Well kids - I will be heading off to Massachusetts tomorrow. I have no laptop ::sigh:: I will be bringing some of my new books with me. Like I told Mike earlier, worst case scenario, I can take a nice long bubble bath and read in peace. WOW! Still packing stuff. I have now decided to bring a 2nd outfit for the wedding.. just in case. I am one of those type of packers. Paul hates it. Example - an overnight trip to Maryland. He barely packs enough to get by and I pack like I would be gone for a week I can't help it - I have been programmed to do this. Blame my mother. I have also been baking and running laundry as well. Moira will be sleeping over her buddy's house Friday night so Paul only has to deal with Miss Olivia tomorrow night. Mo will be home Saturday morning, around 11-ish. I have no idea what he will do with them. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and he can take them outside. I will take some pics this weekend! Oh - forgot to mention that Northampton is only about 15-20 miles away from Yankee Candle'sMain Headquarters and flagship store! Now I know what I will be doing Sunday morning - SHOPPING!! Take care and I will see ya'll on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone! :::blowing kisses:::

Ick - it's cold and rainy down by me now. I have heard predictions of SNOW in Massachusetts. Lovely. I have been busy all day today. Made meatballs and sauce for tonight's dinner as well as a meatloaf for the girls and Paul to eat on Saturday. Plus, they are stocked on deli, bread, snacks.. plenty for at least 2 days!

From my awesome buddy David - Check this out!

By the way - I had a total of 22 votes! WOW - that many people READ my blog?? You guys ROCK! Thanks go out to everyone who participated!

Ok - results are in! The votes have been tallied up and :::drumroll please:::: Button #1 is the winner! Woohoo! I will edit my template and add this.

Dinner tonight - Arroz Con Pollo (yummy). I wonder how many WW points that will be?? Yes guys, I have been motivated by Erin and Mike. I am blogging and cooking. Moira is making bead necklaces - she has a zillion beads. But - she's happy and QUIET! Olivia is napping. I am also stressing... about this weekend. I will be planning meals for them.. and I will only be gone Friday - Sunday! Paul is capable of feeding the children. He is a very smart man! I have been doing laundry nonstop. I am having visions of coming back home to 50 pounds of laundry! I made plans to see my friend (from previous post) on Monday. Do I tell her what I think about Brinks Boy or do I keep my mouth shut? If she asks - I HAVE to tell her. If I don't, I'll go crazy! LOL!

WOW! 70 degress at 1pm today by my place. ** 70 ** degrees - in January. My friend reported to me yesterday that California has SNOW! What the hell is going on?!?!

Good morning all - I was at my Mom's place last night so I didn't get a chance to write.. Mom has decided that we (she and I) should learn how to crochet. My Nana could make some gorgeous baby blankets. I never learned how to do it from her ::heavy sigh:: We are learning from one of Mom's neighbors, Gail, who is a pretty nice lady. A former school teacher. Mom was pretty tired tonight. It's a chemo week.. then she has 2 weeks off. After that, it's her final treatment. Once she is completely finished, she will have to have her meniscus tear fixed. My mother in law got my Mom a name of a pretty good doctor at Monmouth Medical Center. Mom's last orthopedist completely dismissed some small dark spots shown on her knee Xrays. They are now malignant tumors. I *wish my Mom had gotten another opinion.. but she totally trusted this guy ::sigh:: Anyway.... she will getting an appointment to have the meniscus taken care of as well as getting the dye test done to check how the cancer responded to the chemo. Prayers would be helpful... A frined of mine had moved to Florida shortly after high school. Married, worked, etc.. the usual. She divorced (thank God - what an ass he was... and still is) and moved back up to Bricktown. We have been catching up on old times and have hung out a few times. I was chatting with her when I was driving up to my Mom's place. (Yes, on my CELL phone! I do have an ear piece that I use while driving - I look like I am talking to myself) She has met someone who apparently knew ME (HUH?) and where I used to live and who I was dating at the time (::screaming:: let's not go THERE! I have sucessfully blocked out a LOT of that pathetic time of my life). Needless to say, I was a TAD curious. She was meeting him at the bowling alley last night. I hate the bowling alley.... it smells, it's gross, and, frankly speaking, wearing rented shoes is just so fucking disgusting. Personally, I don't consider it a sport. Drinking beer and throwing a 10lb ball down some waxed floor at pins is not a sport. Anyhooo.. the bowling alley is about 10 minutes from my Mom's house. I made tentative plans to meet up with her and "Jeff" later on in the evening. Around 10pm, I called her on her cell.. He was done bowling (she was there watching. That's even worse) and they were in the bar. Lovely. So, I met them there. ::sigh:: He looks just like I pictured him. We (me and Jeff) had a few things/people in common. But, ya know, there was SOMETHING about him that just creeped me out. Nevermind the fact that he bowls or installs security systems (Hey, a job is a job, right? At least he has one) I just have a weird feeling about him. Maybe it was the fact he remembers this stuff that happened from over 13 years ago..or where I used to live. That *really disturbed me. He said he used to work for Lucent. "Oh," says I. "What did you do?" Him:"You name it and I did it." Me: ::thinking:: HUH? What the frig was that? Gee buddy - I guess you were the frickin CEO, right? What I really said: "Really? You weren't like the janitor or something, right? Cuz THEY worked for Lucent too. Or, the cafeteria guy either, right?" He then spews forth all this "stuff" he did for Lucent - sounded somewhat believable.. technician, running wires, digital video/data, etc...BUT - I still think this guy is full of crap. If he was/is that brilliant, why the HELL is he working for Brinks Security?

Hmmm - must have been some glitch... I was able to view my page right after I posted about it .... vedddddy interesting (spoken in my best Artie Johnson voice)

Ok - I can't *see my page but I can post... weird...

Oh my Gosh! You MUST visit Mike's site (akacooties) immediately and listen to this! I think Mike wins as Blog of the Day. Kudos to you Mike! Keep up the great work!

Link via Erin

See which Greek Goddess you are.

Had a very nice weekend.. the weather was just gorgeous on Sunday. We threw the kids outside.. Paul worked in the yard as well. And - I did laundry.. even hanging it out on the line. I had made a roast chicken (yummy) with mashed taters, gravy, and broccoli. I simmered the carcass for stock and we will have that on Superbowl Sunday. Paul can get that started while I am driving back from MA. I even got a chance to run to the store and get a few things for the trip. Even found a nice blazer (red of course) to wear. Since there is a possibility of snow (eeek!), I am wearing pants with the blazer. Also found a cute top for underneath and a sexy looking bra - which was even on sale too! Confession here - I love to buy bras.. I guess I am a bra "junkie" I will get around to posting my weird dream later..

