Friday, July 29, 2011

Friday Confessions

"Good morning Beetle.  You haven't had a post since Ten on Tuesday."

Corey keeps me keepin' on.

But unfortunately there isn't time today to "keep on" so I give you a blast from the not-so-distant past.

July 30, 2010 to be exact.

Enjoy party people.

1. I speak the language of the trucker thanks to a country boyfriend in high school with a CB radio and also a non-traditional student in my senior year speech class in college. I was able to correspond with a driver Wednesday using a series of high beam flashes.


It's not as exciting as you think. I let him know it was safe for him to come over into my lane.

2. Corey and my song is Taylor Swift's Romeo and Juliet. He downloaded it onto his iPod, I laughed at him, then we both sang at the top of our lungs.

3. When I feel like I'm getting sick I shove carrots in my mouth.

4. I need to find some carrots.

5. But not cooked carrots. They still gross me out.

6. My new nighttime routine (when I'm home before 9:30) is to snuggle up to Matlock and a pint of ice cream.

7. I just realized "high beam" is also used when talking about boobies. That is not what I was referring to in the situation above. Just so we're clear.

8. I made someone mad yesterday. He now wants my name and address to run a background check and make sure I'm competent enough to do my job. I suggested he browse my Facebook page.

9. There is a piece of watermelon stuck to the passenger seat of my car. It has been there for two weeks and is now blue from my passengers denim covered rear ends.

10. One of my English teachers from high school died several years ago. To this day I still cringe when I write "there is" and end sentences with prepositions because I am convinced he is going to pelt me with acorns or natural disasters.

...

Happy Friday!!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Ten on Tuesday

Let's just jump right into it....


1. What colour are your toenails painted?
Turquoise and Caicos.  Those folks at Essie are clever with their names.  However, this is the only name I've seen that actually describes the color.

Seriously, Essie.  Nice is Nice?  What does that even mean?

2. What colour are your fingernails painted?
They're not.  I haven't gotten around to painting myself "merino cool"

Again with the names.

3. What is your favourite brand of nail polish?
Essie.  A million times Essie.  You put the stuff on, it stays there until you're bored with it.

4. As the norm, do you DIY your nails or get mani/pedis?
DIY.  I like to waste money on other things.  Like garage sale junk.

5. Have you ever had a gel mani? Do you recommend it?
No.  I've only had two or three manicures In.  My.  Life.

6. What is the last movie you watched on television? (TV, Netflix, Redbox, etc.)
Black Swan.  I wish I had read the full synopsis before jumping in.  At "girl on girl action" I would have leaned strongly toward "will never watch".  But otherwise I think I liked it.  The last part of the movie, where she's Black Swan was soooo Oscar worthy. 

Bravo Natalie Portman, but dang girl, why do you have to be so raunchy?

7. What is the last movie you watched in the cinema?
It's been so long I don't even remember.  Maybe Despicable Me?  I'm far too busy (and cheap) to watch movies in the theater.  Unless I can fold laundry/bake/paint toes while watching it's just not worth it.

8. Is there a movie that everyone talks about as if it is a classic but you haven’t seen?
All of them.  If there is a movie everyone has seen, I haven't.  Titanic is one.  All of my friends saw it, twice.  But I refused because I didn't have a boyfriend to see it with.  And for some reason I labeled that a "date" movie and a "date" movie only.

9. What is your favourite movie soundtrack?
Garden State.  I haven't seen the movie but was given the soundtrack by a friend.  I have since worn the sucker out.  Some songs don't even play anymore.

Also, The Little Mermaid.

10. Have you ever seen a movie and thought it was better than the book it was based on?
Not yet. 

Monday, July 25, 2011

Weekend Wrap Up: Berries and Burns

"Ooooo, garage sale?!  No, zucchini."

That was my sister, Kimberlie.  We went berry picking Saturday, but of course had our eyes on the look out for cheap junk.

...

July has been a wonderful month of weekends.  Each weekend is even better than the last!

