All ready

...for the block party.

Shrimp, marinated baby mozz, mushrooms, broccoli, sugar snap peas, baby spinach and ff italian dressing.... Oh, and tricolor pasta- my favorite.

Late night (3 a.m. ) at the wedding but what a blast!

Carly(via Blackberry)

Here we go again...

It's been longer than I care to admit but work on the mural has resumed. I let my son help dot in "the crowd" with q-tips today. He's anxious to rip off the tape. Too anxious. Eeek.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Food

This morning on the porch I checked out "The Cooking Loft" on FoodTV with Chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli. I think I've seen her either helping Flay or on Iron Chef. Not sure. She was doing tomatoes, and I definitely enjoyed watching the show, because of her general style and personality. She started by slicing cherry tomatoes and sprinking a little bit of kosher salt, fresh black pepper, and a tiny bit of SUGAR on them. Huh? Okay, I have to try that. Then she made a tomato sauce that looked pretty good - with steaks, yum.

There was one "student" (in her cooking class) this week who kinda reminded me of someone I know, so that was amusing. To-do: I need to take another cooking class in the comming year.

Last night a wonderful friend of mine came over with her family. I love to have people over, and eat simple/tasty stuff in my kitchen that I cook while we all leisurely hang out at the counter area or in the family room. With our expanded space it's better than ever... these were our first non-family guests.

It was a total piggie night (carbs? what is a carb? ...but I did drink a coors light which is the least bad of the options I had). I had grilled up some thin chicken cutlets and I had the makings of caesar salad all laid out buffet style so that people could fix theirs to their liking.

I also made a salad with a couple of vine ripened tomatoes, two shallots, some chunks of lowfat mozzarella, a couple of teaspoons of pesto, and some fresh basil from my porch. YUM. I forgot to add a splash of balsamic. Some of us ate it on the side, but the guys plopped it right on top of their chicken caesar salad. There was bread, good bread... I was good, not 3 slices, just the smallest one from the loaf.

My daughter made a mix of cubed poundcake, sliced strawberries, blueberries, and cool whip all mingled together in a glass bowl. Everyone loves it and I'm working on giving her a self identity of "good cook" so that maybe she'll eat a broader range of foods once the evil braces come off.

Hmmm

Books. Books?

I recall books. Vaguely.

Perhaps one day I'll have time to read again.

Then I would be able to use this http://www.shelfari.com/ and not stare at the screen and think "Hmmm. I'm not reading ANYTHING right now."

Because Perez doesn't count.

Ugh

Not a great day. At 5 a.m. I heard the scritch scritch of a critter in the attic over my head. (The only part of the house we have no access to, because of the way that roof was put on when we did our FIRST addition 10 years ago). I swear that thing was trying to claw its way out, and I half expected a racoon to fall on my face any moment.

Now the window washers are squeak squeak squeaking outside my window.
Last day for some of my friends here. :-(

Color me a tired blue.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Da, dum da dum....

(as opposed to da, da, da dum dum, dah dah which is the Oh-lympics...) Here comes the bride! Finally!

A card for my friend getting married soon (soon enough that I'm doing this at nearly the last minute!)

I came across a paper doll pattern book at Michael's and bought it for my daughter who was NOT interested at all. I used white pearlized vellum for the "dress" (it looks grey) and the 'lace flowers' are actually stickers from do it yourself manicure kits (...the ones on the bottom are rhinestone-ish).

It's hard to tell perhaps, but it's a black rectangle adhered on a white card, which confused the hell out of my new scanner.

Of course, there is a dragonfly stamped on the back.

Here we go again

(Carly's cell phone rings, while she is at lunch with numerous shady coworkers)

"Mom, can we have pizza?"

"Do you have anything smaller than a $20?"

"Mommmmmm"

Carly(via Blackberry)

G B U part 2

Sorry, I'm on a roll

Good - Michael Symon taking over Dinner Impossible - I forgot to watch last week but I will definitely watch tonight (bonus- country music!)

Bad - getting your boss to give me grief about how I sent you something that I VOLUNTEERED to do for you... just ask me yourself and I'll be happy to do what you want me do... we are all grownups here. Aren't we?

Ugly - the dude who uses his crazy wild running dog to drag him around the pond in the park I used to run in, WHILE HE IS WEARING ROLLERBLADES. Dude, I am going to kill you dead the next time you whip around a corner and I'm changing channels on my sirius...

Good, Bad, Ugly

Good - Sarah McLachlan has a new song out - I have always loved her music...

You walk on by
Clueless and so high
Following your aimless path away from us
You're so far away
And what can I say
Cause I can't be the one you wanted me to be

So tell me how do you feel
It's so confusing
If you let it all go, it'll fall apart
Do you want me to stay and say I still want you
You want me too, don't you?

So what are we saying
Our eden's a failure
A made-up story to fit the picture-perfect world
The one with "I do"s and I love you
And we are made for each other
Is forever over now?

