Sunday Morning

Time for a Cool Change

Come for a ride with me?

 I bend over to see what is floating across the floor.

Oh, of course. It's a dust bunny. Ironically, the size of a real bunny.

"How does that manage make me feel like a bad housekeeper," I ask myself? "Surely, even Martha Stewart occasionally has dust bunnies floating across her floor, yes?"

sigh

I'm feeling transient. Restless. Maybe even edgy.

No reason behind any of it. It could be insomnia related. I'm certain that the brain has a hard time with insomnia. After, perhaps, six or seven days of four or so hours a night there isn't much left up there to help cool my hot head.

That's what I need! A cool washcloth placed over my restlessness. Like your momma would do when you were feverish. That cool cloth on your forehead with your momma's hand pushing it into place always made you feel like you were loved and safe.

The house is very quiet and still. The dog shuffles towards the back door, looking at me as if to say, "What the hell; I'll go pee if you really think I need to."

Yeah, I think you need to.

I step outside with him. It's lovely! The sun is just showing its yellow sliver - giving a huge clue what's ahead for this Sunday.

I bring my coffee up to my lips. Sip it and smile. Yep, Everything feels better with a cool washcloth.

Rock and sock it today my hooches. Summer is just beginning!

Sunday at the Chez Emerson

It was a good week.

I discovered I loved My Week with Marilyn and hated Contraband.

I discovered nothing is quite as delicious as a Maker's Mark Old Fashioned.

I added a few things to my list.

I crossed a few things off my list.

I bought a few things.

I donated a few things.

I hugged.

I cried.

I laughed.

I organized.

I procrastinated.

All in all, just another week.

New Year, New Rear

We brought in the new year with friends.

First going to a great movie (Mission Impossible - sooooo good!) then heading back to our house to have steak, yams for the girls, potatoes for the boys, salad, wine, and assorted snacks.

It started snowing around 11:00 and since we haven't seen hardly any this year (so weird) we all ran like little kids (well, Pup and his friend Doug did anyway) to look at it.

It was sticking to all the bare trees and grasses and seriously turning our little neighborhood in the hood into a beautiful paradise.

That's why we live here. When just something as simple as an one inch snowfall can turn brown and dumpy into white and glittery - well, it's enchanting.

Cut to this morning.

I wish I was a get-it-all-cleaned-up-before-I-go-to-bed girl. I always want to be. Truth is, when the fun evening is over, I want to get to bed with my Pup and snuggle in the big huge bed.

But then you wake up to this.

So . . . right now Pup is whining that I better hurry and get my arse ready cuz he wants some breakfast at Denny's (can you believe?) because he knows there will be no breakfast-making in this kitchen right now.

Yes sweetie, right after I wake up.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Whether you resolution or not, whether you celebrated big or small, have the best first day of the new year. It's all good my hooches.

smooches

What Are You Doing Today?

I'm going to Ikea with my Bella to scope out utility room thingys. Wish me luck because WAH? We're going to Ikea on a SUNDAY? We must have a screw loose.

But we're going early, going to fuel up on their $1 breakfast (or whatever it costs), drink lots of their awesome Swedish coffee, and hit the ground running, elbows flying.

Not really. There will be no elbows. Or pepper spray for that matter. Did y'all hear about the pepper spray all over the country? I'm embarrassed to be part of the human race at times. I like a bargain, but I'm not going to risk getting shot over an Xbox. I'll buy my damn flatscreens at Costco thank you very much.

So, I'm drinking my coffee (yes!) and trying to pick out a white for my utility room. Can you believe this damn Benjamin Moore? How many whites are there?

I'm excited to go to Ikea, I can't lie. I love that place with a passion that is a little unnatural. Or maybe it is natural. To me anyway.

It's early - I'm rambling - I'm going to put on some jeans and wait for Bella.

What are you doing today?

Sunday in the Jungle

Yep. It's true.

It's 98 degrees today. Heat index 116. Dew point at 81. This is the WEIRDEST summer. I'm BUMMED a bit because when you go outside you are heat-blasted. I have been in the house all day today!

And the thought of working tomorrow in the non-air conditioned Cave makes me cry. I think I'll hang out in the office and only go cave-dwelling when absolutely necessary. SIGH

Cutest two cats in the world. I think Deekers (on right) looks just like Stan Laurel. It's a weird comparison, but I'm weird.

Best dinner in the world. I thought I died and went to Grok heaven.

Cutest dog in the world wants a bite. I shared. You know I'm nice. Sometimes.

