A bit of a Rant and pictures :)

Ok, I’m sorry I’m going to get a bit political here for just a second, bare with me…

Seriously… every candidate is crooked it some way, just ask their opposing candidate.  Why the heck do they focus on the bad of the other candidate?  Why don’t they just solely stick to the Good for themselves and be done with it.  Why must they think they should badger the other?  Seriously.  I heard both presidential candidates have dropped in popularity because they have been attacking each other.  Seriously, I could see it, so why don’t they just stop that approach.  It doesn’t really make the public all that happy anyway…

And truthfully, I get tired of all the political stuff, I think mostly because they badger each other.

Ok now that I’m done ranting about that…. sorry, hope you stayed with me… Let’s move on :).

Friday night my darling {step}daughter got to come over earlier than normal.  Yey.  Her mom brought her to me at work when I got off, so we had all evening to bum around and do nothing, but that was good because we had a busy weekend scheduled.

Anyway, we played around and had a fun, small photo shoot.  Here are a few photos for your enjoyment 🙂  This will show you just how dry it is around here.  This is one of the larger flowing streams around here.  It’s really sad.  We’re right around the dam where the water just “flies” over.

This is how sad it is on Spring River.

What kid doesn’t like to play in the water?!?!

My sweethearts

And a goofy one just for good measures.

Buca di Beppo – Las Vegas, NV

Since today is my birthday I thought I’d kind of focus the restaurant around my favorite type of food.  I absolutely LOVE Italian Cuisine. Pasta, love it.  Bread, love it.  Sadly it loves me too and as I’m getting older I’ve noticed my metabolism getting WORSE.  Come back my 20-year-old Metabolism!  Anyway besides the point!
The first time my mom took me to Las Vegas we ate at a restaurant called Buca di Beppo.  This is served family-style, meaning, one dish will feed 2-3 people.  Heck yeah, :).

Now the first time we went, we ate at the one on 412 East Flamingo Road.  It was near the hotel we stayed at which was just a few short blocks off the strip.

Lucky for you and me there are 2 locations in Las Vegas.  We ate at the one located at the Excalibur on the Strip this particular visit.

  • Hours:
    Sun – Thurs: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
    Fri & Sat: 11 a.m. – midnight
  • Happy Hours:
    Available Daily from:
    2 p.m. – 6 p.m. & 9 p.m. – close
    $5 quick bites
    $5 cocktails & import beers
    $3 domestic beers

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My Colored Glasses

A couple months ago my {step}daughter was cleaning her room and she came out carrying this card.  She asked me why my card happened to be in her room.  I wasn’t sure what she was talking about so she handed the card to me.

Yes obviously this card was for me.  But I couldn’t quite remember this card so I opened it up.

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In Honor Of…..

Have you ever heard of The Trail of Painted Ponies?

They are statue horses that people collect that artists have representing anything under the sun it seems like.  Ok maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not by far!

As you know yesterday, July 27th, 2012 was the opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics held in London this time around.

I received an email from Painted Ponies with their Go for the Gold Series.  I think I’m in love!

Gold Rush

Spirit of Freedom

Standing on Guard

Big Ben

Seriously, how cool are these dudes.  And if you don’t think so… well you’re entitled to your own opinion, but I’m going to keep thinking, THEY’RE AWESOME!

I can’t say I’m huge on the Olympics, but go World 🙂 haha.  Happy Saturday.  Btw, It’s Jilly’s birthday.  Go tell her happy (shhhhh REAL**) 29th Birthday.  Jill tell me how it is, I’m right behind you!

**explanation (real means it’s true, not real means you know no one seems to get older than 29)

Farming and I Grow It

This has been going around for a bit, Janet shared it, Nicole {not me… just saying} shared it, Crystal shared it {she found out more about those brothers, you should check it out}.  Like I said, it’s been going around, but…. I figured maybe some of my favorite people aka you guys don’t know them and  you might like to see it too if you hadn’t already.  So I’m sharing with you.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48H7zOQrX3U]

Happy Friday! 🙂

The Story of our First Date

Have I ever told you about my first date with my husband?  I don’t think I have :).  Not in any kind of depth anyway…

I had a group of friends that did a thing back in 2009 called “Dinner Club”.  We’d choose restaurants around that weren’t chains, and we’d get dressed up and go to dinner.  We generally steered toward the fancy restaurants because who doesn’t like to see your man in a suit, lol.  I’m sorry, put a man in a tux, a suit, or a uniform and their hotness jumps a few levels :). haha.

