Wow - I can't believe the weekend is upon us. I'm so excited!!! Paige has a belt test this evening, Canton tomorrow, lots of good food and adult beverages throughout the weekend....what more could I ask for? I hope to attend Mass Sunday morning - we haven't been since Easter. We had been attending the Episcopal Church in Ennis and liked the church and Priest, just didn't like the time - 10 am. We like to get up early and go to Mass. If we don't go till 10:00, then we sleep in and don't do anything productive. Then, we get out of church and go to lunch and don't make it home until 1 pm or so. The whole day is then shot because you know we're all going to take a nap. We like to get up, go to Mass and get back home and on with our day. Plus, if we want to go cook chili, then we can still fit that in. We're members of St. Anne Episcopal in DeSoto....it's just so far from our house now. When we lived in Waxahachie, it didn't take long to get there. I think we're going to try and get back in the routine of going to the 7:45 am service over there and see how we do. There is an Episcopal Church in Waxahachie with an 8 am service, and one in Corsicana as well. So I guess we've still got some options.
I've got my list ready for Canton! Gary and I are going to get up early in the morning and get out there! I even think my sister is going to go along with us. And the Juicy, of course. She finished her last swimming lesson yesterday and did great! She has a belt test for Karate this evening. She says she's a "little bit nerbous", but I think she'll do just fine. She's been practicing her splits and she kicked butt when she was sparring yesterday.
I was happy to see that the Houston Pod had to announce their decision to let go of Texas Open and make it public to all of the Texas Pods. I hope that the North Texas area Pods will work together and submit a proposal to bring the Open back to this area. I think it would be a good thing for some of the Opens and Championships to be a little more spread out instead of concentrated in one area. With the exception of SW Open and Tri State Open, everything else is down south. That includes the new US National Open, Men and Women's State, and Texas Open.
I also found it very interesting that Keith Karaff announced his decision to run for ED a day after he had to publicly acknowledge that the Houston Pod was giving up Texas Open. This was also after the Houston Pod tried to give it to another Pod without the knowledge of the other GP's and Pods in Texas. Does anyone know where I'm headed with this????? I like Janice Miller and think she's a very nice woman. I don't believe she will be re-elected if Keith is running against her. I could be completely wrong - this is just my opinion. Still; if he is elected, is he going to be able to enforce the rule book when he very clearly sidestepped it in regards to handing off Texas Open? You can bet that will be a question I ask at the GP meeting. I'm glad to see more people announcing their intention to run for the Board. I believe the BOD needs new blood and I like having options. So far, David Sexton and Roger Foltz are the only two individuals I plan on voting for. I have to submit a complete ballot for my votes to count....not looking good at this point because I don't see myself voting for the other incumbent director. I think CASI needs people to serve on the board who are enthusiastic and willing to listen to and act accordingly to the membership - not their own best interests. Anyone who thinks that implementing an auto debit in an effort to keep membership dollars coming in rather than ACTIVELY pursue members is, in my opinion, the very root of the problems CASI face. I have to give Keith Karaff credit for some of the statements he made in his letter announcing his intention to run for ED. He recognizes that it is going to take WORK, ACTUAL WORK, to return CASI to it's previous days of popularity and to propel it into something that is easily marketable and recognizable. Having an apathetic board is doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for this organization.
I have been asked why I don't run for the Board if I bitch about it so much. I did last year when I felt my work/home balance would afford me the opportunity to have plenty of time to devote to CASI. I no longer have anything that resembles a work/home balance and I'm also pursuing other ventures at this time. If and when my life allows me extra time to put my money where my mouth is, you bet I'll run for that Board again. I'm not afraid to put myself, my mouth, and my ideas out there to be questioned, supported or criticized. I'm not afraid to stand up and call bullshit when I think it's appropriate. And I know I'm more than capable of working with others and helping CASI run like a business that listens and acts upon the advice of ALL of it's members - not just a select few. I hope that those individuals running for the Board will show some balls this year and do what's right for everyone involved in CASI - not just themselves.
I'm off to finish what has been an extremely productive work week. I hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll be back on Monday!
Kelly
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Things I Think About.....
As a parent, most of us are concerned (some very little, some a lot) with what our kids see and hear - be it from us, siblings, TV and movies, the general public...you name it. I have a salty mouth and for the most part, Paige has not picked up on my language beyond the initial slip up to see what happens. But really, the bad words aren't what I'm afraid of. Here are some of the things my child hears and says at our house:
"Show me your muffin"
"Lick me, lick me, lick my face"
"Do you want to have sexy time?"
Now, before all of you look up CPS's phone number - hear me out. These are things we say to our DOGS.....LOL! That sounds even creepier, doesn't it? When Waylon, one of our dachshunds, rolls over on his back, we say he's "exposing his muffin." So when any of us are playing with him, or Eddie, we'll say that to them. They love to have their tummies rubbed. They're VERY spoiled little dogs :)
The "lick me" comment actually came from Paige. She was sitting in the floor one day after school and the dogs were just jumping all over her. She kept telling them to lick her, meaning, give her kisses. Gary and I both snapped our heads up when we heard her say it. It kind of freaked us out.
Sexy time is when it's bed time and Gary and I take the dogs to bed...still sounding creepy, I know. We tell them it's "sexy time" and then they get in the bed and play with each other until they pass out. Eddie and Waylon love each other, so that's part of their "private time".
Here's what I'm beginning to wonder: will Paige know when it is and isn't appropriate to say some of these things? Can you imagine if she told a boy "show me your muffin"? Or what if we heard her say, "lick me, lick me, lick my face"?????? Or even better...we come up on her and a guy and she asks him if he wants to have sexy time.
OMG!!!!!!!
I guess we could watch what we say....and we usually do, but none of us are saying anything bad. It's just the context that we are using them in versus the context she might use them in later on as a teenager. That could be the scary part!!!!
Those are some of the earth shattering things I think about when I'm driving in my car. I ponder the impact of our words while I'm also solving the BP Oil Crisis, global warming, and other life altering situations we're facing....LOL! Being a parent is serious business!!!!
I hope everyone's Tuesday is a good one. I'm looking forward to cleaning my office and getting reorganized from the last two weeks. It's been helter skelter around here and every time I think it's slowing down, it just gets busier. I'm grateful that we're busy...but looking forward to a break. I'm pretty sure I'm going to Canton this weekend for a little retail therapy and I'm definitely excited. Next weekend will be our trip to the River and we are ALL excited to go float for Bubba's birthday.
I'll be back tomorrow.....until then, show off that muffin!
Kelly
"Show me your muffin"
"Lick me, lick me, lick my face"
"Do you want to have sexy time?"
Now, before all of you look up CPS's phone number - hear me out. These are things we say to our DOGS.....LOL! That sounds even creepier, doesn't it? When Waylon, one of our dachshunds, rolls over on his back, we say he's "exposing his muffin." So when any of us are playing with him, or Eddie, we'll say that to them. They love to have their tummies rubbed. They're VERY spoiled little dogs :)
The "lick me" comment actually came from Paige. She was sitting in the floor one day after school and the dogs were just jumping all over her. She kept telling them to lick her, meaning, give her kisses. Gary and I both snapped our heads up when we heard her say it. It kind of freaked us out.
Sexy time is when it's bed time and Gary and I take the dogs to bed...still sounding creepy, I know. We tell them it's "sexy time" and then they get in the bed and play with each other until they pass out. Eddie and Waylon love each other, so that's part of their "private time".
Here's what I'm beginning to wonder: will Paige know when it is and isn't appropriate to say some of these things? Can you imagine if she told a boy "show me your muffin"? Or what if we heard her say, "lick me, lick me, lick my face"?????? Or even better...we come up on her and a guy and she asks him if he wants to have sexy time.
OMG!!!!!!!
I guess we could watch what we say....and we usually do, but none of us are saying anything bad. It's just the context that we are using them in versus the context she might use them in later on as a teenager. That could be the scary part!!!!
Those are some of the earth shattering things I think about when I'm driving in my car. I ponder the impact of our words while I'm also solving the BP Oil Crisis, global warming, and other life altering situations we're facing....LOL! Being a parent is serious business!!!!
I hope everyone's Tuesday is a good one. I'm looking forward to cleaning my office and getting reorganized from the last two weeks. It's been helter skelter around here and every time I think it's slowing down, it just gets busier. I'm grateful that we're busy...but looking forward to a break. I'm pretty sure I'm going to Canton this weekend for a little retail therapy and I'm definitely excited. Next weekend will be our trip to the River and we are ALL excited to go float for Bubba's birthday.
I'll be back tomorrow.....until then, show off that muffin!
Kelly
Monday, July 26, 2010
I've Never Been So Happy to See Monday....
Good Monday Morning!!! I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I was actually happy to see Sunday come to an end and Monday begin. Let's recap yesterday:
11:42 am - Gary and I enter the elevator at the Marriott. Elevator goes down one floor and jars to a screeching halt. Gary tries to convince me to have sex with him in the elevator. I politely decline. (It was a tile floor!!)
12:45 pm - Gary and I exit the elevator that is hung between floors 3 and 4 via a ladder held by Grapevine firemen. I go down backwards with my ass in their faces. Humiliation overcomes me to the point that I start babbling and asking for Xanax. They tell me that they don't carry Xanax with them, but that they do have Morphine. I then ramble on about my love for coma-inducing narcotics. Classy.
1:45 pm - We arrive at our house and notice that our yard is flooded and the tube shoot is open...water is everywhere. We then determine that our son has left the water on for the past 24 hours. Lots of cussing can be heard on Chmelar Rd. Tyler is still alive and working off what is sure to be an astronomical water bill.
That was my weekend! I pray to God that my week is much better. We did eat lunch at Babe's yesterday and that helped a little, but good Lord. What else was going to go wrong??? We were scared to leave the house once we got back there.
We went to Gary's 20th high school reunion Saturday evening. It was interesting to say the least :) Before we went to the reunion, we had dinner at Kirby's Steakhouse in Grapevine and it was very, very good. I wasn't overly impressed with the wine list, but the food and service were both great. We all had the filet and it was very tender and cooked as ordered. The appetizers were both really good - fried pickles with a garlic dipping sauce and a seafood platter that consisted of crab scampi, calamari and grilled tequila shrimp - yummy!!
Speaking of food.....I have some recipes to share. My mom makes a really delicious Shoepeg Corn Casserole that I wanted to post, but now I can't find it. I'll have to locate it on my desk from hell and post it this week. Before school starts, I cook and freeze casseroles, spaghetti sauce and soups so that I help myself during the school year. This gives me a head start on dinner so that we aren't eating at 9 pm, or eating out a lot, or beyond busy in the evenings. I also utilize my slow cooker a lot. Here are a few of the casseroles I like to make ahead and freeze or make in the slow cooker when I need some help time wise. I've also got a recipe for a Cold Baked Potato Salad like the one they serve at The Gristmill in Gruene.
Cold Baked Potato Salad
8-10 Medium Red Skin Potatoes, halved (skins on or off...your choice)
1 1/2 Cups Sour Cream
1 Cup Grated Cheese
6 Slices of Bacon, diced and fried till crispy
1/4 Cup Chopped Chives (or you can use just the green part of 3 green onions)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Once the water is boiling, add about a teaspoon of salt to the water. Boil until fork tender, but not mushy. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool. Once the potatoes are cool, start out by adding 1 cup of the sour cream and all of the cheese, bacon and chives. Stir together to get a nice creamy consistency with the sour cream, but with the potatoes still kind of chunky (you just don't want a bunch of mushiness). Depending on your preference, you may or may not need that extra 1/2 cup of sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste, cover and chill for at least two hours. Serve and enjoy!
