A Way To Freak Out Your Neighbors

You know it would be just a little bit fun...

Source: themetapicture.com via Jane on Pinterest

***Ally
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Monday Listicles - Mini Girls Getaway

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along. 

The awesome Bruna at Bees With Honey chose this week's topic:

“If they were to make a movie of your life what would the soundtrack be like? Share 10 songs that best tell the story of your life. Be sure to include the period or event that each song represents”.

Throughout the week I thought little thoughts about this - American Pie (Don McClean) for the little girl who understood nothing about what the song said, but loved the catchy chorus and sung it over and over again. Or Let's Go Crazy (Prince), which again had less to do with the actual lyric meaning, and more to do with a catchy chorus and happy beat that helped my high school senior class adopt it as their theme song. 

But what my mind was really thinking about was an upcoming mini-girls weekend. Twenty-five days from today, I'll board a plane with another high school girlfriend, bound for Huntington Beach, CA to visit my childhood best friend, Lela.

We were originally going to attend an Adam Ant concert, but after all tickets, concert AND airfare, had been purchased, they postponed the concert until October. Hubs said it was because they'd only sold 6 tickets and 3 of them were to us. Ha-Ha-Ha. Or not. But we don't need Adam Ant to have a good time, I guarantee it.

So I'm off topic (again) today. Here are 10 reasons I'm looking forward to this trip:

1. I get to see my best friend.
2. I get to drink wine with good friends on Lela's front porch. In February. Because it's Southern California.
3. We're going to Disneyland! I think some of Lela's local friends are coming, too. It's Grown Up Girls' Day with Mickey!
4. I get two full days and two half days of escape time.
5. We will laugh until we cry. Or pee our pants. We always do. (I meant laugh. We always laugh. You thought I meant we always pee our pants?!)
6. We'll get yummy fish tacos at Wahoo's. Because I will beg until Lela takes us there.
7. I'll get to walk on the beach. One of my favorite things to do, regardless of where the beach is. But SoCal has some appeal :) And if I'm lucky, I'll squeeze in a run.
8. I'll get to recharge my mental batteries with good friends.
9. Without Adam Ant, we have a whole day to fill with endless possibilities. Laguna beach? Stand Up Paddle boarding? Wine tasting in Temecula? Reggae brunch at the House of Blues? Gospel brunch at the House of Blues? Hiking at Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park? Catalina Island? Balboa Island? Okay, now I need another week...
10. Despite knowing I should be spending the money, I will undoubtedly have a fantastic time, and I could really use that! Did I mention I get to see my best friend?

***Ally
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While I'm "De-Stressing"

I love to exercise. I do. I never used to be able to say that. Exercise was a chore, a drag, I didn't like the pain, blah, blah, blah. That's all just excuses. (And that's the personal trainer in me talking.)

I truly enjoy pushing myself out of my body's 'comfort zone', and knowing that doing so is making me stronger, more efficient and healthy. My friend was talking to someone else about it (she's a lot like me), and she told the gal, "You have to get out of the comfort zone. You have to be hellishly uncomfortable." It's not easy, but once you learn how to do it, it's addicting. The endorphin rush you get when you're done, whether you ran 10 miles (or 2) or did a Shred, or whatever your hell of choice is, well it's pretty awesome. Besides, it keeps me sane. Relatively speaking, that is.

Oh, don't click off, I have a point. sort of

The point is, I lean towards trying to be a higher intensity, mind-engaging exerciser. But I've been drawn to try yoga for several reasons. I want to maintain my flexibility, and even get some back. It can be great for core strength.

I also tend to stress more than I should, and usually about things that are far out of my control. I thought it would be good for me. Others said it would be good for me. I want to try hot yoga (there's that comfort zone thing again), but in the name of not spending money I don't have, I used my cable On Demand and chose a 22 minute yoga workout. (which came on the heels of a 20 minute high intensity workout between run days) Complete with male instructor who looked like he was heading out to play basketball in the neighborhood park. Whatever.

Keep in mind, my "exercise room" is also my bedroom. Save the lectures, it's just what works in this house. Here's the things that went through my mind as I down dogged, or saluted the sun, or tried to wrap my knee around my shoulder and then do a convoluted hand stand:

Wow, I really need to vacuum.

Damn, this dog sheds a lot.

Is that bedspread crooked?

I should finish that magazine laying over there so it can go out with the recycle pick up tomorrow.

Did The Boy remember his workout clothes?

I wonder if The Boy is nervous about the SAT on Saturday.

Hell, I'M nervous about the SAT on Saturday and I'm not taking it!

This carpet really needs to be vacuumed.

