I never thought I would heard this person's name again. Well at least not till they died. It makes my stomach churn to hear that Joel Steinberg the monster that tortured and killed little Lisa has been released. He has a job at a cable company, and a nice apartment on the Upper West Side. What is wrong with the system? I don't believe in the death penalty, but I thought he should have received it, or at least never to be released from jail again. He is still alive while Lisa is dead and the short life she had was filled with pain.

I finished reading part one of Little Women. I am intrigued by how the characters spoke. Louisa May Alcott painted a good picture of life during the 19th century. I'd like to visit Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts. That is where Alcott, Emerson, Hawthorne and Thoreau are buried. Some years ago when Niel and I went for as tourists to Baltimore, we found out that Edgar Allen Poe was buried in a nearby cemetery and since then I became interested in finding other authors.

The current book I am reading is trying to debunk some of the rumors about what happened to the Ark of the Covenant. The author rambles a bit, but otherwise it is an interesting read. I have to finish this one before going onto part two of Little Women.

I did not win the Pillsbury bake off. Pooh. Maybe next year.

ABC is going to release a new show for the Summer called The Days. It looks interesting. I also saw a commercial last night for another ABC show I want to see, Life As We know it.

A quiz about my birth month:

APRIL:
Active and dynamic. Decisive and haste but tends to
regret.
Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong
mentality. Loves attention.
Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people's
problems. Brave and
fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and
generous. Emotional.
Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving Motivates
oneself and others.
Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a
way that only their lover can see.


What does your birth month say about you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I have a knitting disaster. I am using round needles and attached the ends of the project I am working on. I thought I would fix it by cutting it. Nope. I made it much worse. I hope my coworker can find the time to help me. I hate to bug her yet again. Why do I bite off more than I can chew?

The Fourth of July is not till Sunday but our neighborhood or at least the kids in our neighborhood have already begun with the fireworks. For the past two or three weeks we have been hearing various sounds of small firecrackers to large sounding explosions. It's a bit unnerving.

I accidentally used my body wash for shampoo. Luckily I noticed and shampooed my hair.

I had Wonderbread for the first time last night. Niel bought it knowing I never tried it. Thank you hon. My mother used to make bread when my brother and I were younger and if she did not we used to buy the store brand, because it was less costly. It didn't taste too different than the store bread.

My brother did a little bit of bbqing on Sunday. He sure makes tasty bbq. He puts on a dry rub and then marinates it with a wet one while the meat is grilling. My dad uses some Spanish spices to marinate in then he grills.

Has anyone in the New York area heard of a Garbage Pie? I have lived in New York for 24 years and only yesterday have heard that a pizza with everything is a Garbage Pie? Eww.

Niel spotted a lightning bug last night. I love them.

Niel & I did end up seeing Fahrenheit 9/11. It was an extremely disturbing film to say the least. I feel like I am in some type of thriller movie or nightmare. I cried the entire way through and not just the very gory scenes. My crying began within the first 15 minutes of the movie when they showed the scene at the senate.

The best way to summarize why I saw it is something I found on another blog.

"My views on the current US Government are very harsh and not because I am a Democrat (I don't belong to either party) but because I read a lot and listen to people speak and have red flags going off in my brain that say, "I don't think that's right. Something's not making sense." These flags don't come out because I blindly support one party over another but because I tend to question things. I tend to be healthfully critical. I'd do this regardless of who is in power because whoever is in power of the country I am living in affects me. I'll support what deserves supporting and question what doesn't make sense.

And I would hope that others would do this as well. Because it's not about making a party - or leader - right. It's about making a country and it's people healthy.

(I wrote this because day 53 on this site didn't make sense to me, and there seems to be a lot of things like this within the current US Administration. Regardless if you support the current government or not, this kind of stuff should be questioned."

The rest of the weekend was not traumatic. I cleaned, we visited with my parents, brother and his lovely girlfriend Christine and enjoyed the time off work.

Ever since Isabelle's bday party Niel and I have been hooked onto Stacy's Pita Chips. We tried the plain kind at her party, and since then tried the Cinnamon flavored, and the Herbs and oil flavor. Quite good.

I forgot to mention that the mascot for Six Flags.(I don't know what else to call him. No that's not true I do, the creepy, dancing guy in the old man mask) was at ABC studios which is across from my office building dancing. Six Flags sure does have some gimmick going on there.

I found this game on Magpie B'ssite. It's fun. I stumped it the first time. HAH!

I am constantly amazed when I read some knitting blogs at how fast people get through their projects. I am getting faster but I only know two types of knitting: Purl and knit. I still have to learn cable and butterfly and all sorts of others. Plus I always have to ask my coworker for help because I don't know how to fix something. I've looked through several books, but I don't really learn that way. I have to be shown.

