Do it.

So Ben found this on a website he frequents... he literally laughed for about 1/2 hour after he found it.

1. Go to www.google.com
2. Type in French military victories
3. Hit the "I feel lucky" button.
4. Enjoy.

I have no idea why an 11 year old boy would find this so funny, but he did. So I did too.

After last night's game, I needed a little levity.

Oh Karen...

I'm getting caught up on my DVR watching while I wait for my washing machine to be delivered. Ben & I were both in tears watching this. So funny!

True that, little man!

The new washing machine is being delivered this afternoon. Instead of complaining about how the Casa de Chaos is falling about lately, I will try to entertain you with a conversation that took place at our dinner table last night. For some reason we were talking about weddings...

Ben: I don't know why anyone would like a long wedding.

Michael: Some people wait a long time for their special day and they want to be the center of attention for as long as possible.

Ben: I still don't get it.

Me: Don't worry, when you get married, everyone will be looking at your bride, not you. Except for your dad & me that is, and maybe your sisters.

Michael: No, we'll be looking at the bride too. And thinking about how she's not good enough for you.

TRUE THAT, LITTLE MAN! No one will ever be good enough for this little guy!

A Different View

Anyone happen to catch "The View" today? Barbara Walters was in California, yet they put her on a flat screen monitor & sat her right at the table alongside Whoopi, Joy & Sherri. Strange.

Weekend Update

Unfortunately, Jordan's team lost in the District Final last night, but, as District Finalists, they will continue on & play in Regionals beginning next Thursday. If they win their next game & the Lady Wolves win their next game, we will have a rematch of last night's game the week after next. I have to tell you that last night's game was a heartbreaker, Jordan is still not playing at 100%, she keeps reinjuring her sprain, & hasn't been able to play a whole game since New Year's Eve. The 1st round of Regionals isn't until Thursday night, so she's going to take it easy until then & we're praying she has some super duper healing. It is agony for her to sit on the sideline & it is agony for us to live with her AFTER she sits the sideline.

We needed a pick-me-up this afternoon, so after hearing me sing the praises of Slumdog Millionaire, Michael decided he wanted to see it. He didn't have to twist my arm. I enjoyed it even more the second time around & Michael agreed with me that it is perhaps the perfect movie. It's won the Golden Globe & is nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. For those of you who haven't heard much about it, here's a preview...



It's the best, it's the best, it's the best. Go see it!

Amazing!

THE one good thing about going to the laundry mat is that all of your loads are washing/drying at the same time. So... I got to finish my laundry AND go to my Friday morning movie! Yeah me!

My friends, I cannot say enough good things about this movie! Run, don't walk, to your local theater & check it out. Seriously. Wow!

Let's Go Bulls!

For the 4th year in a row, The Lady Bulls (yes, in real-life those would be cows, but I'm not going there) will face the Lady Wolves in the high school District Final. Let's Go Bulls!

In other news, in lieu of my Friday Morning Movie, I will be spending the morning at the laundry mat. UGH! My washing machine is on the fritz & the uniform must be washed before tonight's big game. Repairman is coming on Tuesday.

Ummmm...yeah.

Ever have one of those days?! In the past 4 hours (since Michael got home from work), I think I've said "Ummmm...yeah." about 25,000,000 times and I don't think I've finished a thought yet.

So ummm...yeah, I forgot where I was going with this.

Good Times at Gator Nation

Jordan is in New Orleans this weekend with her Florida ODP team, so it was a rare soccer-free weekend for most our household. Michael, Ben & I decided to head to Gainesville to see Megan. We really had a wonderful time. Michael was hungry when we got there so we picked her up in front of her dorm & headed straight to The Swamp for lunch.


We ate out on the top porch, it was a little cool (for us Florida wimps) but the sunshine made it bearable & the food was really yummy.

