And You Smell Like One Too!

So yesterday was the Elfling's birthday and it seems today's title was our battle cry of the day. No longer is the traditional birthday song good enough for this family - we sing birthday ala Futurama!  It wouldn't be complete with that line, as added by Fry.  Ironically, my sister was subjected to the same raucousness exactly a month ago.  lol

Despite all the singing, the day was a pretty quiet one - we try to stay with the tradition of the birthday girl (or guy, I suppose) of having the dinner or restaurant of their choice.  The Elfling, of course, made a choice that E nixed right off the back because of his back.  Well, that and he doesn't particularly care for the place, but mostly, they have horrible chairs that are hell on his back.  I searched in vain for an acceptable substitution (for Chinese) and failed.  It really is sad how lacking we are in really, really good Chinese; though after the awesomeness of what was our favourite place in Sindelfigen, I'm not sure ANY place will ever reach such heights of amazing.  *sighs*

Plan B turned to Plan C when the (apparently) still brand new Cheddars was jam packed at the very beginning of dinner (we're talking, like, 5pm) so we wound up at the same place we did last year.  This is not a bad thing, given we all like steak and birthdays were made for streak.  Or Chinese.  I couldn't help but smile with the joy of the secret of the Elf's gift as she lamented about our house rule of "no zombie games".  But I also couldn't help but fondly contemplate her first birthday.

Her first birthday was also on a Saturday Never mind...her birthday was NOT on a Saturday but we celebrated on a Saturday...Or maybe it was Friday...or Halloween.  Regardless, at that point E was in the Navy - we'd been living in the Chicago area for less than a month and so our idea of a party for a one year old?  A pile of underage drinkers!  I made her cake that year, decorated with hand piped gel frosting frogs...maybe a smiling sun.  But definitely frogs.  I don't remember what toy(s) she got but I'll never forget the outfit.  It was 3 piece set of warm red and blue plaid pants, a white long sleeved shirt with a red and blue flower and a red and blue jacket.  Seriously cute!  Soon after cake and the crash that followed her sugar high, she was tucked into bed and the remaining party goers got drunk.  Good times...good times.

Thirteen years later, we're a bit beyond that.  It was a nice dinner out where everybody was too full on that addictive brown bread and appetizers to finish dinner and yet surprisingly not when it came time to drag out the cake.  Remember that house rule on no zombie games?  This year I mentioned it to E that just cause they scare the crap out of us, we don't have to play the game so why not get her one that she wants? 

My ears are still ringing from that excited scream she gave when she unwrapped Left for Dead.

tEpiphany

Last week I was scrubbing down my kitchen counters when I came to the section of counter space devoted to my tea collection.  Have I mentioned how much I love tea?  Omg - what a jumble!  There was green tea, chamomile, sleepytime tea, apple spice, my favourite English...likely a few others.  While swiping along, I realized that my coffee maker was just a dusty mess...blech.  Goes to show how much I use it, eh?  As I was putting it back in it's place it dawned on me - why the hell was I putting it there??  I mean, I RARELY make coffee and last time I did was probably last year when my sister was visiting.  It was only a moment of contemplation before I chucked to a shelf under my counter - after all, I don't *need* it out everyday.

Oh the bliss of that action!  with my newly freed counter space, I've been able to set up a much more used tea area with my tea boxes neatly stacked, sugar pot and honey jar all close by.  Even better?  My tea kettle is near where it gets used more.  It's not the nearest  spot to the sink but it works so well for me.  Because of my kitchen changes, I was happy to move my really pretty Portuguese pottery bowl to a spot where I can see it and smile...though I should perhaps tackle the crap that's accumulated in it.  You know how it goes, it's a strange sundry of garlic papers, kitty treats and coffee filters.

Wait...coffee filters!?! No, not the ones I used in my coffee pot.  The ones I use for wiping down mirrors - they don't fit my coffee pot nor the one at work.  Who can explain that - it comes with the coffee delivery and we just wind up using them on windows - very nice, lint free wipe. 

Anyhow....nicely set up tea area was a real epiphany for me.  tEpiphany in this case cause I'm cheesy like that.

Colour me Domino's

Despite no longer working breakfast at the hotel, I've been kept abreast of changes that have happened there.  Maybe it's cause I'm buddy-buddy with the (no longer not so) new breakfast lady - most likely cause I do go in there once and a while.  *laughs*  Soon after I moved, they got a new waffle dispenser complete with flavoured waffles - which is kinda neat. S has changed how things look on the service counters and I know she doesn't do things just like i do.  I guess we all wind up putting our own style on things in the end.  What surprised me is how all summer, it seemed like the breakfast room was darker somehow...almost gloomier.  What a show of ego, as if I think I put a real light to the room when, in truth, it's prolly some burnt out bulbs or something.