Will business ever pick up again? Or is the market too saturated with providers like me now?

Should I start doing more training and less treatment?

Will Hubs new business succeed?

Can I launch a social media campaign to help him?

What the heck are we having for dinner?

Can I go get the vacuum before this next pose is over?

I should finish that scrapbook over there from 2008.

I should get rid of the knitting needles. I am NEVER going to learn to knit.

I hope no important mail got shuffled into that stack of papers over there.

I really want to get our taxes done early this year.

How did Hubs end up with that free subscription to Maxim Magazine again?

I have GOT to vacuum this floor!


Very 'De-Stressing', indeed. I'm sure you can guess that I vacuumed when it was over.

I'm trying not to be too hard on myself, since it was the first time. After all the basketball-clothed, hyper flexible dude on the tv said it takes practice. Not unlike doing 100 high knees with the jump rope or running a 10K. It takes practice.

***Ally
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Convos With Ally & Lela

Typical text conversations between Lela and I can be short and sweet, quite hilarious, or both.


L: Shopping for recliner chair. Husband wants cupholders and slide out tray. So trailer park.

A: Tell him that's what side tables are for.

L: I did. Lazy.

A: For upstairs or downstairs?

L: Living room.

A: I'm sorry.

L: And my FIL bought a new car so his old 1940 coupe is coming to r backyard. Sanford and son. 

**snort**


For the record, Lela has an adorable house and mad decorating skills that make it really awesome looking, yet functional. Inserting a chair like the one described into her living room is going to be... challenging for her. It also shows that she's a great wife.

(If you don't know Sanford and Son, it was a 70's sitcom about a "cantankerous junk dealer and his frustrated son". Classic.)

***Ally
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Wordless Wednesday - Iced Over

Kinda cool.

***Ally

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I Used To Know All About Celebrities

Really, I did.

I worked in an office where People was delivered weekly without fail, and I dedicated one lunch break a week to reading that rag from front to back in 20 minutes or less and being up to date on all things celebrities.

But not any more. I have no time for people who aren't really real. I mean, most pictures you see of them are airbrushed for goodness sake. Sure, they might be pictured going to Starbucks and yoga class, but I guarantee you, their lives are not "normal". And they all have bizarre names for their children.

This will all be relevant in a minute.

Saturday night, when my power came back on after 54 hours in the cold and dark in the middle of a snow and ice storm, we were watching MoneyBall, with the heat cranked. In case you aren't familiar with it wake up!, it's the baseball movie out starring Brad Pitt.

I wasn't too enthusiastic to watch. Hubs is ALL about the baseball movies, and yes, there have been some good ones, but meh, I wasn't feeling it.

Maybe because I've never been a Brad Pitt fan gasp!. Hold on now, don't go getting your panties in a twist. I think he's a good actor, and I like many of the films he's been in. But I've never been a -*Oooh, Brad Pitt! He's so HOT!*- kind of girl. He just doesn't do it for me. I guess he's not my type. And I won't get started on his crazy-ass personal life.

Finally - the point of my story:

So we're watching Moneyball, which turned out to be a great movie, in which Brad (we're on a first name basis like that) did a great job. But I'm watching and this thought is just nagging my brain. Nag, nag, nag. Finally, after one particularly doppelganger scene, I make Hubs pause the movie.

"You know who he looks like?" I ask.

"Who?" Hubs says irritably, wanting to get back to the movie.

"I don't even want to say it out loud. It's like blasphemy. But as he ages, he is looking more and more like Robert Redford. I can't believe I said it out loud. I don't want them to be compared." Please note - I said it as if I was the first person in the world to notice this.

Now before you all go, "Duh!", let's go back to what I wrote in the beginning. I am not up on my celebrity gossip. I had no idea that there are full websites dedicated to the fact that these two are thought to resemble each other. I REALLY don't give Brad that much thought. Gasp! again.

But Robert Redford? Him, I love. I don't care how old he is, I don't want to sleep with him. The man is pure class. Pure, rugged handsome. Pure natural aging, and he wears his wrinkles well. I have nothing but respect for him. So if there's some awful story about him that will burst my bubble, DON'T tell me!

It's their coloring, the shape of their faces, the natural aging without shooting up every wrinkle with collagen and botox. I see the resemblance.

Brad is good. Really, he's a damn good actor.

But Robert Redford is... well, he's one of a kind.

***Ally
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*This is the year that Redford's new movie, The Company You Keep comes out. We sold my son's Boston Red Sox hat to the set decoration department. Robert Redford might have touched my son's hat! Or it could be sitting on a shelf in the background of a two second shot. Or not used at all.

Monday Listicles - Things I'd LIke To See Happen

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along. 

