Geeky Tai-Tai's Great Road Trip Oh-Eight, La Troisième Partie

Where was I?  Oh, let's see, yeah, da boyz and I were headed to Carlinville.  We arrived there around 5:30 (Central) Saturday.  We were greeted by by Buckner, Skip and Beth's dog (a Great Pyrenees).  None of the dogs really knew how to react to the other.  Hunter and Clyde mostly tried to hide behind me.

We drank a few beers, watched the dogs play, and then decided to head uptown to Angus Bailey's for some dinner.  I forget now what I had, but I can assure you it was teh yummeh!  I love that place because they have such a varied menu, and the portions on huge.

Buckner, Beth, and Hunter

We spent Sunday getting the garage ready for the big Thanksgiving feast.  Skip vacuumed the big rug (which terrified Hunter for the longest time), set up the tables, and then he and I had the best time decorating the "Thanksgiving" tree.  It turned out really cool.

In the afternoon, Skip took da boyz and me to visit my mother-in-law, Gloria, at the nursing home.  She's had Alzheimer's for years now, but the illness has progressed very quickly of late, and it's heartbreaking.

When we arrived, Skip said, "Hi, Mom, do you know who I am?" and she very politely replied, "No, I don't believe I do."

Skip led us down the hall so that I could see her room and we could get her jacket.  Skip and Beth have seen to it that she has all of her special things -- photos, her favorite chair, things like that.  She told me that everyone there is very nice and she likes it there. 

After we'd retrieved her jacket, we went back down the hallway to head outside when I discovered a "deposit" on the sparkling floor left by one of mah boyz!  One of the aides cleaned it up for me since I didn't have any of my plastic bags with me.  Doh!

We went outside to sit on the bench she likes to sit on.  We didn't have a conversation really, but it was nice to sit with her and she seemed to enjoy petting Hunter.  He loved it!  After about 15 minutes, Gloria was ready to go back inside.  A young lady was there doing manicures.  Skip helped Gloria select a new color besides the bright pink she'd had on. 

While Skip went to back to set Glo's TV to FOX so that she could watch football later that afternoon, I stayed in the commons area with Clyde and Hunter.  They were perfectly behaved!  One resident in particular, really loved petting them. I was so proud of mah boyz, and it made me feel good that they brightened the day for so many people.  This is what I hope we can do on a regular basis in the future.

My niece, Jessica, came over later in the afternoon along with her puppy, Reilly.  Take a look...

We had the best time just watching those three little fellas!

Sunday evening, I took the boys out to potty around 10:30 and had a smoke. It was so cold and Hunter is still scared of the stairs. I got he and Clyde up on the deck and decided I couldn't put that cig out on the deck because it would leave 

a nasty black spot. I spied the planter nearby and thought, "Aw, well, I can just put it out in there and then head upstairs with the boys."

Around 3:30 a.m. I heard commotion downstairs -- Beth calling very loudly for Skip. I went back to sleep, but wondered why she was getting up so early for work. We woke up around 8:30, I threw on some clothes so that I could take the pups out to potty.  Skip came in and said, "Good morning", but not in his usual jovial tone.

"Well, good morning, Skip, how are you today?"

He had an odd look on his face, and he hesitated before speaking.

"Skip, are you OK? Is something wrong?" I'm getting scared now because he's a pretty laid back guy most of the time.

Skip finally said, "Uh, yes mostly, but we've had a bit of a problem." He put his arm around me, helped me with getting the leashes on the pups, and led me out onto the deck. What I saw -- well, it just sent me into a state of shock. It took a few seconds for the sight to sink in before I realized that I HAD SET THEIR HOUSE ON FIRE! OMG! I started bawling!

He was kind enough to let me cry on his shoulder, held me, and then he said, 

"We need some coffee. I can't figure out how to work that new coffee maker, so I'm going to take Buckner in the truck to get us some."

