Top 5 On Friday

From Music Memoirs



In Honor of Wills and Kate's Big Day....



Top 5 songs you'd want played at your wedding/commitment ceremony
 
1. Paul Stookey - The Wedding Song: This song is really what love is all about. So simple and so beautiful.
 
2. Sixpence None The Richer - Kiss Me: Another beautiful love song. A little bit overplayed when it first came out but still sweet.
 
3. The Beatles - Something: Perfection
 
4. Elvis Costello - Still: Because Elvis woould have to be played at MY wedding
 
5. The Moody Blues - In My World: One of the most beautiful songs Justin Hayward ever wrote.

Under The Weather

Nyquil superhighway here I come!  Because I feel like death warmed over....more when I feel a bit more...erm...ALIVE





On A Reading Roll

I've been reading a book a day most of this week, and just about every book I've read has been a good one!

Woo hoo!

I'm reading a cute paranormal mystery right now called To Kill A Warlock

Here's the book blurb for anyone interested (or you can click the picture to go to the Amazon page)

The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch. Dulcie O'Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She's a Regulator-a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world. When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she's either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim. Enter Knight Vander, a sinfully attractive investigator sent from the Netherworld to work the case with Dulcie. Between battling her attraction to her self-appointed partner, keeping a sadomasochistic demon in check, and fending off the advances of a sexy and powerful vampire, Dulcie's got her hands full. As the body count increases, Dulcie finds herself battling dark magic, reconnoitering in S&M clubs and suffering the greatest of all betrayals.

I'll be reading the sequel when I finish this one which is A Tale Of Two Goblins , which looks like another cute mystery.

Here's the blurb for that one.

A Dreamstalker— a creature that stalks and kills its victims in sleep.

A fairy in law enforcement determined to stop him.
A potions smuggler who possesses something she wants.
A vampire with his own agenda.
And a partner who couldn’t possibly be sexier or more frustrating.
Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy working in law enforcement for the Netherworld.
When Knight Vander approaches her with a case regarding comatose victims, she agrees to help him, imagining the most difficult part will be combatting her attraction to him.


But, what Dulcie isn’t betting on is the fact that the case becomes personal when she learns all the victims are somehow linked to her.

When her best friend falls victim to the Dreamstalker, Dulcie must do everything in her power to ensure her friend’s survival, including associating with criminals and accepting the fact that desperate times do definitely call for desperate measures.



Now if you don't mind, I have some reading to do!

Three Years Ago Today

It was just as warm....

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon....

I was looking forward to a concert in Pittsburgh on Sunday....

When all of my world shattered.

It is 3 years....

It still hurts so much knowing you are gone from our lives...but Gram you have never left our hearts.

Damn Those Angry Birds

Since getting a smartphone, I've become addicted to Angry Birds. I don't know why.

I've always sucked at computer games.

Pacman was the only game I was ever any good at.

Now I spend at least a half hour on my phone hurling little birdies at green laughing pigs.

It is really frustrating.

Especially when I lose pitifully. Which is almost all the time.

I have been playing Angry Birds for at least a month and I haven't gone beyond the first group of levels.

Yup. I suck at Angry Birds.

Happy Easter!

In honor of the holiday, I thought I'd share 2 of my favorite Easter recipes

Scalloped Pineapple

1 sticks butter, melted 

3 eggs (beat slightly) 

1 20 oz can crushed pineapple (do not drain) 

5 slices of cubed bread 

1/2 c. sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Put in 9" baking dish. Bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes or just until set. Good warm or cold.

Grandma's Corn Pudding

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 can (15 ounces) cream-style corn
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 slices day-old bread, crusts removed
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions

• In a bowl, beat eggs and milk. Add corn and sugar; mix well. Cut bread into 1/2-in. cubes and place in a greased 9-in. square baking dish. Pour egg mixture over bread. Dot with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 9 servings.

Camera Critters

I haven't played Camera Critters in awhile, and since I was complaining about how my camera feels sad and lonely, I thought I'd share some of my furry critters with you.

We have a set of cubes in our bathroom, because the room has no closet for towels. The only problem is, the cats seem to think it is a great place to sleep, as seen here:

and here

Top 5 On Friday

From Music Memoirs

Top 5 musical things you could buy with the money you'd spend on a tank of gas
 
OK, right now it costs me about $38.00 to fill the tank from 1/4. YIKES
 
1. That's at least 3 CDs, preferrably the new ones by Thompson Square, The Janedeer Girls and Sara Evans
 
2. Cheap tickets to see Elvis Costello ~big sigh~ However the gas to get to that show would make it not worth it.
 
3. It would cover most of a new iPod shuffle. Actually at the rate gas prices are going, next week a tank of gas will = a new iPod shuffle.
 
