Happy New Year! 2013

OK! 

So it's not even New Year's Eve yet, but I may be too busy or asleep over the next few days to get in a blog entry so... Happy New Year to all, today!

Today, I'm a walking old person. 

My knee still hurts from my fall on the icy deck 3 weeks ago. Then, as I was stretching & yawning this morning, a nerve in my neck became pinched & now I'm dealing w/that pain using Advil & a heat pad.

B did a very nice job of clearing the snow this morning. My OCD about snow removal was kept in check! Which was good, since I wouldn't have been able to help him anyway! Thank you, B!

We have plans for our Monday night card game/dinner tomorrow, but only if G is feeling better. In his old age, whenever he catches a chest cold, it morphs into all sorts of problems! He's on nebulizer treatments today to help clear out his lungs. If he isn't better & must cancel, our meals for this week will be "appetizer style" food!

My resolution this year is to get our spending (mostly mine, I admit) under control. I've come to enjoy the life & freedom a part-time job gives me. Our home is more orderly, cleaner & less stressful overall. B has been able to get overtime to help fill in the blanks. I'm hoping to be able to visit Carlotta in February for her 3rd birthday. It's come down to this choice... a short visit w/o gifts or gifts w/o any visit. Stay tuned!

Now, off to watch the Pats vs the Miami Dolphins on TV in the final regular season game!

There may be a slight possibility that my beloved Patriots end up playing against my son in-laws favorite team, the Seattle Seahawks, at some point during the playoffs!

Pats are my fave & always will be, but I've come to know several of the Seahawk players too as they were on my Fantasy Football team this year.

Go Patriots!

Bean Cakes?

Today, I was fortunate to meet several members of Krista's (my #1 Nanny kids) family, including her mom & pop, 2 sisters & a brother. They dropped by Krista's house for a visit on their way to a family wedding in DC. Very nice, friendly people.

One thing they talked about was cooking. Stuff like how bad Krista was & her mom wasn't much better! Actually, the mom said she cooked very well so long as no one interrupted her! LOL! 

Krista spoke of how she was missing her moms Bean Cakes, which perked my ears up! 

Could this be a new recipe for me to try, maybe?

The mom said she makes this recipe a lot & has long forgotten the exact measurements, 

but the ingredients are:

• leftover pinto beans (about 2 cups, drained)
•                                     small, chopped onion (though she tended NOT to use that ingredient)
•                                  black ground pepper, to taste (maybe some salt, but not often)

Mash together w/just enough flour to hold it all together. The mom said it should be like pancake batter, Krista thought it's texture should be more like crab cakes & the other sister said it varied, a lot!

Drop by Tablespoons into 1/2" of hot oil in a cast iron skillet. Fry until browned on all sides. 

No actual time was given, so it's an "eyeball it" thing!

I asked all 3 of them if there were garnishes or special sauces or other foods that went w/this dish & was told... NOPE! TASTES GREAT, AS IS!

Snow Bound! or was it.. Stuck in the Snow?

I am sitting right on the edge of the road! That is a 10 ft drop off into some nasty pricker bushes as well as a few trees! If the drop off hadn't been there, I may have been able to get myself unstuck.
Lived here over 12 yrs & this is the worst condition these roads have been in!
NH is usually very good at sanding & plowing! 

The road only looks clear because I shoveled around my car while waiting for AAA to show up. I was trying to stay warm & make it easier for the truck operator to get my car out of the drifted snow.
At last check, over 7" of snow has fallen. It changed to sleet, then rain & back to snow.

Just another view of how close I was to going over the edge!
I had the tow truck bring me & the car back home. I'm losing a days pay and have made it a bit harder for the kids parents to get into work, but I am safe! I hope C will be safe today.

My iFrogz! Love It!

Well, it looks like my comment issue has been fixed! Thanks for the test, H!

Christmas is over. It was nice, yet quiet. I've had several quiet Christmases now.

 I still haven't become accustomed to them!

Santa (B) gave me a new vacuum cleaner. It sounds like a lazy gift w/hidden meanings, I know, but I really wanted (more like... needed) a new vacuum. Today, since I didn't have to watch anyone else's kids, I tried it out. WOW! I thought I had a good vacuum before! 

Along w/my broom, Dustbuster, Swiffer Vac, I assumed my floors were getting clean.

I was wrong!

Couldn't believe the amount of dirt, dust & cat hair this new vacuum picked up! It's awkward & clunky on the stairs, but I painted stairs, so the Dustbuster & Swiffer should be able to keep up.

Got some Christmas morning Facetime in w/T & Carlotta. Both were very excited for Christmas. 

T talked a mile a minute & Carlotta was also talking fast & high so I'm sure I missed much of what they were saying, but one could tell they were excited. M had worked the night shift & was trying to get some shut eye in before they headed out to his parents house for Christmas dinner.

B & I sent a lot of goodies to our VA family (mostly My Little Pony toys)

C got her iPhone as well as a few other small things. 

She was spoiled beyond belief by her boyfriend, G. She made out quite well this year. 