...due in part to a completely jam packed five days in between of work, work, work, walk dog, work, and work.

Of course Corey is happy.  With the start of track season his weekends are full of handicapping races, yammering on the phone with his buddies, and hanging out at the place to be in the summer, Siro's.

And that leaves me with oodles and oodles of time to myself.  Sure, I get my Corey and Stacie time in the morning; we walk the dog, go to breakfast, shop the farmer's market.  But then he's off and I'm free go wherever the wind may take me.

That wind kept me at our apartment Friday night, but it brought down my two sisters, Katie and Kimberlie, for a girls' night that included nachos, cookies, cookie dough, Super Mario Brothers, an insane amount of giggling, a near fight because Katie accused Kimberlie of trying to kill Mario on purpose, and the movie Black Swan.

Side note: the movie Black Swan is not intended to be watched by those who are easily embarrassed by baby-makin' material.  It is also not intended for those who name Dumb and Dumber in their top 10.

Another side note: nachos are not complete without avocado.

What came next in the weekend looked something like this:
  • berry picking
  • three pounds of raspberries and blueberries freezing until I can figure out what to do with them
  • sunburn
  • excitement over upcoming tan...you know, once the lobster color fades
  • playing with cutest 2yr old on the planet
  • sitting in duck poo
  • trying to look excited about ducks while sitting in duck poo
  • dog walk
  • early bed time
  • church
  • birthday BBQ
  • birthday cake
  • birthday presents, including a jar of over a million buttons
  • birthday swim
  • birthday near drowning
  • dog walk
  • clean veggies
  • collapse into bed
  • bad dream
And now I am exhausted.  But, once again, oh-so satisfied. 

Coming up: lots of work, some complaining, one melt down, eating my weight in chocolate, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Friday Confessions

1.  Yesterday I spent two hours learning about septic systems and "slime layers".  I almost lost my slime layer.

2.  On the very rare occasion when I do turn down a sweet treat and someone says, "You could use the extra calories!" what I really hear is, "You could use diabetes!"

3.  "Die-betes?  Why not call it Live-betes?"

Name that quote.

4.  While flipping through the channels Corey stopped on A&E where they were talking about mobster, Frank Lucas.

"He's my grandpa's brother."

This is Frank Lucas:


5.  Corey likes to tell stories.

6.  I believe them.

7.  While driving home Thursday night I felt a little tickle on my neck.  It was a beetle, but the way I was screaming you woulda thought I had a cougar on my back gnawing on my jugular.

8.  Today is opening day for the Saratoga Race Course, the most historic horse race track in the country.  This means nothing to you.  But for Corey it is Christmas.  And he has not stopped talking.

"Beetle!  Tomorrow when we go to breakfast (at the track) I already know what I'm going to get..."

"Ok..."

"First I'll get a muffin, then fruit.  Maybe a pancake."

It's like living with a kid.

9.  But I laugh, because it's cute.

10.  And then I leave for work because I need some stinkin' peace and quiet already.

...

Happy very, very warm Friday!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Weekend Wrap Up: Birthday Business

I turned nearly-old on Saturday; twenty nine.

I'm over it.

But for Corey that means he only has one more year that he can say his wife is in her twenties.

...

He's over it.

...

To celebrate we had a most fantastic weekend.

I think I said the last weekend was the best in recent memory (recent being a span of just months, I have a terrible memory) but this past one has surpassed it, despite the weekend starting with news of JLo and Marc Anthony splitting.

Seriously, if Jen and Marc can't make it, who can?

If Will and Jada ever head for their attorneys don't even expect to see my face for at least three weeks.

But I digress.

The plan was to spend the day in NYC, the night in our favorite little village, Tarrytown, and return Sunday afternoon.

But this is what actually happened:

(i spent most of Friday night, also the dog's birthday, at a going-away party, the following conversation took place Saturday morning)

"Beetle, you missed all of Bro Wolf's* birthday."