Bahahahaha! Paul found this at one of his boards!

WOW. Check this out!

My Steelers :::sob:::

I also had another startling thought - I have a wedding next week (Saturday 2/2) in Massachusetts. I will be leaving Friday afternoon, around 1pm. I decided I will be driving up the NY State Thruway (towards Albany) and then cutting over to the MA turnpike (I-90), then picking up I-91. Kind of the long way around but I think the fastest. I hate taking I-95. By the time I get to Conn., it will be 5pm on a Friday night. I don't THINK so! PLUS - I will be driving home on SUPERBOWL SUNDAY! Arrrggghhhh!! SHIT! = : - O Oh well, I will be hauling my ass home on Sunday. Should have plenty of time to make it back home by kickoff. Pregame sucks anyway. Well - gotta go verify my reservations for hotel and car. Anyone wanna come up with me? LOL!

I had the weirdest dream last night - kinda freaked me out. I think I am going to post about it.. maybe tomorrow.

Go STEELERS! :::please win:::please win::::

My Dad brought Moira home today around 430. She was so tired. She spent the night with Dad and Millie (step-mom) and her step cousin Victoria, who is 6. The kids had a blast - Millie is still recovering . They were up until 11pm last night and woke up at the crack of dawn. So, you can imagine how charming and wonderful Miss Moira has been since she got home. I couldn't wait to stuff her into bed! Talk about cranky!!! Oy! Paul and I did a lot of cleaning and organizing today. My back room (aka laundry room aka pantry) was a disaster! Got rid of some junk and redid the shelves and it looks 100% better. Still needs more work.. but overall, looks good. Hung up some pictures, an oversized wooden fork and spoon (from my Nana's place - she'd had then for years). They sound goofy but I really like them.. makes me feel closer to her... to have her things displayed in my home. And - I have to say - what is with laundry?? Sheesh - it's like coat hangers. Constantly multiplying! I hate it! I am the official laundry person in this house. Wash, fold, and put away. Hate doing it. Paul is the garbage, mopping, vaccuuming person - so I can't really complain too much. Some of my former coworkers/friends would bitch and moan about their hubbys not doing anything around the house. They tell me how lucky I am to have Paul. HUH? He's lucky to have ME! No one MADE you marry that guy! Find someone who will treat you right - not like the resident slave! Now - don't misunderstand. I *do* appreciate everything Paul does around the house. If I ask him to do something, he does. I don't have to scream at him like a fishwife. But, the fact is, I am the one home during the day. I do a LOT more because of that. That's MY job. Well, after making sure the kids aren't burning the house down while I am blogging, of course!

Upon reading about Erin's shenanigans last night, I have found this - The Five Levels of Drinking, which might come in handy..

Good evening class! Sorry for not really posting too much today. Been busy busy busy! I picked up a bunch of books from B&N tonight and I can't wait to start reading them! I got: The Town and The City - Jack Kerouac Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte Sense and Sensibility and Emma - Jane Austin A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh PLUS - Food Allergies Tips from the Nutrition Experts - The American Dietetic Association FOOD Allergies - The Complete Guide to Understanding and Relieving Your Food Allergies - William E. Walsh The Peanut Allergy Answer Book - Michael C. Young Needless to say, I will be busy reading... My Mom sent me home with a few more books too! Arrggh! I have about 15 books to read. ::sigh:: Thank goodness I *love* to read!

Friday Five - Part 2! 1. What cologne or perfume do you wear? - Gio - by Armani 2. What cologne or perfume do you like best on the opposite sex? Cool Water or Aramis 3. What one smell can you not stomach? Ok - this is gross - vomit 4. What smell do you like that others might consider weird? Gasoline 5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? Well - we went out to dinner tonight and hit Barnes and Noble! Woohoo! I have 9 new books to read - in my SPARE time of course!

Friday Five (link from smattering) 1. What do you have your browser start page set to? My online bank 2. What are your favorite news sites? Fox News Network 3. Favorite search engine? Northern Light 4. When did you first get online? Zoinks! Has to be since Gopher was around (if anyone remembers using that!). Oh, and Webcrawler too. If I had to guess, I would say since 1994 5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? Paul and I are going out to dinner. Then, off to hang out and shop in Barnes and Nobles. Moira is sleeping over my Dad and Step-Mom's place! YAY!

I hope he rots

Friday January 25 11:20 AM ET Hockey Dad Sentenced to Six to 10 Years By DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press Writer CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - A man who beat another father to death during their sons' youth hockey practice was sentenced to six to 10 years in prison Friday for involuntary manslaughter. Thomas Junta, 44, had asked to be put on supervised probation with community service. His attorney said Friday he would appeal. Junta sat handcuffed, with his head hung low during the hearing as victim Michael Costin's three sons, sister and mother spoke. ``Please punish Thomas Junta and do not allow him to soon get out of prison and ruin another family's life,'' Costin's middle son, Michael, said. ``No matter how much of a sentence that you give to Thomas Junta, my dad got more.'' The judge followed prosecutors' recommended sentence, though he called it lenient and generous and said he considered exceeding it. During the trial and sentencing, prosecutors painted Junta, a 270-pound truck driver, as a bully who picked on a much smaller man. Supporters described him as a ``gentle giant,'' a devoted husband and father who fell victim to ``a very bad set of circumstances.'' Junta did not speak during the hearing and called no witnesses on his behalf. He sobbed as his defense attorney, Thomas Orlandi Jr., read from letters Junta had written to his two children, including 12-year-old Quinlan, had witnessed the fight. Orlandi also read part of a letter written by another 12-year-old hockey player, named Garrett, who also saw the fatal beating in July 2000 at a suburban Boston ice rink. ``Quinn needs his dad more than anything. ... Tom didn't mean for any of this to happen. ... Please don't punish Tom for something he didn't mean and didn't want to happen,'' Orlandi read. Before being led away, Junta raised his shackled hands to blow a kiss and wave to his family seated behind him. Barbara Tracy, his sister, sobbed as other siblings tried to comfort her. Junta and Costin fought at the rink after Junta objected to rough play during a pickup hockey game. Costin was supervising his three sons, Junta's son and several other boys on the ice. The jury determined that Junta didn't intend to kill Costin but that he went too far. At trial, Junta had said he tried to avoid the fight and only hit Costin in self-defense. A medical examiner testified Costin suffered severe brain injuries that could have resulted from his head being beaten into the floor. Some previous incidents in Junta's life, which were not brought up at trial, were taken into consideration for the sentencing. Junta's wife, Michelle, was granted a restraining order in 1991 when she alleged he beat her in front of their two children and another child. A court ordered Junta out of the couple's apartment and gave his wife temporary custody of the children. Orlandi dismissed the restraining order as irrelevant and stressed that the couple was still together. But the judge on Friday read from part of that order, which said Junta hit his wife at a wedding in front of children. Costin, 40, had four children, ages 11 through 14. His father, Gus, said Costin had a drinking problem and had been in and out of prison for much of his adult life. But he had quit drinking and was working steadily as a carpenter and painter, he said. Six months before he was killed, he regained custody of his children. ``Don't worry about what the judge says today, Mr. Junta,'' Gus Costin said Friday. ``Worry about what the judge upstairs is going to say. That's eternity.''

