Been a while, eh?

So the really funny part is that when I don't post for almost three months, no one notices! Cracks me up. I mean, I like social networking, but face it: I'm boring.

Updates....
Work is fabulous, mostly because I still have a job, everyone in my household is employed, but my brother in Washington (an appraiser--need I say more?) has been out of work for a few months. I hear he's starting with the post office for the holiday season, I admire the fact that he's out there trying to get a job, and doesn't have some inflated perception that there is only the "right" job.

The library cut 15% of our budget at the beginning of the fiscal year, and we have to cut about 7 1/2% more. Another 846,000 dollars. Youch.

Allison broke her foot in her Jazz dance class at UNR in October, and surgery a week later, and was completely off it for 6 weeks with a pin sticking out of the bottom of her foot. Just before thanksgiving she got the pin pulled out, and now can walk with a boot on. She can start wearing shoes in another week, I think. I'll be happy when she can drive again!

Alexander is working at a local supermarket, and going to school. not much exciting going on.

The bus company didn't get a bond approved during elections, and has to cut about 20-25% of their budget, which means cutting services.

Other than that, I have Bunco here on Friday, the Friday after that is our annual holiday open house, where I set up all my nativities, and we enjoy some time with friends.

Well, for the two of you that read this, happy holidays, but you're the two I talk to all the time anyway!

Weekend in Vegas, baby!

Boy did we have a great weekend! I flew down on Thursday to attend the Nevada Library Association annual conference. Butch and the kids, including our daughter's best friend, who we really call our other daughter, picked me up for dinner. By the time I was done with my conference, my brother and his wife were in town, so we connected for a while, and they got to connect with friends that were also it town! How great is that? They both used to live near Philadelphia, one couple moved to Phoenix, the other moved to Arkansas, but they were both in Vegas the same time!

Then Butch's brother, wife and three boys arrived! We hung out, and the girls took the boys to the pool, which was really fun!

The next day, my mom and dad arrived, and my friend Lucy from Boise. Lots going on in the condo! It was fun.

Saturday morning, a group of us went to see Bodies-the exhibition at the Luxor. I really wanted to go, but I was afraid I would be sort of creeped out. It wasn't gross at all. I was able to separate the "human" from the machine that is the human body. The one part that was really creepy was the fingernails, toenails and eyebrow hair. The rest of the exhibit you paid attention to the inner workings of the body as a machine, and the fingernails brought you back to the human that once was.

After that, we got ready to go to my graduation ceremony. It was held at the Henderson library, and thankfully not too long. It was nice to go through the ceremony, and finalize the completion of the program. We had a lovely party at the condo, and my "other" parents came to that as well! We grew up with another family in Vegas, and I still keep in touch with them!

It's good to be home, but now back to work! In a couple of weeks Butch and I are headed to Disneyland, and hopefully I'll be able to see my Uncle in Santa Monica and my two cousins, and two cousins I have yet to meet!

It RAINED!!!!!

You know you live in Nevada when rain is a cause for celebration! It has been hot and dry, and westerly winds from California has us completely socked in with smoke. Weeks and weeks of smoke.

So when the clouds rolled in yesterday afternoon, there was a sense of fear, because in Nevada, thunderstorms bring fire, not rain. So imagine our delight when it rained! Of course, the downside, is that when we aren't used to rain, it makes a complete mess! Flooding, slick roads from the oil buildup, etc. But at least we woke up to clean(ish) air! Still smoky, but much better!

So Friday night movie night is the Princess Bride! Cult classic--it's the one movie I don't mind if people talk through (as long as they use the same words and timing of the film!) You don't get to make up your own soundtrack, but it is a favorite for silly quotes!

Looking forward to more rain!

Busy Days

It's been really busy at work, the end of the fiscal year brings all kinds of reports, renewals for subscriptions, etc. We have 4 vacant positions, 3 out on sick leave, well, 4 today, and one on vacation. I'm just whining, I'm well aware of that, but it's been busy, everyone is feeling the stress, and times are getting more and more tense.

It's been hot, and smoky. California is on fire, and with the westerly winds, we have had smoke in the area for over two weeks. It's worse in California, I'm sure, but it's bad here.

I got three books and two movies in on hold today, a veritable bonanza of stuff to read and watch. Movie night is going to be Spiderwick Chronicles on Friday. The movie doesn't really matter, it's about having some folks over and having a good time!

Nothing else is new, just pluggin away!

