Do the iPod Shuffle With Me!

Okay, I know I've been scarce. This weekend was chock-ful-o cake and cookie mania, "High School Musical 3" cheezy bliss, and stomach virus yuck! Then yesterday was a long day at the Pumpkin Patch with our Moms and Tots group from church, then menu planning and grocery shopping, followed by a much needed "Spiritual Spa" time at church with the ladies.

I debated with myself all day long about going/not going to the "Spa Night". Cheerleading practice was cancelled, so I didn't need to worry about that, but I am so behind on just the daily chores around here, not to mention the few MAJOR cleaning/reorganizing projects we've started in the kids' rooms, that I really felt that I might oughta stay home and clean something. However, hubby assured me that even though I walked in from the grocery store with 7 minutes to get to church, that they could all find something to eat without me, and no one would die in my absence...so I went. It was FAB, and I plan to go again! It's a 3 week thing, and it's calm, and restful, and everything smells good, and it was really dark, so the fact that I had on no make-up and was still wearing my ball cap because I had no time to do anything with my hair after the Pumpkin Patch, didn't matter in the least! Aaaahhhh. I totally missed Rachel's Bubble Bath Night, but this was better than Calgon any day!

Anyway, suffice it to say that it's been busy around here, and it will just be getting busier as we get closer to my niece's wedding. Weekends are scheduled to the hilt, and weekdays are being spent preparing for the weekends' activities. Therefore, I don't expect to be around much for the next few weeks. I will do my best, but I'm not promising anything...'cause I'd just be lying anyway! :)

So, for today's short-but-sweet adventure, I propose we all do the iPod Shuffle! (Yes, you can still do it if you don't have an iPod.) All you do is get out your iPod, MP3 player, CD player, or Stereo System...all that is required is that it has a shuffle feature...then hit that shuffle button and list the first 10 songs that appear on the playlist! See, it's easy! And it'll be fun to see what everyone else has on their iPods too.

So, here's my shuffle:

1 My Passion -- Travis Cottrell
2 Stars Would Fall (I'm Crazy) -- Monk &
Neagle
3 King of Glory -- Chris Tomlin
4 Hallelujah -- Jason Castro
5 Intro -- Travis Cottrell (Alive Forever
Album)
6 What I Want -- Daughtry
7 Used To -- Daughtry
8 Slow Down -- Third Day
9 Thin -- Skinny Songs
10 Dream On -- Brooke White

And just for fun, how about you add the last song/album that you downloaded or bought.

Mine?

High School Musical 3 Soundtrack!

So, if you have your own blog and you want to, post your list at your place and invite all your friends to play along, but be sure and leave a comment and a link to your blog so I can be sure to come and check out your list. If you don't have a blog, just leave your list in the comments!

Live Blogging Today--Part 2

Hello again! I decided that my lunch break was a good time to end the first part of this Live Blogging Extravaganza and start a new thread. Besides, I put in 2 - UPDATE #3's on the last one and had to go fix it...clearly 3 is my maximum number of updates!

So, while I was away, I finished off the rest of the Spaghetti Soup...sigh, sniff, sob. And had the first taste in my quest to find a viable substitute for Brach's Butterscotch Disks. I LOVE Brach's Butterscotch Disks as much as I LOVE LifeSaver's Butter Rum candies. The problem is, true Brach's brand is hard to locate these days, and Butter Rum Lifesaver's are next to impossible. So, I'm on a quest to find a substitute that I can live with when I can't find my beloved Brach's or LifeSavers. I'm looking for something that can be readily found in any grocery story. My first taste test was of a LifeSaver's CremeSaver's Butter Toffee hard candy. It was a tad richer than my beloved Butterscotch, but yummy nonetheless. Definitely a decent stand in when necessary! I'll let you know how the remainder of my testing goes...

I also folded and switched over the next load of laundry. So, loads 1 and 2 are folded, load 3 is in the dryer, and load 4 is washing right now. Now, I'm back to the cookies! My icing should be just about ready...it's been mixing for about 8 minutes now, so two more, and I'll be ready to start painting 4 dozen football jerseys white! Yee-Haw! I'll check back in when they are all painted and on the drying racks...

***UPDATE#1***

WHEW! 58 cookies are now white. They will get their details in about 4 hours when they've had time to set up really good. And yes, it actually took me all this time. I didn't do anything else while I was gone.

Which means that now it is time to fold and switch the laundry again! YIPPEE!!! Then I'm going to change so that as soon as The Man walks through that door, I can go get that run in that I missed this morning because it was cold. Hopefully, he'll be home before the temperature drops again! I really need to run, I've been standing, or sitting in a wooden chair all day, and my legs are beginning to swell...not too bad today, but still.