A few days prior I had to give my RSVP to the group if I was coming or not.  I’d been debating on asking my hubby to go with me but… I felt bad because he said all he wore was blue jeans and t-shirts and I would require him to dress up so I debated and almost didn’t ask him to go with me.

So the night I finally got the courage up to ask he asked me to go with him that same night to a local rodeo.  Dang!  I love rodeo’s, but I also enjoyed going to Dinner Club.  So just after he asked me I told him I already had plans and you could hear his spirits drop.  I was like, but wait, I was going to ask you to go with me.  But we can go to yours instead because if you went to mine, you wouldn’t know anyone (like I’d know anyone if I went with him, but maybe) and you’d have to dress up.

Haha, he agreed and then he went shopping. :).

So the day of our date I just about tossed my cookies a few times with nerves.  I was afraid to see him again.  I was afraid he wouldn’t like me.  I was afraid I’d be late (I drove, he left the top down on his car the night before and it rained).  Let’s just say, I WAS NERVOUS!

I don’t remember the drive to Springfield.  I made it in supposedly record time.  He said I sped all the way, I don’t agree, but I don’t remember the drive either.  We had an hour to kill in Springfield so I drove him around showing him where I lived when I went to college, I showed him the “art” in this guys front yard… we just drove around.  Heck I even showed him the route I took to the dorms when I lived there.  Yes, I need a life.

We went to dinner, it was ok.  Then Evelyn got the idea that we should go to the mall.  I tested my limits/waters to see what he’d say if I said yes.  Evelyn’s husband Kalem threw more of a fit about going to the mall than my hubby did.  I thought ok, so it’s a first date, he’s trying to impress.

Then we parted way with Kalem, Evelyn, Jason & Josh at the Mall and left for my friend Jamie & Brian’s.  While there, we were sitting on a couch.  Actually he was sitting at one end, I was laying across with my head at the other, my feet in his lap.  Jamie’s daughter and her friend came up and started tickling me and I started flailing my arms/legs and that’s when it happened….  I accidentally kicked him in the nuts.  (sorry I said nuts, twice)  Poor guy, he keeled over in pain and I couldn’t help but giggle.

We went home around midnight that night, got to his mom’s by about 1 and stood in the driveway talking until 3am.  I had my first kiss and I went home, with plans to meet back up the next day.  Boy was this boy glutton for punishment or what!?!?

I kind of think he is because, um… he married me :).

Do you have any fun first date or dating stories about your spouse/significant other? or even a random stranger??

Pastry Crust

Last spring hubby really wanted to make a Cherry Pie (recipe coming tomorrow!!).  After a long string of events we didn’t have any eggs so I stumbled across this pie crust recipe from my grandma. I read through the ingredients and didn’t see eggs. Score. So he mixed in extra ingredients, then reading through the recipe it calls for eggs, so be warned, you need 1 egg for this recipe!

I added that into ingredients needed so no one would make the same mistake. Luckily we have friends who live around the corner and they had eggs to save the day!  When you have laying chickens, you have eggs!

Pastry Crust

5 Cups Flour
2 Cups Shortening (can use cheap kind and using part margarine works too)
2 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tsp Salt
1 Egg

Blend to small lumpy stage.

Then put an egg in a 1 cup measure. Add 2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice and blend. Fill to top of cup measure with very cold water, stirring as you do. Then pour over above mixture and toss lightly until it rolls into a ball.

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Times Fun….