After lunch, we headed over to the O'Connell Center to watch the Gators basketball team take on the Arkansa Razorbacks. It was a great game...the Gators won 80-65 & we all had a lot of fun. Even Ben, who doesn't usually care too much about sports got into it. He was doing the Gator Chomp & he learned all of the Gator chants.


And, oh yeah. Mr. Football, Tim Tebow was there too. :) There he is next the the arrow with some other members of the National Champion Gator Football Team.



After the game, we went to our hotel for a little nap... is there anything better than a Saturday afternoon nap? I think not.

Anyway, after our nap we headed to another Gainesville hotspot, Satchel's Pizza for dinner... Megan & I ate there once before when we were in Gainesville for a soccer tournament, but Michael & Ben had never been. It's a really cool, eclectic pizza joint with a junkyard like feel & a really fun, inexpensive gift shop. Definitely a must see if you ever get to Gainesville.
Both times I've been there I've gotten to eat in the blue bus. Unfortunately, I can't find a picture of the outside of the bus (there's one on their website, if you REALLY want to see it), but here we are inside...

We were in the back of the bus. Our "busmates" in the front of the bus snapped this picture for us. It's a bit blurry, but beggars can't be choosers.

The pizza is delish, but if you go, make sure to get the Satchel Salad & add feta cheese. To die for!!!

Sunday, we had lunch at Moe's & then went to see...


which, isn't normally my kind of movie, but I think we all really enjoyed it, and it's hard to please an 11 yr old boy & and 18 yr old girl at the same time. I didn't even freak out that we only got there 5 minutes before showtime...I'm usually there AT LEAST 30 minutes early.

A good weekend was had by all~


except for Jordan, who is still nursing her ankle injury. :( She'll be home tonight & will hopefully get to play later this week when high school districts start. It kills her to be sitting on the sideline and when she ain't happy, ain't no one happy. You know I'm praying for a quick recovery.

Wordless Wednesday

Separated at Birth?

So, I spent the day yesterday fighting with my computer (Ghetto Fabulous fix didn't hold out for long) & scanning my grandmother's pictures. I didn't see that side of the family much while I was growing up, so it's been fun looking at the pictures & finding the family resemblances.

My grandfather died when I was 8. He fought a long, hard battle with cancer before that, so most of my memories of him are of him either in the hospital or in the hospital bed set up in my grandparent's living room. He was a farmer & a coal miner. He & my grandmother raised 4 daughters, one of whom had a plethora of health problems, as well as my grandfather's youngest brother, when their mother died in childbirth. My point is, that, although, I don't remember him well, I have great respect for him.

That being said, as I was scanning these old pictures, I kept having a nagging feeling that my grandfather's younger pictures reminded me of someone... and all of a sudden it hit me!

Ghetto Fabulous

A few years ago, Michael bought me a laptop for my birthday. A really nice one with lots of bells & whistles & lots of memory. (I don't know the details, I just know it was a good machine). I'm very hard on computers. I really don't know much about them, but I love them. Between my photos, my ITunes & all the other crap I've downloaded, I have pushed this baby to it's very limits. Every few months it tells me that the memory is almost full & I have to go through & delete what I don't need & I now have my recipes & photos all backed up onto an external hard drive "just in case".

A few months ago, my baby just started randomly shutting itself down while I was using it. I think it's overheating. Today has been particularly rough... I'm trying to scan my grandmother's old photos for the family & it shut itself down 4 times in a row. About an hour ago, I came up with this solution & (knock on wood), so far it seems to be working...

that's a container of ice placed right behind the fan. :) Ghetto Fabulous!!!

My Meggie-Poo was Happy Too!

Admittedly, I don't know a lot about college football, but I know that this makes me happy...

What the...???

First of all, you need to know that I live in one of those "master communities"...our subdivision is divided into several smaller "villages" & also includes a couple apartment complexes...

