Year In Review - 2006

The Week In-Between

Our Christmas was wonderful. The kids had fun leaving cookies and milk (as well as "reindeer food" (dry oats & red glitter!)) out for Santa and his crew Christmas Eve and they enjoyed a fantastic Christmas day. I'd been working my tail off to get as many things done ahead of time that I possibly could - in hopes of actually sitting down and enjoying some rest on Christmas day. It was all for naught, however, as I literally did not stop moving from 6 AM until I collapsed on a heap on the couch at 6:30 PM (with a fever, chills and body aches - oi!). The meal turned out wonderful and the company was great.

The kids each received a new set of golf clubs (which we are going to get out and put to use as soon as my daughter and I are feeling better!). The family got a Playstation (2 - not 3) - our first video game system since the early 90's. We are enjoying it so much! Other well-received gifts include an Easy Bake Oven, a Marble Racer, various Hot Wheel cars and accessories, a whole slew of Disney's Ariel dolls as well as clothes, Leapster games, books and a few new DVD's.

I'm not planning anything huge for New Year's... We will have a few friends over for drinks. Baked Potato Cheese Soup, homemade bread and cheesecake are the only things I'm planning on making.

I can't believe it's time to say goodbye to yet another year!

Holiday Menu

We are once again having Christmas dinner here and I thought it'd be fun to post my menu. I'll put up recipes in case anyone is interested as time permits.

Breakfast: Made-To-Order Omelettes (a la Daddy!)

Appetzers: Spanakopita, Onion Tartlets, Pita Chips & Greek Feta Cheese Dip, Meatballs

Dinner: Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Prime Rib, Yorkshire Pudding, Homemade Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Creamed Spinach

Dessert: Pecan Pie, Individual Chocolate Molten Cakes

(Then - back to the gym on Tuesday!)

Happy Holidays!

Autism Speaks 2006 - Ornament

"The 2006 Autism Speaks Holiday Ornament (seen at left) is available from Bloomingdale's online and in selected Bloomingdale's stores. Autism Speaks will receive 40% of the proceeds from the sale of the item."

Live Lobster!

Now - I love lobster as much as the next guy and I have ordered food through the mail (a la Omaha Steaks) and admit to have been extremely pleased with my purchases. I think I would absolutely FREAK OUT, though, if I were ever to receive a LIVE lobster in the mail as a gift!

Lost Dad Found Dead In Wilderness

This story is incredibly sad. I was hoping against hope that James would be found alive - how tragic.

James and Kati

Update On Us

Crazy time of year...

I apologize (to anyone who cares) that I haven't been updating very regularly!

Let's see... When I last posted, my husband had just survived his first colonoscopy. I'm happy to report that all is well. One polyp was removed but a biopsy found it to be benign. He's free and clear for another 5-10 years and is very thankful that the test will not be something that is required on an annual basis. He agrees with what we'd read beforehand - that the preparation the day and night before is much worse than the procedure itself. Thanks to some wonderful medicinal help, he felt no pain (during or afterwards) and woke up from the whole thing with no memory of it whatsoever!

Our Thanksgiving was nice. We spent a few hours at a local Rescue Mission serving meals to local homeless before going to my Mother's for an early dinner. It was a great experience. I think it's safe to say that all 4 of us (even the children - young as they are) gained something from it. We've decided to make it an annual part of our Thanksgiving. It was emotional and a lot of work - but worth it. I urge anyone who reads this to look into helping out Rescue Missions in their area. I had no idea that many of these places serve not just meals on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas - but 3 meals a day 365 days a year!

The kids are doing well in school. They're actually doing incredible at school. I'm so proud of both of them. I'm starting to notice more obvious differences between my (Autistic) son and his peers and that's had me down recently - but we knew those differences were going to start becoming more evident sooner or later. Most of his issues right now are socially, I'd say. He's so awkward and has an air of immaturity about him that most of the kids in 1st grade are growing out of. He's such a sweetheart and, God bless him, is keeping up with the academics better than I ever dreamed he would. I want the world for him and try to be thankful for his srides and accomplishments and not dwell on the things he struggles with.

We're not certain yet but we migh be taking the kids on a trip to Disney World next June for their 7th and 8th birthdays. So exciting! We actually have a few potential trips in the works for 2007... Every year, my husband attends an industry convention and takes me with him. This year, it took us to Orlando. In 2007, it'll be Las Vegas so I'm excited about that. It's over Super Bowl weekend too - we love Vegas for the Super Bowl! We're also contemplating a long-weekend cruise (just the 2 of us) in early March.

I can't promise that I'll update daily for the remaining of 2006 but I will try to be better. Christmas is 3 weeks from today - that blows my mind! 2007 is almost here!

Goodbye, Greg!

I'm so glad my kids don't follow The Wiggles as much as they used to - they'd be heartbroken!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are taking the children to a Rescue Mission today to help serve a meal. It's the first time we've ever done this with them and, at 6 and 7, I'm not 100% certain that they're at an appropriate age. We're going to give it a shot, though, as we both feel it is important for them to start understanding that not all people are as fortunate as they are.

Afterwards, we will head to my Mother's house for football and, of course, some over-indulging of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.

O.J. to discuss killings

LOS ANGELES - Fox plans to broadcast an interview with O.J. Simpson in which the former football star discusses "how he would have committed" the slayings of his ex-wife and her friend, for which he was acquitted, the network said.

The two-part interview, titled "O.J. Simpson: If I Did It, Here's How It Happened," will air Nov. 27 and Nov. 29, the TV network said.

Simpson has agreed to an "unrestricted" interview with book publisher Judith Regan, Fox said.

"O.J. Simpson, in his own words, tells for the first time how he would have committed the murders if he were the one responsible for the crimes," the network said in a statement. "In the two-part event, Simpson describes how he would have carried out the murders he has vehemently denied committing for over a decade."

The interview will air days before Simpson's new book, "If I Did It," goes on sale Nov. 30. The book, published by Regan, "hypothetically describes how the murders would have been committed."

In a video clip on the network's Web site, an off-screen interviewer says to Simpson, "You wrote 'I have never seen so much blood in my life.'"

"I don't think any two people could be murdered without everybody being covered in blood," Simpson responds.

Simpson, who now lives in Florida, was acquitted in a criminal trial of the 1994 killings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. Simpson was later found liable in 1997 in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Goldman family.

Messages left with Simpson and his attorney Yale Galanter were not immediately returned.

My Lord - does the man have no shame?! This makes me ill.

"Hypothetically"? Hah! I, personally, am of the belief that he knows exactly how those two people were murdered.

Is Fox paying him for this interview? Is he getting paid for writing the book??

Flu Shots and Mercury

From The National Autsm Association:

Most Americans Surprised, Concerned that 90 Percent of Flu Shots Contain the Toxin Mercury

Health Officials' Aggressive Flu Shot Campaign May Disregard Safety, According to Survey of 9,000 Americans

74 Percent of Respondents Unaware Flu Shots Contain Mercury, 78 Percent Disagree with CDC About Vaccinating Pregnant Women and Children

PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- As health officials step up their effort to vaccinate Americans against the flu, a new survey suggests serious concerns over the toxin mercury, an ingredient in over 90 percent of this season's flu shot supply. PutChildrenFirst.org, a parent-led organization advocating vaccine safety, commissioned a survey of over 9,000 Americans to learn their plans for getting flu shots, their knowledge of its ingredients, and who they hold responsible for making sure vaccines are safe.
The survey revealed that the overwhelming majority of Americans were unaware that most flu shots contain mercury and that they would refuse a shot with mercury. (See page two for the key findings.)

"More than 75 percent of Americans feel a mercury-containing flu shot should not be given to a pregnant woman or a child, despite recommendations from medical authorities to do just that," said Lisa Handley, a founding parent of PutChildrenFirst.org. Her own son, Jamison, had an adverse reaction to a flu shot containing mercury in 2003. "I know firsthand how life-changing a flu shot with mercury can be, since our son began his regression into autism after his flu shot."

In 1999, government agencies called for the removal of Thimerosal, the mercury-based preservative in most vaccines. Then, in 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that, "mercury in all of its forms is toxic to the fetus and children, and efforts should be made to reduce exposure to the extent possible to pregnant women and children as well as the general population." Despite these actions, 90 percent of this season's flu vaccines still contain Thimerosal, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are recommending the vaccine for pregnant women and children six months and older.

These recommendations come on the heels of recent studies that reveal new findings about the neurological effects of mercury and question the effectiveness of flu shots. Mercury, the second most toxic element after plutonium, is estimated to be 500 to 1,000 times more toxic than lead.

"A common myth is that Thimerosal is added to vaccines in 'trace' amounts," said Mike Wagnitz, who has over 20 years experience evaluating materials for mercury and is employed as a senior chemist with the University of Wisconsin. "The concentration of mercury in a multi-dose flu vaccine vial is 50,000 parts per billion. To put this in perspective, drinking water cannot exceed 2 parts per billion of mercury, and waste is considered hazardous if it has only 200 parts per billion. Is it really safe then to inject pregnant women, newborns, and infants with levels of mercury 250 times higher than what is legally classified as hazardous waste?"

