We totally pulled it off. We surprised by Dad for his 60th birthday. We did it. No one wrecked the surprise. Everyone made it on time. It was perfect until the idiot guy in the reception area asked, "oh, are you here for the 60th birthday party?"
It's okay. He still didn't expect to see (almost) all of his kids. It was great.
Anyway, I also had fun hanging out, hiding out for a couple days before the big surprise. We went to the lake with Eric and Paola and had a rocking time. Our dog. Where does he come from? If anyone got in the water further than where he could touch, he would start barking and crying and then when you made your way back to him, he would maul you like so...

Also, you just don't see this stuff in Boise.

Heather gave me this little challenge and I thought it would be kind of fun...

The questions are:

1. What is one of your fears?
I am afraid that I will be walking down the hall in church and one of the doors to the cultural hall will swing open really quickly (why do they always open that way?) and hit me in the face and knock my teeth out.

2. Which parent are you most like? What attributes do you share?
I know it's a cop out but I can't pick just one. Russell says I tell stories like my Dad and I'm like him because I tell personal stories to strangers. Example: I called to place an ad in the paper for my car and I was telling her all about how I wanted to sell it because I got into Nursing school and how I would be able to ride my bike to school and everything. I know I'm a lot like my Mom, too but I can't really think of anything specific.

3. Share a favorite childhood memory.
When we lived in Chicago, we used to tip our bikes on their sides on the front lawn and pretend they were cars. My imagination was so crazy when we lived there. We used to play house in the back backyard and all we had was a little Fisher Price chair but I can remember the whole layout of the "house" in my mind, the rooms and what was in them and everything.

4. You must leave your home to never return....you will only be able to bring 5 possessions (family is coming with you) what do you take?
Otis counts as family, right? Okay. I would take my iPod, our projector, Russell's pillow (otherwise he's a total crab), my computer and my santoku knife.

5. What drives you crazy?
I hate it when people pull into the middle turning lane instead of crossing the lanes of oncoming traffic and merging the way they are supposed to. It's illegal, people!

I worked at the Western Idaho Fair last night at the Idaho Transporation Department's booth. Who comes to the fair with questions about vehicle registration anyway? Weirdos. It's okay. I got comp time for it and I'm using it!

George W made an appearance at the Ada County Republicans booth. I wanted to take a picture with him but the lady that I was working with had some kind of moral objection to taking such a picture.
I forgot a stamp this morning for something I wanted to get in the mail first thing and when I got back to my desk I found this note. It made me laugh.

I am sick and tired about not blogging about work and I'm not going to not do it anymore! What the heck, right? I've only got 4 more months of this crap anyway!


Take a look people. This is Special Plates. Talk amongst yourselves...

I'm going to the BSU Bookstore to get my books for class right now. I love the bookstore! After, I'm going to get some lemons and I'm making some delicious lemonade (Russell and I like it sour). I love the weekend! Happy back-to-school! (Man, I'm a dork)

Have I told you that when I run, after mile 2, my foot falls asleep? I am slightly concerned because I replaced my shoes this week and it didn't solve the problem. I am wondering what is causing the problem but mostly I'm afraid that I'm going to hurt myself running with my foot asleep. I wonder if it makes me run funny... Anyway, any ideas?

I think I'm old.

My friend Paola called me last week and said, "Are you going to be 24 this February?"

I responded, "yes"

Her reply, "whoa"

That made me laugh but it's not why I think I'm old. I don't get these whiny emo (I like to say emu) bands that wear makeup. It's not that I don't like emo - I do. The genre has some serious potential (for hilarity), I think. Sample: "buy you lemonade right now, if you were here, and I'd throw it in your face and I'd listen to you cry" (I'm having deja vu, have I talked about this song before?) Anyway, why do you have to wear the makeup emo bands? Why? Have you ever thought that maybe that is the reason girls don't like you? Can anyone explain this for me? Yeah, I'm old, aren't I?

Check out our super sweet tomatoes. We've eaten two so far and I have to be honest with you, I didn't think we were going to get any more. All of a sudden, we go outside and see like 15 new ones all at one time! I can't wait to eat them. The leaves smell so good.
How about our peppers!? What the heck are we going to do with all of these? Russell and I taste tested one even though they're not quite ripe yet. Holy crap these things are hot!