And tell me how do you feel
It's so confusing
If you let it all go, it'll fall apart
Do you want me to stay and say I still want you
You want me too, don't you?

I hope there's forgiveness
In the distance between us
Can we make what lies ahead of us a better place to be?

So tell me, how do you feel
It's so confusing
If you let it all go, it'll fall ---
Do you want me to stay and say I still want you
You want me too, don't you?

Bad -
It is going to rain Saturday for my friend's wedding... is that good luck, or bad luck? I can never remember all of the superstitions...


Ugly-

Don't say I didn't warn you...

Sunny Today

I can almost predict the weather by how many errands I have to run on any given day.

Today was buying uniforms and dropping my car off for an oil change and meeting the yearbook sales rep (ok that one was fun, I have to admit. Yearbook is a lot more high-tech than is was 25 years ago!)

Going for an xray (not me, not an emergency) and finding out I have a 30 minute wait..... Phooey.

I still have to go photocopy about 400 pages and other fun fun fun errands.

So, of course it's gorgeous today. Not like I WANTED to relax in the shade, on my porch or anything.

Carly(via Blackberry)

NieNie

Tomorrow is NieNie day...a coordinated day of fundraising in honor of Stephanie (Nie Nie) and her husband Christian, who were badly injured in a private plane crash on Saturday evening, the 16th.

You can read about NieNie's sister's experiences during this time of challenge at c jane run .

Since I don't have anything that I can auction off, I'm going to "buy Nienie lunch". Donate (via the "Donate to NieNie" button on her blog) whatever you might spend taking a friend out to lunch. You may not miss it, but NieNie's family will appreciate every bit of help.

Another sunny day

a gorgeous day here in the northeast...again, lost to pointless tests.

I had an endoscopy today. Overall not too bad, (I wasn't sick afterward, but slept most of the day away, and it's gorgeous out.) But just like the CAT scan - no answers for me.

On my way there my stomach was really killing me so I thought this might yield something but nooo. Showed nothing. I guess that's good. I don't have an ulcer or whatever else bad he might have seen.

The worst part was that they spray anesthetic on your throat. Three times. It's foul, even with the nasty fake banana flavoring. So the first time, you don't really know what you're in for, and the second time you kind of do, and the third time it's really hard to unclench your jaw and let them do what they need to do. I hated it. Hated feeling like I couldn't swallow, because I got a little panicky and felt like maybe next I wouldn't be able to breathe, even though I knew it was just numb. So they gave me a little bit of sedation, and that started me on my journey to la-la land. Next thing I knew I was waking up.

So that this isn't just complaining, I will list 3 things I am grateful for. (1) I am grateful I DON"T have an ulcer. (2) I am very, very grateful for icewater, because I feel like I have strep throat now. Fun fun fun. and (3) I am grateful for Dana, the student nurse who observed some (or all, I don't know) of my procedure; when I was feeling panicky she took a paper towel and said "you're leaking" as she very gently wiped away my tears.

Time to go sit on my porch for a while. Wish I had some company!

One last thing

...because it's Monday and I don't want to go to work.

Michael Phelps (if he were his own country) would have finished tied for 9th in the gold medal count, ahead of countries including France, Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Argentina, Switzerland, Brazil and Mexico.

The rest of the world won the seven OTHER golds in men's swimming events. You know, the events Michael wasn't in.

(These stats were from Fourth place medal. )

Over it

It pains me greatly to say it but... I'm over it. I'm glad the Olympics are over. (Sorry, Michael!!)

I'm tired...probably won't stay up to see the big finish tonight. Except maybe to shake my head again at what Leona Lewis is wearing.

I have the first hints of that creeping feeling of dread I get every year when Summer is almost over. School and fundraisers and homework and the cold, crappy weather. The party's over.

(This post brought to you in part by the exhaution of having three ten-year- old boys sleep over and having to quiet them down repeatedly before I could get to sleep. )

Tidbits

My stomach hurts 2x as much today, because it didn't hurt yesterday. MFSOB and other curse words.

My backyard is FINALLY seeded and smells like the manure mixed into the topsoil. Happy happy joy joy. On the plus side I can pretty much guarantee everyone who lives in my area that it won't rain for a while and we'll be out watering for hours every day. Anyway

Like my new header photo? After lunch I sat on a lounge chair under a tree at the Sagamore's beach area, looking out at the gorgeous lake while the boys swam. After maybe three minutes D's friend came up to me and said "isn't this area for guests of the hotel?"

I pointed out that we had spent $150 at the boathouse on the island to go kayaking, and another $50 to eat lunch in the restaurant 50 feet from where we were sitting. "We ARE paying guests. All I'm doing here is sitting on a plastic chair. Now go swim."