Agreeing that mercury has no place in vaccines, seven states have passed Thimerosal bans in recent years: California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, New York, and Washington. California is the first to have implemented the ban for the current flu season, but Governor Schwarzenegger temporarily overturned the ban on November 2 after a shortage of mercury-free flu shots led to pressure from state medical groups.

"Parents need to be informed about all aspects of their children's healthcare, including vaccines," said Deirdre Imus, President and founder of The Deirdre Imus Environmental Center for Pediatric Oncology at Hackensack University Medical Center and co-founder and co-director, with husband Don Imus, of The Imus Cattle Ranch for Kids with Cancer. "It doesn't make common sense to inject Thimerosal, a known neurotoxin, into the bloodstream of our babies."

This fall, two studies were published in leading medical journals admitting that limited data exists to support the effectiveness of flu shots. One study, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, noted that, "there is scant data on the efficacy and effectiveness of influenza vaccine in young children."

"So, not only is the flu shot's effectiveness in doubt, there is plenty of evidence revealing the devastating effects of mercury," said J.B. Handley, Lisa's husband and a founder of PutChildrenFirst.org. "Our health authorities are not being forthcoming about mercury's presence in shots and its toxicity to the nervous system. Our children deserve better."

"With everything we know about the dangers of mercury and the havoc it can wreak on young, developing brains, there is no excuse for any vaccine to contain mercury," said Lyn Redwood, RN, MSN, President of SafeMinds, a nonprofit committed to ending mercury-induced neurological disorders. "The survey reveals that Americans are overwhelmingly in the dark about what is in most flu shots. They do not want a known neurotoxin injected into their children, and they believe Congress and medical professionals must be more vigilant about keeping vaccines safe and mercury-free."

Key findings from the poll, conducted October 27-30 by Zogby International, include:

* 74 percent of respondents are unaware that most flu shots contain
mercury.
* After learning that mercury is an ingredient, 74 percent are less likely
to get a flu shot and 86 percent of parents say they are less likely to
get their child a flu shot.
* 78 percent of respondents believe mercury should not be an ingredient in
flu shots given to pregnant women and children.
* 73 percent believe the government should warn pregnant women not to get
a flu shot if it contains mercury.
* More than 70 percent agree that Congress, doctors and medical groups
(e.g., the American Academy of Pediatrics) should take responsibility
for ensuring that vaccines do not contain mercury.
* 80 percent of respondents and 82 percent of parents are willing to pay
the $2.50 additional cost for a mercury-free flu shot.

PutChildrenFirst.org is a parent-led initiative advocating vaccine safety and a division of Generation Rescue, a nonprofit organization providing parents with information on the relationship between mercury and its relationship to Autism Spectrum Disorders. Generation Rescue gives parents information to make informed decisions about treatment options and physicians. Generation Rescue is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit founded in 2005.

Bringing Up The Rear

My poor husband... He's spent he whole evening "preparing" for his very first colonoscopy tomorrow. His doctor has been urging him to have one done since he turned 50 last yea and tomorrow is the big day. Wish him (us!) luck!

Oh boy...

Almost a month since my last post? Where does the time go? October was a busy month for us with the school's jog-a-thon, Halloween preparations and parties, trick-or-treating and class celebrations. I'd like to say that November should be slower but I know it won't be! Thanksgiving and then, of course, Christmas, will be here before we know it.

The kids enjoyed trick-or-treating this year. My daughter was a genie and my son was a race-car driver. (Both costumes were from Gymboree and just adorable.) The kids were so cute - bubbling with excitement and absurdly thankful for every last piece of anything that was tossed into their trick-or-treat buckets. It's not my favorite holiday - but the little ones certainly enjoy it!

I've been busy preparing for something I hope to do well with on eBay... I've started making bracelets for little girls! I've researched a lot and have taken my time in learning and have found that I really enjoy this. I'm using only quality findings - glass beads (no plastic), Swarovski crystals, Grade A cat's eye beads and sterling silver (not silver plated) spacers and clasps. I'm going to start blogging about the iems I create soon and will post information here on that. Wish me luck!

The children finished their first quarter of 1st grade (already) and both received fantastic report cards. I'm so proud. They both have to work very hard to keep up with the math but their reading is coming along wonderfully. It's so much fun to witness them learn and grow!

I'm enjoying the heck out of my primetime television shows this Fall. Studio 60 is so incredible - it ticks me off that there is talk of it getting cancelled already. I wish the network would give it more time. I agree with the TV Guide writer who said that it might be "too smart a show" for people. They're talking about replacing it with Deal Or No Deal for heaven's sake. Gag! It's brilliantly written (Studio 60) and the acting is just amazing. I'll be sad to see it go. Amazing Race has been fun as has Survivor. I, of course, am loving Grey's Anatomy. What fun, last week, to learn that Dr. McDreamy has a McSister! I'm unsure about the way Dr. Burke's injury storyline is going but trust Shonda Rhimes and am trying to be patient. (Interesting gossip about Isaiah Washington's behavior on-set, isn't there?) I wsn't surprised when TR Knight "came out" a few weeks ago and was pleased to learn that he is apparently seeing an actor from another favorite new show of mine - Brothers & Sisters!

Internet Safety

John Walsh has teamed up with Julie Aigner-Clark (of the Baby Einstein phenomena) to create a new DVD that wil be available tomorrow. It is geared towards helping families (parents and children) learn about internet safety. I hope that all of my friends with school-age children consider picking it up and watching it with their kids!

Sunday Update

Wow - where did the week go? Things have been so busy around here...

(Ugh - as I'm typing this - first word is coming out that North Korea may have conducted its first nuclear test...)

We had a nice weekend at home. We kept busy but had no dinners, appointments or functions to go to. We enjoyed just relaxing at home with the kids. We baked a fantastic new bread recipe (see below), worked in the yard a bit and decorated the house and the porch for Halloween.

We watched the California gubernatorial debate and did paint touch-ups in and around the house. I enjoyed the Fox News 10-year anniversary shows today while ironing and the kids watched Willie Wonka (for just the 27th time). You gotta love Johnny Depp in that one... After the children went to bed last night, my husband and I caught up on some of the many television shows that we've had on the DVR for the past few weeks. We watched 3 episodes of ER (amazingly great show!), 2 episodes of Jericho (which we are warming up to) and 2 episodes of one of my favorite new shows - Studio 60. WOW is that a fantastic show. I'm a huge fan of Bradley Whitford and, like with West Wing, Aaron Sorkin has managed to do it again - the guy is a genius.

I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about possibly working part-time. I haven't had an "official" job in years (and the thought of resumes, applications and interviews makes my skin crawl) but still feel like I have some useful skills that could be put to good use. Even though the kids are in school 6 hours/day, I'd really prefer to do something from home or, at the least, something very flexible. (I don't want to give up the gym or volunteering in the kids' classrooms 2 days/week.) Two things I've contemplated haven't quite worked out. I have another two that I'm still working on. I'll post when (if!) there is news to share!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

3 cups white sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 1 pound size coffee cans, or three 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill cans 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from cans or pans.

Happy 51st, Sweetheart!

The Day Fire

A fire being called 'The Day Fire' has been burning about an hour away from us since Labor Day. We were driving home from the NASCAR race in Fontana on the day it began and -fortunately - made it home just a few hours before the fire temporarily closed Interstate 5. (We've had to worry about freeway closures every time we've driven into L.A. this month - every time the wind changes, I-5 is threatened!)

They are saying that the fire is the largest and longest-burning in the history of the state. As of today, the fire has burned 144,884 acres and is 42% contained.

My husband was surprised to find his new car (a gorgeous, black 2007 Chevy Corvette) covered in ash yesterday evening but the smoke has made for some incredible sunsets over the past few nights...

Golf Legnd Byron Nelson Dies

He retired from golf at age 34 (after winning a record 11 consecutive tournaments in a row - somethig even Tiger hasn't done (yet!)).

Matt WHO?

What do these two men have in common? Not a whole heck of a lot... Their last names (Damon and Craven) do sound a lot alike, though - especially when spoken over a cell-phone on a windy day at the golf course...

Finally!

I've been waiting for Grey's Anatomy to start ever since the season finale last season. I'm so excited that tonight is finally the night! I've waited all Summer for the answers to my questions...

Will Izzie really leave Seatte Grace? Will He-Shepherd finally leave She-Shepherd for his true-love, Meredith? Will the handsome Dr. Burke be able to operate again? Will Christina stay at his side if he is unable to? Will Dr. McSteamy grace us with his presence again?

How many hours until it's 9 PM???

