Happy Halloween!

Look What I Did Today

Today I baked the absolute best loaf of bread ever, from scratch! I baked two loaves last week, and for the first loaves I had ever made, they came out good. This one, however, is PERFECT. I want to eat the whole thing.

I also took a really cute picture of J's dogs last night. Check it out:

Rosebud is sleeping, and Duff is curled up behind her, with his head on her shoulder. So cute!

And that's all I have today. Remember that starting Thursday, I'll be updating every day for the months of November and probably December, too! Oh, the joy. :) I hope you had a good weekend!

Halloween Duckies

J's mother bought him a couple bags of little rubber duckies, all dressed up for Halloween. There were duplicates of each kind, so I brought some in to work with me. And I took pictures, to share with you. :) They're too cute to keep to myself.

Frankenstein and a ghost.

A Jack-o-lantern and a vampire.

Mummy and a witch.

The witch has a broom tucked under its wing. :)

And three glow in the dark ones - a Frankenstein, a cat and a vampire.

Too freaking cute. :)

News and Other Stuff

I signed up for NabLoPoMo, which means I have to update every day in November. I also plan on signing up for Holidailies, which means I'll have to update every day in December, as well. Get ready to hear a LOT from me in the next couple of months. :)

I've had a livejournal account for a long time, so that I could read the blogs of people who keep their entries on livejournal private, but I've never written in it msyelf. Well, I decided today to start writing in it about all things Sims related. I know most of the people who read this blog don't have any interest in the Sims at all (with the exception of a couple of you that I know of), but sometimes I want to talk about them and share pictures that I took in my game. So if any of you are interested in that kind of stuff, add this to your links: My Sims Journal. If any of you do go there from here, I'd love it if you'd comment and tell me. Just because I'm a curious individual. If you do go check it out, keep in mind that I just made this decision today, so there isn't really anything there yet except for an initial post. The real Sims talk and pictures will all come later.

(Also, I am a smiley face addict - I was going to add one to the end of that last paragraph, but I already put one on the end of the paragraph before it. Is there some sort of 9 step program for smiley faces?)

So. Now that the business-y stuff is out of the way, let's get down to a real entry! Not that I have much to say, but I feel like writing. Lucky you.

I don't think I mentioned that I went to the doctor's office a couple of weeks ago and had blood drawn for the regular annual blood tests that doctors like to do. I went last week for my annual check-up and talked to my doctor about my results. I'm perfectly healthy as far as my sugar level goes (which is a great thing, since my mother was a diabetic), my blood pressure was normal and my good cholesterol level is in a normal range, but my bad cholesterol is borderline high. Oops. So I got the scoop from the doctor on what I need to do, which basically consists of eating less fat and more fiber. Which I already knew I needed to do, but now I have a handy dandy doctor's order (suggestion, really) to do so. Fun! I have to go back in four months for a recheck, so I'm starting to behave a little better in regards to my eating. I'd kind of like to get that number back down to a normal level and avoid something pesky like a heart attack or stroke, so it seems like the thing to do.

So I'm reintroducing some things into my diet which really never should have left it in the first place - like apples. I ate one yesterday at work, and it was so good that I really wondered why I ever stopped eating them in the first place. What the heck? And I'm trying to eat lower fat meals and such, too. I'll keep you updated on how I do with that.

And just like that, my urge to write has left me, so this is all you're getting today. :) (See, I need the 9 step program.) Later, taters!

One Year Ago Today

One year ago tonight J and I had our very first date. We met in the parking lot of the local grocery store, both of us nervous, but at the same time happy to meet. We said hi and hugged and he said nice things and I might have done the same, then we went to dinner followed by a movie.

I drove home after our date with the best feeling. I was so happy I couldn't stop smiling, because it had just gone so well, and I was looking forward to seeing him again just a week later. One year later, I still have that same smile on my face whenever I'm looking forward to seeing him. I can't wait to see him pull into the driveway after he gets out of work. Looking at his face makes me feel all mushy and full of love. I fought my relationship fears for him back in November, and I'm so glad that I did. It was worth every second of fear and fighting to get to where we are now.

I love you, J. I'm very happy that you contacted me on eharmony last year, and even happier that I responded. I love seeing you every day, I love living with you - I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my life.

I am yours forever.

New Favorite Word

J came up with a new word last night, by mixing together two words by accident or something, and it's my new favorite word of all time. I'm going to share it with you, and you're going to love it. Are you ready?

