Julia's Two!

Yesterday we went to help Julia celebrate her second birthday. She seemed to like being pushed around on her new trike. She has to really try hard, but she can ding the bell. In between rides she handed out stickers and mine just would not stick! I finally stuck it on my leg and it is still there!
Valerie did a great job making an Elmo cake. She used a crazy small tip to pipe the red fur. I know it took her forever.
Julia really had to concentrate to keep her hands off the cake. That little Luster was so patient!
The cake tasted as good as it looked. I managed not to eat half of Elmo's head all by myself!

Another Night With Elvis

Last night we headed down to DC for dinner and a show. We had dinner at Marvin. Someone raved about their fried chicken and waffles, and I've really been craving fried chicken. We sat at the bar and I had my chicken and Ross had a burger. His burger came with fries so I got to have fries too. Yummy. My chicken came with collard greens, and I didn't like them. It's so rare for me not to like veggies.

After dinner we headed to the Warner Theater for the show. I was happy to see Elvis, but sad not to be seeing him in Texas. Odd, I know. One of the best things about the show was that all the other guys on stage were smiling and seemed to be having a good time. In fact, they seemed to be just as entertained by Elvis as I was.

We had great seats. This is the closest to the stage I've ever sat. I could see the sweat fly off Elvis when he moved.

A little rant--I hate it when people show up late to a show. Some people showed up really late. It is so distracting to have people walking around all the time. Some people lost their front row seats for a while...the seats were empty so Elvis invited the heads of the Republican party and the Tea Party representative to sit there. 5 people tromped down to the front and took the seats. When the real ticket holders showed up they couldn't take their seats and were standing in the middle of the aisle. Grrr. I enjoyed the show, but I wish people would come on time and stay in their seats.

Really?

At Wally World last week I bought some RIT dye so that I can try and make one of my old black sweaters look new again. I saw that the box said AZABACHE. I had never heard that word before and wondered in what language that meant black. When I flipped the box over the directions were in English and Spanish. Azabache? When I looked it up it was defined as a noun --jet-- high polish coal. Really? I guess it isn't pc to have NEGRO on the box. Really? That's the word for black. Negro.

What is That Smell?

Tired of scraping myself with the plastic dispenser I decided to buy new deodorant last weekend. I've always used just deodorant, not deodorant with antiperspirant. Sometimes it can be hard to find. I have tried antiperspirants, but after one or two uses I always break out with painful red zits in my armpits. Not fun.

So there I was, at Wally World, looking for deodorant. I like it to be scented. They didn't have the one I had just run out of. I finally found a honeysuckle and tea tree oil one made by Degree. Of course it was more expensive than any of the other deodorants.

All day Monday I kept thinking--what is that smell? It was my new deodorant. It is funny how a new smell just stands out like that. Also, it is interesting how quickly our brains learn to ignore it. By Tuesday afternoon I couldn't even smell it anymore.

Back to Nature

Last weekend we made it up to Susquehanna for our first hike of the year. Despite it being Spring, we didn't see many critters. We saw lots and lots of tiny little flowers. I also snapped a photo of this odd little bug with a long stinger. I'm looking forward to swimming in Deer Creek and picking berries later this year.

The weather lately has been awesome. Sunny. Hot. I've been sporting my sunglasses and driving around with the top down.

New Shoes

I recently decided to buy some flats. I wanted them to wear to work. I have many problems with flats. 1. I don't like toe cleavage. 2. I have a narrow heel. 3. I find completely flat shoes uncomfortable. 4. I like to be taller.

I turned to my favorite shoe brand, Miz Mooz to find the perfect flat. Miz Mooz shoes are now available at Nordstrom, Macy's, and select boutiques, so I didn't have to go to New York City to try on or buy a pair. I ended up trying on a pair of (yellow) shoes at a store in Bmore and then ordering them (in green) online at Endless.com. Endless is affiliated with Amazon, so I was able to use the last of my Amazon money to partly pay for the shoes. After I ordered the shoes I went shopping at the mall. I was thrilled to see Miz Mooz shoes at Nordstrom Rack! They had a great pair of flats in red in my size, so I ended up buying them. So far the flats are pretty comfy. They need to be fully broken in. I've been wearing band aid tape on my heels to prevent blisters. The green ones are a little tight on my high instep, but I think they'll stretch.

I was talking to an old pal yesterday about shoes and how our husbands feel about us buying so many pairs of shoes. Ross summed it up this way: if they are heels, he approves, if they are anything else, he just doesn't care.

At Nordstrom Rack I also found a pair of heels--cheetah print fur heels. I love them and Ross approves. I now have over 30 pairs of shoes!

I Binge, Therefore I Am

I just recently realized that I'm an exercise binger. When I thought about it I realized that I binge in all aspects of my life. I binge when it comes to eating, sleeping, spending, exercising, tea drinking, everything. I've always touted moderation, but I'm not very good at practicing it myself. I think I'd be a lot healthier and a lot happier if I could just smooth things out. I have a problem with consistency. In my mind working out 3 times a week isn't enough, so I work out like crazy for one or two weeks, then I become a total couch potato for one or two weeks. I'd be better off working three or four times a week consistently. A few years ago I had a system where I wouldn't let myself go two days in a row without a work out. I need to recommit to that. The binge exercising isn't as bad as the slumps that occur in between. I have two months until vacation. I need to make the most of it.

Passover 2010

Our trip to Texas was a bit of a whirlwind tour. We drove down to Austin on Friday to have Passover with Joey and Lisa Diane. Joey did a wonderful job cooking everything. Ross made the matzo balls, which is his job every year. You can see from the photo that he likes to make them into different shapes. We had a good time. The best part was Joey's passover cake. It was awesome and he served it with sliced strawberries. Oh, I'd eat that cake any time of year.

The Doctor from Dublin

After lunch on my first day back in Texas where did I request to go? Fry's! I surprised even myself with that request, but I really needed a new camera battery, and that is the best place to find one. I have no idea how to describe Fry's. It is a gigantor electronic superstore. They sell everything you would need to build a computer from scratch, and they sell stuffed animals. That's the strange part. They sell a lot of things that you wouldn't expect to find in an electronic store. Oh, and the one we went to has an entire cafe on the inside.

Anyway, on the way out I got a craving for vitamin water. I never got that far. The first cooler I saw had Dublin Dr. Pepper in it. I had never had one before! I bought a couple and that satisfied my craving for something sweet. Ross said it tasted different than regular Dr. Pepper. I so rarely have Dr. Pepper that it was hard for me to tell. It was very sweet though. Mmmmm cane sugar.