Brownies

This afternoon we are going to a friends house for a gathering. It is a pot luck. Among other things, we are bringing dessert. Part of that dessert is brownies. I was in the kitchen and I prepared the brownies and put them in the oven. I then puttered about and did some other things while they were baking. Gathered other things that we needed.

I don't like to venture too far away from the oven or the timer when I am baking. I have been known to go upstairs and putter and then not hear the timer and forget all about what I was making.

So I was on the main floor and the timer went. I proceeded to the kitchen and opened the oven, had on my oven mitts and pulled the brownies out of the oven.

They were jiggly. Brownies shouldn't be jiggly. That is a bad sign.

I then really looked at the brownies and not only were they jiggly, they were totally uncooked.

I forgot to turn on the oven...

Oooppss...

So now I am still here on the main floor, waiting for the brownies - in the turned ON oven - to bake. We are supposed to leave at 2:00...I am not thinking that that is going to happen!

33 Month LID

Well Sunday was our 33 month LID. I forgot...

I read about it on Dolores and Shawn's blog.

Then I forgot about it again.

Now I remembered and thought it was a good excuse to do a blog post.

On the down side, we received a notification from our agency stating that with the lengthening time lines, and if things continue as they are, we can expect a referral in the later part of 2015!!

Oh yes I did write 2015!! That would be a 9 year wait. 9 years when we signed up for 18 months.

Whatever...

On the positive side, we should BE with Dolores and Shawn for our next one!!!

Work vs. Personal

Last week at work, I received an e-mail from a business associate. This associate is NOT someone that I have ever met in person. In actuality, this was the first correspondence that I have ever had with her.

The e-mail was in response to a business question that I was asking.

Her response back to me was signed off with “Have a Blessed Day”.

What people choose to say or not say in their personal e-mails is their business. However, I don’t feel that this was an appropriate sign off for business correspondence.

Thoughts?

EXCITEMENT!!!

Please join me in congratulating Catherine. She has received her referral for her little Hannah!

She is a MOMMY!!!

Pop by her blog and share your excitement!!

Happy Birthday Dolores!

Happy Birthday to Dolores!!

Today is her special day for a special lady!!

We are so lucky to have you in our lives!

Can't wait to see you again soon!!!!!

Head on over to her blog and wish her a great day.

The graphics are courtesy of Doris as I pinched it from her blog...

Apparently Doris pinched it from K1 blog last year...Thanks K1

I then stored the image and brought it out again!! This is one of my favourite pictures of Dolores.

I am really going to learn to do all this stuff one of these days...

Today is the day!

The above cake is courtesy of my sister. She came over tonight with the cake and a present!

Cake was GREAT and the present was perfect!!

Thank you to everyone who sent their birthday wishes through phone calls, blogs, Facebook, e-mails and cards. They are all very appreciated.

Tonight Mark and I enjoyed a lovely dinner out. Now I am so full I have to try and keep my eyes open!

Happy Day to everyone!!

99 Things

Pinched this off K1's blog.

Here are the rules:
Bold (since I can't "bold", the ones I have done are GREEN) the things you’ve done and post this list on your blog then leave me a comment and tell me you did this I can go see. I bet this has gone around the blog world already, so if you've done it, let me know.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyworld
8. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Written something that was published
11. Bungee jumped or parachuted
12. Walked across the Golden Gate Bridge
13. Been in a fist fight
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Seen the Rings of Saturn with a telescope
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when not ill
24. Built a tree house or snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Fired a gun
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal
44. Visited Africa
45. Cried yourself to sleep
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Visited the Eiffel Tower
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Pretended you cooked something from scratch when you didn't
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie or commercial
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold something door to door
62. Gone whale or dolphin watching
64. Donated blood, marrow, etc
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Held onto a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten frog legs or caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Time Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Done something illegal
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Sang a solo
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Climbed a mountain
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had surgery
89. Directly saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Seen a loved one die
94. Given birth to a baby
95. Visited the Alamo
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Sent a text message while driving
99. Been stung by a bee


54 bolded or made GREEN - I am impressed!! I can't say that I even want to do all of them, but there are a few on there that I would be willing to do/experience.