What's new

Not a whole lot. I'm trying to refinish a table and chairs that used to be inside, then we put them outside, now they need to be refinished. I bought some exterior deck like paint that is a blue that will go with the house. So I am in the process of stripping off the old finish, then sanding, then I'll work on painting it. I need to figure out a new top to the table, the old oak is warped, and I think I'd like big tiles.

The dog got a new summer do, she's bald! Sadly, she looks like like she was shaved with a lawn mower! The first day always looks the worst, she hates being groomed, and she fights every minute of it. That's why we don't take her in, they get irritated and they usually charge extra because she's a pain in the butt. After she looks a little more presentable I'll post a picture!

Check out my reads, and make suggestions! Now that school is out, I have more time for fun reading!

Boring....

I realize it's been a couple of weeks since I posted anything, but then again, I'm completely boring! To those of you who read this, that's nothing new. Summer's almost here, but we don't have any plans to do anything until August.

Have a really great day!

Whew, what a day!

Allison and I got invited to a Women's handgun safety class at our friend Julie's house. We decided we were going to ride our bikes to her house, so we left at 8 this morning, an it's just under 8 miles. Took us just about 40 minutes to get there, with a couple of nasty hills. Then we sat through the "lesson" part of the class and took a test to get our certificates.

We drove out to Derby Dam and shot for about 4 hours. We shot a variety of handguns, including a 22 long barrel, a 357 magnum and a lot of .38's. It didn't seem like a girly thing to do, but we learned a lot about handguns, safety and target shooting.

We started the ride home, and discovered that standing in the heat shooting for 4 hours makes you a little tired heading home. The good news is that it only took us about 7 minutes more to get home than getting there, and we kept going!

Anyway, it was a busy and active day! And it was beautiful out.

We had movie night outside last night, about 14 people showed up, which is fine, no RSVP necessary! After all the arrangements and voting, I couldn't locate my Thin Man series. Total bummer, we watched Bourne Identity instead. It was stinking cold outside, and we were all bundled up. Hard to tell if folks had a good time, since they all left immediately after the movie. Probably to go home and warm up, plus it's late when we get done.
Next week we're probably going to show Ratatouille for families. Should be fun!

Dinner's over!

We had a fabulous time! I made veggie burgers out of black beans, onions, mushrooms, garlic, cilantro and goat cheese, with bread crumbs as a binder. Sadly, the lady for whom I made them didn't show. She's the only vegetarian in the group, so I wanted to make something for her.

I made eggplant stackers the recipe is on my previous blog. I made a simple balsamic vinegar and oil with italian seasoning dressing, and they marinated all day! Then, grill them and grill tomato slices with the same dressing (prevents sticking to the grill!), and layer eggplant, tomato, slice of feta cheese and repeat. Then move them to a part of the grill without direct heat until the cheese melts. I have never had eggplant before, but I will certainly make those again! Very yummy!

I set a couple of tri-tip roasts on the smoker about 3, and should have taken them off about 5 instead of 5:30, but they were still tender. The leftovers are in a crockpot as I type this with A-1 sauce for some delicious sandwiches tomorrow!

There was potato salad, fruit salad, garlic bread, oh, and I grilled onions, tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant, the onions were the best part, but all good! For dessert, someone brought a cherry/cheesecake/brownie concoction that everyone said was fabulous!

So my husband and daughter were troupers about helping me get the yard and house ready, so I've just finished cleaning the kitchen and started the dishwasher. While I had company, Butch and Allison went to see Iron Man.

Well, I'm pretty well tuckered out, so I'm going to read "Stop dressing your six-year old like a skank and other words of delicate Southern wisdom" It's pretty funny so far!

Getting ready for dinner party

I have this month's gathering of the girls who sat together on jury duty a couple of years ago. We spent nearly two and a half years together, and we got to know each other, each other's kids, etc. A couple of them even cruised together.

So we get together every couple of months, just to catch up. One is moving to Florida this weekend, so we'll miss her, but she'll be back. I put a tri-tip on the smoker at 3, it's about half done, should be perfect timing! I also made some veggie burgers with black beans and mushrooms, I've never tried one! I'm also making eggplant stacks on the grill, as well as tillapia for those who don't want red meat. There will also be some yummy side dishes to go along with it. I'll have to post a picture of my home made smoker! No, we don't live in Arkansas, but I took an old electric stove, took all the electric parts out of it, cut a hole between the pull out drawer and the oven box, put a vent cover in the hole to prevent drips from getting on the charcoal. Voila! All you really need for a smoker is a fire box, and a box for the meat. Now I have handy racks for the food and everything! We enclosed it in a cinderblock station so it didn't look like we had a stove sitting on our patio, and I painted it black!