Hunter was so upset about me crying and being upset, he couldn't stop shaking. I couldn't stop shaking and eventually felt like I was going to be very ill. The damage is rather minimal when I think what it could've been, but that's when I get nauseous -- again! I am so grateful that Beth decided to go through the kitchen to get to the bathroom at 3:30 a.m.  I still can't believe that it happened. GAH

Buckner letting me know that I'm an idiot!

To be continued... at my NEW blog:  The Real Life of a Geeky Tai-Tai

A New Life in America

This past summer has been hectic and downright overwhelming at times. Hence, no posts from me. I've missed blogging, but the whole "Oh cool, this will be a great thing to write about" completely disappeared for me.  

Every time we move it seems I have to reinvent myself to adapt to the new environment.  It didn't take me long to adapt to Singapore, except for the heat.  I fell in love with living there.  Living as an expat in another country has a lot of drawbacks, but living in Singapore was almost like a vacation for me the entire time I was there.  Of course, that was not the case for WHH, but he loved his work and we made a lot of wonderful new friends. 

Repatriation has not been as easy for me as my transition to Singapore.  I was used to apartment living, no stairs, a pool we could use year-round for exercise or just relaxing and visiting with our friends and neighbors.  We walked or took a short cab ride to where ever we needed to go so there was no need for a car.  Groceries were delivered to our apartment.  I had help with house-cleaning and ironing.  We essentially had no bills to pay because our rent was already deducted from WHH's salary.  It was too easy for me, and I got spoiled.

Upon our return, it was back to "real" life for me -- a much too-big house without my sons or my Woofie (my 14-year old Terrier mix) this time.   I've felt a little lost as to what my purpose in life is supposed to be now that I'm back.  I enjoy taking pictures and making my silly videos, I love the internet and have made so many new friends via blogging, Facebook, and Twitter.  It's amazing the connections and reconnections one can make.

I've missed my Woofie so much the last four years.  We've always had pets, but I wasn't sure if I was ready for the obligations of pet parenthood.  Adopting a pet is a decision that one cannot make on impulse.  

It wasn't until my friend, Mary, posted pictures and videos of all of her precious puppies online  that I realized I needed to get another dog.  Not just any dog, but a very special breed -- a Havanese.  Mary lives in Connecticut (we've known each other now for about 20 years), but she told me that her friend had a litter of Havanese pups that would soon be ready for adoption.  I was so excited until she told me the cost of one of those beautiful puppies.  I wanted to cry!  

Then Mary suggested that I check out the Havanese Rescue, Inc. website because she's a volunteer with them.  I did, and immediately my heart went out to little Isabella.  HRI contacted me the same day that I sent my application to adopt.  It was explained to me very clearly that it's not me who chooses the puppy.  HRI makes the decision by committee as to who is most suitable for the puppy.  So, I tried very hard not to get my hopes up.  Eventually, the foster mama called to tell me that she felt Isabella needed a home with other dogs.  She suggested I check the site for other dogs available for adoption and I did.

That's when I discovered Clyde and Hunter, 3-year old brothers who needed a new home because their previous family ran into financial difficulties.  I applied to adopt them both because of what Isabella's foster mama had told me, and I also said that I would drive down to Florida to get them.  HRI required four references (and they did call and speak with them) and a home inspection.  It is a very intensive process, but its all for the safety and happiness of the dogs.

I am very pleased to tell you that we were approved for the adoption of the newest members of our family, Clyde and Hunter.  When I arrived at the foster mom's home in Florida, I heard all kinds of barking behind the door.  I knew that she had four of her own Havanese.  She led me into her home and had me sit in a big comfy chair.  Immediately, Clyde was in my lap licking my face.  Hunter went hiding behind her chair.  She brought him around to meet me, and I fell madly in love with these two black and white balls of fur!  

Soon after bringing mah boys home, I realized that I needed to do whatever I can to help protect this precious breed.  I'm very happy to announce that last week, I was officially approved as a Havanese Rescue, Inc. volunteer.  The purpose I was searching for found me.  Life is good.

