November Eleventh

I have just a few minutes til Glee comes on and I settle in for the night... Had a nice day off with the boys today... They slept in, I had quiet time... Got lots of paper filing and list making done today... didn't go on facebook even once... yay me... I missed it but it will still be there tomorrow and I was less stressed getting things done instead of playing on facebook... Son2 went with son1 to get his car insurance... then son1 was off to see girlfriend... son2 was on the computer and then went off with his friends... son3 was a computer game guy all day... well they did do their homework this morning when they first got up so they could have computer privileges... I watched an episode of Emergency while paying bills and filing papers... Hubby, I and son3 went to the grocery store when hubby got home from work... got groceries and all the fixings for Thanksgiving and deli chicken family pac for dinner.... and chocolate cream pie for dessert... I'll have some while I'm watching Glee... I finished washing all son1's bedding from when he was sick and a load of work clothes for me and hubby... still have a sink full of dishes but don't feel like emptying the dishwasher, that's my least favorite part, don't mind filling it... I also wanted to clean out son3's long sleeve shirts but ran out of time... Don't forget to visit The Motivation Station tomorrow as it's my day to host... I'm off to find jammies, watch Glee and have pie... Ok now I'm off... laptop lost connection so I am now on the main computer... put the laptop to sleep for the night...
Happy Journaling...

November Tenth...

Another easy day at work.... I worked on men's clearance, went to lunch and then opened boxes til 5pm...
Came home and hubby had made lasagna... we're trying something new... I leave him a note of the main thing to fix for dinner and then I just have to finish up with the sides when I get home... no school tomorrow but still had homework but hubby only had him do half and then I'll finish up with him tomorrow... another 100% on his reading test today...
Son1 went back to work today... he was feeling better all around today... he's working on a payment plan with the guy he owes money to for the car... he also has a fix it ticket/court date that caught up with him that we are working on a plan for... always something... one more thing...
But now we are all getting ready for bed for sleeping... I'm tired and this getting dark early is not helping... just want to crawl into my flannel sheets and big comforter and sleep and sleep and sleep...
Tomorrow all the boys have the day off except for hubby... I'm off too....
I want to work on Motivation Station Stuff and Christmas stuff and bill paying/paper pile stuff, blog reading stuff, making lists stuff and all kinds of stuff...
But for now I am in my comfy bed watching Dancing With the Stars and then Numbers with hubby...
Happy Journaling...

November Ninth...

It's chilly in here.... that's a good thing... no air conditioner... had to turn the heater on yesterday though... it's 70 but feels cooler... 55 outside...
Quick day at work today... opened boxes and helped the associates now on commission learn how to use the registers...
son1 called out of work today... he and girlfriend went to Red Robin last night, came back to watch TV and then son1 was throwing up til this morning... he kept down some oatmeal and juice but still has a tummy ache... everyone at his work has been sick and he had a stressful weekend so think everything just caught up with him... don't think girlfriend got sick...
Hubby is teaching son2 and son3 how to play chess... son3 is catching on quite quickly...
We had chicken quesadillas for dinner... kitchen is all cleaned up... garbage totes put out... I had big plans to get more done but I'm tired and getting a headache... so as soon as son3 is done with his chess game gonna read with him and then get him in bed... meanwhile I just remembered I was at a good part in my book so gonna read a bit while waiting for Castle to come on....
Happy Journaling...

Sunday Selection...

To Play Visit Martha...

Today we are sharing our favorite photos...

I just took this one the other day... I like how the foreground leaves are blurry making a frame around the sunlit leaves...


I love this picture of son3 from Halloween... SAY CHEESE!


Monterey last summer... I'm needing a beach day soon....

Happy Journaling...

Color Carnival

To Play Visit Martha...


Trees at the park...


Tree in my side yard...


Close up of tree in my side yard...

Happy Journaling...

Sad Day...