Moira is the Superstar of the Week for her class. So, the superstar gets to have a parent come in and read a book, using the letter of the week (D) and also bring in a snack that starts with D (Doughnuts). She asked Paul to come in and read to the class! I was a bit taken aback (ok - a lot) but she is so excited to have Paul come in and read, I can't be too upset about it. Besides, Paul is D - Dad

Claire Standish is the perfect teen... Pretty, popular, homecoming queen who, as she so modestly puts herself, "everybody likes sooo much." She's part of the "in" crowd and can't believe that she's spending her day with the likes of a basketcase, a brain, and a criminal. Claire makes it perfectly clear in the beginning that she just wants to get the day over with, and doesn't need to be bothered by the other people. She's a nice girl and all, but is somewhat deserving of her stereotype "princess" title. But, as the day goes on, after some laughs and some tears (and the revealment of a true talent for putting on lipstick)...Claire learns maybe she shouldn't be so quick to judge people... The role of Claire was just one of Molly Ringwald's memorable characters in the 80s. Molly Ringwald's name, in fact, is synominous (sp?) with 80s classics. Aside from The Breakfast Club, she also starred in such 80s favorites as Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. If she was the perfect teen - how the HELL did I end up as her??? Link via Erin

WOW! Check out Erin's new look! Great job chicky! I have Bonkos tonight - will post more later tonight!

Oh - and it looks like Button #1is in the lead. I may end this contest early - not too many voters out there! C'mon guys - VOTE! Links are on the left!

Hi guys - I am still getting caught up on my blogs. One blogger in particular can use some prayers. Sandee, who has an awesome outlook and great spirit. She had surgery yesterday for a Porto-Cath. (Port: a small plastic or metal container surgically placed under the skin and attached to a central venous catheter inside the body. Blood and fluids can enter or leave the body through the port using a special needle.) My Mom also had one inserted several months ago, before she started chemo.

Off to the mall - I want a new outfit for the wedding in MA next week.. Tata for now!

Part III We make it home by 3pm. Phrewww - time to spare! We pick up Moira at the busstop and come back home. Thank goodness I had the sense to plan an easy dinner. Yes, I have to plan dinner - when you have 2 kids, your life and all activities revolve around feeding time. ESPECIALLY if you have a kid with food allergies. Dinner was burgers and pasta salad. See if you can guess the common ground between the following : red, yellow, and green peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes? Answer : All the veggies that Olivia LOVES to eat! Peppers! I hate peppers - ick! The funniest thing is to watch her stuff her face with peppers - it's really cute. After feeding time at the zoo aka dinner, it's the usual frenzy of activity to get dishes cleaned, living room organized, some playtime, then it's :::dum da dum dum:: BATH TIME. Olivia likes her bath but since she has such sensitive skin, she gets what we call "fast bath". Cleaned and zipped out of the tub. Usually done within 4 minutes. Getting Moira in for a shower usually requires dealing with 5 minutes of bitch and whine fest, 2-3 minutes of foot stomping and lots of tears. (Must be the hormones) By the time she gets in the shower, it's all I can do not to drown the kid! Joking folks, just a joke. Clean pj's, medicines for the kidlets, brush teeth, read stories, tucked it bed - now it's 8PM. WOOOHOO! Get out the noisemakers and partyhats - it's BEDTIME!! Paul was online already while I tucking Moira in bed. When I got into the living room, I kicked back on the couch and filled him in on the details of the day. I'd had a headache for a couple hours and I decided to rest for a few minutes. At 1030pm - Paul wakes me up! I staggered into the bedroom, threw on some PJ's and fell into bed. I had enough sense to set my alarm for the morning. AND - here I am!

Part II Where was I? Oh yeah... Moira on the bus.. I had forgotten a couple things so I zipped back home, grabbed them, and off we drove to Wall Township (exit 98 for all you Jerseyians out there). We pick Mom up and zip up to IKEA. We made it there right before the store even OPENED! Wooohoo! IKEA is awesome when it isn't packed. I have always been there on a weekend and it's like Christmas time in the mall - PACKED! I only spent about $28 and Mom spent around $80. Of course, while I was there, I mentally spent about $4K. It's so damn easy! While shopping, Olivia was starting to hack and cough again. We finished quickly and got out of there ASAP. Made it to Mom's place by 1230PM. I gave her another breathing treatment and then she kinda sorta ate some lunch. My Mom has stocked her place with a zillion (or maybe 2 zillion) toys, stuffed animals, you name it.. it's probably there. The kids are in heaven when they come over. Olivia and I hit the road to head back home around 215 since Moira got off the bus at 330. Of course, she FINALLY falls asleep in the car, on the way home. At this point, I am exhausted. Driving home on the parkway, with the defroster on, car all nice and warm... I was getting that white line madness. I ended up putting on a cd and singing, just so I could stay awake! So, if any of you saw a burgandy Santa Fe heading Southbound, with a chick who was singing, it was probably me! Part III coming soon.

Good morning all :::yawn::: I never got a chance to update yesterday at all! Talk about some crazy 24 hours! Olivia was waking up quite a bit on Tuesday night, coughing, hacking... sounded like a seal. She's up, down, up, down in her crib. By 130am, I pulled her out, and sat with her in the recliner. I gave her some medications with the nebulizer and she seemed to do much better. Ok - great - back to bed. Again, up and down for the next couple hours. (Take note of the fact that I hadn't gotten but maybe 2 hours sleep so far! Eeeek!) By 430AM, I said the hell with us, got her and her blankets out of the crib, sat in the recliner with her and we BOTH finally got some sleep. Of course, I have no alarm clock in the living room (Can you guess where I might be going with this story?) I wake up and squint at that damn tiny clock on my VCR and it's 730AM. 730!!!! SHIT!!! We have to be at the busstop BY 810AM. I leap up out of the recliner, almost dropping Olivia. I wake up Moira, who is complaining and whining about school, and run into the kitchen to make 2 breakfasts and lunch for Moira. All in all, we MADE it to the busstop ON TIME! Why the big hurry? Well, Olivia and I were going to IKEA after Moira caught the bus. All I can say is it was a very good idea for be to pack a diaper bag and supplies for Olivia earlier in the evening.