Memorial Day

Day was kind of boring, woke up waaaaaay too early, about 4. So I came downstairs and finished my book which was pretty good for a young adult novel. Kind of timely; it's a novel about a future society and students in high school must pass a test called XCAS or they don't graduate, and in addition, some questions are targeted to identify security risks, and those folks just go straight to jail. The slogan is "No child left behind" hmmmmm. Anyway, through a series of events, the students boycott the test. The only downside to the novel is the conclusion where everything is wrapped up in a couple of paragraphs. I've never written a novel, but it felt like "oh, it's the end of the story, so I better answer these questions on the last page."

After I tidied the kitchen, I picked Allison up from work, and we drove to Virginia City to pick up Liz and Jessica from the Bucket of Blood Saloon. They hiked from Washoe Valley to Virginia City in the morning, having left their car at the trailhead. We agreed to meet at 4, and I didn't get there until 4:30, but apparently they made it to Virginia City by about 1:30. They weren't angry, there is a lot of shopping and touristy stuff going on there.

There isn't anything else going on right now, just working, getting the yard ready for summer.

Adventures in Texas! (really long, sorry!)

We just got back from Austin and San Antonio, Texas. We had a great time, despite the heat and humidity! We were there for the National Bus Roadeo; a conference for mass transit industry and a driving skills competition for coach operators (bus drivers) which was fun. There were six of us on this trip. Have you ever met someone for the first time, but felt an instant connection? It was like that with one of the gals, and then I find out we both collect Nativity sets. How perfect is that?! The six of us had a great time and laughed a lot.

The first night, we had dinner at Bess Bistro, Sandra Bullock's restaurant. We were a party of 6, and waited an hour for a table, when there were plenty of empty tables, they just weren't the two they push together for a party of six. The reviews were mixed, felt like the waiter was surly, and not everyone was impressed with the food. I had the seared chicken paillard, with lemon tarragon sauce and grilled asparagus, and that was fabulous! The atmosphere was cozy, and it looked like it had a comfortable regular crowd.

On Friday we drove in to San Antonio to see the Alamo. It is in the heart of downtown San Antonio. You can’t take pictures in the shrine, but here is a picture of the outside! We went on a weekday, figuring there would be less of a crowd, which is probably true, but the tradeoff is the school tours! I picked up my first charm for my charm bracelet at the Alamo!

We walked on down to the River Walk, a series of channels from the San Antonio River with shopping, restaurants and lodgings along the walk. We took a boat tour, then wandered around and had lunch at the Saltgrass Grill. We headed back to Austin for the evening.

Saturday morning was the coach operators practice session on the driving course. All the winners of local competitions go to Nationals to compete. Imagine driving a 40 foot bus through an obstacle course! Those of us who wanted to were allowed to ride the bus during practice; that was a new experience for me! More sightseeing in Austin, with live music and lots of restaurants on sixth street! With six of us, it was nice that most of the restaurants had menus posted, so we could decide if there was something on the menu that we could all order! They were also having the Pecan Festival, with lots of street vendors, so we spent a couple hours wandering around there, and I found a new Nativity set. In May, I was stunned. It’s a carved and decorated gourd, then when you open it, the crèche is inside!

Sunday was the actual timed driving competition. We did some more sightseeing, and then went back for the “swap meet”. Okay, that’s a trip! The local companies all provide things like hats, shirts, cups, bags, etc, and in one large room, you barter and trade hats for hats and the like! It was a zoo, and kind of competitive! We started wearing our hats at the practice on Saturday, and people stopped us to ask if we were going to trade them! It was wild, and we got up to 7 regular baseball caps for our one bucket hat, what a hoot! Since we were out there trading things, we each got to choose a couple of things to keep. I chose a stainless steel coffee mug, and an insulated bag/pouch that will be perfect for taking lunch to work! Kind of a nice perk! We walked down to the river where there's a long bridge with bats under them. At dusk, they all leave the bridge to eat the insects in the fields. I couldn't get pictures, because it's dark, and we were far away. The rest of them went again on Monday, to the correct side of the bridge, but also mentioned the smell! Maybe I'm glad I missed that one!

Monday was a great time for me! I have a friend with whom I used to work who moved to Texas a few years ago, and I got to visit her! I drove down to Stonewall. She teaches at the same school Lyndon B. Johnson attended as a child! She took me to a lovely bistro in Fredericksburg called the Altdort. Then we shopped around the main street, and guess what? I found another Nativity set! Again, in May! I spent the night out at their ranch, and it was so peaceful, with deer, black buck deer, turkeys, turkey vultures, cattle, etc all roaming free. What a treat to be able to sit back after dinner and catch up, she’s a delight!

