Readers

Recently I had my annual eye exam and much to my dismay I was told I was in need of readers.  

Initially, I pushed through my obvious need for them because 1) I felt I was way too young for readers.  I was planning to wear cute readers in my 40s but they are not in my current fashion plan; and 2) I was quite confident the military optometrist was young enough to be my son and probably made a mistake. 

I did my usual mumbling and complaining to anyone who would listen.  I figured I could talk my way out of them with Carl since he usually buys into what I'm telling him.  It didn't work.

I mentioned my need for readers to Michael and he said something about me being a cougar like Sarah Palin.  This peaked my interest and I immediately Googled her glasses.  I didn't like them, but I was a little more interested to find that all readers didn't come with matching neck chains.  I started shopping around and found a cute pair of burgundy Coach readers with rhinestone dragonflies on the arms.  Score.

But wait, it gets better.

When Carl and I went to order my cute little readers (see how they are cute now?) the optometrist had to measure my eyes for the glasses.  She had me look into  something that measured the distance between my eyes to make sure the lenses were set properly.  As she pulled the measuring device back she did a double take.  I assumed something was wrong.  She said, "well that's strange, they're perfectly symmetrical.  you don't see that very often".

I looked up at Carl and asked, did you hear that, perfectly symmetrical?  Then I asked her to say it again.

I like this reader thing.  It's gonna be alright.

Throwback Thursday

Is it love or is it Memorex?

One of my favorite things about the 80s was mix tapes.  You'd wait for hours for the DJ to play your favorite song and even though he'd talk over the first half of it, you'd record it, along with others and give them to the one you loved.  It was the thought, right?

Mix tapes.  Remember?  Everyone had them.

I found this website and made a tape for Carl.  He didn't get it, but, well, he's Carl.

Check it out and make one for the one you love.  He'll think you're wicked cool for trying.

Fast Bulbs & Gravy

Yesterday afternoon while I was preparing one of my husband's favorite meals for the fifty millionth time I started to wonder why some people refuse to share their recipes.

I've never shared this recipe but mostly out of shame. My grandmother on my father's side insists that there is "no such thing as good Italian food fast" and I'm afraid that she just might be a little bit incorrect about this meal. Therefore, I declare that this meal is NOT Italian, just good. (Or maybe it's not the 19th century anymore and things are made a little faster.)

Either way, I'm NOT saying Grandma D is wrong. No way. No how.

This is also not Grandma D's recipe, it's mom's. So Grandma would probably have a complaint about that too.

Anyway, on to the recipe. I might warn you that I DO NOT measure but I'm a fairly good guesstimator, if I do say so myself.

BULBS

• 1.5 # of Ground Turkey or Beef


• 1 tube of Ritz crackers


• 3 eggs


• 2 TBSP Chili Powder


• 2 TBSP Flour


• 1 Onion


• 1 Green Pepper


• 3 Cloves Garlic
  
• Salt


• Pepper
  

SAUCE (Oh yah, you're making the gravy too)

• Can Of Tomato Juice (Big Can)


• 290z of Tomato Puree
  

Get out a stock pot and pour in the Tomato Juice and Tomato Puree. Bring to a boil for about 15 minutes.

In a separate boil mix together all of the other Bulb ingredients and add to the sauce in even balls after the sauce has boiled 15 minutes. Like this:

I used an ice cream scoop to get the bulbs the same size so they cook evenly. Use whatever you want to make them even.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about an hour and a half. Your house will smell amazing! Serve over pasta al dente with garlic bread (and if you have kids add some sort of vegetable).

I made Halloween cupcakes for dessert...um, out of a box. Hehe.

Engagement Celebration

Prior to our marriage, not only did Carl & I manage a very long engagement, we managed to break off that engagement over 5 times in 8 years.

That's called commitment, people.

So the other night we celebrated the anniversary of the very last time Carl proposed. You know, the one we ultimately celebrated with a wedding? We celebrated that milestone in our lives by watching the sun fall off the West Coast.

The sunset was beautiful.

First, let me say watching a sunset seems wrong in so many ways. You aren't supposed to look at the sun. Right? I know this. You probably know this. My brilliant husband Carl, however, told me that it was entirely okay to look at the sun as long as I used a CD. Remember this guy? The one with the Master's Degree? Who knows what they were teaching him at that school, but I tried it . For an entire minute I started directly at the sun through the center of the CD until I started crying. Only then did he tell me I was doing it wrong. I was supposed to do it like this:

Silly me.

