Better late than never

Finally, I'm getting around to posting some pics from my Utah trip. I flew from Phila to Salt Lake City. Emily and I had lunch at a fabulous restaurant in this beautiful building called the Joseph Smith Memorial building (I think). Anyhow we were able to get a stunning view of the LDS (Mormon) temple in Salt Lake. This picture doesn't do the building justice. It is absolutely gorgeous.

Then we took a tour of Temple Square, which I understand is quite famous. Here is another view of the temple. It has a huge reflecting pool in front of it, but I don't have a good picture of it.

We saw lots of interesting things in Temple Square, one of the most interesting being where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and orchestra perform. Emily is a member of the orchestra. Despite what she might tell you, she is a fabulous viola player, as well as violin also!

Then we drove to Provo, where Em and her family live. Check out this mountain picture. These mountains are everywhere and are a "typical" backdrop all over Provo. I couldn't get over their beauty.

If you're really lucky, you'll bump into a cowboy every now and again. While Emily's husband is a Russian professor at BYU, he is an amateur cowboy on the side. They own 4 horses. This picture is taken in their backyard. Check out the gorgeous view of the mountains right in their backyard!

Tomorrow, I will post more pictures, most from my tour of BYU. I think the poor tour guide will never forget me. I was unintentionally a very animated tour-ee. How shocking! Can you imagine me not being perfectly behaved as I usually am?

YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE

This is a little message to someone, I don't know who. Today I got out of the shower, and my hair towel was gone. Yes, gone. I suppose given the circumstances of last week, perhaps I should be glad the towel is gone, but it still is a tad bit irritating...

Thank you for removing my towel if it somehow became defiled. In the future however, please replace it with a new towel.

Sincerely,

Deb/Mom

Victory!!!!

After a decade of yeast avoidance, I am thrilled to report that project roll went beautifully! Here's the play-by-play.

Disclaimer: the pictures stink because, a. I took them with my cell phone, and b. I took the pictures. I promise to start using a camera for the blog, I swear.

The roll dough, all rolled out and ready for cutting-

Shaped into crescents and rising -

Voila! The finished product! (note Evan's freaky looking Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Mug on his placemat. He is obsessed with Johnny Depp.)

I'm so excited that it worked. The troops were happy. Next time, I want to make them a little more attractively shaped, but hey, it was my first time. (haven't been able to say THAT in a while!)

I have leftovers- any takers?

I am ready to tackle my yeast problem...

Now before everyone gets all worked up, I should clarify that I am referring to baking yeast. Although I consider myself to be a pretty good cook and baker, I have never been able to master recipes calling for yeast, rising dough, etc. It has always bothered me that I "can't" do it. Today, my friends, is a new day. I am going to sign off here, and go and make roll dough, rise it, and serve everyone fresh rolls with dinner tonight. Rolls that don't have to be choked down with lots of water, rolls that aren't dense and heavy enough to be used as a lethal weapon (seriously, I have made those before), rolls that actually taste good.

When I was in Utah, Emily showed me how to make good rolls. I have her recipe. Keep your fingers crossed. No matter what the outcome, I promise to post pics from this latest adventure.

Not the dentistry from the 70's

I love these pics of the kids I took at the dentist this week. They couldn't smile obviously, but they were having fun. Going to the dentist now is way fun for kids. This place has a huge professionally maintained fish tank, plasma tvs in each pediatric room, cool sunglasses, great flavors, fun toothbrushes and prizes galore. The kids LOVE to go to the dentist. I don't love it quite as much as they do, especially when I get the bill. Eeesh.

When I was a kid (wow I sound so old saying this), going to the dentist wasn't nearly as fun. There was one flavor of toothpaste, and a stinky prize when it was over. Anyone care to share their pediatric dental experience?

Evan has quite a drooling issue in this picture.

Ebay update

I won a bid this week for Cadbury Creme Eggs. Hear that Emily??

What do you think about ebay?