I am a very mean mom... I have been very frustrated with son1... probably the cause of my stiff neck and headache for two weeks... I can overlook his coming and goings... and his room area that he doesn't keep clean, he's the one that has friends over... I've tried to help him keep up on his bills but he lived on his own for two years, you'd think he could handle that... the DMV finally sent him a notice to get car insurance... he is working and getting his unemployment to compensate for the part time... he got his car running good but still owes friend money for car he no longer has... I wish we talked more instead of just when he needs something or is hungry... I wish he never got his second dog, actually third dog as girlfriend took second dog when they broke up and he took first dog... My backyard is destroyed... I can not overlook the fact that son1 has only scooped the poop maybe four times in the four months he has been moved back home... I did it every day for two weeks at the beginning of October maybe giving a hint, but he never even said thank you... he did notice... He feeds the dogs maybe every twelve hours, when he gets up and when he gets home... Danny is fine as he is inside and a small dog... however Pistol is outside all alone and only five months old... I've had son2 feeding Pistol in between... I am a mean mom... Pistol has been sick twice before when son1 brings him over to friend's house and they have dog food out so Pistol gorges himself and then can't eat for a day... Pistol got his initial puppy shots but never his follow up ones and don't know if had his rabies shot... son1 did not want to get him fixed either... wanted to raise him as a hunting/breeding dog... Well Pistol hasn't been anywhere since before Halloween and yesterday morning he threw up and didn't eat all day as he didn't feel well... Son1 went off to friend's house and then to work at 2pm-8pm and then didn't come home til 10pm... Pistol was still sick... we suggested some chicken and rice soup, but he wouldn't eat it... He was up and walking around... This morning Pistol still would not eat but was up a bit but then laying around a lot more... I'm a mean mom as I said a lot of mean things this morning about son1 not caring for his dog and God teaching him a valuable lesson and hopefully he would learn that his dog needs him... we went through all this two months ago when I told him a dog was like a child and needed constant nurturing, not like a cat that could take more care of itself... Son1 went to get friend and to PetSmart to get advice and talked to friend's vet and they said probably Parvo... to give him Pedialyte and chicken broth... So son1 gave him some Pedialyte and then went to work at noon... me still being a mean mom was still lecturing everyone on caring for pets and respecting my house... At 1:30pm me being the uncaring mom that I am checked on Pistol and he had passed away... I really didn't think God would take the lesson that far... This is not the way I wanted to get my yard back... I do not blame the poor puppy but son1 who tries to have it all.... Hubby called son1 at work and told him and told him to stay at work and he and son2 took Pistol to the SPCA... Now hubby and son2 are back and hubby is cleaning the backyard as Danny still needs to go out there and if it was Parvo I don't want him to get it...
Son2 is getting ready to mow the front yard, son3 is on his computer games (he does know about Pistol) and I am going back to my mountain of laundry and sink full of dishes/pots and pans....
Happy Journaling... :(

November Sixth...

Yay it's Friday! I worked early today and got off at 3:30 today but here it is almost 8pm already... Hubby was off today and finished the last rung on the fence... and did some yard work and had some quiet time for himself... I finished stocking the men's workboots and then opened boxes after lunch... Got home and put on my jammies, son2 was off with friends, son1 is off at work, son3 on his computer games... son3 has been getting 100% on his reading tests! hubby went to the store to pick up a few basics and eggs, hash browns, kelbosa for breakfast and egg nog and pumpkin cake... signed up for medical benefits for 2010, today was the last day, I was not wanting to see what it is going up to and I was right... paid the bills that need to get in the mail... made dinner: frozen family turkey and chicken with leftovers from the fridge... We are all off tomorrow which is good cause I have a sink full of dishes and a mountain of laundry to do... Now I'm off to watch Smallville and tape Ghost Whisperer...
Happy Journaling...

November Fifth...

We're watching Bones and Fringe... Taping Supernatural...
We had leftover stew and hubby made cornbread in the mini bundt cake pan, so we all had a huge corn bread cake either in our stew or with butter...
I ran the dishwasher but I still have a sink full of pans from the week to wash... I also only did half the laundry yesterday... no sign of son1 after work today yet... most days he doesn't have dinner with us...
I thought I wouldn't have anything to do at work today due to the visit but I spent the day stocking men's workboots, didn't even finish... and I still want to stock the men's dress shoes... I work early tomorrow... I hear son1 home now... and I just found Holly, she's so soft...
Our weather is supposed to get a bit cooler this weekend and maybe even rain...
I still have to read with son3 for his reading test tomorrow and he has a spelling test, math test and maybe multiplication test tomorrow...
Hubby is snoring next to me, time for jammies and set my alarm clock...
Be sure to visit The Motivation Station tomorrow, we have a new Friday host!!
Happy Journaling...