4.  It is just a few dollars under the cost of Linda McCartney: Life In Photographs

 

I would love to have a copy of that book when it comes out in June!

5. A few of those Elvis Costello live CDs that I haven't gotten around to buying.

I Miss My Camera

I haven't been anywhere to take pictures in ages. The only photos my little camera has snapped are strange stuff on my phone and my dad's cake and birthday pictures. That totals about 2 or three.

I'm pretty sure my cameras are going to run away from home for lack of use.

The thing is. My little hometown of Charleroi on Mon, as I like to call it. Isn't very picturesque. There's nothing to draw the eye here.

I really miss being able to get out and about. I miss Centre Market in Wheeling and Oglebay...not to mention Ohiopyle State Park, Phipps Consevatory..(I've missed the Spring Flower Show) and the Rose Garden in McKeesport.

GAH!

Our gas prices are almost at $4.00 and from what I heard on the news this morning, some of the bigger cities have already hit the $5.00.

I really don't know how I'll be going anywhere with those prices, except to work.

So if you see my two cameras running around on their own...send them back and tell them to behave!

Things I've Learned

~ After blogging for almost 10 years, I finally learned how to schedule posts! That's pretty sad. But I feel a sense of accomplishment at that.

~ My book blog is really taking off. Plus I'm getting scads of free books to read. Free books = happy me. Plus I really love writing reviews and I'm not afraid to write not so good ones. But I've learned that so many book bloggers take the whole blogging thing so seriously.  I'm involved in a few blog tours, where I help promote some books and it almost feels like work, in a good way. Will work for books!!

~ The Royal Wedding is getting way too much publicity. I think it was almost as bad when Charles and Diana got married, but oye! All this fuss over a couple that have been living together for a long time. And who knows when he will become king. Yikes! I've learned that it is best to turn off all gossip shows, because hearing about Kate Middleton's dress, what they are eating etc is slowly making me insane. My condolences to my UK friends who must really be going nuts.

~ Activia Yogurt does actually taste pretty good, and I don't even really like yogurt all that much.

~ TV as a rule sucks anymore.

~ As much as I hate spending lots of money on coffee, Starbucks still brews the best Joe in my area.

My New Favorite Band

I'm in love with Zac Brown Band.

I first heard them on the Country Music Awards last year. They played As She's Walking Away, which they did with Alan Jackson.

Now I'm not a huge country music fan, but I like more of what's been out there lately, like Lady Antebellum and The Band Perry.

But Zac Brown! Oh these guys are on a whole other level. They are country, they are folk, they are wonderful.

At times they have the fun, happy go lucky sound of Jimmy Buffett (He appears on their latest album) and at other times they are more mellow like James Taylor. In fact, he performed with them in Vegas for the ACM's. Watch the performance here.

Its stuff like this that gives me faith in the music industry.

Why Do I Buy DVDs

This is a problem I am trying to deal with.

Why do I buy movies?

I think I'm going to watch them but ultimately I never do. They sit and collect dust on my shelves. There are even some that my friends have bought me that I still haven't taken out of the wrapping.

So far here are some of the movies I need to watch:

Mind you, these aren't all the movies and shows I have to watch. There's a Mika DVD, my bff bought me and countless others. It is maddening. My only defense is, I'd rather be reading.

Spring Cleaning

Well I actually managed to accomplish a few things this weekend, besides grocery shopping. Have I mentioned how much I hate that?

I took 3 bags of clothes to Goodwill. I have one more to go, but I somehow forgot it, in my mad rush to get out the door this afternoon.

I got a few of the pantry shelves cleaned in the kitchen. That should get a woo hoo.

I'm telling you, it sucks to live in an old house that has no cupboard space in the kitchen or closet space in the bedrooms. It is unnerving trying to find places for stuff.

We are packrats, not hoarders! Plus some crazy people bring us stuff but don't help to move the old stuff elsewhere, but that is a rant for another day.

Mount Laundry has been scaled.

The dog has been clipped.

I even got part of my book blog organized!

Now I'm tired. I need a weekend from my weekend! Hope your 2 days were great!

A Bookish Website

I was looking at the Book Page magazine from Books-A-Million that I got a few weeks ago when I was in the store.