Russell said that as long as we are posting pictures of our little garden, we've got to get the basil in there. I argued that with nothing to compare it to, you can't tell how big it is. He made me stand next to it. That's a lot of basil.

Last week I bought a few canvas bags from JoAnn's for the grocery store. The large one is only $3.99 and it's awesome because with the longer handles you can make it from the car to the house with all the groceries in just one trip. PLUS at my grocery store I get six cents for every reusable bag that I bring. They'll pay for themselves in no time...

I can't believe a whole week has gone by. It really hasn't been very busy at all, I don't know what I've been doing instead of blogging.

I was just catching up on a few of the blogs I like to read and I came across this link at one of them. I was cracking up because I have totally adopted that policy this summer. I added two new skirts to my wardrobe this summer and I've pretty much quit pants. It's great.

We don't have plans for the weekend. We're trying to spend as little as possible (saving for our boat) so we're going to bike downtown to the market tomorrow morning to kill a little time. I'm making a couple loaves of Pumpkin Spice bread tonight and then I'll clean up the kitchen and go to bed. Exciting, I know. Please try to contain yourselves.

And I have totally been getting hassled about a picture of my haircut. You guys are blowing this WAY out of proportion. I swear, it was just a trim and I don't blow dry my hair during the week and it's not worth taking a picture of unless it's blown dry, right? Right. "If I don't get your agreeance on this, Frenchy" Oh, sorry. Spontaneously blurting out lines to Woody Allen movies - everyone has their problems...

I got my hair cut today. 2 1/2 inches gone and it's still past my shoulders. I didn't realize I let it get so long. I told the girl that I thought I was ready to cut up to the second layer, you know, get it back to one length. She tried to talk me out of it. Pshh - what does she know?

I tried my first roasted salsa recipe today. I watched them make it on America's Test Kitchen. Actually, they made it for Huevos Rancheros but the salsa was the only part that sounded good to me. It turned out pretty well. A little mild for my taste - I like HOT salsa. Next time I will at least double the garlic. Here is the recipe if you're interested:

3	medium jalapeño chiles , halved, seeds and ribs removed (see note above)
1 1/2	pounds plum tomatoes (about 8 medium), cored and halved
1/2	medium yellow onion , cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2	medium cloves garlic , peeled
1	tablespoon tomato paste
	Table salt
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2	teaspoon ground cumin
1/8	teaspoon cayenne pepper
3	tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
	Ground black pepper
1 - 2	tablespoons fresh lime juice from 1 or 2 limes, plus additional lime cut into wedges for serving

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Mince one jalapeño and set aside. In medium bowl, combine tomatoes, remaining jalapeños, onion, garlic, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, and cayenne; toss to mix thoroughly. Place vegetables cut side down on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tomatoes are tender and skins begin to shrivel and brown, 35 to 45 minutes; cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer roasted onions, garlic, and jalapeños to bowl of food processor. Process until almost completely broken down, about 10 seconds, pausing halfway through to scrape sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Add tomatoes and process until salsa is slightly chunky, about 10 seconds more. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro, reserved minced jalapeño, salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste.

I'm trying this new recipe tonight. It's out of the oven in about 20 minutes. I haven't tasted yet but it smells delicious so I thought I'd give you an early heads up.

UPDATE: I think this recipe is one to keep. I skipped the walnuts, I'm not a fan. I don't really like sour cream on my tacos or anything but I'm always intrigued when it's used in baking. It's like a secret ingredient. Anyway, try this. It's good.

Ever since the marathon talk started, I've been worried about one thing - finishing. I didn't give any thought to any other problem that I could possibly encounter including this one:

Runners trots… (noun, as in "Oh no, I’ve got the trots" or "Oh no, where’s the nearest port-a-potty?" ) a miserable condition of having to go to the bathroom while on a run. If this happens, you might want to keep track of what you eat, and when you eat, before a run, to see what might be causing you to need a bathroom during the run. (definition courtesy irunlikeagirl.com)

Now I really have something to worry about.

