So Emotional

The following was inspired by this t-shirt we saw at Kohls.
.
My Action: Sit at home all day, eating chocolate, and buying crap I don't need on eBay.
.
Q's Reaction:
.

.
My Action: Clean the entire house from top to bottom...even scrubbing the crusty brown piss off the wall behind the boys' toilet.
.
Q's Reaction:
.

.
My Action: Suggest that we spend Saturday afternoon at a Spring Training game.
.
Q's Reaction:
.

.
My Action: Suggest that we spend the day at the mall.
.
Q's Reaction:
.

.
My Action: Come to bed wearing a long, flannel gown with a high ruffled collar and tattered cotton panties.
.
Q's Reaction:
.

.
My Action: Come to bed wearing a sheer negligee and crotchless panties.
.
Q's Reaction:
.

.
My Action: Use my dish money to buy him the Mission: Impossible Season 5 DVD set.
.
Q's Reaction:
.

.
My Action: Use his baseball ticket money to buy myself another pair of pink sandals.
.
Q's Reaction:
.

.
My Action: Prepare a dinner of slow cooked pot roast, sauteed asparagus with a light cream sauce, fresh baked bread, and strawberry cheesecake for dessert.
.
Q's Reaction:
.

.
My Action: Fix overcooked Hamburger Helper for dinner.
.
Q's Reaction:
.

.

I should point out that the preceding entry was originally written for Q's eyes only. But it was the man himself who encouraged me to post it here.

46 Questions

I've been tagged by a bunch of my Facebook friends to complete this one. But since most of them also read this blog, I'm doing it here.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANY ONE?...Absolutely not. I think my mom was trying to avoid that.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?...Don't remember when, but it was over that ASPCA commercial with sad Sarah Maclachlan music playing in the background. BTW, you are one sick, heartless asshat if that commercial doesn't make you well up at least a little.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?...My handwriting is getting very difficult to read...especially when I have to write fast. Some people think I'm being an overachiever when I type my homework, but for me, it's actually easier.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?...Londonport seasoned roast beef.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?...Yes...two boys.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?...I'd like to think so.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?...Every chance I get. :-)

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?...Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?...Um, NO!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?...Special K with red berries.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?...Yes. For my gym shoes, I have to.

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?...Chocolate and peanut butter from Baskin Robbins

13. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?...Smile

14. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONLY ONE ALBUM FRONT TO BACK FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?...Hits by Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/Starship

15. RED OR PINK?...Very much PINK!

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?...I get angry easily.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?...Skitz, my childhood cat, and my dad.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?...Pretty much everyone has already done it

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?...Faded black sweat pants and white tennis shoes with pink trim.

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?...Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown playing in the background.

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?...Carnation Pink

22. FAVORITE SMELLS?...Q's man smell.

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?...Q. I wanted to know if he needed anything from the store.

24. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?...I got this from several people, and I like them all.

25. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?...Basketball. Even though we are a baseball family, basketball moves faster and is therefore easier to watch.

26. HAIR COLOR?...Red with blonde highlights.

27. EYE COLOR?...Greenish, hazelish

28. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?...No. I don't even wear glasses.

29. FAVORITE FOOD?...Depends on my mood. Toss up between Mexican, pizza, and sushi.

30. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?...Happy endings.

31. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?...Vegas Vacation

32. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?...White with black raglan sleeves

33. SUMMER OR WINTER?...Winter in Arizona can't be beat. Anyone want a ride in my convertible?

34. HUGS OR KISSES?...Yes.

35. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?...See #18.

36. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?...Back woods, island, or mountain people who don't own computers.

37. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW?..."Earth: an Introduction to Physical Geology" by Edward J. Tarbuck.

38. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?...The mouse.

39. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?...THS Investigates: Curse of the Lottery on the E! channel.

40. FAVORITE SOUND(S)?... The sound of heavy rainfall hitting the roof.

41. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?...Yes

42. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?...Turin, Italy

43. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?...Eating an entire pizza in one sitting. Granted, it only happened once, and I was pregnant with Luke at the time, but still...

44. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?...Phoenix, Arizona

45. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?...Again...see #18.

46. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER?...We worked together at the King's Table Buffet way back when.

When I Grow Up...

I got this from T i m e O u t s:

Here's the reply the teacher received the following day:

.

Dear Mrs. Jones,

.

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.

.

From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

.

Sincerely,

Mrs.Smith

Hail Storm!

We don't get much rain in the Phoenix area. But hail is even more of a novelty...even if it only lasts 10 minutes. While the rest of us watched the hail from the warmth of our dry house, Lucas was out in the yard sitting in it.

This time yesterday, we were enjoying sunshine and 65 degree temperatures at Arizona Diamondbacks FanFest.

How About Us?

On Tuesday, the Arizona Republic published an item titled "10 Steps to Big Savings". Always looking for ways to save money, I eagerly read the article.

Big disappointment. The article turned out to be little more than a puff piece that was compiled with little or no thought paid to the common man. The only money saving tips offered were things like mowing your own lawn, cleaning your own house, and cancelling the bottled water service.

.

Bottled water service? I've never heard of such a thing. Everyone I know buys their bottled water at the grocery store. And some of us even refill and reuse our bottles. GASP!

This leads me to ponder: what about the regular people? What about those of us who don't wear a dry-clean only wardrobe?