I have to say, I really like ebay. You can pretty much find anything you are looking for there. Question(s)

1. What is the weirdest thing you bought on ebay?

2. If you could buy anything on ebay today, what would it be?

The weirdest thing I ever bought on ebay was a case of my favorite hairspray that had been discontinued. As for what I would buy now, I cannot decide at this time. Will think about it and get back to everyone.

Random Thoughts Friday - Vol. 2

Ok, 2nd peek into my random thoughts I had today.

1. I want a "Life is Good" T-shirt. However, they are not available in my size, so apparently, my life is not good.

2. Sean has this 1 extremely long eyebrow hair. It really disturbs me. I have mentioned it to him, yet he doesn't seem to care about it. I have seriously thought about cutting it off in the middle of the night.

3. Hypothetically, if you were seeing a counselor, and you told said counselor that you had a blog, and they asked for the URL, would you feel threatened by this?

4. (Sean is contributing this thought). He wonders why refried beans look like a big lump of poop.

5. I'm thinking that if Sean is thinking about poop, he must be the towel offender. Just sayin'.

6. I'm torn between asking for a espresso maker vs. a hummingbird feeder for Mother's Day.

7. If I get the espresso maker, I won't be able to go to Starbucks as often.

8. If I get a hummingbird feeder, I can go to Starbucks a lot.

9. Sean is saying that he is torn between getting me a hummingbird feeder and an espresso maker. On one hand, the hummingbird feeder has a low front load price, but the espresso maker will pay for itself in about 1 month.

10. Even if I get an espresso maker, I'll probably still go to Starbucks A LOT.

A note to my family

Dear Family,

I encountered a most unfortunate situation the other day, and while I have struggled with it, I feel I must bring it to your attention.

You know how I feel about my hair. Really, you do. It is something I take seriously, and I just like to keep to my hair routine that I have had for many years now. But, it seems there is a bit of a problem.

You know that extra towel I keep in the bathroom for my hair after I am done showering? Yes, the one that is in my spot, which everyone knows is mine? The one no one is supposed to use? Yes, that's the one. So, yesterday afternoon, just like any other day, I get out of the shower, dry off, and wrap my hair in my "special" towel. Remember, I do not have my contacts in at this point. This is an integral part of the story. Imagine my surprise when I do put in my contacts, and then proceed to take the towel off of my head, only to see that there is BUTT on my towel. Yes, BUTT. And no, it wasn't mine. Remember, this is my hair towel, NOT a body towel.

To make matters worse, I cannot jump back in the shower, because I have to pick up two kids from school in 15 minutes to get them to the dentist. I have no choice but to proceed as usual, except for the fact that somewhere in my hair, there is BUTT in it. I spent the rest of yesterday completely freaked out by this situation, yet due to a frenetic schedule, could not remedy it. So, I spent the balance of the day yesterday walking around with someone's BUTT in my hair. This is a most unpleasant circumstance to say the least. I went to the dentist this way, I went to visit a friend in the hospital this way, and finally ended up at Tequila Joe's to have a margarita with Susan this way. I did not intend to spend the rest of the day like this, but was simply a victim of time.

I'm not sure where to start here, but suffice it to say, that when you are done your shower, please use YOUR OWN TOWEL. Do NOT use my hair towel to wipe off, especially if you plan on wiping your BUTT with it. Also, if you notice that you have gotten BUTT on a towel, please do us all a favor and put it IN THE LAUNDRY. Finally, maybe you need to examine your personal hygeine habits, but I'll save that post for another time.

By the way, Alissa, I know this isn't you sweetie, as you are totally compulsive about using your own towel that you ingeniously keep in your room. It is either Evan or your father who is the culprit here. I am hoping it is Evan, as he is only in kindergarten and not a grown man who is a Director of Product Development for a large company. Regardless, I know neither one of you will fess up, so take this as a warning. DON'T touch my towel, ever again, especially in this fashion.

I've got to get a shower, immediately.

Love,

Your (literally) "butt-head" wife or mother.

Are you Batman?