Tuesday while some of the guys were in conference sessions, the rest of us went to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. We got some beautiful pictures of flowers native to Texas. It was a great park, with a very natural look.

Wednesday was the last day in Austin, and the rest of the folks were headed home, but not until the evening. We got packed and loaded the cars, then went walking again. At the conference, they had given all the participants (and even spouses) a three day bus pass, so we took the bus up to Schlotzky’s for lunch! One of our party loves that restaurant and they’ve all closed here it town! He even sent his daughter a picture of his lunch to make his point! Cracked me up! Then we went to the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. It was mostly to just have something to do, I’m not a history buff, but they had some fun exhibits. We got in trouble for taking pictures inside, but it wasn’t posted that we couldn’t. Maybe it was just the Space exhibit.

We headed our separate ways, and we drove on into San Antonio. The Wyndham resort is gorgeous and a few blocks from the River Walk. Thursday we visited Mission San Jose just north of San Antonio. They had a fun way to get a souvenir--a crayon rubbing of the 4 missions in the area, so I spent some time making that. We headed back to the resort and relaxed by the pool. The pool is outside on the sixth floor, with a beautiful view of the city!

We did a lot more than this; we visited the LBJ library, wandered the UT campus (I was expressly forbidden to bring home anything Longhorns by my Aggie friends!), and saw the sights.

Thanks for slogging through this very long blog, we had a great time.

Irish twins

So my brother is older than me again! We are just under 11 months apart, so for about a month we are the same age, and I never miss the opportunity to tell him he's older than I am! I am a negligent sister, I didn't get a card off to him in the mail, but thank heaven for technology! I texted him during the day. Cheesy, yes, but I did want him to know I was thinking about him.

Have you ever been sucked in by an infomercial? I have, plenty! So I bought some of those Debbie Meyer Green Bags at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Guess what? I LOVE them. Since we both work full time, we only get to the grocery store once a week. I hate like heck to be midway through the week and discover that all my veggies are dead. So we decided ten bucks, we'll give them a try. We cheat and get the mixed bag of greens for salad, but I like a lot of extras in my salad. The first week we had the bags, it was ok, but seemed to be too moist. I went grocery shopping last Friday, bought all my veggies, then spent a couple of hours washing and chopping. This time I wrapped my newly chopped veggies in paper towels, or put a paper towel in the bag, and they were as yummy and crisp today as a week ago when I bought them. So I'm pretty happy!

We had an earthquake that shook the house last night, and on the other side of town there was some damage to homes, and a water flume broke, but shouldn't take too long to fix. We've had over 40 "siesmic events" in the last couple of days, but the only one I felt was the 4.7 last night. We've taken heavy things off higher shelves, just in case, and I took my Santa pictures off the wall for now, so they don't fall. One is a signed print, and the other is a signed copper etching from the same artist, Richard Burhans. It's from my favorite Christmas story "St. Nicholas and the valley beyond." Hopefully it will settle down a bit and we won't have any damage.

Well, I work tomorrow, so I better get some laundry done!

Rough days

Wow, have been having a rough couple of days! I'm working on a spreadsheet that has 4 pieces of information that I cannot get into a readable chart, all at once. Well, I got tapped to create the spread sheet for everyone, since apparently my ability to put a spreadsheet together with more than one field makes me the resident expert. The problem with that, is that everyone then calls me with little adjustments they want to make. I put out an email saying that there weren't any changes that could be made because cells are linked, formulas are based on cell position, etc.

So instead of getting all my work done, I had to focus on making sure we could all present the same information in the same way. Okay, so I'm whining.

Now, in staff meetings for the last several weeks, I've been fairly up front about the fact that since our director retired, and one of the associate directors has been the interim director, that the managers are taking on more tasks and responsibilities. In other words, the more tasks I have to take on, the more I have to push down to my managers, which ultimately means the more desk hours they are going to have: I can't spend all my time on the desk.
So today before I left, I asked the scheduler to make sure I was off desk for the next two days. She in turn asked what she was supposed to do since I need to be off desk, and one of my other managers does also. I could have handled it better, but my response was to make sure everyone got a lunch break, otherwise, schedule them on the desk. The reality is, my job is different than theirs--their major job responsibility is direct public service. That's a big part of mine as well, but I can't be neglecting managerial duties, and we're still trying to trim 15% off our 08-09 budget, then we'll begin trimming that much and more for the 09-10 FY.

So it's stressful at work, we're all doing more with less, and there is the added stress of vacant positions, having to close one of the libraries, and just general stuff.