Cornbread Turkey Casserole
Okay - this makes three casseroles, but it is totally worth it and very, very good. It's a great way to use leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, or you can use chicken. Either way it's really good and your kids will even eat it! Yay!!
3 6 oz packages of cornbread stuffing mix
10 cups cooked chicken or turkey, cubed or shredded
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 10 3/4 oz cans each condensed cream of chicken and cream of celery soup
1 10 3/4 oz cream of mushroom soup
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
3 13x9 aluminum baking pans
Prepare the stuffing mix according to the package directions; add the turkey and 2 cups of cheddar cheese. In separate bowl, combine the soup and milk. Pour one cup each of the soup/milk mixture into each of the aluminum pans. Top each of the pans with the turkey mixture, spreading it evenly over the soup. Then pour the remaining soup mixture equally over the three pans. Top each pan with the remaining cheddar cheese. Cover and freeze for up to two months.
To prepare one after it's been frozen, allow to thaw covered in the refrigerator a day in advance. Once it's completely thawed out, bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. You can also remove the cover for the last 5 minutes to help melt the cheese.
If you choose to bake one immediately and freeze the other two, bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.
Rancho Chicken
3 cups cooked chicken (feel free to use canned or rotisserie chicken, too)
1 10 3/4 oz can of cream of chicken soup
1 10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 oz can of mild Rotel
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Gebhardts chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1 cup grated cheese
corn or flour tortillas
Place the chicken in a slow cooker and top with everything but the cheese and tortillas. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours. For the last 30 minutes, turn the temperature to high and top with the grated cheese. Allow it to melt and serve along side the tortillas, rice and beans.
Creamy Crockpot Red Potatoes
2 lbs small red potatoes, quartered
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can condensed cream of potato soup
1 small envelope of Ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoon milk
Optional: 1 cup diced ham
Spread the potatoes in the bottom of the crockpot. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients until smooth. Stir into the potatoes and cook on low for 8hours or until tender. If you want to add the ham, sprinkle it over the potatoes before you pour the cream cheese mixture over the top.
I'll share more recipes during the week. I think things are slowly but surely beginning to return to normal around the office. I just finished billings that I started two weeks ago. Now I have to begin the task of cleaning up my office, my desk, and putting files back together. It looks like a bomb went off in here.
Have any of you ever heard the phrase, "if you're not with me, then you're against me"? I kind of feel that way today about family members who continue to stay in close contact with my husband's ex spouse. Their divorce was anything but amicable. Their relationship now could be described as tense, and I'm being generous. This is not someone who got along with anyone in his family while they were married, yet they feel like they need to remain in contact with her - and not just in passing. That bothers me. Maybe I'm too black and white. Maybe I'm too loyal. At any rate, I know if my parents and sister tried to continue a relationship with my ex-spouse, my husband would come unglued - and rightfully so. I personally think that anyone who likes his ex wife probably needs their head examined....with the exception of his kids who can't help it - she's their mother. Anyways....that's just one of my (many) issues. I haven't spoken to his ex wife in over 9 months and my life is better for it. This isn't your typical ex wife/new wife type animosity. This is someone who told me that me and my child would burn in hell and that she's saving up bail money so that she can kick my ass when Zoe turns 18 (I'm going to send her a piggy bank..hehehe) among other things. She also threatens Gary and talks shit about him to the kids when she doesn't get her way, etc. So there you have it....I have a problem with my husband's family having anything to do with someone who is a complete wackjob. I said it - it's out there in the blogosphere for everyone to read :). I've tried, really, really tried, to get along with her. I know I must be a very inflammatory reminder of her divorce and I accepted that at first - but it has been 8 years and she's still a bitch. Oh well... Not that I'm not a bitch, cause I know I am, but she takes it to a whole new level. And I know I'm not perfect - far from it. I'm a screw up just like the rest of the world and I've never advertised myself as anything but an imperfect train wreck at times! I mean, you saw the pictures of my desk last week....complete chaos :)
Have a great day and I'll hopefully be back tomorrow!!
Kelly
11:42 am - Gary and I enter the elevator at the Marriott. Elevator goes down one floor and jars to a screeching halt. Gary tries to convince me to have sex with him in the elevator. I politely decline. (It was a tile floor!!)
12:45 pm - Gary and I exit the elevator that is hung between floors 3 and 4 via a ladder held by Grapevine firemen. I go down backwards with my ass in their faces. Humiliation overcomes me to the point that I start babbling and asking for Xanax. They tell me that they don't carry Xanax with them, but that they do have Morphine. I then ramble on about my love for coma-inducing narcotics. Classy.
1:45 pm - We arrive at our house and notice that our yard is flooded and the tube shoot is open...water is everywhere. We then determine that our son has left the water on for the past 24 hours. Lots of cussing can be heard on Chmelar Rd. Tyler is still alive and working off what is sure to be an astronomical water bill.
That was my weekend! I pray to God that my week is much better. We did eat lunch at Babe's yesterday and that helped a little, but good Lord. What else was going to go wrong??? We were scared to leave the house once we got back there.
We went to Gary's 20th high school reunion Saturday evening. It was interesting to say the least :) Before we went to the reunion, we had dinner at Kirby's Steakhouse in Grapevine and it was very, very good. I wasn't overly impressed with the wine list, but the food and service were both great. We all had the filet and it was very tender and cooked as ordered. The appetizers were both really good - fried pickles with a garlic dipping sauce and a seafood platter that consisted of crab scampi, calamari and grilled tequila shrimp - yummy!!
Speaking of food.....I have some recipes to share. My mom makes a really delicious Shoepeg Corn Casserole that I wanted to post, but now I can't find it. I'll have to locate it on my desk from hell and post it this week. Before school starts, I cook and freeze casseroles, spaghetti sauce and soups so that I help myself during the school year. This gives me a head start on dinner so that we aren't eating at 9 pm, or eating out a lot, or beyond busy in the evenings. I also utilize my slow cooker a lot. Here are a few of the casseroles I like to make ahead and freeze or make in the slow cooker when I need some help time wise. I've also got a recipe for a Cold Baked Potato Salad like the one they serve at The Gristmill in Gruene.
Cold Baked Potato Salad
8-10 Medium Red Skin Potatoes, halved (skins on or off...your choice)
1 1/2 Cups Sour Cream
1 Cup Grated Cheese
6 Slices of Bacon, diced and fried till crispy
1/4 Cup Chopped Chives (or you can use just the green part of 3 green onions)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Once the water is boiling, add about a teaspoon of salt to the water. Boil until fork tender, but not mushy. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool. Once the potatoes are cool, start out by adding 1 cup of the sour cream and all of the cheese, bacon and chives. Stir together to get a nice creamy consistency with the sour cream, but with the potatoes still kind of chunky (you just don't want a bunch of mushiness). Depending on your preference, you may or may not need that extra 1/2 cup of sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste, cover and chill for at least two hours. Serve and enjoy!
Cornbread Turkey Casserole
Okay - this makes three casseroles, but it is totally worth it and very, very good. It's a great way to use leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, or you can use chicken. Either way it's really good and your kids will even eat it! Yay!!
3 6 oz packages of cornbread stuffing mix
10 cups cooked chicken or turkey, cubed or shredded
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 10 3/4 oz cans each condensed cream of chicken and cream of celery soup
1 10 3/4 oz cream of mushroom soup
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
3 13x9 aluminum baking pans
Prepare the stuffing mix according to the package directions; add the turkey and 2 cups of cheddar cheese. In separate bowl, combine the soup and milk. Pour one cup each of the soup/milk mixture into each of the aluminum pans. Top each of the pans with the turkey mixture, spreading it evenly over the soup. Then pour the remaining soup mixture equally over the three pans. Top each pan with the remaining cheddar cheese. Cover and freeze for up to two months.
To prepare one after it's been frozen, allow to thaw covered in the refrigerator a day in advance. Once it's completely thawed out, bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. You can also remove the cover for the last 5 minutes to help melt the cheese.
If you choose to bake one immediately and freeze the other two, bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.
Rancho Chicken
3 cups cooked chicken (feel free to use canned or rotisserie chicken, too)
1 10 3/4 oz can of cream of chicken soup
1 10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 oz can of mild Rotel
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp Gebhardts chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1 cup grated cheese
corn or flour tortillas
Place the chicken in a slow cooker and top with everything but the cheese and tortillas. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours. For the last 30 minutes, turn the temperature to high and top with the grated cheese. Allow it to melt and serve along side the tortillas, rice and beans.
Creamy Crockpot Red Potatoes
2 lbs small red potatoes, quartered
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can condensed cream of potato soup
1 small envelope of Ranch dressing mix
1 tablespoon milk
Optional: 1 cup diced ham
Spread the potatoes in the bottom of the crockpot. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients until smooth. Stir into the potatoes and cook on low for 8hours or until tender. If you want to add the ham, sprinkle it over the potatoes before you pour the cream cheese mixture over the top.
I'll share more recipes during the week. I think things are slowly but surely beginning to return to normal around the office. I just finished billings that I started two weeks ago. Now I have to begin the task of cleaning up my office, my desk, and putting files back together. It looks like a bomb went off in here.
Have any of you ever heard the phrase, "if you're not with me, then you're against me"? I kind of feel that way today about family members who continue to stay in close contact with my husband's ex spouse. Their divorce was anything but amicable. Their relationship now could be described as tense, and I'm being generous. This is not someone who got along with anyone in his family while they were married, yet they feel like they need to remain in contact with her - and not just in passing. That bothers me. Maybe I'm too black and white. Maybe I'm too loyal. At any rate, I know if my parents and sister tried to continue a relationship with my ex-spouse, my husband would come unglued - and rightfully so. I personally think that anyone who likes his ex wife probably needs their head examined....with the exception of his kids who can't help it - she's their mother. Anyways....that's just one of my (many) issues. I haven't spoken to his ex wife in over 9 months and my life is better for it. This isn't your typical ex wife/new wife type animosity. This is someone who told me that me and my child would burn in hell and that she's saving up bail money so that she can kick my ass when Zoe turns 18 (I'm going to send her a piggy bank..hehehe) among other things. She also threatens Gary and talks shit about him to the kids when she doesn't get her way, etc. So there you have it....I have a problem with my husband's family having anything to do with someone who is a complete wackjob. I said it - it's out there in the blogosphere for everyone to read :). I've tried, really, really tried, to get along with her. I know I must be a very inflammatory reminder of her divorce and I accepted that at first - but it has been 8 years and she's still a bitch. Oh well... Not that I'm not a bitch, cause I know I am, but she takes it to a whole new level. And I know I'm not perfect - far from it. I'm a screw up just like the rest of the world and I've never advertised myself as anything but an imperfect train wreck at times! I mean, you saw the pictures of my desk last week....complete chaos :)
Have a great day and I'll hopefully be back tomorrow!!
Kelly
Friday, July 23, 2010
The Return of Conversations with Paige......
Here are a few recent gems. We've got a nice mix of Paige musings and Paige conversations and boy, they're something else!
Paige: Mommy, I really like plump pink weenies. Those look better to me and I think they taste better. They gray shriveled up ones just seem kind of old and gross. What kind of weenies do you like?
That was Paige describing her ideal weenie as she picked the breading off of her corny dog last night.
Paige: When I grow up, I'm going to marry Alex. He's crazy and he lets me be crazy. I think crazy people should marry each other so that they can be crazy together. Then there's more craziness and it's fun.
