week before starting work it was "clothes, water, water, sweep, vacuum."   (Fold clothes, water plants, water flowers, sweep, and vacuum.)   I repeat this to myself as I walk from room to room to make sure I don't forget what I want to do.  

I know what you are thinking, "Um Barb, why don't you just write it down?"  Ah, but then there is the problem of remembering where I put the list.  Since my brain doesn't leave my body (at least physically)... I have a better chance of remembering my list this way. 

On other days, the train has totally left the station...and sometimes even derailed.

On a more recent morning my list was:  "garbage, bottle, basket, study."  This meant "empty the bathroom garbage, grab the empty shampoo bottle from the master bath for recycling, put the empty laundry basket away, and do my study on Acts."  

Seems pretty easy, huh?

You would think so.

As I headed back to empty the bathroom garbage I am repeating this mantra over and over.  I emptied the bathroom garbage and headed back to the living room saying aloud (yes I often say my mantras aloud - this is not always a silent mental list, especially if I am alone!):  "garbage, bottle, basket, study."  Realizing I was done with the "garbage" I said, "bottle."  

In the living room I stopped in my tracks, looked around,  thought for a minute, then more than a bit exasperated said, "WHAT BOTTLE???!!"  

I had already forgotten about the shampoo bottle.

And you wonder why I do these mantras????

I stood there and kept repeating, "bottle" over and over... then  it clicked, (WHEW!) and I headed back to retrieve the forgotten shampoo bottle.  It had been about 1 minute since I started that list in my head and already I forgot what "bottle" referred to.

Younger ladies:  Enjoy those multitasking years while you can.  Go ahead and giggle.  For down the road you too will find yourself standing in the middle of a room, with a deer in the headlights look on your face, looking around, and asking yourself  that age-old question that generations of women before you have asked:

"What did I come in here for?"

A Big Breakthrough

Last week I had an appointment for a dental cleaning.  I've joked before (okay I was only half joking), that I would rather have 3 annual physicals than one dental appointment.  Sad, but true.  As someone who excels at tartar buildup but not flossing, dental cleanings were at the very top of my "Least Favorite Things To Do" list.

I've discovered there are two groups of people:  those with awesome teeth and no dental issues who LOVE going for their visits...(I lovingly refer to them as "crazy")..... then there's my group.  I've found there are a lot of people like me.  And each time I discovered another kindred spirit who panicked at the thought of a dental visit I rejoiced, confident that we truly outnumbered the "crazy" people.

Over the years each dental hygienist I had extolled the virtues of flossing.  Blah blah blah.  And I would go home and do exactly what I was doing before... with the same results.  Even worse, each time I had a new dental hygienist  I would groan and think "here we go again." I would just get used to being scolded by one person when someone new would arrive.

I dreaded having my teeth cleaned....the picking, the scraping... and more  picking and scraping.  I always felt a little relief when it came time to polish as I knew I was getting close to being done.  Then a bit of flossing......and just when I could see the exit door in my future and was ready to bolt, out would come that pick again.  

And I would inwardly groan.... yet again.

A couple of years ago I went for a cleaning and there was a new dental hygienist.   (Yep you got it, "groan.")   I knew I would get "the lecture" so the moment I sat in the chair I told her what dental issues I had and that I was sensitive (and tired) of hearing about them over and over and over, so please just clean my teeth and don't lecture me.  

I didn't use those words or that tone of voice. I really did try to sound like the pleasant, nice woman I am.  However  I'm sure she thought, "Oh this patient is going to be a true joy to work with!"  

As it turns out, Meredith is wonderful!  Okay, all my dental hygienists have been wonderful, I just haven't fully appreciated their concern and their message until now.  Meredith has put me at ease with dental cleanings and she has gotten this middle-aged woman to use her SonicCare full time and start flossing.  I think she should be nominated for some kind of Nobel Peace Prize for that.   

And guess what??? - the SonicCare and flossing really do make a difference!

Who knew!

I know, you dental hygienists are now all groaning and thinking, "duh!"

So with renewed faith and dental cleanings no longer at the top of my "dread" list I headed to my appointment last week.  Once there I had to fill out a medical form to update my information.  While those forms are important and I understand the need for them, they drive me crazy at every medical office.  I look at this long, detailed form  and immediately glance at the clock wondering if I am really going to be able to complete this before I am called back.

I knew I was in trouble before I even completed the first line.

Name:  okay I got that one.

Date of birth: easy peasy.

Age:  "Easy," I thought, "I'm 53!".  

Just to be safe I started to do the math in my head.  I often lose track of my age.  I can't explain it, except maybe I just have so much I am trying to do and can't multitask like I used to.  Maybe I just don't really care how old I am?

