I haven't had a lot to blog about since this journey began. Just your typical crazy kids, crazy life story.
We had a birthday recently. Z turned the Big 1-0! He's growing up so fast. You never know what that phrase means until you have little ones of your own. To a kid, you can't seem to grow up fast enough.
Which brings me to the topic of tonight. As the month of January comes to an end, the anniversary of Z's daddy Alex approaches. He will be 7 years in heaven on January 31. It still boggles my mind that Z lost his Daddy Alex just after he turned 3.
Each year that passes, the anniversary of his death affects me differently. Last year I could barely function the entire day, but this year I seem to be taking it in-stride. It's not going to be "just another day" - but a day of happy remembrance. I want good memories to fill the day. I will be thankful that our troops have receded and are returning home. I will be thankful that I have a beautiful, smart, kind boy who reminds me of his Daddy Alex. I will have no regrets!
So, in memoriam: Daddy Alex, you are missed and loved every day we are apart. I hope you are saving me a seat next to you at God's table. We have a lot to catch up on!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Common House Flies
We all get them a some point or another. They are annoying, dirty and give birth to maggots if left untreated. I scoured the web for an easy method of killing my own house fly infestation. There is a lot of information out there and it's good to know that, if you have this problem in your home, you're not alone.
There is Option One:
Homemade Flypaper
To make homemade flypaper you’ll need a brown paper bag, scissors, string, and a shallow pan. You’ll also need ½ cup of sweet maple syrup, two tablespoons of brown sugar, and two tablespoons of white sugar. Combine these ingredients in a shallow pan, and cut the brown paper bag into one-inch wide strips. Poke a hole in the top of each strip, and thread a string through each hole. Soak the strips in the sticky mixture for about eight hours. Remove the strips from the mixture, and after they stop dripping, hang them in areas where flies are a problem. Option Two (random):
Bags of Water
Simply fill gallon size bags of water about halfway full, and hang the bags outdoor areas where flies are a problem. Suspend the bags near entryways, garage doors, and anywhere else files seem to graze. According to this home remedy, you’ll notice a great reduction in the fly population almost immediately.
Option Three (also, random):
... place food that attracts flies in the bottom of a jar with a lid. Poke a couple of holes in the lid so the flies can enter the trap. After entering the jar, the flies won’t be able to get back out. This home remedy to help get rid of flies is inexpensive, easy, and this simple homemade flytrap can be thrown away when you’re ready to replace it with a new one.
(courtesy of Yahoo! Answers: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071003094223AA48sgk)
Option Four (random, again):
...fly traps can be made by leaving an open bottle of wine out, but lining the bottom of the wine bottle with mango peels; in this instance, flies will fly into the wine bottle and get stuck, and eventually die inside the bottle. (courtesy of Savvy Gardening: http://gardening.savvy-cafe.com/popular-home-remedies-for-house-fly-control-2007-04-25/)
As you can see, there is a lot of information out there and everyone has their own solution. Want to take a proactive approach and the flies seem to congregate in one specific area of your home? Here's what worked for me:
First, make sure everything in your house that could attract flies has been taken care of: garabage cans, food left out, animal waste, etc. I even went so far as to give all the pets a bath, just in case. If this isn't done, the flies will just come back, no matter how many times you kill them.
Next, get your Windex (or any brand glass cleaner) and paper towels or toilet paper. Put your game-face on.
Spray the flies with the Windex on mist mode. The solution prevents the flies from being able to use their wings. Then simply remove fly with chosen paper product. Easy-peasy. You'll feel like the 'Lord of the Flies'!
Good luck and Happy Hunting!
There is Option One:
Homemade Flypaper
To make homemade flypaper you’ll need a brown paper bag, scissors, string, and a shallow pan. You’ll also need ½ cup of sweet maple syrup, two tablespoons of brown sugar, and two tablespoons of white sugar. Combine these ingredients in a shallow pan, and cut the brown paper bag into one-inch wide strips. Poke a hole in the top of each strip, and thread a string through each hole. Soak the strips in the sticky mixture for about eight hours. Remove the strips from the mixture, and after they stop dripping, hang them in areas where flies are a problem. Option Two (random):
Bags of Water
Simply fill gallon size bags of water about halfway full, and hang the bags outdoor areas where flies are a problem. Suspend the bags near entryways, garage doors, and anywhere else files seem to graze. According to this home remedy, you’ll notice a great reduction in the fly population almost immediately.
