Just Call Me Grace

Well it happened...I knew it would, hoped it wouldn't, but knowing me...

...it was inevitable.

I fell running this morning. I was entering the sixth mile of my run. I was coming to a dreaded stoplight, the stoplight was red so I was slowing down, but then it turned green and I started speeding up. The speed adjustment and the curb didn't agree with me and down I went. I fell...

...bit the dust
...ate dirt
...went boom boom
...took a header
...ate pavement...good fiber
...went ass over appetite (that was my dad's favorite)
...I've fallen and I can't get up

I think you get the picture, but in case you didn't here are some pictures (thank you Andrew and Bell for taking the pictures)

Now I must warn you there is a little blood involved in these pictures...and I am not posting them to gross you out, I am posting them to document the klutz that I am.

My shirt...as I hit my head blood went everywhere...and I had to use my shirt to stop the bleeding as I walked home. I am certain people driving by me thought I was a walking crime scene...however no one stopped to see if I was OK, except for the guy who saw me fall...and got out of his car to help me up and to tell me that I was bleeding, to which I replied "I know"...I didn't have much to say except "I live close" "Thanks for stopping to help me"

Here is my gaping head wound, and as you can see the small goose egg above it...the one thing I was thinking as I walked home was boy that's going to leave a mark. As I was walking I was sure that the entire side of my face was marred...as you know it always seems worse until you get a good look at it...I wonder if I need stitches??? I hate that mole, by the way.
my road rash
the goose egg on my left knee

my hands...these hurt the most

As I was walking home I called GS, who was already at work, he switched hours and I was so happy. This meant he could be here for Easter dinner and the Easter egg hunt. However, he wasn't at home to nurse my wounds. I almost didn't call him because I didn't want to worry him and I knew there was nothing he could do about it from work...

...well at least that was what I thought. He definitely earned his GS standing. He was appropriately worried, appropriately caring, appropriately encouraging, and stayed on the phone with me until I got home. He also understood my grief when I exclaimed (in tears) "I didn't even get to finish my run"


...OK maybe I am a true runner

...crap.

More Later

A-Ro

Baking with Bella

It seems to me that whenever Bella and I are bored we bake. I know not a very smart activity for a woman who is trying to shed the last 15 pounds...especially one who loves buttercream frosting oh so much.

Well Bella and I made flower sugar cookies:

I know it looks like radioactive cookies...maybe a little too much food coloring.

And we made these ADORABLE cake pops. They are in the shapes of chicks, bunnies, and Easter eggs...in case you couldn't tell. They are a cake/frosting middle with a chocolate coating. I got the idea from a blogger called Bakerella. I would be able to link her site to mine if I would just finish the book I bought:
This is how they turned out...

Tooo darn cute...I mean look at the rear end of that bunny...

We had so much fun...well Bella and I had fun for about the first 20 or so...but after that I was just was hoping the fun would end.

...especially when Bella yelled "I'm goin' outside call me when you are done"....60 cake pops...

...sounded like a real good number at 10:00 am...not so much at 4:30 pm.

Thankfully GS was off that day and helped clean up the ENORMOUS mess. And took us out to Reds BBQ for dinner...YEA GS and REDS!!!!!

This was Bella's favorite one...she liked it because it had a crack on the backside that looked like a butt...I decided, wisely, not to post a picture.

...The apple didn't fall too far from the tree I tell you.

She named it Mr. Puff Puff. It is the only one left in the Styrofoam block. If I didn't intervene Mr. Puff Puff would sit there until he rotted. I'll have to start thinking now of a believable excuse for why he is gone. Once attached she won't give in...or forget.

...I wonder if my therapist takes kids...

More Later

- A Ro

Kidlets

Last night was the first night that I didn't have my kids during this spring break. Now I absolutely adore my kids, I love hanging out with them. They are fun and entertaining, and I really do miss them when they are gone.

...but

I sometimes can't wait to have sometime without them. I know that is a luxury that most moms don't get...and I don't recommend going through what I went through to get it...

...there must be a better way....and a cheaper way too, I might add.

Anyway I thought I'd share the last 24 hours without my kidlets.

Andrew went with his dad on Monday night so they could watch the final four game together...you know manly stuff...(truth be told I am a huge sports fan, but that final four game was not for me...so they can have it)...So Bella, GS, and I watched our all time favorite show Chuck...I just LOVE Chuck. If you haven't seen it, I'd say go watch it, but it might be too late for this season...anyway great show.

I took Bella to her dads yesterday and then did the following things:

1. Walked around the mall without hearing "Mom, do we HAVE to go into THIS store", or the blackmail tactic "OK I'll look at clothes if we get to go to the video game store next"...I was very happy spent two of my gift cards and got a pair of new shoes, and some makeup brushes...if my kids were there I would have come away with nada.