So I'm sitting there in the office waiting room with my clipboard, form, and pen.   This is the conversation I had in my head:

"Okay, I was born in 1961.... this is 2014.... I'm 53.  But wait, I haven't had my birthday yet this year!  What?  I'm only 52?  Seriously? I thought I was 53! Am I off a year???"

  So I did the math again.

And again.  

Each time I came up with the same answer...52.  

And each time I did this in my head I realized I was wasting valuable precious time not getting to the other questions.  I was still on question #3 - my age - which should be a no-brainer!

Finally, pretty confident in my answer of 52, I entered it and went on.

I did get my form completed before it was time to go in.  Whether or not Meredith could read it is another thing.  Now that I'm better about my Sonic Care and better but far from perfect about the flossing, my appointments are much easier - for both me and Meredith!  

I enjoy visiting with Meredith.  We attend the same church and had a lot to talk about.  So in between the scraping and picking..(much less than before)....we chatted.

Finally she was polishing and flossing.  

I could see the exit light in my future!

Then she did it.  

She grabbed that pick again.

And my inward groan turned to an outward moment of humor.  I politely turned my head away and said, "Oh no thank you, there will be no more of that!"  I took her so off guard.  She said, "What...what did I do wrong?!"  

I could only laugh.  I had used my silly voice that I use when teasing Michael, but of course Meredith didn't know that.  And she had never seen my humor before.... only panic and a desire to get out of there ASAP.

I reassured her I was teasing her and told her about my inward groans when that pick comes out one last time.  

It was a banner day at the dentist's office.

Cleanings are no longer something I dread.

I'm comfortable enough there to let my humor come through 
(good for me, maybe not so good for Meredith).

And I left a year younger.

Woo Hoo!!

Foodie Friday Fail - A Top (Bottom?) 5

Each week I think I couldn't possibly spend less time in the kitchen than I did the week before.. and each week I underestimate myself.  

So here are 5 things I actually did make this week.

5.  Meatloaf and potatoes in the crockpot (yes again!... see blog for recipe)

4.  Chicken Salad (thank you Pat!...see blog for recipe)

3.  Papa Murphy's Pepperoni Pizza (hey.. I had to bake it!)

2.  Leftovers heated up in the microwave.

1.  Reservations at Hickory Park. 

Yep, it's been that kind of week (again).   I really want some Sugar Cookie Bars (see my blog for the recipe).  If anyone has some free time and gets around to making them would you please bring me some? I would be forever grateful!

Happy long weekend!


********

Pssst!!!   Enter my giveaway!  Winners will be announced on Wednesday!

Lawn Care 101

I have quickly discovered that beyond mowing, lawn maintenance is definitely not my forte.  With the crabgrass doing beautifully and bare spots here and there I asked Michael what I needed to do to take care of the crabgrass and help grass grow.  It was driving me crazy.

His response, "crabgrass preventer."  

So off I went to Lowe's and bought crabgrass preventer.  Once there I did have to call Michael and ask what size bag to buy.  I then came home and with help from Michael to figure out the spreader setting I applied it to the lawn.  I assumed  I was taking care of every issue our lawn had:  crabgrass, weeds and fertilizing (fertilizing the grass, not the weeds - they don't need help).  

No one could have been more surprised than me when dandelions started popping up.

First there was one, and within a few days we had a beautiful crop.  

I kept saying to Michael, "But I put stuff down!"  
(Don't you love my technical term?)

I really kind of like dandelions.  When I was little my friends and I would spend a whole afternoon picking dandelions, then we would split the stem and put them in water.  If I remember correctly the stem would curl once in the water and we would wind the stems together.   So seeing dandelions takes me back to my childhood.  But the down side to these harbingers of spring is if you don't take care of them your neighbors have to enjoy them as well, and they may not be big dandelion fans.  

So after about the 4th time of commenting on the appearance of dandelions here is the conversation Michael and I had.

Me:  "I just don't get why we have dandelions.. I put stuff down!"  

Michael:  "You have to put down Weed & Feed."

Me:  "I did!!!"

Michael: "No, you put down crabgrass preventer and fertilizer."  

Me:   "And weed killer!"

Michael:  "No that is a separate application."

Me:  "That stuff I put down doesn't kill weeds???"

Michael:  "Nope, just treats crabgrass and fertilizes the grass."  

Me:  "Seriously?  I have to do MORE???"  

Michael:  "Yes, and you have to put it down when the grass is wet so it sticks to the dandelion leaves."

(Oh, if I had $1 for every time Michael has told me this and emphasized the point by sticking his palms together!!)

