Well, It's Starting.....

Fall Semester is always our "Nightmare" semester.....and it is looking like this year will be no exception.......

My coworker and her husband (who also works with our College Technology) are gone this week on vacation.

Our Tech Services Director is gone on vacation this week.

My two student workers were helping out the Tech Services guys with tearing down/rebuilding a computer lab all day.

I was along in the office all day.

And it was a ZOO. A total freakin' ZOO.

And it is just beginning....... because classes don't start until August 20th. So there is a LOT more time for the circus to get into full swing.

The "Flying Monkeys" made an earlier than usual appearance this year. I see the "Clown Cars" waiting in the wings.

*sigh*

It's gonna be a LONG week.

Olympics Opening Ceremonies Commentary

I have been thinking about this ever since watch the Opening Ceremonies Friday night. Something about them was really bothering me, and I didn't know if it was just me, or if anyone else felt the same way. So yesterday I did a Google search, and found out that I am definitely not alone.....

Matt Lauer, Meredith Viera, and Bob Costas were the NBC commentators for the ceremonies. And my thoughts and feelings are echoed in the following article linked below:

http://www.examiner.com/article/nbc-commentary-of-the-london-olympics-opening-ceremony-deemed-offensive

Matt and Meredith showed their ignorance in their prattling on about the scenarios of London's history, with no end to the snarky comments. And when Bob Costas took her place, it didn't get any better. Matt and Bob seemed to take great delight in slamming other countries and their athletes.

In fact, it was so bad, that on Twitter one of the most popular hashtags is #shutupmattlauer. And it has been getting a LOT of traffic, believe me. Check it out. Post to it and add your thoughts. I intend to.

I am ashamed and embarrassed. They not only showed their lack of professionalism, but were an embarrassment to the entire NBC Network, and made the entire United States look bad. Matt Lauer and Bob Costas showed their ignorance, and as for Meredith Viera, she just proved to me all over again what a Snarky Bitch she is.

NBC Network owes London an apology. And all three of the commentators should be suspended from the games. Get someone else in there who can behave themselves with some decorum, and who is willing to do their research on the games and act professionally.

I for one am very sorry, and if anyone from London ever happens to read this blog post, please realize that not all Americans are like they are. If Matt, Meredith and Bob are too stupid to feel ashamed of themselves for their behavior, that's on them. There are many more of us who are not that way, and for that I am truly grateful.

Weekend

It's been a pretty nice weekend so far....

Went to lunch at Cheddar's yesterday with some ladies from the College - - some retired, some of us not so lucky to be. The company was good; but Cheddar's? Not so much. One friend got baby back ribs, and they were so hard and dry she could not eat them. They replaced them for her, and she took them home for dinner later. Some of the others got Caesar Salads that had basically no dressing on them; just dry salad. A quick comment to our waiter got that resolved as well.

Our waiter, Jeremy (a cute young thing)(Hush - - I may be old but I'm not dead) was not happy with the way our meals were turning out to be, and swore to us that he was definitely going back to the kitchen and check on what was going on. He apologized all over himself, and worked hard to please us. It wasn't his fault, and I made sure to tip him well for his efforts.

But some of us were ready to march back into that kitchen with him and kick some butt!

By the way, my Napa Chicken Ciabatta was fine. And very, very delicious.

Dear Mr. Dizzy is working today so I have the house to myself. Well, with 2 furballs, that is, and they seem to feel the need to follow me EVERYWHERE! Probably trying to make sure I don't take off and leave them......they tend to get a bit proprietary toward me on the weekends. They must like me or something....Go figure.  


Well, back to crafting and mending, while I still have some time before having to break and make dinner later. The house is quiet, and it's the perfect time to go to my little space and dig in!

2012 Olympics Opening Ceremonies

I decided to watch a bit of the opening ceremonies last night. Thought I would catch a bit of it, while puttering around catching up on a few things around the house.

It didn't work out that way.....

That show? Was absolutely, totally AMAZING. It caught me, and didn't let go. 4-1/2 hours later, when it ended, I was finally able to turn off the TV and head for bed.

The scenarios, the pyrotechnics, the pageantry - - amazing. Absolutely, totally amazing.

The parts I like best?

• Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean as a keyboard player with the London Symphony Orchestra. Hilarious.
• Daniel Craig as James Bond, with Her Majesty the Queen, heading to the arena by helicopter, and her (supposedly) parachuting into the games.
• Paul McCartney's voice cracking with emotion as he began singing "Hey Jude." Seeing a star of his caliber chocking up with emotion like that really showed a real, down-to-earth side of the man. Cheers to you, Sir Paul.