Ok, I feel better now! And tomorrow I'm going to master the graphical representation of the spreadsheet!

Been on Vacation!

Got home lost night from two glorious weeks on vacation! First, we went on a 5 day cruise to Mexico. We left from San Diego and first traveled to Cabo San Lucas. The weather was fabulous for our first full day at sea, and I laid on a lounge and listened to a book on my iPod the first day. Butch isn't a lay around kind of guy, but he was a champ about it. We spent a day in Cabo, and first thing we went on a Snuba excursion! Snuba is a combination of scuba diving and snorkeling. They give you a wetsuit, flippers and mask, and then a breathing regulator. Instead of wearing the air tanks, they float above you on a raft to which you are connected by a hose. I had a moment of sheer panic when they put the weight belt on and I got to the bottom, but fortunately, I overcame that. It was a lot of fun, I expected it to be a bit more colorful, we were close to the Sea of Cortez, but not far in the ocean or very deep. Only about 25 feet down. I would definitely do that again, or even learn to scuba dive.

Getting back into the boat, barefoot and wet, I slipped. Felt like an idiot. Got back to shore, and sure enough, my toes had started to go purple. Went to the first aid station, taped them up, and walked around Cabo for a while. I'm not so much into shopping, but I did want to get a beaded trinket. Allison brought one back for me from her cruise, and they are hand crafted from the Huichol people. From what I can tell, a shape is coated in a soft, pliable wax, then seed beads are individually set in patterns of symbols relevant to the Huichol people. Because I got a great picture of a starfish while on the snuba excursion, I got a simple starfish, with a few colors. They range in price from my simple starfish at 15.00 to over 1000.00. Bartering is fun, but sometimes I feel like I'm insulting the handiwork. It's not that I don't think it's worth the price they are asking, it's just that I'm not willing to spend money. We got back to the ship, had dinner, then made our way to the infirmary. Toes: broken. When I slipped, I must have rammed them right into the center of the boat, but because the water was so cold necessitating the wetsuits, that I didn't notice. I broke the third and fourth toes on my left foot. Important cruising tip: because I was injured on an excursion sponsored by Carnival, there were no infirmary bills, they took care of all of it.

The next day was a full day at sea and it was chilly and cloudy, so we spent the day in the cabin, napping, reading, watching movies, and keeping my foot iced and elevated.

The next day we went into Ensenada, and wound up taking a 45 minute bus ride along the coastline to see La Bufadora. La Bufadora roughly translates to Buffalo Snort, it's a natural blow hole from ocean, sort of like Old Faithful, only from the sea. There are only 4 naturally occuring blow holes in the world, so we went to see it. It's also a huge tourist trap flea market setting, but was fun to shop if you're willing to barter. I did get exactly the kind of purse I had been looking for in leather. Started at 45.00, paid 20. The thing is, I would have paid 45 if it was worth it, but I could have found it elsewhere. I finally tried fish tacos. Actually, it was very good, not what I expected. The deep fried part sort of eliminates the concept of a healthy item, but it was good! You get a "free" margarita when you order fish tacos, comes in a little paper cup like your dentist uses! Made me laugh! But I can say I've had fish tacos and a margarita in Mexico!

From leaving Ensenada we arrived in San Diego first thing in the morning and thus ended our cruise. As cruises go, it was fun, I'm not so enamored of Mexico, so probably would pick another destination next time, but love cruising!

We spent the next day in San Diego at the zoo. Typical zoo fare, fun! Our hotel was in the Gaslamp district, so we walked around later in the evening. Boy, talk about a town coming to life after dark! There were so many great bands playing, lots of outdoor bistro settings, it was fun.

Then we headed for Anaheim, and 5 days at Disneyland. Okay, 5 days in a row might be overkill, but we had fun. The first two days we spent the entire day there, then the third day we spent the morning, and headed home. Then we took a day off, then the final two days we went after lunch for the evening activities and fireworks. We could see the fireworks from our hotel room, but you have to be sitting in front of the castle for the full effect!

So, home again, ready for going back to work. For the first time since I can remember, I didn't check email or work email for the entire time!

So, thanks for dredging through the entire post, there's a lot more to tell, but trez boring!

Okay, need some help!

A couple of years ago, I served on the county grand jury, for two and a half years! Yep, once a week, every week for a year, then the second year and the next half we met every other week. Thankfully, I work for the same county, so my pay stayed intact!

Okay, so we've been off jury duty for a couple of years, and the gals still get together every couple of months for dinner! We used to go out, but now we're rotating hosting it, and I'll be hosting in May. Sooooooo......