Oh how I love Books-A-Million. Have I mentioned that lately?

But back to the magazine. I have been going through it for a couple of weeks, making a wishlist of new books, when I noticed the magazine had a website.

Check it out here

It has reviews, interviews and book blurbs. I signed up for an account, because well, if it is book-ish, I belong to it. I have accounts on Shelfari, which I don't use as much and Goodreads.

Now if you don't mind, I have some reading to do...and some wishlisting.

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 ways music makes work easier.

1. It breaks up the monotony of the day. It is always nice to hear a good song just when things are starting to feel repetitious.

2. It keeps my sanity, or at least a sliver of it.

3. It reminds me that there are fun things in life. They just aren't happening to me from 8-4 M-F.

4. It reminds me that it is "5 O'clock Somewhere." 

Pour me something tall and strong. Make it a Hurricane before I go insane! I know it's half passed twelve, but I don't care. It's 5 o'clock somewhere!!

5. Sometimes it even relaxes me when things are getting too stressful.

I Started A New Meme Today

I have a new feature on my book blog. I hope that some of my bookish friends will take part in it.  It is called TBR Thursday or To Be Read Thursday. You can find out more about my new meme here and check out three books that are currently on my super massive To Be Read pile.

Plus if you do check the site out, you can see that I don't always read smut.

I read a lot of smut, I'll admit, but it isn't all smut!

Pierogie Casserole

Last week we bought a cookbook from a local organization and it had a recipe for pierogie lasagne/casserole. The cookbook's recipe was a little too involved for me considering I have to get a meal together quickly once I get home from work. So I went hunting for another recipe.

Here's the one I'm going to try on Friday, only I'm going to use more than a cup of mashed potatoes. In the comments most people seemed to be going with about 4 cups. Cheese should be Cheddar or a Cheddar mix.



I found this at Food.com
Ingredients:Servings:
4-6 Servings


1 cup mashed potatoes (instant or leftovers is fine)
1 lb shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup butter
2 -3 medium onions, diced
9 -12 lasagna noodles

Directions:
Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 40 mins
1 Cook noodles as directed on package to al dente.
2 Saute onions in 1 stick of butter (may use more if desired).
3 Butter 13x9 inch pan with remaining 1/2 stick butter.
4 Mix sauteed onions with mashed potatoes.
5 Layer noodles, then potatoes, then cheese, and repeat, ending with cheese.
6 Cover with foil and bake in a 350° oven for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Randomosity

~ My dad has bruises on his arm from the IV needles that are in the shape of a smiley face. Yes I took a picture of it.

~ Reading a memoir about a woman's loss of her mother to cancer. It is beautifully written and has had me near tears most of the day.

~ Apparently the pocket bac hand sanitizer from Bath and Body that is attached to my purse is a great cat toy.

~ I have Windows 7 ready to be installed on this computer but I am too lazy to transfer my documents/pics and music. How lame am I?

~ I've been pondering getting all my blogs organized, especially my book blog. I have a feeling that is going to take more time than I want to spend. I repeat, I am lazy.

Wowzas!

Now that's one helluva costume...actually that applies to both dancers. Number 86 is looking good!

I can't believe I've been voting on DWTS 3 weeks running now.

Go Hines!

FAIL!

Every weekend I have a list of things I want to accomplish and every weekend, I fail at finishing off the list miserably.

Its 7 o'clock and I have yet to get the dog bathed. I have done the laundry. I did get to the gym. But no dusting was done and the vacuum hasn't been taken out either.

ARGH!

I need a weekend to recover from my weekend and I haven't done anything. Or at least I haven't felt like I've done anything, and now it is over.

Seriously...ARGH!

Oh and I have another review due on Wednesday!

Need more time!!!!

Weekend's Aren't For Relaxing

The morning started with an argument about paying the bills. Yee ha! And the frustration that goes along with  not being able to find the ones that I was looking for.

Apparently these bills did not want to be paid.

Good for them!

I didn't want to pay them in the first place!

After that, I was trying to sort out my coupons...and I couldn't find my damn folder, where I keep all the little blighters.

Inside the coupon organizer was my $20.00 coinstar gift card for Amazon, so I'm sure you can understand why I was freaking out because I couldn't find it.

Oh and I had it out with my 19 year old nephew, who again is acting like a spoiled brat. That is a long story, but in a few words, it would be nice if he remembered his promise to help his grandparents out when he was home from school. Oh and unlike most college students, this boy is home EVERY WEEKEND!