November Fourth

I was off today... Racing the clock to get everything done... I had a nice day though but I'm grumbly now... I got lots cleaned up but the laundry is still not done and the sink is full of dishes again... I did get Halloween put away and Thanksgiving set up but the bills aren't paid... I made stew, it was really good... Son3 did good homework but also had classwork he brought home... He's now studying his multiplication flash cards... Son1 called home from work and made me grumpy... three years ago his friend loaned him money to buy a car, he no longer has the car nor has he paid the friend any money... the friend called him again today demanding the money or give him the car... he doesn't know that son1 no longer has the car... son1 wants me to co sign a loan... I refuse to help him on this... they were both wrong to make this agreement and the friend got nothing in writing... son1 has made several plans in the last three years to pay back the friend but has not followed through on anything... son1 wants to have all the money at once to pay him... he didn't like my no answer on the phone so he hung up on me... my headache came back and I still have the kink in my neck... finished son3's homework, talked with hubby, talked with son2... ate our stew for dinner while watching Aliens in the Attic and son1 came home an hour before he was supposed to be off work... he did come to talk to me and hubby but just to say don't worry he had taken care of it... stopped at the bank for a loan and made a plan with his dad... see it's all or nothing with him... I gave him a stern lecture about being grown up and responsible and following through and would we ever be able to have a full conversation without one of us getting angry... he doesn't want to discuss things... he wants an instant plan and then tomorrow it's a new plan... not to mention I'm sure he asked to leave work early so that's 4 points now, he is still in his 90 day probation... and girlfriend was with him... they are watching TV... I'm off to get son3 settled for the night and then get my jammies on and watch Drag Me To Hell with hubby... Holly is sleeping next to me.... Work tomorrow and our VIP visit...
Happy Journaling...

Halloween 2009

Make a Smilebox slideshow Happy Journaling...

November Third...

I was prepared for the Christmas music at work today so just a bit of headache lingering in the back, actually since vacation I have had a kink on the right side of my neck so can't turn to the right or look up, I'm thinking too much laptop on vacation... I'm also still tensing my jaw, not grinding, which is also causing my headache...
Our temps have still been in the 70's... going down to the 60's this weekend with a chance of rain... but did you know at 5:30 when I get out of work it's dark already, I don't like the dark...
I got the stockroom all cleaned today and all shoes put away... and wow we have so much help, all the new associates are all doing a great job... I was so done, well I could of done something but for the last hour I did nothing... I had even swept the stockroom... tons of boxes were coming up from the truck as I was leaving though...
The boys have finished their homework and need to head for the showers... I have a ton of things to do on my day off tomorrow... laundry, dishes, find the dining room table, pay bills, balance checkbook, go through the mail, clean bathrooms, put flannel sheets on my bed, put a bit of Halloween away, vacuum, check out my health benefits for next year and my entry for The Motivation Station...
But for now I am heading for my jammies, get the boys settled for the night, watch a bit of TV and read too...
Happy Journaling...

November Second...

I had a headache THIS BIG all day.... We are now playing Christmas music at work... half Christmas and half regular music but I think it was the same five Christmas songs over and over...
I started reorganizing the stockroom since I have so many associates to cover the floor now... We had a visit while I was on vacation and we have one more on Thursday and then we are done for this year...
I worked all day 9-5:30... I still need to get the house back together from Halloween... Lots of laundry still to be done and pots and pans to be washed... but not tonight, after this entry I am going to bed to veg and watch TV...
Hubby had a stressful vacation week trying to decide on some changes at work... He was going to step down from his position but after talking to his supervisor today he is still unsure of what he wants to do...
Lots of laughing in the house with the boys and hubby when I got home from work and then even into dinner...
Girlfriend is over too, they went to Starbucks and then gonna watch TV...
Another long day at work tomorrow and it's almost 9pm so off to veg and watch TV... Castle tonight!!
I'm working on the Halloween slide show... hopefully by tomorrow it will be ready to post...
Happy Journaling...

November First...

