I've tried twice now to make a beef stew to my satisfaction. my first attempt turned out yummy and thick, but I didn't like the after taste. t'was an Irish Stew that called for stout beer. *shudder* I love beer (a little too much) but I like the watered down fakey light beers, not that heavy bullshit. sooooo....
attempt number two I made the mistake of doing in the crockpot. FABULOUS flavor....thin as water. I even tried adding cornstarch, but the crockpot cooks on too low a heat, I think, to thicken up a lot.
tonight? I am trying my own mishmash of those two recipes, and I'm beyond excited. maybe I'll get it right this time! I think I'll even try some cornbread muffins to go with. (gives me a good excuse to use my new muffin pans!)
I decided to use my tax money this year on my truck, seeing as I plan on her lasting...oh....the rest of my damn life. so I had my wonderful brother go over her from front bumper to tailgate with a fine tooth comb. and what do you know? he managed to find lots o' work that needed to be done. LOL shocks and sparks and brakes to name just some.
but I had a budget. and apparantly the bill went over, because at the end of the invoice was a "because I love you" discount. 
and can I just tell you, it's like driving a brand new vehicle. she's...TIGHT. and responsive. and actually drives LIKE A TRUCK now. I've driven her twice since the overhaul, and both times I had perma-grin.
I started a diet the day after my birthday, because I decided I don't want to still be fat for my 35th. it's not a hard diet. just basically paying attention to calories and portions and cutting out snacking and fast food. (good GOD, I miss Jack in the Box!) and those vitamins my doctor yelled at me to start taking a year ago? I started taking them too. LOL
but I don't think I'm adjusting to it all very well. I'm tired and headachy and hungry and constipated (WTF? really?) ALL THE TIME. um. I thought eating better was supposed to make you FEEL better. how long am I going to feel like this? because I hate HATE hate it.
HATE....IT.
my Momma is having surgery tomorrow. the scary kind involving lots of fun words like skull and brain and metal plate. I'm incredibly worried, so I can only imagine how she is feeling. its been a long time coming, and I wish they wouldn't have left it so late. but I keep telling myself at least they are finally doing something. that's gotta be good, right?
this year? I paid off two major debts. it was a great year for me. and now I only have one more to go. and if I don't get stupid about money (like buying a new vehicle....LORD, I want a Tundra)....if life doesn't shit on me (LORD, let me keep my job...isn't 3 layoffs enough for a lifetime?) I will be COMPLETELY DEBT FREE by the end of 2010. it's my number one goal. the thing I've been striving for and working at for SOOOO LONG. to get debt free, and to live debt free. I'm so close, I can taste it.
so, for what it's worth. it's officially my "New Year's Resolution" and one I damn well mean to accomplish.
wahl, now. I have a rather full holiday this year. tomorrow we head to Doug
's Aunt and Uncle's house and then to my brother's house for pie. Sunday we are doing the whole turkey thang with his parents. I'm sure I'm going to gain at least 10 pounds in the next four days. but I don't care, because I LOVE love love the whole turkey and smashed taters and gravy (good god, GRAVY!) and green bean casserole and ummmm...warm buttery rolls. *giggle* basically, all the goods that go into a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
I am really missing my Mom and Dad right now. I always do, but somehow this year it's much worse. I wish they done woulda picked good ole Saint Louey to finally settle down in, damnit. this picture made me crack up when I ran across it, because my mom doesn't like turkey and so we always had turkey AND ham for Thanksgiving. LOL
anyhoo. have a good holiday!!
if you've turned on a tv any time in the last month, then you know exactly what I'm talking about with the whole Twilight Craze. the other day? I saw a cheezy ass Volvo commercial featuring Edward...last night? I shit you not. I saw a JACK N THE BOX commercial featuring Twilight...what does Twilight have to do with selling greasy food? 
le sigh. okay, okay. ENOUGH ALREADY.
I bitched a fit to Doug last night after witnessing the Jack N the Box commercial. he gave me the "you have the crazy" look and said "um. you took off work Friday to go see it."
AND? *giggle* what's your point? I mean, I took off work so I could (hopefully) miss the screaming masses of teenage girls that are sure to flock to the theater...not because I'm part of the whole craze myself.
yup. *nods decisively* that's my story and I'm sticking to it. (is this a good time to admit I also shush him every time a New Moon trailer comes on so I can watch it intently?)
THREE MORE DAYS! 
I ran across some backups of my old blogs and of course I had to read through them. and I learned two things:
1- I used to be a drunk, funny, tragic, sarcastic bitch who LOVED to stir up shit just to see where it landed.
