Launch

Wow.

Launches are exciting.

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This whole website business has been so stressful...am I doing the right thing?  will it work?  can I do this?

The funniest thing happened as I was going thru this whole self doubt thing.  The website has been in the works for a month in an inactive state...which basically means that no one could see it except for the person designing it, the person editing it and me.  Last week it started to come to life and for a short 6 hour window, the site was active and the whole world could see it...however, no one knew about it because I hadn't told hardly anyone.

Yet.

And during that 6 hour window, 14 people bought necklaces.

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Needing a bit of a sanity break from my computer....that guy that I like so much picked me up in his cute car and we drove to the ocean.

And ate here...at the Beachcomber:

Can't get any closer to the ocean than the Beachcomber...and it was a beautiful spring day.  And the sand was warm.

And we ate roasted feta with roasted tomatoes and tapenade...with tears in my eyes because it was SO GOOD.

See?  I even had a bowl of tomato soup...the perfect meal, I must say.

I am off to pick up my in-laws from their ship in just a bit...and then I am home to make jewelry.

Cuz I'm in business now?

Cuz I'm in business now.

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Meatloaf and a Launch

A meal fit for a king...meatloaf, mashed potatoes and fresh green peas.  Also known as the meal Alex begs for.

And not a morsel was left.

And now?

Now it's time.

It's HERE.

I would love to take credit for the gorgeous-ness of it...but I can't.  I have friends who designed and wrote and edited and photographed.  

Talented people.

I simply hammered and laughed...and hammered and laughed.

So play and away and let me know of any glitches.  There's lots more to add...but that will happen this weekend.  I've had a big order to fill and need to get that done and shipped...but first, I am taking a bit of a break today with that guy that I like so much and escaping for a few hours to paradise.

Also known as the beach.  My toes need to walk in the sand.  HIS toes need to walk in the sand.   And maybe,  just maybe,  he'll buy me lunch at my favorite spot.

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Weekend Recap

Friday I watched Brian play flag football.  He's in the blue shorts...so cute.

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Our planned neighborhood power outage began 1 1/2 hours earlier than they told us (grrr....I had wet clothes in the dryer and the dishwasher was running, but oh well) so Brian and I left and went to the movies.  The dollar theater was showing Bedtime Stories...which was worth exactly what we paid for it.

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Home to a dark, kinda creepy neighborhood.  Aex and the neighborhood boys hung out all night, wandering from house to house in search of food.  Brian and I played Sorry and read by candlelight...it was kind of nice to have a technology free evening.  

Saturday was a hang out day at home (glorious!) and on Sunday...well...on Sunday we went to a strip mall.

My husband loves strip malls.

I always think he is crazy, but he swears the best food places are in strip malls...and he is almost always right.

Our town doesn't have many strip malls, sadly, but the area our church is in has tons, so over time we are conquering them one by one.

So, he talked us all into yet another strip mall for lunch after church.  We have been driving by this one over the years...and it is conveniently located next to a 24 hour bar.   Just in case you are thirsty on a Sunday morning.  

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Once inside, M did what he always does and made friends with everyone in the place.  Not quite as charming as Claros, but they had some really fun 'straight from Italia' stuff.  I stocked up on arborio rice, which they had for a steal...plus some anchovy paste, cuz you never know when I am going to throw anchovy paste in something I am cooking.

Scary, huh?

Their food was OH.MY.YUM.  Even my boys were quiet while eating...and are already asking to go back again.

Which we will.  Today if we could.

Home.  Full.  Nap.

For the grown-ups, anyway.

Then off to Alex's basketball awards banquet.

Hard to believe that the season is over...I remember getting the 3 page schedule this summer and thing there was no way we were going to be able to juggle this all..and it flew on by.  Next season will be fun and I am NOT doing snack bar.

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Alex getting his award:

Today is a busy one...the website people are waiting for my final OK to launch, but I just haven't had time to go over everything with a fine tooth comb.  So today I am going to comb.  Promise.

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In Bloom

I love these azalea trees and wish more than anything that a) they bloomed more than once a year and b) that they would actually be in full bloom on Easter Sunday.

BUT...that being said, I love nothing more than looking out my kitchen window and seeing them look like this.

Gorgeous.

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Last night after supper, one of my boys asked for cookies.  I am not much of a baker...too many rules to follow, but I really like the boy who asked me.

So cookies it was.