Ok - like a moron - I forgot to UPDATE the web address of my updated pictures. ::smacking forehead:: So, if anyone still cares, check 'em out again!

Which drink are you? Link from Jennifer aka Working Mom

Ok - I can't decide which one I like better! I will post the winning banner on my blog. View banners 1 through 6 here, then help me by voting! Pick your favorite Breast Cancer Code!

More pics for you guys to check out!

Ohmigosh! I completely forgot to mention this! I am going to be an Auntie! (again) YAY YAY YAY! :::wiping brow::: Phrew! Takes the heat offa me for a little while!

By the way - I *did* donate! Thank You for Your Donation ! Confirmation number: 315135 Name: Kate State: NJ Country: US Home Phone: n/a Work Phone: n/a E-Mail: CateNJ@aol.com Walker/Crew Member to Sponsor: Bennett, Erin Donation Level: Other: Single Payment of $30 First Payment On: 1/22/2002 Matching Company*: No Donation Type: Other Card Type: Visa Credit Card Number: haha like I would post that! Expiration Date: Holder Name: Kate Billing Address: Same as Mailing Address * If there is a matching company, the Matching Gift application should be mailed with a copy of your confirmation directly to: Avon Breast Cancer 3-Days - New York 2002, Attn:Matching Gifts 1525 Crossroads of the World, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Ok guys and gals: Time to donate. Please contribute what you can to Avon's Breast Cancer event. Erin is participating in the 3 day walk and needs to raise $1900 for this event. Click here for Erin's information.

Hey ya'll! Erin emailed me about all the problems with her site. It's up.. it's down.. it's up again... So, swing on by, check her out, and say howdy!

Personality Test I am - ESTP "The Go-Getter" "E" stands for Extroversion. Extroversion is an attitude in which interest, value and meaning are attached primarily to external objects. Inner matters are habitually not valued or are difficult for the extrovert. Extroversion is the opposite of Introversion. "S" stands for Sensation. One of Jung's four psychic functions (Thinking, Feeling, Sensation, and Intuition). According to Jung, Sensation means that the internal and external world are perceived through the five senses. Sensory types focus on the present and on concrete information gained from physical senses. "T" stands for Thinking. One of Jung's four psychic functions (Thinking, Feeling, Sensation, and Intuition). Thinking means logical and rational thought processes. It is the ability to make evaluations and judgements based on logical categories and ideas. The Thinking function is the opposite of the Feeling function, which is the ability to make evaluations and judgements based on values. "P" stands for Perception. The way in which raw data or information about the outer or inner world is made known to consciousness. Jung called it an "irrational" function in the sense that perception is unfiltered. People who have stronger Perception than Judgement are people for whom "the journey is more important than the destination." Perception is open-ended, a never-ending stream of insights, experiences, and possibilities. Perceptions come through the five senses (Sensation), and yet also through the unconscious (Intuition). Both are ways of taking in experiences about the outer and inner world.

Just watched Unbreakable tonight. Didn't like it...way too weird. Just plain out creepy. ::shiver:: I really like Bruce Willis and Sanuel Jackson is awesome. But - very weak in the movie...

You will marry JAMES BOND (most recently played by Pierce Brosnan) from the James Bond movies, live in many expensive penthouses filled with many girls and many martinis (shaken, not stirred), and spend your days driving explosive foreign cars and spying on villains with big egos and small brains.

What's YOUR M * A * S * H future?

Shouldn't be too hard for me to live with this... (link via Erin)

WOW! Just finished watching "Bridget Jones' Diary" - alone of course. GREAT movie. I think I am completely in love with Colin Firth :::swooning::: Hugh Grant is a pig but he has those fabulous eyes.. and of course that voice. I love good strong voices - I just melt when I hear them. Renee Zellweger looks marvelous. The best I have ever seen her - she looked gorgeous. I can't believe how Hollywood was calling her FAT for God's sake. Hasn't the freaking film industry figured out that there are a HELLUVA lot more women out there who don;t look like Lara Flynn Boyle or Calista Flockhart. Jesus - those 2 NEED a fucking sandwich. Just plain nasty looking. And YES, in case anyone out there in blog-land is wondering, I am NOT one of those barfing babes! How I managed to get through school without pulling a Columbine on a few of my fellow classmates is beyond me. All I can say is getting tortured in school made it a living hell for me. To this day, I can still remember all those awful things some of those assholes would say... Ya wanna know what the worst part is?? I look at my pics from high school.. and I looked pretty fucking good. One my my best photographs was my senior picture. I *wish* I had the balls then to tell those fools to go screw off when I had the chance.

"It's another Saturday night..... and I ain't got nobody..." That's right - I ain't got nobody - at least nobody HERE. The girls are asleep and Paul is STILL out! (Grrrrrr!) Well, I can't really bitch too much.. He was at my Mom's today since 930am, working on her Dell. It was crashing a lot and running really slo. He put on Norton's anti-virus, ran scan disk, defraged the drive, essentially cleaned it up for her. When I spoke to her today, she mentioned how much faster it was running. BUT - as he was leaving my Mom's place, his Dad calls. Seems he was having problems with HIS computer, trying to run LapLink. Sooooooooo, here it tis, 10pm and I am BLOGGING and folding laundry! Someone - please shoot me.

ARRGGHHHHHH! They broke up! I gotta go cry now ::sniff sniff::

I have been watching the old episodes of The Sopranos lately. I tuned in mid season last year, with Ralph beating the stripper to death - nice, huh? I am also addicted now to Sex and the City. John Corbett (Aidan) is a cutie ::sigh:: I have had a crush on this guy since "Northern Exposure". Now - Carrie is ripping his heart out and stomping on it with her Manolo Blahniks!

In the immortal words of Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer and Paul Leka aka Steam "Na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye" Steelers WIN! 27 - 10 Off to play the Patriots next week for the AFC championship! I am SO HAPPY! YAY YAY YAY!

Go Pittsbugh.. Go Pittsburg.. Go Pittsburg! ::::doing Happy Dance:::: 20 to ZIP!

The snow is still here! Bleeeeech! Just put "Shrek" on now - so far, it's pretty stinkin' funny. I love Smashmouth.

