Off the beaten path...

In the midst of my vacation publications, I just want to vent.

I can't stand hypocrites. Nothing gets me as riled up as hypocrites.

I KNOW there are crooked people in the world. I KNOW you can't trust everyone. I KNOW that there is evil in the world, just as I know there is good.

What I DON'T need is for you to tell me who is evil and why they're evil. Do you know why I don't need that? Because Michael Moore - hater of all things capitalist - owns stock in Halliburton. Bruce Springsteen - defender of workers' rights - sells a CD exclusively at Wal-Mart (if you can find it, I'd like to know how much money he made on that deal).

As far as I'm concerned, Moore and Springsteen can kiss it. While you might hate the oil barons, at least you know what they're doing - they're trying to make money! M & S want you to think they're above that...they're too good for that...they're hypocrites.

So please - don't send me your emails telling me why one person's hypocrisy is better than another's. Don't defend your flavor of the week just because you don't like mine. In case you weren't aware - I am a college educated, working woman with enough brain cells left to read the stats and compare the data. Save your energy for someone too lazy to do the research (don't worry - according to the JED report there are 63 million of them out there).

Hoover Dam

For my sister's 30th birthday she took me to the Hoover Dam. It was quite spectacular. I took photos of it and off of it. The giant structure in the back ground is a bridge they're building from Nevada to Arizona. That was pretty spiffy, too.

Happy Hair

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas

The poopy diapers, quarts of spit-up, teeny-tiny toys that you find on the floor with your bare feet.

Yep. None of that at my house.

And I'm off!!

I am once again going to Vegas. It was -4 in TC when I woke up this morning. I'll be 50 in Nevada tomorrow. That's a no brainer.

While I'm there my younger sister will celebrate her 30th birthday (woo hoo)! And I will fly home on my 31st (um...yeah?). Don't cry for me, Argentina - I'm the one who booked the ticket! No biggie.

I plan on taking lots of pictures, a few videos, and maybe even writing a bit! I'd better be writing...

Okay, I'm off to bed. Gotta be up at 5am!!

Lousy, stinking timing

There are two events in the year to which I look forward (and neither is my birthday - that is a CELEBRATION!). I annually anticipate the company Christmas party, and my Super Bowl party.

Since I'm now a freelance writer and substitute teacher, I don't have a Christmas party, but my husband does. It's a grand ole time, filled with good food, chit-chat, and hot tubs (they have it at the Great Wolf Lodge, and it includes water park passes!).

I missed the 2008 Christmas party. I was in Vegas, meeting my new nephew and hanging out with my sisters. I truly enjoyed my time in the desert, but I missed my party.

I also look forward to my Super Bowl party in Elk Rapids. I call it "mine" because my husband and I usually go our separate ways on that night. He has "his" party; I have "mine". I went five years ago with a friend and have been going back ever since. There's good food, good company, and a sweet trophy for the winner of the betting pool (I've contributed many dollars to this pool - I'm expecting it to pay out any year now). I really love my Super Bowl party. It's the only time of year that I see some of these people.

On Feb. 1st, 2009 I will be in Vegas, visiting my sisters.

I love my sisters. They're pretty interesting people...BUT THEY ARE MESSING UP MY SOCIAL LIFE!

Seriously - two nights, that's all I have to look forward to! And now I have to wait until December to experience either thrill again!

Sigh.

I'm sure I'll get over it. I got over the Christmas party thingy. I can get over this. I guess. Maybe.

(DISCLAIMER: There are other days of the years that I look forward to. I am purposefully being dramatic and over-the-top for the humorous effect. If you are unable to digest my sense of humor, I don't want to upset you - please stop reading).

;)

Pizza-in-a-Pot

Anyone who knows me know that I consider pizza it's own food group. It's God's gift to me. It's as close to culinary perfection as one can get. It's finger food, but it's a meal. I have a hard time finding anything I don't like about pizza (thank you Little Caesar's for making sure there is SOMETHING I don't like about it).

Matt is on a casserole kick these days. He picked up the ultimate casserole cookbook at Borders a couple of weeks ago. Then he found a magazine special issue devoted to casseroles. He's been having quite a lot of fun picking out recipes.

Last week he found a recipe we can both get behind: Pizza-in-a-Pot. Simple and delicious (sorry, no pictures - we dug into it too quickly).