So I get this funny joke from Emily the other day...thought you would like to see it. Also, I want to see who is brave enough to 'fess up as to what they think would happen to them. Come on, feel free to share! Ladies, you share what you think would happen, gentlemen, feel free to say how you might react. Here goes:


Subject: Three women
>
>
>
> Three women: one engaged, one married and one a
> mistress, are chatting about their relationships and
> decided to amaze their men.
> That night all three will wear black leather bras,
> stiletto heels and a mask over their eyes. After a
> few days they meet up for lunch.
>
>
> The engaged woman: The other night when my boyfriend
> came over he found me with a black leather bodice,
> tall stilettos and a mask
> He saw me and said,"You are the woman of my life. I
> love you." Then we made love all night long.
>
>
> The mistress: Me too! The other night I met my lover
> at his office and I was wearing the leather bodice,
> heels, mask over my eyes and a raincoat.
> When I opened the raincoat he didn't say a word, but
> we had wild sex all night.
>
>
> The married woman: I sent the kids to stay at my
> mother's house for the night.
> When my husband came home I was wearing the leather
> bodice, black stockings, stilettos and a mask over
> my eyes.
> As soon as he came in the door and saw me he said,
> "What's for dinner, Batman?"
>
> >

Ok, I'll go first...I would love to think things would wind up like #1, but I'm suspicious that #3 could be a real possibility. Don't know, and I don't know if I plan on testing those waters. First, because it sounds like a lot of effort. Second, if my son Evan found an outfit like that, he'd be wearing it for weeks, given his lifelong obsession with dressing up and becoming other characters. Third, I doubt I could post pics like that here. Even I have limits.

Feels like childhood again

Most of you know that I view much of my childhood as, how should we put it nicely..."what the hell was that supposed to be?" Now this especially applies to our religious upbringing. We were raised in a super conservative church with bizarre and to say the least, biased teachings. Basically, if you weren't white, straight, sober and Republican, you were definitely going to hell. Oh, and if you were a woman you were a second class citizen. But, you would be pardoned let's say, if the pastor got into shady financial dealings and embezzlement, online porn, sleeping with minors, or other minor indiscretions. (Yes, all of these things happened in our church.) It was ok because you were white, straight, sober, and Republican. Now, if you had been African American, female, or gay, you would have been completely screwed had you done those things.



So, needless to say, I moved on from this fundamentalist crap as soon as it was legally possible. (like the day after I turned 18) I am grateful to say that I am raising my family, oh, about 180 degrees from that perspective. We belong to a church that is inclusive, non judgemental, and believe it or not - not insane!



From time to time I stumble upon things that take me right back to those joyous days. One website I find particularly funny is http://www.evangelicalright.com/

This website satirically captures all of the indoctrination we all endured for a LONG time. Imagine my surprise when I saw this post on the website.










Pastor Roger Byrd: Quite Possibly the Dumbest Man Alive
From WSPA.com
Pastor Roger Byrd of Jonesville Church of God put the sign up which reads "Obama Osama humm are they brothers?" Pastor Byrd says the sign is not meant to be racial or political but rather to make people think. "His name is so close to Osama I have a feeling he might be Islamic therefore he doesn't recognize Christ," Pastor Byrd said. Jonesville Church of God does not have any African American members.


Observations from Deb:

1. Yes, my maiden name was Jones, but as far as I know, my parents had nothing to do with this.

2. Yes, there are people out there who think like this. Trust me. No, I'm serious. Stay tuned on the blog for more posts regarding my religious upbringing. It's pretty funny.

3. My parents will be sooooo glad to know that today, on primary day in Pennsylvania, I am NOT voting for Obama.

4. I'm voting for Hillary Clinton. A woman. A liberal, in charge, non-subservient woman.

5. Oh, and if Hillary doesn't win the nomination, in November I will vote for....drumroll..................OBAMA.

Either way, I don't think I would be in Jonesville's good graces. Thank God.

Hold your applause...

I am happy to report that as of 3:10 this afternoon, my project was turned in 1 day early!! Woo hoo!! Now, I just have to read 3 huge chapters and be ready for a test on Thursday...oh yeah, and there's this project due next week...hmmm...

Going a bit crazy!

I promise the posts will get better than this, but I am currently working on a school project that is due on Tuesday at 4pm. This project is worth half of my grade!!! Yikes...wish me luck!