This week's topic, picked by moi, is 10 things I’d like to see happen before I die.

Some of these things I chose are not light hearted and fluffy. Some are not probable. But they come from my heart.

1. I want to meet my great grandchildren. I want to play with them and know them.
2. I’d like to see clean energy be commonplace.
3. I’d like to see massive food companies stop poisoning Americans with their health-endangering “food” products and false claims - all stamped and approved by the FDA, our government agency responsible for protecting and promoting public health. I'd like to see the agency gutted and rebuilt, without outside influence, aka: $$$.
4. I’d like to see equality for all people. We’ve come a long way, but we’ve still got a long way to go, baby.
5. I’d like to see drug companies go broke, because a cure for cancer gets found and they are no longer needed.
6. I’d like to see elephants stop being poached for their tusks, and sharks for their fins.
7. I’d like to see a woman president. I’m not debating it would be good or bad. I’d just like to see it happen.
8. I’d like to see the athletes cross the finish line of the Kona Ironman from my volunteer position. (This is doable, as I have the opportunity through work. I just need to wait for The Boy to graduate from high school to pull off the October travel dates)
9. I’d like to see the book in my head, on a shelf in a bookstore. Though that would require bookstores to still be in existence! LOL
10. I’d like to see world peace. What? A girl can dream, can’t she? Or at least watch Miss Congeniality too many times.

***Ally
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Five Question Friday - LATE on Saturday

Join the fun and link up for Five Question Friday over at My Little Life.

I'm super late, because we had no power for over two days. One of those we were iced in our house. Not so much fun. But I figured I post these anyway.

1. Where do you hide the reeeally good snacks?
In cupboard next to the cups and misc crystal we only use for guests (or never - it was all inherited). No one looks there.
 
2. Do u keep your vehicle clean or am I the only one who has things falling out of their van? 
Clean, as in no stuff or garbage laying all over, but the dash needs a serious wipe down and the windows need cleaning.

3. Have you ever been to Vegas?
Yes. Four times I think. Once for Hubs 40th, once for a trade show he had to go to and twice for girls getaway weekends.

4. Warm room light blankets or cold room warm snuggly blanket? 
Oh, please warm room AND warm snuggly blankets. I HATE to be cold.

5. What is the worst airplane/flying experience you've ever had?
It really is a post in and of itself, but I'll summarize. In a nutshell, leaving Seattle for England in the middle of a snow storm. Flight 1 - cancelled, rescheduled on another flight, through completely different cities, as more than a foot of snow piled up. Flight 2 the next day - loaded, closed, opened back up, drunk man escorted off, closed again, then they broke the tow bar in the freezing weather trying to push us back from the gate. And then the co-pilot was going to run out of flying hours before they could get another one to us. Cancelled, unloaded and rescheduled on Flight 3, the next night (2-1/2 days after original scheduled departure) on a different airline. But we were smart - checked the gate times and THAT day’s flight hadn’t left yet due to connection delays - ran to counter, begged and pleaded and they put us on. Original airline then lost a bag. Sent it to London, sent it BACK to Seattle before IDing it. They offered to send it back to London, but I told them not to move it. Tag it, lock it up, and we’d get it when we got back. Gah!


***Ally

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Oh Seattle - Such A Media Darling

Ha!

Yes, as I said, we don't get it much here in Seattle, so when it falls, it's kind of a big deal. Sorry if you had to watch it on your news. My dad and brother even checked in with us to make sure we were alright because the media was hyping it a bit down in Reno.

So I figured I'd share a little of what we had:

 After two inches the first day, before the six
we got yesterday. Quite pretty.

 A boy an his dog

That sheen is after we had freezing rain, on top

of 6 inches of snow, and the the temps plummeted.

Pure sheet ice. Awesomesauce.

And this morning: 

Our 6 inches of snow has a crust of solid
ice on top of it. Everything is solid ice.
It's going to be a rough day for anyone trying
to get out this morning. I'm staying home.
And hoping my drooping, iced over birch tree makes it.

***Ally

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Put The Shovel Down

We have the sweetest neighbors. I adore them. They moved in about ten years ago, their children, who were older than my son walked over introduced themselves and took my son under their wing. They adore him, he adores them. We adore all of them. To this day. You see the picture I painted. Adore.

They moved here from Connecticut. Here is Seattle. There is a big difference in those two places in winter. They actually get winter in Connecticut (usually). We get winter for a day or three every year here in Seattle. If we're lucky.

By "winter", I mean snow.

There - plows clear streets, people shovel driveways, life goes on.

Here - plows get stuck, people don't own snow shovels and life stops until it melts.