Georgie can melt even the coldest of hearts. He's had a rough weekend since he had to stay indoors as well. That just about kills him. And there were storms Friday night and Saturday night. He's very afraid of storms.

Give him a little hug my hooches, but don't feel too sorry for him, he had lots of wonderful beef fat for dessert.

Smooches.

Tell Her She's Lovely

Over the weekend Pup and I had millions of projects (as per usual) and made progress in spite of the fact I spent most of Saturday with Bella at a baby shower she was hosting for one of her friends.

The long-time friend is a redhead. She has enough power surging through her to light half of the smallish suburb of Minneapolis where I live.

I curse myself for not taking several BlackBerry shots of this amazing Lego world she has built. Every little Lego was placed by her own redheaded hand! It was truly amazing.

Cut to yesterday. We are happily working away on our separate projects; Pup in the office sorting and filing from his Season and me in the dungeon finally sorting through the rack and ruin left from the remodel. I am slower than the comeback of El Chicano.

I have the radio on keeping me company while I vacuum up dead bugs (gross) and I hear sirens going in the 'hood. I turn on the TV and there is an explosion of tornados. Our area being listed in particular.

Pup scoops up the pets, including Lorenzo's DK, and lobs them into the dungeon. The cats are not happy.

Poor George is afraid of storms so he's actually okay with being in the dungeon with me where it is quieter.

The harder pet to round up is Pup. I'm shouting updates up at him of the path's touchdowns and he's reassuring me over and over that he will actually join us soon in the basement.

He climbs down bearing snacks and coke. What a man.

It lasted just a few minutes. Damage reported as close to our house as 1.5 blocks away.

We are safe and untouched.

I'm a weird woman. I can always tell when we're going to be absolutely fine. Maybe it's intuition. Maybe it's delusion. I knew we'd be fine.

Bella and The Big B live a few blocks from us and they were fine as well.

Spending a portion of your afternoon holed up in respective dungeons is better than flying about like Dorothy since I really don't want to follow any damn yellow brick road thank you very very much.

smooches my hooches

Hope your weekends were lovely and quiet!

Sunday in the Jungle

Yep, it's true.

Pup is working away already. I'm getting ready to make Sunday morning breakfast and work on some Pup-accounting-projects. Pets are sleeping. Right now I'm having COFFEE!

Holy crapinoli, those were some Monday, Tuesday, WTF boring sentences (thank you Steven Tyler) right there.

We moved the pit into the newly renamed living room. We decided that since the guest room is becoming a den/office/guest room that our new space can't be called a den. And it's way large. I hate the term media room so that's out. I guess family room wouldn't be horrible, but I vetoed that one. It isn't a great room since there's nothing else going on in there. I decided that our other space is more a great room because it's open to the kitchen and dining room.

So I am calling it the living room. Since we'll be doing a lot of living in there. Maybe you guys could throw out some ideas? What are peeps calling these kinds of spaces?

We are playing with configuration of the new pit. It is awesome even if it isn't exactly this one.

Cuz as you may or may not remember, I totally wanted something like this 70s awesomeness only in a crushed orange velvet. Yeah, Pup nearly collapsed.

This is what we got.

It totally configures like the original pit only not as large. This is great right? I love it.

Closeup of fabric. A very tweedy, hardy-type fabric. Perfect for singing with The Beatles while strumming a rock-band guitar. Whoooo hoo!

One of the cubbies that flank the fireplace.

Tile guy has ordered my tile and he'll do an install within a month or so. Yeah, it sucks we have to wait that long, but of course I picked a special order tile. See it in its awesome splendor. I want to lick it I love it so. But I won't. At least not in front of anyone.

What are you all doing on your Sunday?

Smooches hooches.

Supererogatory Shots from My Nikon

Yes, I had to go to a Thesaurus for that word. All I could think of was 'gratuitous' and that word is boring and used up. I wanted a full, rich word. Ha! The more I look at this word though, the more it bugs me.

But annoying is getting annoying as well! What to do?

Regardless, here they are:

 I like to call this, "Pup Breaks Free." Except he's not really free is he? {evil laugh}

 George and Calvin wonder if they're next. Pup swinging a mallet scares them a tad.

 Can you tell that this cat is crazy? The craziest. Seriously Prozacably crazy.

I have no idea what the hell I was trying to do here. I do love my bookcases. Smooches Ikea.