Snow. Such a pain in the ass. I hate it. The girls, on the other hand, were SO excited. Paul took them out before dinner and they managed to build a snowman. Paul took a picture of them. I will post it later tonight and link to it. I am still sick. Now sounding like a cross between Kathleen Turner and Harvey Firestein. Ooooh, how sexy. I am popping Robitussin Cough and Cold capsules. We managed to get to Pathmark to pick up a few things (honestly, I was going to buy stuff - no panic shopping for me). Also stopped at Blockbuster and picked up Shrek, Bridget Jones's Diary, Unbreakable, and One Night at McCools. All of which are 5 day rentals. Woohoo! Made dinner tonight.Completely wimped out by making open face turkey sandwiches with gravy, corn and tater tots. Hell - everyone ate. They were freezing from being outside. I am freezing. I hate snow.

I thought this was a pretty cool counter. There has been some discussion regarding smoking on one of my main message boards. This link was posted and I found this online quit meter These are my results as of now - Time Passed - 320 weeks, 6 days, 9 hours, 14 minutes, 49 seconds Cigarettes Not Smoked - 44,927 (EEEK!) That's approximately 2,246 PACKS Money Saved - $ 7,525.27 Quit smoking people. Save your life.

When I came home from the Daisy meeting, I still felt really crappy. I had my headache for about 6 hours. I ended up crashing out for a almost 2 hour nap while Paul finished up the evening routine with the girls. I woke up in time to tuck them in. My headache was gone! YAY! The weather prediction for this weekend : Tonight Mostly Clear 22°F Sat Jan 19 PM Snow 33°F 23°F Sun Jan 20 Mostly Sunny 37°F 28°F ICK - I hate snow.

Ugh. I am sick. I am getting laryngitis! Arrgghh!! ::cough cough:: I cannot get laryngitis again. I have gotten it for the past 7 years, always about this time of year. Right now, I sound like Kathleen Turner with a *little* deeper tone. Lovely. I get to be all throaty and breathless sounding and I have to waste it on getting sick. Had to hit Wal-Mart today and shop with the rest of the wackos that aren't attempting to bite people. I didn't blog much yesterday. I somehow picked up an organizational bug SOMEWHERE. I painted some moppe boxes for my kitchen from IKEA. GOD - I love that store! Gonna go shopping there next week with Mom and Olivia. I have my eye on this really nice entertainment center and possibly more moppe boxes! They do come in bunch of different configurations like this. I also cleaned out my closets and tossed out 5, yes 5 bags of clothes. I drove right over to the donation bin and dumped them ASAP! I have a Daisy meeting today too - and I don't feel like going. I am feeling grumpy and I have a headache. At least I get to play hookey for the next one on 2/1 because I will be driving up to MA for a wedding. I can't wait to sit in a car for 6 hours.. joy of joys. I have to map out my route. Not too many choices - either take 95 through Conneticut or take the 87 (NY Thruway) and turn right at MA. I will probably take 87 - I hate 95, especially in CT. There is ALWAY construction.. no matter what time of the day or night. I gotta go sit and have some coffee.. later guys!

I took the IQ test I found linked on Erin's site. Looks like my IQ went down as well. I believe I tested at 147. Now, according to this test, I am 135. From the email I received: "Our test gives you a quick and fast measurement of your abilities, and that can indicate directions for you to take. Average: 85 - 115 Above average: 116 - 125 Gifted Borderline Genius: 126 - 135 Highly gifted and appearing to be a Genius to most others: 136 - 145 Genius: 146 - 165 High Genius: 166 - 180 Highest Genius: 181 - 200 Beyond being measurable Genius: Over 200 It's the girls' fault. I now have Mommy brain ::sigh:: Hopefully, when I am 70, I will still be able to feed myself!

I visited Mom tonight. She had me do a bunch of little projects that she can't quite do so easily. Climbing up on a stool to fix some wallpaper, move stuff around. I organized and color coordinated her sweaters. She has about 60 sweaters (now neatly organized) in her new storage boxes for the top of her closet. I helped her carry some stuff down to her basement. She has a great workshop set up down there for ALL her stuff. You name a craft - she has the supplies. It's like a mini craft store! It's nice to be able to hang out with her and talk. It's so hard to do when the girls are around. We chat about all kinds of stuff, usually making ourselves cry. I am really hoping and praying this course of chemo really kicks the shit out of the lymphoma. She wants to take us all to Disney World for Christmas. When I say all of us, I mean the 4 of us, my brother, Dan (her boyfriend) and herself. Talk about a huge expense! I am of 2 minds - I really want to go. But - always a but - the girls are SO young. It would probably be a little difficult with Olivia, given the age and the food allergy issue, but I know it can be managed. Paul doesn't want to go - being stubborn. He wants to spend Christmas at home, says that the girls should spend it at home because of Santa. Whatever ::eyeroll:: I told him to take it up with my Mom. Olivia has been breaking out in hives quite a bit lately. All on the backs and sides of her legs. Poor munchkin. I think it's the cat that is the root of most of her problems. Darla is about 12 yrs old and is ... well... fiesty. No one in our extended family likes her. She yowls and hisses. Attacks feet at random. Especially WHITE feet - like bare, covered in socks or white sneakers. She is fixed and declawed. Because she is such a maniac, I am pretty damn sure no one would want to adopt her if I brought her to the animal shelter. In a nutshell - unadoptable. Someone would be electing a pope with her. Kitty Cremation. I don't want to KILL my cat. I don't want Olivia to suffer.

Making a very kid friendly dinner tonight - chicken and fries. Bleeech.

From my buddy David - Look out Phil!

JUST made the bus this morning! Good thing I drove down to the bus stop! Olivia and I went to K-Mart and then Pathmark. Woooohoo. Such a wild and crazy pair are we!

Please take note that Erin Aid is still operating and can be yours for the taking ::hehe::

Good morning ya'll! Moira just stumbled out of her room a few minutes ago. Poor kid - this coughing at night business is really taking a toll on her. She is on a lot of different medications now. She is finishing a course of Zithromax for the ear infection, which has hopefully cleared up. She normally takes 2 tsp Zyrtec daily, Flovent and Flonase for her asthma and allergies. The Zyrtec doesn't seem to be helping her so I took her off it (for now) and she gets Triaminic Cough and Cold. Zyrtec was once a day. Triaminic is every 4-6 hrs. She barely clears 4 hours before the next dose. Nighttime is the worst for her. That damn post-nasal drip. Between that and the cold air, I think I will have to pull out the nebulizer for her if she coughs herself into an asthma attack. She is still coughing - hope the Triaminic kicks in soon. Besides that, the night went pretty much as planned. I even made a chocolate cake. Olivia wants candles on it so she can blow them out. She must think that every cake is a birthday cake! Silly lil booger!