Time’s Fun When you’re having Flies
                                                                   ~Kermit the Frog

I believe Kermit said it best!  Ok maybe not… I’m not going to eat flies, but……………..
Time sure does fly.  Especially the older we get.  Although I wonder why that is…
Well anyway…. a few month’s ago Janna over at Perception is Everything was talking about percentages.  And in doing so it got me to thinking about my percentages.
My husband and I went to school together starting in Kindergarten.  {Yes, we went to the same school} 
  • I started Kindergarten at age 5.
  • I am now 28 (but in a few short days will be 29)
  • So that means 28-5 is 23.
  • I’ve had the chance to know him for 23 years.
  • Or 82% of my life.
  • YIKES!

We were in different Kindergarten, I was AM he was PM.  We had different 1st grade teachers, I had Mrs. Thayer and he had Mrs. Craighton.  Probably only ran into him on the recess ground.  Then 2nd grade I switched schools.  {At the time our town had 6 grade schools, 1 junior high and 1 high school}

7th grade our paths met back up.  We should have met.  We didn’t have any classes together though.  We probably passed in the halls because all 7th grade lockers were together.  We probably met in the cafeteria, maybe, maybe not.

8th grade we finally had a class together – Band.  I was the dorky Clarinet player and he was the obnoxious Tuba player.  What can I say, we were band geeks. ha!

  • I was 13 in 8th grade
  • I am now 28 (but remember in 5 days I’ll be 29)
  • So that means 28-13=15
  • So I’ve known him for 15 years of my life
  • or 54% of my life.
  • Holy Cow

9th grade we had more classes together.  We got in trouble together once.  {Keep your heads out of the gutter people!}  We were singing in class… I got mad at the teacher and started singing {yeah don’t ask} and he joined in with me.  Oddly enough, that year we became friends.  I must admit at first I couldn’t stand him but he grew on me 🙂

  • I was 14 in 9th grade
  • We’ve already established I’m 5 days away from being 29 but that still means I’m 28
  • So… 28-14=14
  • Kind of backwards of the previous or reverse or something
  • So I’ve been friends with him 14 years of my life
  • or 50% of my life

We’ll just skip over the fact in 10th grade he asked me out, but I couldn’t answer him fast enough before he found someone different.  {Sorry I throw that out there every chance I get.  Maybe someday I’ll drop it…..}

We graduated high school, went our separate ways.  I went to college and Costa Rica and got a job.  He got a job, joined the Military, got discharged and became a Civilian Contractor at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.  We led completely different lives.  Our paths never crossed even though we were from the same hometown.

Then, this crazy thing happened in 2009 that flipped my boat upside down.  One month 2 days before I turned 26 I found this long lost friend from high school. 27 days later I went on my first date with him.  That date changed my life forever.

  • I was 25
  • 5 days before I turned 26.
  • Three years we’ve been together
  • He didn’t give up on me even though I wanted to give up on me.
  • I didn’t think anyone would love me.
  • I didn’t think anyone would want to be with me.
  • He did.
  • We’ve been together for 3 years.
  • 28-25=3
  • 3/28= 0.1071428571428571
  • We’ve been together 11% of our lives.
It may not be the best photo… taken with a Crackberry at 3am, but it’s the first picture to forever!

 Happy Dating Anniversary baby!  I love you!

Land Shark

The other day I came out to my car, got in, turned the key on, put it in reverse, drive started to pull out of the parking lot and noticed a note on my windshield wiper.  I threw it in park real fast, jumped out, grabbed the note and this is what it said.

I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit confused about that…  But I soon realized maybe they were referring to my Satellite antenna?

Still, not going to lie, this baffles me…..

Go me… I guess…. Have you ever had a weird note like that?

linking up with Stacy for Random Thoughts Tuesday
Stacy

Grand Lux Cafe – Las Vegas, NV

While we were out in Vegas, we looked for Emeril’s restaurant.  Long story short, I will NEVER go to that Sports bar to eat, ever.  I had a horrible experience.  If you’d like I’d be more than happy to share my experience, but if not, I won’t bore you!

So we left there (without eating) and wound up at the Grand Lux Cafe which is a sister company to The Cheesecake Factory.  It is located in the Venetian Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

I kind of had my heart set on one entree, however, when I saw this Margarita Pizza, I was sold.  And boy was it yummy!
Margherita
With Fresh Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella (more…)