Chez Emerson

Great weekend right? Weather here was lovely and windy. Couldn't have my umbrellas open on the deck. Grr and arg!  It's been windy all summer. I love a nice breeze, but sheesh!

Pup worked like a wild-man all weekend on the hot tub patio. It's looking so lovely! He feels badly that it's taking so long, but I said to him, "Babe, you're a CPA, you do not lay brick for a living." He's rockin' the blockin' IMHO.

I worked on the front steps. My personal hell I like to call them. First of all, they had CARPET on them. Lots of peeps in my neighborhood like to CARPET their steps.

In the name of all that is holy why? WHY WHY WHY??

First we peeled it off, then we goobered on this DANGEROUS shit to get the glue gone. So pleasant! Then Pup cut off these things that were poking out of the cement. The old railing was hooked onto them. I'm really hoping having a railing isn't code or something. Everyone else has one. Ooops! Too bad! I don't want one right now.

Over the weekend I sanded off the crispy stuff on the steps and painted them so they look like this:

Holy crapinoli they are fugly. FUGLY! I beelined it over to my home-away-from-home, The Home Depot, and bought new paint. After looking online for a million hours for ideas, I'm idea-free. This front facade is killing me. The house is brown, the shutters are green. What to do???

I was thinking black front steps, but I chickened out and bought a dark, forest green. We'll see how that turns out. {sigh} Really, could this look any worse? And yes, I'm STILL trying to clear out that garden on the right. That sucker is bigger than it looks. Well, not really, but it sure has a shit-ton of ROCK in it. People! No rock in gardens! No carpet on steps! Obey me!

Ha!

My little garden by the hot tub is mostly in ruins thanks to George the ball-obsessed soon-to-be-dead dog. Love you George.

When Pup and I are IN the hot tub, George shows us his ball by sticking his enormous noggin over the edge of the pool, then tosses his goobery ball into the water. If we ignore him he roots around the pool, looking for ways to annoy us. He has crushed my zukes in this fashion. Grr and arg!

But those tomatoes are rockin'! Millions more are coming. The garden will do better next year when there isn't a major project going on by it and I'll have sewn George's lips together by then so there will be no ball-obsessing. Believe me?

Sorry so cranky George! You'll get used to drinking out of a straw.

 

Working in the Garden

Don't mind if I do.

Sunday

It is 28 degrees.

Said for no particular reason except this is why Minnesotans many times have that wild look. Why they drive like shit. Why they are passive-aggressive (oh for cryin' out loud ya'll know it's true). Why the entire state is bi-polar.

28 degrees. In March it was hitting the 60s on a regular basis.

Oh well, who gives a George-bomb anyway?

So no outdoor bbq as planned I'm guessing.

I may just be a little cranky. Okay . . . more than a little.

Had a final yesterday. Nearly made me throw up! Arg!

geez, I hate this photo

Okay - here's something that made me happy earlier in the week. My new clothesline. I begged and got one. One we can both live with. It pulls out (that's what they SAY they'll do - ha!) and folds up and goes up. Nice.

But - have you slept on sheets that have been dried in the sun? Heavenly people.

Drink for me today. I might.

Big-ass Ham - the day after

This is all that's left of it. Way less than I figured since it was the LARGEST big-ass ham I've seen in a while. It was a ham from the little piggy we bought from Pup's pig-raising cousin. Darn good pig!

It was my first ham if you can believe. But I patted it with brown sugar and mustard and poured 7-up over it's scored skin and damn! It cooked up good.
Five of us this year. Lots of Pup's ginormous family were over at one of his sister's houses. I just wanted to be with my kids this year. The enormity of that family is something I'm working on getting used to. I still am having nightmares about Thanksgiving. You know I'm joking.
Here is my yearly attempt at making the bunny cake. I cannot, for the life of me, get that gaddamn boiled frosting to work like my Swedish momma and great-momma could. What part of the baking-genie am I missing? I asked Pup to decorate. He fussed, but liked it when he was done. Ha!

It's okay. We just scraped the frosting off the pan and goobed it on top of our cake. Numm!

Then we hunkered down on the sectional. Boys napping, two of the girls working off hangovers (young uns!), dog outside whining because his Bella was in the house and he wasn't, and me trying to resist the candy on the coffee table while watching a bit of golf.

Awesome day. What did ya 'all do?

Oh Wait! Let me look for that.

It's time to cook a big-ass ham for many of us.

I'm not a huge fan of big-ass ham, but this morning I am digging through all the recipes I've gathered during my 21 years on this earth (ha!!).