But I won't go there.

Its been a long Saturday and I have to say that this time, I'm really glad it is almost over.

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 artist you wouldn't mind having dinner with.

Tell us why you chose who you did. This can be any artist past/present. Couples count as one..just in case you'd pick John and Yoko...Paul and Linda...etc.
 
1 The Krallstellos: Elvis Costello & Diana Krall, as long as they left the twins with the nanny! I would love to eat fancy schmancy food and talk music to these two people, because their careers are so different yet both are totally successful and well loved.
 
2. Mika: I don't know if I could eat in his presence because I'd be drooling over this little boy. Ok, he's 27 but that makes him a baby in my book.
 
3. Simon LeBon: Because I wouldn't care what I ate with him around. I mean this guy has been on more diets than I have! God Bless his cotton socks!
 
4. The Moody Blues: I wouldn't mind sitting down with some wine and cheese with these guys. John and Graeme would definitely bring good booze!
 
5. Deni Bonet: Just because she's such a fun lady, and I'd really love to sit down and talk with her.

I Love TV But....

I just don't seem to have enough time in my day anymore for the little things I enjoy. I'd rather read a book or listen to music.

I swear the only time I get to really listen to music I like, like Elvis Costello, Lady Antebellum, Gloriana, Mika etc is when I'm running on the elliptical the seated Octane one at the Y because I like to exercise and be lazy

Tonight two of the shows I love are new, Big Bang Theory and Bones. I'm not really excited to see them. TV cuts into my relaxing time and there's not nearly enough time for that in the day.

Plus there's all the stuff around the house that I need to get done that gets pushed back to the weekends because life is too crazy. (You know like laundry and vacuuming)

I swear I'm getting old, because a few years ago I could stay up til midnight getting stuff done or just as my mom and dad would say "pissing around." Now if I stay up that late, the next day I feel like I've been hit by a ton of bricks.

Getting old apparently sucks.

So I've got the dilemma: Get shit done or watch TV.

Now we all know what I would prefer to do. But before they condemn my house for being a crime against humanity, I'm going to have to get shit done.

Yuck.                                      

Let Me Tell You About My Night

I was up until 11 working on some reviews. I didn't really want to be, but I like getting stuff done on time. I head off to bed sometime during The Colbert Report. By 12:15 I'm flying down the stairs because my dad woke with a coughing fit.

I gave him his rescue inhaler.

He spit up his phlegm. Seemed ok, then got short of breath again.

Called 911.

Spent the rest of the night in the ER.

Didn't get home until 4:30 this morning.

Dad is home too and breathing better.

I have had about 1.5 hours of sleep.

I really can't take much more of this. I'm doing my best to stay awake today at least until 5 o'clock. After that I plan on crashing for a good 8 hours of sleep.

When Did I Grow Up

I never thought I'd be the type to hunt down recipes, but I do now. That is so strange. I actually hunt down websites and blogs that have cooking ideas. I guess it is because I now cook for at least 4 people if not 6 on some weekend evenings.

Strange, I don't have a husband or family of my own. I just feed mom and dad and anyone else that happens by.

Well on the Save-A-Lot website I found a great recipe for lasagne.

Allow me to share it.

1 package of no boil Barilla lasagne noodles (soak for a few minutes before using)
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 large carton of small curd cottage cheese
1 large package of mozarella cheese
2 lbs ground meat

1. Brown ground meat and drain off liquid.
2. Combine meat, sauce and cottage cheese.
3. Layer noodles and meat mixture in a 9 x 13 pan and repeat until finished.
4. Bake at 350 covered for 30 minutes.

Everyone in my family loved it...including one of the cats!

You Know It's Going To Be A Bad Day

~ When you are following a hearse half the way to work, and the other half you have a patrol car behind you.

That pretty much signaled today being lousy and so far, it has been.

There's some hellishly unfun things going on at work that are going to make the next few weeks so much unfun.

I just really need some me time again. Time when I can just relax and not have to be going to a grocery store or anywhere for that matter.

I really feel the need to turn into a hermit.

And with the prices of gas, this may happen.

I may also turn Amish, because I'm thinking horse and buggy is looking better and better as gas starts to hit the $4.00 mark.

To all my friends across the pond, how do you travel when driving is so expensive?

On A Happy Note

No one has been to the hospital this weekend!

Can I get a woo hoo for that!

I think it is pretty bad when that is the baseline for deciding if the weekend was a good one.