So I took pictures and listened to my iPod and ignored the "We're bored" until about the third time, and then I calmly pointed out that "People drive hundreds of miles to vacation at this lake. We're meeting your dads for dinner at (spot farther down the lake) and so we're pretty much staying here until then. Deal with it. Stop acting like it's torture to be spending the entire afternoon swimming in a beautiful lake." Once they realized I had clicked to Lecture Mode (actually I think I threw in "would you rather sit in your classroom? because we can go there, and skip dinner" ) then they left me alone. If I have to be a semi-bitch to get two hours of relaxing on a perfect summer day, then so be it.

It was kind of fun to people watch. No olympic specimens (what so ever!!) mind you, but funny to see Ms. Guggi having a fit because her toddler wouldn't get on the speed boat for a ride, so Mom & toddler had to stay (Um, here's a hint, put her in the boat and tell her to shut up. Nevermind, just book her for rehab now.)

It's funny to see teenagers reading a book you know they were supposed to read all summer, and they're maybe 1/4" into it. (The Color Purple? that boy did not WANT to read The Color Purple.)

It was also funny to watch Chair Wars. There are literally hundreds of chairs but some are better than others and people feel compelled to sit with their entire group and drag chairs around and mark them with towels and argue about who saved a chair and so on. It's funny to see the people who brought their room towels instead of knowing that a big basket of towels would be available at the beach.

And no, if you're wondering, we didn't take any towels.

Kay yack yack yack

If you take two ten year old boys kayaking be prepared for the following:

- explaining over and over that these are not actually bumper cars and that DIG means "don't just sit there and watch him crash into you, both of you TURN already!"

- comments about seagulls and poop

- racing

-sulking because the old lady can go faster

- riding the waves from speedboats and wanting more

- the inevitable splash fight

- "I want to kayak EVERY day"

Me too.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Chipping away

Corporate suits are slowly chipping apart my network of friends. Two of them are due to slip out of my life forever next Friday.

Oh, I know. We'll have lunch.

Maybe.

Last night we gathered at the place where our group goes for last beers together. I am starting to associate the place with unwanted goodbyes and not fun and high spirits.

Then after beers a subset of us weren't really ready to go home, so we went to the Cheesecake Factory and discussed everything from being single to being married to the assertion that yes, there really is a position called the Kangaroo, and you'd better be adventurous, and bendy. But it's worth it, from the way he grins when he makes those declarations.

(Just for the record, no, he wasn't suggesting that little old ME go try it... he was telling our Single Guy That Everyone Wants to Fix Up that he should go find a nice Aussie girl. )

The other friend who's leaving is adamant that she doesn't want a party. Nope. Not my choice to be shoved out of my job, and I don't feel like celebrating my departure, thank you. She doesn't get that it wouldn't be so much for her, but partly for us. A last dinner full of laughter to look back on, remembering who hit on the waiter and so on. (Again, ...well, not really me).

But it's the farewell hugs at the end of the evening, before we all drift off to our cars, that she'll miss. That we'll miss.

Conversations with my child

(Thing 1 shows me phone) : "Mom, read this message"
(me) "That's spam, just delete it"
(T1) "But if I don't forward it to five friends I may lose my summer love..."
(me) "Do you HAVE a summer love?"
(T1) "I'll just delete it"


***

(I call home to check up on them) "Did you get pizza?"
(T1) "I let him keep the change"
(me) "I gave you a $20 and you ordered a six cut pizza... do you understand that you gave him almost $10, that's a huge tip?"
(T1) "Well, he did seem really happy"


I still have so much work ahead of me.

Didn't I ?

I said this last week and I knew it wasn't an original thought... MP really does remind me of John Krasinski.... apparently the best Office site agrees 100%






In other news, salt water taffy has only 7 g of carb in each piece... I had some the other day (a friend came back from Maine) and when I looked it up online I thought I had eaten about 60 g worth (frustrated tears...). I finally got my hands on the box - what a relief! My other stupid little happy thing is Cherry Passion Tic Tacs. Almost no carbs in those bad boys -- <.5 each (and yes I know that doesn't mean I can eat the whole box, it's just nice to be able to have a piece of "candy" midafternoon, when I am missing Skittles and the like. )

Cross your fingers for me that I can go enjoy kayaking tomorrow and not be saying "Fck, my stomach hurts" all day.

Don't MAKE me come over there

So, some people have issues with my boyfriend* being on the "wrong" box of cereal.

Listen. The man eats 10,000 calories a day. Maybe he LIKES Frosted Flakes.

Wheaties, I mean, really, did you ever put milk on Wheaties and walk away for five minutes? You come back to what looks like a bowl of sawdust that sat out in the rain. Yummy. Not. Have all the famous athletes who have previously taken money to be on "the right" cereal boxbox made America's children thinner? No. Do famous athletes and other celebs promote Coke and Pepsi, which is a much bigger contributor to poor health? Yes.

Lay off people. You're just mad because he looks hot in a Speedo, and now he's rich.


*A girl can dream.

Running the Race

Love her attitude of "this defeat will make me stronger..." this too is an inspiration.