Niel is very humble and doesn't really like any type of attention given to him, but I have to give him kudos, for his work ethic not only for being outstanding at his job,or his dedication at being a Scout leader, but also sticking to his workout routine. When he puts his mind to something he does it.

Never underappreciate your dog! Found on Wee's site.

I am always on the look out for chicken recipes so I was happy to find the following chicken recipe. I did alter it slightly though. I did not have any corn flakes so I used Italian Bread Crumbs and I cooked the chicken in olive oil and used the butter at the end for the sauce. I also did not put any green onions or scallions as I call them. It was still very, very good.

COUNTRY CHICKEN PICCATA

This chicken skillet entree features the fresh flavor of lemon.

Preparation 15 min.
Cooking 7 min.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup crushed corn flakes
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 (4 ounces each) boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 tablespoons Butter
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup fresh mushrooms, halved
1 cup sliced 1-inch green onions
Lemon slices, if desired
Fresh parsley, if desired

Instructions:

Combine milk and egg in small bowl. Combine crushed corn flakes, flour, salt and pepper in 9-inch pie pan. Flatten each chicken breast to 1/4-inch thickness by pounding between sheets of waxed paper. Dip chicken into milk mixture, then flour mixture, turning to coat.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet; add chicken and garlic. Cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until golden brown (5 to 6 minutes). Remove chicken to serving platter; keep warm.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to drippings in pan; stir until butter melts. Stir in lemon juice. Add mushrooms and green onions. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until heated through (2 to 4 minutes). Spoon over chicken. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley.
Yield: 4 servings

TGIF!!! Can I just also say how happy I am the work week is over. This week DRAGGED by so slowly!

A little bit of a rant in this post. The other day I was waiting for the elevator and listening to a conversation between two construction workers. The shorter one of the two was making fun of the taller one because he didn't want to stick his hand in the closing elevator door, to prevent the door from closing so they could catch it. The taller one tried to explain he had lost a nail once by sticking his hand in a closing elevator door. (He was lucky he did not lose a hand in my opinion.) The shorter one replied "What you need a manicure." What kind of stupid response was that?

I don't care if people are going to think I can't take a joke. How is safety a joke? Plenty of times I have over heard people make racist, sexists, or just dumb "jokes". How are they funny? I do also know we live in a free country and shouldn't be prevented to express an opinion. I just wish people were more considerate of their fellow mankind.

Then coming back from my errand a woman walked past me and smacked me with her umbrella as she rushed ahead of me. Then as I was in the building she did not bother to hold the elevator door. Come on I was half way in the elevator. It isn't my fault that you are late coming back from your lunch hour. I just gave her a dirty look. I really really really wanted to smack her though.

For three weeks now Jeopardy has had the same contestant, Ken who has won a little over a half a million dollars. Niel and I joke that Ken will be around long after Alex Trebek is gone.

I am currently reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I had read most of the classics in junior high and high school, but have decided to reread them, since I would get a different perspective of the stories as an adult. After finishing this book I will start on The Sign & The Seal by Graham Hancock. It is about the lost ark of the covenant. I want to read this book before going on to more classics since it was lent to me by a coworker. The same coworker has also brought back an mug crafted by an Armenian in Israel. Buying authentic Armenian pottery in Israel is apparently a big thing. My coworker always brings back trinkets for all of his coworkers from his travels. I have some sort of souvenir from the most interesting places. To name a few of the countries: Cuba, Africa, and the Czech Republic.

Last night we rented Bad Santa. We both disliked the movie so. There were a few high lights. John Ritter and Brett Kelly. He is the little kid in the movie who is simply called Kid(although his character's does have a name, Thurman Merman). Young Mr. Kelly stole the entire movie with his performance. He was so freaking adorable. The ending of the movie was nice too.

We also got a DVR. It is Time Warner Cable's version of TiVo. One of the cool features is we can be watching TV and it can record up to two other shows at the same time. This solves the only TV problem we currently have because on Tuesday nights when we are watching Joe Schmo; we would also like to watch Extreme Dodgeball and The Dave Chapelle show. Yes I watch a lot of TV.

A poem by Ogden Nash I want to share:

Bankers Are Just Like Anybody Else, Except Richer

This is a song to celebrate banks, Because they are full of money and you go into them and all you hear is clinks and clanks, Or maybe a sound like the wind in the trees on the hills, Which is the rustling of the thousand dollar bills.

Most bankers dwell in marble halls, Which they get to dwell in because they encourage deposits and discourage withdrawals, And particularly because they all observe one rule which woe betides the banker who fails to heed it, Which is you must never lend any money to anybody unless they don't need it.