Clearly I Won't Be Invited...

to Hollywood, Cannes or Oslo for awards, but I feel compelled to share this with you, my loyal blog-readers...



Or you can view the video here.

I said in the video that I would continue filming the next day, but the stump grinder dude showed up at the same time the mover dudes brought our stuff from storage. The stump grinder was a remote-controlled SP7015TRX. He was finished with the job in about an hour. Yes, yes, I know you're disappointed you can't see video of it in action, especially of the cute guy operating it. I'm disappointed too!

Gimme One Reason To Stay Here...

And we'll turn right back around...

Living in Singapore was a wonderful experience for both of us. It's hard for me to put into words how special it was for my WHH (Way-Hot Husband = Michael). He was able to work with a team of exceptional talent that had been without leadership for several months. It didn't take long for him to learn about each of his team members' talents and their willingness to work toward the unusual goals that his team had set.


Honestly?? I was almost sick of hearing the acronym for the new platform that his team had developed! He was on the phone most nights with Europe or the U.S. along with the Singaporean team members for the last 2+ years. The coolest part is that the entire project has been successful and nothing like this has ever been done before.

I have always been proud of my husband. He is loving, honorable, trustworthy, sincere, and a loving father -- qualities that aren't always so easy to find. What an adventure the last 30 years has been. It sure doesn't seem like it's been that long to me.

I think this video sums up what I'm trying to say, but in pictures instead. I would prefer to say, "We'll see you again soon!" rather than "Farewell".

Back in the USA Part 2

Even more compelling video for your viewing pleasure...

Back in the USA

This video is unedited, and NSFW. That means "not safe for work"OR Mom, young nephews, and anyone else easily offended by stupidity.

Happy birthday America!

This is a tough post for me to write

A lot has happened in the last 24-hours and I need to let you know the latest. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for going to Lisa's and Miss Ann's blogs to offer your kind and generous support. If you haven't yet, I hope that you will take a bit of time to go to Lisa's blog, click on the "comment" button, and leave her some words of encouragement -- yes, even though you don't know her.

Here's what she says in the comments section of her blog...

"I want to reply to each and every one of you. I mean that in all sincerity because your comments mean so much. I have been printing them and so far have 43 pages!!! They will keep me strong and remind me what to be grateful for on the days I feel weak and feel like I can’t fight.

I’m grateful for all of you! "

She's an amazing woman who is such an inspiration to all of us.

Here's an update from Lisa:

"... It turns out that I have tumors on my liver and abdomen. This is an aggressive cancer that seems to be spreading fast. I’m inoperable although my only hope may be that Johns Hopkins is the only hospital on the East Coast that may be willing to try surgery to “debulk” the tumor in my abdomen but it’s very risky.

Using chemotherapy at this stage in the game may or may not produce good results..."

An update from Miss Ann (she's hosting the raffle):

"...We’ve reached $3000+! Since people don’t like to insure two time cancer survivors, and since the raffle is still running and even MORE stuff has been donated, which I will post tomorrow, I’m asking for the donations to continue to help with medical expenses and such. As I said yesterday, the raffle might end early depending on what goes on with her at her next doctor appointment sometime next week. I have to pull it abruptly if she needs to go NOW. You guys are the greatest. Seriously. Your thoughtfulness and caring are amazing. Thank you so much..."

Another blog friend, whom I haven't met yet has made the following video. It is beautiful and makes me very proud to be a part of the blogging community.



Now, I need to ask for your love, support, good vibes, and prayers. Our niece, Alex and her boyfriend, Adam, were in a terrible auto accident yesterday in Indiana. It was raining, the country road was slick, and they hit a pothole. I don't know many more details except the truck flipped 7 times. My niece was thrown from the truck and her arm was severed. Adam found her arm, and called for help.



They were both airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Alex was assessed there and the doctors determined that she could withstand the surgery to reattach her arm. She was then transported to St. Vincent's Hospital. She made it through surgery and her arm's circulation is good, but she has started running a fever and is in critical condition. She also has significant facial injuries, but the swelling has to go down before the doctors can do anything.