(this widget sucks, I can't paste in the exact video I want. Pick Interviews, then find
"American hurdler Lolo Jones reflects on her devastating loss in the 100m hurdles.")

Exclusive Summer Olympics news & widgets at NBC Olympics.com!

Yummy Fun Factoids Anyone?

So I am working on various forms and things for the PTA. Now that I'm not an officer anymore I feel free to say "Yes, I can do that" or "Nope..." and I'm good with the PC, so there you have it.

I was working on reformatting our lunch menu/ order form and was asked to see if I could fit "fun facts" in at the bottom... and I was given a link to a page with all sorts of factoids.

Somehow I don't think this is the ideal one to use....

A portion of the water you drink has already been drunk by someone else,

maybe several times over

Fish are friends, even the dumb ones

You might recall that we got Ted a while back, nearly killed him because I know nothing much about aquariums, then saved him by pouring Finn (and a bag of cootie-filled water from the pet store) into the tank. It was an easter miracle, according to my son.

So they're just floating blissfully along, more or less. About once every month I realize I need to change the water. I scoop them into my giant Pampered Chef pyrex measuring cup (holds 8 cups) and they freak out for a while and swim in crazed circles while I dump their tank. It's a good time because I chronically overfeed them and they apparently poop like fiends whenever I'm not looking.

This morning I went in to feed them and they were both more or less "sleeping", tucked between the fake pirate's chest and the fake blue plant. They were nose to tail; I assume they sleep that way so that they can keep a lookout for predators or wayward toddlers.

When I turned the light on and started sprinkling food in they both startled and tried to swim forward - but they got stuck, tangled up in each other. It was hysterical because for at least 10 seconds they bumped into each other over and over, both trying to go in opposite directions, and neither one quite able to get past.

I guess you had to be there.

Don't know the answers

So, I have more questions than answers today. More questions, period. On so many topics.

But just for instance, the Dr. said I don't have x, y, or z, which means more (different) tests, because I still have SOMETHING wrong with me.

So if I'm going to obsess about SOMETHING, I decided to stick my head in the sand, um, pool, and obsess about something fun. Someone, actually.

P rocks, she sent me to this interview and then I found this...

Phrase of the day

"Phelped out"

-describing the condition wherein one is behind in sleep, work, and/or personal responsibilities due to excessive observation and consideration of MP.

I was late to worked today because I Phelped out. Even though I KNEW the DVR was recording him on the Today show, I couldn't tear myself away when I should have.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Olympic moment du jour

High point... Constantina Tomescu-Dita rocked the marathon (today, technically but most people saw it last night)

I watched what I had on my dvr at lunchtime today to see MP's 8th gold and when I saw how far ahead of the remainder of the field Dita was, and watched her run into the stadium, with the crowd standing and cheering for her, (and also the 3rd & 4th place finishers who were from China), I cried a little. Envying her (my foot is still bothering me, I haven't been able to run in quite a while) and at the same time being thrilled for her at HOW FAR AHEAD she was and to have that experience of running into the stadium in the lead.

Low point... definitely the sailing - follow that link if you want to see video of the capsizing, read about the mayhem, etc. Clearly, so to speak, not a bright sunny afternoon on the water.

First off the vine

Ordinary people probably aren't excited about a couple of tomatoes. I never pretended to be ordinary.

Carly(via Blackberry)

wasn't in vegas, so I guess I can tell

We met at a mexican place... I was there early, so I had a corona with the obligatory lime while I waited for Bride, and I tried to avoid a sloshing pitcher of margaritas being held by a very young, very stupid, very drunk boy

Bride's friend had various goodies for us to be silly with. (I was renamed Trixie during the meal) I believe I had two margaritas at the restaurant (with salt). There was another bride there, and her slutty attendants (she had a few too many) all had corny t-shirts and neon fake Britney sort of wigs - pink, blue, green, etc. Get some class.

We went on to parade the bride through a wannabe casino and go to the very lame dance club therein. It was tactical, we knew we wouldn't be crushed in a college crowd there. We listened to 80's rap (Salt n Pepa and so on) that I last heard in college, and saw some very, um, well, pathetic people. (Black knee high boots with soooo many buckles. She frightened me.) There were beers and shots called a purple motherf***** that I rather liked.

At one point the bride paid me $10 to dance with one of those "I've got the moves so I WILL dance all by myself" guys. My personal objective was to not actually let him physically contact me in any way, and I succeeded in my mission.

The bridal veil attracted random conversation... for some reason "how old is Carly really" came up more than once and I was pegged at 36, and even 31 by my favorite liar. Thank you, made my day, married, buh bye.

We spoke to 3 different people to get ONE of the 25 screens turned to NBC, just in time to see THE race go off. When Lezak touched the wall, Foxxy and I were screaming, high fiving, and going nuts. No one else in the place cared. Communist bastards.

Awesome

I am drinkling beer through a penis straw and they put the race on here. I could not be any happier right at this very moment

Carly(via Blackberry)

Photo du Jour

Celebration....