Hey, that reminds me? Did anyone watch "House" this week? The story line was tough to watch, and I almost turned it off, but I'm always intrigued by the medicine stuff, so I fast forwarded through all the offensive parts and just watched the medical parts. The lady in this episode had MY KIDNEY DISEASE!!! Fortunately, it wasn't what was killing her...geesh! And it was a different type, because hers was treated with sodium bicarbonate, and that's a BIG no-no for me, but still...it was interesting to listen to them say all the things that the kidney disease could be causing. I'm not crazy after all!!!! :)

Okay, back to the laundry...sigh. Oh, and Cheri--your lunch sounded yummy!!! Aren't leftovers wonderful?

Check ya'll later!

Live Blogging Today!

Hey there! Today is chock-ful-o-stuff that I have to get done, but the blogosphere is calling me! It's been trying it keep me side-tracked and off-task all morning! My solution? LIVE BLOGGING!

I've decided to live-blog through my day with you guys. So, while I work, I'll keep the blog up and I'll be updating throughout the day...kind of like Twittering, but without that pesky 140 character rule! :)

So, welcome to my kitchen! Today, I've got lots of cakes and cookies to work on for delivery tomorrow, so I best get busy! I just started a load of laundry and got my kitchen table all cleaned and "antibacterialized" (according to spell-check, that is a made-up word...hmmph!) for cookie making, and my cookie dough is ready to be rolled out, cut, and baked!

I'm hitting play on my favorite music player, and attacking that cookie dough! What are you doing today? Go ahead and leave comments, I can respond on my next break!

One question for you all...should I just keep updating this particular post throughout the day, or post separately for each update and just number the updates as I post them???? Help me out here, people!

***UPDATE #1***
No comments yet, so I'll just add to this post...assuming that no one has read it yet! :)

One pan of cookies is in the oven and the second is sitting on the table ready to go in. I've turned the first batch and I have 2 minutes left on my timer, so I can come by and check in with you all!

I really should be emptying the dishwasher, but hey, those dishes aren't going anywhere now are they? NOPE!

So what are you all doing today?

***UPDATE #2***

Okay, 2nd batch is out of the oven, 3rd batch is in...4th batch waiting patiently for its turn in the fiery furnace....only 56 more to go!! (Just Kidding...I'm not THAT crazy!)

I think I'm going to go add some more songs to my favorites up there. I'm getting to the end of the list, and there have been some new ones I wanted to try out. Any suggestions? Who is your current favorite artist?

***UPDATE #3***

Okay, 4 dozen cookies are baked and ready for decorating! I also added a bunch of songs to my favorites up there. Not sure how many will stay. I just plugged in the names of 4 artists that I'm currently enjoying and loaded everything of theirs that was available for the player. I'll listen while I work and keep my favs.

Cheri-(not my sister) Sorry to hear the boy is sick... :( and that you're floors are buckling....aggravating, isn't it? Hopefully, you'll find a new place that you LOVE soon!!! Feel free to hang out here today...I'm chained to the kitchen, but I have a computer in here, so it's not so bad! :)

***UPDATE#4***

FINALLY, the last batch of cookies just went into the oven!!! That's about 6 dozen cookies, if you're counting. I folded the first load of laundry, switched the laundry in the washer into the dryer and started load #3. As soon as these cookies are out of the oven, I'll take a break for lunch (my version of This recipe for Spaghetti Soup which I had to adjust for my stupid, stupid diet.) However, my version is still quite tasty...just ask my mom! (Although she did add salt :)) When I have more time, I'll be happy to post my version of the recipe for those of you who also can't have preservatives, salt, or anything else that generally makes food worth eating! Really, I'm getting pretty good at making stuff that tastes pretty good despite my dietary limits...as my waistline will attest! I may even sneak a minute or two to read a little in this book which I would sit and read non-stop until I was finished if I could. I've loved Jon and Kate Gosselin from afar for about a year now...through my TV. But their amazing faith and devotion to God just don't come across in the show the way they do in the book. I think I'll make them my new "Pretend BFFs", 'cause they totally ROCK, and they give God all the credit for all of it!

Welcome DJ! I think I'm following you on Twitter, too. I can't remember if I'm following your wife, but clearly I need to, being a Dr. Pepper girl myself and all!

