My Big Date

As a rule, I never look forward to Valentine's Day. I've had more dreary ones than mushy ones, and I've come to expect that I will be sitting at home watching slasher movies and plotting the demise of all men with the exception of my dad. And maybe Hugh Laurie.

But this year is different. This year I have a DATE!!!! Yes, I'm already planning for the big day. What should I wear? I'm thinking maybe a red sweater and jeans. My date isn't too picky.

I've already made the plans. Lunch at the Red Canoe on Harford Road. I just have to plan around my date's schedule. There's the nap to consider, teddy bears to be hugged, touch and feel books to be read...my date is a little high maintenance, but so, SO lovable.

My date has big brown eyes and curly, curly hair. Good dresser. Kind of a messy eater. GREAT conversationalist. "Ba ba ba. Uh-ohhhhhh. Hi! Hi! Uckie!" (ducky, of course).

This is going to be the best Valentine's Day ever. What more could I hope for than to spend it with the love of my life :-)

Good Eats

I'm getting ready to head out to Trader Joe's to expand my dinner time selections for Claire. I just wanted to share some of her (and my) current favorites...

1. Nature's Promise Organic Whole Milk.



Nature's Promise is Giant's affordable organic line. Claire is on whole milk until she's 2. She gets three cups a day, 21 to 24 oz. (the maximum she should have per the pediatrician). She'd probably drink two gallons if I gave her the chance. Like Mommy, she loves her milk!

2. Nature's Promise Organic Shredded Cheddar Cheese




Again, like Mommy, Claire is a cheese hog! I use this to entice her into eating broccoli, as an additive to eggs, and for many other things to add flavor, protein, and calcium. I've tasted it and it's wonderful!

3. Motts Healthy Harvest Applesauce cups



Claire LOVES applesauce. I give it to her as a "dessert." I love these cups because there is no sugar added, and they come in great flavors like blueberry, strawberry, mango peach, and mixed berry. They also contain a full day's supply of Vitamin C.

4. Annie's Organic Mac and Cheese



I love Annie's brand...lots of kid-friendly organic choices. And I love the single servings of this mac and cheese. To add nutritional value, I steam and puree cauliflower and mix it in with the cheese after heating and Claire doesn't know otherwise. This is a definite favorite.

5. Annie's Organic Cheddar Bunnies



Another Annie winner...Annie's version of Goldfish. When I dump these on Claire's tray, she gets so excited! A fun thing to give along with soup or a sandwich for lunch.

6. Health is Wealth Organic Chicken Fingers



This is a new find, and I love them. I tested them and I think they're delicious. Quick and easy in the microwave, with antibiotic and hormone-free chicken and organic stone-ground whole wheat breading.

7. Nature's Promise Omega-3 Natural Brown Eggs



Claire loves scrambled eggs, and they're a quick and easy dinnertime dish. I'll puree some cauliflower or carrots and mix them in w/the eggs along w/some Nature's Promise shredded cheese and scramble them up.

8. DelMonte No Sugar Added Mandarin Orange Cups



Claire eats these like they're candy. I can't get them out of the cup and onto her tray fast enough. I have to hand them to her one at a time or she will literally just jam about five in her mouth at one time. When she's done, I drink the leftover juice in the cup...so good!

Hopefully I can keep finding things that are easy to make and that she likes as much as the products listed above. I'm off to Trader Joe's to explore!

Witness to History

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

A Day of Hope

"It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today." --President Barack Obama

Here we go...

Delicacies

It would be so chic if I loved small plates. Or mesclun. Or curried something. But I don't. I love white trash food. Undying, unwavering lust.

Please bring me Manwich.



Will work for meatloaf.




Color me happy with mac and cheese mixed with canned tuna.



Butter me up some potato rolls.




Light up my world with Hamburger Helper.



Deliver me from evil and deliver me thy Papa John's BBQ chicken and bacon pizza



I'd love to be one who stops along the Champs-Élysées to devour some coq a vin while breezing through the pages of Les Guérillères.



But you'll find me huddled under my comforter on my plaid couch, watching The Ghost Whisperer and eating Ritz crackers with EZ Cheese.




I am who I am, and who I am is...the white trash palate.

Because it's true

I'd like to think I'm whimsical and unique and share things that people don't mind reading. But there's a truth inside that isn't very readable. It probably makes whoever is reading uncomfortable. It makes me question whether I should make this blog private. I don't know.