"I know, but he's a dog and I don't think he realized it was his birthday."

"I had to stay with him.  I got him a steak, and you didn't come home."

"Sorry.  But Jeff is leaving on Sunday and I wanted to say good bye."

"But it was Bro Wolf's birthday."

"..."

"And then since I didn't hear from you I figured I might as well go out too and I had two beers and now I have a headache."

He was pretty upset over the way the whole night turned out.  So we called off the weekend and spent the day in Saratoga.

Which was just fine with me.

Save six hours of driving time, a ton of money for the room, a ton of money for gas and tolls, a ton of money for expensive NYC food, etc.  It would have been nice to get away, but our hometown is pretty nice already, there isn't much anyone would want to get away from.

So we started out with a birthday tour of the farm.


Corey's friend's horse farm where we met the residents. 


Who were quite hospitable.  Oh how I love horses.

Then it was off to birthday estate sale where I picked up a lovely old window shutter for $1.  My dear, sweet, "clutter-is-my-number-one-enemy" husband doesn't yet understand my need for random "junk."

He sees junk.  I see an earring rack.

Then it was birthday lunch time.


I tell you what, anyone that gives me crab, onion rings and deviled eggs all on one plate is my new best friend.  I don't know the name of the head chef, but if he were in need of a kidney...I'm just sayin'.

Next up: birthday shopping to use all that money we saved by not going to the city.  Being the super savvy shopper that I am, I walked out of Banana Republic with $300 in merch for only $75.  Unfortunately, Corey was not agreeable to my idea of using the remainder of the money we saved at the estate sale.

But that did not stop the day!  Oh no, up next was birthday nap, directly followed by birthday Queen special on the Bio channel and birthday steak sandwich.  After the birthday sandwich came birthday ice cream topped with chocolate everything and more birthday shopping.

This was followed by birthday sidewalk chalk art,



birthday entertainment,


and birthday drinks at our favorite restaurant's back patio.

It was lovely.

But after an hour or so I was ready for the next plan, birthday movie, but Corey wasn't letting us leave.

"I'm ready to go."

"Ok, just hang on a second."

"But I'm ready."

"Just hang on.  Frank is getting me a menu."

(we had already eaten, but were planning on having breakfast there the next day)

"You mean the same menu we already looked at online??"

"...no, a different menu.  Just hold on, ok??"

After a few more minutes of agitation Frank, the bartender, walks out with my birthday surprise: a fancy dessert with fancy writing and a candle.



It was delish.

And then it was birthday bedtime.  Because after all of that I had nothing left to give.  Not to a birthday movie, not to birthday cookies, not even to birthday Matlock.  But that is the best way to end the day, completely exhausted and satisfied.

...

*Bro Wolf is what Corey calls Oliver.  It's shortened from Brother Wolf, which probably makes even less sense, but now you know.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Ten on Tuesday

Boy do I have some stories for you!  Unless I don't get around to posting them very soon, in that case I will know there are stories but I won't remember them...and that, my friends, is a lot less interesting.  So first our Tens, then the rest.  Mmmkay?


1. What is your favorite zoo to visit?
Corey and I always go to the West Palm Beach Zoo when we go to Florida.  It's not huge, but they have all of our favorite animals, and it's usually too hot to do much more than what they've got.


2. Do you visit a zoo very often?
See answer to number one.  "Always" was every spring, until just recently when we realized we'd like to try a new vacation getaway.  A vacashway as Old Navy calls it.

3. Do you have a membership to a zoo?
Nope.

4. When you visit a zoo, do you stay all day or just an hour or two?
I like to stay for-ev-er and look at every single thing.  And then I like to plant it in front of the monkeys so I don't miss any of their antics.

5. Do you buy food at the zoo or pack a picnic lunch?
Zoo food all the way.  Preferably a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  For some reason PB&J just feels right.

It's also the meal of choice at Disneyland.

6. What is you favorite animal to see at the zoo?
The otters.  They do back flips without any formal training and I admire the athleticism.

