Little Lady update

I HAVE A DREAM . . .

. . . about once every 3-6 months that is so terribly vivid and real than I wake up in sweat and with a racing heart.  This morning was just such a morning.

Specifically, I have been having dream that includes THIS individual:

I am being SERIOUS!  I dream that I am with my family in some foreign city during a big city-wide celebration.  Thousands of people are outside and awaiting a big announcement . . . Then it HAPPENS!  We hear a thumping in the distance that gets louder and louder until the T-Rex appears and all hell breaks loose!  People are screaming and running everywhere.  I panic and try to get my family together, but we get separated.  No matter where I go, the T-Rex follows.  I find cover for a bit and wait in silence . . . THEN HE STRIKES!

And OF COURSE, I can’t run fast in this dream so I have to jump over obstacles to confuse him.  Then it all comes to an end just before I get attacked . . . when I wake up.  I look over at my wife and kiss her and check on my baby.  Take about 10 minutes to recompose myself and go back to sleep hoping it does not happen again. (That’s the one benefit of being me, I can sleep or go BACK to sleep after almost anything.)

So, I HAVE A DREAM NIGHTMARE, and it blows!

UPDATE!

YET ANOTHER Little Lady update!

Caution: She is VERY cute and you will want to go swimming.

Little Lady update

Mercredi Gras

For you non-French speakers, that translates to FAT WEDNESDAY!You heard it here first, I am starting yet ANOTHER round of L.E.N.T.; however, I began my celebratory eating on Wednesday, it puttered around throughout Thursday, and finally my pious period began and I ashed myself on Friday. THUS, I am in full-blown lenting.

Lent \’lent\: : the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter observed by the Roman Catholic, Eastern, and some Protestant churches . . . and Greg . . . as a period of penitence and fasting

Now, my Lent only includes sweets, added refined sugar, sodas/non-all-natural juices, and white breads/pastas/rice, but it is Lent none the less.  It is a great excuse to kick SKINNY 2010, Phase II, into place.

So, there you have it and YOU are going to help hold me to it!  I have already turned down Pineapple Dole Whips, world-famous cupcakes, as well as M&Ms and chocolate grahams (for those of you who really know me, turning down M&Ms is a big accomplishment).

Oh, and I forgot, I am FORMALLY asking you to JOIN me!  But only if you are not too scared. . . Let me know if you are in.

Official LENT Rules:

• Begin TODAY (or whenever you FIRST read this) and goes through FRIDAY, July 16, 2010 (This will be our Phase II’s GOOD FRIDAY). 
• Culinary Celebrations of Accomplishment begin no sooner than SATURDAY, July 17, 2010.
• LENT restrictions include, but are not limited to:
• No “sweets”
• i.e., cakes, cookies, candies, puddings, other confectionaries, and icings.
• No Sodas/Non-ALL NATURAL juices
• this includes NO diet drinks or sports drinks
• only ALL NATURAL juices allowed
• No white bread/pasta/rice
• only 100% whole grains
• . . . Go ahead an alter SLIGHTLY any of the above “restrictions” as to get you to join!

Riddle Me This . . .

Can one jinx a JINX?  Answer: kinda, but not totally.

Jinx TAKE ONE:

Flag Day, June 14, 2007, the day I married my beautiful bride (We did consider a May wedding for about 30 seconds, but then Megs started to sing that song from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers . . . They say when you Marry in June . . . and that was out the window.) It was a near perfect day, all until we were dropped off (quite literally 'dropped off’ by our limo driver.  Plug: DON’T use GLW Formal Affair.  Not cool, not cool.) at the Grand America Hotel for our wedding night.  We, Megs in her breathtaking wedding dress and I in my tux, were walked in and up to the counter to check in . . . and they couldn’t find our reservations.  The SAME reservations that were verified TWICE.  They looked at us, AT MIDNIGHT and CLEARLY having just been married, and said, “Sorry, maybe you could walk across the street to the Little America and stay in one of their rooms.”  I replied, “Maybe you could get a shuttle over there . . .”  They did . . . twenty minutes later.  Talk about a rain on our parade. Plug: The Grand America can kiss my butt.

Jinx TAKE TWO:

June 14, 2008: Our FIRST ANNIVERSARY.  We were in Nauvoo (we are kinda like junkies) having just celebrated with my grandma as she received her endowments in the temple.  My family left on the 13th and headed back to St. Louis to catch an early flight the next morning and Megs and I stayed that night to celebrate our anniversary.  The day was beautiful, but started to rain.  We were hearing reports of record flooding further north up the Mississippi and headed our way.  Water levels were rising at an alarming pace and bridges across the river were closing one after another.  After weighing out the pros and cons, we made the decision to leave that night (ended up being the right decision because the entire place flooded) and head to St. Louis before we were stuck.  We stayed that night . . . in the same room with my parents.  That’s right, with my parents.  Foiled again.