If you live in another part of the country, turn on your news and you will likely hear how Seattle has gotten hit by a "Major Winter Storm" undoubtedly accompanied by a video shot of a city bus sliding down a hill. They love those shots. What I see is the bus going down the freeway at 35mph with hazards flashing on bare pavement... because he is forced to drive with chains on to avoid that sliding shot.

I could do a whole post on why Seattle shuts down in the snow, but I won't bore you. We don't get it often and everything is a damn hill. A steep hill. And the white stuff freezes into sheets of ice overnight. It'll never last long, so just stay home. That's all you need to know.

Yesterday morning, when I peered out the window to see how much of the expected white stuff fell overnight (2-3 inches) I noticed that Mr. Neighbor had 1) shoveled his driveway and 2) gone to work.

Here's the thing about the shoveling - why? I can guarantee you that even though the street cleaner drives down our street every three weeks (while the city is laying off people in essential jobs - don't get me started), we will NEVER have a snow plow down our street. So all that shoveling will never meet up with a plowed street. It was 32 degrees outside, and it was slushy anyway. There were only two inches, maybe three where the wind had piled it up. Their driveway is 20 feet long - it's barely long enough to stack two cars in. (I might add that their two cars are IN the driveway, not in the garage. They never park in the garage.)

The real deal is that unlike Mrs. Neighbor, Mr. Neighbor does not do physical activity. He is a workaholic that travels, works long hours and knows how to throw a great party. But he does NOT exercise. So when he comes out with the shovel, I get worried. My CPR card is expired. I mean I still remember how to do it from when I learned in Girl Scouts, but things have changed. (Don't worry, I just took it a couple of years ago - I just haven't renewed it.) I believe we should all know how to do CPR, but I don't ever want to do CPR. Hell, I worry about him when he mows the lawn occasionally in summer.

So Mr. Neighbor. Put down the shovel.  I promise the snow will be gone in 48 hours. I like you. I want you to stick around. You are our good neighbors in a sea of weirdness. Stay home and we'll throw a little party and appreciate the beauty of it all. But please say healthy and put - down - the - shovel.

Love,
Your Caring Neighbor,
***Ally

* I wrote this post on Tuesday, BEFORE the "Big Snow" predicted for today had hit.

Dream Girls Getaway

We used to go on yearly girls getaway weekends. Each year the women that would go would differ slightly, depending on who was available and where we went.

We've done Palm Springs, Las Vegas - twice, Laguna Beach, San Juan Island, Santa Barbara... I'm sure I missed one or two.

They have all been a blast. Well, except for the night Lela and I ate at the Cheesecake Factory in Vegas and ended up with food poisoning. Mine was mild - I was just afraid to stray too far from the room or a bathroom. Hers? She spent the night with her face on the cool tile floor of a hotel room bathroom (that right there is pure desperation) between bouts of her body trying to rid the bad food from both ends.

But this... THIS would be my dream girls getaway:

SwellWomen

...don't be afraid to go look, I'll wait...

"SwellWomen is a women's surf retreat located in Hawaii, the birthplace of surfing. With warm water temperatures, the world’s best waves and plenty of Aloha, Hawaii is THE best place on earth to attend a women’s surf camp."

They do surf lessons, surfing, yoga, wellness, SUP, massage...  the whole thing is ALL-INCLUSIVE. Healthy food prepared for you, all the activities...

Sign me up! Like NOW, please.

And no, this is NOT a paid post. (Though, hello SwellWomen - I will blog and tweet about this every day for forever if you want to sponsor a stay for me... ahem. Wishful thinking, I know.) This is my dream for my 45th birthday. Which unfortunately falls the day after my 20th wedding anniversary. I sincerely doubt Hubs is going to send me away to Hawaii (our place) for my birthday without him.

Sooo, it might have to wait for my 46th birthday... just sayin'.

Ooooh, wait. I did just notice a Swellco-ed package... gotta run. I've got some seeds to plant in Hubs' brain.

***Ally
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Monday Listicles - I Would Never...!

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along. 

This week on Monday Listicles: "I'll Never...": The Top Ten Things You Said You Would NEVER Do And Have Caught Yourself Doing by Greta at Not Enough Patience, And Never Enough Jewelry . Here it goes: 

1. Work in healthcare
2. Lick my finger to press down my son’s hair
3. Say “because I said so”
4. Become a runner
5. Get addicted to Facebook
6. Sign up for Twitter, start thinking in 140 characters or less, and use Twitter
7. Sign up for Pinterest
8. Watch a show about zombies (The Walking Dead), and like it
9. Cry at commercials
10. Singing along to songs playing in the grocery store (OMG, I died when I caught myself doing it! You KNOW it wasn't a hip song, people, it was the grocery store!)