Random Thoughts Friday

Welcome to Random Thoughts Friday!! This is a time where we can all share and comment upon each other's random thoughts. Please join in! It will only be fun if we all participate. Well, I'll still have fun seeing my bizarre thoughts in print.

Random thought #1: How fun is/was Pig Latin? I always found it to be ery-vay un-fay.

Random thought #2: I wonder how many of my readers can translate Pig Latin?

Random thought #3: I find popping pimples to be very satisfying. Small effort, big results.

Random thought#4: Why doesn't my brother Chris stop being so lazy and actually comment on my blog?

Come on...you know you want to join in! Feel free to share any random thought that comes to mind. Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!

Is it just me?

Am I the only one that is disturbed by Emily's lack of creme egg number disclosure?

Spring has sprung!

My forsythia and my plum tree. I always look forward to seeing them bloom each year. It's a beautiful day here, and what am I doing? A huge project for school. Blah.

In case you were wondering...

In case anyone is wondering, I think it is fair that you all know that Emily is in posession of 10 Cadbury Creme Eggs. I went there with 12. We'll have to check back with her periodically to see what the count is. Actually, we'll check now. Hey Em, how many eggs left? Btw, to be fair, Emily offered me one for the road yesterday. I politely declined, knowing it would be much more blog-worthy if I left her with a double digit number of eggs. 10 seems like so much more than 9.

Goodbyes - How do they make you feel?

I really, truly, hate goodbyes. I've always been like this, ever since I was a little kid. Every time I have to say goodbye, I think, "ok, I'll be fine this time." I never am. It just makes me so sad. Yesterday, I had to say goodbye to Emily when I left Utah. This was one of the hardest goodbyes yet. I was in tears most of the way from Utah to Chicago. It was the same way when she left Phila to move to Utah. THAT was by far, the worst goodbye ever.

Have you ever just had that fabulous synergy with someone that it just feels like a part of you is missing when you're not together? That, my friends, is how I'm feeling today.

That being said, was it worth it? Of course. I wouldn't trade the time I spent with her for the world. We all should be so lucky to have an Emily in our lives.

I will post my pics from the trip soon! I'm currently wading my way through homework, laundry, and such.

Driving around Utah in a yellow beetle

Emily has a fabulous yellow beetle and we spent the better part of the day driving through Provo canyon, visiting Sundance resort, and Bridal Veil Falls. This was all done while we talked through and solved all of the problems of the world. Very philosophical, don't you think? Great weather, great scenery, and great company.
What did you do today?

Road Trip!

Guess where I'm going? I'll give you three guesses.

Yes, I'm off to Provo, UT! I am going to visit my dear friend Emily and her family. Emily was my first violin teacher, and we became great friends during the 2+ years we were together! She, just like S, is an extraordinarily patient violin teacher. Obviously I didn't drive her too crazy, or I wouldn't be going to visit. Right, Emily? Right? :)

Emily also shares my penchant for Cadbury creme eggs, and it is just our luck that I have been hoarding 3 boxes of them that I picked up on clearance after Easter. For those of you who are familiar with Cadbury Creme eggs, that is 12 eggs. Yes, 12.

I'll try to post while I'm away!

Happy Birthday Jen!!!

Happy Birthday Jen!

You are a terrific friend, and I wish you the happiest of birthdays, and a fabulous year ahead!

Love, Deb

Ok folks, let's all wish Jen a Happy Birthday!! Please post your good wishes in the comments section.

Despite my best efforts, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, multigenerationally speaking

I always swore I wouldn't use "typical" phrases that parents use when I "grew up". Said phrasing will appear in a different color. Note yesterday's dialogue between me, Evan, and Alissa. This dialogue occurs after I tell them "you need to go outside, it is such a nice day".



5:30 pm - Alissa comes inside, acting normal, seems happy.



Me -"are you having fun outside sweetie?"



Alissa - "yes"



Me - " it's really nice out today"


Alissa - "it sure is"



5:32 pm - Evan walks in, covered HEAD TO TOE IN MUD, wearing his Polo rugby shirt, and suede Merrill loafers.



