Monday, September 30, 2013

September, books, Breaking Bad, and Dexter

I hope you don't have high entertaining hopes for this post. Most of my non work time was spent laying around and reading the Kindle.

Sept 16
Read this!
The Art of Detection (Kate Martinelli, #5)The Art of Detection by Laurie R. King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars






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Sept 17
Read this!!
MudboundMudbound by Hillary Jordan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Loved this book!! I knew before I read it the time era it was set in, so I was prepared for hated, bigotry, and the KKK. I liked the way the story was told from different points of view, reading it from everyone's perspective. It would make a nice film, if I could sit through the final lynching scene, but seeing the revenge scene would be worth it. We all need a little Florence in our lives.



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Sept 18
Most definitely read this!!
Choosing to SEEChoosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Every person needs to read this book!! It is so very inspirational for any family that has seen tragedy and chaos. My heart breaks for them, yet they remain faithful to Christ and always put Him first. I strive to be like Mary Beth and her family. It has been a very long time since I have cried reading a book. Must, MUST read.



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As you can tell, all I have done this week is work, read, and sleep.
Meh. Since it was free on the Kindle....
What We SawWhat We Saw by Ryan Casey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars






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Sept 19-
Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!! And Happy Birthday to my father in law!!
Sadly, I remembered his b-day because of Pirate Day...

It's Payday!! Whoop whoooop!!!

The bank, groceries, cooked dinner, napped, woke up, growled, went back to bed.

Sept 20-
Finally rain!!!!!
Spent the morning with my sistahs, Bailey and I went to town, now back home listening to the rain, watching Dexter.

Sept 21-
Definitely a lazy off day. Aside from moving from one end of the loveseat to the other, that is all this Saturday has consisted of. I have caught up on Dexter, the only episode left is the very last one that comes on tonight. I have no idea what is going to happen, they always throw something at you in the last 5 seconds of the show.

Sept 22-
Once I got off work, I went home and napped. I woke, ate dinner, went back to napping.
Then I watched the series finale of Dexter.
I am wounded.
It ended just as I expected, only....frustrating.
Get it together Dex, House has already had this ending before.
However, the Braves made the playoffs!!!!!!!!

HushHush by Anne Frasier

My rating: 3 of 5 stars






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Sept 23-
It was a nice, cool 55 this morning. Then I walk into work.
Hell. Absolutely a sweating hell.
Happy Monday.


Sept 24-



Sept 25-
Seriously...nothing is going on this month. El-boring-o

Even though this was free, I still feel cheated. Just..no
Soaring Stones: A Kite-Powered Approach to Building Egypt's PyramidsSoaring Stones: A Kite-Powered Approach to Building Egypt's Pyramids by Daniel Cray

My rating: 2 of 5 stars






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Sept 26-
I started watching Hawaii Five-0 again, trying to catch up on that, Bones, and Criminal Minds before the new seasons begin.
Life it tough, I tell ya
Scott Caan is my next baby daddy.
Also, I am going to have to seriously cut back on caffeine. This is not going to end well.
After dinner I went to hang with the fam.
My mother gave me childhood flashbacks of how horrible homework time could be.

Sept 27-
My phone is stressing me out. First the button you use to make it work is stuck. Unless I keep it on all the time, once it goes dark, the only way to make it light up again is for someone to call me, or I plug it in and right back out.
Now this morning the keyboard will not pop up. That I fixed, though.

I have been worried and praying about something for a while now. I got an answer, happy and sad. I would like everyone to please keep a very special unspoken prayer for me in your thoughts.

Sept 28-
Homecoming!!


Lula Mae like Rebecca's boobies.


Sept 29-
Nice morning. I slept until 8:30am, showered, and then spent most of the morning on the loveseat catching up on all of my shows. Scott made breakfast. Again.

I started watching Breaking Bad. I a two episodes in, and I think I am going to like it.

Sept 30-
Today I begin *yet another* healthier me campaign. I am starving already. My scales give me false hope this morning, at first it gave me an error message, then a weight came up that I haven't seen in many years. Stupid faulty machine. Later on it was correct. Sigh.
I went to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame & Northwest Louisiana History Museum. That's one place. Long name. I learned a lot of new stuff about Natchitoches today. They didn't have snacks at the class though. Sigh.
Made Frito Pie Bake for dinner, and then went walking with Bailey.
I got this in the mail!!!