It's my understanding that Adam is still at Methodist Hospital in critical condition suffering from internal injuries and hemorrhaging. Unfortunately, I don't know anymore than that at his time.

It is very hard for us to be so far away when something as devastating as this happens. The movers arrived here this morning to begin packing our household goods. Michael packed up a lot of things today and took them to the service apartment. I still have a bunch of forms to fill out, but I'm getting there -- slowly, but surely. I promised Lisa last night that I would stop procrastinating the shitty stuff that I hate to do.

I'm so thankful for technology, the internets, and the beautiful people behind those computer screens. I'm pretty sure I'd be a total basket case right now if I didn't have them. It felt good to talk to Jimmy and my Mom on Skype this morning and to be able to see them. They had been to see Alex, and it was terribly difficult for them to see her little body so battered and broken. So, once again, I thank you for your love and support. It means a lot to me.

We Had a Very SPECIAL Visitor!

Skip & Cheese Lobster at River Quay Seafood in Boat Quay

Remember those big-ass storms in the Midwest the week before last? Well, those stupid storms kept my favorite brother-in-law, Skip, from making his flight to Newark! Stupid storms. He was able to make it the next day, cutting his visit short by one day.

There's something you need to know... no matter how much my BIL is like his dad, he was not born a travellin' man! This is a big trip for anyone, but for someone who's not a "travellin' man"? Ummm, it's a very scary proposition!

However, he arrived safely from Singapore Airlines (he was impressed with the "care" bestowed upon passengers). Once he got to our place, we proceeded to ply him with several Stella Artois' and he ate the snacks that he 'stole' from SIA (HAH!)

He slept a while and then we took him out for a walk along Orchard Road. I'm not sure (I wasn't keeping notes -- he was), but I think we all needed a shower after that. GAH! It's humid here, but it's so good for the skin!

Mike & Skip at Ngee Ann City

We decided on dinner at our fav place, River Quay Seafood, in Boat Quay. As we were walking "The Gauntlet", we could hear drummers up ahead...

We watched and listened, and then we ate...



There's more to come, because I'm pretty sure I serenaded WHH and BIL for several hours one night with my broken saxophone! Yeah, we had quite a good time!

A "Screw" is Loose, but it isn't mine for a change!

This is really more of an update on my last post The Times They Are A-changin', but I wanted to give you an idea as to why we have some trouble sleeping. I've been saying I'm going to bed for the last 2 hours. No can do. Still, it's kind of funny, even though the jack-hammer dudes will be at work promptly at 9 a.m. this morning.

The Shangri-La Hotel is very good about keeping their neighbors happy. Just as I typed the previous paragraph, I realized that the noise is gone. They must've gotten the part they needed. Thank you Shangri-La Hotel! I can get some sleep now; as long as I don't go Facebooking and Scrabulizing. Those would be completely different issues.

The direct link is here

I Wanna Go Home... Kinda...Maybe After The Police & Santana's Concert?

Preface: I am not a construction engineer. This means that I really do not care if I ever learn the correct terminology for the equipment used at construction sites. I prefer the terminology that my sons used when they were little. These terms would be "digger trucks" and "jack-hammer trucks". Their terminology is simpler and you get the idea.

Big-ass Crane

Construction Equipment

Another Angle

A few nights ago, as we were walking to get some dinner we saw that heavy equipment brought a huge-ass crane to the demolition site next door. For about the last month, we've heard stuff being thrown out windows, as well as clanging and banging of the "pipes" that were used to erect a shield around the building. This crane then raised a "jack-hammer truck" to the roof of the building next door. By the time we returned home from dinner, the jack-hammers had already been placed atop the building. There could be two of them up there. There were on the Habitat I building. Habitat II is currently being jack-hammered to death. I think you might be able to see a bit of it in this short video I made this afternoon.