Well... this was news to me!   

Why on earth would they not put all that stuff in one bag so you took care of everything at once?  That is crazy!  I thought I had done my job and now just had to keep up with the mowing. 

I went out one night and used my Dad's wonderful "weed digger" and dug up most of the dandelions in the front yard.  The next morning a new crop had replaced those I removed, and I think they brought extra buddies. 

So off I went  to the store again for the Weed & Feed.  Not I just have to wait for it to rain (again), so the grass is wet.  

I do not, I repeat, do not plan to do applications 3 and 4.  I have other things to do.  I simply want to spend some quality time enjoying the sights and sounds of nature,  sitting on the deck and drinking a hot cup of chai, enjoying the flowers, watching the birds, keeping an eye out for any garter snakes that might appear, trying to figure out where the wasps have a nest (again)...and trying to keep my flower beds as weed free as possible. 

Lawn Care 101 is over.  

Class dismissed.

Guest Blog - Michael's Top 10 List

Barb asked me to write today's blog.  I chose to write about *Perks* after a recent discussion we had.  I work for a great employer with awesome benefits.  The best benefit, in my mind, is the hours:  Monday through Friday and I get off at 4:00 each day.  

Another nice perk is that on the last Friday of each month they order lunch in for everyone.  On this last Friday we ordered from Hickory Park (yum!).  We get pizza quite often which I love as well.  Barb says I'm spoiled.  I reminded her that there are a lot of perks that come with her job.  
(She works from home in case you didn't know.)  

Top Ten Perks of Barb's Job

10.  She has a corner office

9.  She has a very short commute (5 steps)

8.  She has a liberal dress code (don't ask her if she works in her pajamas - she's heard that a lot!).

7.  Every day is "Bring Your Pet to Work Day".

6.  She doesn't have to share the microwave.

5.  No vending machines to put up with.

4.  She controls the temperature.

3.  Nobody complains if she takes her shoes off or if she starts singing.

2.  She has 2 friends there that she can talk to anytime (Belle & Willow)

And the No. 1 perk of her job......

If she has a bad hair day it doesn't matter!

Thanks for reading!  

Michael

The Big Dance

Tuesday was the first day of play in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.  My husband loves college basketball.  He usually only watches college games when an Iowa team plays, but each March when the tournament rolls around he can pretty much watch basketball nonstop. 

I like basketball, but to be honest I have to really like the team or the coach to be able to get involved on an emotional level and watch a whole game on TV.  In person it is a different story, but I can't just sit and watch any old team play on the tube.  

So Tuesday night after the news Michael turned on the NCAA Tournament. I was not at all interested in watching the tournament so decided to make good use of my time and get some greeting cards finished.  Since my craft area is the dining room table I am able to see the TV from there.  After about 30 minutes I glanced up and saw my husband looking at the channel menu.  

My heart leaped!  

I thought, "Yes!  He is already tired of basketball! Score!"  

So I said, "Honey, are you tired of basketball already?"  

(I really tried to sound disappointed.)  

His response could not have crushed me more.

He excitedly said, "No, I'm autotuning all the basketball games, so even if I'm not home they will come on!"  

My response? A dejected: "Oh... great!."

Let me be clear.  He autotuned every game possible.

I really think retailers are missing out on a large group of people who will not be glued to the TV for the duration of The Big Dance.  They should be enticing us to flee from our homes and find solace in retail therapy, days and days of retail therapy!  They should be flooding our mailboxes with great coupons and in-store promotions!

By the end of the tournament I am going to have one really clean house, a huge greeting card inventory, have shopped til I dropped, have read every book in our Little Free Library, or be really really bored. Perhaps all of the above!

Don't send me hate mail. I really do like basketball.  I will watch Iowa State play and will probably watch Creighton when I can.  I will likely count the number of times the announcers refer to DeAndre Kane as "The Transfer From Marshall," and groan each time.    

204 hours of basketball (no OT included)

68 teams

67 games
32 division champions
19 days of hoops

7 rounds of play
+ 4 channels carrying coverage

= 1 woman tired of basketball

But who's counting, right? 

Anyone want to go shopping?  We could get a Papa Murphy's pizza too, I'll buy! But can we bake it at your house?   There will be basketball on at mine.

Pizza Anyone?

I have no clue why, but the last few months I have been constantly craving Papa Murphy's Pizza.  I honestly could eat it every meal.  Give me a thin crust pepperoni, green pepper, and onion pizza and I am one happy camper!

And you have to love that they have "$5 Faves" Mondays-Wednesdays.  You can get a large cheese, sausage or pepperoni pizza for only $5!  Seriously?  How can you NOT want to get one?  Hot, fresh-baked pizza for only $5?