I can only imagine his feelings at finally achieving this goal. Those countless long laps, back and forth across a pool, alone at 5 a.m. in cold water. It's like waiting your whole life for your magical wedding day, dating frog after frog after frog. Or waiting those long nine months to look at the face of your child for the first time. Walking across the stage for that diploma you scrimped and scraped and worked your ass off for.

That time that seemed so endless, leading up to the day that seemed it would never come, gone by in a blink. It seems like a hundred years ago, and yet only yesterday, that you were single, childless, or walking into that first classroom. Stepping into that pool for the first time. Another person entirely, and yet still fundamentally you.

The moment is now; today is the day. You've envisioned it thousands of times in your mind, and it will be everything (yet completely different from all that) you were sure it would be. So much more amazing, so much more perfect and right.

We can all have moments like this in our life, if we reach for them. The elation I see in the photo above is how I felt when my daughter was put into my arms for the first time, and again three years later, when my son arrived.

How moving it is now, to be able to stand by and watch Michael as he has his moment, surrounded by so many lenses, so many spectators. How generous of him to share this with all of us. This is exactly why I love the Olympics so much. We can all tap into the emotions we feel as we watch the athletes experience those personal triumphs, and use them to inspire us in our own lives.

Congratulations, Michael.

Mike...

Seriously. Win tonight.

Because I've always wanted to stalk (scratch that) date (wait, I'm married) actually meet an easy-on- the eyes millionaire. And hey, us cugars (SIC, see JV,) need goals, right?

But as P made me realize, I'm being myopic.

I mean, there's Ryan, who looks pretty damn cute dripping wet.


Dry, in his official portrait, he faintly resembles Carrot Top, but I'm willing to overlook that as long as he keeps swimming and never gets any bad plastic surgery. Because he can swimmmmm. (overlook the funny face...)


And Cullen, who I might have known if I still lived in the Bronx. Well yes, I was in high school when he was born, so I might have been his BABYSITTER. ARE YOU HAPPY, INTERNET? I AM OLD NOW.

And then Jason, who might be the only one who would consider dating someone my age... and he is his own coach. I need to be my own coach more often. ("Get on the bike, Carly. Put the glass of wine down, Carly." You know, stuff like that. )



At any rate, tomorrow night when my darling (wait) stalkee (nope, bad) favorite athlete takes to the pool, I will be out whooping it up at a bachelorette party with women many many months younger than me. Cross your fingers that I don't make an ass of myself or need a taxi. But rest assured, I will be somewhere that I can point to the tv, and scream in an embarrassing falsetto (I'm an ALTO) "I love him!!!"

Dear M

Yaaaay! Seriously, it's starting to feel like this is a movie.

I rewatched the 400 relay, but in a video version showing only footage from the underwater cameras. Still amazing.

(I really have to stop drinking so much caffeine to stay up late to watch...)

C'mon

Today started out crappy and cloudy and moody. I bailed work at lunchtime, and used some vacation hours to go home for a nap. When I got up (oops, 2:oo) I had some hot food and sat on my porch in the sunshine for a while, and I actually feel not bad now. I just want to stop hurting. I am hoping not to need MORE surgery, but who the eff knows. I won't find out about what the CAT scan showed for a couple of days.

Since Johnny V called me a "cugar" (via IM) today for being a Phelps Phan, I'll move on to discuss the news that Keith Andersen has a new cd out.

I met him briefly at a country music festival, and from what I observed, Keith is more than a little fresh with the younger ladies. I'll leave it at that. So it was a little bit of a disconnect to know that he can write such beautiful songs, like "I'll know when I get there"*, which moves me every time I listen to it. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good piano ballad.

He's done it again, co-writing 10 of the disc’s 11 tracks on C'mon, including a song "Lost in this Moment With You" that's so nice that my non- country- music- fan friend almost chose it for her first dance at her upcoming wedding. It's hard to believe such a damn pretty face can be so sentimental, but someone must have ripped his heart out and stomped on it at one point (refer to "I still miss you".... and "I ain't hurting nobody but me")

I haven't had the cd very long so right now I am liking Sugarland's newest one more. But it's growing on me.

*
For a chance to sing, I'd do anything,
And it feels like I've lost everything.
I just gotta believe it's down that road somewhere,
'Cause I'll know when I get there, yeah.

I don't know if it's worth it. And I don't know if I'm good enough.
All I know is I'm givin' it all I've got.
And I'll know when I get there.

Boring is overrated

So... my day wasn't as bad as this guy's. (OUCH! )

It definitely had ups and downs though. My kids had doctor appointments and I got on the scale, and I have lost 5 lbs since I saw the Dr. last. So giving up yummy bread, and all of those pretzels and good-for-you granola bars and so on (oh and the beer, wine, and soda ) has actually proven to work. Who knew I could eat as much (lowfat) cheese as I want? Damn. I guess I have to keep going with the bike, too.