Now to figure out where I want to hang it.

So that is the second half of September. Tomorrow I am going to be like the Hump Day Camel. Guess what day. it. is?
OCTOBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Recipes: Cheesy Cheesy Meaty Ziti

I cooked again. I already have a very nom Ziti recipe Jess-ipes: My Delicious Baked Ziti, so when I saw this one I didn't even want to try. They are nothing the same, so I can love them equally. You don't even have to use Ziti for this, but when I try a new recipe I usually try to stick to it as much as possible because most of my improv ideas never work.

Simple:
1 lb ground beef
1 pack of taco seasoning
1/2 block of cream cheese (I dumped it all in there bc most of it stuck to the paper)
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar (you know I used the whole bag)
1 cup water
As much Ziti as you want. I used 3/4 of the box bc it wouldn't fit in the little boiler, which is a lot easier to get out of the cabinet than the big boiler)

Preheat the oven to 350.
Brown the meat, boil the pasta.
Drain the meat, add taco seasoning and water.
Stir.
Add cream cheese, stir until it's all mixed together.
Complain that the pasta is still not boiled and you don't have time for that.
Cook pasta until it's almost done. In my mind that means not crunchy.
Add pasta to baking pan, add half of the shredded cheese, then meat mixture, then rest of cheese.
It said to bake uncovered for 30 minutes, but after 23 minutes, the cheese was starting to brown.
We can't have burned cheese.

So we gobbled it up before I thought to take a picture.
No spectacular images, just meat with cheese on top.
Use your imagination.

Enjoy.


Monday, September 16, 2013

Half of September, NASCAR woes, and a cat.

Sept 1
Yeah, I am going to have to amputate my left leg. It just hurts so bad in so many places, and I am tired of limping.
Work, watched the NASCAR race, and complained about my leg. This was the extent of my day.

Sept 2-
Happy Labor Day. And stuff.

Sept 3-
Had the first baby appointment today. We went in thinking *maybe* she would be far along enough to tell what it is.
It's a girl.
And she's 31 weeks.
Like...it'll be here by Halloween. Not March or April.
This is where we passed out.


Sept 4-
When Scott and I got off work, we went to Brookshires. BOGO!
At check out, he was waiting for her to rin up the stuff and I went to the bathroom. I always forget to take off my name tag when I go places. I am almost to the bathroom and I see a man walking towards me on his phone. I didn't pay attention to what he said. Then he grabs my left arm and spun me. He said "Hey I said where is the courtesy desk?" This is where Lisa lost her sh**
I said "I don't *dirty word* work here!! Don't ever put your *dirty word* hands on me!!"
He said "chill out, bitch!!"
Dude...I about got kicked out of the grocery sto'.

Made me forget I had to pee.

Sept 5-
Happy Birthday to my two favorite women!!!
My mama and Jessie. Love yall. Hugs.
Because my mother loves cats SO much, when we dropped off donations at the Animal Shelter, Scott came out with this:

Meet Lula Mae.

Sept 6-
Off day! I finally, after all the months we have lived here, painted the doors inside the house.
Bailey and I had a town day, ate at El Nopal, bought some stuff I needed, met Kayla at Orange Leaf, and then Bailey drove us home. And we did not die.


Sept 7-
Off day!! I actually laid in bed until 9am. Scott made breakfast and now just laying around watching tv. Housework can wait, I am tired. And lazy.

Went out to eat with Jason and Brandy, then they came over to watch the race. We were going to watch UAB cream LSU, but yeah....that didn't happen.
The race was kind of poopy too. I really wanted Ryan Newman to make the chase. Newman didn't make it, as well as Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, and Brad Keselowski. Poop on a stick.

Sept 8-
Lord grant me patience during this work shift.

Sept 9-
The redneck in me is so happy!!
Ryan Newman in Chase after epic penalties issued

Sept 10-
After I got home from work, I went to my mother's, rubbed on Rebecca's tummy until the baby kicked, came home, ate dinner and went to bed. I was asleep before 6pm.