Today begins our thirty days of blogging... It's National Blog Posting Month at NaBloPoMo, so I've signed up for the month with a promise to post every day...
Halloween night was a blast... I will be making a smile box slide show to share soon... Trick or treaters didn't start showing up til 6pm and abruptly stopped at 8:30 but we waited til about 8:50 to be sure before we brought everything in to the garage... Don't leave anything out over night, don't want any tricksters to come back and leave a trick on us... Only had 17 goodie bags left over and a few toys, so had over 150 trick or treaters, hard to tell though as son3 was giving out two treats every so often... I fixed son3 some soup but he fell asleep before he had a chance to eat... Handing out candy is a hard job...Son2 as a werewolf was a success... Scared lots of big people and tried not to scare the little ones... Lots of pictures were taken of him... He's probably popping up all over My Space and Facebook today, lol... I didn't think of it when he picked out the werewolf costume of the Twilight movie until someone asked him if he was Edward, teasing him cause they thought he was Jacob... I ate a caramel apple after the trick or treating was done... Very good! and then I ate a candy apple, not so good... the candy melted off the apples so I just rinsed off the candy and we will quickly eat the apples... I'm still eating the tortilla soup, yummy...
I have a sink full of dishes that I am slowly working my way through... and seven loads of laundry to do from all the Halloween dummies... I'm on load #2...
Hubby and I were back to work today... I worked 6am-2:30pm... hubby only worked 11-4 as they were very slow so we got a good start on getting Halloween put away... I was busy at work... Setting up the ad, training the new guy to set the ad, he kept up on boxes while I was gone but still lots to do and organize, a dozen new associates that I haven't even met them all yet, so we had lots of help today, too much even, lol...
Now we've finished dinner and watching Numbers... and I need to get back on dishes and laundry...
Happy Journaling...

Krazy Kitchen

I made caramel apples today...



I made candy apples today...

I had a little trouble... finish reading instructions would be a good thing... I put the apples in the oven to warm the caramel and then read that I was supposed to stretch the caramel over the apple, I thought it would melt...

I dunked the apples in the candy covering but it came out too thin so I thought I would pour some more over the apples... looks really cool all over the pan, like blood, but try to pick one up and get all of them, lol...

I was gonna make Halloween cut out cookies too... Had a leftover kit box from Christmas and Halloween cookie cutters... Mixed the dough and it was so runny, kept adding flour... thought this must be older than I thought... So made a batch of dough from scratch realizing the flour was from 2007, it's all crumbly... When almost throwing out the second bag from the Christmas kit realized what I thought was two bags of dough mix was actually a frosting mix, lol.... So I will try one more time to see if I can get some dough together so son3 can cut out some cookies and frost them... I had planned on making frosting, didn't remember it came in the box....

The Krazy Kitchen is still partying, so head on over...

Happy Halloween!
Happy Journaling...

Color Carnival

To Play Visit Martha...

Haunted Cemetery in our front entrance way...







Happy Journaling...

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup
(My Sister In Law's recipe)

You can scale this up or down, it's really all a matter of preference.
This is exactly how we make it and we have tons of left overs.

3 32 oz boxes of Organic Chicken Broth
1 Chicken Breast (Roasted if you can)
3 Zucchini’s cut however you'd like
4 Green onions
Minced Garlic cloves - We use a lot of garlic, use whatever you like
Chili Powder (I use chipotle chili powder), again the heat is up to you
2 cans of Rotel Tomatoes
2 cans of corn, you can most certainly use frozen if you prefer but we like the added water from the cans
Cilantro
Avocado
Pepper Jack Cheese
Tortilla Chips

Lightly sauté the zucchini, green onions and garlic
Add the corn and tomatoes
Add the chili powder
Add the broth, chicken
Stir and let simmer for about 30 minutes

When you are ready to eat, turn up the heat on the soup, get it to a boil and then turn the heat off and add the cilantro.

Add sliced avocado to bowl, any amount you'd like
Add the pepper jack cheese, again whatever amount suits your fancy
Add a handful of chips to the bowl
Add the soup to the bowl (I always add just a pinch of cheese on top as well)

Enjoy!

I roasted five chicken breasts with bone but didn't put them in the soup, well except when I dunked my fork in the soup....
I used fajita seasoning instead of chili powder cause hubby doesn't like spicy...
I don't like cilantro so I skipped it...
no avocado this time...
and I used cheddar cheese...

But it was still so good!!!!

The Krazy Kitchen is having a Halloween Party... Stop by to try all the yummy food and see the decorations....

Happy Journaling...

Update Soon...

I'm hoping to do an update soon...
Busy Busy on Vacation...
Until then see what I've been up to over here...
The Motivation Station...
Happy Journaling...