Good or Bad?

Yesterday was our 32nd month LID Anniversary.

I forgot - TOTALLY forgot. Not until I was reading Dolores and Shawn's blog did I even realize that yesterday was the day.

I have been thinking about it. I am not sure if forgetting our LID anniversary is a good thing or a bad thing.

I will have to ponder muchly about it and well hey - I have about 60 more to go so missing one or two along the way shouldn't be a big deal.

WHOO HOO - we (after almost 3 years) are 1/3 of the way there!!

Apparently I am a bit bitter tonight!

Excitement!!!

There is some INCREDIBLE news to share!!

Go HERE and share in their joy!!

We are beyond happy for them and are most excited for K1 and K2 to welcome K3 & K4!

I have goosebumps just thinking about it!

It couldn't have happened to nicer people and we wish them all the happiness in the world!

ICK!!

So I am sitting at my computer minding my own business.

Something catches the corner of my eye.

I look down.

There is a mouse at my foot.

OH YES THERE IS!!

I jumped - it scared the crap out of me.

My jumping scared the crap out of it.

It ran.

I haven't seen it since - though I have heard it.

The pest people will be here in the morning.

Sigh...

Matching???

Oh my!!! I am getting excited!!

It has been reported that there is "matching" happening at the CC*AA.

Is someone holding Hannah's picture at this very moment?? Are they clipping Hannah's picture to Catherine file right now as you are reading this???

I am getting goose bumps! This is really happening for Catherine and I can't wait to share in her joy!!

Addiction!!

I am addicted to RQ!

I am stalking the site every hour to make sure that I haven't missed anything.

VERY, VERY soon, two good friends Catherine and Doris and Dan are going to be receiving their referrals and I am beyond excited!!!!!

I am looking for a scrap of information - tidbit or morsel that something - anything - is being rumoured!!

If I am like this for someones else's referrals, I can't imagine how I will function when my turn comes!! LOL!!

C'mon referrals!!!!

31 Months...

Another month passed by - nothing much else to say...

Refresh

Refresh
Refresh
Refresh

I am going to be spending a LOT of time at my computer today hitting the refresh button...

Rumours are out there that some people with a March 21st and March 23rd LID have received referrals.

My very good friend Catherine has an LID of March 23rd.

Could this be true? Could this be happening?

If so - my other very good friends Doris and Dan are right around the corner with an LID of March 28th.

It is certainly an exciting time for me - well and for them of course!!!

A Dream

The other night I had a dream. I woke up from this dream SWEATING and a little bit freaking out...

In my dream, Catherine and Doris and I all received referrals at the same time - THIS MONTH! Now Catherine and Doris have a March '06 LID and I have a December '06 LID. In this dream, the CCA*A would randomly pick someone with a later LID and 'surprise' them with an early referral.

I was the one randomly picked!!

AND

They referred us TRIPLETS!! YES TRIPLETS!!!

I started freaking out! THREE babies!! I wasn't ready, I wasn't prepared, what were we going to do...

Then I woke up.

Interesting dream!! Perhaps I should go and buy a lottery ticket...

30 Month LID

Well another month has passed. I can't even say another month closer because Pumpkin keeps getting further away.

Some months are better then others.

However, not even being 1/2 yet and with an estimated 62 MORE months...well it is hard to even try and keep up appearances anymore...

On the plus side - we have 62 more months to REALLY get to know Dolores and Shawn before we travel together!!

Finances

I was out recently with a married friend. While we were out, she mentioned that he husband ‘bought’ her an outfit for the baby. She also mentioned that a couple of weeks prior, he had paid for the groceries because she was low on cash. I have seen married couples go to a restaurant and each pay for their own. All these things are different then what Mark and I do or how we handle our money.