I know you, you cautious conservative banks! If people are worried about their rent it is your duty to deny them the loan of one nickel, yes, even one copper engraving of the martyred son of the late Nancy Hanks; Yes, if they request fifty dollars to pay for a baby you must look at them like Tarzan looking at an uppity ape in the jungle, And tell them what do they think a bank is, anyhow, they had better go get the money from their wife's aunt or uncle.

But suppose people come in and they have a million and they want another million to pile on top of it, Why, you brim with the milk of human kindness and you urge them to accept every drop of it, And you lend them the million so then they have two million and this gives them the idea that they would be better off with four, So they already have two million as security so you have no hesitation in lending them two more, And all the vice-presidents nod their heads in rhythm, And the only question asked is do the borrowers want the money sent or do they want to take it with.

Because I think they deserve our appreciation and thanks, the jackasses who go around saying that health and happi- ness are everything and money isn't essential, Because as soon as they have to borrow some unimportant money to maintain their health and happiness they starve to death so they can't go around any more sneering at good old money, which is nothing short of providential.

I want to see this film but am extremely uncomfortable with where it will be distributed.

I heard some time ago that a fancy new mall would be opening not too far from my old neighborhood. I couldn't think where this new mall could be built, because that area of Queens is particularly condensed. Apparently it is going to be a one level upscale mall only 10 minutes from my parents house. (Second story down.)

Yay for Martina Navertolova for kicking butt in her first game at Wimbledon.

Has anyone heard the new Cure song "The End Of The World"? I loooooove it. They still rock. I can't wait to get the new album. I don't think I will see them on tour because I really do not know any of the other musicians playing with them. I hope down the line they will tour alone.

Thank you to Niel for the Tori CD. It's Tori in concert with an added cd of new songs. Yay!

Last night on TV on CBS we watched AFI's A Hundred Years In Songs. I agreed with the majority of the songs that were chosen. Below is the list of the songs. I bolded the ones I like.
The Honorees Are...

#
SONG
MOVIE
YEAR

1
Over the Rainbow
WIZARD OF OZ, THE
1939

2
As Time Goes By
CASABLANCA
1942

3
Singin' in the Rain
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
1952

4
Moon River
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S
1961

5
White Christmas
HOLIDAY INN
1942

6
Mrs. Robinson
GRADUATE, THE
1967

7
When You Wish Upon A Star
PINOCCHIO
1940

8
Way We Were, The
THE WAY WE WERE
1973

9
Stayin' Alive
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
1977

10
Sound of Music, The
SOUND OF MUSIC, THE
1965

11
Man That Got Away, The
STAR IS BORN, A
1954

12
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES
1953

13
People
FUNNY GIRL
1968

14
My Heart Will Go On
TITANIC
1997

15
Cheek to Cheek
TOP HAT
1935

16
Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star is Born)
STAR IS BORN, A
1976

17
I Could Have Danced All Night
MY FAIR LADY
1964

18
Cabaret
CABARET
1972

19
Some Day My Prince Will Come
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
1937

20
Somewhere
WEST SIDE STORY
1961

21
Jailhouse Rock
JAILHOUSE ROCK
1957

22
Everybody's Talkin'
MIDNIGHT COWBOY
1969

23
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
1969

24
Ol' Man River
SHOW BOAT
1936

25
High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin)
HIGH NOON
1952

26
Trolley Song, The
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS
1944

27
Unchained Melody
GHOST
1990

28
Some Enchanted Evening
SOUTH PACIFIC
1958

29
Born To Be Wild
EASY RIDER
1969

30
Stormy Weather
STORMY WEATHER
1943

31
Theme from New York, New York
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
1977

32
I Got Rhythm
AMERICAN IN PARIS, AN
1951

33
Aquarius
HAIR
1979

34
Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
SHALL WE DANCE
1937

35
America
WEST SIDE STORY
1961

36
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
MARY POPPINS
1964

37
Swinging on a Star
GOING MY WAY
1944

38
Theme from Shaft
SHAFT
1971

39
Days of Wine and Roses
DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES
1963

40
Fight the Power
DO THE RIGHT THING
1989

41
New York, New York
ON THE TOWN
1949

42
Luck Be A Lady
GUYS AND DOLLS
1955

43
Way You Look Tonight, The
SWING TIME
1936

44
Wind Beneath My Wings
BEACHES
1988

45
That's Entertainment
BAND WAGON, THE
1953

46
Don't Rain On My Parade
FUNNY GIRL
1968

47
Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
SONG OF THE SOUTH
1947

48
Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)
MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, THE
1956

