Flight Of The Conchords - Jenny

I've been known to ask my hubbie a question that sends his mind reeling. I guess it is a talent that most estrogen carrying creatures have.  We give the testosterone in our lives a heart attack as they try to figure out what they missed, an anniversary? birthday? dear gods what have I missed?

I don't know why he swallowed the fly...

Check out this great MSN video: News Anchor Inhales Fly On Live TV

And I was complaining about the oatmeal not being satisfying.
ahaha I take it back!

Well..

I do think that the steel cut oats tasted much better cooked in the crock pot.

There is still research to be done on what to add and when.  Adding the apples the night before made them very mushy.  I think that if I added them when I got up they'd be soft, but not mush.  I think the raisins would have been a good idea for added sweetness.  The girl suggested maple flavoring or maybe cranberries.

There's lots to experiment with out there.

I do think that eating the oatmeal leaves me less than satisfied.  It fills my belly and it keeps me full, there's no doubt about that.  However, when I'm finished with my bowl of oatmeal I'm left wanting.  Of course with other add ins maybe that will give me the satisfaction I desire.  The crunch or an apple, the sweet of a raisin.
We will find what works eventually.

I also need to find a way to keep the oatmeal from sticking to the side of the pot.  Pam perhaps.

Steel Cut vs Rolled

I was craving oatmeal...odd that, but there you have it.
But what is the difference between the regular oatmeal and the Dr. Oz approved, steel cut. From what I could see (not including instant) they seem to be about the same nutritionally. They definitely look different.

Looking on the Internet I found out that steel cut oats are more dense. Instant oats are usually rolled out and thinner, making them cook faster.

Faster cooking seems important as the steel cut takes 30 minutes.

I did find this suggestion:

The best thing to do with steel cut oats is to use a crock pot. Before you go to bed, put some steel cut oats and water (about 1 part oats to 3 parts water) into the crock pot. Add some cinnamon, a bit of brown sugar, a cut up apple, and some raisins. Turn it on low and let it cook overnight. In the morning slice some fresh banana into your oatmeal and enjoy.

I didn't get the raisins or banana, but the apple and cinnamon sound delicious.
I'll let you know how it goes.

One of those days.

I have a feeling that it is going to be one of those days.

Got up late, but that was okay it wasn't an OMG moment, just later than usual. 
Sleep is good.

After walking the dog I got in the shower and remembered I hadn't started my coffee. 
That's okay I have time.

Got out of the shower, made the coffee, came and fired up my computer, wandered out to get my coffee and something was horribly wrong.  Where was my coffee? The coffee maker was turned on, but something was missing. There in the sink sat the carafe filled with watter. 

That's when I KNEW it was going to be one of those days.

Not the knee... =.. (

About 100 years ago... gosh, I can't even really think of the date 1994ish?
I went skiing and as happens I had to go for one last run.

Oh yeah, it was the last.  I was tired and stupid and totally ruined my knee.
A month after the accident I was still in so much pain that I cried and cried when they tried to examine me.  The doctor stopped immediately, wrote me a prescription and told me to come back when he could examine me.

My universe went on day in and day out regardless of the pain.  I had to go on.

I have to say that having tripped over a door mat that was strategically placed to keep a door open, is not only stupid but oh so painful.  I have found myself with my 'good' knee giving me grief... oh, it is not much, a bit swollen, but nothing like when I lost the other knee.  What I'm trying to figure out is how I withstood the pain of the other knee.  How did I go on?  How did I make life function as usual? 

I have not a clue.

I am whining.  I am not happy.  I am not pleased that I have to think to walk.

This blows.

2011 romance novel excerpt

.......He grasped me firmly but gently just above my elbow and guided me into a room, his room. Then he quietly shut the door and we were alone. He approached me soundlessly, from behind, and spoke in a low, reassuring voice close to my ear. "Just relax." Without warning, he reached down and I felt his strong, calloused hands start at my ankles, gently probing, and moving upward along my calves slowly but steadily. My breath caught in my throat. I knew I should be afraid, but somehow I didn't care. His touch was so experienced, so sure. When his hands moved up onto my thighs, I gave a slight shudder, and partly closed my eyes. My pulse was pounding. I felt his knowing fingers caress my abdomen, my ribcage.. And then, as he cupped my firm, full breasts in his hands, I inhaled sharply. Probing, searching, knowing what he wanted, he brought his hands to my shoulders, slid them down my tingling spine and into my panties. Although I knew nothing about this man, I felt oddly trusting and expectant. This is a man, I thought. A man used to taking charge. A man not used to taking "No" for an answer. A man who would tell me what he wanted. A man who would look into my soul and say ... "Okay ma'am," you can board your flight now."

ah, the e-mail 'go-rounds' gotta love 'em.

Just a little experiment.

Winter Blues

I knew I had a serious problem with the last snow fall.  It wasn't the usual snow where I look out and proclaim, "I hate snow!" It wasn't deep. The wind wasn't blowing sub-arctic chill deep into my bones.  It was actually a light snow, the kind that makes you think of pretty, glittery snow globes.