Oh my gosh - it's been over 24 hours since I have blogged!!!!!!!! Actually, I have been busy. Moira has been going through some serious mood swings ::sigh:: She's only 5 fer cryin' out loud! Hell - I have my OWN mood swings to worry about! She gets SO frustrated at times that she just starts crying and freaking out. I wish I could make it better for her sometimes.. I think she has such a long day with school that she is a mess by the time she gets home. She gets up at 715am... bus by 820am, lunch at 1045am, snack by 1pm, home by 330pm. Of course, she has all her classes and activities during school. Poor kid.. I have been working on a webpage (albeit on AOL Hometown) that is dedicated to food allergies. I would be providing links for information, places that support food allergies, and recipe sites for food allergic people. I have already gotten several emails and I am not even finished on the page. I guess there's a lot more people with food allergies! I will post the link up soon. Probably won't be blogging until later tonight - Dinner tonight will be chicken cacciatore, corn, and linguine. YUMMY! Ta ta for now!

:::Sigh::: Woke up late this morning since I stayed up too late watching "Castaway". I did miss the first 20-25 minutes though (I ALWAYS do that! LOL). I tuned in when he washes up on the island. WOW - what a great movie! I bawled like a baby at the end. I cry at Disney movies. Bambi is awful and don't EVEN get me started on Dumbo. I even cried at ET (all 4 times that I have seen it) when the damn muppet died. My father in law and Paul were looking at me like I was insane.. What can I say? I am an emotional person! I had to drive Moira to school because I overslept. I have so much stuff to take care of today... phone calls, filing, car rental for the wedding next month (I am driving up), registering for my class, plus the usual cleaning around here. Oh yeah - and I have to take care of Olivia too

I will be watching the games today.. I never really watch them until playoff time anyway. BUT - the 2007 SuperBowl will be played at the Meadowlands, NJ! Way cool! I would love to get tickets for that. I wouldn't even care who was in it.

Oooh - a bad Wesley Snipes movie on HBO! OK ok.. I am going to bed!

Why am I still awake?!?! I am going to bed....really.

I set up another page with pictures if anyone is interested. I put a few pics from the party today. I also put up a picture of my Nana when she graduated Jamesburg High School Class of 1941. I think I resemble her the most. She was the only one in the family who had hazel/green eyes. I look nothing like my Mom OR my Dad. If I didn't look like my Nana, I would swear I was adopted!

Crap - another TD for Oakland ::sigh:: Oh well - not really a huge Jets fan. I just like anyone who plays the Giants and ::ahem:: Pittsburgh.

HELLO! Thanks for all the nice comments about my kidlets. They are really a couple of sweeties! I have a couple more from today's party that I will add to the page. Olivia LOVED her cake and pie! I wasn't too thrilled with my pie - I think it was too sugary. I will have to fool around with the recipe and change a couple things. My inlaws were down as well as 2 of my sis in laws, Isobel (niece), my brother, and my Dad and Step-Mom. A surprisingly nice time. Woooooooo! Touchdown Jets! Now - only down by 7

Did I mention that I have updated pictures! Check out my monsters - they are beautiful!

The pie is done as well as the chocolate cake. My house smells so good.

Got this link off Salted Wound. It shows a collection of screen shots from over 200 news sites around the world taken on September 11 and 12. Check it out. Never forget 9-11-01. Congratulations to Lisa Beamer on the birth of her daughter Morgan Kay Beamer.

Oh - I also folded ALL that laundry. Now, I *really* should be cleaning my bathroom but I have talked myself out of doing it. Why, you may ask, would I do that? Well, I still need to TAKE my shower (don't ask - LOL) and I certainly don't want to wake up Olivia. She is napping right now. God only knows she will be grumpy enough when we are at the doctor's office. Lordy - I have to bake bake bake tonight as well as clean clean clean :::groan::: HEY - Paul can clean and I will bake! What a trade-off! I love it ::hehehe::

Doctor's appointmet today at 340pm for both girls. Tomorrow we are having a little party for Olivia's birthday. Cake, coffee, cookies, that type of stuff. Only about 10 people coming. I hope it's pretty low key!

FINALLY! Took forever to publish my damn blog!

I'm BAAAAAAAAACK! Did you miss me? Things have been a tad hectic around here within the past 24 hours! Yesterday morning, I got Moira off to school just fine. Olivia and I had to pick up a referral for the girls' allergist appointment today. Picked that up, no problem. We stopped at KMart in Wall Township, which is currently under reconstruction, and I found some GREAT deals on clothes for Olivia. They were cute too. Usually KMart clothes are pretty freakin gross. Me loves a bargain! Also picked up enough Christmas cards, at 75% off, for the next couple years. Such a bahhhhhhhhrgain. After my shopping frenzy, Olivia and I stopped at my Mom's house for a visit. It's chemo week for her. She seems to be doing well although a little tired. Mom had made a chocolate cake for Olivia and she had her birthday presents to give her. Olivia was THRILLED! Very impressed with the 2 balloons my Mom bought! Took some great pictures of her yesterday. PictureTrail is really a pain in the ass and very very slow! I will upload some new pics to my AOL page and link here later. We got back home in time to pick Moira up at the busstop. She seemed very blah.. tired. I thought since she was up at 1AM earlier that morning, hacking and coughing, that she was tired because of that. By 5PM, a lowgrade fever kicked in and she didn't want to eat dinner. By 6PM she was asleep on the couch! At that point, I KNEW she was sick. We hustled the night along for both girls and they were in bathed, medicated, read to, and asleep by 845PM. At that point, I was too tired to do much of anything except shove a few loads of laundry in and out of the washer and dryer. Of course, I haven't folded them yet ::sigh:: That's a job for today, sometime today when I have some spare time :::chortle:::giggle::: Right now, the girls are watching Sesame Street and are unnaturally quiet. So, I am taking big advantage of that right now by blogging and updating my AOL page. Will update more later when I can. Click here for updated pictures. I have a lot of pictures on it - it might take a few moments to load...

Whew! I finally have a few minutes to write and now I can't publish! Arrgghh! Well - considering how many blogs are out there in cyberland, I guess I can handle it. I have some new pictures of the monsters that I will attempt to upload (again) to my picture sites. PictureTrail doesn't seem to be behaving well tonight either

Visited Mom last night and had a nice time. I helped Dan (her boyfriend) take Christmas stuff down to the basement. While down there, I found a really nice mirror they had picked up at a yard sale. Mom wasn't using it so she let me take it. I have the best place to hang it too! Woohoo! I was planning on buying one! Glad I didn't! She ended up giving me a check for the computer class I was planning to take at Ocean COunty College. The first class is Intro to HTML. A 6 week course that meets 2 days a week, 3.5 hours per class. UGH. 6pm-930pm. A nice way to spend my Wednesday and Friday nights! At least I will be learning something - I hope.