49
Make 'Em Laugh
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
1952

50
Rock Around the Clock
BLACKBOARD JUNGLE
1955

51
Fame
FAME
1980

52
Summertime
PORGY AND BESS
1959

53
Goldfinger
GOLDFINGER
1964

54
Shall We Dance
KING AND I, THE
1956

55
Flashdance...What a Feeling
FLASHDANCE
1983

56
Thank Heaven for Little Girls
GIGI
1958

57
Windmills of Your Mind, The
THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, THE
1968

58
Gonna Fly Now
ROCKY
1976

59
Tonight
WEST SIDE STORY
1961

60
It Had to Be You
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
1989

61
Get Happy
SUMMER STOCK
1950

62
Beauty and the Beast
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
1991

63
Thanks for the Memory
BIG BROADCAST OF 1938, THE
1938

64
My Favorite Things
SOUND OF MUSIC, THE
1965

65
I Will Always Love You
BODYGUARD, THE
1992

66
Suicide is Painless
M*A*S*H
1970

67
Nobody Does it Better
SPY WHO LOVED ME, THE
1977

68
Streets of Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA
1993

69
On the Good Ship Lollipop
BRIGHT EYES
1934

70
Summer Nights
GREASE
1978

71
Yankee Doodle Boy, The
YANKEE DOODLE DANDY
1942

72
Good Morning
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
1952

73
Isn't it Romantic?
LOVE ME TONIGHT
1932

74
Rainbow Connection(This makes me cry!!)
MUPPET MOVIE, THE
1979

75
Up Where We Belong
OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, AN
1982

76
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS
1944

77
Shadow of Your Smile, The
SANDPIPER, THE
1965

78
9 To 5(I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE THIS MOVIE!!)
9 TO 5
1980

79
Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)(THIS MOVIE ALSO!!!)
ARTHUR
1981

80
Springtime for Hitler
PRODUCERS, THE
1968

81
I'm Easy
NASHVILLE
1975

82
Ding Dong the Witch is Dead
WIZARD OF OZ, THE
1939

83
Rose, The
ROSE, THE
1979

84
Put the Blame on Mame
GILDA
1946

85
Come What May
MOULIN ROUGE!
2001

86
(I've Had) The Time of My Life
DIRTY DANCING
1987

87
Buttons and Bows
PALEFACE, THE
1948

88
Do Re Mi
SOUND OF MUSIC, THE
1965

89
Puttin' on the Ritz
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
1974

90
Seems Like Old Times
ANNIE HALL
1977

91
Let the River Run
WORKING GIRL
1988

92
Long Ago and Far Away
COVER GIRL
1944

93
Lose Yourself
8 MILE
2002

94
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
BIG CHILL, THE
1983

95
(We're Off on the) Road to Morocco
ROAD TO MOROCCO
1942

96
Footloose
FOOTLOOSE
1984

97
42nd Street
42nd STREET
1933

98
All That Jazz
CHICAGO
2002

99
Hakuna Matata
LION KING, THE
1994

100
Old Time Rock and Roll
RISKY BUSINESS
1983


I hate that blogger sometimes does not post all posts.

My body clock was a little off this weekend. Normally I allow myself to sleep till 8 or 9. But both days I got up at 7 on the dot and I could not go back to sleep and yesterday morning I got up at 5 and just lay there till 7 then I got up to get ready for work. So tired.

Did anyone know that blueberries and celery take more calories to digest than they contain? They are a Catabolic food. Blueberries are also a antioxidant.

Quiz found at Dave's Blog:

How to make a ani

Ingredients: 5 parts pride 1 part silliness 1 part energy

Method: Blend at a low speed for 30 seconds. Add wisdom to taste! Do not overindulge!

Username:

Personality cocktail
From Go-Quiz.com

I was told by a coworker who was away for the weekend if you are ever delayed in an airport, you can ask for a free phone card and a food voucher. The airlines don't make a habit of announcing this, but will do it if asked.

Also call you local phone company every once in a while and see what deal they have for present customers. They always have deals to try to get new customers, but they also have deals for current customers.

The weekend was a good one. Saturday my husband, mother-in-law and I saw the Olympic torch pass by my neighborhood. It was a incredible moment. The street was lined with people. There was tons of security by foot, car and air. Niel took pictures. I have to post those soon along with some other pics. Then the three of us ate at a new restaurant also in the neighborhood. The food was good, inexpensive and the service was prompt. Then we dropped my mother-in-law off at work and went to see Dodgeball. It is a very funny movie. I recommend it!

We then came home and caught Zoolander on TV. Back to back Stiller. Zoolander another funny flick.

Sunday was Father's Day and we took my dad to a Mets game. He is quite a huge sports fan and surprisingly has never been to any type of game. We all had fun and the Mets won so it was a successful outing.