This morning I was running and "I Wanna Sex You Up" by Color Me Badd came on my iPod (yes, I have Color Me Badd on my iPod - shut up). I could barely run I was laughing so hard. I remember when this song came out. We lived in Chicago and I tried to keep it a secret from my Mom that I liked the song because it said sex.

Things are so boring around here lately. Russell had to work on Saturday so I got everything all cleaned up Saturday morning. If anyone has some good hardwood floor cleaning tricks, let me know, will you? The dust bunnies around here are insane!

I talked to the owner of the Great Harvest around the corner from my house and he offered to work around my school schedule when the State isn't willing to anymore. It would be pretty sweet because it's about a block away from my house plus the perks, hello free bread!

I am finally unpacking my bookcase tonight. School is starting soon (well, 4 weeks) and I've got to get that stuff out of the boxes. I've been putting it off because my bookcases are wood but they don't match my entertainment center wood and I really, really hate that but my front room still echoes. Echo, un-matching wood, echo, un-matching wood. It's a tough one. I need some pictures on the walls or something. That would entail me driving around and looking in stores, shopping. I don't want to. Man, I am really rambling, aren't I?

So, my friend Paola is coming to stay with us for a semester. I'm excited for her to come and check out Boise. I don't know what it is but it's like Boise is some big secret that I can't wait to tell everyone about. I like it. Anyway, Paola is coming up and going to BSU for a semester. I told her that I'm so glad she's coming because now I won't have to eat leftovers anymore. Do you know how hard it is to adapt recipes for just 2 people? Impossible! Speaking of recipes, I'm trying two new ones this week from Real Simple magazine. I'll let you know...

Brown flip flops. How I love thee. I think it is time, ladies and gentlemen, for me to retire and replace my brown flip flops. Exhibit one: $30 leather Ocean Minded flip flops. I think they lasted about 4 years and I love them. Exhibit two: $8 J.Crew flip flops. Yes, that is a hole worn completely through the bottom. These ones lasted about two summers. How can you live without a good pair of brown flip flops? I don't think it's possible.

I don't have anything good to say but Russell and I watched Desert Wars last week. You have to try to catch it, especially if you live in Vegas. Very interesting. Did you know that only 2% of all the water consumption in the valley comes from the houses? Did you know that Treasure Island and the Bellagio recycle the bathroom water from their hotels for their fountains? Don't worry they filter it. Yeah, it was a good show.

Me if I were on The Simpsons.

I bought some sweet new earbuds last night. I busted the ones that came with my iPod and then bought some cheap $10 ones. Let me clue you in here - waste. Total waste. If you need a new pair, you may as well just cough up the thirty bucks. I did and I don't feel bad about it. My new earbuds are so sweet, I can't even hear myself whistle. Does that mean I have the music turned up too loud? Is there such a thing as too loud? If you don't know, the answer to both of those questions is no.

Also, check out this conversation I had with Russell this week:

me: I can't wait for school to start. (pause) That makes me sort of dorky, doesn't it?

Russell: (distracted by some stupid show like America's Got Talent) Yes.

me: You are the one that married me. What does that make you?

Russell: (still distracted) A dork lover I guess.

Looking for a laugh? Here you go:

I love going to the market on Saturday mornings but the fruit and veggies are too expensive there. All summer long, every day, this guy opens a little fruit stand and we went this morning. I just wanted to get berries but when we saw all the tomatoes we had to get everything for salsa. I'm going to make it right now.

I've been so terribly unmotivated this week. It's bad but I totally have a legit reason. I have started a little journal. It's a food intake and exercise journal. I wanted to take my picture in my bathing suit (you know, like they do for the makeover in InStyle) and also weigh myself. I don't have a scale at home but they have two at my work, one in the break room and one in the women's bathroom. So, I weighed myself and wrote it down. A few weeks went by and I happened to be walking by the break room and I weighed myself again on a whim. I lost 10 pounds! How sweet is that? We were even on vacation last week and I didn't run at all. I went home and told Russell and he gave me a pat on the back and said good job and asked me what I was doing. I told him I didn't know. Then I started thinking. Did I read the scale wrong? Did I have my glasses on at the time? Wait a second, which scale did I weigh myself on initially? I can't remember. Crap I think it was the bathroom scale. It was. I haven't lost anything. I hate this week.