Knee Pads

Both of our kids were invited to a birthday party this afternoon - a rollerskating party. Sounds like fun, right? Unfortunately, neither of my kids has ever even touched a pair of roller skates - much less tried to maneuver a busy rink with them on their feet! They were both eager and willing to try, though - such troopers. Much to my dismay, 95% of the other kids were zipping around like little maniacs on theirs - while my kids frantically and hysterically tried to simply keep their balance. We did roller skates initially but someone suggested we switch to roller blades and the kids seemed to prefer them. It wasn't pretty - I won't lie - but in just the 90 minutes we were out there, I have to say that we did see marked improvement! More impressive than that was my son's determination. He definitely lags behnd his peers in the gross motor department - but he did not want to give up - he was determined to master them! He asked (and asked and asked and asked) for his own pair and we have decided to get them both some. I wanted to wait until Christmas (thinking they'd make a great Santa gift) but the kid wants them yesterday... Off to the sporting-goods store this weekend!

9th Annual AFI Golf Classic

Like last year, my husband will be golfing in the 9th Annual AFI Golf Classic again next week. It's being held at Trump National this year - it'll be his 2nd opportuity to golf at that fabulous course. He won't find out which celebrity he'll be playing with until that morning - he'd love the chance to play with Ray again!

Dancing

My husband surprised me last week with VIP tickets to a taping of Dancing With The Stars! My girlfriend and I are going this afternoon and we can't wait. Contestants this season include Vivica A. Fox, Joey Lawrence, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Springer, Mario Lopez, Sara Evans, Monique Coleman, Tucker Carlson, Willa Ford, Harry Hamlin and Shanna Moakler - should be a blast!

And - just for fun - take a look at the Vegas odds for the dancers! (My bet is that those will change a bit based on last nights' performances!)

Never Forget

The almost 3,000 people who died 5 years ago today and their families are on my mind...
I know I will never forget.

Fontana Fun

We survived our weekend at the races! We came home early Monday (missing most of the Labor Day traffic, thankfully) - tired and with our ears and heads still buzzing. The kids had a great time and I have to admit - I did too! The whole experience was much more enjoyable than I thought it'd be. The only bad thing about the weekend was the temperatures - it was hot as holy hell out there with little to no shade and blacktop everywhere. I was terribly thankful for the suite (and the air-conditioning) - which I did not venture out of often! My son (a NASCAR enthusiast and the main reason we decided to go) had an incredible time and we loved seeing him enjoy himself so much.

If The Rumors Are True...

...and Storm Large was kicked off of Rock Star : SUPERNOVA this morning, I'm going to be so sad! I've grown to adore her this Summer. I don't know if she was a perfect match for Tommy, Gilby and Jason, frankly, but hate to see her leave regardless. She's amassed quite a fan base during her run on the show and I have no doubt that she'll go far. My hubby and I have both agreed that we'd pay to see her perform! GO STORM!

Father's Age May Play Role In Autism

There was an interesting new AP story out yesterday regarding a possible correlation between a Father's age and the occurrence of Autism.

NASCAR: Here We Come

Tomorrow, my family and I will be attending our first NASCAR Race. I'm not exactly a NASCAR kind of person - knowing next to nothing about the sport at all until about a year ago. My 7-year old son has somehow become quite an enthusiast and since this weekends' race is here in California (at the California Speedway in Fontana), we've decided to take him down for it. If you ask him who his favorite is, he'll tell you "orange Home Depot #20 - Tony Stewart". Cracks me up. I'm going with an open mind - not sure if I'll like it or not but eager to experience it (at least once) nonetheless. My daughter feels the way I do - she is definitely pleased that Kelly Clarkson will be there as Grand Marshall, though!

We will be in the Team Chevrolet suite which is, from what I hear, quite spectacular. We look forward to seeing Jim Belushi perform as well as checking out the Chalet Village and my husband and son cannot wait to make good use of the pit passes they have!

Lost my iPod!

I'm so annoyed... I have (rather - had) a little iPod Shuffle that my husband won as a tee-prize at a golf tournament a year and a half ago and gave to me. I never dreamed I'd want one until I actually started using it - I grew to love it! Unfortunately, it was lost somehow last week. I had it Monday (at the gym) but couldn't find it Wednesday when I went. I've checked my car, purse, lost-and-found at the gym... It has simply fallen off the face of the earth!

My hubby - bless his soul - took pity upon me (he knows how attached I was to it) and has ordered me a new one. This time, I'm getting a regular iPod - the 60GB one that holds not only music, but podcasts, pictures and up to 150 videos as well! I'm such a lucky girl...

Update: When things fall off the face of the earth, they apparently fall into my laundry room. A day and a half after my Shuffle disappeared, that's where I found it! I brought it in from the car Monday - wanting to add a few newly-downloaded songs onto it - and set it down in there for some reason... Mystery solved!

1st Few Days Of 1st Grade

Monday August 21 was the first day of school for my kids. They were so excited about going. I was excited for them - anxious about how they'd handle the transtion, though, and the longer days. (Our Kindergarten was only 3 hours - 1st grade is a full 6.) My son had no issues early on - he eagerly ran into his classroom Monday morning, hung up his backpack and started coloring the picture left on his desk by his teacher. No tears, no fear, no clinging... Such a big boy!

My daughter, on the other hand, was a bit more nervous. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, she was placed in a 1st grade class with not one single child she knew. This year, our school had a large influx of children who graduated from a Montessori Kindergarten. Instead of dividing the Montessori kids up and putting 2 or 3 of them in each already-established 1st grade class, a new 1st grade class was created and they were all put in it along with one child from each of our schools' Kindergarten classes last year. (My daughter was the one chosen from her class.) The classroom was unfamiliar - the kids were not known to her - even the teacher was new (hired to teach the class just last Thursday!) and my poor little girl definitely felt out of her element. She put on a brave face and insisted that she was o.k. but her face (especially her eyes) told a different story. I hated leaving her - knowing how uncomfortable she was. She is a great kid, though - well-adjusted, friendly, social and popular... I knew (hoped) it wouldn't be long before she felt better about things. And - in fact - it wasn't long... My best friend (who teaches special-ed Kindergarten at the school) took a picture of her at lunch - happy as a clam with a big smile on her face - and sent it to me to ease my worries.

They both are noticing the longer days. They're exhausted when they get home and asking to go to bed before dinner! Things seem to be going as well as can be expected, though. I know (have heard, anyway) that the transition from Kidergarten to 1st grade is a big one for most. My son did cry a bit Monday afternoon but I was told that half of the class did. Both children are still enjoying it and are excited to go every morning so that's a good thing. I have learned that some of my son's stims (verbal "chirps") are re-surfacing as he copes with the new environment/children/teacher/curriculum/expectations. I cried for 2 hours last night over it. I know it's understandable considering the circumstaces but my heart just hurts for him. I'd like to help him find a more "socially-appropriate" way to regulate his anxety - I just don't know how (or if it's even possible at this age). Poor litle guy...

Both teachers seem to enjoy the children (they are personable little people - even if I do say so myself!) and my son's teacher has commented that she is especially impressed with the reading skills he's showed thus far.

Right now, I just wish I could fast-forward to October!

I was looking into swim lessons, gymnastics, tae kwon do, dance (etc.) for the kids as possible extra-curricular activities but I have decided to hold off for a while until both kids are comfortable and settled in.

Weekend Ramblings

I had a great birthday yesterday. My kids gave me cards (store-bought and homemade) in the morning as well as a bottle of this new cologne I've been wanting. I received a few birthday e-mails and was serenaded with Happy Birthday a few times.

After lunch, we attended a Meet-The-Teacher gathering at the kids' elementary school. We were able to finally meet their 1st grade teachers and check out their new classrooms. In the afternoon my daughter had a girlfriend over to play while my son and I baked peanut-butter cookies.

We had a baby-sitter in the evening and went out for Italian food with my parents and our best friends. My Mom surprised me with a few great gifts - a computer program I'd been wanting (Master Cook Deluxe 9.0) and three books on my Amazon WishList. My sister sent me a lovely bouquet of lillies and our friends brought me a huge basket filled with New Orleans foods (mix for beignets, gumbo, jambalaya and dirty rice) as well as bottle of Bacardi Hurricane Drink Mix and one of Emeril Lagasse's amazing cookbooks. I was completely surprised by my husband with a gorgeous peridot (my birthstone) necklace presented to me just before dinner. He told me that he and our jeweler had been working on it for a while and I absolutely love it - it's not like anything I've ever seen before.

I'm not a fan of getting older but had a rather excellent day regardless!

We did a lot of work in he yard today and took the kids for haircuts before having dinner at The Elephant Bar. Tomorrow (Sunday), we will take it easy and enjoy our last day with the kids before they start the 2006-07 schoolyear. I think we're in for another heat-wave so we'll probably spend most of our day in the pool. It's Hard to believe that the Summer is over already!

Happy Birthday to me!

Your Birthdate: August 18

You are a cohesive force - able to bring many people together for a common cause. You tend to excel in work situations, but you also facilitate a lot of social gatherings too. Beyond being a good leader, you are good at inspiring others. You also keep your powerful emotions in check - you know when to emote and when to repress. Your strength: Emotional maturity beyond your years Your weakness: Wearing yourself down with too many responsibilities Your power color: Crimson red Your power symbol: Snowflake Your power month: September

Other August 18 birthdays...

