Saw this, thought of Lucy. I think it's awesome.

Day 97: Another Field Trip!

Hello Family!

I went on another field trip today to get something to eat. I hope that you enjoy the movie!

Right click on the link below.
Select Save As.
Pick a spot and click OK.
Once it downloads, it should open with Media Player.

Love you!

Field Trip2

Yard Work!

I have no pictures because I hate the camera I'm using since I so kindly let Superman take mine with him to Wonderland, but I thought you'd like to know that spring has arrived and everything is greening up, sprouting buds, and starting to bloom. Valiant headed down the street to start his regular lawn mowing job and since the day was so beautiful, I decided to join him. Yep, you read that right: I mowed the lawn and edged all by myself. The backyard was so long (and damp underneath--who knew?) that it kept stalling out the lawnmower - grrr. Still, after running out of gas and running down to Miss Sue's to ask Valiant if we had gas (we didn't and we used some of Miss Sue's), cutting my hand on the broken knob on the pull rope (why didn't you just splurge for a new knob?), quite a few blisters, and getting a bit frustrated by stalling out a lot (enough that I, oops, flooded the motor twice), I got the lawn mowed.

Then I felt ambitious and capable so I got out the edger (you know, the scary gas-powered edger that I avoid?), replaced the string thingy, and tried to get the *(&^*! thing started. It took me something like 500 pulls and I finally got it started. It sounded rough and Valiant was done at Miss Sue's by this time so he came to watch Mom. Valiant said that I need to squeeze the trigger and it would run better. I argued that the engine cut out when the trigger was depressed. "No, Mom, you're wrong." I squeezed the trigger, the engine cut out, and it took me another 250 pulls to get it started again. (Grrr!) But I did get it started again and I edged the entire backyard. Woot! (Jazz hands here!)

Tomorrow? Oh, tomorrow I'm doing the front yard...since it is 1/6th the size of the backyard, I think it will be a piece of cake!

My cell phone is stupid.

My roommate, Brant, decided last night to make bread. He asked me why I never baked, and since I couldn't come up with a good answer, I decided that I'd make bread. I went onto Wonder Woman's blog, and snagged the one-hour bread recipe, and went to town. I'd give you pictures, but my cell phone is stupid and can't send pictures in text messages. My old phone could, and this after being dropped, smashed, and abused beyond all reason, but my new and presumably more advanced phone balks at the idea. So I have these wonderful bread pictures on my cell phone and can do absolutely nothing with them. I did learn that it is important to mix the bread for all five minutes, as that's apparently what helps it rise so quickly (aside from the sugar and copious amounts of yeast) and so my second batch, made this afternoon, is overall much prettier and fluffier than my first batch. We shall be having grilled cheese. :D

Day: 92 Remodel Update

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to say thanks to everyone who provided their input in to how I should rearrange the living room. Believe it or not, there was a consensus on what needed to happen. Below are the pictures of the rearranged room. It is working much better for me. Thanks again!

Day 91: Field Trip

Hello Family!

I went on a field trip today to replenish my stock of Coke Light. Coke Light is essentially just Coke Zero. I hope that you enjoy the movie!

Right click on the link below.
Select Save As.
Pick a spot and click OK.
Once it downloads, it should open with Media Player.

Love you!

Field Trip

Day 90: Success at last!

Hello Family!

Well I finally did it! I got my bread to turn out the way I wanted it. I took your advice and started out with a sponge and I got some good rise out of my bread. I was trying to make little french bread like loaves for sandwiches and stuff. It was about an hour and half from beginning to end. What do you think?

Love you!

For those of you who found yourself completely confused!

By Superman's post below.

The back story is that we were discussing our soon-to-be-graduated-from-college son's plans for the future and Superman was talking about how we don't have "doctor/lawyer" expectations for our children. We want them to be educated and then to find something they love doing.

(Pretty typical conversation, right?)

Then, out of the blue, Superman says to all of us (who were on Skype): "If Buttercup grows up, goes to college, and then ends up living in the forest talking to Squirrels, I'll be happy."

I started cracking up, Buttercup said, "I didn't know I wanted to live in the forest talking to squirrels." Valiant, of course, ran with it and started calling her the "squirrel whisperer". And Superman had to replay what he said to figure out what had us all in stitches.

Make sense now? Yes, I thought a little back story would help!

P.S. He did rearrange his furniture: Couch is under the window, loveseat is where the couch was and the chair has its back to the dining area. Looks much better and makes much better use of the space.

Day 86: Funny Stuff

Dear Family-

Being away is certainly hard, but it is nice to get in a solid laugh when you can. Half the time I do not know where it comes from, but somethings keep me laughing for a while. The funny thing is that I could picture Buttercup as the Squirrel Whisperer coming true!

Love you!

Day 85: Help needed!

Dear Erin-

My living room/dining room is not working for me.  I can not find a comfortable way to be in the room for very long.  Every thing feels awkward.  Any ideas?

Day 84: Night of the living terror

Dear Family-

I know this is going to sound weird, but I am starting to have nightly battles over my body.  Somehow, some way a stupid, annoying, and very persistent mosquito is managing to get in and terrorize me for several hours at night.  It is not like it is biting me and waking me up, but it announces itself first by buzzing my ears.  It is kind of like the proverbial glove slap to the face to initiate a duel.    It buzzes my ears and wakes me up and then it continues if I try to go back to sleep.  So, I have to get up and grab some paper towels and proceed to chase the damn thing around the room until I finally kill it.  Last night I ended up on the couch because I couldn't find the darn thing.  It somehow got out of my bedroom and followed me at about 4:30 AM.  I went back to my bedroom and of course it followed me.  It woke me up about 20 minutes after I laid down again.  This time it was on so I turned on the light and scoured every inch of the apartment until I squashed the SOB on the ceiling.  I finally got back to sleep and then you guys Skyped me.  I am sorry if I was out of it, but I had just gone one on one for several hours and was pretty exhausted.  Wish me luck tonight!

Love you!

Day 83: People will eat anything...

Dear Family-

The other day I got to watch one of my coworkers devour a bag of pork rinds.  I do not know why, but from the first time that I ever saw one, I thought they looked foul and they turned my stomach.  My coworker meticulously placed several drops of Tabasco on each one before devouring it.  The description of a pork rind is "offers a square of skin that cracks when you bite into it, giving way to a little pocket of hot fat and a salty layer of pork meat.".  Excuse me while I go puke!  That got me thinking.  What do we eat on a regular basis that other people would think is gross?  No, you can't say SPAM.

Love you!

Day 82: Some Home Cooking

Hello Family!

I wanted to share with you the fruits of your wonderful care packages!  The other day I was walking through the PX and saw that they had received a shipment of frozen pork chops.  Needless to say, I got pretty excited.  I purchased a pack for about $6 and brought them home for my next weekend day off.  Using the rice and soup you sent, I was able to make one of my most favorite meals in the whole world.  As you can see from the picture, I did not have any potatoes, but it was fabulous even still.  So, I wanted to thank you for all of the time and effort you put in to sending those packages.  It really felt great to have something that you really like when you don't usually have many options.

Love you all!  

Day 79: Study, study, and more study

Dear Family-

It has been a while since I have posted, but there is a good reason.  I am getting ready to take a certification exam and I am spending all my computing time (free time) reviewing questions for the exam.  I had forgotten how much goes in to getting ready for an exam.  I should say that I had forgotten how much I put in to getting ready for an exam.  Exams are not cheap to take and this one at $258 is the single most expensive test that I have ever taken.  I have been reviewing the book and taking practice tests over and over making sure that I know the material.  I am taking the test on Tuesday morning so wish me luck!

Love you!