I cut up my first whole watermelon this morning.

My dog loves watermelon. Does anyone else think that is weird?

My throat hurts (dang you, Russell!).

We are back. The first night we met up with a friend of Russell's who is fighting fire just outside Salmon, Idaho. We found a camp spot but it was all out in the open so we opted to get back on the road pretty early. We drove through Montana and found another spot to camp. Otis kept getting back in the truck and finally settled down on top of our bag. What a wuss.

It was close to the Flathead river and it was the same story as the first place, no shade. Not a good camping spot for the middle of the day. So, it was Monday and we drove through Glacier. It was a totally cool place. This was the sign just inside the entrance to the park - they have grizzlies and black bears in these woods. We weren't allowed to take Otis on any of the trails so all we could really do is drive through but it was worth the extra $25. This was a supposed to be a view of three peaks, but I only got two of them in the picture. The water in this place was insane! It was so clear and blue. This picture here is St Mary Lake.










We got to Payne Lake early. We followed a gnarly 4 wheeler trail up to a sweet camp spot. We stayed at this one for two nights. Otis finally realized that it was okay to go ahead and lay down on the ground but he would really rather have one of us let him in the tent.

We were killing time and decided to check out this Bison Paddock close to Payne Lake. It was totally cool. They keep a small herd of buffalo in this little fenced off area and they let you drive through. This sign made us laugh (easily entertained) - it says, "Bison may attack you." They came right out into the road and they were crazy huge.

I realize that I may be in a bit of trouble here but I didn't take any pictures of the actual family reunion. I left my camera in the truck and just didn't think about it. There were a lot of people taking pictures so I'm sure it will be fine. My Dad has the funniest cousins. Every time Grandma wanted to say something she would yell out, "okay everyone listen to me." Russell was cracking up over it. There was also an argument (all in good fun) that included some licking followed by a small water fight. Entertaining.

Glad to be home.

So, we weren't going to start our vacation until Tuesday but Russell has a new job and we're itching to get out of Boise. Last minute change and we're headed out Saturday morning! Yay! But wait, all those things I had the whole weekend to take care of before our trip, now I have to do them... TOMORROW! Everything! Wish me luck. I'm excited and we're doing the sort of fly by the seat of your pants kind of thing so I would tell you where we'll be ('cause I've heard that's a good idea when you're camping and such) but we don't know.

Some more good news. My books are only $124 next semester! How sweet is that?

Also, Dylan's mixtape idea sounds like it would be pretty rocking. So, if you are interested, comment will you?!

This morning I was thinking, I haven't posted an Otis picture in a while. Sometimes after work Russell and I will sit outside. My friend Katie asked if I knit and Russell whittles wood while we sit. We don't. We laugh at our dog. I make a little squirrel noise and he runs back and forth and all over the yard. Entertaining. And cheap. Free to be exact.

Well, it's been sort of busy around our house lately. Russell may have found a new job. It's been very slow for new homes around here and he hasn't had very much work to do. The new job is with a fencing company. I think he's giving it a bit of a test run right now. I wish he didn't have to do such hard work. I think he should go to school to be a botanist, then I can call him "scientist" like on Half Baked.

I'm getting really excited about our vacation next week. It looks like we're leaving on Tuesday and heading up to Glacier National Park, we're going to camp there and hang out a little bit on Wednesday and then drive up to Payne Lake for the reunion. I still have to get our grocery list together, wash our sleeping bags, give the dang dog a bath and clean up the house before we go (because we all know there is nothing worse than coming home from vacation to a messy house).

We made this for dinner this week. The chili was good but not really our idea of chili. You know. Spicy. Meaty. We won't be replacing our recipe. The cornbread, though. Dang. It was good. I even busted out my cast iron skillet. Tasty.

Does this potato look like a butt or is it just me?

I haven't showed you any updated garden pictures in a while. In the row on the left we have zucchini. I think we're going to have a lot of it. The leaves are starting to get huge and we had some flowers sprout up.

Here is the tomato. There is more than one now but this is the big one. Can you tell how big it is? I don't think you can. Trust me, it's big.