Money was tighter than in years past as we continue to try & make ends meet w/o me having to work full time. So once again, B got the short end of the gifts. I did get him some trekking poles for his hiking adventures (there's an old guy on NHPBS that uses them when he hikes on his show). 

B thinks they'll make better "scare away bears" sticks. Hopeful that he will actually use this gift.

My favorite "fun" gift was given to me, by me!
I've never liked using my fingertips to run my iPhone features.
Then the kids get a hold of it & use their sticky fingers on it too. The phone is protected w/an Otter case & a screen protector, but it's still irritating to use my fingers.
I tried to use my DS Lite stylus, but it wouldn't work.
Enter... iFrogz!
A soft tipped stylus for Apple products! I guess it would work w/other devices too!
Love it!
I'm a 1-finger text-er & I play a few games. I'm lightning fast now w/this device!
Now, I need to NOT LOSE IT!

Sorry! I'm Clueless!

In my never ending attempt to become more computer savvy, I somehow managed to turn off the comment window of this blog w/o realizing it!

I thought I was just leaving boring blog entries so no one was leaving comments!

I'm hoping that I have fixed the problem.

If I have not, email me & I'll try again!

If I have fixed the issue, I look forward to your comments on my interesting (?) stories!

Foxboro, Again! Yeah!

My friend, Krista, worked her magic on an unsavory client & got 3 tickets to a recent Pats game. She gave me one of the tickets! Best present I could ever get! Pats did lose 31-41, but was on the verge of getting blown out as the score was 3-31 mid 3rd quarter! Brady & friends made some amazing plays to tie the score w/about 5 minutes left. Then, on the impending kick off, the 49ers made an awesome return w/a TD on the following play! They also made a FG a few moments later, making any miracle comeback impossible. Oh well, I had fun anyway!

I'd never been so close to the field! 13 rows from the field on the 35 yd line! I could've thrown objects onto to field, that's how close we were!

I was wearing several layers including a waterproof layer. There was a steady, light rain in 20 degree weather. I was wet, but warm. Also, we stood the entire game since the 12 rows in front of us were also standing. As great as the seats were, I'm only 5'4" and couldn't see a thing if I has remained seated! Krista is in the middle, her friend, Sara is the Wilfork fan! You can't see it, but I had on my Wes Welker jersey!

Thank you so much Krista for fulfilling my desire to attend as many Pats games as possible! I've been to 2 regular season games & a preseason game all thanks to this friend! She doesn't seem to mind that I watch the game more than interacting w/the rowdy fans around us as she does! Thanks again!

We tailgated! A hot bowl of beef stew to start along w/some buffalo chicken dip & chips. Then, as we waited for traffic to subside after the game, we enjoyed some small sandwiches made from a deli platter & brownies. We left for the game @ 3pm Sunday. I finally pulled into my driveway @ 5am on Monday!
Actually, C pulled us in as she had babysat Kristas kids. At least she was able to get a short nap after the kids went to bed! But she had to be to work in Concord NH by 8am. She's gonna sleep well tonight.

The game began w/a moment of silence for the 26 victims of Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn. Then, a flare for each victim was sent towards the heavens as a visual reminder. Very touching remembrance. The players all had emblems on the helmets in commemoration of those lost.

Whoopsie Daisy!

There was a light misting overnight on Saturday. I was babysitting at my Nanny family #3. As I drove home, close to midnight, I noticed how warm the air was for a December evening.

The next morning, B left early for church. On his way out, he put Gracie into her pen. About an hour later, I got up to get some cold medicine (I've been battling sore throat, cough, mucus etc for about a month). I wasn't feeling well & planned to spend the day in bed, in my PJs. But first, I knew I had to get Gracie back indoors.

Somewhere between the time I got home from babysitting & 8am the next morning, the warm temps had fallen enough to glaze the moisture on our deck.

How do I know this?

I had no sooner put my barefoot onto the deck when it slipped out from under me, sending me crashing with great force! As I lay there, stunned from this unexpected event & the enormous pain I was feeling, I wondered if I would be staying in this position all day! B wasn't due home until late afternoon & C was back at school.

Slowly, I was able to determine that I hadn't broken any bones & other than a small gash on my hand & toe, I wasn't bleeding either. But, BOY, my left knee was knocked up real good! I tried getting up, but the floor of the deck was still icy. Crawling was impossible due to my knee pain. Somehow, eventually... I was able to upright myself, get Gracie indoors & settle on the sofa to check myself over.

The TV was on & the 1st thing that comes on? 

A commercial for those First Alert necklaces for when "You've fallen & can't get up!" 

I got a good chuckle!

Now its almost 3 days since "the fall" and I'm feeling some relief from my knee pain. I put on a Salonpas pad & it seems to be working its magic. I'll know for sure at bedtime. Turning over in bed while sleeping was when I felt the most pain! I can go from sitting to standing w/little pain now.

On another topic... I am going to another Patriots game in Foxboro! It's the Sunday night game vs the San Fransisco 49ers! Krista, her friend & myself! Tailgating too, which should be interesting since I do not drink nor does the friend! I just want to see the Pats win! I'll keep you posted with the goings on when I return from the game! C will be babysitting her kids that night! Thanks C!