All of this construction/demolition is taking place directly across the street from the Shangri-La Hotel and Shangri-La Serviced Apartments. Dave2 recently did a post about his hotel room being so noisy that he took all of his bedding into the bathroom and tried to sleep in the tub! He will never stay at that hotel again (he hopes).

As is most often the case, when one arrives in Singapore, they've been on at least a 12-hour flight and have bad jet-lag. This means that when a businessperson or tourist arrives, they need to sleep at least a few hours.

The WHH figured out a game plan early on:

• Arrive at Changi Airport (one of the best airports in the world). Then stop at the Duty-Free booze joint there (because you'll be sorry if you don't). Booze, beer, and wine are very costly here.
  
• Take a taxi to destination.
• Eat another light meal because even though Sing Air excels at almost everything, that "breakfast" just before arrival in Singapore sucks ass! Nothing about it is good -- ever, because I've tried it several times!
• Singapore Airlines tends to time their flights to alleviate jet-lag as much as possible. I promise you, Singapore Airlines has all of this down to a science (except for that "breakfast" whateverthef*ck that's supposed to be).
• After eating a sandwich, some chips, and several alcoholic beverages (if that's you're thing), then it's time for a nap (or other entertainment -- my favorite part).
  
• Upon awaking around 2 or 3 in the afternoon -- go for a walk. It's always warm here, and the sunlight lasts until 7 pm. This does not mean that there won't be a big-ass thunderstorm. Be prepared with your umbrella.
  
• Singapore is a beautifully clean and safe city. Go with your umbrella and enjoy!

Now, if one has paid as much money as it costs to stay in the Valley Wing or the Serviced Apartments, Then, I would scour the city for the quietest hotel I could find!

How much longer do I have to live here? They're down to the 24th floor already! Someone please calculate the approximate date that they will have made it down 20 more floors. I don't do math either (only when absolutely necessary). Kthnx?

Moms and Dads

(h/t) Deej --You can also watch the video here.



(h/t) Jenny --You can also watch the video here.

Out With The Old... In With The New???

Yesterday we got a "Memo From Management"

To all Residents

Dear Sir/Mdm

SMELL PROBLEM AT BASEMENT LOBBY 1

For the past couple of weeks, there had been a smell problem at Lobby 1 basement lift lobby. Upon investigation, we have spotted rodents activities on top of the false ceiling. Active measures had since been in place to eradicate all rodents and the number and frequency of rodents captured has decreased. Visual inspection of the area above the false ceiling had also yielded no sightings of dead rodents.

Nevertheless, the smell problem still persisted. The next steps that we are going to take are to remove parts of the false ceilings to check thoroughly the areas that are not easily visible and to check the arcon ducting itself.

At the same time, we will also need the help of all residents to bag up any food refuse before throwing them down the refuse chute. This will in turn reduce the food source for the rodents.

We will like to reassure all residents that while no efforts will be spared in solving this problem, we nevertheless need the co-operation of all residents to do their part.

Yours faithfully,
Management of your building

Earlier this year, we had a BBQ down by the pool, and as the evening wore on, we noticed a bunch of mice scavenging for food -- while we were still sitting there! They weren't the least bit scared of us. They're big too! Not like a rat, but they're a whole lot bigger than field mice. We speculated that they were "relocating" because their homes were being torn down.

The building next to ours is being gutted now to get it ready for the jack-hammers that will be brought in to tear it down. Where will those mice relocate? This is gonna' get ugly and loud. I am not looking forward to it!

(Buildings with red X will be razed)

This video can also be viewed here

A Kentucky Girl's 24-Hour Tour of Singapore**

The other day, Kentucky Girl posed this question, "Where you would take a person if they were only going to visit your city for one day?"

I've pondered this for a few days, actually and have come up with the following itinerary:

Since you live in CA, the time change won't be as hard as it would be if you were flying out of Newark. You can fly to "How-a-ya" and spend a few days there to have a bit of sun and fun and get lei-ed. Then you'll stop in Taiwan or Tokyo. It doesn't really matter because you'll be in the rich-bitch section of the plane (I've never been up there dammit) because you're cool that way.

