Crock Pot Cooking

After a fourth week of a menu consisting of tacos, spaghetti, pizza, and hotdogs and mac and cheese, I decided to take action. Everyone keeps telling me how easy crock pot meals are. I looked through a cookbook especially for crock pot meals, and still didn't find anything that tickled my fancy. So, I began searching online on Aaron's favorite recipe site, thinking maybe I could whip something up as good as he always did! I mentioned in a previous posting that I had pork chops in the freezer that I'd been meaning to use, but just couldn't find a recipe that seemed fool-proof enough for me! Well, I think I finally found one! I'm not going to try them tomorrow because I have a roast in the crock pot now in preparation for beef and noodles tonight. (Which we will eat again tomorrow as leftovers!) But I plan to try them Wednesday! I'm very excited to start learning to make new meals for me and the kids. Wish me luck! And send on your crock pot meals!

You've Got a Friend In Me

Trimming the friend fat. We've all done it, whether we knew it's what we were doing or not, we've gotten rid of people in our lives who are simply acquaintances rather than good friends.
I think it's important to define what characteristics you want in a good friend. For me, I want someone who contributes good things to my life. Rather than listing what I don't want in a friend, I have been trying to list the qualities that give my good friends that good friend status.
In high school, I had a group of friends I ran around with. They were my very best friends. We dealt with the fights, the backstabbing, the gossip, etc because we were in high school and it was just high school drama. And while at the time I felt like my life was over if one of my friends was mad at me, I see now that it was ridiculous to think we'd be friends for life. We all had different personalities, different things to bring to our "group"....and while it was fun being the center of attention, the popular group, the sad reality is that that was just high school. It was no reflection of what was to come in our adult lives.
There are things I've done since high school that may "define" me in the eyes of some of my old high school "friends" and that's fine. I will be the first to admit that I have flaws, I've made mistakes, and I've acted a fool! But I'm not that person anymore. I'm not the high school homecoming queen, I'm not the captain of the cheerleading team, I'm not the party girl, I'm not the girl who always fell through on her word, I'm not the girl who couldn't be depended on... I'm not any of those things I once was...I am now a 28 year old woman, raising two small kids on her own. I would like to think that I do a good job in my life, my job, and with my family. I am realizing more and more that those people in my past are just that-- people in the past. I will not apologize for my past. I do not have regrets. Everything that has happened in my life has made me into the person I am today, and I will not apologize for that.
I would rather have three INCREDIBLY LOYAL, TRUSTWORTHY, HONEST, FAITHFUL friends, than the friends in my past who I know are none of those things. It's a good feeling to know that I can call my friends ANYTIME and they'll be there for me. I've been though a LOT of stuff in the past year. I have been in very low points. I NEEDED someone to help bring me back up and I can honestly say that from that I know who my true friends are. I also know that my friends would never backstab me, talk badly about me, or judge me for my past. I know that my friends are TRUE friends and that's a good feeling to have!

"Some friendships do not last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers."
- Proverbs 18:24

27 vs 28..It's on!

I hear Lilly say it all the time, "Mom, when I get older can I _________?" I just laugh and think about how ridiculous it is to think of Lilly and Anderson as older! I was holding Lilly in church last Sunday wondering if she's too old to be held (personally I don't think they're ever too old to be held!)But she's so tall (and I'm so short) that when I'm standing up holding her, her little feet dangle to my knees! But enough about size...I'm talking age.

I've been making plans to meet up with an old friend who I haven't seen in well over ten years. We're pretty much the same age (I think he's maybe a year younger than me), but his idea of fun and mine seem a little distorted! While I can understand his intentions of wanting to do something "fun" and "crazy" on his little mini-vacay to Indiana (which is just CRAZY fun in itself!)I just can't help but be exhausted at the thought of the ideas he's thrown out! LOL!
So I wonder...am I just old? Can I not "keep up" with someone who is literally a year younger than me? LOL! Is the leap from 27 to 28 that brutal? LOL! I think not! I think it's just me! I'm a prude! A TIRED prude at that!

DUH MOM!