My Dr's receptionist finally got through to India to get a HUMAN who works for my insurance company (no lie) and was able to get approval to schedule my CAT scan. (My gall bladder really effing hurts some days, this has been going on about two months, which is perplexing since I had it removed in 2006...)

So on this gorgeous day which would have been perfect for a kayak ride, I sat in a medical office drinking some crystal lite lemonade shit with funky sort of dye in it. For 90 minutes, a total of three glasses, and NO VODKA AT ALL. (Oh and I hadn't had breakfast before I took the kids to their appointment, and I pretty much went from theirs to mine, with no food, of course. Wah, wah, waaaaah.)

Then I was taken from the waiting area into the "locker room" where I could change and I guess that's when I got scared about wtf actually IS where my gallbladder used to be... because I tied the gown all wrong like a moron and would have flashed the other people waiting, and I wanted to cry when the kind radiology technician fixed it for me. She was so nice to me I forgave her when the IV leaked stuff all over me. Blaaah. Now I am still tasting that drink and it is past 11PM.

On the plus side again, I got the greatest cake pan cake pan tonight, it will make a giant cupcake shape out of an entire cake mix. It's two parts.... well, go look. It would also easily make a very obscene cake for a bachelor party, but that's just me using naughty to deal with my stress.

I finally saw Dark Knight. I don't know if it's just the long day I had, or that I'm not really normally "into" big movies like that... but I was wishing it was over before it was. I know, I am the 1% of America who didn't rave about it. I'm disappointed that I wasn't more into it, but there it is. So sue me, yes Heath was VERY good but the rest of the movie was too cartoon for me. Plus, the entire second half of the movie I could taste that crap from my test. But my son wanted to see it, so I was the good sport and didn't complain. No nightmares yet so maybe we'll be ok.

This summer blows in so many ways.

This is about the only thing cheering me up right now, so I hope y'all will forgive my slight obsession.

Dear Michael (pt 2)

Sorry about the goggles. I swear, I only had them on for ONE SECOND.

I never dreamed that my little lifeguard masquerade (and the badge I laminated with my Xyron machine*) would ACTUALLY get me into the Water Cube.

Anyway, I just wanted to ask you one tiny little favor.

Please, please, promise me, don't let yourself go. Retire before you end up looking like this....



(*the scrapbookers all got this joke. What?!! It's late. I can't sleep. And seriously WTF is up with those water polo hats?)

Like, right now

About once a month a BIG 18-wheeler wanders around aimlessly in our teeny quiet little 'hood.


They turn left onto our nearest cross street, when they really want to turn about 3 traffic lights away from where we are. But two of the lights along their trajectory are about two years old. So some companies have old directions, that basically say "Take exit X, then at the second traffic light turn left."


SO they come along, and wander down our street, about as subtle as a squeaking fart in church. Plenty of times, they actually stop right in front of our house, because of the configuration of the neighborhood - they realize they're lost because the road comes to a "T".


I printed out a google map once. It showed where we are, and included the road they should have stayed on, and the place where they actually probably WANT to turn, based on where all some warehouses are.


Gave the map to the Mister, who said "yeah, that's probably a good idea" and then lost it.


I can only do just so much.


Of course, for the last hour I've been looking for ONE particular piece of paper, because I need it tomorrow. No dice. My desk still looks like this:

Ideal solutions

#1. I wore a light green shirt today and noticed (in the elevator when I got to work) that the front was wet. I just kind of muttered to the programmer I was riding with, "geez I guess spilled tea all over myself while I was driving in, I hope it doesn't stain".

In a genuinely friendly helpful voice, she said "Just turn your shirt inside out!"

#2. Recently my friend noticed this one programmer "D" leaving the cafeteria. D has a long stringy ponytail and doesn't seem to wash it all too often. This is very inconsistent with the fact that he brings a cloth napkin and placemat from home for lunch. (Or maybe, he brought it once and just uses it over and over.)

Anyway Andy's jaw dropped open when D glanced into his cup, realized he still had some drink left, and calmly dumped it right onto the cafeteria carpet before leaving.

This is why we keep them away from our line of business clients.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Dear Michael

Dear Mr. Phelps,

Can I call you Michael?

First, I'd like to let you know that there's simply no need to file any paperwork asking me not to come within 100 feet of you. Just wanted to get that out of the way. Second, I should probably apologise to your Mom. Since, ya know, I'm about halfway between your age and hers, probably. But at least I'm not twice your age.


But damn, boy.

You look quite a lot like that paper salesman at Dunder that I adore, and I somehow I just don't think the hot flashes I'm feeling when I watch tv these days can be chalked up to early peri-menopause.

On behalf of all of the women my age who wish WE were still in OUR twenties, thank you for this (even Perez didn't write on him) :

For the "take that you French bastards" coupled with the built in game of "what's the retention strategy here, and will it fail?" I thank you, even though this picture makes me want to give you a big slice of cheesecake...


All kidding aside, REALLY, Thank you....