Spoken like a true Bowden Brignon :)
I have the most delicious, most unique, most special child in the world. Yeah, yeah...I know, all parents think that, but I REALLY do! She's amazing. Spend a day with her - you'll see what I mean.
She was so funny last week when she decided she was going to go to the river with us. Here's a sample:
Paige: Mommy, did I hear you say you're going to the ribber? (yes, she calls it the "ribber")
Me: Yes
Paige: I need the phone.
Me: Why?
Paige: I need to call Gammy. I need to let her know that I can't come to her house this weekend. If you're going to the ribber, then I'm going to the ribber. She's going to be a little upset and probably miss me, but she'll be okay.
I hand her the phone....
Paige: Gammy?
Gammy: Yes....
Paige: Gammy, I can't come to your house this weekend. Now, don't be upset, but mommy and daddy are going to the ribber and I need to go with them.
Gammy: Well, okay. If that's what you want to do.
Paige: Yes, I love the ribber. I hope we don't go on the Guadalupe because it's slow. The Comal is so much better.
Gammy: You will have a great time with mommy and daddy.
Paige: I love you Gammy......
Me: Paige, you can still go to Gammy's. It's okay.
Paige: No, I want to go with you.
Me: Well, me and Daddy were going to have private time.
Paige: That's okay. You can have private time with Daddy and when you're finished, you can have private time with me. We'll share you.
WTH???????
Anyways...she ended up at Gammy's. I had to work last Friday and she was tired of waiting around on me. Her reasoning was this, "well, I can swim at Gammy's. I really want to swim and I didn't know I was going to have to wait around on you all day." Oh my God...where does she come up with this stuff?!?!?!
All is well...she'll be on the river in two weeks and then Labor Day weekend. She had a good time with Gammy and all is right in the "Land of Yes and Never Wait"!! Paige loves her Gammy so much...it's kind of gross at times, actually. I was waking her up one morning and she was just laying there kind of sleepy and dazed and I asked her what she was thinking about and she said she was thinking about Gammy. I then asked why she was thinking about Gammy and she said, "I was thinking about yesterday when I was swimming in the pool and Gammy was watching me. She loves me." Oh my....that child is ate up!!! It's really, really sweet though.
Gary's high school reunion is this Saturday and we'll be attending it. I'm sure it will be very interesting. I've got things to do in my trailer today, so I better get off the computer and get to work. I'm almost finished with my billings. Lord, I didn't think they would ever end. That's a really good thing, though.
This time last year, we were living in our motorhome at Wendell and Carole's house while our house was being built. Man...it's seems so long ago. There were five of us in there, plus three dogs. The trauma from those three months haunts us still...LOL. My kids are permanantly scarred from living in the motorhome. We made it, and it could have been worse, but it was a serious beatdown of epic proportions! In fact, we were in the motorhome for a full month before our slab was even poured. Do you know how depressing and maddening that was? And then, it started raining. In July. In Texas. Only us, only us. But hey - we've got a beautiful home on the most perfect piece of land and we're all happy and we've all recovered...with the help of hours of counseling, interventions and booze, of course! Well, the kids didn't need the booze, but me and Gary did (and still do)...LOL!!
I've got some recipes to share and I will do that this weekend. Have any of you tried the Cold Baked Potato Salad at the Gristmill? I made a version of it last Sunday and it is super easy and very good!! I'll post that as well.
I see Don Hoy announced that he was running for the BOD. Good for him for stepping up. Any other takers???
Have a wonderful Friday and I'll be back tomorrow spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy!
Kelly
Paige: Mommy, I really like plump pink weenies. Those look better to me and I think they taste better. They gray shriveled up ones just seem kind of old and gross. What kind of weenies do you like?
That was Paige describing her ideal weenie as she picked the breading off of her corny dog last night.
Paige: When I grow up, I'm going to marry Alex. He's crazy and he lets me be crazy. I think crazy people should marry each other so that they can be crazy together. Then there's more craziness and it's fun.
Spoken like a true Bowden Brignon :)
I have the most delicious, most unique, most special child in the world. Yeah, yeah...I know, all parents think that, but I REALLY do! She's amazing. Spend a day with her - you'll see what I mean.
She was so funny last week when she decided she was going to go to the river with us. Here's a sample:
Paige: Mommy, did I hear you say you're going to the ribber? (yes, she calls it the "ribber")
Me: Yes
Paige: I need the phone.
Me: Why?
Paige: I need to call Gammy. I need to let her know that I can't come to her house this weekend. If you're going to the ribber, then I'm going to the ribber. She's going to be a little upset and probably miss me, but she'll be okay.
I hand her the phone....
Paige: Gammy?
Gammy: Yes....
Paige: Gammy, I can't come to your house this weekend. Now, don't be upset, but mommy and daddy are going to the ribber and I need to go with them.
Gammy: Well, okay. If that's what you want to do.
Paige: Yes, I love the ribber. I hope we don't go on the Guadalupe because it's slow. The Comal is so much better.
Gammy: You will have a great time with mommy and daddy.
Paige: I love you Gammy......
Me: Paige, you can still go to Gammy's. It's okay.
Paige: No, I want to go with you.
Me: Well, me and Daddy were going to have private time.
Paige: That's okay. You can have private time with Daddy and when you're finished, you can have private time with me. We'll share you.
WTH???????
Anyways...she ended up at Gammy's. I had to work last Friday and she was tired of waiting around on me. Her reasoning was this, "well, I can swim at Gammy's. I really want to swim and I didn't know I was going to have to wait around on you all day." Oh my God...where does she come up with this stuff?!?!?!
All is well...she'll be on the river in two weeks and then Labor Day weekend. She had a good time with Gammy and all is right in the "Land of Yes and Never Wait"!! Paige loves her Gammy so much...it's kind of gross at times, actually. I was waking her up one morning and she was just laying there kind of sleepy and dazed and I asked her what she was thinking about and she said she was thinking about Gammy. I then asked why she was thinking about Gammy and she said, "I was thinking about yesterday when I was swimming in the pool and Gammy was watching me. She loves me." Oh my....that child is ate up!!! It's really, really sweet though.
Gary's high school reunion is this Saturday and we'll be attending it. I'm sure it will be very interesting. I've got things to do in my trailer today, so I better get off the computer and get to work. I'm almost finished with my billings. Lord, I didn't think they would ever end. That's a really good thing, though.
This time last year, we were living in our motorhome at Wendell and Carole's house while our house was being built. Man...it's seems so long ago. There were five of us in there, plus three dogs. The trauma from those three months haunts us still...LOL. My kids are permanantly scarred from living in the motorhome. We made it, and it could have been worse, but it was a serious beatdown of epic proportions! In fact, we were in the motorhome for a full month before our slab was even poured. Do you know how depressing and maddening that was? And then, it started raining. In July. In Texas. Only us, only us. But hey - we've got a beautiful home on the most perfect piece of land and we're all happy and we've all recovered...with the help of hours of counseling, interventions and booze, of course! Well, the kids didn't need the booze, but me and Gary did (and still do)...LOL!!
I've got some recipes to share and I will do that this weekend. Have any of you tried the Cold Baked Potato Salad at the Gristmill? I made a version of it last Sunday and it is super easy and very good!! I'll post that as well.
I see Don Hoy announced that he was running for the BOD. Good for him for stepping up. Any other takers???
Have a wonderful Friday and I'll be back tomorrow spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy!
Kelly
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sunshine and Joy.....Sunshine and Joy
Good morning...wow, it's early! School starts in three weeks, and Paige and I will be in for a serious adjustment. We are going to have to start going to bed early and getting up early next week in order to to get back in the groove in time for school. She's starting a week earlier than she did last year - August 17th. I remember when I was in school; we didn't start until after Labor Day. Times have changed....
So...I guess I'll send in my Pod Credentials paperwork today and register for the GP Meeting. Luckily, it's close to the house so we can drive down Friday morning and come home Saturday after the meeting. I hope that those attending the meeting will really listen to what the Board is presenting in regards to the GPM format and agree to change it. This year has been an example of why it needs to change. It is not fair for an individual to ask to host it, then have cooks from other Pods that they really aren't even associated with any other time, help them raise the money for the meeting. If those Pods wanted to be that involved, they would have asked to host the GPM, in my opinion. I know I sound negative about this, and I know I'm bordering on sounding like a downright bitch, but I'm not saying anything that isn't true. Hosting a GPM takes two or three pods at the least; it's negligent to think one person can say, "I'll do it" and then expect other people to step in and do the work they don't like to do. If it weren't for DAM Pod people helping out, then who knows what would be happening with the meeting. Still, I don't agree with how this year's meeting has been handled and I hope things change for the better after the GP's are presented with the new format that's being proposed. I also think it's crap that I'm being told to hurry up and register. I've got till August 15th. I think it says a lot about the state of CASI when less than half of the GP's are registered for the meeting. Maybe not as a whole and in every area of CASI, but at least when it pertains to the 2010 GP Meeting.
Like any organization, CASI is experiencing growing pains. The key is to make the most of the opportunities that are out there by striving to communicate better with the members, allow the organization to evolve by, "gasp", doing things differently than they've been done before, and to hold the BOD and members accountable for making CASI stronger. Blame is what you get when you don't communicate and you just fight and point fingers. Accountability is what you have when you work together, communicate, and take responsibility for your actions and decisions - even when they don't produce the results you thought they would. I hope that instead of being afraid of change, CASI will embrace it and recognize that it is the key to not just survival, but success. Businesses, and CASI is just that, have to evolve in order to continue to grow. I hope more people will run for the BOD. Change has to start with the Board. If you don't like what the Board is doing, then vote for people you think will do what you feel is needed for CASI. If you don't think those people are out there, then run yourself. You don't have to be satisfied with the status quo. Every one of us has the potential to make a difference. I know that there are a lot of members out there unsatisfied with the current state of CASI - do something about it! I know you may snicker and think it's easy for me to say as I sit at my computer and complain....but that isn't the intention - at least for me. My hope is to make people think and encourage people to say how they feel and voice their opinions. We are just as important to CASI as the sponsors. Without us, there are no cook offs. All of us have a right to expect that our voices be heard and see our organization taken care of and ran by people who want to see that everyone in CASI benefit from the rules, policies and decisions being made. If that is negative and critical, then yeah - I guess I am. Challenging a group of people to do better is the least we can do; we're all going to be better off for it.
Just when I think I have problems, my dogs are trying to fit under a bookcase in the kitchen to get a lone morsel of food. Never mind that their guts are round and tight because they just ate. Those poor babies....they act like they don't know where they're next meal will come from.
Good day everyone......it's almost Friday!
Kelly
So...I guess I'll send in my Pod Credentials paperwork today and register for the GP Meeting. Luckily, it's close to the house so we can drive down Friday morning and come home Saturday after the meeting. I hope that those attending the meeting will really listen to what the Board is presenting in regards to the GPM format and agree to change it. This year has been an example of why it needs to change. It is not fair for an individual to ask to host it, then have cooks from other Pods that they really aren't even associated with any other time, help them raise the money for the meeting. If those Pods wanted to be that involved, they would have asked to host the GPM, in my opinion. I know I sound negative about this, and I know I'm bordering on sounding like a downright bitch, but I'm not saying anything that isn't true. Hosting a GPM takes two or three pods at the least; it's negligent to think one person can say, "I'll do it" and then expect other people to step in and do the work they don't like to do. If it weren't for DAM Pod people helping out, then who knows what would be happening with the meeting. Still, I don't agree with how this year's meeting has been handled and I hope things change for the better after the GP's are presented with the new format that's being proposed. I also think it's crap that I'm being told to hurry up and register. I've got till August 15th. I think it says a lot about the state of CASI when less than half of the GP's are registered for the meeting. Maybe not as a whole and in every area of CASI, but at least when it pertains to the 2010 GP Meeting.