7. What is your least favorite animal to see at the zoo?
I have none.  I love all the animals.

8. What is your favorite memory of going to the zoo as a kid?
We went to the San Diego Zoo a few times when I was young.  I think there may have been an elephant ride...?  I remember snippets of a lot of different parts of those visits and they are among some of my favorite memories in the "of all time" category.

9. Do you visit the gift shop when you go to the zoo?
You betcha.  I love the gift shops almost as much as the otters.

10. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best and 1 being the worst) how nice is your city’s zoo?
Not Applicable.  We don't have a zoo, but we do have a lot of squirrels.  And I would rate them at about a 7.

...

Happy Tuesday!  I hope the leaves of your plants aren't literally burning in this scorching heat like ours!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Friday Confessions

1-10. I was not aware today is Friday, and although it was a pleasant surprise to realize I am one day closer than I thought to the weekend (which is full of birthday fun in The City) I also had that feeling like in high school when I got to school and realized my big English paper was due that day and I was no where near finished.  To make a long story not quite as short as it could be: I have no Friday Confessions other than that I have no Friday Confessions.

Oh, and that I'm losing followers left and right.  Which means several someones do not think I am as amusing as I do.

Well, we'll see how well they make out in finding a more amusing blog.  What, do they think these things grow on trees?  Are there sooooo many of us out there that they can just hop from blog to blog until they find something that fits them perfectly?!

...

Oh, so you're saying there are several blogs to choose from.

Welcome to 2011, Stace.

...

AnyAwkwardSituation, have a wonderful weekend all!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Weekend Wrap Up: Friends and Ballet

Best weekend in recent memory.

And I have not a single picture to share.  What am I, some kind of knucklehead?

Yes.

...

My friend Jill came to visit on Friday and we had ourselves a super, dooper girly time.  Involving all things food, garage sale and "did you hear who's with who??"

I love girl time, because living with, you know, a boy tends to stifle the amount of giggling I need to get out of my system.  It's like this: holding in your pee is to your bladder like holding in your giggles is to your psyche.

Or something like that.

But the best part was not the armload of goodies I picked up at an estate sale for only $3 or the lamp my dad bought me because he knew I wanted it so-so-so-so bad...

...although those things were a close runner-up.

The best part of the weekend was the Saratoga Performing Arts Center's annual Ballet Gala Lawn Party, featuring the NYC Ballet.

Which is fancy talk for a buncha people all dressed up hanging out on the lawn of SPAC eating snacks and watching the ballet.

Oh but the ballet was more than that.  It was magical.  And is there a better way to watch it than on a blanket under the stars, sipping champagne?  And is there a better way to tell a love story than through the movements and expressions of the dancers??

...maybe through Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.  They seem to do one heck of a job in the romance department.

But before the ballet, groups of people set up tables and chairs and food and drinks and just do whatever they want to do.  It's very willy nilly, but the best kind of willy nilly because it involves whatever food stuffs you want.

Unfortunately, because I have been so busy lately I had to rely on other people's "stuffs".  Which were pret-ty good.  A little bit from this table, a little bit from that table and some cheese and crackers from my own Dixie "platters" and it was a meal fit for a gal who likes herself a tasty meal.

After the ballet we were all treated to fireworks.  Really neat fireworks that may have seemed a bit bigger and brighter due to the bottle of champagne.

Split five ways.

But champagne, nonetheless.

This was directly followed by a band Corey doesn't like and dancing.  Of course, Corey did not join Jill and I in the groove arena.  He was not missed. 

Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but honestly Corey is there anything else you can do on the dance floor other than 80's moves?

No?

Ok, stick with what you know, that's what I always say.

The night ended at 1am when the lights went up and the music went out.  It was a side of Sunday morning I didn't expect to see.  But it was an incredibly enjoyable night.  So enjoyable I took all of Sunday and part of Monday recovering from it.

Don't judge.  I'm only human.