3 cups spiral pasta
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1.5 lbs ground beef
15 oz. can pizza sauce
14 oz. can tomato sauce
2 T. tomato paste
8 oz. shredded mozzarella
1 pkg. pepperoni

1. Cook pasta. Set aside.
2. Cook beef, onion, and green pepper until beef is no longer pink and veggies are tender. Drain.
3. Add sauces and paste to meat mixture.
4. In a 5 qt. crock pot layer pasta, meat mixture, pepperoni, and cheese.
5. Cook on low 3-4 hours, or until heated through.

Matt and I both really liked it, and it was SO easy! Here are some suggestions/options:
1. We bought spicy Italian turkey sausage when it was on sale and used the in place of the beef.
2. Since we had spicy Italian turkey sausage, we nixed the pepperoni.
3. You could add a lot of your favorite pizza toppings and make it work: mushrooms, ham, bacon - they could all be good.
4. We were too hungry to wait, but the notes for this recipe suggest serving it with garlic bread. I wish I had remembered - it would have been yummy!!

A Sad Good-bye

Sigh.

After seven years of devoted service, my poor piano has kicked it. I'm hoping it's just the power cord, but I've already replaced it once and am thinking it might be too much to hope that it's only cord again.

I lost a D# about a year ago. A few weeks ago it started to crackle when I plugged it in. Then it just kept crackling. Finally, last week, I brought it home, plugged it in, and ... nothing. No power. No sound. Nothing.

I don't know what I'll do at home now. I still have my guitar, but it's not the same. I'm hoping something will work out, but I'm also trying to realistic.

Well, I guess ... I'll go practice my guitar.

O Tannenbaum

Here's my 2008 tree - it was great, but it needs more lights...

If Matt had a different job...

Ever wonder what you would do if you weren't doing what you're doing? Matt and I explored his options.

First we tried housekeeping:


He really liked the battery-operated, self-spinning duster, but it the whole job felt "off".


We meandered to the kitchen to try Matt's hand at cooking (notice the lovely apron, made by his sister - thanks, Beth!)


We made a YUMMY mac-n-cheese...

...and hamburger casserole!


"Hey, this might be for me!" thought Matt. Alas...


...it was too much standing in the kitchen. Then, it came to us!


Law enforcement! Short hair, great 'stache - meet Officer Beery!


DISCLAIMER: I made up all of this.

Big Guy, Little Guy

A tribute to Mitch and his little man...

Better late than never...

I still have pictures from Vegas to share, but I got a little busy. Now that things are slowing down, I have time to post some random pictures of my lil' puddin'. I'll narrate:

Here we have Ella modeling a new hat design, courtesy of Aunt Linda. Someone in Linda's house makes these hats, which tend to be long and narrow. To emphasize the length, I unfolded the cap.

Can't you see the excitement in Ella's eyes!! (Hey, she either runs through a picture, or you get this...beggars can't be choosers).


Next, we have Ella on the playground. Because she can move, she smiles!



I always like pictures in front of the picture. Ella, apparently, doesn't care...


...but she did squeeze in some play time with Link. Notice how completely she drapes herself over the cat? This is when she plays nice!


She's nice with Bo, though! As he was being changed, Ella was there to supervise...and give hugs!


And the "Band Ears". They aren't actually from a band trip...or a band concert...or anything really band related, but they are Ella's "Band Ears".

Who Rambles?

Everyone and their brothers, apparently.

I decided to Yahoo! search "The Ramblings" this morning (I would have googled it, but I'm using the hubby's laptop, and he's a Yahoo! man). It gave m 2.5 million sites. My site was NOT in the top 10...I don't even think it was in the top 20. I gave up.

It's not fair. My blog is called The Ramblings...I should be in there, shouldn't I? How come some stupid comment made on ESPN about someone 'rambling' to a finish came up as #2, but I didn't even break the top twenty?? [UPDATE: I searched the top 100...no Karin!]

I did find 4WheelBob, and Jen (who is surprisingly similar to my sister). But I also found a Crazy Man. And I found a Republican. Oh, and a band.

I suppose I can't hold it against these people that they, too, ramble, but I want to. I shouldn't blame them. It's not their fault. But I should blame SOMEONE, right?

It's Michelle's fault.

Marching Band!

The Many Faces of Bo

Sleepy Santa Bo
Mr. Bo Rogers


Side-burns Bo

Sith Lord Bo

Cutie-Pie Bo

Everyone loves a bunk bed

One night in Vegas, Michelle and I went shopping. When we got home at 9pm, Ella was still awake - because Daddy was putting up bunk beds! But the kidlet was tired, so before Daddy could finish, she crawled right into bed.