Sept 11-
I've been awake since before 5am. Long naps are a bad idea.

After Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (Crimescape)After Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by Marilyn J. Bardsley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars






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Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles, #1)Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars






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I cooked: Cheesy Chicken & Wild Rice

Sept 12
Tired. So so tired. After a mentally exhausting work day, came home, ate dinner, now I am sitting on the couch watching Tulane/LA Tech play until bedtime.
When You Were OlderWhen You Were Older by Catherine Ryan Hyde

My rating: 3 of 5 stars






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Sept 13
Definitely a Friday 13th.
NASCAR went from disappointing me, to redeeming themselves, to absolutely a joke.
But I will watch anyway.
And complain to people who aren't listening.


Flesh and Bone (Body Farm, #2)Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass

My rating: 4 of 5 stars






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Sept 14
It's game day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Spent most of the day starting to clean things, and then ended up going to another room. I did get most of Scott's bathroom finished. He painted the cabinets and got all of the paint of the doorknobs from where I painted the doors.

The Alabama game was awesome. Stressful, but good. I learned new curse words from Scott...

Right before bed I put in "Sinister" and though I didn't watch it, it scared the crap out of me. I looked at once scene just for a second and now I am doomed.

Sept 15
I took sinus medicine before bed, so when I was falling asleep the creepy movie was going off, and I was confused, so when I woke up I thought it was like 5am and it was 9:30am. So now I have lost control of the tv and Scott is watching Duck Dynasty.

Met Rebecca and Steven at Stine's, then came home and put out some fall decor. It should stay until the first strong wind...

NASCAR race today!!!! My inner redneck has been waiting all week for this!! 12:00!!!
And it's raining.
Texans Football until the race begins.
3 hours later....
Saints football until the race begins.
It's 7:31...still no racing.
8:23...
5 hour rain delay..they are going to attempt to go green.
In unrelated news, while cleaning the kitchen, a sewing needle was embedded in the side of my finger. I died.
It's 10:34pm...40 laps to go. I'm gonna be worthless at work tomorrow.
Finally the race ended. Totally not worth the wait.

Goodnight.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Recipes: Cheesy Chicken & Wild Rice

I received a recipe and liked almost everything about it.
I made it today, just threw it in a crock pot before work.

What you need:
Chicken breast (I used 4)
10.5 oz Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
A packet of Dry Onion Soup
A cup of shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese
Rice of your choosing. I used Zatarain's Wild Rice

Put the chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. Mine was half frozen.
Cover it with the dry onion soup, and glob the condensed COC on top.
Cook on low for 8 hours.

When I got home I semi shredded it with a spoon, added the cheese, and stirred a lot.
I made the Wild Rice, and just kind of mixed it all together.



It was pretty good. I am not a fan of shredded chicken, but Scott said he liked it and it was a keeper.

Here is the original recipe I had in case you like more normal things.
From SouthernPlate.com:

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped (I use Vidalia)
1 -8 ounce box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 - 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)
1 -15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
Instructions

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

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Sunday, September 1, 2013

August 2.0. Bye Bye Dog. Hello knee pain.

This was probably the longest month of the year. I am ready for September, which brings....dumdumdum....OCTOBER!!!!

August 16
Today we had a celebratory lunch for our hotel being awesome
There was ice cream cake...


Oh!!! My sister got a new car!! Needed a place to stick a car seat.
It be fine.

August 17-
Work, ate at Sam's for dinner, bought groceries, watched the UFC fights, then sleep.
Woo.


Aug 18
The Grail Conspiracy (A Cotten Stone Mystery #1)The Grail Conspiracy by Lynn Sholes

My rating: 3 of 5 stars







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April 19-
Just Little Texas in front of Mt Rushmore...


April 20-
We had out Grand Reopening at work. It was nice. Good turnout. Long work day.



April 21-
This was just a no good day. Went to bed right as I got home from work.

Aug 22-
Off day!! Took Scott to work, showered, and now I am perched on my Mother's couch watching "The Host" with Bailey.

I blogged: Dream, Dream, Dream

Aug 23- Slept til 8:30...it was NICE!! Now I am plumped on the couch watching Harry Potter. I don't plan on doing much more for the rest of this day.

