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!