Actor Edward Norton born 1969
Actor Christian Slater born 1969
Actress Madeleine Stowe born 1958
Actor Patrick Swayze born 1954
Actor Robert Redford born 1937

Happy Anniversary

Those close to me knows how big anniversaries are to me. I celebrate (or, at least, acknowledge) anniversaries of just about everything.

Exactly one year ago today, I wrote my first blog post!

So Long Desktop...

Am I the last person on the planet to trade in her trusty old desktop for a laptop?

When shopping for a new computer a little over a month ago, I headed straight to the area of the store that carried the (goliath) desktop computers. My Best Buy salesguy, however, asked me why I would want a gigantic desktop when a streamlined laptop could do just as much - if not more. I let him pitch me and ended up buying an HP Pavilion notebook and signed up for 3 years of Geek Squad help ("just in case"). We also bought a new HP Officejet All-in-One, the necessary spyware and anti-virus programs and a wireless router. We were online and wireless within a few days! I love it!

Blue Man Group

We saw BMG last August while in Las Vegas (before they moved from The Luxor to The Venetian). It was an unusual but totally enjoyable show. I read this morning that they will be making appearances on the NBC Show America's Got Talent both tomorrow (Wednesday) night and Thursday night.

They are also going to be on tour this Fall. We hope to see them at The Arrowhead Pond in November for their How To Be A Megastar 2.0 show.

Edited to add: I did not see whether or not they were on Wednesday's show but I did manage to see them do Baba O'Reiley (by The Who) on Thursday - loved it!

Fallin' Asleep At The Wheel Again, Baby...

Tuesday August 8 - Tuesday afternoon, we packed up our car and headed east to Vegas for our annual anniversary trip. Like last year, we went with our best friends. They are so much fun. We stopped at the Bun Boy restaurant in Baker (where the "tallest thermometer in the world" claimed it was 120 degrees!) only to find out that they were "closed for maintenace" so it was gyros and greek salad across the street at The Mad Greek instead. We pulled up to The Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino at about 8 PM and checked into our rooms. At 9, we met in our friends' room for Jagermeister (and chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne - an anniversary tradition our friends started last year) while we watched the episode of Rock Star : Supernova that we attended the taping of last weekend. Once that was over, we went down for dinner (and more drinks) at the Micro Brewery Pub. We gambled a bit (slots, roulette and blackjack) and were back in our rooms and asleep by 1 AM.

Wednesday August 9 - We had a leisurely morning, enjoying our Starbucks and playing roulette while the guys attended a Craps lesson at the hotel. Once they were finished, we walked down the strip to The Aladdin Hotel for lunch and shopping. We had heard about the 25-cent martinis they have for lunch at The Commander's Palace and planned on taking full advantage of that. The restaurant was amazing. The martinis were incredible and the food was great. It's probably the closest I'll ever get to real New Orleans cuisine. We had (aside from the martinis) pecan crusted catfish, boudin blanc, beignets...

Feeling no pain, we rolled out of there and decided it was time to shop. We've been to the Desert Passages before and really like it. Where else can you shop and drink beer, Jello shots and/or Everclear all at the same time?!

After a day filled with indulging, we (somehow!) ended up at Caesar's Palace and had a late dinner (and lots of water) at The Cheesecake Factory before heading back to our hotel at around midnight.

Thursday August 10 - The guys had a 5:45 AM tee-time at Las Vegas National Golf Club so they were up and on their way early. My girlfriend and I met at 9:30 AM for Starbucks before heading to the gym and spa for massages. After another Craps lesson and some roulette, we all met up for lunch at the Micro Brewery Pub again and then drove over to the Fashion Show Mall for more shopping. In hindsight, my girlfriend and I should've gone and left our (exhausted) husbands at the hotel to nap. We were back in our rooms around 5 PM and spent a few hours recuperating and napping. At 8:30 PM, we walked over to the MGM Grand and had drinks and appetizers at The Studio Cafe before heading over to see La Femme. (My first nudie show!) We all enjoyed it - it wasn't the best Vegas show I've ever seen (Mystere will always be my favorite, I think) but it was fun. We gambled a bit more back at our hotel and were in bed by 1:30 AM. (My girlfriend and I were, anyway - I don't think our husbands came up until close to 3:30 AM - they discovered the fun of Let It Ride and Texas Hold 'Em!)

Friday August 11 - We packed, retrieved our Starbucks and were on the road by 10 or 11 AM. (Not before stopping at a roulette table one last time and winning another $125 though!) It was, again, a great trip - such a fun way to commemorate our anniversary. We are thinking about going for New Year's Eve later this year - in all of the 15 years we've been travelling to Vegas, we have never been for New Year's. We'll see... We'll certainly be back next February for a convention my husband attends every year - our reservations are already booked - another Super Bowl weekend in Vegas!

Rock Star

We went into L.A. for another Rock Star : Supernova taping today. We left early and headed straight for The Cheesecake Factory at The Grove. We enjoyed Godiva cheesecake and lemon drop martinis (the lunch of champions?) before heading over to the studio. We were there earlier than we were last time but could tell right away that things were "different". We were told by a P.A. almost immediately that they couldn't guarantee anyone admission - that the VIP list for the taping was long and they weren't sure how many more they could fit on set. (We later realized that it was some type of "family day" - Storm's Father, Ryan's girlfriend/significant other, Lukas' possi etc. were all present.) We did end up making it in - but we were in the very last group of 20 allowed to do so and didn't get in until - literally - two minutes before the first performance began. We were in the balcony this time - the suspended balcony - what a trip that was - yikes! Here is my (brief) summary of the songs and performances...

Dilana - Won't Get Fooled Again (The Who) - Loved it. Gilby played with her - they sang together (no humping!) - sharing a microphone and it all just seemed so "natural". She's a strong contender in my mind.

Jill - Mother Mother (Tracy Bonham) - She's such a pretty girl and she looked so good on the TV's in the studio... Her vocals, though, just do nothing for me. I always feel like she's screaming her head off - not singing.

Ryan - Paint It Black (The Rolling Stones) - Trippy and dramatic performance. I loved it! Dark, hairy hooded sweatshirt, black eyeshadow on his face... Killer.

Storm - We Are the Champions (Queen) - She was gorgeous and sang what I think is a difficult song fantastically well. I just love her. I still don't know if I see her singing for these guys - but I love her.

Zayra - All the Young Dudes (David Bowie/Mott the Hoople) - Holy crap. Miss Z came out in a skin-tight (we're talking painted on) gold lame one-piece outfit, what must've been 6" black stripper heels and a black top-hat. Wild, wild, wild. Like with Jill - her vocals just never do anything for me. She's fun to watch, though, and definitely provides "entertainment". Magni accompanied her on guitar.

Josh - Interstate Love Song (Stone Temple Pilots) - I like Josh but I have to admit that I am in the camp that believes he sounds a bit like Kermit the Frog... Usually. I loved how he sounded live tonight though - such a good song too. He's adorable and definitely has an audience - I'm just not so sure it's a Supernova audience. Tommy Lee surprised everyone by jumping up and asking if he could accompany him on drums. I think it was spontaneous too - his kit wasn't there - he just jumped onto Nate's... What a thrill to see him perform!

Magni - The Dolphin's Cry (Live) - Excellent. This was my husbands' favorite of the night.

Patrice - Instant Karma (John Lennon) - I liked it! She was strapped to her guitar again but did try to work the stage a bit anyway. I think her voice is great and I'd pay to see her sing... Again, though, I'm not sure I see her fronting this particular band.

Lukas - Creep (Radiohead) - What a great performance - vocals (he opened his mouth!), the House Band, the lighting... He redeemed himself BIG-TIME after his sub-par song last week. Wow. Lukas was incredible and has my vote for the encore Wednesday night. He's still my #1 pick to win this thing!

Toby - Burning Down the House (Talking Heads) - I hadn't heard that song in years - what fun! The performance was enjoyable for me - until he pulled a megaphone (draped in an Aussie flag) out! Ugh - been there, done that - saw it last season.

Listening To Today...

Rafael Moreira is an amazing musician. Listen to clips from his musical CD titled Acid Guitar. Don't be turned off by the name - I wouldn't classify any of the tracks as "acid". They're beautiful - melodic, jazzy - addictive!

11 Years

Today is the 11th anniversary of the day I married my husband. We will celebrate next week with a few days in Vegas.

We met in the Fall of 1991 and began dating in the Spring of 1992. We moved in together 6 months (to the day!) after our 1st date and were then married in Las Vegas (at Treasure Island) 3 years later. We've been blessed with 2 beautiful and very special children. Life is good!

You know who you are...

Come on out and POST A COMMENT TO ME! Nobody here bites! You can stay anonymous if you want to - pretty please...

The Toothless Wonder

The Tooth Fairy was busy at our house last weekend! My kids lost three teeth (and gained three dollars) in just two days! My son lost one Friday night (his 7th) and my daughter lost her 3rd and 4th on Saturday and Sunday. Much like her brother almost exactly one year ago, she is now sporting the crazed jack-o-lantern look. (School pictures should be fun this year!)

Melting...