I can't help but be "that" parent who thinks the things her kids do are insanely hilarious. If you're not one of "those" people who enjoy hearing stories (which are probably not that entertaining!) about other people's kids, skip this blog.

Lately I've caught myself sitting back and just listening to the kids. They're at that age where they're content just playing with each other, not really wanting me to join in their fun! The past few days have just made me realize how old my kids are getting. The following story is just an example of how hilarious my kids are!

Saturday morning I had to go into work to do a few things, so clearly I took the kids with me. On the way there, a song was playing on the radio. I had NO idea what the song was; although I'm sure I've heard it a few times on XM in the morning. All of a sudden, Lilly says "That's Kesha, not Lady Gaga!" WWWWWWWWWWWWHAT? I looked back at her and she's just staring blankly at me as though she just told me something as obvious as her own name. Seriously, I've barely HEARD that Tik Tok song, let alone know who sings it. Is this girl serious? I couldn't help but laugh hysterically!!!

OOOH that girl!

The Not-So-Obvious, obviously.

I've compiled a list of things that seem obvious to others, but not to me. These are things that I need to learn, so if anyone has the answers, please comment and let me know.

1) How to pump air into my tires at a gas station. Last weekend Mom was in town, and just as we were leaving for our weekly shopping extravaganza, I noticed my rear tire was slightly low. I looked at mom, thinking she'd surely know how to put air into a tire...she did not. Whoops. After calling two different people, at 9:30 on a Saturday morning, and getting no response, I surrendered and called Don Ayres Honda to see if they could fit me in for a quick look at my leaking tire. And come to find out, there actually was a small hole in my tire, which would have needed patched, even if I did know how to put air into my tire. For future reference though, I should know how to put air into my tire.

2) What time zone do I live in? I'm trying to arrange a time with my group for my online class so that we can "meet" in our designated chat room, but I don't know what time zone I'm in and many of them live in other states. At the risk of looking like a total moron, I have just not responded, hoping to find out before I need to post something in our group discussion again. This may be a ridiculous thing, but for whatever reason, I don't know. In my defense however, I've never had to worry about time zones because I've never had to change times until the past few years. Ugh, whatever the reason, just tell me what time zone I live in please!

3) How to delete a contact, for good, from my phone? Damn iPhone. Why must you save a number in eighteen different locations, only to taunt me with the number I've been trying to forget. After deleting the contact information, with the exception of the email address (hey, I might need to contact this person at SOME point, right! LOL!) I later found the number, without the name though, in my "favorites" section, and again in the voicemail. WHY iPhone WHY!? Let me forget this damn number!!!

4) How to make pork chops, without the grill. Or even furthermore, how to use my grill. Before Aaron left (insert eye roll) he bought tons of meat. I have no clue how to even turn on my grill, let alone use it and cook something on it. And while that's not really an issue now, as I have no plans of stepping into the foot of snow on my back patio to actually get to the grill, I still have this meat that I'd like to be able to use. I have tried baking grilled chicken in the oven, and while my mom swears by it, I just can't seem to get it to taste good. It always comes out tasting dry and turkey-ish. I love pork chops, so I need to know an EASY, fool-proof way of cooking them inside.

At this point in my blog I'd like to give special thanks to those of you who have taught me life-lessons in the past months.
Sally: Thank you for teaching me how to use my four-wheel drive...even if it meant you actually coming out to my truck to turn it on, or me calling you on a Friday evening at home! LOL! Who knew it was as simple as the push of a button!
Shannon: Thank you for teaching my how to start (and use) my lawn mower; I actually look forward to the coming months when I'll be able to use it again!
Adam (and sometimes Andrea): Thank you for your step-by-step directions to opening a bottle of wine, and oftentimes retrieving the pieces of cork from the bottle. (Just keep drinking!)I've now perfected the art of opening a bottle of wine.

Dirt ball turned nice? Closet dirt bag?

Let's play a game where we all pretend that I'm just telling fictional stories.