I'm really excited about this! This is our basil that we started from seeds before we moved out of our apartment. It's growing really well outside now and it is WAY stronger than grocery store basil.

Anyway, the family reunion is next week and Russell and I have started planning our road trip. I have the whole week off and we're going to take our time getting up there and camp a couple of places along the way. We're driving through Montana and we're hoping to be able to camp in Glacier National Park. I'll post the plans once they are a little more complete. I'm excited.

Russell and I made these delicious muffins on my lunch hour today. Don't you hate it when you go to the grocery store and you still feel like you have no food? I needed a snack. Big time. The recipe was a first-timer and it turned out awesome! You can find it here if you are interested. The recipe says raspberries but I opted for blueberries this time. Next time, I'm trying blackberries.

Help me out here will you?

I work with this crazy lady. She is in charge of the Classic license plate program. Instead of having a mileage restriction on this particular plate (like every other normal state) Idaho imposed a "use restriction" and there is really no way to enforce it. They can't use the vehicle for regular transportation because basically they don't pay registration fees. Anyway, this lady is INSANE. She gives all the customers the third degree and if anyone else in our office issues a classic plate - watch out. I call her the plate Nazi. My boss heard me today and scolded me! He said I need to "be careful." So, my question to you: Do you find "plate Nazi" offensive? Really. Tell me.

I love trying to get my chores typically reserved for the weekend taken care of during the week so that I can have my weekend for relaxing. It's Russell's birthday weekend (we like to extend the celebration as long as possible) and we're not doing anything. We were thinking about going to the Cherry Festival in Emmett and then I bought Russell a few flies for fishing so we were considering doing that but in the end, we opted to stay home and sit around. We will probably end up watching PBS most of the day. Anyway, I thought I would share a recipe we tried this week. This one is courtesy Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats.

Zucchini and Bow Ties

salt
1 lb. bow tie pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves minced garlic
2 medium zucchini
pepper
1 cup grated Parmigiano
1 cup fresh basil leaves

Cook your pasta and reserve a few ladles of the pasta water. Heat deep skillet over medium. Add extra virgin olive oil and garlic; cook for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and cook about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add ladles of pasta water and cooked pasta. Turn off the heat and toss with the cheese for about 2 minutes or until the liquids are absorbed. Serve with shredded basil on top.

We are trying to stick pretty close to our grocery budget and this one was inexpensive and really tasty. Next time, I think I'll add more zucchini or maybe try asparagus.

Happy Birthday, Russell!

I'm really glad you were born.

On my way back to work from lunch...

When we lived in Virginia one of us got a Barbie RV for Christmas. I think it was Bride but I can't really remember. This picture is the closest thing they have to it now. A brilliant idea stemmed from this particular Christmas gift. Bridget and I decided that when we were grown up and married with kids, we were each going to buy RVs and that way we could always be neighbors, we would go everywhere together. I told Russell about this last night and he asked if Bride was buying the RV (I thought that was funny). Anyway, I think we have a new plan. Someday we'll have a bakery (and we'll name it PattiCakes for Mom) and then we'll get to work together and try new recipes all day long. Ah, heaven.

Why is this so hilarious to me?

This is totally random but Russell and I have a weird grocery store tradition, I guess you could call it. We always make the grocery list and then guess how much it's going to cost. He was right on this week. Right on! I told the checker and she said, "Really? Usually it's the guys that get it wrong." I guess we're not the only ones.

Ah, this weekend. Where do I begin? First, the good news. Russell bought me a Macintosh apple tree. It's a twig now but someday I'll have some delicious Macintosh apples and I can't wait - it's my favorite kind of apple.

So, Friday night is our night to irrigate. I went to bed and Russell turned it off after our two hours was up. Something got stuck in the bottom of the pipe so it looked closed from the top but it was open on the bottom. I woke up in the morning in the mood for some poached eggs but I couldn't remember if you are supposed to boil the water or when to turn it off so I went to get on the computer. The computer in the basement. The basement that was flooded. It's still not dry. And it stinks down there now. Oh, and get this. Sunday, it rained all day long. I swear it hasn't rained like that since we moved here.