Option Three (also, random):
... place food that attracts flies in the bottom of a jar with a lid. Poke a couple of holes in the lid so the flies can enter the trap. After entering the jar, the flies won’t be able to get back out. This home remedy to help get rid of flies is inexpensive, easy, and this simple homemade flytrap can be thrown away when you’re ready to replace it with a new one.
(courtesy of Yahoo! Answers: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071003094223AA48sgk)
Option Four (random, again):
...fly traps can be made by leaving an open bottle of wine out, but lining the bottom of the wine bottle with mango peels; in this instance, flies will fly into the wine bottle and get stuck, and eventually die inside the bottle. (courtesy of Savvy Gardening: http://gardening.savvy-cafe.com/popular-home-remedies-for-house-fly-control-2007-04-25/)
As you can see, there is a lot of information out there and everyone has their own solution. Want to take a proactive approach and the flies seem to congregate in one specific area of your home? Here's what worked for me:
First, make sure everything in your house that could attract flies has been taken care of: garabage cans, food left out, animal waste, etc. I even went so far as to give all the pets a bath, just in case. If this isn't done, the flies will just come back, no matter how many times you kill them.
Next, get your Windex (or any brand glass cleaner) and paper towels or toilet paper. Put your game-face on.
Spray the flies with the Windex on mist mode. The solution prevents the flies from being able to use their wings. Then simply remove fly with chosen paper product. Easy-peasy. You'll feel like the 'Lord of the Flies'!
Good luck and Happy Hunting!
American Horror Story
"... The show has been panned by many critics and not just hated—it’s been mocked, it’s been scorned, and praised mostly on the basis that it’s “so bad it’s good.” The online recappers at the A.V. Club gave it a D while claiming they couldn’t stop watching it. But I’m hooked on it as much as I am on Homeland, and I don’t mean that in an ironic way. It’s definitely not because I trust the series’ co-creator, Ryan Murphy, the famously exasperating showrunner of Glee and Nip/Tuck and Popular. He’s a TV-maker who’s shown over and over that he can take a brilliant premise and smash it like a toy he’s gotten tired of.
But he hasn’t run American Horror Story into the ground just yet. Instead, he’s made the one show this season that feels brazen and exciting—hard to look away from and Glee-fully unafraid to offend. The premise is Horror 101: An unhappily married couple, Ben and Vivien Harmon, played by Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton, are fleeing a bad past. Ben, a shrink, cheated with a student; Vivien had a late miscarriage. Along with their sulky teenage daughter, they move into a Los Angeles mansion so caked with tabloid crime that it’s on the route of a local “murder house tour.” Whoops! Murphy makes visual references to seventies horror classics like Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, and Halloween, and the goal here isn’t to make you feel smart, it’s to get you squirming: to jump and cringe and laugh."
(excerpt from NYMagazine, Shock Value, by Emily Nussbaum - for full article: http://nymag.com/arts/tv/reviews/american-horror-story-nussbaum-2011-11/)
I'd say AHS is like an episode of "Masters of Horror" that didn't end for 12 hours. I concur that it was "...brazen and exciting—hard to look away from and Glee-fully unafraid to offend."
Having finally had time with the hubby to sit down and watch the DVR, the first season of AHS has concluded. I find it hard to believe the contradictory nature of some of its reviews. The Hollywood "scare with gore" technique has numbed us to the subtle nuances of true horror. Nussbaum references classic horror movie as an excuse to ignore the show for its brilliance. It's hard to imagine the same man who produces the gooey, over-done and unimaginative Glee to have produced this transcendent piece of horror art; each passage was better than its predecessor.
An appeal from an AHS devotee, Ryan Murphy... make the next season as satisfying as, if not superior to, the first. Eagerly awaiting the next trip to Murder House.