 All in all, it was a grand welcome to all the athletes from the 204 countries they are representing in the games.
 
Well done, London. Well done, indeed!

Finally Friday.....

This has been a loooooong week....... but the weekend is almost here, and I am extremely thankful for that.

Yesterday evening we saw a pretty big line of storms heading directly our way. We were thinking, "Hooray, RAIN!" It kept coming right at us. You could look out the window and see that it was raining buckets about a mile North of us. BUCKETS.

What did WE get? Not one drop. Nope, nothing at all.

*sigh*

Mother Nature does NOT want me to go out in my back yard and do my naked rain dance.....that would burn out her retinas, big time. Just sayin'.  ;-)

This weekend I am planning to get some crafting done. It's been way too long since I have had a chance to spend any time in my craft studio and work on anything. Mr. Dizzy is working Sunday, so that seems like a good day to spend some quality time in my "girl cave" and make some things. Hopefully I can get some things created and take some pictures. If things go as planned (which in my world? Is iffy at best) I will try to get some things posted and show on here.

*keeping my fingers crossed that Sunday will be MY day*

Another New Recipe

I made these Chocolate Chip Nutella Cheesecake Bars and brought them into the office this week. They were a hit, and didn't last long!

This is another "keeper" recipe that will definitely be going on my recipe blog!

Check-up

I have cholesterol issues. Have for a few years. My doctor put me on Pravastatin, and counseled me to watch what I eat....fat intake, sugars, breads, etc. For years I have gone back every 4 months to get my cholesterol levels checked, and they have never gone down.

NEVER.

I would ask the doctor what else I could do, and kept getting the same spiel - - take my meds, watch what I eat - - lather, rinse, repeat.

I don't go to that doctor anymore.

Checked with my NEW doctor today and we went over my cholesterol levels, and discussed the Pravastatin and its lack of help with the levels. In his own words, it has done NOTHING for me, and instead of wasting my money on pills that don't work, I should probably just be drinking the water for all the good it's doing. So he has decided to switch me to a new med, starting today. And we will do a blood draw in 6 weeks to see how the levels are doing, and how my liver is doing on this new pill.

At least I now have a doctor who listens to me, talks with me, and is willing to try other things if what are doing presently doesn't work. Thank God.

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed here, and hoping for the best.

Drought Question....

Just a question - - 

Is grass SUPPOSED to crunch?

Just wondering......

Yawny Monday

I did not sleep well last night. Not at all.

Damn cats.  :-)

Actually, it's not all their fault. We went to Springfield yesterday evening to a friend's house for a cookout. Said friend has 2 good-sized dogs. Who are very playful, and LOVE people.

Love people A LOT.

So there was much playing with toys and licking of toes and jumping up on us with dirty paws and all that stuff. And then when we got home, the cats went crazy. They could smell the dogs on us, and knew that we had been petting other animals.

They KNEW we had been unfaithful! And they were determined to make us pay.

And pay we did.

Although we both had cleaned up before bed, they STILL could smell the dogs on us, and they KNEW.

So last night? They were CRAZYPANTS on the bed! It was like the bed was their trampoline, and they were jumping on in like crazy - - walking on us, nudging us, crawling under the covers with us, and just literally keeping me awake all damn night.

*sigh*

Silly cats.

Gonna be a early night tonight.

Project So Far

Our little outside project is coming along nicely! Here it is so far:





Still need to get some rock to put down around the light pole and on the outside of the new little wall. We also have some small to medium "mini-boulders" to bring in once the rock is in place.But it's starting to look good. Can't wait to see how it looks once it's all finished!

Project Progress

The outdoor project is progressing nicely! Mr. Dizzy just headed to Menard's for more supplies, and we will hopefully be pretty much finished up this evening.

Once it's finished (or pretty much so) there will be pictures. Promise.

It's going to look SO nice when it's done!

Where Is the Rain?

We were very hopeful when we heard the forecast the past couple of days. We were even MORE hopeful when we saw the radar on the early morning news....there was some very much-needed rain heading our way!

Mr. Dizzy called me from the parking lot at his workplace to let me know it was starting to sprinkle. I had to drive to work this morning with my windshield wipers on (heck, I was wondering if I even remembered how to turn the darn things on!). I walked through the the parking lot on my way into the building and got my hair wet. And did't care about it one bit.

But then? Shortly after that? The rain stopped. Just dissipated.

And what does the radar show now? Any rain showing is south of us, and moving to the southeast. And the forecast? Sunny and in the 90's for the next 10 days.