And a little bonus, I get to pick next weeks topic! I really wanted to go with 10 things that give you anxiety, but I figured you all would say you didn't have any little ocd habits like me, and I'd be left all by myself with a list of 20. Sooooo, let's go with 10 things you'd like to see happen before you die - they can be anything from seeing the Cubs win the World Series (this is Hubs' #1) to meeting your great grandchildren. They can be things you participate in or things you just witness.

Happy Monday!
***Ally
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Five Question Friday on Saturday

Five Question Friday was over at Kate's Life while Mama M at My Little Life is out of town.

And leave it to me to do FQF on Saturday. Sometimes I'm late like that.


1. What's the the last thing you bought for yourself?
New running shoes. And while we're trying not to spend unnecessary money, I'll not apologize for this one, I needed them.

2. What is your favourite meal on a cold winter day? 

My husband's chili and beans. That's not the chili you normally thing of. It's chunks of tender beef in homemade chili sauce made from good quality chili powder, and refried beans (preferably black) on the side, served with tortillas to eat it with. Yum.

3. Have you started looking at swimsuits for this year, and do you buy a new one every year?

Yes and no. Yes, I've started looking - and found one I really want from Title 9. And I haven't had a new one in three years.

4. If you could be any candy what would you be and why?

Smooth silky chocolate. No one ever gets tired of that, right?

5. What are you most passionate about?

This is one of those questions up for interpretation. I'll go with how I originally took it. Depends on the day. My family, truth, logic. Then there are things like the underprivileged and animal welfare.


Bonus: ** What is your favorite thing to "pin" on Pinterest?
Inspirational fitness quotes. I'm a geek that way.


***Ally 
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Parents And The End Of High School

There are many types of parents you will encounter when you are the parent of a high school junior or senior. The same parents you've known since the kids were in kindergarten will transform before your eyes when the words "graduation" and "college" join the picture. They suddenly become Know What's Best For Your Kid Parent, Cheerleader Parent, Do-It-For-Them Parent, Down On Their Kid Parent, Run The Senior Party Parent, Tell You How To Do It Parent, and oh-so-many more.


The Know What's Best For Your Kid Parent usually has a child a year or two older than yours. They've been through it all, and have suddenly become experts in higher education... for your child. You and your child run into her at the local Target, and suddenly your child is under scrutiny and subject to a lengthy lecture on how it would really be best for him or her to enroll in Running Start, press hard, graduate from High School with an Associates Degree from the local Community College, allowing them the grand privilege of enrolling at the University as a Junior at the ripe old age of 18, and saving mom and dad tons of money.*  Give your child a squeeze, smile broadly, look at your watch and announce that you had no idea it was so late and you really must be going.

The Cheerleader Parent is over happy, and over enthusiastic about any ideas your child may express toward life after high school. Technical school - Yay! Community College - Yay! University - Yay! Ivy League - Yay! Get a job - Yay! Join the military - Yay! Rah! Rah! Rah! But under the surface you sense that all too common comparison going on. Is your child doing more than theirs? Less than theirs? Better than theirs? Worse than theirs? Smile, say thank you and know your child is doing exactly what they should be doing. For them.

The Do-It-For-Them Parent is fully prepared to fill out college applications for their child, write college entrance essays for their child, and will undoubtedly send college care packages big enough to feed the whole dorm floor. And they are shocked senseless at the thought that you are allowing your child to do it themselves. Smile, and keep doing what you're doing. Take pity on their child the first time they have to cook their own meal.

The Down On Their Kid Parent is generally the parent of a kid who either struggles with grades and motivation, or greatly fears their child being considered mediocre by others, so beats them to the punch by announcing that Johnny has to figure out how to pass math class before considering anything beyond high school and he'll "probably end up" at the local junior college with disgust in their voice. ** Keep that smile going and tell them you are sure Johnny will be great at whatever he does. It's not your battle.

The Run The Senior Party Parent has one purpose and one purpose only. That is to be in charge of the senior party and make it the party that she always wanted. She will recruit every parent she comes in contact with throughout the entire school year, and then she will make sure they know they are in an inferior position to her. As the date approaches she will not sleep, staying up until the wee hours running spread sheets of activities, fees, chaperones and the like. But stay away from her the week after the party is done, because she will fall into a deep depression with nothing to do, no lives to control and no FUN! to plan.  You have two choices - either know you can contribute in this environment, or run. Run far and fast. And hide out until senior year is over.