Anyhow, yesterday, BL (as we'll call our neighbourhood friendly Breakfast Lady) came to me all in a tizzy.  They're changing things around and just making her life all kinds of chaos.  It reminded me of when we decided to start serving more of a hot breakfast.  I worried I'd never get it all out in time, that it'd be a lot of extra work.  Being all new, I got to be the one to figure out how everything was supposed to come together and to be honest, after the dust settled, everything was fine.  That was going to be the case here, if you ask me.  We'll see.

Regardless, both my manager and the owner were afoot mid morning to mid afternoon to set things up in the breakfast room.  I snuck a peek yesterday and again toady and I think the changes look pretty nice - items have been upgraded and there's a new small fridge that will keep the joghurts and some fruits cold all through breakfast. They did a really good job, in my opinion and here's where we get to why I'm talking about Domino's... about time, eh?

After working steadily through all this time, the owner decided he was starving hungry and had me order pizza for everybody on duty - quite generous of him!  While deciding what we needed, where (of course) came up and he decided on Domino's.  I haven't had Domino's since my time in Belgium where I figured Domino's was so awesome because just about anything's better than the typical European pizza.  Thus, since coming back to the states, I've never ordered from there.

I was responsible for ordering, so I did it online and while I knew about the pizza tracking thing they do, I'd never seen it in action.  Very, very neat!  You can follow you order from creation, to cook, to QA check to delivery and rate them along the way.  There is the option to send encouragement - kinda cheesy but cute and I wonder if it really meant anything to them when I did....I couldn't resist it!  lol

The pizzas arrived in good time, looked really good.  The all important taste?  Very good!  I still don't care for their pepperoni - but all in all, I don't like it from anywhere so that's no surprise. That being said, the crust was light and chewy, the sauce wasn't too sweet and the cheese was...well...cheesy! I like it enough to subject my family to it next time I'm lazy enough to order pizza online.  ( :

Dark Side of the Moon

This was one summer movie that I decided wasn't worth seeing in the theater and man am I glad I stuck to my guns on that one. 

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Transformers - at the age of eight, I was convinced I was going to marry Optimus Prime and dear gods, did I cry when he died in the cartoon movie.  Hell, I'd probably cry watching it again today.  When the first movie came out in 2007, I eventually made it to the theater to see it, rather inconveniently forgetting how it ends which would have saved me tons of tears. Pretty awesome movie, if you ask me but then we were seeing a live action version of what had been one of my favourite cartoons.  The second movie was...okay.  I think I'd be fine not owning it.

And then we had this third installment.  *sighs*  The huge red flag for me was the oh so mediocre Shia LeDoufus assuring us the human element would be the stand out once again.  I'm sure that's not quite how he put it....the big thing was that apparently that was missing from the second installment.  Quite frankly, I thought it was almost oppressive.  Or maybe it was just his and Megan Fox's dreadful acting. 

You know...now that I've looked back at that last paragraph, I think that's the big thing that turned me off from seeing the movie.  Anyhow, it's finally come out now part of my Itunes collection, watched and two things come to mind: 1. I'm so glad I didn't waste money on movie tickets for this thing.  B. The Transformers are still freaking awesome cool. Trapezoid: It's too long for a relatively crappy movie. and 2. I really hate the main "actors". 

Consequently, I'm beginning to think I really don't care for the theater experience mainly because I don't like being a captive audience, trapped in semi-darkness and unable to do something else when I find a movie just isn't enough to keep me comfortably amused. Give me my couch to sprawl on, no need to wear shoes, the ability to tool around on my lapper and a hot cup of tea.  Oh, not to mention the ability to pause for potty/refill breaks.  Shame about the lack of theater poppycorn.  That's totally the best thing about going to the theater. 

Attack of the Zhu-Zhu Pet

Quite early this morning, I could hear it and for some odd reason, it was in my room.  Actually, do any of my readers know what a Zhu-Zhu pet is?  For the blissfully unaware, they're toy hampers that have the audacity to squawk about and make noise when you play with them.  They also move, I suppose you could say, on their own accord when properly provoked. 

Why was one in my room? I have no idea, though I'm willing to bet Odin set it off.  After groping about in the dark, I figured I'd be getting up soon enough and that it'd go quiet after a while.  This wasn't good enough for E who did a little hunting about, found and pitched it down the stairs. 

When I went downstairs, said toy was nowhere to be found, perhaps a bit of a surprise since he was thrown down there but it was quiet so I didn't really care.  I want to say that my morning meditation took place, but to be honest, I was mining Obsidian and it's not very meditative for me.  Yes, yes, that does mean I find other forms of mining a form of meditation...it's perhaps a quirk of mine.