My job is to provide the main dish(es), one of which needs to be vegetarian. That's where I need the help. Once I come up with a theme, everyone else brings wine, appetizers, side dishes and desserts.

Tonight we had a cheese tortellini dish with a red cream sauce of some sort, and a chicken and mushroom dish. I brought dessert, and I made turtle brownies and apple crisp. I finally messed around with the apple crisp recipe that I had until I am satisfied with it. Appetizers were a platter of meats, cheeses, some tortilla rolls with cheese and pickles, and a fruit platter, with a very tasty Caesar salad. Basic Merlot and chardonnay.

So I'm kind of thinking about a couple of soups: potato leek and a pasta fagioli, and maybe a minestrone. Is a soup dinner a cop out? My first choice would be to put a tri-tip in the smoker, but what about the vegetarian dish? Ponderous! Maybe a nice wild rice and lentil pilaf in a lovely summer squash would be a good vegetarian choice?

Okay, any suggestions for a dinner party would be fabulous! I'll bet my sister-in-law will have great suggestions! She's an awesome cook! Actually, my brother is also an awesome cook!

Me? Teaching?

Yes, it's true! I'm co-teaching a collection development class for the Library Certification Program through the local university. I'm co-teaching to see if I'm any good at it, and if I like doing it. I do like it, the "doing well at it" remains to be seen!

We only meet once a month on a Saturday, so it makes for a long week when I do that, but it is fun. Now I'm grading papers, then I'm headed to bed.

Movies

Okay, so I've been looking for a way to put my movie collection online, and here it is! No one else cares, but now I have access to it anywhere! So we'll start Friday Night at the Movies in April, weather permitting, and go clear through August or September. Help me pick out movies for the season!!

If anyone can help me format this into two columns that stay in alphabetical order, that would be great.