Jinx TAKE THREE:

June 13, 2009.  We were in Park City shopping at the outlets in preparation for our second anniversary.  On our way home, We got a call from Megs sister, Krista.  This would end up being some of the most heartbreaking news we had every received: Megs older brother, Jaman, had been battling a severe case of the Swine Flu and had just been taken, by ambulence, to the hospital and had most likely passed away.  We hurried home and packed our things and drove the longest one-hour drive of our lives to Centerville.  On that drive we got the news that he had passed away.  We spent that next week with family, packing up J’s things and preparing for the services.  I think we snuck away to Wendy’s or something like that for our celebration, but it didn’t matter that year. . . We miss you J.

Jinx TAKE FOUR:

June 2, 2010.  We were in hot pursuit of breaking the jinx, thus we celebrated a couple weeks early.  TAKE THAT JINX . . . kinda.  We had a gift certificate to the Armstrong Mansion and Megs made the reservations.  We had the night all planned out: Emmalee would have her FIRST SLEEPOVER at Meg’s parent’s house (deep breaths Megan, deep calming breaths), we would have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, go to a movie (first time with only us two . . . ever), and then back to our room; however, first things first, we checked into our room.  After pulling up, taking our stuff in, giving our information, and checking in, Megs handed the lady our gift certificate.  She looked at it, put in the information and said, “Thank you and enjoy your stay.”  Seeing that we still had nearly $80 remaining, Meg asked for the remainder in a gift certificate.  The young girl looked at us blankly, got on the phone with a manager, got off and said, “Sorry, we don’t do that.” . . . Excuse me!?  You don’t “give change”.  “Um, I could upgrade your stay” . . . “No” we say.  “I am sorry then” she says.  “Here are your keys back.  Don’t book us in.  Where is your manager?” we say.  “She’s out for another couple hours.”  she says.  “We’ll be in touch” we say.

We left completely boiling on the inside, but laughing all the same.  Here we were, trying to outsmart the jinx and we got screwed.  To sum up the rest, we went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, which was AWESOME.  If you have never been, GO and get the Orange Chicken and REDVELVET CHEESECAKE for dessert.

After dinner, all prepared to perform a little verbal judo on the manager, they agreed to give us back the “change” in a gift certificate and we stayed the night.  All in all, it ended up being a great night.

So, to sum it up.  You can’t totally jinx a jinx, but then again, maybe we don’t want to.  It gives us something good to talk about.  So here is to June 14, 2011.  BRING IT ON!

Ghetto Food

At least that is what my wife calls it.  Ghetto food, we all have it and adore it.  Well, I HOPE we all have a little in our lives.  What is this “ghetto food”, you ask?  Allow me to explain:

Ghetto Food: \ˈge-tō ˈfüd\ a nutriment in solid form that has become isolated, especially in conferring inferior status

Clear as mud?  Let me throw it at you in commoners terms:  Bologna with mustard dots, cheese and pickle sandwiches, Burger King breakfast, Malt-o Meal, Crinkly Noodles . . . (drooling, drooling).  Ringin’ a bell?

Ghetto Food: The random and simple, but amazing foods that each of us grew up with in which our neighbors and friends think are weird or even repulsive. . . GHETTO FOOD! 

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I am a lover of ghetto food.  Growing up in my family, we had our own unique blend that included (at the very top) Bologna with Mustard Dots.  Simple and easy recipe, really.  Take a piece of bologna and put in on a side plate.  Cut into small 1/2” squares and dot each piece with a little French’s Mustard.  Enjoy.  (Complemented nicely as a side dish to homemade Mac-n-Cheese.)

We may also add to that list some Malto Meal (served in a small bath of milk and sugar and to be served with toast–which MUST be divided equally-this is an important step as to keep the family peace) and Burger King breakfast to be consumed while watching a little early morning Little House on the Prairie.  No better way to begin 4th grade than with a little Sausage Biscuit con Laura Ingalls.

Megan also entered our marriage with her list of GFs.  Hers include Crinkly Noodles (we called them Macaroni and Caca Soup at my house) with cheese and Cheese and Pickle Sandwiches toasted under the broiler. 

While we find it of critical importance to pass these traditions along, we will also strive to create a few new ones of our own.  In the running include: Santitas with Franks RedHot, Orangesicle Jell-O, and Malibu Chicken.  We would also like to entertain yours.

HOMEWORK!

What is YOUR favorite Ghetto Food?  What really makes you tick (while making other dry heave)?  Please leave your submission via comment.  (And don’t just secretly read this blog and NOT leave a comment.  That is lame.  I have a sitemeter that says A LOT more people read this blog than comment.  AND I can even tell where you came from.  That means, I know who you are and that you did not complete the homework assignment.  So don’t be lame.  Comment.)

You may now start.