We're in the midst of a category 4 (out of 5) heat wave. Temperatures here have been in the 105-110 range for just about 2 weeks now. My little girl dropped a plastic stetchy toy onto the ground outside the other day and within seconds, it had melted and stuck to the ground! I'm thankful for our backyard pool - we'd rarely be outside this time of year if it weren't for that thing. It's like a bath-tub right now, though - the water was 92 degrees last night at 7 PM! I read this morning that some 80+ deaths in California have been blamed on the heat so far - 7 locally.

Fried Green Tomatoes

(I loved that movie - think about it every time I make these...)

My parents cultivate tomato plants every Summer. I managed to pillage a few tomatoes from them when I can and have twice so far this season. I love Fried Green Tomatoes. I slice them thin, coat with milk and flour (or cornmeal - mixed with salt and pepper) and toss them into my good old Krups Deep-Fryer. They're great straight but we like them in a sandwich - on bread with mayonnaise and more salt and pepper. Yumm.

The Celebrity In You

Interesting website! I signed up and uploaded a recent picture. The program scans the picture provided and 'face detection technology' is used to detect human faces in its database with similar charicteristics. For me, it spit out:

Tyra Banks
Christy Turlington
Cate Blanchett
Carole Lombard
Bebe Neuwirth
Calista Flockhart
Martina McBride
Holly Hunter
Leonardo DiCaprio

Could've been worse!

Buttery Nipple

This was our drink of the night tonight - yumm! Great recipe - what's not to like? I doubled (ahem - tripled) mine, though, and had it on the rocks instead of in a shot glass. Cheers!

One Month From Today

Where has the Summer gone? Seven weeks down - four to go... School for my precious little 1st graders starts one month from today - August 21. We've been pretty busy with Vacation Bible School and Summer Reading Camp. The next few weeks, though, will be all about lazy days, relaxing and sleeping in.

Both kids seem excited about getting back to school - neither is showing much apprehension, thank goodness. Kindergarten was only a 3.5 hour day and 1st grade will be a full 6 hours. Mom worries about how they'll handle that.

On the morning of the 18th, we'll go to school for a "meet the teacher" gathering. It is then that we will find out which classes they're going to be in.

Camera-Ready

Wow - the taping of Rock Star Supernova was even more fun than I imagined it'd be. I've been on numerous sets before having worked as an extra for a few years. Nothing I'd ever done was as enjoyable as this, though. My girlfriend and her husband were late getting here and, on the way into the city, we wasted some time in traffic and stopping for food. We still arrived an hour before the actual call-time but were shocked to find the parking garage totally full once we got there. We made a few circles and ended up at valet parking before jogging towards the studio - worrying the entire time that we might be too late to get in. We did, though - and were asked immediately to follow a P.A. to the pit next to the stage. A total treat! I was very pleased - we had an excellent spot for watching the rockers as well as the House Band. (What an incredible bunch of guys, by the way - Paul Mirkovich, Sasha Krivstov, Jim McGorman, Rafael Moreira and Nate Morton - amazing musicians and not hard on the eyes either!) We stood on set for over an hour before the actual taping started. The performers were great - I thoroughly enjoyed all but maybe two of them and I stand by my picks for a winner - I just have a feeling that either Dilana or Lukas will front Supernova come September. The songlist:

Patrice – Helter Skelter (The Beatles)
Josh – Come As You Are (Nirvana)
Storm – Just What I Needed (The Cars)
Lukas – Let’s Spend the Night Together (The Rolling Stones)
Jill – All Right Now (Free)
Ryan – Fortunate Son (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
Phil – White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane)
Dana – It’s My Life (Bon Jovi)
Toby – Runaway Train (Soul Asylum)
Magni – Plush (Stone Temple Pilots)
Zayra – Everybody Hurts (R.E.M.)
Jenny – Drive (Incubus)
Dilana – Zombie (The Cranberries)

Brooke Burke was adorable - tiny little thing. If I had to work, I think I'd want her job! Dave Navarro was a trip. Tommy Lee... Wow... The dude is definitely - uh - charismatic. I think he has ADD or something, though - he never stopped moving, bouncing around or fidgeting. We were clear across the floor from him but stories circulated constantly about his antics - hands-down-his-pants, boob-grabbing etc... Wild. Gilby Clarke seemed cool enough and I really really like Jason Newstead. I've found him to be the most enjoyable of the judges - always honest but kind and he gives reasonable, constructive criticism and not just Simon Cowell-esque put-downs. Being able to watch him (stop reading if you don't want a spoiler) perform with Phil during White Rabbit was the best.

We were given guaranty tickets for Wednesday's taping of the results show but I don't think we'll be able to make it... I do hope to make at least a few more performance shows this summer!

Oh yeah - J.D. - no sight or mention of him at all! Odd... They announced that Slash would be a guest the week before and then the same thing happened - no appearance and no explanation. I can't help but wonder if this is part of some MBP plan to get people to attend tapings and/or watch the show...

Rock Star Supernova

Last night, I secured tickets for my girlfriend, her husband and I to attend a taping of the show, Rock Star : Supernova on Sunday July 16. (My husband - bless his heart - has volunteered to stay home with the kids. He is leaving to play in a 4-day golf tournament in Carlsbad at the crack of dawn Monday morning so he doesn't want to be out all night Sunday.) It'll be a performance show which will air on CBS Tuesday July 18 and they're going to have a special guest - J.D. Fortune! I'm beyond excited - should be a blast!

Jam-ba-LAY-a

(Can't you just hear the soup Nazi from Seinfeld say that?!)

I've never been to New Orleans. I've been obsessed with its cuisine for weeks, though - ever since we attended a dinner cooked by 2 New Orleans natives (he's a financial planner and she's an attorney/judge) - Shrimp Remoulade, Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Fried Catfish, Crawfish Pie, Bananas Foster... The food was incredible!

I contemplated, for a little while, a New Orleans themed 4th of July party this year but went for the Backyard BBQ instead. Tonight, however, I made my first Jambalaya. It was a simple recipe - not 100% "authentic" perhaps - but fantastic (and embarassingly simple) nonetheless.

Jambalaya
Courtesy of: Paula Deen (FoodTV)
Serves 4-6

2.5 c. water
1-14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1-8 ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 pound fully cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1/4" slices
1 c. long grain rice3 T. dried minced onion
1 T. dried parsley flakes
1 T. beef bouillon granules
1/2 t. dried thyme leaves
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. salt
1 bay leaf
1/2-3/4 pounds of medium fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

In large pot, mix all ingredients but shrimp. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat - simmering for 20 minutes. Add shrimp (make sure tails have been removed) and cook for additional 5-7 minutes or until shrmp are pink.

Enjoy! (We sure did!)

Starla

I get my nails done twice/month (I have pink and white acrylics - have for about a year - can't believe I didn't get them sooner as they're awesome!). During one of those appointments each month, I have a pedicure too. Today was my fill/pedi day. I'm a fan of OPI polish ordinarily but today I opted for "Starla" - a new Summer color from Zoya. So pretty. My 6 year old daughter (who is very "girlie" and likes to do everything her Mommy does) is begging me to go too. I've told her she can start when she's 16 - I have no idea how I'm going to stave her off for 10 more years!

Happy 4th!

In the United States, Independence Day, also called the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on 4 July 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Enjoy the day and time with your families.

Be safe!

Busy Weekend

Saturday, we took the kids to see the new Pixar movie, Cars, at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. (My daughter and I saw Princess Diaries 2 there a few years ago and loved it - we've wanted to go back ever since.) What a great movie! The kids had a fantastic time - definitely a fun day.

On Sunday, we left the kids home with my parents and drove over to Santa Barbara for 2 days to participate in a golf tournament fundraiser for Cure Autism Now. It was put on by Athletes Against Autism. We stayed at the beautiful Bacara Resort. There was a wonderful dinner/program Sunday night and my husband golfed at Sandpiper with Curt Warner this morning while I enjoyed a (heavenly!) Citrus Avacado Body Scrub/Massage at the spa.

In attendance was:

Olie Kolzig/Washington Capitals
Byron Dafoe/former Atlanta Thrasher
Scott Mellanby/former Atlanta Thrasher
Ryan Nece/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Billy Volek/Tennesee Titans
Travis Hall/Atlanta Falcons
Stu Barnes/Dallas Stars
Brent Johnson/Washington Capitals
Jeb Terry/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bill Krueger/former MLB pitcher
Fox NW broadcaster
Curt Warner/former Seattle Seahawk
Jim Gott/former Los Angeles Dodger
Ron Cey/former Los Angeles Dodger
Greg Swindell/former Arizona Diamondback
Darwin Cook/former New Jersey Net, LA Legend of Basketball
Randy Smith/former Buffalo Brave, Legend of Basketball
M. Campy Russell/former Cleveland Cavalier, Legend of Basketball
Fred Brown/former Seattle Supersonic, Legend of Basketball
John Egan/former Houston Rockets coach, Legend of Basketball
Don Ford/former Los Angeles Laker, LA Legend of Basketball
LaMar Green/former Phoenix Sun, Legend of Basketball
Marques Johnson/former Milwaukee Buck, UCLA star, LA Legend of Basketball
Ed Ratleff/former Houston Rocket, LA Legend of Basketball
Robert Smith/Legend of Basketball
Don Felder/former guitarist, The Eagles
Marc Blucas/actor
Jason Olive/actor
AVP volleyball player
Bruce Greenwood/actor

It was the inaugural event - we hope to be involved next year at the 2nd annual!