Vacation

I am on vacation through Halloween... Hubby has two half days today and tomorrow and then he is on vacation too... Well except Thursday he has to go to a meeting... He can never get a whole week off... We are both back to work on the 1st...
Last week at work four of the new associates started... Three for sales and one for stocking with me... I had so much help on Thursday and Friday that I didn't have to watch the floor and I got all the boxes opened, not put away but there were none in receiving and they were all opened and stacked...
Friday I got off early, hubby was already home and I vegged on the laptop for the rest of the day... Still too much time at Facebook playing games, lol...
I broke the Saturn on the way home on Friday... The locks on the doors are electric so we have a remote however when I am in the car, I push the button... well the button went crunch and was stuck in.... all the door locks were clicking all the way home trying to engage... so for Friday hubby just disconnected the battery...
On Saturday morning after many bad words and finally figuring out how to get any part of the door off, hubby was able to get to the lock and disconnect that one door lock... the rest all work with the remote still, just have to lock that door manually until he replaces the part... however some how the windshield wiper was broke during the process... think he tried to do one job too many and should have stopped at the door lock... so now both cars need one new windshield wiper and we may see rain for Halloween...
Also on Saturday I was motivated and cleaned the front door way of all the shoes, got son2 to assemble the Halloween foam cemetery on the front table... still a few pieces to attach... I did all the dishes, cleaned the island, stove and dining room table... I did two loads of laundry and wiped down the washer and dryer... I vacuumed... I brought in the rest of the Halloween boxes so I can start assembling the Halloween props this week... I cleaned the boys bathroom... and I spent too much time on the computer and ate too much....
Saturday afternoon we went to one of the street pumpkin patches in town to pick up a pumpkin for son3 to bring to his Halloween party at school this week... And then we went to the Zoo's Zoo Boo to trick or treat... See slide show in previous entry...
We left the house at 3pm, got to the zoo at 4pm to find parking and get son3 into his costume... got in line at 4:30pm, trick or treating started at 5pm and son3 was ready to leave at 5:45pm... said he didn't like it, it wasn't what he expected... he did fall down at 5:15pm but he seemed to recover from the fall well enough... Most of the animal exhibits were closed for the night and the animals put to bed... Local businesses set up tables and give out candy and business flyers... by 5:30pm we were having to wait in line at each table... most of the businesses were dressed up in costume and were having fun with the kids... I think son3 was expecting more shows and fun things like when he got to break the board at the martial art table... and the Carl's Jr table had bowls and boxes set up under cover and you put your hand in and felt what was inside and then the man was saying that's warts on a witch's nose and that 's brains, etc... and it was spaghetti and what not... son3 put his hand in every box... According to the brochure there were 136 business tables but it was also for three nights so don't know if everyone came each night... I'm sure we went to less than 50 and we only skipped about 6... We also never made it to the game/pumpkin walk/hay maze area that cost extra but they may have had more tables there... We also missed the costume parade... but son3 just wasn't having any fun trick or treating at tables and was ready to go...
So we got home early, son2 had already left for his Sadie Hawkins dance with his friends... don't think any of them danced as it was at our miniature golf, video game family park and there was lots to do besides dance... Son2 did request a flannel shirt for the dance so I picked him up two to go with either black or blue jeans... he chose the black jeans with the red and black flannel shirt... I never did get a picture of him as it was almost midnight by time he got home... So son3 spent the evening playing computer game and hubby and I watched Sleepy Hollow with Johnny Depp...
Sunday found me grumpy as I had too many high hopes for the day and the boys weren't cooperating... Son1 and hubby were off to work, son3 was playing computer games and son2 was grounded from the computer cause he hadn't finished his room still from getting the entertainment center... plus he had homework... finally at 4pm he started his homework, at 6pm he stopped for dinner, printed out what he had done at 8pm and said he would finish the rest later and turn it in late... argh... at 9pm he cleared his bed so he could finally sleep in it... at 9:30 pm I was finally able to put in The Shining that I had been wanting to watch all day with son2 and we watched the first hour....
I did get the boy's shower curtain washed, the rugs washed, the Halloween card envelopes addressed, still waiting for hubby to print out the cards at work, I typed in the poem so hubby would have it to print out, put away all the laundry and was on the laptop and ate all day....
And here we are to Monday... Got hubby off to work, son2 and son3 off to school... son1 is off today and still asleep... hubby should be home within the hour... I've paid the bills... made a list for the day... and finally done an entry...
I need to get to The Motivation Station too... I've been lagging over there as well as over here... We are still in need of a permanent/temporary/guest host for Fridays....
Ok I'm off to empty the garage freezer so we can defrost it today...
Happy Journaling...

Trick or Treat at the Zoo Boo

Happy Journaling...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Color Carnival

To Play Visit Martha...


Indian Corn...


Dining room table setting...

Happy Journaling...