2. Stopped at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf on the way home for my Pure Vanilla no sugar added blended drink and spending only $3.50 instead of $11.00 when we are all together. BTW the lady, or should I say young girl, who made my drink was upset about something, bitching and moaning the entire time she made my drink and then slammed it on the counter without a word...OK I don't care how upset you are if your job is customer service you need get a hold of yourself and at least smile at me and say SOMETHING nice...geez.

3. Drove home with a constant brain freeze...I just can't drink or eat anything slowly...this why I always have a brain freeze, or a burnt mouth...patience...I know...this is also why I can't lose any more weight...instant gratification...it's the way I roll.

4. This is the best part...I got home and started dinner for GS and I. Now usually I have to fix what GS and I will eat which is full of veggies and good food and modify the dinner for the kidlets...they are both picky eaters in their own obscure way (it would be too easy for them to be picky eaters in the SAME way). BUT tonight I just cooked for me and GS. I made a Southwestern Shrimp chowder...a recipe from Cooking Light, and spinach sandwiches, a recipe from my ex mother in law. A very yummy, healthy dinner for GS and myself and a very nightmarish dinner for my kidlets...but oh yeah...they weren't home.

5. GS and I went and ran errands...post office, bank, frozen yogurt...and we were in no hurry...cause once again...no kids.

6. I went to bed early and did not have to get up at any particular time to fix hungry children breakfast.

7. Got up at my leisure...went for my run...and now am sitting down to the computer to do whatever I want...and I don't have to share it with a fantasy baseball following son, or a Webkinz playing girl...all mine...I say all mine. To blog, facebook, or whatever I darn well please.

8. And soon I am going to fix myself a bowl of leftover goodness...and without the smell of chicken nuggets in the air.

ahhh life is good...



...and I can't wait for them to come home.


More later

-A Ro

Happy Cupcakes...

Well we are entering week two of our spring break...and I know I should feel lucky to have two weeks off, and don't get me wrong I love my two weeks off, but I do have kids who also have two weeks off plus the overwhelming job of avoiding the "Mom, I'm bored" nonsense. Now they are two great kids who really do know how to entertain themselves so...ok, ok here's the truth...

...I'm bored.

So I was reading my favorite blog, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman (now this is not a shameful plug...she has no idea who I am)

Anyway she did these great fondant covered cupcakes and they looked like so much fun...If you don't know what fondant is it is a kind of icing that you roll out and color and very much like edible playdough for adults...and if you don't know who Pioneer Woman is she is very much like Sesame Street for adults...lots of great information and just as many laughs...I suggest you check her out...again she has no idea who I am.

So I thought I would share with you (all three of you) Isabella and my experience with fondant covered cupcakes...and by the way I felt very much like Martha Stewart today...kinda scary.

First you make the cupcakes...now PW (Pioneer Woman) has this amazing chocolate cupcake recipe...I have my own favorite recipe...

It's called Betty Crocker...now I didn't say I aspire to be Pioneer Woman...I just like her.

So you make the cupcakes according to the box direction...and you do need eggs...so don't be like me and go out and get all the stuff for these amazing cupcakes but then come home and realize that the cupcake mix needs eggs and have to go back to the store...just don't.

Well you know my whole can't have caffeine trauma...(if you don't you can read a couple of blogs back and find out the awful truth) so I picked chocolate cupcakes because I can't eat chocolate...

...I aint no dumb guy.

Chocolate, what chocolate?? I didn't lick the bowl...I don't know what you are talking about.

Then you make the buttercream frosting...it helps the fondant stick to the cupcake...

This is a 1/2 batch...I knew i only needed a little bit...and left over frosting...well let me just say

...I aint no dumb guy.

Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter
1 t. vanilla
1 pound of powdered sugar
heavy cream

1. Cream butter and vanilla
2. Mix with mixer adding powdered sugar a little at a time.
3. Add cream very slowly until desired consistency.

So you have to ice the cupcakes with a little buttercream frosting...the fondant will stick better...only ice one at a time right before you put on the fondant on (a few pictures down)...also make sure the cupcakes are completely cool first.

Here comes the fun fondant...I never have worked with it but I do watch Ace of Cakes so I felt like I was already pre qualified...
This is fondant...now PW said there are a lot of different brands of fondant in crafting stores, but I live in the little known city of Los Angeles and this was the ONLY brand I could find...I know it is what I get for living in such a small town.

Isabella and I picked out 8 different food colors so we divided the fondant into 8 pieces...