This is not good. Not at all.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this drought will run it's course soon. We need the moisture badly! The crops in farmer's fields are ruined, and our yard (and my poor flowers!) are dead to the world. Can't water anything, because we have to be careful that our well doesn't go dry.

Pray for us. And I am praying for rain, and soon.

They Were a Hit!

I made the Nutella Swirled Banana Muffins and they were a definite hit! Dear Mr. Dizzy loved them, and when I brought the rest into the office they went very fast.

I have posted the recipe to my recipe blog, "Cookin' In the Kitchen With Dizzy" and you can find it here. 

Try them - - they are easy to make and absolutely delicious!

Home!

We are finally back home. The medical procedure for Mr. Dizzy was fine, not problems found. He is good to go, and HUNGRY!

I just made Nutella Swirled Banana Muffins, and the house smells amazing! This is one recipe that is definitely going on my recipe blog! The Mr. has already had two of them with a cold glass of milk, and his tummy is now happy (well, happier, at least). He has already told me that come lunchtime he will definitely be ready for his KFC!

So now it is a day of rest and relaxation for him. After the ordeal he had to go through yesterday evening prepping for this procedure, he has definitely earned it!

Tomorrow will be back to the normal routine.....but it's nice to have a day off. Wish it had been for some other reason!  :)

Strange Sunday

Today is kind of a strange day.....Mr. Dizzy is scheduled for a routine medical procedure tomorrow, and today has to have nothing but clear liquids. I feel pretty strange trying to eat around him, because I don't want to tempt him! So earlier today when I had to run a couple of errands, I got a small quick snack and got it gulped down before I got back home. For lunch, I heated up a can of chicken noodle soup, strained out the noodles and chicken, and he got the broth. I sat there with him and ate the noodles. He has plenty of Sierra Mist, water and fruit juices to drink, and lots of Jello he can eat. For suppertime, I will more than likely just make a quick sandwich and eat it out of sight from him.

Damn, I hate this......*sigh*

But tomorrow? After we are back home and the procedure is done? He will be sleeping off the rest of the anesthesia, and I will make him some Nutella-Swirled Banana Bread. Hopefully the smell of baking Banana Bread will tempt him into wanting something to eat! And we have already decided that for lunch, it's KFC - - they have the new Original Recipe Chicken Bites, and the Sunday paper had a coupon for buy one-get one free. So there is lunch!  :)

Here's to having today get over with soon, and tomorrow having everything go smoothly. We both cannot wait to get it done over with!

Finally! Rain!

Well, I think we have finally figured out how to make it start raining - - plan a full day of outside chores.

The Mr. and I started up this morning with an outdoor project. We have landscape blocks that we wanted to put down between our two drives, around our outside pole light. This will not only look really nice, but it will give us a bit more turn-around space when backing out of the garage, and also protect the light pole from being hit. (Not that it's a major problem, but better safe than sorry)

So we have all the blocks out there. And the tools. And sand, and mortar mix, and the big tractor with the bucket blade.

A lot of the heavy work got done....the measuring, digging, leveling, etc. Just getting ready to place the blocks. And guess what happened?

Thunder. In the not-so-distant distance. Then the clouds started moving in. Then more thunder. Then the wind.

We hurried to get everything moved back into the garage (including my Jeep) and headed in just and the rain started. We figured with the way this severe drought had been going it would rain itself out soon and we would get back outside and finish up.

No deal there.

It rained pretty steady for a couple of hours. We have almost an inch of rain in our rain gauge. So needless to say, the project didn't get finished up today.

But do we care about that? Well, yes and no. Yes, because this was the only day we had to get it done. But NO, because we need the rain, dammit! This drought is killing us!

So we will get back outside and finish up in a few days - - Tuesday or Wednesday possibly. Weather permitting, of course. And if weather doesn't permit, and it decides to rain us out again?

That's fine. BRING IT ON!!

Friday!

Friday the 13th.......The day of black cats and bad luck.

But for some reason, I don't believe THIS black cat is bad luck, OR scary - -

Just sayin'.

The Urge to Start Cooking Again

With the high temps we have been experiencing, I have not had any desire to cook. Not at all. Even with the A/C on, the thought of turning on the oven just did not appeal to me.

But now that the triple-digit temps have diminished, I am getting the itch to do some cooking, and have seen some new recipes that are calling to me. For example:

Nutella Swirl Banana Muffins at The Londoner blog look just plain yummy. Must try for a weekend breakfast soon.

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies on Lick the Bowl Good blog are a definite must. A cookie within a cookie; who can resist?