A few hours after that I saw Paula Deen's wedding on the Food Network. She is one of my favorite cooks. I find her recipes tasty(all that butter) and her show entertaining. Her laugh is infectious.

Over the weekend I experimented with making Panini's. Both of the recipes I used turned out well. The first sandwich was a Pesto, Tomato and Mozzarella Panini on Italian bread. I got the recipe from Jennifer. The second Panini had goat cheese, roasted red pepper with rosemary olive oil on French Bread. I put a little Prosciutto on Niel's Panini. I mixed all the ingredients together and grilled them. I pressed down my teakettle on the sandwiches until the cheeses melted a bit and until they had grill marks on them. I recommend both.

Happy 1st Day of Summer! Although with this warm and sunny weather, it has felt like Summer for a little while now.

Happy Father's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With all this warm air I have been daydreaming lately of having a backyard and have bbq get togethers, with good food to please the senses, pretty plates and glasses, and good company.

Luckily I have a stovetop grill and have been sustaining my fantasies by grilling recipes on it for Niel and I.

I am also putting together a food blog. I will announce when it will be up.

The discount Gods took pity on me and threw me a sale. They knew how I suffered looking for a certain dress and skirt to go on sale. When the sale came, neither item was available. Yesterday I planned on begrudgingly paying full price for two other items that I did not want to lose such as I did previously. I happily discovered both were on sale and available. Yes!

We watched Along Came Polly last night. I wanted to see it for a while and thought I would enjoy it. I so did not. The only good part of the film was the ending was not a typical Hollywood one. Otherwise I thought the acting was mediocre. I know movie/TV show makers usually try to condense the moral of the story within a half an hour to two hour time span so I do not get angry when this happens. I expect it. I do have to say how amazed I am by PR people who can spin the plot to make a movie seem a certain way, but the film is about something else entirely.

Afterwards we viewed Extreme Dodgeball on the Game Show Network. That was a lot of fun to watch. Two of their commentators were semi famous people. The floor host was Jeri from Survivor and the booth host was a runner up who previously competed for an ESPN gig. I forget his name. I think it was Zack. Niel would know for sure.

This heat in the city has been intense and it is not even Summer yet. On Wednesday afternoon I went to a health fair for one of our clients to represent my newspaper. My coworker and I were beet red by the time it was over. I have very fair skin so this happens easily.

Tomorrow the Olympic Torch will be coming through my little neighborhood. We plan on watching this momentous event. I am excited.

Billy Cosby is making yet another series. This one will be animated and is called Fatherhood. I am very curious to see the show. I really loved The Cosby Show, so I was happy to see another Cosby idea coming into fruition. The actress that gives the voice to the mother is Sabrina LeBeuf whom some may remember as Sandra Huxtable, the eldest Huxtable daughter and child.

Saw the first show of season three of Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica. Funny stuff. Jessica's younger sister Ashlee(yes she spells her name with 2 e's) also has her own show , also on MTV, about trying to become a singer and her life in general. Much hyper than Jessica and Ashlee's music I guess would be catagorized as more rock. Sister's are very in now in Hollywood. Heh.

Reno 911 is also back. I try very hard not to pee in my pants when I watch this show.

Monday was Flag day. I totally missed the ball on that one.

Niel and I went to our local mall a few weeks back. We knew it was under construction and wanted to see the results. The Queens Center Mall has always been the largest mall in Queens, but now it is even bigger. Not to the scale of the malls in Long Island or Westchester though. It looks so bright, and clean. We also noticed it had A LOT of shoe stores. Besides expanding it also built a larger parking lot.

Happy to report that Last Comic Standing and Joe Schmo are back on TV. I like that there are Summer shows to look forward to when regular programing is on break.

A very dangerous store.

Three recipes I would like to share that my husband and I have enjoyed recently.

Pork chop dinner (I DID NOT ADD THE BISCUITS)

Bayou Gumbo (reminds me of something my mom used to make)
3 Tablespoons of Flour
3 Tablespoons of oil (I use olive)
½ a pound of smokes sausage cut into ½” slices (I used Italian)
2 cups frozen Okra (I did not use any. I don’t like it)
1 large onion chopped
1 large green pepper chopped (I used red since that is all I had)
3 garlic cloves minced
½ a teaspoon ground red pepper (used ground chili pepper)
½ a teaspoon ground pepper
1 14.5 can diced tomatoes undrained
12 ounces of shrimp deveined(or as much as you like)
1-½ cups rice
3 cups of water

Cook the flour in oil constantly stirring on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes until mixture turns brown.
Mix all ingredients except last three in a 3.5 to 4-quart crock-pot and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.
The last 20 minutes cook the rice in water until water has evaporated and rice is fluffy. Meanwhile add the shrimp to the gumbo mix well and let cook. Serve with rice.