Olivia had a GREAT time at her Baby Power class. It was SO much fun - she didn't want to leave!

Also forgot to mention that today at 1015am is Olivia's first "Baby Power" day I am excited for her - I know she will have such a good time! AND - there's the added bonus that she will be napping by 1215pm! It is hard for her to meet other little ones her age (2) because of all her food allergies. There is no way I can take her to a Mommy and Me type of group - TONS of food that she is allergic too. Peanut butter, nuts, dairy, eggs.. all of these are in cookies, cakes, snacky type foods. There are certain brands that I buy because I KNOW Olivia can eat them without breaking out in eczema or hives ::sigh:: The poor kid. Heck - even my inlaws aren't that good with keeping stuff aside that can make her sick. They TRY.. but sometimes that's even worse. YOU take away a cookie from a 2 year old! They say "Well, maybe she can have a little bit, to help her tolerate it." Sure - ok.. how about rat poison in your coffee.. you know, just a little, so you can tolerate it!! ::eyeroll:: There are SO many products that contain dairy or some form of dairy (whey, casein, a dairy protein). LIke hot dogs, cold cuts, breadcrumbs, juices, chicken nuggest, pretzels, chips, cookies, cakes... etc.. I can go on and on. I am not looking forward to Olivia starting school if her allergic reactions are still so high. I suppose I will have to see what her allergies are like when she is 5. Perhaps she will be homeschooled until her allergies are manageable. Hopefully, the township will either have dealt with this problem before or is willing to deal with it. Paul and I already planned on really working with the school, helping to raise awareness. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network has so much suppoort and will assist us, if needed. Yikes - that turned into one helluva rant! I will post more after we get back from Baby Power!

Didn't get a chance to blog much last night due to Blogger not allowing me to publish. Guess they must be overloaded. I want to thank everyone for their kind emails and comments regarding my Mom. They are appreciated so much and they do help! I will be going up to visit her tonight. But, on the flip side - 2 of my friends are pregnant. Both are due in August so it seems like November was a busy month for some people. My one friend, D, had planned this baby (her 2nd) with her hubby, T. In fact, HE was one one doing the ovulation charts and the predictions. Boy - I guess he nailed the dates and time correctly - pardon the pun. While I really like D, T is kind of a control freak. Ok - he REALLY is a control freak. They already have a son who turned one in October, the poor thing. He is so sweet and so unprepared for this. D&T are the kind of couple who plans for everything. It's kind of creepy. For example, they already have a bike for Aaron that they bought while D was PREGNANT with him. It was a bargain.. yeah ok.. whatever. Bargains are everywhere... J is also pregnant. She is getting married next month on Groundhog's Day. She and her hubby to be have been trying for a while to have this one. This will make baby #2 since J has a son (9yrs old) from a previous relationship. Babies can only mean 1 thing for non pregnant people - baby showers! While I love to buy all those little things, I HATE (and I stress HATE), going to showers, bridal or baby. I adore my friends but those type of things are SO boring!

I just read Susan's blog. I find I have a lot in common with her. My Mom also has cancer (NonHodgkins Lymphoma) and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. In fact, this week is her 4th course of treatment. Then she will be off 2 weeks and starts another course. Off for 2 more weeks and has her final course in February. My Mom is 53. It is so difficult to go through this with her. Sometimes I feel so helpless... I want to make it better and I can't. I don't want my kids to lose their Grammy. My grandmother passed away in May and I am still struggling with it. I miss her so damn much.

I did forget to mention this - as much as I adore my sister in law, she makes an AWFUL cup of coffee! Bleeech! As soon as I got home last night, I made a pot of coffee. Paul and I drank almost 2 pots of coffee last night! AND - I am on my 4th cup this morning... Maybe that's why I am feeling so adventurous about tweaking my code!

Hey faithful readers! Made it back from Malvern, Pennsylvania with no problems. In fact, on our way home, about 20 miles from our house, it started to rain. Phew! I was never so happy to see rain! I was afraid it would snow on our way back. Luckily, it wasn't cold enough! We had a nice time in Malvern.I don't think it's the total sticks - heck, I live in the sticks! Manahawkin NJ! Exit 63 off the Garden State Parkway. I have a 40 minute ride to Atlantic City. Long Beach Island is about 20 minutes and Barnegat Lighthouse is about 30 minutes from my home. Anyway, enough of that! I had such a nice time out visiting Barb and Tom. My nephew (14 year old resident with major attitude) was hardly around. Barb, Paul and I took the girls out to McDonalds for lunch on Saturday and then we all went to a really nice park for the girls to run around for a while. Olivia fell asleep in during the 10 minute ride from McD's and the park. Poor kid - she missed her regular nap and she was so tired! Paul stayed in the car with Olivia while Barb and I took Moira outside. It was SO cold out! I was glad I packed hat and mittens for the girls. We stayed for 25-30 minutes then left. Not too many kids outside as it was pretty damn windy. Headed back to Barb's place. I had brought a couple movies for the kids, Elmopalooza and A Bug's Life. The kids watched Elmopalooza and Animal Planet. The girls got to bed pretty late since we ate dinner VERY late. Normally, Paul and I eat dinner by 5-515. I hate eating that early but it's a lot easier on the lil monsters. Olivia crashed out by 9pm and Moira went to bed after we watched A Bug's Life. John, my nephew, crashed his system so Paul was trying to help Tom fix the computer. Turns out that John's computer had only 64mb RAM and was running Windows 2000 Professional along with Dazzle Video and some other programs. While cleaning out the hard drive, Paul found a TON of porn about 1.5 gigs worth of pics and some avi's as well! Barb was SO pissed! But, Tom and Paul wiped his hard drive and limited the Internet access. John was not a happy camper! We left on Sunday and made it home by 245pm! Woohoo! I will be tweaking my site a bit so bear with me if it seems a little weird! Bye for now!

Well - this will be my last post for the weekend. I am heading out to Malvern Pennsylvania tomorrow at 9AM. I am hoping there is NO snow! There is a slight chance of snow on Sunday, both here in NJ and in Malvern. We should be home before that happens!! Have a great weekend everyone and don't forget about Erin! Please donate!

See Erin beg See Erin plead See Erin hook? No, Erin, don't look to hook. Maybe you should design a book! Save Erin.. please!

We had a fairly uneventful morning here. Olivia and I were lucky enough to wait in line at KMart for 15 minutes. ::sigh:: Thank goodness Olivia was pretty patient - not bad for a 2 year old! I have a Daisy meeting today at 3PM so I must remember to take a few Tylenol BEFORE I get there. 13 little hyped up, "I've sat in Kindergarten all day and now you are going to pay, pay, PAY for it" 5 and 6 year olds. Why do I torture myself?!? Ah well, one of the many sacrifices I have made for Moira... although I really do miss my mind the most! Save Erin - donate today!