Birthday Trip

It's hard to believe that my "babies" are now 6 and 7 years old. I can remember every minute of the days each of them were born - like they were just last week.

For their birthdays, they decided that they wanted to celebrate with Mickey at Disneyland. Again. (We were just there over Spring Break in April.) We agreed and invited my parents and sister to go along with us. What a great weekend! We went down mid-day on Friday the 16th and had their birthday dinner at The Rainforest Cafe before spending Saturday and Disneyland and Sunday at California Adventure Park. The weather was great and everyone had an excellent time. The kids loved the "birthday fuss" the park employees made over them!

Progress!

I'm getting there - slowly but surely. I feel really good about everything and have learned a lot about my body and what helps/hinders my weight loss efforts. I'm currently weighing about 3 pounds more than I did the day I married my husband (11 years ago) - less than I have in 8 years! I'm not 100% certain I'll meet my goal weight by August 18 like I'd hoped to but I do feel confident that I'll get there eventually.

INXS

In the late 1980's, I was a huge INXS fan. Last Summer, when the Rock Star: INXS show debuted, I was all over it. I loved Michael Hutchence, of course, but missed the bands' music and was excited that they were looking to start performing/recording again with someone new at the helm. From the very first episode, I knew who I thought was going to give them the best chance at succeeding with their "comeback". My husband and I watched religiously all Summer long and were thrilled on September 20, 2005 when J.D. Fortune was chosen to be the bands' new lead singer.

Last night, we drove up to the Tachi Palace Casino in Lemoore, California - a 90-minute drive - but the show they put on was well worth the trip! Scott Stapp (former lead singer of Creed) opened for them and was good - we had dinner and caught his last 3 songs. The INXS show was incredible - exciting, full of energy, sexy... They did a lot of classic INXS stuff but played some songs from their new album Switch as well. The set-list was as follows:

• Suicide Blonde
  
• Devil's Party
  
• Mystify Me
  
• Hot Girls
  
• By My Side
  
• Afterglow
  
• Taste it
  
• Original Sin
  
• Hungry
  
• Never Let You Go
  
• What You Need
  
• Kick
  
• Devil Inside
  
• Pretty Vegas
  
• Spoken Word (Encore)
  
• New Sensation (Encore)
  
• Amazing Grace (Encore)
  
• Never Tear Us Apart (Encore)
  
• Don't Change (Encore)
  

They look and sound incredible. What a night - I wish it didn't have to end! I'm so thrilled that they are back. They just make me so... happy.

Al-Zarqawi Dead

We awoke to big news this morning. I, personally, will not mourn for Al-Zarqawi. He was an animal - sub-human - and I can't help but feel that the world will be a better place without him in it. Back in the Spring of 2004, I managed to come across the actual videotaped footage of Nick Berg's be-heading (which CIA leaks have said was pulled off by Al-Zarqawi personally). It was the most horrendous, hideous, savage thing I've ever seen.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

My Dad celebrated his 60th birthday yesterday. We had his BBQ birthday party at my house on Sunday the 29th and I used the Betty Crocker Bake N' Fill set my Mom gave me for my birthday last year to make him a golf ball cake. I made a chocolate fudge cake with Haagen Daazs chocolate ice cream for filling - it was delicious (if I do say so myself!) and looked adorable!

In The Zone

I haven't been very good about diet updates recently, have I? I became extremely frustrated with South Beach. I was on it hard-core for 4 weeks and lost 5.5 pounds. It was hard - I was often hungry, lacked energy and felt constantly deprived of things that I wanted. Too - the weight loss was so wacky and unpredictable - I'd be up 5 pounds in one day, down 3 the next - a total roller coaster. I began more research and, for a few weeks now have been doing something similar to The Zone Diet. In general, I don't believe in "elimination diets" - I never have. I believe that moderation is key. I gave in, though, to the "no/low carbs" hype before trying South Beach but just didn't feel like it was for me. I am using FitDay to keep track of my food intake and am trying to keep my percentages (of calories consumed daily) to 40% carbohydrates, 40% protein and 20% fat. I think The Zone Diet is actually 40/30/30 but I have definitely found that the 40/40/20 works better for me. (The less fat in my diet, the better.) I've lost a few pounds on it already but, more importantly, I am happy and feel great. I never feel left out or hungry and, after 7+ years of maternity clothes and sizes 10-12, my 8's are now falling off of me!

I hope to reach my goal weight (which is about 5 pounds less than where I was 11 years ago when I married my husband) by my 36th birthday on August 18th. I'm confident that I have a chance at succeeding!

Seriously... Wow.

I'm exhausted - emotionally spent after last nights' 2-hour Grey's Anatomy season finale. Sundays' show was good. Mondays' was excellent. God I love that show. I can't believe I have to wait until - what - August? September? - to see what will happen next. (Have I mentioned that I love that show?)

A few things to note... I'm not sure I'm thrilled that the writers made Izzie do what she did. I understand that sometimes love makes you desperate - but that was so wrong. She's gone through so much to get where she is and I can't imagine how her career can be saved now. I adored Denny's character and hate that he had to die. (God forbid, of course, that you have a happy couple!) I love that Alex finally put on a human-being hat and that he was there for Izzie. The scene where he coaxed her from the bed of her dead boyfriend was fantastic. Sandra Oh's Christina made me want to pull out my hair. She is the most emotionally constipated person I've ever seen! I kept begging for her to give Preston a little bit of what he needed but she just could not do it - not until the last second, anyway. I was bothered by her distance - was it because she was upset by his injuries and couldn't handle seeing him in pain/turmoil? Or was it because an injured man - a man who might not again be the brilliant surgeon he once was - not attractive to her?

Being the tortured Mer/Der fan that I am, I, of course, hope that she chooses (chose) to go home with Derek after the "prom". I've heard, however, that Chris O'Donnell (Finn) is going to be back next season so it doesn't look terribly likely...

I read that the show is moving from Sunday night to Thursday in the Fall (not sure what time). I have no doubt that it will do well and that loyal followers of the show will move with it!

Thank you Shonda Rhimes for creating the show that is Grey's Anatomy!

Flowers For Mom

ProFlowers announced that it will donate $10.00 to Autism Speaks for every bouquet ordered for Mother's Day or any occasion. Click here to shop!

End of Phase 1

While I haven't lost anywhere near the 8-13 pounds the South Beach Diet promises is possible during Phase 1, I'm calling my official weight loss 5 1/2 pounds over 2 weeks. Not stellar or inspiring - but a start, I suppose. I am going to try to move into Phase 2 (slowly adding certain carbs back into my diet) but am not looking forward to the fact that it will probably slow the already-painfully-slow weight loss progress. I was hoping to reach my goal by this Summer - long way to go still, though!

For dinner tonight:

Ginger Salad

1 T. dijon mustard
1 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. rice wine vinegar
1 T. fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3/4 c. canola oil
kosher salt
18 t. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 head iceburg lettuce, shredded
2 T. chopped fresh parsley leaves
lemon slices for garnish

In a blender on high speed, combine mustard, lemon juice, vinegar and ginger for just a few seconds until smooth. Then turn the blender to a lower speed and slowly pour the oil in a continuous stream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place shredded lettuce piled high in the center of a bowl with edges. Add dressing to lettuce and toss. Sprinkle parsley around the edges of the bowl and garnish with a lemon slice.

(I haven't tried the salad recipe but it sounded good and should go well with the other things I'm making (tried and true family recipes!)

Egg Fu Yung

5 eggs
1 c. bean sprouts
1/2 c. shredded celery
1/4 c. shreded onions
1 t. salt
1/4 t. MSG
4 oz. can drained mushrooms
1/2 c. canned crab, shrimp or chicken (I'm using fresh baby shrimp)
1 t. dry sherry
dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl just enough to break yolks. Do not beat. Cook in hot fat (pancake shape) until browned, turning once. Keep warm and serve with sauce.

Egg Fu Yung Sauce

2 c. chicken broth
1/4 t. MSG
1/2 t. salt
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. catsup
1 T. sugar
3 1/2 T. flour
1/4 c. cold water

Mix first 6 ingredients together in sauce pan. Add flour to water and mix into broth. Cook over medium high heat stirring constantly until thickened. Cover and keep warm.

Harder than I thought...

I was prepared to give this whole diet crap up yesterday. I awoke this morning, though, to a 2 1/2 pound loss - in 24 hours! Crazy. I suppose that is what I get for weighing myself every day - I wish I'd started keeping track of my "success" via measurements instead of weight. I've definitely noticed a change in my waist and lower abdomen.

I hate this

Dieting sucks. What a roller-coaster. I'm still down overall (3 pounds total lost since I started 12 days ago) but the scale shows I've gained weight both yesterday and today! I'm eating nothing but lean meat, vegetables, eggs and cheese - how is that possible? This is so frustrating. I gain weight just fine on my own - I don't need the South Beach Diet to help me do that.