So anyway, tonight, at around 8:30 or so, I'm driving home from (surprise! surprise!) Jordan's (crapfest of a) soccer game with Ben in the car. I pull into our neighborhood (the big one)... and am driving along, imagining the beautiful glass of red wine I'm going to enjoy when I get there. Out of the corner of my eye I think I see a boy, about Ben's age, splayed on the grass next to the curb... it looked like he had been a victim of a hit & run. Now, it took a few seconds to register this, then debate whether to a) keep driving & call 9-1-1, saving my son from seeing anything that might scar him for life or b) turn around, help the kid & call 9-1-1. I made a split-second decision & turned around. I didn't see the kid. So I went home thinking I had just imagined it.

I go home & start making dinner. About 20 minutes later, Michael & Jordan come home. He had given her a ride to the school to get her car, then they drove home separately. I guess when Jordan got out of her car, she ran to Michael's car, practically in tears, telling him she had seen a kid on the side of the road. So they got into Michael's car to see if they could help... surprise! surprise! The kid was gone. So they come in & start to tell me the story & I finished it for them.

When each of us had turned around, we noticed an older teenager climbing over a hill leading to one of the apartment complex. Apparently, he & the young kid were in cahoots playing a HORRIBLE prank! Who the hell would THINK to do such a thing? I 'm stunned & appalled! I wonder how many people DID call 9-1-1?! Scary stuff, I tell ya!

The one good thing to come out of this is that I had to have an extra glass of wine tonight, to calm my nerves *wink*.

Ole'!

(e.t.a. The paragraphs are wonky...I can't fix them, but please read anyway)

Image: from espn.com Donald Miralle/Getty Images

First of all, I have to say...GO GATORS!!! National Champions! Woohoo! I got nervous there for awhile, but in the end Superman Timmy & the boys pulled it off. Megan was watching the game on campus at the OConnell Center, I haven't heard from her yet this morning, but I'm anxious to find out just how exciting it was on campus last night. What a thrilling time to be a Florida Gator!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, on to the exciting news I hinted at yesterday... Remember back in August when I told you about Jordan being selected to participate in the Interregional Event in Coral Springs? Well, when I checked my email yesterday afternoon, I found this letter...

It was an invitation from the Region III team for Jordan to attend the Algarve Cup in PORTUGAL!!!

You will be attending Algarve Cup games involving our Women’s National Teams and will actually be involved in three international matches with National Teams from other countries attending the games as well. You’ll be staying at X Hotel with the USA, Sweden and Norway National Teams.

Did you get that?! You’ll be staying at X Hotel with the USA, Sweden and Norway National Teams. IN PORTUGAL! I don't know if you understand how obsessed my girl is with the Women's National Team. The fact that there is a slight possibility that Jordan could end up in an elevator with Lori Chalupny, Heather O'Reilly or Lindsay Tarpley is enough to blow her mind! What? You're not familiar with those names?! I forget they aren't household names to most people. Compare it to, say, my husband being in an elevator with Bono. The trip is March 7-15, which, unfortuately, is not her Spring Break so she will have to miss a week of school & we will need to reschedule her SAT, but it's too exciting of an opportunity to pass up.

I got the letter a few hours before she got home from school & soccer practice so I had to come up with a creative way to tell her about it. As with everything else in my life, I went to scrapblog & made this... (I pixelated the pic of the hotel)

Ben was just as excited as I was, so he helped me set this up...

Thankfully, Jordan's birthday gift from my SIL had come in the mail yesterday, so when she got home (in a bad mood, I might add) I told her that her gift from Aunt Amy was on the table...

Hmmm....what's this?

Then it sinks in...

Congratulations Jordie Girl! Love you!

btw...when she came back down to earth, Jordan opened the gift from Amy... a Burberry pouch wallet that Amy just bought on her New Year's trip to London. Jordan loved it & can't wait to bring it back to EUROPE! :)

Sooners (no) or GATORS (yes)?

I have my burgers ready for grilling & my beer chilling in the fridge. Even my 'Nole Girl is rooting for Superman...er, huh, I mean Tim Tebow (couldn't get her to root for the Gators, just Timmy). He's a close, personal friend of Megan's after all. They did stand in line together waiting for peanut butter at Gator Dining. Once. I mean, really, if peanut butter doesn't bring people together, what does?