Okay, cookies are out! It's lunchtime baby!!! What are you all having (or had) for lunch...gee, it's getting late! No wonder I'm hungry! :)

Works for Me Wednesday...Peppermint Countertop Spray

Last year sometime in the late fall, I read a post over at Scratchin' The Surface which is now Life of GRITS, otherwise known as "Bev's Blog"! ANYWAY, in that post, Bev casually mentioned that she had "just finished mopping her floor with peppermint water, and..." the post went on with some profound wisdom that generally comes in Bev's posts, but there were quite a number of us, who zeroed in on the whole "Peppermint Mop Water" thing, and her comments apparently filled up with questions about it. :) So, the next day, she indulged us by revealing that she mops her floors with a bucket of hot water, a small squirt of dish soap, and a few drops of Peppermint Oil (which she found at the health-food store).

So, I jumped on the information, and began doing the same in my house. I absolutely LOVE the way it cleans my floors with no residue and everything smells all "pepperminty" and "holidayish" when I'm finished!

So, imagine my delight, when around Christmas time last year, I discovered Method Peppermint-Vanilla Countertop Spray Cleaner! It was absolutely wonderful, and my kitchen smelled so yummy...it made me WANT to clean the counters, just so the kitchen would smell good! Unfortunately, I soon discovered that this was a "Limited Edition" item, only available during the holiday season....aarrgghh!

But, as I was walking through my local Target one day, I saw it! It's my beloved Method cleaner, with no dyes or fragrance! I bought it, took it home, added a few drops of the Peppermint Oil I use for mopping, and a drop of Vanilla, and voila! My "pepperminty", "holidayish" smelling kitchen was back in business!

I should add that the kids suggested that different scents for different seasons might be appropriate, so we also use Lavender Oil, Lime Oil, Orange Oil, or Cinnamon Oil when the mood strikes!

Gee, now I feel like cleaning something!

Remember to check out more Works for Me Wednesday ideas over at Rocks in My Dryer!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Today is my husband's 41st birthday! So, in the time-honored bloggy tradition, the kids and I have come up with a list of 41 things we love about him. And even though he generally doesn't read the blog...or have any desire to do so...we're posting it anyway!!!

Forty-One Things We Love About You:

41. You're a handsome specimen of a man!
40. You make pretty babies. (Um...MADE pretty babies...all done now!:))
39. You allow the children to try things that I never would.
38. You coach the kids' baseball teams.
37. The kids WANT you to coach their teams. :)
36. You encourage the kids to try new things if they want to.
35. You ask me to video tape Maddie cheering when you can't make it to the game.
34. You show Benji what you're working on, and explain how you do it, and why.

33. You get Jon's sense of humor and you laugh out loud with him.

32. You recognize Maddie's inner beauty and you adore her.

31. You smile whenever Dave walks into the room.

30. You always seem impressed when I show you my latest cake.

29. You don't allow the children to be disrespectful to me...ever.

28. When you do something, it is of the highest quality.

27. Everyone wants you to do stuff for them (See #28).

26. When you have worked in someone's house, they want to keep you around even after you're finished.

25. When you work, you work hard.

24. When you play, you play even harder.

23. You don't like to play without me.

22. Or the kids.

21. But you will, if you see that perhaps I need a break.

20. You have allowed me to take a weekend or two away by myself, and the kids were still alive when I got back.

19. You stayed up most of the night to install my new washer and dryer so they would be ready for me to use as soon as I woke up.

18. You even scrubbed the laundry room top to bottom before you put them in, so I wouldn't have to do it.

17. You bought me a new oven one year for Christmas, because you knew I really wanted one...even though you really wanted to paint the house instead.

18. You never do anything half-heartedly.

17. You are always willing to help out any of my family when they need you.

16. You are a now a NASCAR fan...even though when I got you, you were strictly an "Indy Car" man.

15. You always take me to cool places. (This one was from Maddie)

14. You always buy us the best presents. (This was Benji's contribution)

13. You are funny. (This from little Dave)

12. You have a truck. (Um...that came from Jon)

11. You share your chips with us (From Maddie and Dave)

10. You let us eat Pop Tarts for breakfast at the Deer Lease. (From all the children)

9. You laugh at stupid movies with us. (From the boys)

8. You rewind funny stuff on t.v. over and over and over...

7. And you laugh harder every time you replay it.

6. You are my hero (aka Cuh-Cuh Boy)

5. You genuinely like spending time with the kids.

4. You don't like leaving the kids behind when we go out for our anniversary...you think they should be included.

3. You cry at Maddie's dance recitals.

2. You cried at the birth of each one of our children.

1. You love me more than anything else in the whole world....and you make sure that I know that.

Happy Birthday Ben!

We love you very much!!!

And So, I Run....

The truth is, I don't enjoy running. Not really. I mean...