I did get to the Y every day this weekend, so that's good. If only it wasn't a birthday weekend and if only Giant Eagle didn't make the yummiest of chocolate cakes with whipped cream icing.

Yeah...the exercise didn't really do me much good, but it did help me destress and get a little bit of reading done. I'm all for anything that lets me get some reading done on the weekends.

Some people get to relax on the weekend....I get to go crazier.

Such fun!

Hope all of you had fun weekends

Happy Birthday Dad!

After much arguing with my computer and my camera, I bring you pictures from Dad's 85th birthday!

And here's a close up of the cake!

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 songs you wish were just April Fools Day Jokes



You guys know the drill. Play along in the comments or in your journal. This meme is created for my site Music Memoirs. Feel free to go there and check out my other weekly memes and play along.

1. Bridgit Mendler - Somebody: Sweet Mary, I love Good Luck Charlie, but why do all the Disney girls have to have such nasaly voices! I can't take it.

2. Selena Gomez - Who Says: This is supposed to be an empowering song for young people. In reality it is obnoxious, and coming from a super gorgeous teen...the words seem to fall flat. Oh and who really would take advice from a girl that is dating Justin Bieber? Obviously she's not to bright!

3. The Ohio Express - Yummy Yummy Yummy: Whoever wrote this joke of a song from the late 60s should be taken out and tortured. Along with the ad exec from Kellogg's that decided it would work great in a commercial.

4. Aqua - Barbie Girl: This song still gives me nightmares!!

5. Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart: Oh the trauma. Even 20 years later this song makes me wish this was just a joke. The sad part is...I kinda like Billy Ray's other stuff....with the exception of this daughter!

Another Week Nearly Over

I'm really glad this week is almost over. It has been a long slow one. All the running I've been doing in the last 5 days has really left me exhausted.

It is further proof that I would be a lousy wife/mother.

I make dinner usually for 5 people.
I do the grocery shopping.
I do laundry, at least 3 medium to large loads a week.
I make sure everyone's medications are in order.
I clean the port-a-potty.
I get all the checks cashed or deposited.
I go to work.

Nope..I'd be a lousy wife and mother...because I bitch about all of this..and I know most women do more.

BAH!

A Book A Day Keeps The Boredom Away

Actually living in my house keeps the boredom away. But for some reason, with all the chaos in my household right now, I've actually been reading!

I've even been reading a book on my smartphone.

Now that's an App I can really love.

But let me tell you, reading on a phone is not really fun. Not because of font sizes or anything like that, but because of trying to sort out the bookmarks on the Nook app. And then there's the page turning.

I'm trying not to blame my app, because I know it is my Citrus that doesn't like to be too smart.

It falls under the category, "I wanted a smartphone, but I couldn't afford the super nice ones."

However I do love my Citrus, and I love that I can read on it, especially when I'm someplace where it isn't so easy to carry a book or my Nook.

Oh and I can play Angry Birds, but that's another story altogether.

Things That Are Constant

~ Taxes and Death of course. We'll all die, and we'll all pay taxes. We'll probably all die paying taxes.

~ Laundry will always creep up on you like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

~ There will never be enough hours in the day.

~ However long you have slept, it won't be enough.

~ The day you plan on getting something done early, you'll be running later than usual.

Recovery

This Olivia Newton John song appeared in my head today. So off to You Tube I went and voila! There was a video!



I think this video had to be one of Olivia's strangest off of the Physical album.

Dad Update and Other Things

~ Dad is doing well. He had another 2 units of blood. They aren't sure why he's anemic. His chest X-Rays are good for his level of COPD. Again, smoking is bad people! His CT was good too. This is frustrating.

~ They may be doing an endoscopy in the next week to see if he has an ulcer or something else causing the problem.

~ I have one review of a super album to get done. I wish that when I finish reviewing I could continue enjoying the albums, but I feel like after listening to something a bazillion times to write 600 words describing it's greatness, I have no interest in revisiting...Wow that was a run on sentence!  Anyway, if you like modern folk music, check out Tom Levin. This guy has a fantastic voice and is a great songwriter. Listen to For Life Tonight. You won't regret it.

~ I have been to mass now, every Sunday for a month now! I'm oddly proud of myself for returning to the Catholic Church. I may not always agree with everything the say, but I feel a sense of peace when I'm there and I need that now badly.

It Just Gets Worse

Dad's back in the hospital again. They think maybe some kind of infection, but they really don't seem to know for sure.