And then there's The Tell You How To Do It Parent. Although they seem similar to The Know What's Best For Your Kid Parent, they are distinctly different. They don't just know the best path for your child, they know exactly what both you and your child should be doing every.single.step of the way.  When they ask you how the process is going, excuse yourself to the bathroom.

Those parents are really just a distraction from the fact that your child is 17 or 18 years old. Your child will be making decisions for themselves. They'll have to do things for themselves that you really can't do for them. You'll have to step into a roll of guidance counselor, and for some helicopter parents, it may be a first time. The child will have to put themselves out there, and they might get disappointed - lower than expected SAT scores or not getting accepted where they want to go, and they'll have to pick themselves up and keep going. And chances are, they'll be okay. They'll probably be better than okay. And so will their parents.

***Ally
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* I have no problem with Running Start. It's a fabulous program and can save a family tens of thousands of dollars worth of college education. But I firmly believe that a student has to have the right personality, the right temperament and the right drive to succeed in this program. And I don't believe in taking away teenage experiences unless it's what the child wants. My son was very close to enrolling to get away from some of the "high school drama" (his words), however he really likes his calculus teacher and would rather take his 4th year of math with him. There are also two electives he wants to take at the high school, so he chose to stay with classes at the high school.

** Yes, I had a parent do this. She works as a college recruiter, and I can only assume she is somehow disappointed in her own child, though I shouldn't speak for her. Regardless, I was horrified at her attitude.

Morning Promises

I slowly open my eyes, seeing only darkness.

Creeping out of bed, I try not to wake anyone else.

Quietly, I open the door and curl into a chair on the lanai.

The sound of the waves rolling the grains of sand over and over themselves fills my ears. The morning sea air fills my nose.

A ribbon of light forms on the horizon, slowly growing, spreading. Outlines of palm trees show themselves against the expanding pink and fading midnight blue.

D opens the door and hands me a steaming mug of coffee, joining me silently.

The light continues to spread until the brilliance breaks the horizon.

Suddenly I'm forced to squint as I look at the water.

Heat warms my face as the rays bring promise of another golden day to warm my soul.

The magic of the silent sunrise gives way to plans of how we will spend the hours ahead soaking up that promise.

Oh Maui, I miss you.

***Ally
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Wordless Wednesday - Doggie Style

She wads her bed into the smallest ball possible before laying down on it. Sometimes it takes much circling and multiple tries. Crazy dog. But I admit she looks pretty comfy. Until her feet started hanging off.

There are days I'd like to curl up just like this.

***Ally
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Easy Fool-Proof Chili

I don't know about you, but I go through stages in my cooking. At times I love to make elaborate meals, or even semi-elaborate meals. Other times I want it quick and easy. If it were just me, those times I'd just eat a salad or a fruit & veggie smoothie. But a still growing teenager and hard working husband want a little more than that.

Sunday night I went back to my fool proof chili. They gobble it up and it's easy-peasy. The recipe changes slightly every time I make it, depending on what I have and how much I'm making. Sometimes I make more and freeze some in 1-2 serving sizes for those days when I know no one will have time to sit for dinner (usually baseball season).

There's also no hard or fast rule for beans and tomatoes. I like to throw some white beans in for color, but you can use any kind you like. I like green chiles in my tomatoes, but you can use plain. I also sometimes use crushed instead of diced - again, depends on what I have. It's hard to mess this stuff up! If you have time, you can also make your beans from dried to save money. Soak and cook them first, then add to the chili - you have to start a day early for that.

This was what I used for Sunday's recipe:

1+ lb lean ground beef (alternatives: ground turkey or chicken, or cubed beef)
3 cans kidney beans (or one larger can + 1 small can)
1 can great northern white beans
2 cans diced tomatoes with fire roasted green chiles
1 can tomato sauce
1 onion chopped
2-3 cloves minced garlic
oregano
cumin
salt
chili powder

Put a couple TBS of olive oil in the bottom of your stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, stir for one minute, add beef and brown. To be honest, I use lean beef so I don't have to drain the grease. I'm lazy like that.

Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and stir. Add 2 TBS dried oregano, maybe 1 TBS of cumin, maybe a couple tsp of salt, and 1-1/2 TBS chili powder. (I measure nothing - sorry) I use the good chili powder from the Mexican food store (we have several close by) or the Hispanic food aisle of the grocery store. Again, these seasonings are to taste!

That's it. Bring it to boiling, then turn it down, cover and simmer for a while to blend the flavors. Don't add too much liquid in the beginning, as the liquid will increase as it simmers. In our case, it simmered 1-1/2 hours. Just because. I don't even have a reason for that time other than that's what worked in our day. Could be longer, could be shorter.

Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream. And if you're really good, whip up a batch of corn bread! Yum!

please excuse the beat up bowl :)

***Ally
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Monday Listicles - Job Oddities

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along. 

Today's topic, chose by Squashed Mom,  was to be Top Ten Strange (odd/unusual/funny/interesting) Jobs you have held in your life.

I have been fortunate (or unfortunate? nah, we'll go with fortunate) enough to not hold too many different jobs, or jobs that were odd or interesting. In fact, I’ve only had something like 7 jobs in my 44 years. And only one was “unique” - I worked on a parasail boat in Maui. But that hardly qualifies for a list of 10.

However, three of those jobs were in photo labs -  a one-hour photo lab, and a couple of 30 minute photo labs. You remember - back when we used film.

So here’s 10 things I developed pictures of while working at the photo labs:

1. Rob Lowe and his then girlfriend, now wife, getting matching tattoos. Yes, I did.

2. An underwater scuba diving picture of Milli Vanilli with all their braids splayed out in the water. (If you are wondering, Milli Who?, then this picture is for you. They were a duo that won a Grammy in 1990, only to have it revoked when they it was found out that they didn’t really do the singing on the album. Oops.)

3. Childbirth. Very detailed childbirth. Which can be special and wonderful when it’s your own, I suppose, though I never had any desire to document my lady parts being stretched to elephant proportions. But complete strangers? Awkward. Especially when they come in to pick them up.

4. AFS. AFS = Another F**king Sunset. I actually truly love sunset pictures. But when you develop pictures on Maui, do you know how many sunset pictures you see? We had long dubbed them AFS.

5. Bachelor parties. Crude. Did you know that some women can pick things up (like rolled dollar bills) with their lady parts?

6. Humpback whales. Breaching, tail flapping, fin slapping. Up close and personal. Two of those three photo processing jobs were in Maui.

7. Brides in underwear. For every wedding, there is a picture of the bride in her sexy-under-the-dress-lingerie getting ready.

8.  Blurry fish. Disposable underwater cameras were all the rage when I was working in Hawaii. But fish swim fast, and people not so much.

9. Babies. Cute babies. Hundreds of babies. I knowwe all thought our own was the cutest (and of course, mine is) but there are some really cute baby pics out there.

10. Jimi Hendrix as a child, a teen, and a young adult. Before his dad died, he brought us a pile of old pictures to make copies of. Back then, before digital scanners, we had to make something called “copy negatives” - essentially, we took a high quality picture of a picture to make a new negative. It was quite an honor.

***Ally
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Friday Funnies

I am generally an easy going, nice person. So don't go thinking I've gone over the edge. But I do love me some snarky humor. And these were brilliantly hilarious. You can thank my husband's aunt. SHE is hilarious. Enjoy.

Happy Friday, everyone!  Have a fabulous weekend!

***Ally
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At Risk For Identity Theft?

The following is a sponsored post, but all opinions and FEARS expressed are mine! :)

I don't know about you, but Hubs and I have worked hard over the years to keep our credit score high, our debts low and our assets safe.

We have twice had a credit card number stolen, and used for purchases. Both times it was caught, the credit card company was great about immediately reversing the charges and pursuing it themselves. Of course we had to change credit card numbers, which can be a huge pain if you have any automatic payments set up, as we do. But that was a while ago, before things became so sophisticated.

Today I hear more and more about identity theft. Social security numbers being used to set up whole new identities with debts and other evils, all tied back to that original social security number. And people don't find out about it until they go to get a loan, or start getting bills for things or from places they've never seen. In fact, I just read an article about them getting so sophisticated as to be able to predict the next social security numbers being assigned for newborns and stealing those while the person is an infant. They are working to change the way they assign the numbers now. Scary.

The worst part is the stories of victims that spend years and so much money trying to undo the damage. I can't imagine. We've stayed afloat these last few years despite a nasty lay off for Hubs and a really crappy economy making it harder than ever to get back to a well paying job. The economy has hurt my business, as well, with people having less cash and lower health insurance benefits to receive my services. We're a year and a half away from figuring out how to pay for The Boy to go to college.

What would happen if we suffered identity theft? What would happen if we couldn't qualify for a loan? It would be devastating to lose the financial ground we've worked so hard to maintain. It would be devastating to not be able to access the resources we need to help our son reach his dreams.

Hackers are smart with the internet making so much available to their super-smart, but unlawful,  fingertips. Identity theft protection is one way to safeguard against the risks out there. IdentityHawk is a company offering such protection. I love the idea that they offer something that makes you feel proactive in protecting your name and what you have. They monitor your credit rating, as well as public data bases and user forums, security breaches at companies and organizations, and they scan for things like someone else opening a credit card in your name. They have email and text alerts if your information has been compromised and can place fraud alerts at the credit bureaus if you believe your information has been stolen. They even have identity recovery experts and identity theft insurance.