Stay tuned tomorrow for some exciting news about one of the Beth's Blog Bunch!

Madame President

I just want to send out a big THANK YOU to my friend, Madame President (previously known as Joanne, but forevermore known as Madame President, or MP for short) for bringing her kids over today to be "participants" in Ben's science project. Ben needed 10 (not 12...Ben, did you notice I got it right?) kids to test whether biking or running has more effect on heart rate. Since we've lived here, we've spent the majority of our evenings at soccer practice (aren't you suprised?) and the majority of our weekends at games or tournaments, so my kids have never been all that friendly with the neighborhood kids (which frankly, I usually think is a good thing), but when Ben went out to ask some kids if they would paricipate in his experiment yesterday, they all declined. Broke my heart. No one should tell that little guy "No", he is seriously the NICEST KID EVER!

Anyway, Madame President lives in the next neighborhood over & thankfully, she agreed to let 2 of her kids be Ben's guinea pigs. I really like all of MP's kids, Kasey is the year between Megan & Jordan & played on a competitive team that Jordan occasionally guest played for, back in the day. Rachael & Erin were the "guinea pigs"... Rachael is Ben's age, is highly competive & is a soccer player (duh?) & Little Erin reminds me a lot of Ben, really sweet natured (although he may have saved himself, because I really think that he has actually embraced soccer & seems to enjoy playing, which I never thought Ben did)...they were great guinea pigs & I was so grateful they were able to participate. :)

But, Trevor, OH TREVOR! Oh my, what a cutie! He developed quite a little crush on Jordan during the 1/2 hour they were here. I so wish I would have thought to grab my camera, because he was so cute playing hide & seek with her & he told her he loved her & insisted on getting one last hug from her before they left. I could seriously eat that kid with a spoon! Jordan was pretty smitten with his 2-year old self too...

Anyway, thanks again, MP. Let me know when I can repay the favor...

Domestic Goddess That I Am...

Dear Mom,

Remember on New Year's Day when we were going to have that yummy Oatmeal Cake Megan made at your house? Remember when I put it under the broiler to brown the yummy coconut topping? Remember when flames were shooting out of my oven & my house was full of smoke? Remember how Megan had made the cake in your brand spanking new cake pan?

I owe you a new cake pan.

Love,

A Nice Break from Real Life

Whew! What a busy "break" we have had! We picked Megan up on the 15th & life has been a whirlwind ever since...

• Shopping trip w/ Mom & Meg
• Baking Marathon
• Carpet installation
• High School Soccer Tournament
• Jordan's BFF's visit
• CHRISTMAS!!!
• Visit with old soccer friends
• Day trip to Miami to watch J's BFF play
• We had Michael's family over to watch the crapfest that was the Buc's game
• Disney Soccer Tourney
• New Year's Eve
• "Christmas" w/ my parents on New Year's Day
• More Disney Soccer Tourney
• Trip to Pediatric After Hours for X-Ray on Jordan's ankle (just a strain, THANK GOD!!!)
• Jordan's Bday

It's been fun, but time has really flown...I can't believe Megan is heading back tomorrow! Today, Michael & Jordan went back to Disney to watch some of her friends play in some semi-final games. (I've had enough of a soccer fix lately, but apparently they needed another hit on their soccer crackpipe, and since it's her bday, I didn't argue). Eventually today, I will get off of the couch, straighten up a bit & wrap her presents... but for now I'm just enjoying some down time before they come home & we go to dinner.

Megan heads back with her boyfriend around noon tomorrow, Michael goes back to work Monday, the kids start school on Tuesday... Real life is slowly but surely going to catch up with us again. *sigh*

17!!!

How is it possible that my baby girl is 17?! Happy Birthday Jordie-Girl! I love you soooo much!!!

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