OH...and they are sharing a counter with Mendelssohn, this years composer who has moved on in and sat down right smack dab in the middle of the couch with us.

Until the end of April anyway.  

The girlies have been loving the time change and have been frolicking outside at twilight with all the neighborhood cats and then curling up together and napping.

And then they hiss and scratch at each other.

I love my girls.  Lots. 

This morning I broke down, pulled on my old jeans and birkenstocks (you can remove the girl from Boulder, but not Boulder from the girl) and pulled and pulled and pulled weeds.

And then pulled some more.

AND picked some really yummy broccoli, which I steamed and ate for lunch.  

2 hours of being hunched and scrunched and on my hands and knees later, and we're ready to plant.  I still have to rototil the beds (M won't let me do it by myself...he actually read my blog at work - spy that he is - called and said NO WAY.) or rather, M has to till the beds, lay my beloved compost and plant.

I am so sore right now...I'm wondering what tomorrow will feel like.

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Supper tonight will be burgers on the grill...seems we are going to have a planned power outage from 6pm - 2 am.  Crazy times if you ask me, but in all the time we have lived here that has never happened, so they must be working on something that needs working on at 6pm at night.

M has a recital to go to, Alex has a choir festival (he is beyond thrilled) and then basketball practice at the college at 9pm...so we'll be out and about.  We do have lots of candles and the stuff for late night s'mores, so we'll turn it into an adventure.

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Thursday

Meals on Wheels today...yum.

Or not.

But food is food...and it's free to boot.  My route is mostly new, so I am just getting to know people.  All nice...but no Josephine.

I was eating my PB&J in the backyard and got sick of looking at the overgrown palm tree, so I grabbed the clippers and went to town.  It's a painful process...especially barefoot and in a skirt, but it's done and looks much better.

My cats kept me company and felt sorry for me everytime I got poked.

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Spent a few hours making jewelry and am almost done with my big order...and almost done with the website.  Final edits are happening now and it will hopefully launch by Monday...but for now I am tired of staring at the computer.

So, tonight I am cooking.

One more time...Tonight.  I.  Am.  Cooking.

I almost can't believe it, but our schedules have been crazy.  Roasted chicken, sausage, peppers, potatoes, onion and garlic...with a ton of olive oil.  Add a loaf of french bread and a bottle of wine and we've got dinner.  Not only that, but 4 of the 5 of us will be home...I still like the 5 out of 5, but the semester is almost over and then I'll get a whole summer with him.

Bet he's thrilled.

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Sweets and Burgers

Ahhh...yesterday.

What a day.

I spent all morning in meetings, walked in the door for lunch and got a call from a girlfriend...who was out front in her car.  I ran out, jumped in and was soon having lunch with one of my very favorite people.

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Home in time to meet Brian and get him off to practice for the talent show while I went to yet another meeting at his school...which ended up being a pretty big deal.  Tense is an understatement.  I sat on my hands and bit my tongue...which was NOT easy, but it all ended well.

I didn't walk back into the house until close to 5:30pm...and met up with a guy that I like so much and two of the three children he gave me.  And off we went to The Counter where I ordered a BEER, which tells you that my meeting was incredibly stressful, and some sweet potato fries.

My favorite.

Didn't last long.

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Brian and Alex both had burgers that were bigger than their heads!  

This morning was an early one...I ran and met a girlfriend for tea, home to do a quick clean up and in a bit I am heading to the beach to meet another friend for a walk and a date shake.

Zero calories, too.

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Flag football for Brian afterschool, followed by class at church AND church with M, and Alex has basketball.  He and I will come home for supper and head up to church together...hard to believe that Lent is almost over.

Easter is a-comin'!

Food

Just in case you were curious, this is what I am eating for breakfast.

 Right now.

Me and my oatmeal...apples and cinnamon, to be exact.

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This weekend became a food-fest...Saturday night, friends came over and we drank some really, really old wine.

Wine from the year I graduated high school in...so maybe it wasn't really, really old and just really old.

That sounds better.

OH...and ate short ribs and mashed potatoes.  YUM.

My obsession.

Like, it's totally, totally an obsession.

Dr. Mario.  On the wii...but you play online.  Download it and call me.

But be warned...I ROCK.

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Supper last night (after church, after Race to Witch Mountain, after errands) was a large pot of risotto.

Probably my favorite thing ever....there is something so therapeutic about stirring and stirring and stirring.

A glass of wine in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other...paradise.

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