IdentityHawk offers a feeling of security in world that isn't always as secure as we'd like it to be.

I urge you to keep yourself safe. Keep your passwords complicated and secure. Keep your social security number secure. Do your annual free credit checks to make sure you know what your credit score and history look like. And consider a little more comprehensive security if it's right for you.

***Ally
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Unanswered Prayers

Do you remember those times when you were young and "in love". You'd have done anything for him or her to be "the one".

Let me count the times. Alright, I'll only highlight the memorable ones.

The kid I liked in kindergarten. He flipped me off in second grade. He married his high school sweetheart, cheated on her, got a divorce, remarried and is just now having kids again at 45. As the mother of a 17 year old, I shudder at the thought.

There was that guy in high school that I was in love with. Okay, not really, but I WAS in love with his eyes. He had really beautiful eyes. We were with a small group that was going to attend a Friday night dance together. And he made it appear he and I were attending "together". Until we got there and he found my friend a whole lot more interesting. Now? Who knows, but he turned out to be a serious head case even back then. In a creepy sort of way that today would make you fear school shootings.

There was the other guy in high school. He was adorable and sweet and rumor went around he was going to ask me to the Homecoming Dance. But then he asked one of my friends. One of my underclassmen friends. And now? Now he is still adorable, married, beautiful kids, successful... well, I'm sure he farts a lot and has halitosis.

Then there's that guy when I was 21. We dated until I found out the hard way that he was only dating me to get to know my roommate.Who he married and had four beautiful children. Come to find out he was emotionally abusive and she divorced him much later than she should have. I'm still friends with my old roommate.

There's an old Garth Brooks song that goes like this:

Sometimes I thank God

For Unanswered Prayers

Remember when you're talking 

To the Man upstairs

Just because he doesn't answer

Doesn't mean he don't care

Some of God's greatest gifts

Are unanswered prayers.

I couldn't have said it better myself. 

***Ally

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*For the record - I quoted those lyrics from memory. Years ago I  had an enormous thing for Garth Brooks. Daffy at Batcrap Crazy - she once got to interpret a Garth concert. (sign language) I'm so jealous. Even now that I don't really listen to his stuff anymore.

**Wow. There appears to be a pattern there of guys I liked, liking my friends. Glad I could help.

Wordless Wednesday - Sunrise

I really love watching the sunrise turn the sky pink over my mountain. Okay, it's not my mountain. It's Mt. Rainier. But I used to have a lovely view of it.

Now I need a secret tree removal expert.

***Ally
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Monday Listicles - Unkept Resolutions

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along. 


This week we are making a list of 10 resolutions we WON'T keep.


1. I’ll finish the multiple scrap book projects I have started. Um, no. I’ve got projects dating back years. It’s not likely to change anytime soon.

2. I will keep my house picked up and looking clean so I’m not horrified if someone stops by unannounced. Oh be serious. We LIVE in this house. And most days it LOOKS like we live in this house.

3. I will keep my business tax paperwork organized and updated at all times. Nah, I like to live on the edge. What fun is it if I don’t have to sit down at the last minute flipping through receipts and trying to remember how many work related miles I drove?

4. I will give up processed cane sugar. Look, I do really well at this most of the time. I have a lot of tricks and substitutions that make my brain believe it’s getting a treat. (Like my frozen banana/chocolate soft serve with protein - no sugar except what’s natural in the banana) And I actually enjoy eating healthy and feeling healthy. But I LIKE sweets. So I will occasionally let myself have them. I will, however, be much better than I was this holiday season! GAH!

5. If I don’t have anything nice to say, I won’t say anything at all. It’s a good goal, really it is. But I’m a realist. And I have a sister-in-law that provides me with WAY too much fodder to keep my mouth shut.

6. I will get up an hour early every day to write. You know, this is something I might like to try sometime, but I really love my sleep, so even if I do it, it won’t be every day.

7. I will lose my obsession with Dave Matthews.  --Yeah, no. Not likely.

8. Unplug from my blog, Facebook and twitter.  Bwahahaha.

9. Write the online course I was supposed to have done months ago.  My heart is just not in this. I hope I prove myself wrong and actually get this done.

10. Make 2012 Resolutions. I simply don’t do resolutions. If there is something I need to do bad enough, then I work on making the lifestyle change to do it - any time of year. Resolutions just end up being something to fail at, and nobody feels good about failing.

So whether you do resolutions or not, let's just have an amazing year!

***Ally
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