MOVIES

4400: SEASON ONE
ABBOT AND COSTELLO SHOW
ABSOLUTE POWER
ADVENTURES OF OZZIE AND HARRIET
AFTER THE THIN MAN
ALADDIN
ALEX RIDER: OPERATION STORMBREAKER
ALIAS NICK AND NORA
ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
ANALYZE THIS
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN
ANOTHER THIN MAN
ARISTOCATS
BACK TO THE FUTURE TRILOGY
BAMBI
BANDITS
BEAR/ANIMAL TRAIN
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
BEDAZZLED
BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
BELLES ON THEIR TOES
BELLS OF ST. MARYS
BEVERLY HILLS COP
BEVERLY HILLS COP II
BISHOPS WIFE
BLACK HAWK DOWN
BLAST FROM THE PAST
BORAT
BOURNE IDENTITY
BOURNE SUPREMACY
BOURNE ULTIMATUM
BRAZIL
BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE
BROKEN ARROW
BROTHER BEAR
CANDLESHOE
CARS
CAST AWAY
CAT FROM OUTER SPACE
CATS AND DOGS
CHARLIES ANGELS
CHARLIES ANGELS FULL THROTTLE
CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN
CHICAGO
CHICKEN LITTLE
CHICKEN RUN
CHRISTMAS STORY
CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH
CINDERELLA
CLUELESS
COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO
CSI: SEASON 1
CSI: SEASON 2
CSI: SEASON 3
DEAD LIKE ME: SEASON 1
DEAD LIKE ME: SEASON 2
DEATHTRAP
DESK SET
DETONATOR
DICK VAN DYKE SHOW
DIE ANOTHER DAY
DIE HARD
DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE
DIE HARDER
DINOSAUR
DIRTY DOZEN
DOUBLE JEOPARDY
DR. DOLITTLE
DR. DOLITTLE 2
DR. SEUSS: HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
DR. SEUSS: HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
DRUMLINE
DUMBO
E.T
EAGLE HAS LANDED
EDDIE IZZARD: CIRCLE
EDDIE IZZARD: DEFINITE ARTICLE
EDDIE IZZARD: DRESS TO KILL
EDDIE IZZARD: GLORIOUS
EDDIE IZZARD: UNREPEATABLE
EIGHT HEADS IN A DUFFEL BAG
ELLA ENCHANTED
EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE
ENTRAPMENT
EVOLUTION
FAREWELL TO ARMS
FIFTH ELEMENT
FINDING NEMO
FLYBOYS
FLYING TIGERS / SANDS OF IWO JIMA
FOLLOW ME, BOYS
FORGOTTEN
FOUR FOR TEXAS
FREQUENCY
GNOME-MOBILE
GOING MY WAY (with Holiday Inn)
GOLDENEYE
GONE WITH THE WIND
GREEN MILE
GUN IN BETTY LOUS HANDBAG
GUYS AND DOLLS
HAIRSPRAY
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERERS STONE
HARVEY
HAUNTED MANSION
HELLBOY
HIDALGO
HIS GIRL FRIDAY
HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
HOLES
HOLIDAY INN (with Going my way)
HOT LEAD AND COLD FEET
HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
ICE AGE
ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN
INCREDIBLE MR LIMPET
INCREDIBLES
INDEPENDENCE DAY
INDIANA JONES: LAST CRUSADE
INDIANA JONES: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
INDIANA JONES: TEMPLE OF DOOM
INSPECTOR GENERAL
INTERSTELLA 5555
IRON EAGLE
ISLAND
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
JUMANJI
JUMPIN' JACK FLASH
JUNGLE BOOK
JURASSIC PARK III:
KNIGHTS TALE
LADDER 49
LADY AND THE TRAMP
LADYHAWKE
LADYKILLERS
LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN
LEAN ON ME
LEGALLY BLONDE
LETHAL WEAPON IV
LI'L ABNER
LILO AND STITCH
LION KING
LION KING 1 1/2
LITTLE LORD FOUNTLEROY
LITTLE MERMAID
LITTLE PRINCESS
LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD
LOOK WHO'S TALKING
LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
LORD OF THE RINGS: TWO TOWERS
MADAGASCAR
MAJOR LEAGUE II
MAJOR LEAGUE: BACK TO THE MINORS
MAJOR PAYNE
MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
MATRIX TRILOGY
MEAN GIRLS
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS
MEET THE PARENTS
MEN OF HONOR
MIB
MIIB
MILLION DOLLAR DUCK
MINORITY REPORT
MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
MISS CONGENIALITY
MONSTERS INC.
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL
MOULIN ROUGE
MRS. DOUBTFIRE
MUMMY
MUMMY RETURNS
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING
MY FELLOW AMERICANS
MY GIRL
MYSTERY MEN
NATIONAL TREASURE
NIGHT SHIFT
NUTTY PROFESSOR
OCEANS ELEVEN
OCEAN'S ELEVEN
OCEANS THIRTEEN
OCEANS TWELVE
OLIVER TWIST
ONE AND ONLY GENUINE ORIGINAL FAMILY BAND
OPEN SEASON
OVER THE HEDGE
PETER PAN
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
PINK FLOYD THE WALL
PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN
PLEASANTVILLE
POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES
PRACTICAL MAGIC
PRINCESS BRIDE
PRINCESS DIARIES
PRINCESS DIARIES 2
PRODUCERS
QUIET MAN
RATATOUILLE
RED DAWN
REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
RESCUERS
RESCUERS DOWN UNDER
RICHARD III
ROAD TO BALI/ ROAD TO RIO
ROBIN AND THE SEVEN HOODS
ROBIN HOOD
ROCK A DOODLE
ROYAL WEDDING
RUSH HOUR
RUSH HOUR 2
SANDS OF IWO JIMA / FLYING TIGERS
SANTA CLAUSE
SANTA CLAUSE 2
SCARLET LETTER
SCARLET PIMPERNEL
SCHINDLER'S LIST
SCOOBY DOO
SCOOBY-DOO 2
SCORE
SECRET GARDEN
SECRET OF NIMH
SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS
SHADOW OF THE THIN MAN
SHANGHAI KNIGHTS
SHANGHAI NOON
SHARK TALE
SHE'S THE MAN
SHIRLEY TEMPLE FESTIVAL 4 TITLES
SHORT CIRCUIT
SHOWBOAT
SHREK
SHREK 2
SHREK THE THIRD
SIGNS
SIXTH SENSE
SLEEPING BEAUTY
SMALL SOLDIERS
SNEAKERS
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
SON OF PALEFACE
SONG OF THE SOUTH
SONG OF THE THIN MAN
SOUND OF MUSIC
SOUTH PACIFIC
SPACEBALLS
SPIDERMAN
SPIDERMAN 2
STAR IS BORN
STAR WARS I: PHANTOM MENACE
STAR WARS II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES
STAR WARS III: REVENGE OF THE SITH
STAR WARS IV: A NEW HOPE
STAR WARS V: EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
STAR WARS VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI
STARGATE
STUART LITTLE
SUPERMAN RETURNS
SWEENEY TODD: DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET
SWEET HOME ALABAMA
SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON
SWORD IN THE STONE
SWORDFISH
TAKE THE LEAD
TARZAN
THANK YOU FOR SMOKING
THIN MAN
THIN MAN GOES HOME
THIRTEEN GOING ON THIRTY
THREE HUNDRED
THREE LIVES OF THOMASINA
TIDELAND
TOBY TYLER
TOP GUN
TOY
TOY STORY
TOY STORY 2
TRADING PLACES
TRANSFORMERS
TRANSFORMERS BEGININGS
TRAPPED IN PARADISE
TRINITY AND BEYOND: THE ATOM BOMB MOVIE
TRON
TRUE LIES
TWISTER
U571
UGLY DACHSHUND
UNBREAKABLE
UNCLE BUCK
UNDERWORLD
UPTOWN GIRLS
VICTORY AT SEA
VICTORY AT SEA
WALLACE AND GROMIT IN THREE AMAZING ADVENTURES
WALLACE AND GROMIT THE CURSE OF THE WERE RABBIT
WALLACE AND GROMIT: GROMITS TAIL WAGGIN' DVD
WATERWORLD
WE'RE NO ANGELS
WEST SIDE STORY
WHITE CHRISTMAS
WHOLE NINE YARDS
WILLOW
WITH SIX YOU GET EGGROLL
WITNESS
WIZARD OF OZ
X-2: X MEN UNITED
X3: THE LAST STAND
XMEN REVEALED
XXX
YOURS, MINE AND OURS