Like any organization, CASI is experiencing growing pains. The key is to make the most of the opportunities that are out there by striving to communicate better with the members, allow the organization to evolve by, "gasp", doing things differently than they've been done before, and to hold the BOD and members accountable for making CASI stronger. Blame is what you get when you don't communicate and you just fight and point fingers. Accountability is what you have when you work together, communicate, and take responsibility for your actions and decisions - even when they don't produce the results you thought they would. I hope that instead of being afraid of change, CASI will embrace it and recognize that it is the key to not just survival, but success. Businesses, and CASI is just that, have to evolve in order to continue to grow. I hope more people will run for the BOD. Change has to start with the Board. If you don't like what the Board is doing, then vote for people you think will do what you feel is needed for CASI. If you don't think those people are out there, then run yourself. You don't have to be satisfied with the status quo. Every one of us has the potential to make a difference. I know that there are a lot of members out there unsatisfied with the current state of CASI - do something about it! I know you may snicker and think it's easy for me to say as I sit at my computer and complain....but that isn't the intention - at least for me. My hope is to make people think and encourage people to say how they feel and voice their opinions. We are just as important to CASI as the sponsors. Without us, there are no cook offs. All of us have a right to expect that our voices be heard and see our organization taken care of and ran by people who want to see that everyone in CASI benefit from the rules, policies and decisions being made. If that is negative and critical, then yeah - I guess I am. Challenging a group of people to do better is the least we can do; we're all going to be better off for it.
Just when I think I have problems, my dogs are trying to fit under a bookcase in the kitchen to get a lone morsel of food. Never mind that their guts are round and tight because they just ate. Those poor babies....they act like they don't know where they're next meal will come from.
Good day everyone......it's almost Friday!
Kelly
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
File Under: Why I Haven't Blogged This Week
These are pictures of my desk/work area. It looks like a bomb went off in here. I've been billing since last Friday and I'm still not finished. I don't know where anything is....I don't care where anything is. I just want to make the red folders go away :) A mercy killing....mass murder of job folders....whatever it takes.
Sooo....I've been to two Pod meetings since my last "legitimate" blog. Let's start with the TOT meeting. I was really happy to see all of the input from the people at the meeting who are committed to taking the TOT cook off and making it better - either by working with what we have (Irving Elks Lodge) or revamping the charity and location all together. The problem that needs the most attention, though, is lack of Pod participation. What can we do to get new cooks involved with the Pod? I know a membership drive helped Cowtown a few years ago. What about turning the meetings into something more than just a discussion about chili? We've been saying for a long time that outsiders don't want to come watch a bunch of people cook chili in the heat - maybe we should take that approach with the cooks and potential new members. Let's spice it up a little. Add something fun to the meetings. Maybe if we can increase the fellowship part of the meetings, more people will see it as something fun to do rather than just an hour out of their lives that they have to talk about chili. What about a theme meeting - a Mexican, Italian or Chinese potluck to go along with it? A costume party - I know...sounds kind of lame, but I'm desperate here. It's going to take imagination and hard work to build the pod back up so that we can focus on rebuilding the TOT cook off held each May. Do I have any takers? Any suggestions? Things won't improve unless WE make the effort and it's going to take everyone to make a difference.
The second Pod meeting was the NOW Pod meeting I attended last night - I sort of have to, I'm the GP. Our meetings are quick, easy and friendly. We discuss our business and luckily, we don't have to worry about our Pod cook off and charity - we are blessed. Our membership is down, so we are going to focus on bringing in new members and getting them involved. I think it will be a task we can accomplish. We have a great core group of people who bust their butts and keep things in perspective. We're fortunate in the sense that we haven't had a lot of the internal problems that other Pods have had to deal with in the past. I worry about our membership, but we've always been a small pod. I would just like to bolster our numbers...get some "new victims" involved with CASI!!
We touched on the GP meeting also and I expressed my lack of interest in this year's meeting. I know; that sounds bizarre considering how much I pontificate about CASI and it's issues. I've always supported CASI, the local pods and what I feel CASI is really about. I hate that a GP involved with the GP meeting (because there is no Pod hosting it) felt the need to reply to the meeting minutes and call out the remaining GP's who haven't registered yet for the meeting. Hhhmm...wonder why they haven't registered?? Lack of faith in the process? Lack of faith in where the money is going? Lack of interest considering there's been very little interaction between those hosting the meeting and those attending? And the individual who made the comment on the ED's blog this morning is absolutely right in her description of the GP meeting and why we should get registered. It's where the GP's (allegedly) have a say about what goes on in CASI. But to register because I need to thank the individual hosting the meeting because of "all they've done for CASI"....I don't think so. In my opinion, the way the GP meeting has been handled for this year has been an example of what is wrong with the GP meeting format. When it was pointed out to me that the Board does not appoint the Pod or individual(s) who will host the GP meeting, they merely, I guess, facilitate the vote by the GP's, I didn't say anything. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt like that was a cop out. The Board loves to use the "in the best interest of CASI" reason when it's convenient for them. I can't think of a more obvious situation in which the Board needed to step in for the "best interest of CASI". Who cares if there wasn't a place to have the 2010 when it came up in September 2008? The 2011 meeting site wasn't decided upon until either right before or right after TICC 2009. I don't see why there was such panic. There was time to find a Pod or group of Pods to host the meeting. I feel the need to call bullshit on the explanation I was given. I have an immense amount of respect for the individual who took the time to talk to me about the process of coordinating GP Meeting locations, but I do not believe for one minute that the Board didn't feel like they could step in and override the GP's. They do it plenty of other times - I can't believe this one instance was different from any other.
So back to my gripe about the self assigned GPM hall monitors. I'll sign up when I'm damned good and ready. And it won't be because of what anyone hosting the meeting has done for CASI. I can't really go off here because I'm already as close to naming names as I feel like I should be at this point. I start in on that and I'll probably start Chili Armageddon. Anyways...what's the big deal? I've got until August 15th to turn in my paperwork and I'll turn in my registration at that time as well. Get over yourselves already.
Whew - I feel better already :) I've had a lot built up over the past few days. Now, on to my next topic:
TEXAS OPEN
Unknown to most of the North Texas Pods, the Houston Pod no longer wants to host the Texas Open. According to CASI rules, any interested Pod(s) can put together a proposal to host the Open and present it at the GP Meeting. The GP's then vote and a new Pod gets to take over the Open. Right? In theory, on paper, and historically, yes. In reality, uh no. Apparently (my other favorite word besides allegedly) the Pod no longer interested in the Texas Open and a Pod that wants it have already worked out the details for it to be taken over by the new Pod. That doesn't sound quite fair, does it? Doesn't sound like it's being handled according to CASI's rules, either. Funny, I believe (oh wait - I know) a few board members already know about it and haven't been very forthcoming with the information or the reminder that it has to go before the GP's at the meeting. Oh - I get it....the Pod wanting to take over the Open will make a presentation at the GPM and how odd...they'll be the only ones who submit a proposal. Do I sound sarcastic and smart ass? You bet I do because that is total bullshit. I was unaware that any one Pod owned, for lack of a better term, any of the Opens/Regionals/Championships and could assign it to whomever they wanted to. And I was unaware that it was something that could be done without notifying all of the Pods so that ANYONE could submit a proposal for it. Huh...I wonder if that's something someone could submit to the Governance Committee? And even if they did, would it get brought up at a Board Meeting? I seriously doubt it. At the last two CASI BOD meetings, the Governance Committee has had "nothing to report." That's a crock. I know damn well that issues have been brought up for discussion to the Governance Committee chairperson and those items have not been brought up at any meeting. I don't know if anyone realizes this, but the lack of interest in what the Committee members are presenting to the Director in charge of the committee is doing more harm to the reputation of the committee members than anyone else. How do you think it looks when CASI members are reaching out to the Committee members and their concerns are being swept under the rug? It makes it look like the committee members aren't sharing the issues with the head of the committee. When, in fact, they are - and nothing is happening after the issues are being brought up.
Have any of ya'll heard of a book called "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest"?
Well, I'm going to go now. I think I've made my point several times over throughout this posting. I hope everyone has a FANTASTIC day! I'm looking forward to the Brignon Family Laundry Party this evening.
I'll be back tomorrow...spreading something :0)
Kelly
Monday, July 19, 2010
Hidee Ho!!
I've survived another Monday....Praise the Lord!!!
I had a fantastic weekend and I'm beat. Busy, busy day at the executive offices of T & B Demolition followed by a gourmet meal and wine at the Brignon residence. I'll be back blogging tomorrow....I hope :) It's billing time at T & B...and that takes priority over everything else!
Just one smart ass note before I leave for the evening. Apparently a hall monitor has been assigned to the GP Meeting. Did you know less than 1/2 of us have signed up? I wonder why that is? Can anyone tell me why no one is in a hurry to attend the 2010 GP Meeting being held in Salado? Is this a worthy enough subject for me to abandon my island of Passiva Aggressiva and just let it all hang out? Do the individuals putting on the GP Meeting have a clue as to why no one has signed up for it? If that isn't a very obvious sign to the GP's and the BOD that this form of GP meeting has worn out its welcome, then I don't know what is.
Have a good evening - I think there is some rain in the forecast for some of us. Gary and I thoroughly enjoyed our weekend in Gruene. The Juicy decided to stay with Gammy and didn't go with us. We enjoyed our alone time, but we missed that little Peapod. She's ready for a trip down there soon, though.
I'll be back tomorrow...and I'll definitely be spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy. Hold on to your knickers :0)
Kelly
I had a fantastic weekend and I'm beat. Busy, busy day at the executive offices of T & B Demolition followed by a gourmet meal and wine at the Brignon residence. I'll be back blogging tomorrow....I hope :) It's billing time at T & B...and that takes priority over everything else!
Just one smart ass note before I leave for the evening. Apparently a hall monitor has been assigned to the GP Meeting. Did you know less than 1/2 of us have signed up? I wonder why that is? Can anyone tell me why no one is in a hurry to attend the 2010 GP Meeting being held in Salado? Is this a worthy enough subject for me to abandon my island of Passiva Aggressiva and just let it all hang out? Do the individuals putting on the GP Meeting have a clue as to why no one has signed up for it? If that isn't a very obvious sign to the GP's and the BOD that this form of GP meeting has worn out its welcome, then I don't know what is.
Have a good evening - I think there is some rain in the forecast for some of us. Gary and I thoroughly enjoyed our weekend in Gruene. The Juicy decided to stay with Gammy and didn't go with us. We enjoyed our alone time, but we missed that little Peapod. She's ready for a trip down there soon, though.
I'll be back tomorrow...and I'll definitely be spreading my own special brand of kindness and joy. Hold on to your knickers :0)
Kelly
Friday, July 16, 2010
TGIF!!!
Greetings and Salutations! I'd love to stay and chat but we are headed to the river!!!!! We are soooo overdue for a trip to Gruene and I'm so very, very excited! The Juicy of Love and Deliciousness will be joining us as well :)
I've got some chili stuff to talk about, so I'll be back on Monday. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I know I will...I'm looking forward to dinner at the Gristmill, a little wine tasting at The Grapevine, toobing down the Comal, lunch at Pat's....aaaaahhhh...the GOOD LIFE!!!