Simple Shepard’s Pie
1 refrigerated piecrust
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion chopped
2 cups frozen mixed veggies
1 can (10.75ounces) cream of celery soup
1 ½ teaspoon of thyme
3 cups mashed potatoes.

Heat oven to 375. Place piecrust in 9” pie pan. Crimp or flute edges (no clue). Set aside. Cook turkey and onion in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until meat and onion are browned 9 to 11 minutes. Drain off fat. Stir in veggies, soup and thyme; continue cooking through (3 to 5 minutes).
Spoon mixture into piecrust and cover with mashed potatoes. Let cook for 35 to 45 minutes.

I deal with this fear (June 10).

Courtney Cox and David Arquette had their baby girl this past weekend. They named her Coco.

Yahoo has updated the look of their site. It looks cleaner and gives more room. Check it out.

nerds on a rope earrings 

The weekend was packed.

Saturday afternoon we saw The Stepford Wives. It was quite a smart film. With twists I did not expect. I like how it throws out a few different theories of gender stereotyping, battle of the sexes, can women have it all, and acceptance. Campier and not at all scary as the original was. Good movie to see!

In the evening we went to a bday bbq for my friend Isabel. She lives in a funky part of Brooklyn in a neat apartment. Her husband is a chef. They served different types of salsas, Guacamole, Mango Salsa, Chevice, spicy tomato salsa, pita chips, bbq skewers, grilled shrimp, mushrooms, chicken sausage. I never had pita chips or mango salsa before. Quite yummy. Now I know what to do with my left over mango. I got great party ideas from them.

Sunday we went to a wedding for one of my cousins. She married in an Amrenian Church in Westchester to a Southern lad. They reside in Westchester. It was a small wedding a little under a hundred. The DJ's were wacky. They had everyone dancing in groups. The appetizers and most of the main course were good. One of the desserts was fantastic brownie souffle with vanilla ice cream! To die for! My mom who we called The Peacock(her hair was high!) for most of the evening got hit on by the groom's father. Good times indeed.

I heard Ray Charles passed away last week. I am sad the world lost such a talent and nice man. His story is amazing. He was blind since the age of 7 and an orphan since 15. With those two hardships he still managed to succeed.

Interesting factoid I learned on LJCFYI's blog

Oh this is so true.

you are SHREK! you're a bit antisocial, but once
you get close to someone, they find out you're
a big sweetie!

what shrek character are you?
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I can't belive the Australian Government could be so closed minded.

This reminds me of the Armenian Genocide and how the world ignored that also.

We watched the MTV movie awards last night. Except for a few funny moments by Will Farrel, overall it was a bit lame.

The concert last night was fantastic. No Doubt really knew how to put on a show. They certainly gave our money's worth. Niel said they seemed all business since they did not talk much. He had a good time as well. Blink 182 which is touring with them, played well also. Tom the guitar player really annoyed me. He kept cursing at the crowd. The drummer Travis is amazing!!! Niel noticed he had a broken leg which must have been a little difficult. The majority of the crowd was under sixteen and were there with parents. We also saw a gaggle of people our age. I really went for No Doubt. The staduiam was nice. Reminded me of the stadium in Baltimore. Since we were by the water it was soooo cool. The opening act The Living End, young punctual lads from Australia played very well. The camera's battery by the end of the show died so some of the pictures are a bit blurry.


Jones Beach Theater 

We rented Once Upon A Time in Mexico. I enjoyed it. Johnny Depp was in it and I like his acting style. I think he is a good character actor, plus he is easy on the eyes. The director did a fab job with the various camera angles and flashbacks.

I was snacking on peanuts and raisins one day when I noticed that the peanut I was about to eat had a butt on it. So instead of eating it I decided to take a picture of it. I also think Garbanzo beans also have butts on them.


Peanut butt 

My friend Isabelle is going to have a bday bbq this weekend. I am looking forward to attending. She was telling me she was a bit miffed that not everyone responded. I can understand how she would be a bit annoyed those type of things bug me too. I think the little things are just as important as the big things.

I have had to let go of many things and to forgive over and over again. I think it is healthier. What is the point of holding onto this anger. The pias seem to forget that understanding is the only way. It sure is difficult though.

I finished reading The Disapparation of James. I would have finished sooner but had a knitting disaster and forgot the book one day. I usually read during my commute.

I am so excited! Niel and I are going to see No Doubt tonight!!! Weeeeeeeeeee!

Here are some pictures of dishes I cooked the past few days. The first dish I completely ruined. I just ended up eating the shrimp out of it and throwing the rest away. What a waste. Thankfully the next two dishes were excellent!!!