2- I miss her. oh, not the bitch part (or the drunk and tragic part). but...I really used to just put it out there. that part, I miss. the good, the bad, and the really really ugly.
tonight I sat down with my oldest and dearest friend and watched a very thought provoking movie. and it sparked a heart to heart conversation about life experiences and how much they influence who you are and how you see your world. I won't discuss his revelations because they are his to share with whom he wishes.
today I had a two year old temper tantrum at work...at the top of my lungs...involving various and quite impressive streams of four letter words. it wasn't aimed at anyone in particular. just the world at large. I carried my bad mood the whole drive home, becoming the very definition of road rage. my stress level? it runneth over.
when I got home? I slathered icecream on the parts of my soul that hurt. I don't know why, but that works. every.damn.time.
a couple nights ago I was sitting outside getting a fresh of breath air (ahem...taking a puff, sorry Mom) when I noticed out of the corner of my eye movement of the furry kind. I couldn't see much in the dark, but it was enough to know it was big, and not a cat. so I froze.
that little critter ambled right by me and walked over to investigate the barbeque pit not two feet away from me. then he turned. he looked at me, I looked at him...and waited. and waited. and waited for him to notice me. when I realized he wasn't reacting and that there was a real possibility he had no idea I was a people, I shuffled my feet a little and watched him take off like a rocket.
and then the adreneline kicked in...
oh, website of mine that I adore...I've been neglecting you dreadfully. I knew this would happen the second I discoverd Pet Society, and it's only gotten worse since my latest addiction with Farm Town. *shakes fist* damn you, Facebook!! 
I promise, starting...soonish...that I will be giving your more attention.
sincerely,
me
good GOD, I missed my computer something fierce. and that is all, for now.
vodka = the devil
bad Lizzie. bad, bad, BAD LIZZIE!!
since owning my pigs, I've had three different sets of cage blankets made. the first set? sewn by a friend for free? fabulous!! they fit correctly, were easy to clean, and did a pretty decent job of soaking up what they needed to soak up.
when I rebuilt the cage, those blankets no longer fit. so I hired a local seamstress to make new sets of blankets...and they were all 4 inches too short which made the cage a pain in the ass to spot clean on a daily basis.
sooo...on to set number three. I found a lady on line who MAKES HER LIVING making custom cage blankets specifically for guinea pigs. they sounded...like a miracle. medical grade water proof fabric on the bottom, an absorbant middle layer, and nice soft fleece to top it all off. and these new blankets? didn't even last A FUCKING DAY. the blankets were leaking urine strait through the "medical grade water proof fabric". and don't even get me started on how difficult they are to spot clean...I have to scoop up the poops BY HAND because the vacuum or hand broom doesn't work.
when I think about how much money I have WASTED on cage blankets in the last 6 months, I want to just SCREAM. I am one pissed off girl right now. why is it that the "professional" seamstresses couldn't get it right, but my friend, who refused any more payment than a free lunch, totally hit the mark?
today is Lisa Lampanelli Day!! Doug and I are going to see her show tonight, and I am beyond excited.
I've got some hormonal thing going on today. since I've gotten up, I've cried no less that 4 times...and its not even noon. its rediculous because birth control is supposed to keep me from getting hormonal. since it normally does, I've forgotten how to control being this...bitchy.
so hope you don't cross my path today. I'm likely to either a- cry all over your shoulder or 2- rip off your head and shove it up a rather uncomfortable body cavity. 
that is all.
last night I got so frustrated and depressed while on Facebook that I was seriously considering deleting this site. (I had a whole dramatic exit all planned out...even stayed awake hours ironing out the details. me? I am a drama queen like that!)
as I was reading all my friends and acquaintances commenting back and forth, it just hit me. these are people that, for the most part, have known about my website for years. if they wanted to network or connect with me so badly, all they done had to do was come right here, where I've been all along. but only one has. why is that?
Boogher told me community sites are popular because they're great networking tools. guess what? that's exactly how personal blogging started...everyone linked to everyone else, and you found some great people that way. hell, we even had the fun little "memes" that are so popular on FaceBook and MySpace now.
after I got over my temper tantrum last night and my brain started working again, I think I figured this whole thing out. one of my friends on MySpace asked me once why I never uploaded photos. when I replied "that's what Lizzie Lou is for" the response I got was "but that's another click!" that, to me, totally sums up community networking sites. they're great networking tools, yes. but more importantly? they're convenient. MySpace, Facebook and the like are one stop, one click ways to catch up with all your friends. no more tedious links, no more visiting 20 different websites. I get the attraction of that. really, there's no competing and no beating it.