Bacon Double Cheeseburger Dip on Cooking With Mel blog. It might be an appetizer, but I'm thinking about making this for a light lunch or supper with a nice salad on the side. Bacon, burger, and cheese - - what's not to love?

I definitely intend to try these and a couple other recipes in the near future. And, of course, if they turn out well, they will be added to my recipe blog, Cookin' In the Kitchen with Dizzy.

So stay tuned for updates!

MUCH Better!

The heat wave seems to have broken somewhat.....temps are still hovering around 90 degrees, but considering the triple-digit temps and high humidity of the past couple of weeks? It almost feels downright balmy!  :)

Yesterday after work we went to Bloomington to return brother-in-law's tables, and while we were there, I treated Mr. Dizzy to supper to say "thank you" for all the help he gave me during the sale. I honestly could not have gotten it accomplished without him.We went to TGI Fridays, and it was fantastic! They have a special going on that is "2 for $10"....you get an entree, and either a starter or a dessert for that price. I had Parmesan-Spinach Flatbread, and an entree of Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Spinach-Cheese Sauce and Tortellini. The Mr. had a Jack Daniels Cheeseburger and then Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie for dessert (which I of course had to try - - it's the law, right?). The service was great, and the food was incredible. We will definitely go again. 

There was so much food that I wound up taking half of it home, so guess what I'm having for supper tonight?  :-)  

Unfortunately, no Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie was left over - - *sigh* - - maybe next time.

Rude Awakening

Vacation is over. And MONDAY has hit, with a vengeance.

*sigh* 

It's rough coming back to work after a week off. And the kittykids? They certainly didn't seem too happy to see me and Mr. Dizzy leaving this morning. 

Now it's all a process of checking voicemail, cleanout out my e-mail Inbox, and getting back into the swing of things. I should be back into the groove by the end of the week. I hope.
One thing last week showed me though - - when me and Mr. Dizzy finally have the chance to retire, we will do just fine. We love just being with each other and spending time doing things together. Granted, we still go off and do our own things now and then, but it's SO nice to come back home, any time of the day, and find the other there waiting for them.

Someday....... it's such a nice thought!

Sunday

Finally got everything boxed up that was left over from the sale. There is really not very much left, not at all! But what is left will definitely benefit the sale next weekend to raise funds for By Grace Orphanage. Glad we can help out a bit with that.

All we need to do now is get the tables we borrowed back to their rightful owners, take my tubs of antiques back down to the basement, and put our tables back in storage. So not much left to do.

It has been great being off work this past week, in spite of being out in those terribly hot temps! But, all good things much come to an end, and tomorrow I will be back in the office and playing catch-up. I'm not really ready to go back!  :-) 

Now, time to go have some more fun with Mr. Dizzy and the kittykids.....need to enjoy the last of my vacation!

The Sale Is OVER!

The sale is finally over, and it was a HUGE success! Between the three families, we made over $1000 total! It was HOT, it was HUMID, it was STICKY, but it was very, very profitable.

But it's OVER. And that is a very good thing.

It really was a lot of fun, despite the miserable weather. We met some very nice people, and we also met some very weird ones. I'm talking total whack-jobs here. But that provided some comic relief!  :) 

Once we got things shut down and we were back in the cool A/C, it was time to tally up and settle up. We are all pretty happy with what we each made. Every little bit helps, especially in this economy!

We still have to go out and clear up everything and set the barn back to rights, and make sure the borrowed tables get back to the people they belong to. But, that will be worked on tomorrow, when it's supposed to be a bit cooler. Instead of triple-digit temps, it is supposed to be in the mid-80's, which will be a very welcome change.

We also have a good place for all our leftover rummage sale "stuff" to go! A friend and former co-worker is having a rummage sale next weekend, and all proceeds benefit an orphanage in Kenya that one of our student clubs helps out. So I am arranging to get everything over to his house; hopefully it will help them out. I'm happy to be able to do something for them.

Now it's time for a nice cool shower and a good night's sleep! And I'm sure the cats are ready also - - they usually sleep the day away, but the past 2 days? It's been way too interesting outside, and they have spent most of their time watching the comings and goings of all the cars and people! So we are all ready for some sleep.

 Goodnight.........*yawn*

Sale, Day 1

the first day of the sale is done! It was steaming hot! But very profitable. Haven't tallied up yet, but people flocked in and things were flying out the door! Let's see how Day 2 goes. Stay tuned.......

Getting Ready

We have been busy all day yesterday and today getting ready for the rummage sale - - yesterday moving everything up from the basement to the barn, setting up tables, and a bit of sorting. Today I have been emptying boxes and tubs and getting everything out onto tables.