Everything turned out okay because I made a loaf of cinnamon swirl bread for a little treat on Sunday night. I know it's weird but I had to take a picture. It was so good. Is that a perfect swirl or what? And some of the sugar ended up on the bottom of the pan so it was all sticky and good. I love my bread maker.

I saw an ad for this in my last Food Everyday magazine. I've been wanting it ever since. Russell doesn't like to eat corn off the cob but sweet corn on the cob is so good and so cheap here. Well, I was wondering where I was going to find it and went to the Williams Sonoma website and found it, the exact one in the ad. I called and they don't have it in the store here. If I'm going to order online I might as well make sure I can't think of anything else I need. A good bread knife is an absolute must, right? How about one of those silicone pastry brushes? I've heard they are much easier to clean. Holy crap. I have a problem. I also like to browse the recipe section. This lemonade looked so good to me. I wish I could stay home and try new recipes all day.

Russell and I went to Blockbuster last night. We haven't been in forever (thank you Netflix). Playing in the background was Nacho Libre. Is this movie quotable or what?! I've had this line stuck in my head all day:

"they don't think I know a buttload of crap about the gospel, but I do."

It is most definitely worth a rental.

Russell is really excited. He has a tomato growing out back. I never would have guessed that he would be so psyched about this. Every day he tries to get me to go out there and look with him.

We noticed some crops, I guess you could say, in our across the street neighbor's yard. We're curious.

I ate a cupcake for breakfast this morning. I decided, last minute, I better bike to work to make up for it. I flew into a swarm of gnats. One got stuck in my eye. Then, my earbuds slipped out of my ears, got stuck in my bike tire and totally broke. All together a pretty good start to the day, wouldn't you say? I'm eating another cupcake when I get home.

This morning I had to get a physical for school. Does anyone else think that is a little weird? Yeah, me too but that’s not the point. Every time I go to the doctor they say something about my dry skin. Every time, without fail. Enough already! I put lotion on when I get out of the shower! What else am I supposed to do? The last two times I've gone, they've recommended baby oil. BABY OIL. Yeah, after you shower, douse yourself in baby oil and then pat dry. Question: What is the dang point of showering? Could you ever possibly feel clean after that? Another question: Wouldn't you have to wash your towel after one shower every time? I felt like slapping that lady right across the face.

When we lived in our apartment, I used to take Otis to this little school and I brought his rope toy with me every time. I don't know why, he never played with his rope toy. He played with the other dogs who were usually trying to play with their own rope toy or frisbee or tennis ball. Anyway, our neighbors have a dog and we will frequently catch him with his entire head under the fence on our side. Weirdest thing. Otis totally ignores him. Russell suspects that they play all day long when we're gone... We couldn't get a spontaneous picture, we had to coax the other dog over - that's why Otis is right there. He does ignore him. I swear, okay! Sheesh.

We found out this week that we have water rights. I can't even tell you how excited we are about this. We get to irrigate now! We took a little walk over to the manager's house and she assigned us Thursday from 10am to 12pm. I asked if we could switch to another day (hello? does anyone else have to work around here). She said Friday night was open but that's usually not good for people. Russell and I said, practically in unison, "we'll take it." Sad.

Help. I think I am starting to lose perspective. We started a compost pile yesterday. A COMPOST PILE. What exactly is that saying about us? Go ahead. I can take it.

I was getting in the car after work and I was parked far down the line of cars on this particular day. I saw this HUGE bug on the fence and I just had to go investigate. Have you ever had one of those moments when you realize that someone could quite possibly be videotaping you for some montage that they'll slap together and put on YouTube? It's a dang popsicle stick and pipe cleaners! How embarrassing.

This is the only picture I managed to take this weekend. Eric and Paola and Bride came up for the long weekend. We had fun, well, I did anyway. We didn't do a whole lot. We fit in a trip to Flying Pie. We took Eric and Paola there last time they came and we just recently discovered how much they liked it. Russell was excited to hear about that since Eric gives him a quick call just to let him know what he's doing every time he's driving through at In-N-Out. We went to the market on Saturday. There was this donut stand - mini donuts - ask Bridget, they were to die for. She took a picture with her phone. You have to see it. Russ and I bought some honey with the honeycomb in the jar. Eric and Russell both bought some buffalo brats, you'll have to ask him how they were, I didn't try. We went to Hyde Park and walked around - Russell found a cool old puzzle made of wood. It was laid back but I had a good time. I hope they did, too. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about the picture. Russ and Eric went fishing and Bride and Paola and I watched The Wedding Singer. This was the closing credits, you know, Video Killed the Radio Star.