but those pesky community websites that I love to hate and hate to love? they aren't for me. they aren't where I belong. HERE is where my heart is. HERE is where I've poured all my talents. this is my internet home. I've worked my ass off to make it beautiful and user friendly and unique. and if I spend the next twenty years, updating only for myself, talking only to myself? well, that's okay. *le sigh* I just have to quietly admit that my way of "networking" is slowly going the way of the dinosaur.
today has been a Very.Bad.Day. when I checked my bank account this morning, I discovered that there was a mistake on my paycheck...a pretty damn big mistake. a mistake that won't be rectified until my next paycheck.
so I had to do the jumbling act of figuring out what gets paid and what doesn't. thank god I have an understanding "landlord", because he's the one that is getting shorted. and I'm trying hard not to let myself feel embarassed because hey? there's not a damn thing I can do about it, nor did I do anything wrong. but having experienced first hand the shame of being jobless and poor and financially dependant on everyone else's good graces...methinks I've become a tad proud of my ability to take care of myself.
pride is a hard thing to swallow. I'm crabby and angry and have even less patience than normal (which is pretty sad). mother of all that's holy, I HATE asking for help. but if I just keep repeating to myself "it bothers me more than it bothers him..." maybe. just maybe? I'll start to believe it. and I won't feel so ashamed.
there are two kinds of people in this world. well, actually...there are millions of kinds of people in this world. but I digress. for the sake of THIS discussion, let's say there's only two: people who can tolerant silence, and people who can't.
me? I am of the former. I'd even venture so far as to say that more often than not, I prefer the quiet. I have to remind myself to turn up the radio when I have a passenger in my truck, because usually I drive with it off....just me and my thoughts.
one of my workmates is DEFINATELY the latter. as a result, she tends to drop random verbal bombs into the silence that are as confusing as they are annoying.
today, as she was leaving, she popped out "it smells like blueberries." and then she just.walked.out. end of conversation. no time to respond. 
eh? you stepped in what? when I looked over at her desk, I spotted a cookbook that had (you guessed it) blueberry pie on the cover. LOL maybe not so random this time, but confusing all the same.
today, I got up at 8AM, broke down the old piggie cage, and completely rebuilt it. I got done around 6:30.
I have never been so physically tired in all my life. my feet hurt unbelievably bad, 
I have three blisters on various parts of my hands, cuts all over my arms...but seeing Skids popcorn within two minutes of getting into his new digs made it all worth while. I have had him over a week now, and its the first time I've seen him act happy. 
and by the by? I fucking HATE zip ties and can happily go the entire rest of my life never using another one again. I used 300 freaking zip ties today. gee...I wonder where I got the blisters from?
as I was walking by the front door to the bank, a lady who was two feet away from actually walking IN stopped me to ask if they were open. eh. so I said "nope, they sure aren't." she started freaking out, took the one more step to reach the door, and when she was able to pull it open...she turned around to glare at me. *giggle* next time don't be so damn lazy.
I can finally tell you guys!! (all two of you that actually read this LOL) Extreme Makeover is doing a house in Shrewsbury! since Doug works in the Public Works department there, he's pretty involved in what's going on.
it's so damn exciting, and not just because there's a chance Doug might be on TV. its sooo good for Shrewsbury. they use local vendors and companies on the show, which means a pretty big revenue pick up, not to mention all that free advertising they'll be getting.
and if I get to meet Ty Pennington? I will either:
A) FAINT
or 2) drool uncontrollably and THEN FAINT.
last Tuesday night we had some beautifully violent storms, but we missed them because Doug and I went with Tony and Matt to see Merle Haggard at this cute little auditorium in Arnold.
about 30 seconds after the opening act came on to play their set, the roof started leaking right on the corner of the stage. the crowd spent more time laughing at the antics of the auditorium employees trying to figure out what to do about the waterfall then actually watching the performers. after switching out 3 different trash cans 
, they got it settled and the show went on.
Linus is in the habit of waking up around 3am, playful and rearing to go. he'll jump up on the bed with a little "meow?" and get in the window, or even run around the house happily talking to himself.
saturday morning was no exception...but he never STOPPED. just walking around the house, constantly talking. he even went so far as to scratch at EVERYTHING...the blanket I had covering me, Doug's boots, the couch cushions...urgh! CAT, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?
I tried everything I could think of...checked his food, checked boots and blankets and cushions for hidden toys...NOTHING was calming that cat down.
and then...oh, yes, and then...he jumped up on me and gave me the most unique and disturbing experience of my life...my reaction was pretty much "Doug...get in here...NOW!!!!"