Anyhow - quiet ensued, save for bounces from the frolicking cat..and then I jumped out of my skin.  The hamster started his squawk, bringing about a laugh from me as his garbling made way for the complaint "Hey, put me down!"  It was fitting since Odin was walking around with it in his mouth. 

I couldn't help but join him at the entryway and upright the hamster which was frantically trying to roll around so i set up upright.  Perhaps if it weren't 5am, Odin would have made chase...as it was, he merely watched a moment, eyes wide before stalking back upstairs.

It's Lunchtime, Lunchtime!

Ha!  Total lie, it's only 930ish here.  However, yesterday, I was looking at my own lunch and realized it's fit for the average preschooler.  *sighs*  PB sandwich (cut into tiny squares, god, not even quarters...like 8ths) and carrot sticks, in case you're wondering.  Oddly enough, this was the first time I've done a sandwich...ever.  No, you sillies - I mean while working here.  Of course I've had sandwiches for lunch before! 

Since I don't get a proper lunch break and very quickly caught on that if I don't eat during the day I wind up with a nagging headache and desire to eat my way into dinner, it's best I bring something.  I started off with just carrot sticks which quell the headache but not the starvation that follows coming home from work but since adding pb crackers, I've found I'm good till dinner.  Yesterday I went to make said crackers only to find my sleeve of them was all sad and crumbly, so improvisation came in handy.  I've done it again today but packing my tiny squares (with some ribbing from E who asked if I was three years old) has made me realize that I should start using one the containers I have for the girls lunches.

Oh, you know, I totally missed the point.  I like tiny bite sizes cause it's inevitable that just as soon as I get a nibble in, the phone bloody rings and I'm sitting there either furiously chewing before answering or...let's not got there. Anyhow...

Speaking of the girls lunches, the Elfling's been taking hers to save on waiting in line.  PE is also right after lunch so I think maybe she feels her lunch is lighter offerings than the cafeteria which does her good - after all, who wants to go running around after a big meal?  The Diva does a bit of both, I wish I could or would pack more of her lunches since I'm willing to bet I do a healthier meal.  Did I mention the super cute containers I have? I saw them last year...or maybe it was two years ago at Borders (RIP *sniffle*) and just had to have them.  They're two sets (round and square) that nest into another - round into round and square into square, of course and just adorable and are perfect for tucking cut up sandwiches, fruit and veg or salad into.  I don't think they're water tight though so I use my lil Glad...whatevers for those things.  I think they just make lunch a lil funner.

While this wasn't really the point of my post, I think it's a nice diversion.  I think I've done better this year with making lunches for the girls  than I did last year.  It's a real treat to make them fun - to have colourful things looking up when you open your lunch bag, find a funny note or word of encouragement and perhaps have a piece of fruit to chuck at that jerk who's called you a name.  Ok...maybe not that last bit, even if they do deserve it.

Tomorrow I'll be planning out my weekly dinner menu and grocery list so don't be surprised if I continue on this bent and mull over my latest adventures in baking. 

September 11, 2001

Not even noon here and already today's been a hard one.  It's not just cause I'm at work and have to deal with the crap of the day.  Set to the news, all that's really going on today is the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  Still today, watching the images from back then is very difficult for me.  Even now, as I type this out, there are tears in my eyes - there have been throughout the morning.  This day, ten years ago, is a day I don't think I'll ever forget, that will ever stop being seen so crystal clear in my mind.

Ten years ago, there was no Diva in my life.  The Elfling was 3 years old.  E was in the Navy.  We lived in military housing, on a weapons station.  I'd worked till 5am on the day of the 11th, come home and eventually made my way to bed so get a lil sleep before the Elfling got up.  For some reason, I just woke up and as was my habit at the time, i sat at my computer to take a look at the day's news.  It was really weird, the website I used totally crashed but not before I saw a glimpse of the headline.  Something to do with an airplane hitting one of the Twin Towers.  I shrugged it off and went on to email and found that everything seemed to be down.  Giving up on getting anything done on my computer, I wandered over to the living room.  That headline really bothered me, so I put on the news and joined the countless other people who were at home, work...wherever - to see the events unfold before us. 

While watching, this morning, as they replayed the events of ten years ago, the editing on screen didn't quell the unedited memories in my head.  Of course....maybe I'm wrong, maybe they weren't edited images and I missed the sight of people plummeting to their deaths - the abject horror in the voices of the newscasters as the second plane crashed into one of the towers....the screaming that later followed when they collapsed.  While we should never forget, I hope some of those things were edited out because the fact I can still see them in my mind is upsetting enough without having to actually see it on tv.  You know...again.

I don't know. There's more I'd like to say but I don't know where I'm taking this today.  The people who died are perhaps watching us from above.  The people who did this - in a special place in hell.  Families and friends left mourning?  They're in my prayers and thoughts, but then, even ten years later, that's a frequent thing for me.