Anyway, the loneliness and hopelessness are so true and strong that they're palpable. I look at the future and it's absolutely blank. I hear/read people relaying their weekends. Casual get-togethers to watch the game, trips away, just having dinner at home together. It tears at my heart now like it never has. I see kids in pictures standing beside the fireplaces in their home. My heart breaks. I just don't know what to do anymore. I just feel like all that I was to become is what I am now. There will never be a house. There will never be someone to be a family with.

I spend most days with a lump in my throat, tears on the brink of cresting. I'll put the smile on just so I don't drive everyone away, just so people don't think i'm losing it. I take care of Claire because she deserves more than anything to be happy, and I dread the day when she's old enough to realize what she doesn't have.

I'll resent him forever for this. I shouldn't but I will. And I will always wonder why God picked him to be in my life plan and to be that precious baby's father. I guess there's a reason for it, but I just can't figure it out.

I must get back to work now. If you want to roll your eyes at this or have your opinion on how I can make it better, of course it's your prerogative. But please keep it to yourself, because today, this is simply my truth.

Elation

Pure joy

Another one of these...

...for the bored and lazy.

YOU CAN ONLY ANSWER EACH QUESTION WITH ONE WORD. GOOD LUCK!
1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? nonexistent
3. Your hair? blah
4. Your mother? janice
5. Your father? jay
6. Your favorite thing? claire
7. Your dream last night? forgotten
8. Your favorite drink? juice
9. Your dream/goal? homeowner
10. The room you're in? office
11. Your fear? loss
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? thin
15. Muffins? delicious
16. One of your wish list items? pendant



17. Where you grew up? pennsylvania
18. The last thing you did? coughed
19. What are you wearing? clothes
20. Your favorite TV show? House
21. Your pet? none
23. Your life? unexpected
24. Your mood? blah
25. Missing someone? Meh.
26. Your car/truck? garage
27. Something you're not wearing? earrings
28. Favorite Store? Target
29. Your summer? sad
30. Your favorite color? green
31. When is the last time you laughed? today
32. Last time you cried? recently
THREE PLACES I GO OVER AND OVER: work, daycare, home
THREE OF MY FAVORITE FOODS: pasta, cheese, bread
PLACE I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW: bed

Crabapple

Yep, I'm a total buzz kill, I know, but I CANNOT STAND THE INCESSANT WHISTLING AND SINGING I HAVE TO LISTEN TO EVERY WORK DAY FROM THE MAIL ROOM GUY! Everyone loves him and greets him enthusiastically. I don't even turn around to look at him. Why would someone think everyone in the entire vicinity wants to hear them singing? I'm so glad you're happy, sir, but could you please "spread the joy" somewhere else?

I'm done.

About Me...Welcome to 2009

I have been MIA for soooooooooo long, I know. I spent ten days in PA over Christmas, and Claire and I were sick for the new year...oh fun. I'm not motivated enough to write a full blog, so I'm stealing this from Jessica's...stay tuned for more fun and adventures in 2009!


A is for age: 35. I can't believe it, but yes, I'm that old.

B is for burger of choice: medium well with provolone and lots and lots of ketchup

C is for the car I drive: Helene the Honda Accord...love my girl

D is for your dog's name: no doggie right now :-( Used to be Katie, Kirby, and Khloe the weiner dogs and then Riley my weiner dog. I miss them all.

E is for essential item you use every day: Computer

F is for favorite TV show at the moment: House, M.D. Have watched it since its premiere

G is for favorite game: Making fun of people at lunch with Mark. Oh wait, that's not really a game...

H is for home state: Pennsylvania

I is for instruments you play: Nada

J is for favorite juice: Nantucket Nectars Mango Orange

K is for whose bum you'd like to kick: Where do I begin?

L is for last restaurant at which you ate: McDonald's, sadly enough. Stopped on my way to my brother's on Saturday.

M is for your favorite muppet: Rowlf

N is for number of piercings: Nada

O is for overnight hospital stays: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, you must be joking. Like a bazillion.

P is for people you were with today: Claire and all my coworkers who shall remain nameless. Except for Rose.

Q is for what you do with your quiet time: surf the internet, read, watch movies

R is for biggest regret: not doing it all the right way. enough said.

S is for status: single and not looking

T is for time you woke up today: 7:34

U is for what you consider unique about yourself: I have a good eye for a lot of things

V is for vegetable you love: Peas

W is for worst habit: Denial

X is for x-rays you've had: HAHAHAHAHAHA, again, like a bazillion

Y is for yummy food you ate today: yummy? Nothing much was all that yummy. The blueberry yogurt wasn't bad, since I didn't read the label to know there were 27 grams of sugar in it. Yeesh.

Z is for zodiac: Gemini. Are you surprised?