It's official

I got my diploma in the mail yesterday! It's very large, I don't think I can go to any store and pick up a frame. I should get it framed with a lovely mat and everything, but sheesh that's expensive.

Well, I don't know how things are in your areas, but the library has to cut 15% off our annual budget next year. That's almost two million dollars. It's going to be a rough year.

Well, have a great day, and I hope to hear from you soon!

I baked!

It's been a long time since I took the time to bake, so tonight I got off work early and after dinner made snickerdoodles. The Ultimate Cookie Cookbook has the best recipe I've tasted. http://http//www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0517206439/ref=sib_dp_pt/103-3174206-1068627#reader-link (p.21).
I made the perfect snickerdoodle, in my humble opinion! They were all the same size (cookie scoop!), had just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar on the top, and were crispy except for the very middle, which teases you into thinking they were chewy cookies. Allison likes them chewy, I like them crisp. On the other hand, she lives in a dorm, and she'll eat anything provided for free!

I always whip up a double batch of dough, so I can freeze it, and take it out on the spur of the moment for fresh baked cookies. Then I have several kinds of cookies to choose from. In this cookbook, I also love the buttered lime thins (p.107) and the Cats' tongues filled with espresso chocolate (p.147). I obviously haven't baked every recipe in the book, but I'll work my way through it eventually!

I love to bake, I can't make a decent pie dough to save my soul! I made apple crisp the other night, but the topping was less than stellar. Not sure what I did wrong, brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Maybe I didn't mix it into a crumble very well with the butter, parts of it were just powdery. Tasted good, but not a great topping.

Amber would be disappointed, we had plans for a baking party, and I didn't follow the "rules"! Don't worry, we'll have time!

Sushi

So my friends have been telling me for a long time that I had to try GOOD sushi, fresh sushi. So tonight we went to Rick Shaw Sushi (seven of us) and I finally tried sushi. My all time favorite were the mussels. Okay, technically not sushi, but served on the half shell cooked with some kind of wasabi mayo and hot sauce or something. Very yummy! My other favorite was the Rickshaw: Crystal shrimp, cucumber, avocado, spicy crab & cooked scallop, teri & honey mustard sauce. It was an all you can eat, so with seven of us, I was able to try a lot of different kinds. The Black Tiger was tempura shrimp, seared tuna, unagi and avocado.

We had a great time, I even tried Sake, which I didn't know was served warm, but very tasty. I probably won't go often, no one else in my family will go with me, but I'm really glad I went and tried something new. I kept the order sheet so I could make notes. Course, I'll never know where it is if I go back, but maybe I'll remember what I liked!

January, Already?

Sheesh, where did the time go? Holidays are done, New Year's has come and gone, now settling in to normal life. I spent a week before the holidays catching up on mindless TV, got through Desperate Housewives, now I have to catch up on LOST. I just got season three on DVD from the library, so I can start working on those. It feels kind of weird to not have to run home and jump on the computer and do school work. Feels great, mind you, just getting used to it.

I went through all the board games to make sure they were complete and got rid of stuff, went through the cupboards in the loft and cleaned those out, cleaned out the coat closet, now to get to the garage! Too cold!

Happy New Year to everyone (the two of you that read this!).