Pad Thai 


Individual Pizzas 


Shepard's Pie 

Yesterday Elaine and I took out Isabelle to lunch. She is one of the coworkers leaving. :( We went ate at a fabulous Italian place on 44th Street and 9th Avenue called 44SW Ristorante & Lounge. I ordered Penne with eggplanet baked with mozzerella. And we all shared an appetizer of Mozzeralla with basil, roasted peppers. Mmmm. The ambiance was very appealing as well, with a sponge painting technique, bay windows, and beaded lamps. It is a must if you are in that area of NYC!

I took a this Harry Potter Quiz and got 11 out of 12 correct. I flubbed on number 10. See what you get!

Saw Harry Potter Three on Saturday and loooooooooved it. Of course once again it was so well done. J.K. Rowling is brilliant and the new director is amazing. The imagery, the characters are growing up. I can't stop gushing about it. I was sad that Richard Harris is not in this one. I didn't like the new actor playing.... I know it is a large role to fill and he wasn't awful..I am just used to Richard Harris. I think it's neat that all these great British actors signed up to the Potter movies. Any Potter fans MUST see it!

Three more sites of worthy:

LillyWonka.com
(mentioned by Jesser.org on Rainysunday.com. This girl has toooooons of projects. Very inspiring.)

Random Daily Thoughts (neat blog about being crafty, married, with baby in Boston)

Craftpop.com
(My frame site was accepted to be on theirs. Any crafty people out there might want to try as well)

J.Lo gets married for the third time!!!

I found a site that somehow enables bloggers to make a cartoon illustration of themselves. You can see a cartoon version of me on top. Of course I picked an Autumn background. My favorite season. What would you look like?

I just started to read The Disapparation of James by Anne Ursu. I am intrigued by the story of a little boy who disappears at the circus and the effects it has on his family. At first I was turned off by Ursu's writiting style. That is because I did not understand it. Now I think her style is much like Madeline L'Engle's, who wrote A Wrinkle in Time.

Ronald "Dutch" Reagan passed away today at the age of 93. He was the 40 President of the United States and the longest living former President; as well as the oldest man ever elected President at 69. Although the end of his life was plagued with Alzheimer's and most of his political life was surrounded by controversy, there was something about him I liked(not so much a President though). Maybe it was that the man originally from Tampico, Illinois costarred with a monkey in Bedtime for Bonzo, or that he liked to write letters, or that I felt sympathy for him with the way he was portrayed in the made for TV movie The Reagans.I hope the next world gives him the peace he did not find often in this one.

I don't usually make multiple posts in one day but I just had to. There is a movie theater across from my office building and they must have been doing some promotional thing because they had a snow machine and trees for the release of Harry Potter Three. Since I don't have a camera phone yet(hint hint) I ran across the street to Duane Reade and purchased the cheapest disposable camera and took pictures. When I get the camera developed I will post them. Hopefully soon. I also got a picture of some people in suits with basketball masks on. I don't know what they were promoting. I know I am a geek.

Pork Fried Rice 


Spicy Shrimp 

I am very excited to see Harry Potter 3. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two and am interested to see how the new director will guide the film. I think J.K. Rowling is brilliant for creating a world full of magic and whimsy. Of course much like Lord of the Rings and A Wrinkle in Time it deals with the universal theme of good and evil.

I am glad my Summer is going to be filled with Friday evenings of DeGrassi to replace the WB's Summer hiatus. Sundays with Dead Like me , as well as all the movies coming out and one's I'll be renting. I hope also to see a few concerts and maybe take a few quick trips. I was so excited to see so many movies, then became disappointed when Shrek 2 and Raising Helen were not as what I expected. But Napoleon Dynamite and Saved renewed my faith. I know Harry Potter will do the same.

Saw The Cure on Pepsi Smash on TV last night. They sound good and that is all I will say.

I hope to also finally watch the tape of A Wrinkle In Time this weekend.

The following pictures are some of the gardens in my neighborhood. I hope to have my own little garden some day to grow veggies, flowers and maybe a cherry tree.


flowers in garden 



Tree with Ivy. 


I wish I already had the camera phone. Because I could have posted a picture of a man in a banana suit handing out flyers infront of my office building. Drats. To have such silly problems is a blessing.

I was out with my coworker/friend Isabelle when I noticed a homeless man with his dog. I proceeded to give change to him. He puts out his hand. I think that is funny when he has a perfectly good cup. Right all homeless people have a cup? Stupid me, he had actual coffee in his cup! Luckily I discovered this before ruining his drink. I profusely apologized and went back to the laughing Isabelle. Yep almost like Two Weeks Notice.

I am seeing more and more entertainers.
in the subway. Some of them I think are amazing(the guy who dances with a mannequin). The other day I saw a man playing Somewhere Over The Rainbow on his saxophone. It was so beautiful.