We have a LOT of STUFF. Been working on it all afternoon and not done yet.

And, to make it worse, we are under an excessive heat warning until 7 PM Saturday. The only saving grace is that I am in the barn and not in direct sunlight, with 2 big doors open, a nice breeze coming through, and a fan on.

But it's still FREAKIN' HOT.

Fortunately, I have to make runs into the house occasionally to make signs, grab stickers or tape, or grab another bottle of water, so the A/C helps a bit.

If it is this unbearably hot the 2 days of the sale, we may wind up shutting down before the 3 PM closing time. Just have to wait and see.

Tuesday

We had a very "freaky" storm yesterday evening. It was bright and sunny outside at our house, when we suddenly hear an extremely loud boom of thunder. ??? Looked outside and the sun was shining brightly. Stepped out on the back porch and got pelted with raindrops! Looked to the East, and the sky was black, and a whole lot of lightning. Then the wind started - - FROM THE EAST, which is extremely unusual! The next thing we knew, the trees were blowing wildly and we were getting rain. Not a lot, but I'll take whatever we can get!

On another note - - For being on "vacation" I have really gotten a lot accomplished already, and it's only Tuesday! Got up early again today and was at the Gym by 6:30 AM. Walked out an hour later, went to Walmart and found the extra plant I needed, got home and got a bit of yard work done while it was still a little bit cooler. That didn't last long - - by 8:30 AM it was already starting to steam, so back inside I went. Kitchen and laundry room are cleaned, and also managed to fit in a bit of playtime with the kittykids. Even with me working and running around the house like a crazy woman, they seem to be pretty happy having me home.

Tonight when Mr. Dizzy gets off work we will be heading North to pick up tables and stuff for this weekend's sale. Since he's being so nice and helpful about all of this (the man has the patience of a saint)(he needs it, being married to me!) I will treat him to supper while we are out. Just because he's such a good boy.  :-)  We just may get this sale pulled together yet......and I am going to be very happy when it's done!

The forecast for the rest of this week, including our sale weekend, is temps  right up around the 100 degree mark. This is not going to be fun. But the barn has 2 big doors to open, and we have a fan to set up, so hopefully we will have enough of a breeze to make it tolerable. *keeping fingers crossed*

Time to wrap this post up....I hear the kittykids calling me to come play with them!  :)

Carmichael: "Come rub my belly, Mom!"

VA-CAY!!

This is the first day of my vacation! Time to rest, relax, have some fun. Right?

Nope. Not happening.

What have I been doing the first day of my vacation? Well, let's see - - this morning I got up and was at teh Gym at 6:30 for an hour work out. Then to Walmart to pick up a few plants to fill in a few dead spots from plants that have not survived the heat. Then potting said plants. Then inside, to clean how and do laundry.

Tomorrow? Lather, rinse, repeat. (Yes, including the Walmart run; ran short on plants)

Oh, and also keep on getting ready for the rummage sale this weekend. Tonight heading to a friend's house to pick up some tables to use. Tomorrow night heading up to Bloomington to pick up some more tables a family member is lending us, as well as tables and "stuff" from my friend who is going in on the sale with me.

And through all of this we are still in the middle of one helluva heat wave. In fact, for the sale this weekend? They are forecasting near-100 degree temps.

*sigh*

I am ready for a cool-down, any time now.

I DID IT!

I actually did it! I was able to complete NaBloPoMo for June! Yes, I actually managed to post ever single day. Wow - - I honestly was not sure I would be able to. But I did. Now let's see what July has to offer.....

I survived the lake yesterday. Yes, it was hot. Miserably so. Little to no breeze. Bugs. I had to spend quite a bit of time in the camper trying to cool down and let nausea pass. But I made it. And then, on the way home, we saw some storms building. And when we got home, there was water standing on the roads and we knew that we had finally gotten some much needed rain.

Then! Then! We got MORE rain. More, blessed rain. And thunder, lightning, the whole bit. Unfortunately, it was over way too soon. In fact, Mr. Dizzy said there was only about 1/3 inch in the rain gauge. Considering we are 7-10 inches below normal for the year, that hurts. Especially since we had a fairly dry summer last year, and little to no snow last winter.

Central Illinois is hurting, and hurting bad.

This next week they are calling for more high temps and no rain. In fact, they are saying we could get triple-digit temps again next weekend. This is not good, because that is when we have our Rummage Sale planned. At least we will be in the barn and not out in the sun. Keeping my fingers crossed thaat we will at least have a breeze......