ASSHUT

Don't you love it? Say it out loud a few times, believe me, it sounds great. We said it a lot last night.

What is an asshut, you may ask? Well, obviously it's a great name to call people. You might use it when greeting a friend. "Hey asshut, what's up?" Or you might use it on someone you don't like or who has done something to upset you. "You are such an asshut!" But it's even more versatile than that. "That pizza I just had has given me total asshut." Use it. You'll love it.

(Also, centering that text and making it larger has made blogger screw up my spacing for the rest of the entry. Blogger is an asshut.) :)

80s Aerobic Tape Flashback

Oh, the mind works in mysterious ways, but it sure does bring up some fun topics, sometimes. I was just in the bathroom, getting rid of water, so to speak, and for no reason whatsoever this line from the old Jane Fonda workout tape that I used to do popped into my head.

"Muscles don't work as well if they're dehydrated."

Weird, huh? But it made me think about this aerobics tape, that I haven't done in years, but I did it so many times in my 20s that I know the whole thing by heart, pretty much. And I remembered this girl who was in it, who used to annoy the everloving fuck out of me. Her name was Leslie Lillian (already annoying, right?), and she was skinny and short and oh so cute, so I automatically hated her. And then during the part of the routine where Jane would have us all doing the higher impact stuff, she'd say, "...and Leslie Lillian's going to sing for us while we do it!" (I really do have all of the speaking stuff on this tape memorized, just about. Well, the beginner's class, anyway. I only did the advanced part of the tape for a short while when I lost a bunch of weight, back when I was like 23 or 24.) And this skinny little chick, in the 80s leotard, belt and hairband (but her hair wasn't tied back, like a normal woman who is exercising would have it - oh no, it's flowing free and pretty, because she wasn't sweating, so why tie it up?), would start belting out this song, and she would keep it up during the whole high impact part of the tape. She might as well have been walking through a field of flowers, instead of working out.

Meanwhile, I'd be gasping for air, sweating like a pig, while singing along inside my head, because I didn't have enough air to do it out loud. Hate.

And there is no point to this story at all. It just popped into my head, and I thought I'd share. You're welcome. :)

Decorations, We Have 'Em :)

I promised you pictures of the Halloween decorations around our house, so yesterday I went around and took a bunch of pictures. So, let's go on a tour!

First, approaching the house from the outside, you're faced with these oh so evil skulls (and a cheerful Happy Halloween) in the front picture window. This is your first hint of the evil to be found in our house. Mua ha ha!

Then you come up to the front porch, and you're greeted by the sight of two skeletons hanging from nooses, plus lots of skull lights and a black flag that says the obvious - boo! You might want to turn back now. But if you choose to go on, then let's look at the next thing you'll see.

Walking straight up the porch stairs, you'll see a banner showing a haunted house, skeletons and the again cheerful statement, "Happy Halloween." At least they're happy evil skeletons.

Coming inside, you're greeted by a slightly less scary stairway lit with Halloween colored lights. Your heartbeat might begin to slow back down after the fright of the front porch, until you see the skull hanging from the light string. All may not be well in here after all.

To the left of the stairway you'll see a ghost, which is seemingly lit from within, and it's flanked by more small ghosts surrounding a jack-o-lantern and stuffed M&M toys dressed in costumes. Scary or cute? You decide.

Turning to the left to face the living room, your eye might be caught by something that makes you look towards the front door, only to be greeted with a warning that you might have been better off seeing outside - beware!

You swallow your fear and turn back to the living room, and see a grinning skeleton, with its arm around the picture of a high school girl. Well, at least she looks happy to be in the arms of a dead person.

Looking up, you notice that the ceiling is lined with small lights - skulls and Frankenstein heads look back down at your with their empty, soulless, evil eyes. You shudder.

You look at the top of the dresser in the living room and see two more skulls, and an evil jack-o-lantern that seems to be hanging out with them. Is there no end to the death and evil here?

You turn your head to the right and see that the answer is apparently no. Another evil jack-o-lantern is watching you.

You leave the living room and walk into the dining room, and after you've walked under the hanging cauldron, skull and various bones that hang from the doorway, you see something out of the corner of your eye, and turn to see a ghost hanging from the ceiling, grinning at you. It knows what you're in for, it seems to be saying.

You walk forward and turn your head to the left, and jump as you see not only more skulls (these arranged artfully on top of each other), but - you almost scream - spiders! The most evil thing yet!