But he hasn’t run American Horror Story into the ground just yet. Instead, he’s made the one show this season that feels brazen and exciting—hard to look away from and Glee-fully unafraid to offend. The premise is Horror 101: An unhappily married couple, Ben and Vivien Harmon, played by Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton, are fleeing a bad past. Ben, a shrink, cheated with a student; Vivien had a late miscarriage. Along with their sulky teenage daughter, they move into a Los Angeles mansion so caked with tabloid crime that it’s on the route of a local “murder house tour.” Whoops! Murphy makes visual references to seventies horror classics like Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, and Halloween, and the goal here isn’t to make you feel smart, it’s to get you squirming: to jump and cringe and laugh."
(excerpt from NYMagazine, Shock Value, by Emily Nussbaum - for full article: http://nymag.com/arts/tv/reviews/american-horror-story-nussbaum-2011-11/)
I'd say AHS is like an episode of "Masters of Horror" that didn't end for 12 hours. I concur that it was "...brazen and exciting—hard to look away from and Glee-fully unafraid to offend."
Having finally had time with the hubby to sit down and watch the DVR, the first season of AHS has concluded. I find it hard to believe the contradictory nature of some of its reviews. The Hollywood "scare with gore" technique has numbed us to the subtle nuances of true horror. Nussbaum references classic horror movie as an excuse to ignore the show for its brilliance. It's hard to imagine the same man who produces the gooey, over-done and unimaginative Glee to have produced this transcendent piece of horror art; each passage was better than its predecessor.
An appeal from an AHS devotee, Ryan Murphy... make the next season as satisfying as, if not superior to, the first. Eagerly awaiting the next trip to Murder House.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Envy (2004)
In 2011, Ben Stiller won the Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy, he's won an Emmy and several MTV Movie Awards for his comedic movies.
Jack Black also has won several awards for his work in comedy.
These men also have 2 more things in common.
Synopsis: A man becomes increasingly jealous of his friend's newfound success. (complements of IMDb.com)
Stiller plays a man who's best friend (Black) invents a product that makes poop disappear. That's right, it's "VaPooRize". Black becomes uber-rich and Stiller becomes envious. This movie starts slow, continues slow and ends slow. It's got a dry sense of humor and a horrible plot line. Without giving any spoilers, the best part of the movie has to do with the horse, Corky, and even that wasn't very funny.
If you've already seen it, you have my apologies. If you haven't, do yourself a favor and stay away. I feel 5% dumber since watching this movie.
Jack Black also has won several awards for his work in comedy.
These men also have 2 more things in common.
- They both won the Worst Actor Razzie award.
- They both starred in the movie "Envy".
Synopsis: A man becomes increasingly jealous of his friend's newfound success. (complements of IMDb.com)
Stiller plays a man who's best friend (Black) invents a product that makes poop disappear. That's right, it's "VaPooRize". Black becomes uber-rich and Stiller becomes envious. This movie starts slow, continues slow and ends slow. It's got a dry sense of humor and a horrible plot line. Without giving any spoilers, the best part of the movie has to do with the horse, Corky, and even that wasn't very funny.
If you've already seen it, you have my apologies. If you haven't, do yourself a favor and stay away. I feel 5% dumber since watching this movie.
My Brother, the Doctor
This is a video commercial my brother did for his hospital. He's too cute! I am a proud sister.
What's for Dinner Tonight?
Since I do not have any Supporters yet, I thought I'd start off with my own culinary skills, complements of Kroger brand products.
Start by going to your local Kroger brand supplier - Smith's, King Soopers, Fred Meyer etc. Buy a Kroger brand Three-Meat Pizza.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake for 22-26 minutes, depending on the quality of your oven. Remove from oven using oven mitts or pot holders. Let's be careful in the kitchen.
The resulting product should look something like this:
Start by going to your local Kroger brand supplier - Smith's, King Soopers, Fred Meyer etc. Buy a Kroger brand Three-Meat Pizza.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake for 22-26 minutes, depending on the quality of your oven. Remove from oven using oven mitts or pot holders. Let's be careful in the kitchen.
The resulting product should look something like this:
Let cool for 2 minutes before slicing into desired amounts. Serve with a refreshing beverage. Tonight I went with:
And that concludes tonight's culinary masterpiece, brought to you by Kroger brand pizza and Hawaiian Punch!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
On Getting Paid
I'm sitting here, thinking on what makes a blog worth paying for. Everyone has opinions, for ill or good. Some even share those opinions, regardless of the consequence. With that in mind, why do some opinions have a higher value than others? For that matter, for those who share the same opinion, why does one person's particular opinion outweigh all others with that same opinion?