Does anyone else have these conversations?
Scott and I are riding in the truck.
A song comes on.
Scott: You know this song
Me: okay (I don't)
Scott: what song is it
Me: I don't know
Scott: yeah you do
Me: No I don't.
Scott: yeah, remember that time, blahblah some story I don't remember
Me: okay...
Then he gets ticked off that I don't know a song on the radio that I am supposed to.
-_-



Aug 24- Full blown migraine. I never call into work, even when Scott was in ICU, but today I tried. There was just no one to work my shift. I survived with an ice pack, Excedrin, and I turned out the back lights.
Now I just have an hour to go. I think I'll live. It's now just a bad headache. The brown polka dots I was seeing disappeared.

3 hours later, head still hurting, but no more spots or nausea. Bright lights suck though. I am like a Mogwai.

Aug 25-
I lived.

Aug 26-
13 hour shift. Not much besides work and sleep.

Aug 27-
Same 13 hour shift....
I had a weird foot thing that caused shooting pain to the left of my Achilles tendon when I was in the parking lot at work. When I got home I was walking across the living room and fell. It was not sexy.
UFC fights then bed.

Aug 28-
I got to sleep in (until 8am), and just work reception. It was nice. I don't think I have ever went into work with my hair looking as bad as it did.
We became a one-dog household again. Now I love Shug, I do. She is a cool little dog and her personality and quirks are laugh out loud funny.
But..when I wake up to two piles of poop in the bed something has to give. She has been avoiding the puppy pad for weeks now and using it all over the house. Even in her bed while she is laying in it! I jump up, yell at her "NO!!" and put her on the floor, she runs to the living room. When I get everything in the washer and cleaned up, I go to pick her up to take her to the puppy pad,and she had puked SIX times on top of my white duvet. Might I add this puke was nothing but poop she had eaten. I take her to the puppy pad, which was clean as a whistle, and there was poop on the rug right next to it. There was puke near the computer desk chair, that I stepped in. When I go in the bathroom we rarely use to get a towel, she had pooped on the bathmat, AND a towel.
I immediately went to my computer to let my wonderful cousin know to COME GET THE DOG!!!
It began;
:DISCLAIMER NOTICE:
The message you are about to read may contain language that might offend.
And boy did it.
But she was happy to be with Paw Paw and be with her doggie brother and sisters. I always felt bad here because she has always had other chihuahuas in the house with her, and here it's just us and Callie. Who pretended she did not exist.


Aug 29-
The baby kicked my hand today!!!! Rebecca made a face, and I said "What?" She put my hand on her belly and it kicked!! I screamed....I put it back, it kicked, I screamed again.
It has LIMBS!!!!

I also bought a new comforter for my bed, thanks to Shug.

Beside the baby kick, this was the highlight of my day:


Watched College Football and then went to bed.

Aug 30-
Enjoying my off day. I have no idea when I will be off again, so I am savoring it.
And cleaning the house. My floors consist of wood, dog hair, and the sand that she shakes out of the dog hair.

Get a long haired dog they said....

Aug 31-
This day didn't pan out at all like I wanted. The plan was for Scott to bring me to work, go to the grocery store, get all the stuff we needed, get off work and go to my BFF's house for a cookout, then come home and watch the Alabama game.
Scott didn't wake up when I got up and was getting ready, so I stomped out letting him sleep grumbling "I'll just go myself". When I get to work I realize that I left my debit card behind.
Work was typical drama filled, but nothing out of the ordinary.
However, I did have this one woman. I checked her in early, around 11am, because I am friendly and helpful, and even called her 15 minutes later to make sure everything was good, she said it was. Around 2pm she comes to the desk and says someone was in her room. I verified the room number and we went up together. I go in, all Magnum P.I. style, no one was in there. She said "look!" pointing at the luggage. I said "this IS the room I checked you into, right?" she said yes, then realized that the stuff in the room she was looking at was her own. She was scared by her own suitcase.
-_-

My knee decided it didn't want to work today and the top of my foot is still on fire, so I walked like Mad Eye Moody all day.
I leave work, drive home to get my debit card, and Scott is wrapped up in a Snuggie, dying. He puked everywhere.
Didn't even want to watch the game, I just went and laid down.
Pish posh.