Kelly
I've got some chili stuff to talk about, so I'll be back on Monday. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I know I will...I'm looking forward to dinner at the Gristmill, a little wine tasting at The Grapevine, toobing down the Comal, lunch at Pat's....aaaaahhhh...the GOOD LIFE!!!
Kelly
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Hump Day
I'm sitting at my computer, I haven't had any coffee and the sounds of Pinky Pinky Doo are coming from P's room. I have ZERO motivation and I HAVE to get my ass in gear. I'm debating whether or not to make coffee or get it for free when I get gas this morning. (Free coffee with fill up - hell yeah!) Just talked to the hubby and he hasn't had any coffee this morning either and his morning sounds like it is mere seconds from going to hell in a handbasket :) I thought Wednesday's were supposed to be the start of the easy part of the week????
I can't get too worked up; we are only days away from a River trip. We're heading to Gruene Friday and won't be back until late Sunday. I'm so excited. I can hardly wait to get on the Comal and just do NOTHING...except for drink my wine :) Soooo looking forward to a weekend away. We definitely need it. We've got three, possibly four more trips planned for Gruene this summer. Of course we'll be there Labor Day weekend so that Charlie and I can celebrate our birthdays together :)
Have a great day.....I think I'm going to make some coffee and get my ass moving.
Kelly
I can't get too worked up; we are only days away from a River trip. We're heading to Gruene Friday and won't be back until late Sunday. I'm so excited. I can hardly wait to get on the Comal and just do NOTHING...except for drink my wine :) Soooo looking forward to a weekend away. We definitely need it. We've got three, possibly four more trips planned for Gruene this summer. Of course we'll be there Labor Day weekend so that Charlie and I can celebrate our birthdays together :)
Have a great day.....I think I'm going to make some coffee and get my ass moving.
Kelly
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Another Day of Rambling about Food and A Few of My Issues!!
A few weeks ago, I decided to crown myself Queen of Passiva Agressiva, a small territory that covers my home, office and any other area I might be occupying. I am doing this in an attempt to be less inflammatory. However, it seems that I can inflame anyone even while being passive aggressive. I really don't care for passive aggressive people or their motives. I know someone who's that way and I just really don't get it - especially since this person is so hateful and bitter deep down. I mean, if you're really that bitchy, just come out with it already. Anyways, back to me. I've had some fun with this experiment and I'd like to share a passive aggressive approach that I took with my husband yesterday. I didn't know I had it in me :) I was trying to get in touch with Lord Brignon yesterday by way of calling and texting and he would not respond to me. It kind of pissed me off. So, when I got home and saw the USPS package containing the wireless aircard for his laptop, I kindly set it inside the front door and let Eddie, our dog, hike his leg and pee on it. Not just once, but twice. I immediately felt better. I actually smiled. Later on, he began to call me and I chose not to answer the phone. He called so many times that it bordered on what Jeannie and I like to call "Man Dialing". Still, I did not answer the phone in my passive aggressive attempt to make a point. Do you believe me when I tell you we have a happy and healthy marriage?? You should - we do!!! We just operate a little differently than others from time to time. Hahaha!! But yeah, I kind of like this whole new way of dealing with others. I've even used this approach at work a few times and it's given me countless hours of pleasure!
So yesterday, when I wasn't busy working on my PA skills, I took Paige to Karate and then we went to HEB. Tyler was in the mood for chicken spaghetti, so off I went to pick up items for dinner. What started out as a grocery list for chicken spaghetti turned into one for Turkey Spaghetti and before you say, "EEEWWWW Gross", give it a chance. My 16 year old stepson, who at one point in his life would only eat chicken, corn and green beans, loved it and so did Lord Brignon. Give it a try!
Cadillac Cowgirl Turkey Spaghetti
1 Roasted Turkey Breast, shredded or chopped (You can cook it yourself or buy it already cooked. I bought a Rotisserie Turkey breast at HEB and it was delicious. Either way, you need about 2 cups and that gave me more than enough.)
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Chopped Celery
1 4 oz Can Sliced Mushrooms
1 4 oz jar Sliced Pimentos (you can omit; I always have a jar handy)
1 Can Cream of Mushroom, Celery or Chicken Soup (any will work well)
1 Cup Milk
2 Tbsp Butter...or Smart Balance...jeez....
1 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese or any other cheese and in any amount, really...can you ever have too much cheese??
12 oz Spaghetti, cooked to al dente
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an oval casserole dish (3 quarts at least). In a large skillet, saute the onions and celery until tender. (I HAVE to do this otherwise my children will not eat it). Once they are tender, add the mushrooms and pimentos and continue to saute. Once they are heated through, add the turkey, soup, and milk and half of the cheese and cook until hot and bubbly. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust the seasoning according to your preference. Combine the cooked spaghetti and sauce mixture in the casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese....however much that might be :). Cook in oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!
Have a great day everyone! I'm taking a break from inane and pointless insurance questionnaire's. One of the questions I was asked: "How many jobs have you balled in the last 12 months?". I'm still debating how I want to answer that question and if our policy can be cancelled for any type of nasty or uncouth answer I may give them. But again, I'm thinking to myself, "If you're going to ask a stupid question......"
I don't have any recent conversations with Paige, but I can tell you that she left my mother's house yesterday sans underwear and wasn't in any hurry to put a pair on. I love my life.
Kelly
So yesterday, when I wasn't busy working on my PA skills, I took Paige to Karate and then we went to HEB. Tyler was in the mood for chicken spaghetti, so off I went to pick up items for dinner. What started out as a grocery list for chicken spaghetti turned into one for Turkey Spaghetti and before you say, "EEEWWWW Gross", give it a chance. My 16 year old stepson, who at one point in his life would only eat chicken, corn and green beans, loved it and so did Lord Brignon. Give it a try!
Cadillac Cowgirl Turkey Spaghetti
1 Roasted Turkey Breast, shredded or chopped (You can cook it yourself or buy it already cooked. I bought a Rotisserie Turkey breast at HEB and it was delicious. Either way, you need about 2 cups and that gave me more than enough.)
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Cup Chopped Celery
1 4 oz Can Sliced Mushrooms
1 4 oz jar Sliced Pimentos (you can omit; I always have a jar handy)
1 Can Cream of Mushroom, Celery or Chicken Soup (any will work well)
1 Cup Milk
2 Tbsp Butter...or Smart Balance...jeez....
1 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese or any other cheese and in any amount, really...can you ever have too much cheese??
12 oz Spaghetti, cooked to al dente
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an oval casserole dish (3 quarts at least). In a large skillet, saute the onions and celery until tender. (I HAVE to do this otherwise my children will not eat it). Once they are tender, add the mushrooms and pimentos and continue to saute. Once they are heated through, add the turkey, soup, and milk and half of the cheese and cook until hot and bubbly. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust the seasoning according to your preference. Combine the cooked spaghetti and sauce mixture in the casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese....however much that might be :). Cook in oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!
Have a great day everyone! I'm taking a break from inane and pointless insurance questionnaire's. One of the questions I was asked: "How many jobs have you balled in the last 12 months?". I'm still debating how I want to answer that question and if our policy can be cancelled for any type of nasty or uncouth answer I may give them. But again, I'm thinking to myself, "If you're going to ask a stupid question......"
I don't have any recent conversations with Paige, but I can tell you that she left my mother's house yesterday sans underwear and wasn't in any hurry to put a pair on. I love my life.
Kelly
Monday, July 12, 2010
Sunday Supper, LeBron, Wal Mart, and Other Important Matters......
Good Monday Afternoon!!
How was everyone's weekend? Ours was a nice mix of productive and uneventful....my kind of weekend. It's definitely hot now....all of the cool weather and rain that we've enjoyed the past few weeks is probably going to be a no show for awhile. I loved the rain...it reduced the amount of watering we had to do and my trees definitely needed it. Gary isn't a big fan because he ends up mowing every other day when it rains. Oh well, comes with the territory...all 5 acres of it!
So, I didn't make it on my Sister trip and at first I was pretty bummed out about it. But hey, what can you do? I knew on Friday that my odds of going were dwindling fast. We've got jobs out of town, a supervisor with a broken foot, and not enough Indians for all of our Chiefs, which means, Big Chief Gary has to work. I hope the Sisters that did go have a wonderful time. Maybe Paige and I can take a MommyBaby trip in my trailer and have some girl time! Paige and Zoe are excited about one of the trailers taking up residence at the house for their personal use. I'm going to completely clean it out and let them decorate it to their little hearts' desire! I had a few "Vision Quests" as Gary would call them about my trailers, so I can't wait to get to work on them!
I'm unashamed to say I got sucked into the whole LeBron James spectacle...yes, I watched "The Decision". I love basketball and I LOVE King James. I think he's a badass and so what if he was tired of being the only reason to watch Cleveland! I hope he goes to Miami and they win a title. I think that would be awesome. And the Cavs owner, Dan Gilbert - what a MORON!!! Who writes an open letter to the fans using Comic Sans font and then sends it to ESPN. What a jack ass. LeBron had every right to leave Cleveland. They weren't going to get him any real help and he can't keep doing it on his own. I'm rambling today...but I have a lot of ground to cover :)
When I was growing up, we always had Sunday Supper. Saturdays were usually the day we grilled hamburgers, but Sundays were when my mom always made a roast or chicken or something that she spent most of the day preparing - especially in winter. I grew up on slow cooker pot roasts, chicken and dumplings, fried chicken, you name it. It's one of the things that is completely ingrained in me as a person. I think that I'm a bad wife/mother/human being if I don't prepare some sort of elaborate supper every Sunday. Yesterday I made Beef Short Ribs, Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Yeast Rolls (well, the frozen kind that rise - isn't that sort of homemade??), Roasted Broccoli and Peach Plum Cobbler for desert. I'll share the recipes below...it was a really, really delicious meal!
The Ennis Wal Mart was recently remodeled. Has anyone else noticed that Wal Mart has cut back on the variety of items like candles, bedding, dog food, etc? Or is it just in Ennis? I don't mean that in a conspiracy theory way, but I wonder if it's a regional thing and Wal Mart is scaling back on less popular items. I mean, they stopped carrying fabric for God's sake. No, I'm not kidding. Wal Mart in Ennis no longer carries fabric. Weird, huh?
God Bless my child...Paige, Peapod, Juicy...and all of the other names I have for her. That child is one exceptional little person. We went to a wedding Saturday night and to say she was bored is a HUGE understatement. Even with her BFF there, she was still a little toot. At one point she asked me why I wasn't smiling very much...uuuhhh...because I'm about to have a meltdown over you being such a whiny toot, Paige....is what I wanted to say. Instead, we talked about behaving better and she seemed to get the drift. I completely understand that a wedding is probably not #1 on her (or any other little one's) list of most fun things to do, but my God, she bordered on being BAD. And she's never bad. She is articulate, well behaved, social, and easily adaptable. This just wasn't the ideal setting for her. Until, that is, it was time to dance. Yes, folks, my pole dancer in training got out on the dance floor and showed EVERYONE her moves. She didn't hold back. She didn't care that her dad and I were trying to sneak off unnoticed before the looks of amusement cast in our direction turned into looks of "Oh my God...get control of your child" or "Ohhh...you are so screwed". We couldn't get away. In fact, we couldn't stop watching as our precious little angel slithered, shaked and posed her way through all of the songs. At one point she was "Vogue-ing". It was so funny and I wish I had filmed all of it. One of these days I'm going to post a video of Paige dancing. It's unlike anything you've ever seen before - I promise!