...and he was there in three seconds flat...
today, I started taking the "help me get skinny" pills my doctor perscribed. it took about 45 minutes to kick in, and then I about flew out of my skin. my first thought was "man, THIS is the kind of energy kick I need when I'm exercising."
one problem. I exercise after work. if this feeling lasts till then? I might be a basket case. which leads to my second thought. are these pills really the best idea for someone who struggles with anxiety? bleh.
okay, okay. I know its like, only the most popular online service EVAR (followed closely by flickr or livejournal, I would imagine) but can I just say for the 50th thousand time...I DO NOT get MySpace. oh, I understand and applaud the concept...just not its popularity. it is soooo NOT user friendly to me.
this will be the third time I have opened up a MySpace account...and while in the process, I totally remembered why I gave up the first two times. I spent twenty minutes trying to figure out how to update my user photo. I spent another twenty minutes trying to figure out why my page looked so damn weird. I finally realized that my "Home" Page wasn't my...Home Page. it was my Account Edit Page. (I think of the Home Page as the page everyone sees when visiting the Public Page of any account...call me silly and slap my ass). I just don't understand the navigational system at all.
and hey. when I receive an email that says "you have new comments. click this link to view them," and low and behold, ye ole link takes me to my Account Editing Page, I kinda expect the new comments to be listed there. but guess what? they WEREN'T. they were on my er...um...Public Page? *le sigh*
I have never thought of myself as dumb...but considering the popularity of this service and my intense frustration with trying to figure it all out...maybe it really IS just me. I am MySpace Challenged. is there a support group for that? LOL
so, contemplate this, boys and girls.
an attorney from my work was being driven to the airport by his wife sunday (YES, father's day) when he started complaining of chest and arm pain. she suggested going to the hospital, but he declined (didn't want to miss that flight, I would guess). a few minutes after she dropped him off, he collapsed and died from a massive heart attack. he was a month away from his 62nd birthday.
it is devastating to me to know that this gentleman (and he was a gentleman, in EVERY sense of the word) possibly had the opportunity to live, had he only understood what his body was trying to tell him.
makes you stop and think, yo.
I asked Dougalicious the other day to go with me to Target and pick out an elliptical machine. he rolled his eyes, and made some mad muttering about how it's just going to collect dust.
I don't have ANY idea what he's talking about. just because I bought a flute and only took it out of the case once...or have used my brand spanking new barbells twice....or only gone to one guitar lesson...whudya mean, honey?
yup, that's me. I'm a little long on ideas and short on follow thru. it's something I need to change. so I went ahead and hopped on line and ordered me an elliptical machine. *giggle*
I just want to point out that I own 4...count em 1 2 3 4 domain names. the other 3 are forwarded to this site, but by god, I own them...just in case.
and because I am insane? I am trying to fight the urge to purchase a 5th...and a 6th. LOL
sorry I've been so scarce. we are pouring a new driveway and patio, and its stressful. (and by "we", I mean "Doug and several of his fabulous friends"...I have done nothing but stand around and stare 
)
I received this piccy in an email forward last week, and it cracked my shit up...imagine my delight when I actually found it captioned on I can has cheezburger. halarious, no? if you haven't already discovered that site, you need to go check it out. now.
...why are you still here?
so, at around 4:30 this morning we had a 5.4 earthquake...luckily we live pretty far from the epi-center, so it was enough to wake us up and rattle us a little, and that's about it.
I got a pretty good kick outta Doug's reaction, tho. he paced the house and looked out the windows and checked the basement and looked out the windows some more...LOL eh, babe? what are you looking for?
and when the news finally confirmed that it was, in fact, an earthquake, he had this little gem to add:
"well. they can keep that bullshit out in California." *giggle*
oh, yah. and Linus REALLY didn't like it either. I think he made all the way to the basement from our bedroom in 2.5 seconds. :)
soooo. I was giving Doug a backrub, when I farted on him. or, more accurately, I farted on his face. even better? I did it on purpose.
it took him a few minutes to decide how to react....hrmmm...do I get angry, or do I laugh? thank god he decided it was humorous, 'cause me? I was rolling on the floor, literally. and crying. and had the uncontrollable giggles for the next half hour. 'cause man. that's just FUNNY.
and I don't know why it was such a hard decision for him anyway. because my farts smell like roses. (don't you 
at me! THEY DO.)
so yeah. the whole point of this little experiment into a new website was to make it visual blogging...but GUESS WHAT? I cannot stand not having a place to type my funny little stories, even if I only have one to tell once a month. so the blog is back.
and while I'm here, I also added a recipes section, because I LOVE to cook, and I like to share.