Good luck with that swimming thing that you're doing.

(And to any guys out there who might be thinking about giving me crap, I have four words; go watch beach volleyball. )

xo,
Carly

My mosaic

My mosaic
Originally uploaded by carlyq80

Came across a MEME I liked....

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

If you want to play too, type your answer to each of the questions below into a Flickr search. Using only the first page, choose your favorite image, then copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker (3 columns, 4 rows).

if you make one (it took me at least half an hour- this is why I never do these!) please leave a comment so I can go look


1. What is your first name? (Carly)
2. What is your favorite food? (cakes)
3. What high school did you attend? (Knights)
4. What is your favorite color? (blue)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Michael Phelps and oh YES that's me... )
6. Favorite drink? (wine - red or white, but not blue or green thank you )
7. Dream vacation? (cruise)
8. Favorite dessert? (junior's carrot cake cheesecake)
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? (artist)
10. What do you love most in life? (music)
11. One word to describe you. (blogger)
12. Your Flickr name. (carlyq80)

1. Charlotte sky, 2. alice in wonderland cupcakes, 3. Pink Knight, 4. water droplets in the shower - o.k. bokeh, 5. Michael Phelps, 6. R G B, 7. QM2 @ GGB, 8. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, 9. Waterlily - Corel Painter X, 10. 8523 Digital Music?, 11. Lego Blogger Picture, 12. Daylilly

Bring on the rain

If you recall, a friend of mine passed away just about a month ago, and I sang with the choir at his funeral.

On Saturday, his wife died. Some things, I have no words for.

Sunday Art

I haven't done SA in a while but in the olympic spirit, here is a great photograph...

it makes me want to go out and buy a really long zoom lens and a digital camera body that costs about as much as my monthly mortgage.

HO

I made myself a chicken/apple sausage in a flatbread this morning.
I went in to watch tv and heard this KA SMASH. I walked back over looked at the counter wondering what fell on it and my brain wasn't clicking yet. Until I realized I was standing in a field of glass.
For almost 20 years I have had a giant glass "cutting board" that I used to put hot pots on. D'oh on me. I spent the next hour cleaning up glass shards that spewed far and wide.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Leeee

The ice tea was in the fridge all night. Thank god it wasn't glass also. It chilled the glass trivet and when I set the hot frying pan on it Darwin physics went onto motion. I'm lucky I went to the family room to watch badminton. I will never laugh at that sport again.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Crap

This is just a portion of the floor. The field of broken glass was 8 - 10 feet out from the sink

Carly(via Blackberry)

Split second

So last night I tried to watch the Openingzzzzz ....oh! I'm sorry.

It was a long week, and the combination of a glass of wine and some dreamy Chinese music had my eyes struggling to stay open.

Suzy called me during the parade of athletes. Her cable signal arrives about 2 seconds before mine, so she would make a wisecrack about whoever she was looking at, and then I'd see it on my screen. It was pure comedy gold because she would modify her voice to sound like whomever I was seeing on my screen, and say what they might be thinking.

As I recall, I think we did this at the start of the last Olympics too. Proof that we are getting old? Or remain forever immature??

Irony

I have been very good about bringing my lunch to work since my doctor visit. The insulated bag is a PERFECT size for holding a sixpack of Coke or beer.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Daaa, daaa, da dum dum daa daa

I love the Olympics. I know that's cornball, don't care. There are so many events I am hoping to catch on tv (beach volleyball, canoe/kayak, diving, equestrian, gymnastics, judo, swimming, synch swimming, track, triathlon, volleyball, water polo... and a couple of others I skipped )

I have been going through NBC's Site and the tv & online listings (it customizes to show what's on your local station, which is helpful of course! There will be 2,000 hours of online coverage -- so I can watch some of the goofy stuff like fencing (I did that in college).

So if you want me over the next couple of weeks, I'll be watching...

Do I have to eat seeds?

Today has been a little better (it helps that I don't have to work today).

I went to the supermarket and looked at 1,000,000,000 labels. I found organic stoneground wheat crackers that are 10g a serving (and had a good laugh at some of the foods in that aisle). Now at least once in a while I can have cheese & crackers as a snack.

Also, thanks to Erik's suggestion I checked out a bunch of flatbreads and pitas and found Flat out bread. That will help me with lunches, since they are under 20g of carb each (I'm not counting net carbs yet... it's too much to all sort out at once).

There are some yogurts that are lower in carbs too. I bought some turkey sausage and chicken sausage in various flavors... Sorry if this is making y'all hungry!!

Of course I stocked up on lettuce and fresh baby spinach and mushrooms and onions and things like that. I can make a meal with just that and a steak. Yum.

Lastly, a Bertoulli chicken florentine frozen meal-in-a-bag that I like is low enough that if I have no other carbs at a meal, I can still eat it once in a while for a "hurry-up" dinner.

Enough about food - I have boxes of stuff to unpack and sort out. Ciao!!