After I gave up I started snapping pictures and you know what? The sun is beautiful when it falls off the end of the Earth!

Okay, truthfully, I should have put down the camera and stuck my nose in the CD because when the sun finally when down I was upset. I missed the entire thing. I missed it because I was so busy yelling at my camera because the "action" button didn't work the way I expected. Then I yelled at Carl because everything that doesn't work like I expect it to is his fault. Well and anniversaries just aren't anniversaries unless there is yelling.

That is how you make a marriage work.

Love you C1.

My Husband is EDJUMICATED

Saturday night I took Carl down to Casmalia for a special little treat of over priced corn fed beef and delectable sides to celebrate his new duhgree.  My husband is now the Master of Business.  Had you heard?

He was so proud to be finished even the folks in New York must have heard him yell about it!

As we sat there munching, my husband started a conversation about the economy (oh yes, my husband is a fun one to party with).  Somehow we got around to discussing hair and the cost to get mine cut, colored along with the cost to have all the other girly bits I require maintained each month.  He wondered aloud if stylists and the like made any money.  He actually said to me, "What's the mark up on a hair cut anyway?"

I looked at him with a blank stare.  I'm glad he received his degree before they heard him ask that.  I just smiled and told him how proud I was that he had his Master's Degree.  

I love that man, but he NEEDS me.  

Wants Vs. Needs

I don't mind a little confrontation. Actually, it's like my morning coffee, I need it to get me started in the morning.

That being said, please know that is not my intention with this post. I don't normally go all political or religious on this here little blog because my mama told me never to discuss politics or religion with anyone with whom I intend to maintain a friendship.

Therefore, we won't discuss.

I'll talk. You just listen and know that I'm not meaning to delve into anybody's political business.
I'm just spilling what is in my brain. Brace yourselves sometimes it comes out all jumbled up.

First, let me say that this whole economic mess makes me really uncomfortable. I watch the dow plunging and my stomach gets all woozy.

Not only does the financial condition of our country seem to be plummeting, but it seems to be plummeting under conditions that are unprecedented.

The thought that keeps coming to me, however, is that we are getting what we deserve. What did we expect?

Before you get rowdy, know that I am including myself in that "we".

I know several people who are living in 5000 square foot homes but are struggling to pay their electric bill.

Friends who have 75 cents in their checking accounts at the end of each month are driving Hummers.

A family going on a two week luxury vacation with no job to return to when they get back home.

I even have a friend who just bought herself a new Escalade and put rims on it while her house is being repossessed.
I couldn't make that up.

I've made stupid purchases myself. Mountains of clothes with tags still on them hang neatly in my closet. Never worn.

We have money in the stock market and it has been scary. Like, hide in fetal position under my bed kind of scary.

We don't try to live above our meants. I know that we didn't set out to live that way. In fact, I feel that by the world's standards, we live very carefully. But why are we affected by this financial disaster if we aren't living above our means?

Hungry Husband and I have been revamping our budget over the last few months and it has not been fun.

We've had to cut things that are pleasant.

House keeping service? Bye Bye. (Weeping and gnashing of teeth.)

Gym? See ya later.

Mani/Pedi? Only monthly now.

Eating out? Once a week, thank you very much.

Dry cleaning? Might ought to wear things twice.

We are not in financial crisis as much as we are preparing to live more responsibly.

Look at that list of things that we are letting go. I mean, seriously. Each of those items is something that I was letting someone else do for me.

Not one of those things is bad.

I have enjoyed each one immensely.

Immensely.

In no way am I judging anyone who partakes of any of those things.

I am just saying that for our family, at this time, those are not things that I need. They are just things that I want.

Our world has gotten needs and wants really confused.

Do we even know what we need anymore?

I don't know about you, but for the past few years I have felt the urge to simplify my life.
Get rid of stuff. Choose to be involved in things that matter as opposed to the fluff that fills time.
To live richly with less.

However, as our budget analysis has proven, I have a long way to go. I am thinking that I haven't really even started.