Question: Is it a sign that you have lived in Boise too long when your husband calls you after "work" and tells you that he managed to catch two fish with a homemade stick fishing pole at some point during the day?

Ah, Photo Booth. Some good good times to be had. I love it when Russell laughs this hard, it's sort of contagious.

It's only Tuesday and I can't wait for the dang weekend! Memorial Day and Eric and Paola are coming up to visit. We don't have plans. We're just hanging out. I don't know if they are bringing Max but I just have this vision of Otis going in and out the doggie door and Max not being able to. This dog... Forget dog, think bear.

I am going to my favorite store today, Cost Plus. I'm sure I won't be able to leave without something. Maybe that will give me something interesting to blog about...

Ah, Sunday. Summer Sunday. BBQ brisket and corn on the cob for dinner. A delicious strawberry tart for dessert. It was a quick week. I hardly got a thing done at work, I've been so excited about school (good thing I don't have too much to do). There are a bunch of little things I have to do before this fall. A physical, a TB test, a blood draw, and I have to buy a watch. It's not normal that someone should be so excited about these things. I think it's just about summer here in Boise. It isn't that warm yet - maybe it's just because school is out. Is it just me or am I rambling? Russell is watching a fly fishing video from the library. I think I feel a nap coming on...

Good news...

I love iPhoto.

I love Food Everyday magazine. Every time I go to the grocery store and I see a new one, I try to look through it really quickly and if I see three recipes that I might try, I buy it. Last month a bought it and I have tried a ton of new stuff! They have this section every month called "Have you tried?" and they tell you a few facts and include a couple recipes for the featured ingredient. This time it was bulgar. It is the wheat berry that has been steamed, dried and cracked and it is used a lot in Middle Eastern cuisine. I am in love. They included a recipe for breakfast bulgar porridge - it's sort of a cross between oatmeal and rice. You cook it like a hot cereal and then serve strawberries over it. It is really good and I am totally hooked. I've had it two mornings in a row and now I'm out of strawberries... If my grocery store in Boise has it, yours will too.

When I was younger, I used to spend a lot of time worrying. I worried that we didn't practice a fire escape plan and I would have to use that rope ladder hanging out my bedroom window. I worried because we didn't recycle. I also used to worry that, as my Mom would frequently caution me, my brothers may some day grow to be bigger and (gulp) stronger than me. You know those lists of "the things you wish you knew back then" or whatever? I hate those lists they are dumb and cheesy and dumb. I do wish, however, that I would have considered my future husband's role in this possibility. Hello?! I don't need to be stronger than my younger brothers anymore! I have a husband now (and yes, he could take you). Ah, one less thing to worry about. Doesn't that feel good?

P.S. I swear I wasn't a bully or anything...

We finally finished painting the front room! It is going to be impossible to get a good picture with my camera, this is the best I could do. While I was painting, I was having some very serious doubts but now that it's done, I'm really liking it. The hallway is up next and that will be green (Happy Camper to be exact) and then my bedroom is next, that is going to be Lagoon. I can't wait to get the bedroom done.

We cut a hole in our back door this weekend. I took a picture to show you but I accidentally erased it. We cut the hole to put in a doggie door but I wasn't going to tell you that right away. Otis is afraid of the flap. It's sad. And when I say sad, I mean pathetic.

We also bought the ugliest couch you've ever seen for the basement (for the projector). The camp chairs were killing me! It's ugly but at least I can lay down now...

Just in case you happen to hear a rumor that Russell and I were under the impression that this Sunday was Mother's Day, don't be fooled. We just thought our mothers would like to hear how much we love them on any old day.

You guys, this popcorn is awesome! It tastes just like a rice crispy treat. Try it. Try it!