It was quite the exciting ordeal! But it was hard work, too...


Daddy was tired! So Ella rubbed his back until he fell asleep (shhh!).


Even the cats couldn't wait for their turns to snuggle!! Felix is a foot man, but BJ...


...he just stole the pillow.

Snow day!

But not for me...

My poor family moved out to the blazing hot desert of Nevada to get away from the arctic chill on wintertime Michigan...and they got snow!! Hee, hee. What a nice pre-Christmas present. While they only got 3 inches in some areas, they haven't had accumulated snow in 30years, so it's been rough. Luckily, Aunt Karin dropped off snow pants for my niece while I was there. Whew!

Now, about those pictures...they're coming, I promise. I'm still getting caught up on laundry and dishes, but I should have time tonight (this weekend at the latest).

Happy snow day, you desert babies, you!

Seriously? These are the only movies you can come up with??

So, I copied this from a note on Facebook - the "movie freak" quiz, I guess. Seriously? I can think of a GADZILLION movies that I've seen that AREN'T on this list. Ask anyone in my family and they'll tell you - I watch too much TV and too many movies. This is a dorky list, but I did it anyway.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own facebook account, paste this as a note. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun.

( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
( ) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane
Total: 6

(x) The Princess Bride
( ) Anchorman
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
() Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 12

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
() American Pie 2
() American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 16

(x ) Harry Potter 1
(x ) Harry Potter 2
(x ) Harry Potter 3
(x ) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
() Little Black Book
( ) The Village
(x) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 22

(x) Finding Nemo
(x ) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
() Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30
(x ) I, Robot
( ) Robots
Total so far: 28

( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
(x) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
( ) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
(x) Joe Dirt
( ) KING KONG
Total so far: 32

( ) A Cinderella Story
(x ) The Terminal
(x) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
( ) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
(x) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
(x) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
(x ) Flubber
Total so far: 36


() Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( x) Practical Magic
( x) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
(x ) The Whole Nine Yards
(x ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far:40

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
(x ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x ) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( x) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
(x) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x ) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 49

() Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( x) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Slevin
(x ) Ocean's Eleven
(x ) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x ) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
(x ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 55

(x) Independence Day
() Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
() Christine
(x) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
( x) Rush Hour
( x) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 59

( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
(x ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(x ) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
( ) The Terminator
( ) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 65

(x) X-Men
(x) X-2
(x ) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Sky High
() Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(x ) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday
( x) Reign of Fire
( x) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x ) Shrek 2
Total so far:79

( ) Swimfan
(x ) Miracle on 34th street
( x) Old School
() The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
(x) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
() The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 82

(x ) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x ) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x ) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x ) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x ) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 88

() Baseketball
( ) Hostel
(x ) Waiting for Guffman
() House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
(x ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
Total so Far: 91

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x ) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 94

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(x ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(x ) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(x) 28 days
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( x) Waterworld
Total so far: 99

() Kill Bill vol 1
() Kill Bill vol 2
(x) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 100

( x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x )Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x ) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x ) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x ) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
(x ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 107

(x ) The Matrix
(x ) The Matrix Reloaded
(x ) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
() Hannibal
Total so far: 111

I'm a great aunt...

While visiting my 2 1/2 yr. old niece I've taught her some fabulous things.

1st: She likes to hit. Instead of telling her not to hit me, I introduced her to the "Hurtz Donut" (If you are unfamiliar - ask someone if they want a Hurtz Donut. Punch them. Ask, "Hurts, don't it?"). Her parents weren't thrilled.

2nd: Today I taught her how to pull a finger. Yep, I did it. I had to "poof", so I asked her to pull (she squeezes). I did this a few times. Later in the night I poofed, but forgot to ask. No need to worry. She reached for my hand and grabbed my finger. She's a smarty. [I can just imagine my old roomie, Erica, reading this with horror :)].

I wonder what else I can teach my little cutie...

The photos will come up when I get home. I have LOTS of fun ones!!

Hey, Honey

I've heard of kids who start swearing because their parents swear...therefore, we adults have to watch what we say around tots. Well, since I've been in Vegas helping with 2.5 year old Ella and 2.5 week old Miles "Bo", I've discovered that I apparently have favorite word.

Yesterday morning Ella and I got up and were playing in the living room. I heard, "Come on, honey." I thought it was a mistake. Nope. Throughout the day it was, "Hi, honey," this and "No, honey," that. Where was she getting this?? As soon as she opened my mascara I heard myself say, "No, no, honey, not that." Aha.

She still doesn't say Karin, but that's okay. I'm now Aunt Honey.