Scenario 1:
A guy, let's call him Pete, is a pretty terrible guy. He treats people badly. He does bad things. He says mean things. He probably doesn't WANT to be bad, but he is. Pete is just an ass. Pete escapes from reality, more than once. Pete wants to explore the world and forget about his old life. Perhaps Pete has good motives. Maybe Pete sees starting over as the only way to a better life. Blah blah blah. Pete, after ditching all his responsibilities, begins to do great service work. He works at soup kitchens, gives rides to those in need, helps old ladies carry groceries across the street (stick with me, it's fictional!). The problem? Pete still has responsibilities in his "old life" that he's failed to take care of. He has basically forgotten that he even HAD an "old life."
My question: Has "dirt ball" Pete turned nice? How does everyone in Pete's "old life" accept and trust that he's a good person now? Do they have to?

Scenario 2:
A guy, let's call him Mike, seems to be a pretty great guy...especially on paper. Mike is ambitious, athletic, generous, and says all the right things. Mike probably isn't half as great as he makes himself out to be, but for some reason, people believe that he is! Mike convinces an unnamed girl that he is genuine and sincere. Girl tries to believe, but with today's social networking, "falls" into reasons to believe otherwise. Whoops. Mike may be a closet dirt bag.
My question: There is no question. Mike is a dirt bag, caught.

DAMN YOU BACHELOR!

Let it be known, I probably couldn't make it through an entire episode of "The Bachelor" without a bottle...eerrrr GLASS of wine ;) but since I use the delectable drink to help me through the reality show, I've become addicted...not to the wine, but to the show and the idea of the show! Yeah yeah yeah I know, the show is intended to make us single (or not single) gals reflect upon our dreary, dreadful, sad, lonely, (I'll stop there) lives and give us these ridiculous hopes of what we may one day find. But let's be honest, we all know it's never going to happen. As fun as it is to pretend to be Allie or Tenley and have a handsome hunk who says all the right things, at all the right times, at all the right locations (hello St.Lucia), we know that none of the lackluster men in our lives would mutter a single one of Jake's sweet-nothings, let alone take us to St.Lucia, or at least not without bitching about "how much this is costing him."

So I've been thinking. How do we decide the point at which we're just settling versus being less subjective? Let me just be completely honest, I've turned into that self-help-book-reading-girl. During one of my afternoons perusing Yahoo, I came across an article that spoke directly to me. I quickly emailed my friend Megan telling her I must buy this book.

I didn't have to work last Wednesday due to bad weather. I saw it as a perfect opportunity to take my car in for an oil change and some other minor work, and a GREAT day to start reading my new book. After waiting outside of Barnes & Noble, only to find out they were opening late due to weather, I went across the street to Borders. After turning down the cute Border boy's offer to help me find what I was looking for, I spent the next twenty minutes trying to locate this bright red book...keeping my distance from the "Self-Help" section...convinced that was not my precious book's categorization. Indeed, it was. I got to the counter only to find out that my "relationship bible" was $27! My eyes bugged out and before I could stop myself I blurted out "OH MY, it was only $15 at Barnes and Noble and I would have gotten it there but they're opening late due to the weather..." I stopped myself as fast as I could, thinking that this guy must think I'm the most pathetic moron to have entered his store. Here is this young (28 is still young) girl bitching about how much her husband-finding book is costing her. Oh, embarrassing. I quickly exit the store, gratful that I don't spend much time in Borders.

I've read only a small bit of the book, and after reading it I feel compelled to go out there and find me a short, balding, nice guy....but then I SEE the short, balding, nice guy and I can't help but feel slightly cheated. While the book makes a good point (what "perfect" guy is going to want a 28-year-old girl with two kids, a jaded outlook on relationships, etc), I can't help but feel like there's still something more. Now don't get me wrong, I'm in NO hurry to find "the one"....if he even exits (well welcome back, Cynicism!) but I WOULD like to have something to do once in awhile, with someone other than my mother and my two kids (no offense Mama!). And with all my friends' upcoming weddings, it'd be NICE to have a date to those events, rather than hoping for a fellow single friend to be in attendance!

I don't know. Perhaps I should try watching The Bachelor with clear eyes (literally!) and then I'd get a look at how completely silly it is to think that another guy like Jake exists! (Anyone know if he has a brother?! LOL!)