Over the past 12 days, I have seen a pattern in the weight loss - I'll lose 2 or 3 days in a row and then have a no change day (or actually gain 1/2-1 pound one day). I've never seen 2 gain days in a row, though. I don't know what is going on. With just 4 days left in phase 1, I'm definitely not going to lose between 8-13 pounds during it like the diet promises, though.

I haven't cheated once (absoluntely no desire to) so I know it's not that. I've spent a few hundred dollars since I started on vegetables, lean meats, fish, safe snack foods, special oils to cook with, butter with no trans fat, water bottles... I'm feeling terribly discouraged.

I did a little research online and found a few things that might be causing this to happen. Not drinking enough water was mentioned most frequently. I'm drinking 60-80 ounces/day, though, and don't think that's the problem. An underactive thyroid could be the problem (no idea if that might be an issue for me). A few websites mentioned sodium intake (causing water retention) and not getting enough calories on a diet like this being the cause for weight gain or a stall in weight loss. I have not been keeping track of calories (one of the nice things, I thought, about the SBD) and can't imagine that that's the problem. Who knows, though. Maybe I'll try to find a caloric content chart online... Hate this!

Brokeback

Are we the last people on the planet to see the movie Brokeback Mountain? It'd beensitting on my kitchen counter for weeks (a la Netflix) but we just hadn't had a minute of free time to watch it. We made time last Saturday night. My husband was leery initially - uncomfortable at the thought of watching the whole "mounting" scene. Once whe got past that, though, he actually ended up really enjoying the story. We both did - tremendously. We, very quickly, stopped seeing the characters as "two dudes" and just started seeing them as "two people" - obviously connected and in-love yet completely unable to be together. We rooted for them and their love until the end. The scenery was just incredible - it was a beautiful movie - and everyone in it was amazing. I adored Jake Gyllenhaal's character, Jack, but Heath Ledger's portrayal of Ennis blew me away.

Mexican Chicken Soup

I was given this recipe by a friend who also is familiar with the South Beach Diet. I made it tonight (desperate for a change from the salad and BBQ steak/chicken I've been having for the past week!) and it was excellent and very easy.

Mexican Chicken Soup

1 T. canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (I used 2 - we like things spicy)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 3)
2 t. ground cumin
5 c. lower-sodium chicken broth (I used 6)
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
2 c. mild refrigerated fresh salsa (I used 8 ozs. fresh pico de gallo because it's what I had)

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and pepper and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are tender - 5 minutes or so. Stir in garlic and cumin and cook 30 seconds longer. Add broth. Increase heat to high and bring to rapid simmer. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink - about 5 minutes. Stir in salsa and heat through. Makes 4 servings (2 1/4 c. each)

Per serving: 320 cal, 46 g. protein, 14 g. carbs, 8 g. fat, 1.5 g. sat fat, 100 mg. chol, 2 g. fiber, 680 mg sodium

Another Good Morning

Down another 1/2 a pound today - that's -1 pound total so far (over 3 days).

Yesterday was a pretty decent day. I didn't have any real hunger pains. I'm not hungry at all, in fact and actually have to force myself to get the AM and PM snacks in. I think that knowing I can't have what I really want just makes me lose my appetite.

We went out to dinner with friends last night (a steakhouse) and it was very nice. But for the bread/butter I was dying to have before dinner and the beautiful pieces of garlic toast with butter that came with our shrimp and hot sauce appetizer, I didn't have any cravings or temptations. I'm really proud of myself. Having never dieted before, I didn't know if I'd be one of those "cheaters" or not. I haven't even really been tempted. This is too much work and too difficult for me to even think about just blowing one night on a piece of bread!

Breakfast: 1 cup decaf lemon tea with no sweetener, scrambled eggs with sliced mushrooms, fresh thyme and feta cheese
AM Snack: celery stick, 1 low-fat mozarella string cheese
Lunch: hamburger (lean ground beef) with lettuce, a slice of tomato, a slice of cheese, a slice of red onion and dill pickles
PM Snack: pistachios
Dinner: small amount of BBQ pork and greek salad
Water: almost 3 liters

Food Ramblings

Well, according to this mornings' scale, I've lost 2.5 pounds since yesterday morning so I'm down 1/2 a pound (net) from where I started 2 days ago. They say that it's typical to lose between 8-13 pounds during phase 1 of the SBD - we'll see... I'm definitely happier than I was yesterday morning!

The only thing I'm really missing is my Starbucks - I think about not having my morning coffee from morning until bedtime. I've been a fan for 8 years and have had one/day for the past 7 so giving that up has been tough. The headaches I had over the past 2 days (caffeine withdrawal?) seem to be subsiding - I haven't had any today.

Breakfast: 1 hard-boiled egg with salt and pepper, 2 strips lean turkey bacon, small glass of tomato juice
AM Snack: 2 mini kosher dill pickles, 1 low-fat mozarella string cheese
Lunch: greek salad (tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumbers, red onion, olive oil and salt and pepper)
PM Snack: handful of pistachios
Dinner: 2 shrimp with hot sauce, salad (lettuce, chickpeas, cucumber, 2 cherry tomatoes and oil/vinegar on the side), cooked broccoli/squash, sirloin steak (we went out with friends to Hungry Hunter)
Water: almost 3 liters

Columbine Remembered

I can't believe it's been 7 years... I also can't believe that I didn't see anything about the anniversary of the massacre mentioned on television yesterday!

My husband and I were living in Colorado at the time it happened. I was 7 months pregnant with my first child and lived about 15 minutes from Littleton High School. I'll never forget what that afternoon was like - I was glued to the television - stunned at the events unfolding before me.

I think about what happened and the families affected by it periodically. I can only hope that time has helped to ease their grief.

We're hooked

I refused to start watching Grey's Anatomy when it began. I am addicted to so many television shows as it is - I just didn't want to get hooked on another... I managed to stay away (ignore) the hype from it for over a season but the whole "code black" thing, hyped up during the Super Bowl this year, sucked me in. We watched that episode and were intrigued. The show was part 1 of 2 so, obviously, we had to tune in to the following week to see how the storyline ended. We then watched the next weeks' episode and knew that we couldn't stop. I went out the day after Valentine's Day to buy the season 1 DVD as we had so many questions about the characters and their relationships... We managed to watch all 9 episodes from season 1 over a 3-day period and absolutely loved it.

My husband and I both are now tormented Mer/Der fans and we can't wait for Sunday nights at 10 PM!

2 Pounds!?

I had an awful day yesterday. It was filled with headaches, feeling hungry, eating things I didn't want because the diet said I "had to", bitchiness and feelings of resentment towards those around me who were stuffing their faces with whatever they wanted to... I sure hope this gets easier!

I couldn't believe it this morning when I stepped on the scale only to find that I had GAINED 2 pounds in the 24 hours since I last weighed! I stood in my bathroom and cried. I have no idea how to explain that. I feel incredibly defeated and discouraged but I am determined to stick with this for at least 2 more weeks (the recommended length of phase 1 on the South Beach Diet).

Exercise: nothing but errand running and working in the kids' classrooms
Breakfast: 1 fried egg with salt and pepper
AM Snack: none
Lunch: low-carb $6 Burger from Carl's Jr. (hamburger patty, lettuce, onions, 1 slice cheese, 1 slice tomato, pickles, catsup, no mayo)
PM Snack: 1 low-fat mozarella string cheese
Dinner: beef & broccoli - no rice (went out for Asian food)
Water: 2 liters

D-I-E-T

I have never dieted in my 35 years - until now.

Up until the time I was in college, I was always thin - 5'6" and maybe 105-110 pounds. I was one of those annoying people who could eat whatever they wanted and not seem to gain weight. Unfortunately, that all changed when I was in my mid-late 20's. My weight began to s-l-o-w-l-y climb (most obvious around my mid-section) and then 4 pregnancies and 2 full-term births throughout 1998-2000 certainly didn't help my situation.

Although charts (online and in my physician's office) say that my weight is "within normal range" for someone my height, I am at the high end of that range. I joined a Curves last January and lost 10 pounds in the first 3 months before hitting a wall. Weight loss was my main reason for going (exercising, in general, isn't something that I do just "for fun") and once the pounds stopped dropping, I was not motivated.

I managed to keep those 10 pounds off (even without exercising) for 6 months but decided in January of this year that I wanted to be more active. I'm very unhappy with my body currently and am desperate to do something about it. I started shopping around for another gym in February and joined one that is just for women (like Curves but full-service with cardio machines, free weights, classes, a pool etc.). I am very, very happy there. Except for a few weeks (when I had a sick child or was on vacation out of town), I have gone at least 3 - sometimes 4 - times every week yet, over the past 3 months, I have not lost an ounce. My weight can fluctuate 3-5 pounds based on the time of the month but I am, in general, still between 15-20 pounds away from what I consider my ideal weight.