As a result, Michael has gotten tired of their pizza.  I have trouble wrapping my mind around that one.  How can you get tired of pizza?  It is a meal in itself! I admit that one thing I love about it is that all I have to do after a long day of work is put it in the oven for 10-12 minutes.... and voila!... dinner is ready.

 When I even mention "Papa Murphy's" Michael groans. In fact if he even thinks I am going to say "Papa Murphy's" he groans!  He says he is afraid he is going to turn into a Papa Murphy's pizza.  We don't always get the same thing, although that would be perfectly fine with me!  We mix it up and get a chicken-bacon-ranch, BBQ chicken, sausage, etc.  One night we even had their Chicago style pizza just for something different.  

Friday night was an ISU basketball game on TV as the Big 12 Tournament was going on.  A sporting event on TV is the perfect time to have pizza in my opinion, but so is any day of the week that ends in "y".  So I started to say to Michael, "Since there is a basketball game on tonight.." and that is as far as I got before he did a combination groan/laugh.  

Yes, we got pizza for supper.  He loves watching ISU play, so I thought it was only fair that since we were watching what he wanted that we should eat what I wanted for supper.  I wanted to take a picture of it for my blog today, but was so hungry forgot to get a picture, so the picture above is from Papa Murphy's website (and is making me hungry).  

I can only eat one slice at a meal but love cold pizza so leftovers are always welcome here.  

I am not being paid by Papa Murphy's for this post.  However, if anyone associated with Papa Murphy's wants to shoot a free pizza my way I would not turn it down.

Pizza anyone?

Another One Bites The Dust

Maybe the title should be another one doesn't bite the dust.  All I know is in the last 8 years I have gone through three vacuum cleaners:  a Hoover, a Bissell, and a Dirt Devil.  There may even have been a fourth one, it is all a blur. 

Last week I decided to vacuum on my lunch.  After vacuuming 4 rooms I went to empty the dirt container and found all my hard work had resulted in less than a small handful of debris. Our vacuum has had some issues lately. It had gotten to where I had to reach up inside the vacuum (let me just say "yuck") and open the "trap door" so what gunk had collected above it would fall down into the dirt reservoir.  So I did this process, certain that when I did a gallon or so of dirt would fall out.  

There was nothing there.  

Sigh.

With two basset hounds and the average amount of dust that collects in any home  I should have been rewarded with much more than a small handful of dirt. 

I sighed again.  

Seriously?  I spent my lunch vacuuming and this was all I had to show for it?

I immediately sent Michael a text to let him know we needed to get a new vacuum.  We don't like spending a lot of money on a vacuum (obviously), but I was tired of purchasing a new one every 2 years so I was aiming high.  I had my eye on a Dyson on clearance for $479.

Yes, you read that right,  clearance - $479.  There are a lot of things I am willing to spend $479 on (a vet bill, hockey tickets, groceries, a year's supply of chai),  but typically a vacuum is not one of them. 

I remember decades ago my Mom owned a Kenmore canister vacuum.  She had that vacuum for 20+ years.  When she pulled it out of the closet you instantly knew it had been through many wars.  The canister had scuffs and marks from where it had run into the walls and furniture over the years. If Mom was vacuuming and that canister was headed toward you, you got out of the way! That thing was built like a tank!  But the most telling sign of its age was the hose leading from the canister to the vacuum head - it had layers of silver duct tape covering a multitude of holes.  Sometimes I think there was more duct tape there than hose!  That vacuum worked like a trooper.  But every time I saw that duct tape-covered hose I thought one thing, "Why doesn't Mom just get a new vacuum?"

Now I know.

It is because they are absolutely no fun to shop for!  I rank vacuum shopping right up there with root canals.   

Blech.  

As we headed to the store I was anxiously awaiting this Dyson.  I had visions of seeing a halo of light surrounding it and hearing a heavenly choir singing "Ahhhhh" as I approached it.  I expected to hear this vacuum calling to me, saying, "Me, me!  I'm the one! I won't let you down!"  And it had to have a cupholder, maybe even an onboard radio and headphones so you could enjoy some music while vacuuming.  After all, $479 should look pretty special, right?

Unfortunately not.  

Once at the store we looked at the Dyson. It didn't look anymore special than all the others lined up there. It looked like..... a vacuum.  

Sigh.  I was so disappointed. 

We looked at a Shark. We looked at the Dyson.  We looked at the Shark again, then back at the Dyson again.  Michael was looking at some of the brands we had bought before, but  I refused to even go there.  Those brands had their chance. 