Me - "Evan, what in the world happened to you?"

Alissa - "looks like he jumped in mud" (how perceptive of her)



Evan - "well you dared me Alissa!"


Me - "Alissa, is that true?"



Alissa - "well he didn't have to do it."

Evan - "yes I did, it was a dare!"


Me - "Evan, just because someone tells you do do something, doesn't mean you have to do it." (thank God I didn't use the "if your friends are jumping off a bridge" scenario. I do have some self restraint!)



Evan - "but you said..."



Me - "Evan, go into the laundry room, get undressed, and take a shower...now please!"



Evan walks through the family room, into the laundry room, tracking mud all the way. I turn to Alissa at this point.



Me -"Alissa, I would appreciate it if you choose to use your influence over Evan in ways that are good, not bad."


Alissa - "well he didn't have to..."


Me - " Why would you dare him to do something like that? Why did he say, but it was a dare?"

Alissa - "maybe it has something to do with the grape Gatorade."



Me - " I don't know what you mean. Sweetie, why don't you go find something else to do?"



Alissa exits the room. All of a sudden, it hits me what she meant. Rewind several days, maybe even a week ago. I was hanging around talking with my violin teacher, S (I won't use his whole name without his permission), who happens to be a very funny and charming 24 year old young man. (who also is a violin virtuoso) He's great. We've been with him for 4 years now. I especially think he is great because he puts up with me week after week, both with my marginal playing, and with my unusual sense of humor. We're talking about junk foods, and I mentioned that I noticed some strange side effects after consuming Captain Crunch crunch berries for several days. (it turned my pee a weird color) The following is a snippet of the conversation...



S - "well have you ever drank a bunch of grape Gatorade?"



Me - "no, why?"



S - something to the effect of "you'll see"



Me - "I don't believe you"



S - "no, I'm serious"



Me (wheels turning) - "ok, I'll do it"



S - something like, "it has a very weird effect."

So, he doesn't tell me, what do I do next?
Immediately that evening, I go and buy a TON of the stuff. Fast forward to a couple of days later...I'm on the phone with either Susan or Jen. Can't remember who.



Me - " I've been drinking so much grape gatorade, and nothing has happened, except for that I've consumed an ungodly amount of completely unnecessary calories. I think he's putting me on."


Friend - "why don't you stop?"


Me - "no way! It's kind of like a dare!"


I guess Evan and Alissa must have heard my side of the conversation. It explains Evan's tenacity in wanting do do Alissa's dare.



So, last night the kids and I talked for a while, and I won't bore you with all of the colored text that would follow, because I sounded just like a typical Mom the entire time. But, it was worth it, because we talked about good dares vs. bad dares, etc. They got it.

I just can't fall into typical Mom as a daily habit. Then the whole landscape of this blog would have to change, and then it would not be Debland.



Oh yes, and what happens if you drink a ton of Grape Gatorade? I dare you to find out. I finally did, 4 bottles later.

Love 'em or hate 'em?

People have very strong feelings for or against Cadbury Creme Eggs. Which side are you on? I am pro-Cadbury Creme Egg.

5 Things you may not know about me.

Most of you who read this blog know me fairly well. Let's see just how well. I am going to list 5 things about me that I think you don't know. Your job is to comment and let me know which things you actually knew. Then, if you are feeling adventurous, tell me 5 things I may not know about you. Some of you who read this blog only know me via other blogs and e-mail. Join in the fun! Feel free to comment and/or share 5 things about you!

Ok, here goes.


1. I used to be a newspaper girl for the Springfield Sun from ages 13-15. By the way, in those days, girl newspaper carriers made out like bandits with tips!

2. I have always been fascinated with the job of White House press secretary. By far, I think Ari Fleischer has been the best one. If offered the job (I don't know how this would happen), I would take it in a heartbeat.

3. When I was 17, and a new driver, I thought it would be funny to run over a bag of leaves that was on the road (it was fall). It was funny until said leaves got stuck under my car and caught on fire. Thank goodness Sean was with me. He saved me. He was not nearly as amused as I was.