A human that obviously cannot handle champagne.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Ten on Tuesday on Wednesday

Reminds me of a joke I just heard from Jimmy Fallon.  See there was this robber....no, no.  Inappropriate.

After what seems like an eternity away (but may be more like a coupla weeks) I present:


1. When you are on a plane and the kid behind you is kicking your seat, what do you do?
Cry.  But I cry on planes no matter what is going on behind me, in front of me, beside me, below me, etc.

I don't like planes.


2. What food that you KNOW is bad for you and you shouldn’t have, but you love/eat it anyway?
Brownies.  But because I know I can never, ever give them up I have limited my crap intake just to make caloric room for the rare treat of a brownie...or cookie.

Or two Entenmann's donuts I snuck from my parents' house last time I was there.

3. What is your favorite book of all time?
Tie: Wuthering Heights and Love in the Time of Cholera.  My.  heart.  melts.  just thinking of those books.  And if I had an extra seven hours in my day I just might read them again.

4. If I came to visit you in your town, where would we eat?
Ravenous for breakfast; I would have the Texas Tornado crepe and you would have the fudge brownie crepe and I would probably eat half of yours.  Then Circus Cafe for lunch; you would probably get the cotton candy mound for dessert and I would look away embarrassed.  Then Sperry's for dinner where we'd fight over the fried artichoke appetizer and then sit on the back patio for "after dinner" drinks (ie. milk).

5. You have 500 dollars and 40 minutes to spend it at any store you want. Where do you go?
Here's my boring, yet wise answer: TJMaxx.  More for less.  Which may have been a slogan...

6. What blog do you read every day/the most often?
All of 'em.  If they're on my list and they posted something, my eyeballs are on it.  I'm nosy like that. 

7. What’s the longest you’ve ever been stuck at an airport?
April 2011: seven agonizing hours in Washington DC.

8. What’s your daily makeup/face/cleansing routine?
Wash, dry, restore pH, moisturize.  If I'm feeling frisky I'll throw on some eye bag creme.  Then on goes the layer upon layer of cremes and powders.

9. Where is your farthest away friend?
I have a friend in Morocco right now.

But don't worry, she'll be back.

10. Where is your favorite place to go hiking (or to enjoy nature)?
Why, the Adirondacks!  With six million acres of extreme wilderness there's a little bit of everything.  Including mooses, of which if I still have yet to see.

...

Happy trails!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Friday Confessions

1.  Corey got a new toothbrush.  Apparently smearing my plaque and gingivitis all over his pearly whites was just too much to bear. 

What happened to "What's mine is yours"??

Buncha baloney.

2.  I may or may not have accidentally run a man on a bike into a garbage can while not paying attention to where I was walking.

3.  But let's be honest here.  We both know I actually did it.

4. I told Corey I want to have a mother-in-law apartment some day just in case we need to take care of our mothers.  He is thrilled with the idea.

5.  Opposite day.

6.  My weekend looks like this: friend comes into town, eat, practice mouth farts, giggle, run all over the place, big fancy party, practice mouth farts, ballet, breakfast, drive, Yankee game, drive, sleep until Tuesday.

7.  I have a hard time killing bugs.

"Wow, look at the size of that ant!!"

"Jeez Stace, kill it!"

"Oh, no...."

8.  There's a drinking song our favorite Irish band plays, but now that blogging has a hold of me I've caught myself singing, "Link up now!"

9.  I was guilty of telling preggos, "Look how BIG you are!!"  I now know this is not acceptable.

10.  Added to the growing list of my old lady characteristics: I now complain about driving at night.

...

Happy Friday!!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

My favorite things....right now

In order to make up for what is lacking in my posts these days (substance), I'm going to try to feed you little tidbits o'stuff.

This first one is about the junk I really like at the moment.

Enjoy.

...

Farmers market spinach: green, firm and not slimy.  I never knew this is how spinach is supposed to be.