...we aint no dumb guys.

I use Wilson's gel food coloring for all my baking needs (no they don't know me either)...it doesn't water down your icing...so we took a couple of toothpicks of icing and put it on the piece of fondant.

Then you work it...twist it...squish it...

...knead it...and knead it...or is it kneed it...I know their is a 'k'...just not sure of the other letters...you will "kneed" (ha ha) a little bit of cornstarch to keep it from sticking...

then roll it...pretty thin...no I don't know how thin...geez I am channeling Martha Stewert not Albert Einstein...now that I think of it Martha would know that answer...ok I just don't know...get over it.

then you cut out a circle using a circle cutter just bigger than the circumfrance of your cupcake...see I used the word circumfrance, aren't you impressed...but I did have to think a minute if that was the right word...pretty sure it is.

Then you put the cut out piece on your hand and put the cupcake on top.
Using the inside of your hands wrap the colored fondant circle around the cupcake.

Here are all the colors we used and a cupcake of each (and some tennis balls why they are there I don't know)...Bella's display idea...it works very nicely. You will need to roll up the fondant when you are done with it and cover it, so it doesn't dry out.

We then used various cookie cutters to make our designs...the end result looks like this...

Aren't those just the darndest, cutest things you have ever seen...

Now we don't know how the cupcakes taste...cuz they were just too cute to eat. GS's one is the blue one that looks like it has a boob on it...purely by accident I can assure you...I would never do something like that...geez.

We put some in the fridge to give to her teachers when we go back to school...we'll let you know if they survive...as I have never used fondant before let along test its refridgerator life. I'll let Bella and GS tell you how they taste...Andrew hates all things cake and things that look like playdough so he'll never know...and I made chocolate cupcakes so I'll never know.

...I aint no dumb guy.

More later

- A Ro

Anatomy of a Six Mile Run

Well today was the day that I was scheduled to run 6 miles...and I DID IT!!!! I ran 6 miles...outside...I still can't believe it. So in honor of my 6 mile run I decided to walk you through it...or should I say...run you through it...get it...get it...OK enough.

ANYWAY...So the things in italics are my thoughts...of course I didn't say anything out loud...

I hope...

First my running play list...it is on random and usually I just let it go...

1. Elevation - U2...love this song...great to run to.
2. 4 Minutes - Justin Timberlake and Madonna
3. Closer - Nine Inch Nails...I skipped this song...too many bad words.
4. It's Not Over - Daughtry...skipped this song too...tired of it.
5. Butterflies and Hurricanes - Muse...one of my students did this song for his CD project and I love it a real hard driving song.
6. Check On It - Beyonce...great running song.
7. Only - Nine Inch Nails...skipped this one too...geez what is it with NIN...
8. Crashed - Daughtry...let it play...this song and I go way back.
9. Wind it Up - Gwen Stefani...
10. Vehicle - Bo Bice...long lost American Idol winner but this song is so...GROOVY
11. Harder to Breathe - Maroon 5
12. Somebody Like You - Keith Urban...just a great happy good to be alive song
13. Love Machine - Oh Yeah...
14. All My Life - Foo Fighters...good beat...strong rhythms
15. What About Now - Daughtry..skipped...I could only handle one Daughtry song.
16. Hollaback Girl - Gwen Sefani...good beat
17. Hey Ya - Outkast...I think I might have sang outloud for this one.
18. Don't Stop - Michael Jackson...needed this title about this time...good call, random
19. The Bird - Morris Day and the Time...remember the movie Purple Rain...good song.
20. Switch - Will Smith...another good song
21. Black Suits Comin' - another Will Smith song

Two Will Smith songs to end the run...lucky me.

The whole run took 1:05...I know kinda slow but...I DID IT!!!

Here goes:
Laced shoes, stretched, started heart rate monitor, started i-pod...and took off...not too fast but not too slow just a good pace.

The first mile - ok legs feelin a little like a lead posts...I'm sure that they will loosen up...they always do. A little chilly...glad I have my sweatshirt on...boy what a sunshiny beautiful day. ok here comes a slight hill...deep breath and get up it. Phew...that is done

OH MY GOSH IT'S HOT...why did I wear a sweatshirt. Ok...do I really love this sweatshirt...if I just leave it in someone's driveway will I regret it later? Maybe I can just tie it around my waist...no that would drive me crazy...hey in a little bit I'll pass a fence post that I will pass again at the end of my run...I'll just leave it there and pick it up on the way back...WOW great idea. Geez do people really run their sprinklers at 8:30 in the morning. Do they realize that the sun will just burn their grass? OK another slight hill...here goes.