So, I'll be waiting at Changi Airport for your flight to arrive --anxiously so, because I know you're "hostess gift" will be the requisite Big-Ass Bottle of Absolut that you had to stop to buy at one of the duty-free shops before you left the terminal! What? You thought you were staying here for free??

Once we have the Big-Ass Bottle and your luggage safely in hand, we'll get into the taxi queue, load your one empty suitcase and the overstuffed one into the taxi. We'll venture on over to our place. After our arrival, I'll show you your room and then show you where the shower is because, you know, it's been more than a day since you showered! Whew!

After you've taken care of your personal hygiene, we will sit down to one of my husband's famous meals. It depends on what kinds of foods you like,but you can count on bacon being on the menu. I'll also be sure to have plenty of sweet or unsweet tea, booze, and beer.

Once we're all thoroughly over-sated... you're going to need to sleep about 3 hours, not much longer though because you've got to get into this time zone.

Now the fun begins. We only have to walk around the corner to get to Orchard Road. Singapore is about shopping, and Orchard Road is where it's happening!

We'll stop at Ngee Ann City because I love Takashimaya, then we'll go across the street to check out Paragon.

By this time our feet are going to be killing us, and we're going to need some refreshments. We'll queue up for a cab at Paragon to go to the Raffles Hotel Long Bar where the famous Singapore Sling was invented. Ooh! They're yummy, and the hotel is gorgeous!

Since we're in the neighborhood, we'll wander over to Little India because you really must get a beautiful henna tattoo. It's an exciting place, bustling with activity.

Next, we need to go to Arab Street so that you can buy loads of silk to take back with you in the empty suitcase.

It's dark now and we're whooped from the heat and all of this walking. We're going to need more food and drink, and I think we should go to Clarke Quay and Boat Quay for that. Clarke Quay underwent a complete tranformation last year. It's all rather glittery, but fun to see and there are some very nice restaurants there. We'll take a bumboat ride to see the Merlion, and then we'll go to Boat Quay to our favorite restaurant, River Quay Seafood. If you like seafood, then you must try chili or black pepper crab. Singapore is famous for both. My favorite meal there is cheese lobster, bok choy, and fried rice. If you don't like seafood, no worries, Madame Irene and her crew will accommodate you. They treat us like royalty. So nice!

We're running out of time! There're a lot more places I'd like to take you, but we need to head in the direction of our condo. You simply must check out the infamous Orchard Towers. There are some interesting clubs, to say the least, but at least two clubs feature exceptional bands and musicians. I have a big band crush on Tania. They've been together since the 70's. Zul and the WHH are the same age. I hadn't been in to see them for quite a while, and on my birthday we went in to Harry's and Zul had buzzed his hair!

It's time for us to go back to our place. We'll get into the taxi queue -- it looks like it will take us forever to get a taxi, but that queue moves quickly and the taxis are lined up quite a ways... almost to Claymore Hill. Oh yeah, and there's the "he/she" who likes to hang around that taxi queue. "She's" the sorriest-looking gal, but she always has on nice clothes and shoes. Somebody's keeping her busy.

Our 24-hours is over. There's a Mercedes-Benz taxi waiting outside the lobby. The taxi driver will help us load your two over-stuffed suitcases into the boot, and then you're off to Changi Airport and your next destination. Hmmm... Let's see, I think you should visit Hong Kong on your way back home. Hey, Curiosity Killer lives there, I'm sure she'd show you a great time!

Thanks for visiting. WHH and I always love to have visitors!


**After spending most of the afternoon backing-up stuff that I'm going to need after reformatting, I decided I needed to finish this for KG. PLUS, WHH doesn't get home until the morning... reformatting can wait until he's sleeping-off the jet-lag.