Corey talks in his sleep too: "Hey Corey, you should probably get up, we need to leave soon." "Will you please stop talking?!  You come in here like a hurricane and....sorry Beetle, I'm only half awake."

Trivia night at the bowling ally: if it looks country, sounds country, then it must be country.  I don't care.  I do trivia in a bowling ally and I love it.

Corey's secret chicken recipe: can't tell you what's in it.  Secret.

Falling asleep to Matlock. 

Falling asleep to Matlock via YouTube on my phone when Matlock is not more easily accessible.

Oliver: even though he attacks other dogs because he is a grumpy old man.  This implies there are moments where I don't like him.  That would be correct.  I don't like him when he attacks other dogs.

Buying new pens: I love office supplies more than you'll ever know, my friends.

...

Until the next tidbit, tah-tah!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Priorities

"What happened to Ten on Tuesday?"

"Sorry mom, I've just been so busy."

"Doing what??"

"Well, work."

"What about right now?"

"...but it's 9pm."

"And you still have three more hours left of Tuesday."

...

"Hey Beetle, you do a blog today?"

"No, I was too busy."

"You gotta keep on top of that.  People read that stuff."

...

So, my dad and I have been planning this little fundraiser for Saturday, August 13 in our town.  It's sort of a big deal, in that the proceeds are desperately needed for our area soup kitchen and it's our first year planning the thing.

Here's what we've got going on:
  • Food.  Lots and lots of it.
  • Vendors.  People sellin' their goods and non-profits looking for volunteers.
  • Kids stuff.  Games, arts and crafts, bounce house, face painting, storytelling, etc.
  • Music.  All.  Day.  From 9am to 8pm.
  • Raffle.  Including several gas grills.
Hey, no big deal.

Yeah.

It's been a little more involved than we expected.  Like, "So we need a permit to sell food??"

And, "Maybe we should have more than five vendors so we don't look stupid."

And then there was, "So you're saying the bands want to know exactly when they perform??"

And now that we're in it up to our eyeballs it's probably a good idea to follow through.

Although I threatened to quit all responsibilities more than once.

This includes laundry.  Mostly because I would prefer to not have to fold laundry.

But in the end, what we're doing in preparation for August 13 will be worth it.

And every missing Weekend Wrap Up, Ten on Tuesday and Friday Confessions means more time for figuring out how to add fried burritos to the menu or harassing local pastors into signing up for dunk tank shifts.

I know you understand.

That's why we're friends.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Friday Confessions

...live from my day off!

1.  If my Ten on Tuesday isn't posted by noon I get scolded.  By my mother.

"Uh hello???  It's Tuesday!"

2.  I ordered take out from one of my favorite restaurants this week and the guy gave me a dollar too much in change.  I found myself in a moral dilemma: return the dollar and embarrass the guy in front of the girl, or keep the dollar and spare him the humiliation.  I kept the dollar.  But mainly because I was already out the door and I didn't want them to think it took me that long to do the correct math.

3.  But then I had to go back in for chopsticks.  I still kept the dollar.  But this time it was for the kid's sake.

4.  I brake for lemonade stands.

5.  Because I'm off today on Thursday, knowing I wouldn't see my co-workers to wish them a happy fourth, I shouted to one as she left, "Happy Fourth of July!!"  and she said, "Why?  It's Wednesday."

6.  On Tuesday I woke up thinking it was Friday.

7.  One day I am going to write an entire week's worth of posts about my favorite restaurant in Glens Falls: GGMamas.  People, these folks feed me.  They feed me good food, and they feed me when they're closed and I barrel my way in anyway.  They deserve an award.

8.  I accidentally used Corey's toothbrush Tuesday night.  On Wednesday morning when I told him he asked me to hand him his bottle of Listerine.

9.  On my days off I watch trash daytime TV.  I just can't get enough of "one of these seven men may be the father of my baby."

10.  I spent the morning with alpacas.  And when I left I may or may not have asked to take one home.  More on that later because getting there was half the "fun."

...

Happy Friday!  And Happy 4th!!