Clearly

Tomato and basil salad is out of the question tonight.

(The other pot I split out is much better, and I've got parsley in spades )

Carly(via Blackberry)

Whine, not wine

I am so hungry, and I don't know what to cook. I've pretty much been hungry ALL AFTERNOON and did well staying away from the vending machine, but dammit...

I just want the Healthy Dinner Fairy to plop her precious ass down in front of me and flutter those big translucent wings and have a plate appear in front of me. A well rounded, balaced plate, of course.

It's not even that I'm craving something I shouldn't have. I just don't know what to cook and I want to eat NOW.

Obviously, typing is getting me nowhere, so I'll go try again.

Carly(via Blackberry)

NOAH

... build me an ark. Geeez. It's pouring AGAIN.

I can't get my backyard dry enough to seed where they excavated. There is a slight angle to the grade and there are fissures steadily growing with each rainstorm even though we put bales of hay along the "uphill" edge. We might need to bite the bullet for a pallet of sod. Yay. And oh so fun to unroll.

My teenager saw Avril Lavigne and THE JONAS BROTHERS (repeat several times and scream louder each time). These kids have it so easy. They can bring their camera, they can bring their cell phone and text a message to display on the big screen. It was kind of funny that fans of those two acts had to share an arena. Also I wondered who gets the job of filtering the "naughty" texts to another queue so they don't make it to the big screen??? Hmmm. This could be a new career for moi.

My friend V was very sweet today, she sat with me for a while and listened to me vent about being so confused about what to eat. She has a friend she golfs with who is diabetic, and promised to pick his brains for me and also has some books about atkins, south beach, etc. I just want some suggestions on which foods have more or less carbs; I'm looking for resources to try to build a healthier eating style.

Well, I have boxes waiting to be unpacked and a bike out on the porch calling my name (maybe I should switch to a rowboat!)

One potato

two potato... two million carbs. At least that's how it feels. Everything I pick up, in my house, in the store, OMG, HOW MANY??

I need to chillax.

It's better than it was at first though, when I thought I could only have 50 g PER DAY.... and cried, when I realized how much oatmeal, cinnamon toast, and OJ is. (close to 100 or more, if I'm honest). I had this panic attack of not knowing what to eat, at all, for a little while.

I am trying to keep to 50-60 g per meal based on the ONE daily meal plan suggestion I found (damn you google, when it really matters, you fail me), until I get my nutritionist friend's ear on this whole new development. And I know that's the point, it all depends on your weight and so on, but geez. A basic roadmap, please???

Meals are now one giant barter session. I can have this, if I don't have that. I know it will become somewhat more automatic in time... but still. Frustrating. Then I get The Voice in my head going "Quit being a baby - you don't have to deal with surgery or chemo or anything." Then there's this other voice saying "You're so hard on yourself."

Maybe I shouldn't blog about hearing voices. All the voices! ;-)

Suzy was right

I was ready to throw this bud away when the rest of the bouquet died. She made me keep it and trim the stem.

Unpacking and finding everything we stashed here & there.

Happy weekend!

Edit - wow, the rug looks gray. It's tan with flecks of dark green.

Carly(via Blackberry)

Monkey

....needs a good diet too. Like my backsplash?

Edit - you can't see it but the smaller tiles look like fossil imprints of plant leaves

Carly(via Blackberry)

Rug 2

...has been laid. Me, very happy with this development. I love my porch.
(Hey look! The herbs even survived my late night gardening last Sunday.)

There are 100 days until my birthday, just by the way.

Carly(via Blackberry)

But I LIKE bread...

I really, really do.

My doctor sat down and looked me in the eye. "We have to talk about your bloodwork."

Hey, now that's a pickup line every girl wants to hear.

He started explaining Glycosylated hemoglobin and that mine has gone up .3 since the last time he measured it. He's been tracking based on my family history. (remind me to get that old scrapbook out and look through it and thank them one by one. )

By some of the things I've googled, I'm more like "Pre-diabetic", but the sheets his receptionist handed me emphatically state that with my level, I have type 2 diabetes.

It would explain quite a lot. And it's not cancer, or more heart trouble, I just have to actually eat right and start exercising much more.

But there's a 3 year old deep in my brain stamping her feet and saying "I like caaaaaaaaaake.... and FROSTING. " The funny thing is that I really don't bake much. I might make a cake for a birthday of an immediate family member, but that's about it. I am not really into cookies. Or candy - I don't even like chocolate.

No, my friends. It's the carbs in the pizza, and the Coke along with it. Evil, sweet, syrupy Cocca -Cola that combines with my genetic hiccups to totally fuck up my blood sugar levels. The wine, and the bonbons. The crusty bread I like to eat maybe 3 slices of with a meal of ...pasta. So I have to shuffle around all of my thinking. Learn how to trade off and only have one of those things at any given meal and not really very much of it either.

If anyone knows of good resources on the web for a very confused carb-counter, I'm all eyes.