I love the way I feel after a run...but I hate the way I feel when I'm actually running.

I've never yet achieved that "Runner's High" that I hear other runners talk about. When I run, my legs feel like they are made of lead. It is a constant struggle to decide to put one foot in front of the other....again, and again.

I enjoy walking. I could walk for miles with no problem. But to burn the same amount of calories by walking, I would need to walk 2 hours every day, and I don't have 2 free hours in a day. And so, I run...

I love knowing that I was able to complete my running goal that day...but while I'm running, I keep trying to talk myself out of achieving said goal.

There is a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment in logging in my runs at the end of the day and seeing that I've run 70 miles in the past two months...70 miles! That makes me feel good about myself. But while I'm out there pounding the pavement, the following mantra keeps running through my head, "You are too old for this. You have osteoporosis and you are going to shatter your weak little bones. You have a kidney disease, and your body can't do this."

Except, I know people who are much older who run longer and faster than I do. And so, I run.

And exercise is good for osteoporosis. Anything that builds up muscle also helps to strengthen bones. And so, I run.

And kidney disease affects more than just the kidneys. It can affect blood pressure. It can cause swelling in your feet and legs. It can cause your body to be toxic. Exercise lowers blood pressure. Exercise helps relieve swelling. Sweating releases toxins from the body. And so, I run.

I'm a total clutz when it comes to athletic ability. I am an asset to the opposite team in a game of volleyball. I couldn't hit a softball out of the infield if my life depended on it. I'm too short for basketball, and to wimpy for football or soccer. And so, I run.

I am an organ donor. Although no one will ever receive my kidneys (unless they are being punished for some heinous crime), my other organs will all be up for grabs when I die. I really want those organs to be healthy and useful to whomever might use them after me. And so, I run.

Anyone can run. If you have use of your legs, you can run...even if it's just for a few steps. It has been said by some in the Running Community that anyone who runs is a runner...it doesn't matter if you run a 4 minute mile or a 24 minute mile, if you run, you are a runner. And so, I run.

It has also been said (by those who run a 4 minute mile, no doubt) that there are runners, and there are joggers (often referred to as "jolly-joggers" hmmff!) and they aren't really runners, they are just "in the way". And so, I jog.... :)

True Tales from the Post Office

I went to the Post Office today to mail some items I had promised to some people...awhile back........ahem.

I dropped the girl at Ballet/Tap class (she insists I always include the "Tap"...she doesn't like it when I just say "Ballet"...whatever!) and I decided to take that hour and a half to do some errand-running...because I didn't want to go home I like to be productive with my time. I stopped in at the Post Office intending to just purchase my postage at the automated machine and high-tail it over to the Wal-Mart(s) for a little brousing.

The problem was that one of my three packages had to go all the way to Canada, and Mr. A.P.C. (Automated Postal Center--I'm assuming) is not allowed to process international postage items....sigh.

So, I made my way to the...end...of...the...very....long...line, and patiently waited my turn. I was able to catch up on three pages of Twitters and I even Twittered a bit myself (one-handed, and with my left thumb, mind you....cause I was holding three packages in my right hand....that's why.)

When my turn finally came, I walked right up to the counter and announced that my packages were all ready to go. I just needed to puchase postage to Canada for this one item. 8-) "Actually", she tells me, "you paid too much for this one. This is a $9.00 flat rate box." (I paid $12.95....apparently the amount for a DIFFERENT flat rate box.) I smiled and said, "Oh, I just answered the questions on the screen and that is the postage it printed." She did not smile back.

She then gave me a form to fill out for my international package, and asked me to step aside while I filled in the address and signed my name...because she was sure it would take me awhile....I suppose. So, I finished my form before she finished printing the other lady's money order (I am lightning fast, people)...so I checked on my Twitters again...and waited.

When it was my turn...again, I presented the form. She stuck it on my package and rang up the postage. Then she starts to weigh my last package. I nicely reminded her that my other packagea were all ready to go, and I only needed for her to take care of the one to Canada. She then informed me that I must be an idiot (with her tone, not her words), because a mailing envelope made out of that bubble-wrap stuff is not considered an envelope, but a package! Duh, EVERYONE knows that...right? So, she charged me another 34¢ for my "package".

Do you see where I'm going with this? She did nothing to refund my $3.95 from the first package, but she charged me the extra 34¢ for the last one!!! Apparently, they are fine with you being an idiot as long as the $$$ are in their favor!

Hello, my name is Melody, and today I did my part to help the government recoup some of the money it has to pay to bail out the financial institutions. .....You're welcome. :)