How about some yummy recipes?????
Cadillac Cowgirl Short Ribs
12 Beef Short Ribs
1 large Sweet Onion, quartered
6 oz sliced Portabella Mushrooms
4 large Carrots, chopped into 3 inch pieces (or so...doesn't have to be exact, you just don't want them really small)
10 whole Garlic Cloves
4 slices Slab Bacon, diced
2 T Butter
1 cup Red Wine
3 cups Beef Stock
1 cup Water
2 sprigs of Rosemary
2 Bay Leafs
1 tsp each Salt and Pepper
Flour, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to coat short ribs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large baking dish, combine enough flour, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to coat the ribs. I don't use exact measurements; just enough of each to give the short ribs some flavor besides just coating them in plain flour. Set the ribs aside and fry the bacon over medium high heat in the dutch oven. When the bacon is done, drain it on a paper towel, but leave the bacon grease in the dutch oven; add the 2 tablespoons of butter. Brown the short ribs (you'll need to do it in batches) and remove them to drain on paper towels as well when they are brown on all sides. While they are draining, turn the heat down to medium and pour the red wine in the dutch oven in order to deglaze the bottom of the pan. While it's bubbling and thickening up, add the onions, garlic, carrots and mushrooms; cook the mixture together for a few minutes and then add the bacon and short ribs to the dutch oven. You are going to have to tuck everything in together and maybe even lay a few of the ribs on top of each other; that's okay - everything will still cook evenly. Add the bay leaves and rosemary as well as the beef stock, water and 1 tsp of salt and pepper. Let the liquid come to a boil, cover and put in the oven. Cook for 3 1/2 hours at 350 degrees or until the rib meat falls off of the bone (or is fork tender at the very least). Serve over Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes. Recipe below:
Cadillac Cowgirl Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes
1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes (Green Giant sells the baby ones in 1 1/2 lb bags and they are PERFECT for this recipe). You can also use baby red/new potatoes as well.
4 oz Goat Cheese
4 oz Heavy Cream
2 T Butter (or Smart Balance...but hey, it's Sunday Supper!)
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large pan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. (I don't peel these potatoes, but feel free to if you have anti-skin people dining with you.) Once the potatoes are fork tender, drain and put them back in the pan on the stove to help the rest of the water evaporate off of them - don't let them burn, though. To the potatoes add the goat cheese, cream and butter. Mash with a potato masher until smooth and creamy, adding more butter or cream if needed. Salt and pepper to taste....serve and enjoy!
Cadillac Cowgirl Peachy Plum Cobbler
I don't bake and even I can't screw this up. It's sooo easy and sooo yummy!
3 Peaches, sliced
3 Plums, sliced
1/4 Cup Walnuts, chopped
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Self Rising Flour
1 Stick of Butter, melted
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 baking dish and set aside. In large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients (Peaches through Butter). Pour into the greased baking dish and sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake for an hour and then sprinkle with more cinnamon and brown sugar if desired.! Bake it until the edges are golden brown and the fruit is bubbly.
Have a great afternoon! I'll be back tomorrow :)
Kelly
How was everyone's weekend? Ours was a nice mix of productive and uneventful....my kind of weekend. It's definitely hot now....all of the cool weather and rain that we've enjoyed the past few weeks is probably going to be a no show for awhile. I loved the rain...it reduced the amount of watering we had to do and my trees definitely needed it. Gary isn't a big fan because he ends up mowing every other day when it rains. Oh well, comes with the territory...all 5 acres of it!
So, I didn't make it on my Sister trip and at first I was pretty bummed out about it. But hey, what can you do? I knew on Friday that my odds of going were dwindling fast. We've got jobs out of town, a supervisor with a broken foot, and not enough Indians for all of our Chiefs, which means, Big Chief Gary has to work. I hope the Sisters that did go have a wonderful time. Maybe Paige and I can take a MommyBaby trip in my trailer and have some girl time! Paige and Zoe are excited about one of the trailers taking up residence at the house for their personal use. I'm going to completely clean it out and let them decorate it to their little hearts' desire! I had a few "Vision Quests" as Gary would call them about my trailers, so I can't wait to get to work on them!
I'm unashamed to say I got sucked into the whole LeBron James spectacle...yes, I watched "The Decision". I love basketball and I LOVE King James. I think he's a badass and so what if he was tired of being the only reason to watch Cleveland! I hope he goes to Miami and they win a title. I think that would be awesome. And the Cavs owner, Dan Gilbert - what a MORON!!! Who writes an open letter to the fans using Comic Sans font and then sends it to ESPN. What a jack ass. LeBron had every right to leave Cleveland. They weren't going to get him any real help and he can't keep doing it on his own. I'm rambling today...but I have a lot of ground to cover :)
When I was growing up, we always had Sunday Supper. Saturdays were usually the day we grilled hamburgers, but Sundays were when my mom always made a roast or chicken or something that she spent most of the day preparing - especially in winter. I grew up on slow cooker pot roasts, chicken and dumplings, fried chicken, you name it. It's one of the things that is completely ingrained in me as a person. I think that I'm a bad wife/mother/human being if I don't prepare some sort of elaborate supper every Sunday. Yesterday I made Beef Short Ribs, Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Yeast Rolls (well, the frozen kind that rise - isn't that sort of homemade??), Roasted Broccoli and Peach Plum Cobbler for desert. I'll share the recipes below...it was a really, really delicious meal!
The Ennis Wal Mart was recently remodeled. Has anyone else noticed that Wal Mart has cut back on the variety of items like candles, bedding, dog food, etc? Or is it just in Ennis? I don't mean that in a conspiracy theory way, but I wonder if it's a regional thing and Wal Mart is scaling back on less popular items. I mean, they stopped carrying fabric for God's sake. No, I'm not kidding. Wal Mart in Ennis no longer carries fabric. Weird, huh?
God Bless my child...Paige, Peapod, Juicy...and all of the other names I have for her. That child is one exceptional little person. We went to a wedding Saturday night and to say she was bored is a HUGE understatement. Even with her BFF there, she was still a little toot. At one point she asked me why I wasn't smiling very much...uuuhhh...because I'm about to have a meltdown over you being such a whiny toot, Paige....is what I wanted to say. Instead, we talked about behaving better and she seemed to get the drift. I completely understand that a wedding is probably not #1 on her (or any other little one's) list of most fun things to do, but my God, she bordered on being BAD. And she's never bad. She is articulate, well behaved, social, and easily adaptable. This just wasn't the ideal setting for her. Until, that is, it was time to dance. Yes, folks, my pole dancer in training got out on the dance floor and showed EVERYONE her moves. She didn't hold back. She didn't care that her dad and I were trying to sneak off unnoticed before the looks of amusement cast in our direction turned into looks of "Oh my God...get control of your child" or "Ohhh...you are so screwed". We couldn't get away. In fact, we couldn't stop watching as our precious little angel slithered, shaked and posed her way through all of the songs. At one point she was "Vogue-ing". It was so funny and I wish I had filmed all of it. One of these days I'm going to post a video of Paige dancing. It's unlike anything you've ever seen before - I promise!
How about some yummy recipes?????
Cadillac Cowgirl Short Ribs
12 Beef Short Ribs
1 large Sweet Onion, quartered
6 oz sliced Portabella Mushrooms
4 large Carrots, chopped into 3 inch pieces (or so...doesn't have to be exact, you just don't want them really small)
10 whole Garlic Cloves
4 slices Slab Bacon, diced
2 T Butter
1 cup Red Wine
3 cups Beef Stock
1 cup Water
2 sprigs of Rosemary
2 Bay Leafs
1 tsp each Salt and Pepper
Flour, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to coat short ribs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large baking dish, combine enough flour, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to coat the ribs. I don't use exact measurements; just enough of each to give the short ribs some flavor besides just coating them in plain flour. Set the ribs aside and fry the bacon over medium high heat in the dutch oven. When the bacon is done, drain it on a paper towel, but leave the bacon grease in the dutch oven; add the 2 tablespoons of butter. Brown the short ribs (you'll need to do it in batches) and remove them to drain on paper towels as well when they are brown on all sides. While they are draining, turn the heat down to medium and pour the red wine in the dutch oven in order to deglaze the bottom of the pan. While it's bubbling and thickening up, add the onions, garlic, carrots and mushrooms; cook the mixture together for a few minutes and then add the bacon and short ribs to the dutch oven. You are going to have to tuck everything in together and maybe even lay a few of the ribs on top of each other; that's okay - everything will still cook evenly. Add the bay leaves and rosemary as well as the beef stock, water and 1 tsp of salt and pepper. Let the liquid come to a boil, cover and put in the oven. Cook for 3 1/2 hours at 350 degrees or until the rib meat falls off of the bone (or is fork tender at the very least). Serve over Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes. Recipe below:
Cadillac Cowgirl Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes
1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes (Green Giant sells the baby ones in 1 1/2 lb bags and they are PERFECT for this recipe). You can also use baby red/new potatoes as well.
4 oz Goat Cheese
4 oz Heavy Cream
2 T Butter (or Smart Balance...but hey, it's Sunday Supper!)
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large pan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. (I don't peel these potatoes, but feel free to if you have anti-skin people dining with you.) Once the potatoes are fork tender, drain and put them back in the pan on the stove to help the rest of the water evaporate off of them - don't let them burn, though. To the potatoes add the goat cheese, cream and butter. Mash with a potato masher until smooth and creamy, adding more butter or cream if needed. Salt and pepper to taste....serve and enjoy!
Cadillac Cowgirl Peachy Plum Cobbler
I don't bake and even I can't screw this up. It's sooo easy and sooo yummy!
3 Peaches, sliced
3 Plums, sliced
1/4 Cup Walnuts, chopped
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Self Rising Flour
1 Stick of Butter, melted
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 baking dish and set aside. In large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients (Peaches through Butter). Pour into the greased baking dish and sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake for an hour and then sprinkle with more cinnamon and brown sugar if desired.! Bake it until the edges are golden brown and the fruit is bubbly.
Have a great afternoon! I'll be back tomorrow :)
Kelly
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Lessons in Parenting
I'll be the first to admit that I am not one of "those" moms. I drink, cook chili on the weekends (which is why my kid doesn't play soccer), I'm pretty loose around my kiddos and to the horror of so many...I let my child watch TV!! I still think I'm a good mom because first and foremost, my child is loved and she knows it. We do a lot as a family. Her mommy and daddy love each other and she knows it, so she doesn't have to worry about a crappy home life because her parents have a craptastic marriage. We have lots of private time together. We do things a little differently at the Brignon house and so far, none of our kids have shown any type of serial killer like tendencies. Still, I'm far from perfect and the best thing about parenting is that in a lot of ways, it's an "earn as you learn" profession. Case in point, I learned this morning that my child is a freak about being on time. When you all pick yourselves up off the floor at the sheer irony of this, let me know.
Hahaha!!! I'm the most punctually challenged person EVER! I come by it honestly through my aunt. My dad, on the other hand, has successfully conquered this issue and is not afflicted the same way his sister and I seem to be. To make matters worse, I am married to someone who has to re-enter our house at least 3 times before we can leave. 7 pm reservations? We'll be there by 7:30. I am probably the only person I know that can be a block from where I need to be with 10 minutes to spare and still be late. Believe me, it's happened. I did it not too long ago and was oddly proud of my ability. (Hey - we've all got to be good at something!)