I may be scarce the next few days, as I'll be at the hospital keeping him company when I can, and when I'm home I'm just exhausted.

Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers. We really need it right now.

Wacky Weather

Well our area made GMA today. A tornado or something similar touched down in Greensburg, a few miles from where my bff lives.

Weirdness.

It did a fair amount of distruction too. At least 8 houses were mostly leveled and the Hempfield High School got hit pretty badly.

In my neck of the woods, North Charleroi obviously had some issues. My sister was without power all night and into the morning.  Our school district is without power too, so the kids didn't go to school. Lucky them!

As I look out my window it is snowing.

Yesterday it was nearly 70 degrees.  Today it is in the 30s.

The weather is totally out of whack!

Revisiting Old Friends

After watching clips of Les Mis a hundred times over yesterday, I got to searching some of the other theater artists I used to listen too.

I had to look up Michael Crawford, because he was my musical God in high school. I was excited to see Michael is playing The Wizard in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of The Wizard Of Oz.

Here's a picture of Michael as the Wizard in the UK..and Danielle Hope as Dorothy!

I think Toto is adorable too

Brilliance!

I have been watching this clip for most of the evening! Colm Wilkinson and Alfie Boe own this song from Les Miserables. The clip is from the 25th anniversary cast concert at the O2. The other two gents performing with them from other Les Mis casts are pretty fabulous too.





Les Miz is my absolute favorite musical ever.

Sleep Is Avoiding Me

Apparently I've pissed off sleep. It has been avoiding me like the plague for about a week now.

Every night, I've been awake until at least midnight, which is so not my usual schedule.

It is after 10 now and I'm still wide awake, even though for most of the day I felt like I could drop off to sleep at any minute.

It doesn't help matters that I've been running around like a crazy fool today...grocery shopping, dinner making...Walmart and trying to get Dad to listen. The last one being the most difficult and the most stress inducing.

Oh but on a happy...less bitching note...Way to go Hines Ward! He looked awesome on Dancing With The Stars tonight!

Steelers Nation!

Represent!

The Good The Bad and The Ugly

Three things about this weekend

The Good: I got to Wheeling and my bookshop. I also got my exercise in Friday - Sunday! An hour or so each day!

The Bad: We got our electric bill and for some reason it was double what it was last month!

The Ugly: Dad had another bad coughing spell today.

I think I need a nap...ok..it's 11 P.M. I need to go to bed...

Good Drinky Poo

I had the best drink today at Cheddar's Casual Cafe. It was called a Cherry Peach Tree. It was made with Cherry Vodka and Peach Schnapps.

You really can't get much better than that.

It was really pretty too...and had a speer of Maraschino Cherries.

Tres tasty.

I could have probably downed about 4 of them, but I didn't think my friend, Jennifer wanted to drag me back to the car. Plus at $5.25 a drink, that would have been a bit pricey.

Still it was a pretty great drinky poo!

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 album covers

Tell us your favorites!!

You guys know the drill. Play along in the comments or in your journal. This meme is created for my site Music Memoirs. Feel free to go there and check out my other weekly memes and play along.

All 5 by the Moody Blues: Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, In Search Of The Lost Chord, A Question Of Balance, On A Threshold Of A Dream and Long Distance Voyager

Beer Beer Beer

It wouldn't be St. Patrick's Day without some Irish music!

Well...and Beer

So hope you ate drank and made merry.

The Cake

This was the fastest consumed cake ever to enter our house! So I can safely recommend Giant Eagle's chocolate cakes with whipped cream icing.

OMG so freaking good.

I'll be on the eliptical if you need me....working off the cake.

Happy 59th Mom & Dad!

I think today went pretty well for both my parents.

We had a lovely dinner. The Sweeney Specials were really great. And the cake from Giant Eagle was to die for. We were all contemplating licking the icing off the cake, it was that good. (I'll share a picture of it tomorrow sometime)

I bought mom a pretty bouquet of Crazy Daisies, since her sight is bad, so cards aren't as nice for her.

Our neighbors brought over a makeshift card, which was very sweet.

So all in all, it was a good day.

Here's to 59 years! May they be lucky to reach 60 together next year!

Love you mom and dad!

Just Another Manic Monday

It is Monday and I'm already wishing the day over. I hope to get my car inspected after work. I have loads of cleaning to do tonight, plus I have to get organized, because tomorrow is mom and dad's 59th wedding anniversary.