Lumpy Breasts and Vagina Power

I've got another complaint... this time about Singaporean women. This has nothing to do with their natural beauty, or the fact that they manage to walk 5K in 4-inch heels on Orchard Road, their petiteness, or even that they have fewer and smaller sweat glands than Caucasians and so never look flushed even in 35 degree C heat with 100% humidity.

No, it would be none of those things. My complaint is that I've seen too many women of late wearing lacy bras underneath thin knit tops. These are not the smooth-type lace bras. The lace bras these women are wearing end up making these beautiful women look like skanky lace-bra hos! Honestly, this is not attractive nor sexy in the least.

Let me just say this... you're not just getting looks from men, but women too because we're trying to figure out why you think a woman with a multitude of big lumps in all the wrong places on your breasts would be sexy! Honestly, we are. So, please, ladies, stop wearing nasty cheap-looking skank bras! You're doing yourself a major disservice. kthx! **

**One of these days I will get a secret squirrel pic the way I did of nasty-ass thong lady. Sheesh!

I saw this video over at So a Blonde Walks Into a Blog, and I decided that I have to post it here too because I was LOL'ing so much I think I peed my pants just a little bit. Although Alexyss K. Tylor doesn't use any profanities, she uses a lot of the words vagina, penis, sperm, and rectum. This is a legit program that airs in the ATL area on a public access channel. You know, like "Wayne's World" and their schwings! :D

(Most likely NSFW)

Chef Monkeys' Meat Crust Pasta Pie

The other day I watched Bob's vlog, and he had the cutest kids on, Chace and Kindal. They've got their own website, Chef Monkeys, with some of their favorite recipes.

When Kindal and Chace were talking with Bob, Chace said his favorite recipe is Bacon-wrapped Breadsticks. That had me intrigued because you know I always love the goodness that is BACON!

However, after perusing their recipes, I decided to try making Meat Crust Pasta Pie just because the whole idea of a meat "crust" sounded fun. I made this Sunday afternoon, and thoroughly enjoyed myself in the kitchen. I enjoy cooking as long as I know that someone will be willing to give my efforts a try without complaint. The WHH is always happy to try something new.

This recipe will serve a lot of people, and it's comfort food presented in a new way! It would be great for a potluck or family gathering! Even if you don't like the "crunchy" part of the pasta from the top, there's still LOTS of smooth, creamy, cheesy pasta in the middle.

I'm impressed with the creativity and talent that goes into the Chef Monkeys website. I think it's wonderful that some fun grown-ups are actually taking time to teach young kids how to cook -- inspiring creativity in them, and encouraging them to provide for others. We need those things more than ever these days!

You know I'm compulsive about my recipe cards, as well as a lot of other things, but never mind... I emailed to ask permission, and the Chef Monkeys were very happy to share. You can download 4 x 6 recipe cards here, or you can go to their website and print out the page here. I think you'll be very impressed!

Lust

This afternoon we went to Jason's to do get some groceries. I know I said that I avoid the stores on weekends, but we were out of beer! So, we load up my shopping trolley with 4 different flavors of beer, bacon, tomatoes, English muffins, etc. That baby was packed with scrumptious stuff. As we were leaving the building, I was attempting to get the trolley down the stairs when it suddenly collapsed! WHH was embarrassed to be seen with me pulling that thing along in the first place. Now, I knew all he wanted to do was pretend he didn't know me, but there were four different flavors of beer in that trolley!

He was able to fix it enough that he could drag it behind him. I carried the other bags of food that didn't fit in the trolley and we headed directly for the taxi queue. Once we got home and put the beer in the fridge (first things first) he picked it up to see exactly what broke. Pretty much the entire thing! I was so pissed that I'd broken my cool trolley. So, WHH did what he's so good at doing, he fixed it! Well, it's not as good as new and will never be used to load 4 flavors of beer, but I can still use it.

While he was fixing my trolley, I heard him humming Rihanna's "Umbrella". Just last night, he'd told our friend Andy that he really should watch her video because it's "PURE SEX"! My WHH is in awestruck-jaw-dropping, lust!