This lead me to thinking, how do couples handle their finances. Do couples have HIS and HERS money? Does a certain percentage – based on what is earned – go into a communal pot? Is a set amount put in a joint account each payday? Is one partner responsible for this, this and this, while the other is responsible for that, that and that?

It intrigues me to learn how and or why other couples handle things the way they do.

Mark and I have one pot. It all goes in the one pot. Yes we have savings and pay bills etc, but the money that comes in is OURS. We discuss large purchases before they are made, but otherwise, we both spend what we want to spend. That said, we are basically both on the same wavelength about what we will spend our money on. Neither of us is going to go crazy and spend a bunch on money on anything. If I want to go out for lunch or dinner with friends, then that is what I do. If he wants to pitch in for a gift for someone at work, then that is what he does. It all basically works out. We don’t keep track of who spent what.

What do other couples out there do? Please feel free to answer anonymously if you don’t want to be identified.

I would LOVE to hear how others do it.

Songs

Tonight I was transported back in time. It was quite a ride!!

Do you have some songs that the minute you hear them, they jump you back to a moment in time? Sometimes that moment is a good one with a good memory...sometimes not so much.

Other songs - the minute you hear them you think of a certain person - again good reasons and bad reasons. Some songs you would THINK you knew what kind of an association they were based on the song, but you know what happens when you ASS-U-ME...

Here are some songs that 'jump me to that moment or that person' - in no particular order:

No judgments here - Most of them were a different place and a different time...

Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody

Dire Straights - Money for Nothing

Cher - Just Like Jesse James

Phil Collins - Against All Odds

Sophie B. Hawkins - As I Lay Me Down

Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart

Frozen Ghost - Dream Come True

Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes - Time of your Life

Shania Twain - From this Moment

Any Kenny Rogers Song...

Any Neil Diamond Song...

These are just the ones that popped into my head when I started writing this. What songs bring back memories for you?

Blank

I try and get out to walk every day. I usually make it and walk for about 30 minutes or so.

While I am walking - there are many thoughts going through my head. Many times I am composing FANTASTIC blog posts in my head.

Unfortunately my memory is not very good. By the time I get home and I am ready to sit at my computer, I have not only forgotten the contents of these fantastic posts, I have also forgotten the topics!

Then when I sit down at my computer, I stare at a blank screen and well, you know the rest - there isn't anything posted on my blog.

I am getting a new deck and it was just finished today - when I get it all organized I will post some pictures. I can't wait to get out and use it and hook up the BBQ again.

We had a great time in Montreal with 3D. I wish they didn't live 5 1/2 hours away.

There is something wrong with my jaw muscle. It HURTS! It comes and goes and I can't open my mouth sometimes. I had to cancel my dentist appointment on Thursday. There was no way that I could keep my mouth open for an hour.

Between now and the end of summer, we are busy all but 3 Saturdays.

I don't much listen to the radio anymore.

I am liking that summer is here/coming.

I don't have any getaway vacations planned.

I had pizza for dinner.

That is about all that I can come up with right now!

A Shitty Post

Question:

Why is it o.k. or at least accepted for cats to wonder aimlessly outside? They are not wild animals - they belong to someone. Yet they are allowed to skulk around outside and shit in other peoples gardens and on their lawns and various other places. There isn't even a 'owner' around to pick up after them. Why would you even own a cat when it spends all it's time OUTSIDE of your home? What is the point?

As for dogs - why do some owners insist on NOT picking up their dogs shit when they are out for a walk but instead leaving it on a path or in the grass when some unsuspecting person (like myself) will step in it?? What about a curious child and they wondering what that 'thing' is in the grass?

Pets are a responsibility and if you are not up to picking up their shit and taking care of them - well then don't have them in the first place. Unfortunately you don't need a licence to have a pet...