Straight ahead of you there is a dining table, covered with a seemingly cheerful holiday display. Upon closer inspection, though, you notice spiderwebs, witches, even more skeletons and is that death himself holding a candle in the middle? You think it might be.

You look away from the table only to be faced with another skeleton dangling from the dining room curtain rod, peeking over the curtains in a playful manner. In front of him are lights that spell out "Happy Halloween," and to his left is a lit-up, evil grinning skull. Oh, what a frightening display.

You decide that since you've faced the evils of the downstairs and survived, you should see what's upstairs. You walk up the stairs, throwing off what seems to be a black shroud that settles on your shoulders as you ascend, only to turn around and see this staring back at you. How did you ever make it by that in one piece? You have no idea.

You get to the top of the stairs, and see a door with this hanging on it. Is the skeleton welcoming you in, or waving to its next meal? You have no idea.

You walk down the hall to see another sign on another door, warning you to keep out, because the place is condemned. You can't take any more - you've seen enough. You run from the house screaming, your heart racing as you go back past the ghoul hanging over the stairs, and you know one thing is true.

It really is batty in here!

And that's your tour! I hope you enjoyed it, and that you managed to escape in one piece. Happy Halloween!

Halloween and Wrist and Dinner, Yum

This entry brought to you by the Halloween bracelets that J gave me. Thanks, babe! Today I'm wearing the one that says "Trick or Treat," and has the bats on the sides (see the other picture below). I love these things - they're so fun.

I've never been a person to get too into Halloween, really. I loved going trick or treating, of course, and getting a big bag of candy that I wouldn't even finish eating (I seem to remember running across a big bag of the stuff in a dresser drawer months after Halloween once when I was a kid - I must have hidden it from my Mom, because she never would have let it sit around that long), but I never decorated for it, and I haven't dressed up for it since the last time I went trick or treating when I was 11 or so. But now that J is in my life, my house is filled with skulls and scary jack-o-lanterns and ghosts, and there is even a Freddy Krueger image in the front window. And you know what? I like it. I love that he is someone who gets so into holidays. It's fun. (And I'll share some pictures with you before Halloween, or at least I'll try.)

So, it's been almost a week since my last update, I think, and I've watched a ton of TV since then. I'm watching all of the most interesting new shows, and so far the only one I won't watch again is Chuck. It was okay, but it didn't quite work right, in my opinion, so I'm not wasting time on it. I haven't watched all of the new stuff yet - I have Moonlight or whatever it was called on my DVR but haven't watched it yet, and I think there's something else on there that I haven't seen yet, too, but I can't remember what. The new stuff has been surprisingly good, though, I think. I loved Big Bang Theory, which I already wrote about, and I also really liked Reaper. And I wasn't even going to watch Bionic Woman, because it had already been done, but I'm glad I did, because it was nothing like the 70s version. I liked it a lot. I wasn't sure about Private Practice - it was pretty boring, but I'll give it another week or two to improve before I stop watching it. All in all, though, I'm loving having so much TV to watch, and I'm happy with almost all of it, so I consider the 2007 fall TV season to be a success.

I think I wrote in an earlier entry that I was thinking about making a baby blanket for my soon to be great-niece. Well, I got the yarn for it on Saturday, and started making it. I'm having fun crocheting again. I haven't done anything crafty in a long time, so it's fun. One thing I did forget about, though - I can't crochet for too long before my right wrist starts to hurt. I have a repetitive motion injury in that wrist (I've never had it diagnosed, so I don't know what it is for sure - I only know it started when I worked as a bank teller, and it hurts if I do anything with that hand for too long without having the wrist supported), and it doesn't like the crocheting motions much. So I crocheted for a little bit Saturday night and a little bit more on Sunday morning, and then had to take the rest of the day off from it. I'll do a little tonight, and will keep working on it every day, but I'm going to have to limit my time because of the wrist. Which is fine, but I only have two weeks until the baby shower, so I hope I have enough time to get it finished before then. I might actually try using a wrist brace to see if that helps with the pain. It can't hurt, right? Yeah, maybe I'll talk to my pharmacist before I buy one, to get their opinion.

And now I only have ten minutes until it's time to leave work, woo! J and I are going to my sister's house for dinner, which should be fun. I love seeing her every week, and I really love it when J can come with me, which he can't very often because of work. So it's a special night. My favorite sibling and my favorite man, all at the same time! :) Anyway, I better publish this and get ready to go. Bye!