Geez...a Daughtry song...alright already...gotta skip it. OOOH a Muse song and a long one...this should be good...

Ok gotta lose the sweatshirt...not much breeze today...I'm gonna overheat if I keep it on. Ok downhill a little and then the fence post. Can I throw it over the fencepost without a) stopping or b) it going completely over the fence....Ok here goes...wow good toss...perfect. I wonder if it will be there when I finish.

No lie I thought about the fencepost and my sweatshirt the entire last 1/2 mile...no joke...I know I need to call my therapist.

The second mile -
Ok this one of the longest stretch of the run a completely straight long street big deep breath here goes. ooh I love this song (Check on It) Rosie Perez on the David Letterman show told a story about how she was on the treadmill and started dancing to this song and she fell off the treadmill and twisted her ankle...ha ha funny story...

wow what a beautiful day look at the mountains and the sun is shining this run feels good...oh no my nose is running...I can't sniff fast enough...Ok I am going to have to wipe my nose on my shirt...ok here goes...I hope no one is watching. Wow that is gross...I can't believe I just wiped my nose on my shirt...what am I two?? No... gosh darn it I am a runner...I could have just done a farmer blow (you know blow your nose out on the ground) no I can't do that my ex step dad used to do that and it totally grossed me out...nope shirt it is.

uh oh here comes the first light I am going to have to cross the busy street...am I going to get a green light? am I going to have to stop? am I going to have to do that weird little running standing still thing...oh no...here it comes...geez gotta stop...should I do jumping jacks or run in place...I look stupid...geez there goes my nose again.

The third mile -
phew made it across the street and turned the corner...here is a nice short street...oh my gosh that is that a headwind??? Geez it is like I am running up hill...oh look there is Jo Anns...I need about a hundred things in there...what is that smell?? Must be the Mission Burrito...geez I have never eaten there before...I wonder if it is good.

"I'm your vehicle baby...I'll take you anywhere you want to go...I love ya, need ya, got to want to have your child"...is that what he really says got to want to have your child??? that doesn't make any sense... I'll have to look it up when I get home.

I wonder if GS is on his way to the gym yet...maybe he'll drive by and give me a honk...I hope not it would scare me to death...and then I would fall...geez what if I fell right now...ok did I just jinx myself...oh there is the car wash place...I need to wash my car.

The fourth mile -
Ok this wind is driving me crazy...how can it be in my face running north and in my face running east...now I have the backside of the long street...phew I think I can make it...feel pretty good...

geez this street has a lot of driveways...too many cars going in and out...I hope I don't get hit...boy people are pretty nice...they always go out of their way not to interrupt my pace...wow nice I hope I don't gross anyone out by blowing my nose on my SHIRT...

"I'm just a love machine, and I won't work for nobody but you...ah ah ah...I'm just a love machine...hmm hmm hmm...I wonder what they are saying there...oh my favorite part ooh ooh ooh yeah...

here comes the next street to cross...oh my gosh another light...another running in place looking like I am doing the pee pee dance...finally here we go...

The fifth mile

I think I am gonna die

The sixth mile

Ok got second wind...I think I just might make it...I wonder if my sweatshirt is still there...what am I going to have for breakfast. I really would like a Starbucks iced passion tea...boy does THAT sound good. Oh here comes another runner coming towards me...I wonder if he will say hi, or smile. I don't care I am going to do the put the hand up wave and smile. Here he comes...phew he smiled and put his hand up too...a sort of kinship among runners...geez that is what I am...a runner. I think that running 6 miles makes me a runner...whether I like it or not.

Here is the end...phew there is my sweatshirt

...I think I'll run just a bit further...just in case I calculated wrong.

...I know I'm crazy.

More Later

- A Ro

The Big Garage Cleanout

So last Friday was the day. The day the garage got cleaned out...we paid our $100 for the big dumpster...and by big I mean...not so big. Geez for $100 bucks I expected dumpster valet service...this is what we got...

But as you can see...we know how to stuff junk.

GS and I were totally psyched to clean out this garage...we talked about it for days...couldn't wait for the dumpster to be delivered. Friday came and we were ready...

As you can see I am so ready...no makeup...just ran 4 miles...don't care...

GS with a big ready to go smile.

Big ready to clean up...mess...now the first picture was after I drug a bunch of crap into the middle of the garage...so really not a fair "before" picture but I forgot to take a real "before" picture.

...I know that you are thinking...a true "blogger" would have taken a real "before" picture.

...did I mention how excited I was to get started.