I have a chocolate cake with whipped cream icing ordered from Giant Eagle and I found out that I can get the Sweeney Special from..well Sweeney's Cafe & Pub for them for dinner.  Yes, they are having club sandwiches for dinner. But there is something special about these. 59 years ago, that is what they had after they got hitched. I thought it was appropriate, and I thought it would make mom happy.

I really want this to be a nice anniversary for them. I hope they get to 60 years, but with Dad's health the way it is...and mom's too, I'm not taking any chances. I want all their celebrations to be as nice as they can be. It is best to enjoy life while you have it, rather then wait to celebrate in the futures.

Here's hoping tomorrow turns out well...and then I can destress on Thursday with some green beer, or at least a Shamrock Shake at McDonalds.

Another Weekend Come And Gone

Allow me to recap what I accomplished.

~ Vacuumed the house

~ Did 2 loads of laundry

~ Ordered the cake for my mom and dad's 59th anniversary, that is on Tuesday. I still don't know what we are having for dinner.

~ Downed at least one Cocoa Cappuccino from Starbucks with a free petite carrot cake cupcake.

~ Bought an ebook for 99 cents.

~ Grocery shopping and Walmart

What a fun filled weekend I had.

NOT!

It would have been nice if I could have squeezed some reading time in, or more exercise time. Oh and did I mention we had to have a visiting nurse come in  yesterday, because Dad had a spell after supper again.

No joke, I have lost at least 30 years from my life since December with him!

I Bought Music!

It has been ages since I bought a CD or a download because I wanted to. Today I finally used one of my Amazon gift cards that I got from Coinstar and pre-ordered the new Duran Duran CD and I bought the digital downloads of Pittsburgh girl, Sarah Marince's latest EP and single.

So in a few weeks I'll have a pretty new Duran Duran CD, that I already know is  great, because they released a shorter form of the album digitally a few weeks before Christmas.

Sarah's EP is awesome too, especially if you are a fan of Taylor Swift, though personally I like Sarah better. She is also the face of Eat N' Park now...so if you are in the area, and you see a commercial with a super perky and super cute little blonde girl, that's Sarah.

So yeah...this is what I bought today

Kind of an eclectic mix there!

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 songs that get you ready for St Patrick's Day




You guys know the drill. Play along in the comments or in your journal. This meme is created for my site Music Memoirs. Feel free to go there and check out my other weekly memes and play along.

Celtic Woman - Danny Boy



The Pogues - If I Should Fall From The Grace Of God



The Irish Rovers - The Pub With No Beer

Enya - Orinoco Flow

Clannad  w/Bono - In A Lifetime

I Want To Remember

I keep thinking about how few photographs of family we have from recent years, especially on my father's side of the family.  When I was little, I can remember going with my mom and dad to my aunt and uncle's home in Belle Vernon.

I remember sitting at the kitchen table with mom and dad drinking iced tea. I remember playing with Duchess, the big German Shepard that was one of many Duchesses.  What makes me sad, are there are no pictures.

Knowing how ill my uncle is, made me think about photos. My grandmother had hundreds of them in her house from younger days.  Even though there wasn't much call for photography in her last years, there were still pictures, from family gatherings and her 100th birthday party.  There are things that can be pulled out so that people down the line can say, that was Grandma Rehula.  Her face won't fade from memory.

However with my dad's family there aren't many pictures.  I was an adult before I saw a photo of my grandma and grandpap from my father's family. There was a picture of Grandpap Rehula on my grandmother's TV at all times. That picture now sits in our living room.  I never knew my grandfather, but I can see  his face clearly in my mind.

There is nothing like this from my dad's family. There are a few photos from family reunions in the 80s when I was a little girl, but other than that, nothing and yet my dad came from a large family.  The sad part is, though I've met most all of them, I can't remember the faces of the ones who have passed on, with only one exception.

I know a lot of people dislike having their picture taken. I'm one of them, but people down the line might want to remember you, so maybe the pain of that flash isn't so bad.  I don't want to be gone and forgotten.

Bad News

Last night they rushed my dad's brother to the hospital. He was coughing up blood.

The diagnosis: a tumor on his lung.

Tomorrow he has a PET scan to determine if it has spread.

Keep Uncle Leonard in your prayers, I know he needs them, as does his wife.

~sigh~

This is turning out to be a really sucky year so far.

Random Thoughts

~ Winter Storm Watch for Friday? WTF!! No More Snow!!!

~ Reading an old Patricia Cornwell novel and liking it. Not usually my thing, but hey, I'm always up for a change as long as the book is good.