So, back to my freakishly strange child who prefers to be on time everywhere we go. I had the best intentions when Lord Brignon left the house at 6 am this morning. I told him to make sure I got up. Instead, I asked him to bring the Juicy of Love and Deliciousness to our room so that we could keep sleeping. We finally woke up at 8 am. Follow that with an email war with a GC over an insurance certificate and shit - it's already 9:30. Paige has swimming lessons in Irving and they begin at 10:45. For those of you unfamiliar with where I live, drive to the middle of nowhere and keep going - you'll finally find my house. It's easily an hour and fifteen minute drive to the Y in Irving. Soo....I tell her to come on (she was already ready, being the punctual person in our home) and we blasted off. I was on the phone a few times and she heard me utter the phrase "running late". Oh my God....she freaked OUT! She told me multiple times that "she's never late." She also informed me that she likes to be on time and if possible, early to her appointments. Yes, she actually said "early to her appointments." Oh Lord...that poor child. She's so screwed.
So, there you have it. You never stop learning about your children and their quirks. And yes, I do consider being on time a "quirk"!!! She's just so funny and she always surprises me in one way or another. Who knew a 6 year old could get worked up over being late? We gave up getting anxious over running late a long time ago, so it's not like she's feeding off of our stress. And any time I mention that I'm running late, I'm usually laughing hysterically. My lateness annoys a lot of people, I know that and I totally get it. It's considered rude and again, I get that. I just live in a world where I am very rarely required to be on time. Late to work? Who cares, I'm the boss :) Late to dinner? So what, most of the time our table isn't even ready...and so on. I do make sure she gets to school on time. I know that can be a huge disruption to the class, so I do my damnedest to get her to school early and so far, I've only taken her late a few times.
I guess my secret is out...I am an imperfect parent and I enjoy the lessons I learn every day being Paige's parent. Maybe if we all relax and realize that none of us really get it, we'll all be a lot happier with happy kids. No one ever gets it right all the time, regardless of how good our intentions might be. We're humans, we have crazy lives and sometimes shit just happens, regardless of our best laid plans!
I hope everyone is having a great day. I'm totally digging this whole Monday off kind of week - it's already Wednesday!!! I'm still trying to swing my Sister on the Fly trip next week. We are still busy around here and I may not be able to make it happen. My trailer is painted, the cushions are already done and I just have a few decorating items to take care of. I'll post some pics of the Cowgirl Cadillac. She looks beautiful with her new paint!
I'll be back tomorrow to spread my own special brand of joy and kindness.
Kelly
Hahaha!!! I'm the most punctually challenged person EVER! I come by it honestly through my aunt. My dad, on the other hand, has successfully conquered this issue and is not afflicted the same way his sister and I seem to be. To make matters worse, I am married to someone who has to re-enter our house at least 3 times before we can leave. 7 pm reservations? We'll be there by 7:30. I am probably the only person I know that can be a block from where I need to be with 10 minutes to spare and still be late. Believe me, it's happened. I did it not too long ago and was oddly proud of my ability. (Hey - we've all got to be good at something!)
So, back to my freakishly strange child who prefers to be on time everywhere we go. I had the best intentions when Lord Brignon left the house at 6 am this morning. I told him to make sure I got up. Instead, I asked him to bring the Juicy of Love and Deliciousness to our room so that we could keep sleeping. We finally woke up at 8 am. Follow that with an email war with a GC over an insurance certificate and shit - it's already 9:30. Paige has swimming lessons in Irving and they begin at 10:45. For those of you unfamiliar with where I live, drive to the middle of nowhere and keep going - you'll finally find my house. It's easily an hour and fifteen minute drive to the Y in Irving. Soo....I tell her to come on (she was already ready, being the punctual person in our home) and we blasted off. I was on the phone a few times and she heard me utter the phrase "running late". Oh my God....she freaked OUT! She told me multiple times that "she's never late." She also informed me that she likes to be on time and if possible, early to her appointments. Yes, she actually said "early to her appointments." Oh Lord...that poor child. She's so screwed.
So, there you have it. You never stop learning about your children and their quirks. And yes, I do consider being on time a "quirk"!!! She's just so funny and she always surprises me in one way or another. Who knew a 6 year old could get worked up over being late? We gave up getting anxious over running late a long time ago, so it's not like she's feeding off of our stress. And any time I mention that I'm running late, I'm usually laughing hysterically. My lateness annoys a lot of people, I know that and I totally get it. It's considered rude and again, I get that. I just live in a world where I am very rarely required to be on time. Late to work? Who cares, I'm the boss :) Late to dinner? So what, most of the time our table isn't even ready...and so on. I do make sure she gets to school on time. I know that can be a huge disruption to the class, so I do my damnedest to get her to school early and so far, I've only taken her late a few times.
I guess my secret is out...I am an imperfect parent and I enjoy the lessons I learn every day being Paige's parent. Maybe if we all relax and realize that none of us really get it, we'll all be a lot happier with happy kids. No one ever gets it right all the time, regardless of how good our intentions might be. We're humans, we have crazy lives and sometimes shit just happens, regardless of our best laid plans!
I hope everyone is having a great day. I'm totally digging this whole Monday off kind of week - it's already Wednesday!!! I'm still trying to swing my Sister on the Fly trip next week. We are still busy around here and I may not be able to make it happen. My trailer is painted, the cushions are already done and I just have a few decorating items to take care of. I'll post some pics of the Cowgirl Cadillac. She looks beautiful with her new paint!
I'll be back tomorrow to spread my own special brand of joy and kindness.
Kelly
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tuesday......
Disguised as a Monday :) Naaahh....it's not too bad, really. How was everyone's holiday weekend? We had a wonderful three day vacation. Gary, Courtney and I hit Central Market on Saturday. They now carry Brachetto D'Aqui....the delicious sparkling cherry wine we drink at Pappas. I started jumping up and down and screaming when I saw it. I think the wine guy is deaf now :) Gary went back over there and got the rest of the bottles on the shelf. We also bought cheese, these delicious little rosemary crackers, baby back ribs, more wine, fruits and veggies...oh and this cheese that you GRILL! Yes, grilling cheese. It's sooo good! We bought the jalapeno cheese and had some Saturday with our Stilton, Bucheron, rosemary crackers, and wine. Speaking of wine, we tried two new and very good wines this weekend. The first one was David Bruce Pinot Noir. We had it Friday night at Sambuca and Gary and I really, really liked it. We drink Zinfandel so much; it's nice to have a Pinot or Syrah from time to time. The other new wine we tried is Dacu. It's a Spanish wine that we tried at Central Market Saturday. It's a very jammy, rich wine a lot like a Shiraz or a Cabernet. I liked it immediately; Gary grew to like it. We bought a bottle and drank it Saturday evening with our grown up cheese and cracker dinner!
Sunday was our big day on Newton Circle. Gary rode his bike that morning and then I went over to my parents - where my child has been since Friday evening. She's so graciously decided to come home today :) Anyways....the FOOD!!! So much yumminess to choose from! We had guacamole, queso, shrimp cocktail, burgers, hot dogs, brats, corn and asparagus salad, potato salad, baked beans, pasta, crab rolls, cobbler, chocolate cake, and these little pastries that had goat cheese, tomatoes and basil in them. Soooo much good food and fun! The girls had their "fireworks party" with pop rocks and sparklers. The puppies came with Gary and they got to run around and play outside with Brewster. My mom and dad's new patio and patio cover helped keep the sun off of everyone and we also had adult beverages to keep us cool!
Gary and I had two racks of baby back ribs that we smoked yesterday. We used a dry rub on them and then drizzled BBQ sauce over them. They turned out really good. The spice rub had a little bit of a kick and the sweet/spicy bbq sauce went really well with them. We smoked them for about hours and we were really happy with them. I also made Shoepeg Corn Casserole and Mac and Cheese and we had leftover baked beans and potato salad. Dinner was FANTASTIC! I'll share my mac and cheese and crab roll recipes today.
Not too much to report in the chili world that I'm aware of. I'm still surprised that only two chili heads have announced that they are running for the Board of Directors. I wonder if the Old 320 issue is being discussed behind the scenes or if it's just a dead issue at this point. I'm not an Old 320 member, so I can't really make a case for either side. I can say that I believe the Board was absolutely out of bounds for not accepting the results of those who voted and I would say that about any issue if it was handled the same way. If any of you have an opinion, get it out there. Let the Board know what you think. If you don't think that your voice is being heard, then maybe you aren't being loud enough...or persistent enough. It's easy to place blame and say that people don't care. But do you care enough to keep pushing even when you've been knocked down a few times or ignored? That's the one thing I can't encourage enough. Don't give anyone the opportunity to ignore you. If you have an issue, present it in a way that makes people listen. Recruit others to help you draft a response to any decision or action you don't agree with. I've kept my responses to the Board meeting somewhat generic and vanilla until all of the minutes are made public. I've also decided to keep my rants to a minimum until after the GP meeting...we'll see how that goes. I do hope that more people will run for a Director's position. At some point people are going to have to close their eyes, hold their breath and dive off the deep end if they want to see things (that they don't care for) change in CASI....and it's going to have to start with who you're voting for and charging with making decisions "in the best interest of CASI."
Okay, enough Chili banter. Let's get into some food!!!
Cadillac Cowgirl Mac and Cheese
2 Cups uncooked macaroni
2 Cups whole milk
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 Cups Velveeta (buy it already shredded)
2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste, if needed and extra to salt pasta water)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 Cup Panko bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil; add salt and the macaroni. Cook it until it's almost done. It's okay if it's still firm; you're going to finish baking it in the oven and you don't want it to get mushy. Drain the macaroni and then pour it into a greased 2 quart baking dish. In the same pot you used to boil the macaroni, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk it until it's smooth like a paste; don't let it get brown, though. Slowly add the milk (I do it a cup at a time) and increase the heat to medium. The milk will start to thicken, but don't let it get too thick. Add your salt and pepper at this time, also. Cook for a few minutes and then remove the pan from the heat. Add your 2 cups of Velveeta and 1 cup of sharp Cheddar cheese and stir until smooth. Be sure and do this off of the heat or the cheese mixture will become grainy instead of smooth. Double check your seasonings and adjust if necessary. Remember that you salted your pasta water, so the pasta will be salted as well. Pour the cheese mixture over the macaroni and mix well. Top with the additional cup of sharp cheddar cheese and the Panko bread crumbs. Cover and bake for 20 minutes; then uncovered for another 5-10 minutes until the top is bubbly.
Cadillac Cowgirl Crab Rolls
16 oz lump crab meat (make sure you pick through it and remove all of the shell)
1/4 cup chopped shallot
1/4 cup chopped celery (mine was pretty small)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup mayo
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste if needed)
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped chives
Juice of one lemon
Butter for toasting inside of bread, if you choose
Hoagie rolls, hot dog buns, etc to put crab mixture in (I used Au Bon Pain hot dog rolls from Central Market. They were a little more "gourmet" than regular ones)
Mix everything together in a large bowl; cover and chill for an hour or two. Fill your bread of choice with the crab mixture and serve. You can also brush melted butter on the insides of the buns and grill them before putting the crab mix in them. I also thought about toasting small french bread slices and putting the crab mix on top of each slice, or providing crackers and eating it like a dip. It's versatile, so enjoy as you wish.
Have a great day everyone. It's raining here in Irving and I'm sure it's raining in the big town of Crisp, Texas as well. I'll be back tomorrow!!