Isabella got all dressed with shoes and a sweatshirt...when she has shoes and a sweatshirt you know she is in for the long haul......she was a huge help, and only a few times did she say...PLEASE don't throw that arch of cows away...it is beautiful...we must keep it. So here it sits...beautiful. At least she didn't pitch a fit when we threw away the Buzz Lightyear sleeping bag, or the bag of stuffed animals...oh wait she doesn't know about those...never mind.

Anyway...I did sit and look at the mess, and the hardest part was deciding where to start. GS started outside where we had shelves...big metal shelves. We (and when I say we I mean my ex husband) got the shelves from a friend who was closing down a store...this was one of those moments when we (he) should have said "no thank you" when our friend asked us if we (he) wanted three tons of metal shelves. But no...we (he) thought...hey they are free, of course we (he) will use them. Well the free shelves went into the $100 dumpster...the moral of the story is my friends...just say no. (Ok, ok...he can't take all the blame...I did sit by and let him do it...)

I started in the garage armed with a broom and new work gloves...started by the door to the house...logical place to start since I was indecisive...threw away at least three old mops...what is it about mops? Why do we keep the old mop when we get a new one?....more importantly why is it so darn hard to find a mop head replacement?

...but I digress...just as I did in the garage. I must have attention deficit disorder. I just kept jumping from area to area...first the sports equipment area...then the laundry area....then the storage area. Reminiscing over every old photo album.

...I know, I know they shouldn't be in the garage...and now they aren't ok...geez

I found Andrew's old school work, my yearbooks. GS, I am sure, got very tired of hearing..."Hey come look at this"... Surprisingly we got it all done. GS came in and worked hard on the tool shed and finally got everything put in its proper place...and let me tell you the world is a better place when things are in their proper place.Is California the only place where people have their washer and dryer in their garage??

There is still quite a bit of stuff in the garage, but now at least I a) know where most everything is, b) can do laundry without having to move a half dozen things first, c) get into the cars in the garage instead of having to pull out first d) don't have to worry about emergency room visits because of black widow spider bites just to get the soccer ball out of the bin, and e) hammer nails into the walls with the heel of my shoe because I can't find a hammer (c'mon ladies you know EXACTLY what I mean)

...life is good, there is harmony in the universe, and only two black widow spiders lost their lives for the good of the cause...ewwww.

More Later

- A Ro

Garage Sales

My Spring Break has been great. I have done a lot of running, cleaning, trying new recipes, Facebooking, and sleeping in. The running has been great ran 5.7 miles yesterday. The cleaning has been boring, but necessary. I'll have a new recipe tomorrow. The Facebooking has been very interesting. The sleeping in has been disturbing...I really have a love/hate relationship with sleeping in. I love it because usually I am up soooo early, but hate it because it just doesn't feel right to sleep in. Too much I am missing by sleeping in.

Don't worry...I am not going to start getting up at 4:00 am during my spring break just because I feel I am missing something...duh I am not that thick in the head.

Tomorrow I have ordered a big ole dumpster and GS and I are gonna go to town on this house. Everything must Go, Go, Go...

well except for this, and except for that...I can just hear it now.

Really I am not a keeper, I really have no problem pitching things or giving things away. The only thing I have a problem with is garage sales. I really hate them. I hate going to them and I hate having them. I realize that many many...many people love them, and plan their lives around them, and love having them, and make a lot of money at them, and find great finds at them, and sometimes even find something they can take to Antique Roadshow and make a mint...

...I see where this is going and I can honestly say "Not for me"

***My son and daughter have been watching Antique Roadshow with their dad and suddenly Andrew is interested in Garage Sales...I am going to have to have a talk with his dad***

So because at this point in my life I should be having a garage sale, I decided to do a Top 10 reasons I hate garage sale:

10. If see one more fondue pot I'm gonna...

9. Other people's shoes...does that not gross you out???

8. Little round neon colored stickers...they never stay on and it just causes confusion.

7. "I'll give you 24 1/2 cents for this" I hate haggling. I hate haggling for cars...and especially for someone else's socks or lava lamp.

6. Having to do math in your head...you really feel stupid having to use a calculator to add denominations of $.25.

5. The garage sale starts at 7:00 am and by 6:00 am you have a yard full of people...geez people

4. One person's trash is sooo not another person's treasure...trash is trash.

3. I have self esteem issues as it is...I don't need someone turning their nose up at my stuff.

2. People...other strange, small talking people...I know I know call my therapist.

and the number one reason I hate garage sales...




1. Other people's underwear...c'mon you know what I am talking about.


I would love to hear from you (all three of you who read my blog) do you like garage sales...I promise I won't judge you either way...

as they say one woman's nightmare is another woman's dream come true

...are we still talking garage sales...or men...oh never mind.


More Later

-A Ro