Finished reading Drowning Anna by Sue Mayfield. It only took me only two train rides to finish it. I'll admit it was a short book, but very engrossing. It's about a high school girl who is bullied by her peers. I liked how the author gave not only a voice to the main character but to her mother and best friend. The reader was able to gain a perspective from many sides. I think it should be a mandatory read for school children. Yet I don't think just reading it would do anything. I think stopping bad behavior comes from home or begins at home. It is so easy to make scapegoats out of people who do better instead of being happy for them and trying to improve ourselves. Thanks to Niel for getting me this book.

Julia Roberts is pregnant and having twins!

Did anyone know that a woman invented the windshield wipers?

Two of my coworkers are leaving. Their presence in the office will be greatly missed. They brought many bright hours with their attitude and work ethic.

Last night we rented the remake of Freaky Friday. Chad Michael Murray looks good scruffy. I liked the moral of the movie. People should try to understand what it might be like to be in someone else's shoes, but most of the time we rather see one another bleed. I learned at a very young age to smile even at the rudness, but sometimes this is difficult.

Pork Buns 

As the caption says that lovely picture is BBQ Pork buns I purchased from the Asian market.

When I was younger I used to think that Chicken and fries from the Chinese take out place was authentic Chinese cuisine. Hah!

Finally made time last night to begin cleaning out the guest room. I had put all of the clothes that did not fit into our closet in there plus all the junk that was underneath the computer table. I am beginning to put all the junk and the books in the two bookshelves in a semi neat pile on our dining table. Now when Niel and I move the book shelves and the closet it will be a lot easier. He is buying a replacement part for the bottom portion of the closet which broke. Bah!!!!!

Last night we watched Stuck on You. It was a sweet film.

I am happy that DeGrassi Junior High the next generation is coming back this Friday. I began watching it last Summer. I like watching it in hopes of seeing some of the old characters like Joey, Snake and Spike. Hee Hee!

Here are more pictures of Niel and I kneeding out the pizza dough.

I heard that another one of my favorite books The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is going to be turned into a movie.

New York City had a bit of a storm last night. Niel came home soaked.

It was a busy and fun holiday weekend. Makes coming back to reality difficult.

On Saturday Niel and I decided to take advantage of the lovely weather by flying a kite. The camera wasn't working too well the first twenty minutes so I couldn't get pictures of Niel assembling the kite or how high the kite was flying or when it got stuck in a tree. Apparently our little digital does not like name brand batteries. It goes through name brands really fast but works better with Ikea batteries. We did manage to get some pictures up.


Kiting 

I also fixed all the pictures that were upside down, dark, and that had thumbs in them. And I do have more space then I thought on Yahoo photos. Apparently last time I just saved the photos I wanted to order. So I put the order through. If the photos look good then I will order more from Yahoo. I also put a few more pics of the gardening Niel and I did at his mom's. The added pics are of Ripley, Iris's and an Angel statue.

After lunch we decide to go see Shrek 2. I was so looking forward to see this movie, since I enjoyed the first one..We didn't like it. The first 45 minutes were really very slow. The last 45 minutes were better, but all in all the film did not need to be made. It felt like the same themes as in the original were just repeated.

Sunday Niel helped Kelvin move Rachael so their move to Maryland could be final. I puttered around the apartment for a bit. Then I walked up Grand Avenue to catch a bus to see Raising Helen and caught the Memorial Day Parade in my neighborhood on the way. There were soldiers, sailors, marines past and present marching. There were POW's, nurses, boy scouts, students, of every back ground marching as well, as bystanders waved flags and cheered. Very moving.

I found the film to be sweet. Sort of an improved Jersey Girl.

We made semi home made pizza for dinner. I used store brought dough, one 14 ounce can of chunky tomato sauce that already had Italian seasonings in it. But I added some garlic powder, onion powder, dried rosemary and dried oregano. Grated mozzarella on top and put turkey pepperoni and baked it in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes and we enjoyed it with a salad while viewing Kangaroo Jack. It was some what entertaining. Then we caught the George Lopez special Why Are You Crying? on Showtime. Man is he a funny comedian! I love his stories about his family. I think he and Ellen DeGeneras are my favorite comedians.


Niel rolling the dough. 

Sunday we saw Saved. It is only playing in three theaters in NYC. We were able to catch the one on Times Square. My my what a touristy place those few blocks are. The movie was very good. The characters again a bit predictable, but the best movie I saw all weekend. I mean I know what I am in for usually when I go see a movie, but very few leave me with the feeling of wow that surprised me or that was smart. Saved definitely did this. I highly recommend it. Personally I think everyone should be like Patrick Fugit's character.