Guys - you have got to help my buddy Erin out. Read her plea for help here. She also has a tip jar on Amazon. All donations would be greatly appreciated!

Finally caught X-Men on HBO tonight. WOW! Very cool movie. When the movie was going to be released, I had never even HEARD of X-Men. I sat through it and enjoyed it very very much. I am ashamed to say that I think Hugh Jackman is cute but Patrick Stewart is THE man! Oh, that sexy "I can make grown women swoon!" type of VOICE! I could just melt and die.... although not melt and die as gross as Senator Kelly from X-Men. Talk about your poor bastard!

I completely forgot to mention that I signed Olivia up for one of those Gymboree-type classes. I can't wait! The first one is Tuesday. I wonder if I can take pictures...

We are all heading to Malvern, PA this weekend to visit my sis in law. Should be a good time. I am looking forward to Auntie Barbara playing (and distracting) the girls for a while!

Wooooooooo! I have comments baby! Yeeeehawwwwwww!

Well - nothing like a quick morning jog to wake yourself up. We were running a tad late this morning so we jumped in the car to drive to the busstop (at the end of the street). As I am halfway down the street, I see the bus pulling away from the stop! YIKES! So, I zip around the corner and chase the bus for a couple blocks. When the bus finally stops to pick up a child, I tell Moira to jump out. I throw on the emergency brake, hit the flashers, grab her backpack, and we ran to the busstop. Moira's bus driver is really cool - a no nonsense type of woman, maybe in her late 30's or early 40's. She waited for us. I gave Moira a hug and kiss and she jumped on the bus and Zoom! Off to school! Poor Olivia was in the car, just sitting there, looking perplexed. ::grin:: We get back home and she finished her bagel and is now watching Blues Clues on tape since my CRAPPY cable is out again! GRRRRR! Comcast SUCKS! We will be heading out shopping in a little while. I have to get a birthday gift for my nephew (14 yrs olds) and he's into the aggressive skating look. But, he had also requested accessories for his digital camcorder and hockey equipment. SO, he's getting a sweatshirt and a hat or cash. Not too sure just yet! Plus, I have to go find an outfit for a wedding I will be going to on February 2, in Massachusetts. I even get to go ALONE! Wooooohooooo! Paul will be home watching the girls. I will drive up Friday, around 4-5 ish and hopefully get there by 10-ish. The wedding is Saturday at 1pm. What fun - going solo tto a wedding. I will know the bride and maybe 5 other people ::sigh:: Leaving on Sunday and driving back home. At least I get a couple nights alone - peace and quiet!

Ahhhhh ... peace and quiet at last! We all went to Home Depot after dinner tonight. I bought my paint (Ralph Lauren), molding, and some miscellaneous bits of hardware.My project tomorrow is to sand the shelf. Fun fun! Paul will get the primer and I hope we can paint it by Friday morning! God - I am SO crafty! Look out Martha!

:::grumble::: Didn't get my damn nap - phone kept ringing. By the time I was finished with the calls, it was too late to get any quality nap time. Well, at least Olivia got a great nap!

UGH! Up wayyyy to early today. I do despise the mornings. Got Moira off to school then Olivia and I visited ShopRite. 90 minutes later and $194.32 poorer, we head back home. It took me a half hour to unpack and put away all groceries, including Miss Olivia's "help". I still have to head over to BJ's and get meat and chicken. Then we will be stocked up for a while. I have to head on over to Home Depot tonight or tomorrow morning to get paint and quarter round molding. Paul found a cute little 2 shelf case that someone had put out at the curb. So, he will sand it down and I will repaint it. He will attach the molding and VOILA! New mini bookcase! Now, I think I will be taking a nap. Leftovers for dinner tonight.. YUMMY!

Thank goodness my day is finally over! After getting up this morning, Paul and I un-decorated our tree as fast as possible. He dragged the half dead, needle dripping, branch breaking tree carcass out the door and down to the street. BUH-bye! Wreath - GONE. Lights on the house - GONE. Interior Christmas decorations - GONE! Hell - you would never even know Christmas was even HERE. Well, except for the dozens of toys strewn about my living room. I planned on making a turkey for today. A tradition for us. I call it Irish Turkey. My Mother in Law, who is from Ireland, makes her turkey this way and it is SO good. Prep the bird and place it in the roasting pan. Place strips of bacon over the turkey breast and drums, making sure that there is no exposed turkey. Then bake as usual. The bonus to using the bacon is - no basting... the bacon drips over the bird. Therefore, no need to disturb it while it is roasting! Nothin like a self basting turkey. So, I popped that big ole thing (14.5lbs) in the oven by 1245pm! By 530PM, dinner was served. Turkey (of course), gravy, corn, mashed taters, and rolls. Ummmmmmmm! Oh, almost forgot about the turkey bacon!!! When the turkey is ready to be carved, pull off the strips of bacon and eat them. Oh my God - it is sooooooooooooooooooo delicious. Not recommended for people with any cholesterol problems. My kids fight over it! The little monsters.. Paid bills tonight after the monsters went to bed. Gosh - what a bummer, those damn bills ::sigh:: I need to win the lottery. Actually, I should get my ass back in gear and start eBaying all my crap.. err..junk...err... merchandise - yeah, that's it, merchandise! Plus, I plan on starting some night classes in February - the first class I am looking at is Intro to HTML. It's basically a computer training class. There are 4 other modules offered... Web Design and Marketing, Intro to JavaScript, Intro to Macromedia Flash, and Basic Networking and Internet Information Server Administration. Sounds like fun, eh? Anywho - I am off to bed. We have school tomorrow! And I get to go food shopping. Yeeeha!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope everyone had a great time on NYE. I, on the other hand, spent my NYE watching reruns of Sex and the City while flossing my teeth. Paul surfed on the web. Wheeeeeee! Aren't we a couple of wild and crazy guys??? Oh - the kids watched a couple DVD's last night - "The Emperor's New Groove" (I love this one) and Michael Flatley's "Feet of Flames". Hubba hubba - gotta love Mikey. Moira likes him and even Olivia was step dancing around the living room. That man can DANCE! And, his butt, encased ever so nicely in black leather pants, ain't so bad either! The kids didn't get to bed until 930pm. Not for long - Moira goes back to school tomorrow - Hoooray! She and I have been bumping heads the past few days. Going back to school will probably save her life. Who knew that 5 year olds can drive you up a wall??