I'm wondering about you. Do you have those same thoughts? Have you been overwhelmed by the direction in which our world seems to be heading? Not politically so much, but materialistically?

Oh, and I don't know if you've heard, but I enjoy confrontation if you were thinking you wanted to bring it. You just can't do it today, cause my mama said.

GratiTuesday

It's time for a little shout out to the Lord, so you know it must be GratiTuesday, where I can be vocally thankful for something in my life.

Over the weekend Carl & I went to the private beach on base.

We went with our friends Don & Laura. Turns out Don is a LOT like Jeff Corwin, minus the silly shorts. Even though Carl & I had been to this beach many times before, we never found the things we saw with Don.

We saw a starfish, a sea urchin and an anenome (I will call him squishy and he will be mine).

I didn't really want to touch it, you know, in case it bit me.

Look what else I found. It's my hubs.
So today I am thankful for good friends - all of them. They are hard to find and harder to keep.

I'm also thankful to have these pictures. Laura took them and sent them to me. See, I fell in the sand and broke the camera (who does that?) so these are my only photographic memories of that day, courtesy of good friends.

Chocolate Skittles

Carl brought home Chocolate Skittles.

They remind me of my childhood.

You know, the part where I ate my chocolate Chapstick.

Yuck.

Felt Shoes?

I got Carl these new kicks.

He put them on and ran his hands over the Swoosh.

"Felt" he said.

"No, they are suede."

He looked at me for a moment and said, "Well, they're felt now."

Potato Pancakes

I bet you thought I was going to post a recipe.

I'm not.

I lost my potato pancake recipe and it was my favorite.

I have a 5# bag of potatoes in my cabinet.

No recipe.

No dinner.

Wah.

Hey Look! A Recipe!

Remember when I told you I would share recipes as long as they met my rules?

Well here is one that I Love. Love. Love.


Except that it never turns out quite right because, well, I get to shop at the commissary and they never have ANYTHING *ahem* but I'm very grateful for their good deals.



Since all military wives rotate the same five recipes for every function you have to come up with something fresh and innovative or your five recipe ingredients will not be at the commissary.


So if you make it like the recipe says you get yummy, pretty, pineapple pie.


Yum.


If you make it with commissary ingredients you get yummy, pineapple pie that looks something like chunky vomit but tastes oh so good. I just use extra cool whip to cover the vomit chunks - oh and kids love it when you tell them you brought vomit pie to their parent's BBQ.


Trust me on this one. I'm good with the kids.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Cake (aka Vomit Pie)


Ingredients:


20 oz Crushed Pineapple
6 oz Pineapple Jello (or if you shop at the commissary Orange, Pineapple, Pomegranate Jello)
Block of Cream Cheese
Cool Whip
Graham Cracker Pie Crust


Drain the juice from the pineapple and set the pineapple aside. I give mine a good squeeze so I have plenty of juice.


Empty the Jello packs into the juice and microwave until the Jello dissolves. Add the cream cheese and pineapple pieces to the the Jello and mix it all together.


I imagine if you stick with it long enough it would get smooth and creamy. I'm impatient.


Put Jello mixture in pie crust and place in fridge until it's almost time to go.


Top with the Cool Whip until it looks pretty.


Use extra if you're stuck with orange Jello.

Dollar Palace

In 2006 I found this article online.

Carl & I still joke about it.

My husband will sometimes question my attire (yes - sometimes my crown is crooked) before we head out to the commissary (market/grocery for those of you not in the military know) and usually I respond by saying, "It's not like we're going to Wal-Mart!"

Ha ha. I wonder what Debra Jackson's best Wal-Mart shopping outfit looks like. I wonder if a knee-length t-shirt and stretch-pants are involved.

Serving Size

My husband prepared himself a bowl of cereal for breakfast.  And I'm the one with the weight problem?

Massive Smoke Inhalation Never Hurt Anyone

You may have heard we have a little fire problem here in California when the land gets too dry and the wind blows.  Little problem with fire.  What do you do when the weather is gorgeous and the alert system warns that you should stay inside, you ask?  You golf.  Right.  Nothing like going out where the wind blows and walking miles on end to ensure that you will have no smoke in your asthma ridden lungs.  

Oh the things we do for the men we love.  See the beautiful haze in the background?  That's just blinding, eye-burning love.