I trudged in from walking Chester. Looked at the walks that needed shoveling and thought F### it.

I never think that.  I always shovel after walking the dog.  Getting the snow off the walks is very important to me.  But as I kicked the snow off my shoes and came in the house I didn't care if I ever shoveled another walk.  Nope.  Did not care at all.

It didn't stop there. Everything in life was wrong. Things I love became a struggle. Walking Chester was a chore to be endured. I contemplated putting pen to paper, but why bother. Taking a shower in the morning was total drudgery. The fetal position seemed imminent

Once I realized that something was wrong I looked back over the last couple weeks to find the trigger and I realized that I had overbooked my social calender. One social event can be enough to set me off, but I had a series of events that required me crawling out of my shell to attend.

After the epiphany my mantra became:  "If I can get through Saturday I will be okay." 
I repeated it enough and I guess I believed myself.

I woke up this morning and felt better than I had for a while. My brain was full of my story.  I was happy to walk the dog. I have yet to shower, but the prospect of taking one isn't weighing me down. There may be hope.

Life in Utah

I got this in an e-mail and it sums things up nicely.

WHAT JEFF FOXWORTHY HAD TO SAY ABOUT UTAHNS!

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in Utah.

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in Utah.

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Utah.

If 'vacation' means going anywhere south of Salt Lake City for the weekend, you live in Utah.

If you measure distance in hours, you live in Utah.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Utah.

If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the same day, you live in Utah.

If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both unlocked, you live in Utah.

If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Utah.

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in Utah.

If the speed limit on the highway is 75 mph -- you're going 80, and everyone is still passing you, you live in Utah.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in Utah.

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Utah.

If you find 10 degrees 'a little chilly' you live in Utah.

If you actually understand these jokes and forward them to all your friends, you live in Utah.

Discovery Channel: I Love the World

I should really post something. I should also really get my chapter written. I should probably clean the house and there are a few other things I should be doing.  I know I'll make a list and knock them out one by one.

1) Post something. DONE!!!
= )

How do people do it?

I'm an early bird.  When I say I slept in, it generally means that I woke up at 4:30 am.  That's late. But I also go to sleep when the sun goes down, or shortly thereafter.

Yesterday we had our first meeting with the Writers of the West, and it started at about the time I'm beginning to contemplate beddy-by. Since it was the first meeting and didn't last the full three hours I decided that I should stay up late just to get a feel for it. 

At 4:30 I woke up, looked at the clock and fell back to sleep until 6:20. I jolted out of bed.  Rushed the dog through his walk and scrambled to get ready for work.  This is NOT good.  I'm used to a leisurely morning.  Meander around. Drink coffee.  Enjoy the walk with the dog. Write. Check e-mail.  Exercise with the girl. Some butt on couch time as I watch the news.

Dear gods, I do not know how people do this crazy morning rush on a daily basis.  I'm exhausted.  It can't be lack of sleep.  I got as much or more sleep than I usually get. This is simply awful.  To make matters worse I KNOW that I'm going to go home and crash and so today will be a total waste of a day.

I do have to say kudos to the dog.  When we walk we have our little routes.  Park perimeter, the bog, out and back, out... all these things mean something to Chester and so we don't have to argue over where we are going every day. I realize this sounds crazy, but consider the source ;). 

Today I told Chester, "One block walk buddy.  I'm sorry but that's it." 
The dog got it.  I was so amazed.  In the past when he's been belligerent, he wants to go OUT but I don't have the time and so we have to just do park perimeter or some such thing, I have said, "Knock it off or it will be a one block walk!"  I just never realized that he actually understood what a one block walk was.  It has only ever been used as a threat.  Let me say he is an awesome dog.

Elizabeth Gilbert On Genius

In looking for courage for my daunting task of attending tonights writers group I found this on the Story Wonk Daily.  Awesomeness.

It is a bit 'long', but, in my humble opinion, worth every second.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

Gulp

Let me start by saying I am a social (ooo how does one say this so it is PC?).  My usual word for myself will simply not do here.  I have it, I am socially inept.  Going to family functions can be enough to put me over the edge and not because of the family part, ahaha.

I simply suck at people skills. 

I did go to the first Nano get together. It wasn't easy and if it weren't for my husband I wouldn't be able to make that statement.  However, I did go and it was there that I realized my people skills were even worse than I thought.

Sitting about on the couches trying to get to know one another should be easy. Right?
Wrong!!

"So what genre do you write?" a nice gentleman inquires.
"Fantasy," I reply.
"How may years have you done Nano?" he tries again.
"Five"
After several attempts my husband jumped in and started inquiring as to his genre etc.
He saved me that day. 

Now for the GULP part.  During Nano, I said I'd join a writers group if one was organized. This morning when I got the e-mail.  'It's on. Go to the Facebook page and RSVP."  I did what I do. 
Well, what if I didn't see this e-mail?  Can't go if you don't see the e-mail.

However, I decided that if I did not take this opportunity it would never happen. 
So, I accepted.  I only have 38 hours to agonize over it.
I can do this.
Wish me luck.