My Mother and sister both had luck, initially, with Atkins and I've read a lot about it. It just isn't right for me, though. I'm a person who loves her carbs and I know right now that starting a diet that restricts them so severely would, without a doubt, set me up for failure and disappointment. I've read about Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig and actually know a dozen or so women who have joined a Jenny Craig center that just opened up here recently and who have done really well. For a number of reasons, though, I don't think either of those programs are right for me.

I've decided, after much research, to give the South Beach Diet a try. I know - I mentioned that carbs are an issue for me - and, although the first phase restricts them on the SBD, during phases 2 and 3, they are re-introduced (sensibly). I've been to the grocery store and have printed off a few recipes. We'll see how the next 2 weeks go - if I can stick with it and if it'll work for me!

Today:
Exercise: 25 minutes on stationary bike, 100 sit-ups on sit-up machine, 4 upper body machines (lat pull-down etc.) 3 sets of 10 reps each (10-30 pounds of weight, depending on machine)
Breakfast: 1 hard-boiled egg with salt and pepper and a few sips of a horrible tall decaf coffee (no milk and 3 Splenda packets) from Starbucks (giving up caffe mochas and caramel macchiattos is going to be very difficult!)
AM Snack: 3 mini kosher dill pickles, 1 celery stick and 5 Laughing Cow Light Gourmet Mini Swiss Cheese Bites
Lunch: asparagus and mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and topped with mozarella cheese
PM Snack: none
Dinner: chicken caesar salad (at Dodger Stadium - thank heavens they had something I could have - it didn't make up for not being able to have nachos, a Dodger Dog and a coke - but at least I didn't have to sit there with nothing and watch everyone else eat!)
Water: 1 liter

Vacation Day #10 (Saturday 3/25/06)

What a night! We all slept soundly until about 1 or 2 AM Saturday morning. My husband awoke first and went out onto the balcony to find whitecaps everywhere. He fell back asleep quickly but I was awake until the sun came up. Between 3 and 5 AM, the ship rolled non-stop back and forth (port-to-starboard) - it was the wildest thing I'd ever felt! Surprisingly, I wasn't really scared - it was just odd - like nothing I'd ever experienced. I know in my head that the ships are built to withstand a fair amount of movement but the constant "creaking" and "squeaking" threw me for a loop. Thankfully, the kids slept right through it and never felt a thing.

When I got up at 5:45 AM, we were already pulling into Port Everglades. All four of us definitely felt a bit sad that the vacation was over. I honestly think we could've handled a few more days - maybe even another week! The morning was cool - cooler than we'd felt for the whole week - but beautiful nonetheless. We showered, packed the carry-on luggage that we'd kept with us and reviewed our final bill before having a quick breakfast in the Caribe Cafe and heading to the Princess Theatre at 8 AM as we were instructed. While CNN (with coverage of the fire on the Star Princess that occurred while we were at sea) aired in there, we listened to Captain Romano's final "farewell announcement". The first group was called to disembark at 8:20 AM. Our group (Silver 2) was called at 9 AM and we followed the crowd of people to the gangway and through customs. We gathered our luggage easily once off the ship and in the Princess terminal and then made our way outside to board the bus. We were on it and headed for the airport by 9:40 AM - a totally painless and efficient experience. Curbside check-in at FLL was easy (like at LAX, $2 per bag) and, by 10:15 AM, we had boarding passes in hand and were prepared for our (long) day at the airport. Since FLL doesn't allow passengers into the gate area until 2 hours before their flight is scheduled to depart, we went to Chili's (at the airport) to eat, read a newspaper and reminisce about our all-too-quickly-ending trip. At 1:30 PM, we made our way through security and were allowed, finally, into Terminal F. The gate area was very busy (I'd heard how crazy this airport was on weekends with all of the cruise-passenger traffic) and our plane (American Airlines #2083 non-stop to LAX) was delayed over an hour. The flight was long (an hour longer than our east-bound one!) but we enjoyed a snack and Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire as well as a few naps and arrived at LAX just a bit late. Our luggage retrieval was uneventful as was our short drive home. It was good to sleep in our own beds (for the first time in 10 days). We always say - no matter how great a vacation is or how much fun you have, it's always nice to get home.

We loved everything about this trip and will definitely cruise again. (Like I mentioned in a blog a few days ago - we have already booked a Spring Break cruise for the Mexican Riviera in 2007!) Travelling via cruise-ship is a great way to visit places that we, most likely, would never see otherwise. And while the ports are wonderful and exciting, the ship itself is just as enjoyable. We loved it - the activities, exploring the decks... The at-sea days were great. There is something so peaceful and beautiful about the endless and brilliantly blue ocean. I thought I'd feel isolated and nervous while at sea (not seeing land or other ships) but I loved it. I did get a bit of that out-of-touch feeling - very little cell phone coverage and limited news coverage - but it almost forces you to relax, assume all is well with the world and enjoy the uninterrupted time with your spouse and your family.

Vacation Day #9 (Friday 3/24/06)

We awoke early on this day - excited about our "day at the beach" on Princess' private island in the Bahamas, Princess Cays.

"Princess Cays is located on the southern portion of Eleuthera Island, about 30 miles across the sea from Nassau. Two miles wide and 100 miles long, about forty acres of this land is reserved exclusively for Princess Cruise Line passengers. Princess Cays is a wonderland of white-sand beaches and mangrove trees is surrounded by beautiful turquoise waters, and blessed with a tropical, warm climate."

We showered and gathered our beach bags before heading to breakfast at the Horizon buffet at 8 AM. The whole ship seemed to be abuzz with news of the weather and, at 8:30 AM, the official announcement was made by Captain Romano that he had decided not to tender to Princess Cays. The weather was not good and was expected to worsen throughout the afternoon. He informed us that Nassau was fully booked and Freeport was too far so we would spend one last day at sea before returning to Port Everglades in Florida early Saturday morning.

The kids were very disappointed, as they hadn't spent any time during the week relaxing on the beach, but happy to learn that their beloved Kids' Camp was going to open. We brought them there at 9 AM and then went to the cabin to finish our packing. We spent 2 hours at the aft Terrace Pool - resting, talking and napping. The morning was gorgeous but definitely different than the others we'd experienced all week - skies in the distance were darker, wind was more noticeable, temperatures were cooler...

Just after we picked up the kids and headed to the Lido deck for lunch, a huge storm (rain, wind and thunder) hit us. All of the people on deck chairs started making a run for the covered areas and the deck was packed with people trying to get lunch and hiding from the storm. We gathered drinks (for us) and food (for the kids) and went to our room. At 12:20 PM, an announcement was made regarding staying indoors. Updated patters were received regarding the quickly changing planned afternoon activities. We watched a movie in the cabin before dressing for dinner.

At 6 PM, we met some friends we'd met online before the cruise for dinner in the Coral Dining Room. What lovely people! We were fortunate enough to have met so many new wonderful people during this cruise. Our service, unfortunately, wasn't so wonderful (again - Delmonico from Italy!) but the food was good and the conversation was great. Afterwards, we ran down to deck 7 to pick up our pre-ordered video (with highlighs from the cruise) and headed to the room to finish packing. Our luggage had to be outside in the hallway before midnight - ready for customs the following morning. I think we were all in bed and out-cold by 9 PM!

Vacation Day #8 (Thursday 3/23/06)

We again woke early on (what we thought was going to be) our last day at sea. We had a light continental breakfast delivered to the room at 7 AM while we showered and dressed. At 8:30, we headed to the Horizon buffet to feed the kids before taking them to the Kids' Camp. While they were there, T and I were busy. We picked up pictures on deck 7 taken on previous days/nights, shopped on decks 5 and 6, visited the Future Cruise Sales desk and put a deposit down for our Spring Break 2007 cruise (to the Mexican Riviera on the Princess Diamond!), had coffee at the Lobby Bar and did a bit of packing in the cabin before picking the kids up at noon. After lunch (pizza and hamburgers by the pool), we went to the room to work on homework sent from the kids' teachers. While they did that, I poured over and filled out the customs paperwork and disembarkation forms that had been delivered. This was the only day I made use of the self-serve laundromat on our floor. I had to iron Chase's dress clothes for the evening - our 2nd and final formal night onboard.

Once we were all dressed, we headed to the atrium to have pictures taken before dinner. We entered the Coral dining room a bit early - at 5:45 PM - and enjoyed a great dinner of Beef Wellington, twin lobster tails and more. Chase was thrilled with the sorbet selection for the night - mandarin orange - delicious! We walked the promenade for a while before heading to the room. Once there, we found that our future cruise documents (for the Mexican Riviera) and our passenger questionnaire (regarding this cruise) had been delivered. We let the kids change shoes and brought them to the Kids' Camp when it opened at 8 PM. This was the only night we'd used the Camp at night as, most nights, our kids were too tired from their busy days to even think about going. We spent an hour at Club Fusion before picking them up and heading to the room. There, we packed our beach bag for Friday and were in bed by around 9:30 PM.

We realize that we missed out on a lot of the evening/nighttime activities onboard (having exhausted children that needed to get to bed early) but know that, as they get older and we enjoy more cruises together, those things will still be there for us to enjoy.