I'm not a great cook, but I have been a lover of cooking since I was about 12 I think. I'd sit in my kitchen with my momma, going through her recipe box, and copying down some that appealed to me.

If I remember right, the ones I got from that time were mostly pie, fudge, cookie-type stuff.

Then I started jotting down other recipes from her files. Sadly, I never learned how to make her kick-ass roasts. Just can't duplicate that incredible taste. It's a momma-memory now.

I got my own recipe box (still have it) and started gathering my own recipes. When I was in my 20s and dating my wasband I really developed a love for recipes. Had to cook my way into his heart don't you know. Luckily for me the man would eat ANYTHING and enjoy it.

We had kids and I was a stay at home momma for a few years. Very budget-challenged years. I got incredibly good at dollar-stretching and the recipes grew and grew. Lots of hot dishes (shout out to Minnesota - hell ya!) and meatloaf stuff. Gathered tons of recipes from my momma again.

Had gardens with tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, beets, green beans, winter squash, carrots, peas. Tons of other crap I can't remember.

Lots of canning. Jeez I used to kinda love canning. My girls will tell you different. That I was a crabby beast during canning days (late nights getting the stuff put up - tomatoes wait for no man or martha).

I sure did enjoy how the finished product looked. All those gorgeous jars full of colorful nummy stuff.

Going through the recipes is memory-loaded. So many of these were written from my momma's own hand and many are ones I dragged out again and again when the girls were babies.


So on Sunday I will bake my big-ass ham, roast my new potatoes, and make a bunny cake with marshmallow frosting. And I'll think about my momma.

They Said It Best Themselves

The Vikings' Super Bowl dream comes to a sloppy end as they fumble and stumble their way to an overtime loss in New Orleans

Rick Alonzo

Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN

The Saints had taken a 28-21 lead after Percy Harvin fumbled in the fourth quarter. The home team converted that turnover into a Reggie Bush touchdown when a replay challenge showed the ball crossed the plane of the goal line with 12:39 left.

What could make Favre's retirement decision more difficult is that the Vikings are loaded with young talent and had a league-high 10 Pro Bowlers this year. Receivers Harvin and Rice blossomed this year under Favre. And Peterson will be going into just his fourth year, no doubt with one of his offseason goals focused on trying to fix his turnover problems.

As Childress pointed out, no playoff team that won the turnover margin has lost a playoff game this year.

"It's going to be a pill each person is going to have swallow at their own pace," Harvin said of the turnovers. "Even with the penalties, we were still in position to win the game. Even with all the fumbles, we still had a chance to win, which says a lot about this team. But at the same time, we didn't get the job done."

Harvin said the players tried to do too much.

"It was a big game, and everybody wanted to be that guy to make that explosive play," Harvin said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I guess it's hard when ginormous, purple egos get in the way.
Oh well, Nascar starts soon.

It's Sunday in the Jungle!

Poor Pup. He is a CPA and from the middle of January until April 15th he is one very busy Puppers working seven days a week, 14-17 hours per day. I am not fibbing.

So I have to find things to entertain myself for for these months. I've started school, I planned a girl-trip to Vegas (yay!), I have lots of projects to keep me busy, movies with girlfriends, shopping with my kidlets. I really don't need much entertaining - not really. Ha!

Today I'm cleaning away out in the other part of the house - away from Pup and his inner workings when
this one

and this one

decide they are bored with me working away and go in to drive poor Pup INSANE with antics.

He kicks their furry little behinds out after hearing me holler at George for frolicking with Calvin while ripping up one of Pup's candy wrappers. It's chaos on a stick.

This is how I found the two furballs. Sad, rejected, and ejected.

Now I'm in the inner sanctum with Pup and the two troublemakers are in their respective beds snoring away.

Life in the jungle is fun. You should join me sometime.

Sunday Funnies

Two Tiger jokes - apologies, I just can't help myself.

Tiger in happier days.

Tiger should have taken a cue from Santa and stopped at three ho's.

Did you hear that Tiger is changing his name? He is now Cheetah Woods.

Da dum dum . . . I'm here all week peeps.

Sundays

They are the best.First we brought in the tree that we picked out last night.

Then I made Sunday morning eggs.

Then I got beautiful.

Goofed around in the office.

Watched some football with Pup.

Read my book.

Calvin took a nap.

Pup put lights on the tree. This pic really is bad!

We went to the kidlet's house for dinner.

Girls drink wine while . . .

Boys cook.

A brilliant day.