I could write down every thought and action I take in my life. Most of it could even be interesting to someone other than me. On the other hand, there are plenty of people whose lives could be more interesting than mine and probably are.
I'm not talking about celebrities, celebutantes, pro-athletes, etc. Their lives are extraordinary by default, despite what some celebs say about wanting to lead a semi-"normal" life. Bullshit. If you lead a normal life, you wouldn't be making millions having your name on the marquee. Our society's obsession with the rise and fall of celebrity is ridiculous. Case in point? Perez Hilton. We read tabloids and magazines riddled with hearsay and "one-on-one interviews". Honestly, do you think the celeb is being candid or keeping up appearances. We've all heard it before. "He seems so down-to-earth", "Her support has really helped [enter name of cause here]". Appearances are everything... however inadequate or commendable.
Back to my original point: I have talents. I feel my brain (on a good day) functions at a 'higher-than-normal' rate. Other than my big head (and I mean brain-size, not ego), I can cook and write creatively. I believe people would be interested in what I have to say.
Perhaps I am disillusioned.
I could write down every thought and action I take in my life. Most of it could even be interesting to someone other than me. On the other hand, there are plenty of people whose lives could be more interesting than mine and probably are.
I'm not talking about celebrities, celebutantes, pro-athletes, etc. Their lives are extraordinary by default, despite what some celebs say about wanting to lead a semi-"normal" life. Bullshit. If you lead a normal life, you wouldn't be making millions having your name on the marquee. Our society's obsession with the rise and fall of celebrity is ridiculous. Case in point? Perez Hilton. We read tabloids and magazines riddled with hearsay and "one-on-one interviews". Honestly, do you think the celeb is being candid or keeping up appearances. We've all heard it before. "He seems so down-to-earth", "Her support has really helped [enter name of cause here]". Appearances are everything... however inadequate or commendable.
Back to my original point: I have talents. I feel my brain (on a good day) functions at a 'higher-than-normal' rate. Other than my big head (and I mean brain-size, not ego), I can cook and write creatively. I believe people would be interested in what I have to say.
Perhaps I am disillusioned.
Let it sNOw?
After a long day in the yard, raking leaves (yes, I know it's way past fall and far in to winter), I say to my husband: I hope it doesn't snow. I'd much rather have bare leaf piles in my yard than leaf piles masquerading as snow piles (not in so many words, of course).
Letting the dogs out for the morning, what do I spy:
Letting the dogs out for the morning, what do I spy:
My beautiful leaf piles, disguised as snow mounds. Such a shame.
Shoveling the driveway, I was reminded of a quote I saw recently: Pure as the driven snow. After letting that sink in for a moment, I will tell you I probably thought the same as you: that doesn't sound quite right. As many of you are aware, there is no shortage of idiocy in this world (ESL personages excluded - you have an excuse). You may have also thought that, perhaps, it was a Freudian slip or actually meant to describe something dirty, wet and/or annoying to the greater public. I can assure you that, although I can not remember where I saw the quote (probably a book I've read, considering I've been reading A LOT), in context, it was meant to describe purity. *tsk tsk*
Which brings us back to snow. Snow in itself can be beautiful, a symbol of purity in its natural form. Along comes the bi- and quadruped species and behold! The transformation becomes fitted to our Freudian quote: Pure as the driven snow.
As life, as is the circle.
In the Beginning
Ah, insomnia, how I do love thee. Medicated with no effect. Watching reruns of Criminal Minds on A&E, attempting the impossible - drifting, aimless, dreamless sleep.
I feel the urge to share my life with strangers, friends, family and everyone in-between. This year is a new step in my life, ripe with changes and hopes, needs and impressions.
I'm coming to terms with the person I am and joining that with the person I want to be. Join my journey, my family's journey, as we embark on this adventure known as life!
(At least until the world ends...)
I feel the urge to share my life with strangers, friends, family and everyone in-between. This year is a new step in my life, ripe with changes and hopes, needs and impressions.
I'm coming to terms with the person I am and joining that with the person I want to be. Join my journey, my family's journey, as we embark on this adventure known as life!
(At least until the world ends...)
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