~ Totally sick of hearing about Charlie Sheen. Maybe if we ignore him, he'll go away? If that works, we should definitely try those tactics with Sarah Palin.

~ When can they recall that asshat is Wisconsin? They need to now, before there is an uprising instead of peaceful protests.

~ The new governor of PA is an asshat as well. Let's cut education but lets make sure the elected officials still keep getting paid. Uh, how are we supposed to be competitive in the world market if we screw over education?

~ I've given up on seeing any concerts this year. I simply won't be able to afford it. I'll be lucky if I can make a trip or two to Wheeling to Books A Million.

Lent Starts Tomorrow

40 days of Lent and all those meatless Fridays.

In my almost 37 years, there is one thing I've learned about Fridays in Lent. You will always have a cheeseburger craving on Friday.

I think it is because you know you shouldn't be eating it.

The whole meatless Friday thing makes no sense. You can't eat beef, pork, chicken, turkey, etc, but you can eat fish? WTF! Isn't fish the meat of an animal, so to speak?

My mind boggles, but then again I don't want to have to hunt down totally vegetarian dishes to make for my family on Fridays for 6 weeks.

It isn't really painful, I like tuna patties, halushki, and pierogies, but sometimes the same old food gets boring, which is why I'm always crabby on Fridays in Lent.

At least tomorrow is Gorton's Potato Crusted Fish....tasty.....

Operation Get Organized Goes To A New Level

I've started a cleaning project.

One room a day.

Today's room.

The Bathroom.

Can I get an Ewwww.

That is the most hated room in the house when it comes to cleaning. It is kind of appropriate that this room is cleaned on Monday, the most hated day of the week.

Tomorrow is the living room. What fun! Let's see if I can keep up the pace.

BTW....I cleaned out the coupons...so I'm doing good on that front!

The Weekend From Hell

On a plus Dad is home.

On the downside, he has to have a visiting nurse come in once or twice a week to check his lung function. This is good, because they will know if something is going on that will require him to go back to the hospital without an ER visit.

However the admissions to the program took 2 freaking hours.

OMG!

Then I had grocery shopping to do..and dinner to cook.

Today I managed to make it to church in the rain/snow/sleet...and then I had ...you guessed it, more grocery shopping to do...pills to order for mom and dinner to cook.

I made city chicken...which as some of you might know is actually made from pork. I am the fry goddess. Cracker Meal on city chicken = yum.

I did get two rooms passably clean with the help of my nephew but I still have about 2 more to do. The bathroom aka the hated room being one..and my bedroom....aka the hole being another. I'm too scared to work on the kitchen...

Have I mentioned lately my need for more hours in a day?

Conversation With My Mother

No joke this is something said by mom and I today as we are making dinner.

~ Getting cucumber out of the fridge

Me: Here's your super sized dildo

Mom: I'm only going to need half of that.

laughter.

Mom: I'm not used to them being that big.

more laughter.

Good thing dad didn't hear this

Top 5 On Friday

Top 5 artists that you'd like to have sing you to sleep

~ Tell us what songs you want them to sing to you too :)


You guys know the drill. Play along in the comments or in your journal. This meme is created for my site Music Memoirs. Feel free to go there and check out my other weekly memes and play along.

Charles Kelly from Lady Antebellum: He could sing me Hello World from the latest Lady A album

Elvis Costello can sing anything from North and I'll be knocked out in minutes.

Diana Krall can sing me Narrow Daylight

Jen Noble formerly of Grey Eye Glances can sing Angel for me.

Mika can sing anything he wants to me.

This Just In...

Dad's coming home tomorrow.

Can I get a Woot for this?

Can I also get a few extra hours of sleep?

Dad is getting very antsy in the pantsy at the hospital..so this is a good thing

Just Tired

Sorry for my absence yesterday. It was crazy and today doesn't look to be shaping to be any better.  Dad is doing so-so. He's on a regular medical floor which is great, but his breathing doesn't seem to be much improved, which worries me.

He was doing so good since Christmas. It pains me to see him losing the quality of life he had just a matter of days ago.

I really wish I could just turn off my thoughts while I try to make it through my day.  I wish I could have more time off, but time off means no pay and I can't pay the bills without pay.

So if I'm absent a bit in the next couple of days, its because I'm trying to get my head together. I really need some down time, but not downtime that allows me to sit and think, because if I think anymore, I may just lose what little is left of my mind.