Michael encouraged me to get what I wanted, he knew I was frustrated with making vacuum purchases every few years.  I really wanted to love the Dyson and walk out of that store knowing that whatever landed on the carpet - dirt, fur, a small animal -  that baby would pick it up. 

Okay I really wouldn't vacuum up a small animal, but I wanted a vacuum that was confident it could do it!

But honestly, I just couldn't fall in love with the Dyson enough to want to spend $479 on it.  There was no halo, no heavenly choir, no onboard radio with a headset, not even a cupholder.

So I sighed.... again. 

(Sighing is a big part of vacuum shopping for me.)

With my voice showing the amount of enthusiasm I would reserve for picking out worms for fish bait,  I sighed one last time, pointed to the Shark, and said, "Let's get the Shark.  If it dies within 2 years then we will buy a Dyson."  

I oozed pure joy and confidence with that statement....not.

So we headed home with a new vacuum in tow.  

The downside of the evening:  we spent it shopping for a vacuum.  
The upside of the evening:  we didn't spent $479....

...yet.

Linkup: I Am Currently...

Reading....

Dean Koontz's book Your Heart Belongs to Me.  The book is about a man who has a heart transplant then begins receiving ominous messages from someone saying.......you guessed it: "Your heart belongs to me."  I love a good scare and Stephen King and Dean Koontz are my all-time favorite authors.  If I go to bed and securely tuck my feet under the covers rather than dangerously dangling one uncovered foot off the edge of the bed, you know I'm reading a really scary book.  The thought of something evil lurking under the bed just waiting to reach out from the depths of the darkness and grab my foot once the light is off is an old fear of mine that dates back to my childhood.  Once in a great while that childish fear rears its ugly head when I spend too much time with Steve or Dean.  Yes, I am 52, and I know there is really nothing under our bed but a growing collection of dust bunnies, but can you ever really be too careful? 
I don't think so.

Listening.....

to basset hounds snore.  Call me crazy (trust me you would not be the first), but it is a comforting sound.  Hearing them peacefully sleeping, slowing breathing in and out, even with the snoring, relaxes me.  On the weekend if I am tired and want to take a nap I curl up on the sectional with the dogs and our growing pile of blankets and we nap together. And if I happen to snore a bit too they don't seem to mind either.  Life is good. 

Reliving...... 

my childhood through Rice Krispies.  It has been years since I have heard the sound of snap, crackle, and pop.  There's just something about pouring milk into a bowl of Rice Krispies and hearing them talk to you. It's a happy sound that makes me smile.

Anticipating.....

hosting a group of college women from our church for their Bible study next week.  We will be having them over for dinner followed by studying God's word together.  We are anxious to meet them and feel blessed that we can spend some time with them.  I  am sure we will learn much more from them than they will from us! It will be an awesome night!

Learning....

by taking a writing course.  I wanted to try some new things with my writing this year and an opportunity popped up.  So I did what any other middle-aged woman who can't remember why she walked into a room would do:  I said, "Sign me up for that course!"  I know, right?!  One minute I can't remember what I had for lunch and the next minute I'm signing up for a writing course!  I love writing.  I love putting my thoughts down.  It doesn't matter if they are silly, serious, thought provoking, or random... they are mine.  Best case scenario: it will give me more confidence to tackle other writing opportunities that may come up.  Worst case scenario: I learn more about writing, keep those brain cells busy, and have fun.  Either way it is all good! 

Wondering.....
what happened this weekend.  In a short period of time I decided to:  
1)  Open an Etsy shop for my greeting cards (I got it pretty well set up and stocked for the moment- whew! - see the link to my shop on the sidebar)

B) Take a writing course, and...

4) We are considering starting our own connection group for church.  Huh?   

It seems the best ideas are those that just come about quickly and have me wondering "Where did that idea come from??"   I'm pretty sure when that happens it is a God thing.   And the 1), B), and 4) were intentional.  I haven't completely lost it......yet. :)

Praying....

as always for God's guidance and grace.  I thought by midlife I would have it all figured out and know exactly what each day was going to bring for the most part.  But life just isn't that predictable, and if it was I guess it would be pretty boring.  Life is a journey, and even at my age it isn't always easy to see what God has planned for me and what He wants me to do.  I just keep praying and asking that He leads me in the direction He wants me to go.  I pray that if I should stray off course  He nudge me back in the right direction.  Some days are nudge free... other days I need a lot of redirecting.  

So that's what I am currently up to.

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This week we are welcoming Lindy to our linkup!  

See what Lindy is currently up to at Candid Negative
As well as Liz at My Life Project
And Melissa at Growing Like Weeds