The following are for WHH and Andy, and anyone else who lusts for Rihanna -- I've got a girl-crush on her myself! Maybe now he'll forgive me for the whole shopping-trolley-breakage thing and forgetting to buy chocolate pudding when we were at Jason's. Oops! ;0)

I Got Snacked On... and I Ate a Double Deuce!

I've been Snacked On by NYCWatchdog in his Sunday Smorgasboard! Every Sunday NYCWD reviews some of the 250+ blogs he reads every day. I am honored that he thought my post about my handy-dandy shopping trolley was worthy of mention in his Smorgasboard! Thank you very much Dawg.

NYCWD Vlogs about cereal too, check it out because they're always entertaining and fun to watch. Leave a comment for him too because it's always nice to get to know the people who stop by.

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I had fully intended to post this Vlog (video) yesterday, but first my computer crashed (stupid Windows!) and I had to start over. Then, I forgot to change the format and it took all night to upload to Google. It finally made it, and so here you go... I hope you like it ;0) Oh yeah, leave a comment for me too, will ya?

You can also see the video here

Happy Birthday to One Hot Momma!!!

Happy Birthday, Mom! Here's a video that I think will start your birthday off right. :D

Love,
Your... not-so-much-younger daughter

P.S. Who the hell needs some sorry-ass dude called "Mousse T", and why aren't those ladies throwing their panties at Mr. Tom Jones??? Oh yeah, I remember Tom Jones' show at the Ohio State Fair, uh-huh. That's the coolest thing about having a young Mom, I love you.



Aw, hell, it's your damn WEEK, so here's another one for you (just don't tell Dad, he might get jealous)...

Li'l Screamer Girl and The Landlady

Li'l Screamer Girl is starting to piss me off. She woke WHH up at about 6, but then she quieted down for a while. Then, around 7:30 she started screaming and did NOT stop for at least an hour. She is SCREAMING her lungs out! She is relentless and she is pissed.

After having a cup of coffee I began pondering the matter with my aching AIRHEAD. Where are the parents? We know that they take turns working out in the mornings during the week. She swims for miles and he works out in the gym. There is no screaming. Weekends are different. I think Mom of Li'l Screamer Girl goes down to swim, and I think Dad is reading the paper on the terrace or something -- completely oblivious to his daughter's tirade. Most dads are rather adept at tuning kids out if they're busy or just don't want to deal with them. They're better at selective hearing than moms. LSG has two older brothers, but they probably don't want her to bug them so they tune her out too.

I've decided that I'll just have to turn Li'l Screamer Girl over to The Landlady to handle the matter. I think Pearl could out-scream her any day.

"My Generation" -- Best Cover Ever!

Today's my mother-in-law's 82nd birthday. I've been thinking about her all week. She has Alzheimer's, and since my father-in-law, Jim, passed away in 2005 the diseased has progressed at a rapid pace. They were married 59 years.

The coolest thing about Jim and Glo? They were always up for just about anything! They loved traveling all over the country. Their last few years together, they would pack up their minivan with tons of stuff to head down to Panama City, FL to visit Jim's brother, Dick, and his wife, Mike. BTW, Happy Birthday, Uncle Dick! On their way down, they'd stop for a visit with us. We always had such a good time together.

After Jim passed away, Gloria thought she might want to visit us here in Singapore, but we felt it would be too much for her. I think we made the right decision, although I know she would love seeing all the people and the sights here.

When WHH called her tonight, he had to say, "Hi Mom, #3 here, from Singapore."

"Oh yes!" She said. We just called her Sunday for Easter, but that conversation slipped away as soon as she put the phone down.

I saw this video on Krup's blog tonight, and I needed to "steal" it. I've never heard Gloria sing, but she loved to dance, especially with Big Jim. I think she'd get a big kick out of this!




The single of this song, the Zimmer's cover of The Who's "My Generation" will be released May 21 (my sister's birthday). Alf is the lead singer, age 90. THESE PEOPLE ROCK and they're having so much FUN!!!