4. Since the age of 16, the longest I have ever gone without going to the hair salon is about 7 weeks. Seriously. I even went with my walker last fall after I had my foot reconstructed. I also went a couple weeks after I had Evan via C-section.

5. One time when I was an annoying little kid, I decided to hide in my sister's closet when she was out, and the plan was to scare her when she opened the door. The problem was, she was gone a long time. When she opened the door, I was asleep and I fell on her. Shockingly, she did not find this amusing.

Ok, don't be shy. Let's see some replies here! To reply, you do not have to have a blogger account. When you hit reply, you can choose the name/url button and simply type in your name. You don't have to have a url.

What does a 40th birthday party have to do with a toilet?

Nothing really. But, in a minute you'll see me attempt to connect the story. Last night, I had the great privilege of going out with some friends to celebrate our friend Jen's 40th birthday. Before the conversation turns to toilets, let's all wish Jen the happiest of birthdays. She is a great girl who deserves all the best!!

By the way, I know this picture stinks. Why? a) it was taken with a cell phone and b) I took the picture. Hopefully my photography skills will improve here folks.


So, we go to this fabulous restaurant called Wild Rice. It is a Pan-Asian cuisine style restaurant, with food that is exceptional. It has been a favorite for many years, one of those places where you always get a great meal, served in a restaurant with great atmosphere, and upscale contemporary Asian decor. It is Jen's favorite, hence our choice to surprise her there. Now one thing that has always fascinated me about this place is their bathrooms. Why? They have black toilets. Not something you see very often, at least not me. Now, I should say I would never have a black toilet in my house, because I just couldn't pull it off in an old suburban colonial home. But, in the right place, a black toilet can look appropriate. The percieved advantage of a black toilet in my mind is how it wouldn't look nearly as dirty as a white toilet. It just never looks dirty. The downside of the black toilet would make any type of self diagnosis almost impossible. This is of special concern when one has children.


Anyway, given how smitten I was with this toilet, I determined that a picture must be taken of it for me to post on my blog. Why? Don't know. This is where Susan comes in. She excuses herself to the ladies room and I ask her to please get a picture of the black toilet. She comes back with this picture...

Sometime between the last time I went there and now, they obviously have replaced the toilet seat with a standard white one. Why? My guess is that it is much easier to obtain than a black seat, and look how nice it looks with the trash next to it. Very color coordinated. When I saw the picture, I assured Susan that I in fact wanted a picture of a black toilet. Luckily, she tells me that there is a black toilet in the next stall.

Next comes Karin. She goes to the ladies room and assures me that she will in fact get a picture of the black toilet. Here is what she comes back with...

Different angle, same toilet. Karin claims that my directive was not clear enough. Susan goes back in the bathroom and tells me that the door to the black toilet is locked, but no one was in the stall. She was successful in jimmying open the lock with her fingernail. So, off I go in search of the toilet. Here is what I get...

Giddy with excitement over my success, I decide that before I go back to the table, I will, ahem, use the facilities. Finish up, go to flush. Nothing. Try again. Nothing. Then I realize why the door had been locked in the first place...the toilet was broken! So, in the end, the toilet wasn't all black. There was white toilet paper in it. How ironic.

Happy birthday Jen. Thanks for trying Susan and Karin.

It's your turn!

Ok, I may seriously regret doing this, but today I'm feeling lucky. In order to jumpstart this blog, I'm going to ask my friends and family to give your best shot at describing me. Remember though, I do have kids, kids who know how to use this computer, and who will eventually find this blog....

Lazy?

So it is 1:33pm and I'm still in PJ's. Disclaimer - I was studying and taking a test, but now I feel like I'm bordering on laziness. Have you ever had so much to do, you just don't do anything?

Is this a good idea?

Ok,

I admit it. I love love love blogs. I have been told that I write in blog style, whatever that means! The thing is, there are so many unusual and random thoughts that go through my head, I cannot seem to resist the urge to put them down on virtual paper. Problem - who will be allowed to access my blog? Many folks I know might be the subject of this blog, thus possibly preventing them from accessing it. I suppose we'll just see how it goes, shall we?