Kelly
Sunday was our big day on Newton Circle. Gary rode his bike that morning and then I went over to my parents - where my child has been since Friday evening. She's so graciously decided to come home today :) Anyways....the FOOD!!! So much yumminess to choose from! We had guacamole, queso, shrimp cocktail, burgers, hot dogs, brats, corn and asparagus salad, potato salad, baked beans, pasta, crab rolls, cobbler, chocolate cake, and these little pastries that had goat cheese, tomatoes and basil in them. Soooo much good food and fun! The girls had their "fireworks party" with pop rocks and sparklers. The puppies came with Gary and they got to run around and play outside with Brewster. My mom and dad's new patio and patio cover helped keep the sun off of everyone and we also had adult beverages to keep us cool!
Gary and I had two racks of baby back ribs that we smoked yesterday. We used a dry rub on them and then drizzled BBQ sauce over them. They turned out really good. The spice rub had a little bit of a kick and the sweet/spicy bbq sauce went really well with them. We smoked them for about hours and we were really happy with them. I also made Shoepeg Corn Casserole and Mac and Cheese and we had leftover baked beans and potato salad. Dinner was FANTASTIC! I'll share my mac and cheese and crab roll recipes today.
Not too much to report in the chili world that I'm aware of. I'm still surprised that only two chili heads have announced that they are running for the Board of Directors. I wonder if the Old 320 issue is being discussed behind the scenes or if it's just a dead issue at this point. I'm not an Old 320 member, so I can't really make a case for either side. I can say that I believe the Board was absolutely out of bounds for not accepting the results of those who voted and I would say that about any issue if it was handled the same way. If any of you have an opinion, get it out there. Let the Board know what you think. If you don't think that your voice is being heard, then maybe you aren't being loud enough...or persistent enough. It's easy to place blame and say that people don't care. But do you care enough to keep pushing even when you've been knocked down a few times or ignored? That's the one thing I can't encourage enough. Don't give anyone the opportunity to ignore you. If you have an issue, present it in a way that makes people listen. Recruit others to help you draft a response to any decision or action you don't agree with. I've kept my responses to the Board meeting somewhat generic and vanilla until all of the minutes are made public. I've also decided to keep my rants to a minimum until after the GP meeting...we'll see how that goes. I do hope that more people will run for a Director's position. At some point people are going to have to close their eyes, hold their breath and dive off the deep end if they want to see things (that they don't care for) change in CASI....and it's going to have to start with who you're voting for and charging with making decisions "in the best interest of CASI."
Okay, enough Chili banter. Let's get into some food!!!
Cadillac Cowgirl Mac and Cheese
2 Cups uncooked macaroni
2 Cups whole milk
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 Cups Velveeta (buy it already shredded)
2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste, if needed and extra to salt pasta water)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 Cup Panko bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil; add salt and the macaroni. Cook it until it's almost done. It's okay if it's still firm; you're going to finish baking it in the oven and you don't want it to get mushy. Drain the macaroni and then pour it into a greased 2 quart baking dish. In the same pot you used to boil the macaroni, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk it until it's smooth like a paste; don't let it get brown, though. Slowly add the milk (I do it a cup at a time) and increase the heat to medium. The milk will start to thicken, but don't let it get too thick. Add your salt and pepper at this time, also. Cook for a few minutes and then remove the pan from the heat. Add your 2 cups of Velveeta and 1 cup of sharp Cheddar cheese and stir until smooth. Be sure and do this off of the heat or the cheese mixture will become grainy instead of smooth. Double check your seasonings and adjust if necessary. Remember that you salted your pasta water, so the pasta will be salted as well. Pour the cheese mixture over the macaroni and mix well. Top with the additional cup of sharp cheddar cheese and the Panko bread crumbs. Cover and bake for 20 minutes; then uncovered for another 5-10 minutes until the top is bubbly.
Cadillac Cowgirl Crab Rolls
16 oz lump crab meat (make sure you pick through it and remove all of the shell)
1/4 cup chopped shallot
1/4 cup chopped celery (mine was pretty small)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup mayo
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste if needed)
1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped chives
Juice of one lemon
Butter for toasting inside of bread, if you choose
Hoagie rolls, hot dog buns, etc to put crab mixture in (I used Au Bon Pain hot dog rolls from Central Market. They were a little more "gourmet" than regular ones)
Mix everything together in a large bowl; cover and chill for an hour or two. Fill your bread of choice with the crab mixture and serve. You can also brush melted butter on the insides of the buns and grill them before putting the crab mix in them. I also thought about toasting small french bread slices and putting the crab mix on top of each slice, or providing crackers and eating it like a dip. It's versatile, so enjoy as you wish.
Have a great day everyone. It's raining here in Irving and I'm sure it's raining in the big town of Crisp, Texas as well. I'll be back tomorrow!!
Kelly
Friday, July 2, 2010
Conversations with Paige
On our way back from Sonic:
Paige: Mommy, I love you.
Me: I love you, too.
Paige: No, I mean actually really love you.
Me: I know, I really love you, too.
Paige: No, Mommy, you don't understand. My love is real. I really love you. I send my love to you all the time. Turn around. Do you see me sending it to you?
Me: Uh...yeah...I see it.
Paige: You do?
Me: Yes.
Paige: Good. Cause I was really pushing my love to you. It was beginning to hurt.
This was sweet, disturbing and creepy all at once. I pray to God no one ever walks up on one of these conversations that is sweet on one end (me and Paige) and bizarre on another...say a social worker that just happened to be within earshot.
Paige: Mommy, I love you.
Me: I love you, too.
Paige: No, I mean actually really love you.
Me: I know, I really love you, too.
Paige: No, Mommy, you don't understand. My love is real. I really love you. I send my love to you all the time. Turn around. Do you see me sending it to you?
Me: Uh...yeah...I see it.
Paige: You do?
Me: Yes.
Paige: Good. Cause I was really pushing my love to you. It was beginning to hurt.
This was sweet, disturbing and creepy all at once. I pray to God no one ever walks up on one of these conversations that is sweet on one end (me and Paige) and bizarre on another...say a social worker that just happened to be within earshot.
I Know a Girl Here In Laredo, Her Name's PussyWillow Rose.....
Here she is! This is my newest baby....1977 Serro Scotty Sportsman in wonderful condition! And yes, I've named her after a line in a Charlie Robison song :o). I'm going to repaint the white portion of the exterior. The turquoise and gold areas are in really great shape. The hitch needs to be repainted as well. I've got lots of options on the interior. I'm removing the fridge (not original) and turning the space back into a cabinet. I've got a potty closet big enough for a potty and vanity. I've got ample closet space and I'm not sure yet what I want to do with the front kitchen. I'd like to remove it, but I've been told by someone who thinks he knows everything that it will look stupid to remove it and either put a bar or a dinette in its place. Oh well....my trailer, not his :) The rest that needs to be done is mainly minor cosmetic and the best part - decorating!!! I've still got the other Scotty that I will be using for parts on this one - namely the door.
So, the Cowgirl Cadillac is in the warehouse primed and ready to be painted...again. Man...that trailer has kicked my ass. I've got John Deere tractor paint and it's going to be sprayed by a "semi-professional"....which is better than my clearly amateur ass! My mom is working on my cushions and I've got my new quilt and curtains. I'm also considering pulling up the carpet and laying down wood or vinyl. She's going to look great when I'm finished.
I've decided to take Carlita to the house and put her in the backyard as a playhouse/girl cave for Paige and Zoe. I don't know how many redneck points that's worth, but I think they'll enjoy it.
And yes, if you've been paying attention, I have four trailers. I also have seven dogs. I won't tell you how many purses or pairs of flip flops I have. I clearly have a problem. Speaking of purses, my true love, my Gucci satchel, has a strap issue. I'm going to have to take her to a leather shop and have them repair the stitching on the strap. It's beginning to come apart. I normally rotate my purses, but I love this purse so much that I've been carrying it non stop since last July. I hope it can be repaired. And since I've been so devoted to my Gucci satchel and had no intention of switching to another one, I do not have a good summer purse. I'm currently toting a Chloe bag that is too small for all of my stuff. I would say that I'm well on my way to justifying another purse purchase. Man...I can justify anything! I just love purses so much. A girl can never have too many!
Have a safe 4th of July holiday. I can't wait until Sunday - lots of food to prepare. I'll share recipes next week :)
Kelly
Thank You Friday....
I'm still trying to wake up. I went to bed early last night and slept okay. I woke up after what felt like hours of sleeping and it was only 11:30. That's sooo much better than waking up and feeling like you just went to bed and it's already time to get up. That sucks ass.
Anyways, I'm on my 2nd cup of coffee and I'm trying to get going. The Juicy of Love and Deliciousness is up and running. She's been drawing and asked me if I thought her drawings should be in a museum. I told her of course they should be..... :) About 3 or 4 years ago, Paige drew a scene from War of the Worlds...you know...the scene with the stringy blood matter coming from the spaceship? Yep, she drew it on her wall while we had our house up for sale. I wouldn't paint over it, it was too priceless. She then drew it on a piece of paper and made sure the stringy blood matter was red. It was a frighteningly accurate picture of the scene in the movie. And yes, I know, she's probably too young to watch that movie, but at the time it didn't bother her and we didn't have any bad dreams or weird conversations from watching it. In fact, she walked around for weeks telling us her name was Rachel and she would run around the house hollering, "Mom, Tim. Mom, Tim." We thought that was kind of funny. Oh well...that's how we roll in the Brignon family.
I just caught my child attempting to eat the fish food. Eeww.
This is going to be a looooong day.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. To those of you cooking chili this weekend, good luck. Happy Birthday to Mr. David Manske who is celebrating a birthday today. We are attending our first ever Arena Football game tonight to watch a friend play. I'm so ready for football; this is going to be fun. I'm still debating whether or not to go to Canton tomorrow. I don't necessarily need anything...but I know I could find things I want! I could spend tomorrow working on my trailers, but I did that yesterday and it damn near kicked my ass. I inhaled too much primer and I was basically useless the rest of the day.
I'll be back later today...or tomorrow....or Monday :) In the meantime, contribute your own special brand of joy and kindness to the world in my absence!!
Kelly
Anyways, I'm on my 2nd cup of coffee and I'm trying to get going. The Juicy of Love and Deliciousness is up and running. She's been drawing and asked me if I thought her drawings should be in a museum. I told her of course they should be..... :) About 3 or 4 years ago, Paige drew a scene from War of the Worlds...you know...the scene with the stringy blood matter coming from the spaceship? Yep, she drew it on her wall while we had our house up for sale. I wouldn't paint over it, it was too priceless. She then drew it on a piece of paper and made sure the stringy blood matter was red. It was a frighteningly accurate picture of the scene in the movie. And yes, I know, she's probably too young to watch that movie, but at the time it didn't bother her and we didn't have any bad dreams or weird conversations from watching it. In fact, she walked around for weeks telling us her name was Rachel and she would run around the house hollering, "Mom, Tim. Mom, Tim." We thought that was kind of funny. Oh well...that's how we roll in the Brignon family.
I just caught my child attempting to eat the fish food. Eeww.
This is going to be a looooong day.
I hope everyone has a great weekend. To those of you cooking chili this weekend, good luck. Happy Birthday to Mr. David Manske who is celebrating a birthday today. We are attending our first ever Arena Football game tonight to watch a friend play. I'm so ready for football; this is going to be fun. I'm still debating whether or not to go to Canton tomorrow. I don't necessarily need anything...but I know I could find things I want! I could spend tomorrow working on my trailers, but I did that yesterday and it damn near kicked my ass. I inhaled too much primer and I was basically useless the rest of the day.
I'll be back later today...or tomorrow....or Monday :) In the meantime, contribute your own special brand of joy and kindness to the world in my absence!!
Kelly
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