What about those of us who ALREADY wash our own cars, brew our own coffee, clip coupons, paint our own nails, buy generic toilet paper, wait for movies to come out on DVD, shop at Goodwill, and drive paid-for cars with high miles?

.

What about the housewives who reuse dryer sheets? Or the office workers who carpool to work? How about the family who only eats out on special occasions...and even then, they choose a budget-friendly restaurant and/or use a coupon?

So, how about those of us who are naturally thrifty? How about offering up some practical, creative, money saving tips for the segment of the population who--even during times of economic prosperity--don't spend frivously and are still barely able to stay afloat?

.

For those people, I have one tip: cancel your subscription to the Arizona Republic and read it online for free. That's an $18 per month savings right there!

43 Odd Things About Me

I got this one from Becky

1. Do you like bleu cheese? Only in salad dressing.
.
2. Have you ever smoked? One time. Didn't care for it.
.
3. Do you own a gun? Not unless you count a squirt gun. If so, then I have a whole arsenal.
.
4. What flavour of Kool-Aid was your favorite? Green
.
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Not unless they're Quinton's.
.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? They're good if there's no other food available...and even then, they have to be drenched in sweet relish and Mongolian Fire Oil.
.
7. Favorite Christmas movie? say it with me now...National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation .
.
8. Favorite thing to drink in the morning? Diet V8 Splash
.
9. Can you do push ups? No...never could
.
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? Wedding rings
.
11. Favorite hobby? Modern architecture and furniture
.
12. Do you have A.D.D.? No, but a positive diagnosis wouldn't surprise me in the least.
.
13. What's one trait you dislike about yourself? I lose my temper easily.
.
14. Middle name? Sue
.
15. Name 3 thoughts at this moment: "My cell phone needs charging"..."Jango is so soft"..."The chandelier over the dining room table has got to go".
.
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink: Pepsi...water...mango smoothies
.
17. Current worry? I constantly worry about the car breaking down while I'm driving it.
.
18. Current dislike right now? Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain. I also hate the photo radar cameras that have infiltrated nearly every freeway in the Phoenix area.
.
19. Favorite place to be? The antique mall...or any mall, for that matter.
.
20. How did you bring in the new year? At a block party with the neighbors.
.
21. Where would you like to go? This changes all the time. Right now, it's San Francisco.
.
22. Name three people who might complete this? Craig, ~M, and Kelly
.
23. Do you own slippers? Yes...a pair of moccasins from Lands' End
.
24. What shirt are you wearing? Red sleeveless swing top from Old Navy
.
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No...but I do like 100% cotton sateen. And the higher the thread count the better.
.
26. Can you whistle? Yes
.
27. Favorite color? Pink
.
28. Would you be a pirate? No...plundering and pillaging is not in my nature. But I do own a ruffled collar blouse.
.
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Commercial jingles..."Mack The Knife"..."Sir Duke"..."You're So Vain"...and DOZENS of others.
.
30. Favorite Girl's Name: Melinda
.
31. Favorite boy's name: Kenny
.
32. What's in your pocket right now? Nothing
.
33. Last thing that made you laugh? Q's goofy sex jokes
.
34. What vehicle do you drive? Mustang convertible...or Dodge Stratus if it's raining or I need a large trunk.
.
35. What is the worst injury you have had? Dislocated my shoulder.
.
36. Do you love where you live? It's great for what it is (tract house). But I have a longing to buy a place with more architectural significance and restore--not remodel--it.
.
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 4
.
38. Who is your loudest friend? Jango
.
39. Does someone have a crush on you? I don't think so. Most of my man friends are gay.
.
40. Your favorite book(s): anything to do with design or architecture.
.
41. Do you collect anything? Fiesta dishes--both new and old...Harlequin egg cups...pink stuff...books...Coach bags...
.
42. Favorite Sports Team? Arizona Diamondbacks
.
43. What songs do you want played at your funeral? "Dust in the Wind"...as sung by Will Ferrell in Old School. I really don't know how to answer this one.

Thursday 13

I used to do a Thursday 13 list with great regularity. But for some reason--probably lack of inspiration--their frequency has waned. Sometimes, these lists would have a theme, but mostly they were just potpourri. Today's list falls in the latter category.

1. My birthday is coming up in a month. Usually, we celebrate by going to a nice restaurant. But this year, I decided the we should do something different. So we are going to a Suns game. The boys are jazzed. Now to find affordable tickets...

2. When Q was driving home from work on Monday, the hubcap fell off our Dodge. He was able to recover it, but it was cracked and will need to be replaced. In the meantime, I refuse to drive that car with a missing hubcap. Yes, I really am that vain!

3. This house recently went on the market. Located in the Moon Valley area of Phoenix, it appears to have a strong Frank Lloyd Wright influence. If circumstances allowed, I would want us to consider buying it.

4. I have a great schedule this semester. I only have to drive to Scottsdale on Mondays and Wednesdays. My Tuesday-Thursday Geology class is at the campus just down the road from our house. But the best part is that my weekends begin at 9:45 on Thursday morning.

.

5. Since joining the gym this past August, I have lost 15 pounds. Not that I'm bragging or anything...

6. We eat Mexican food no less than three times a week.

7. I'm trying really hard to not hassle Kyle about having long shaggy hair. He's a very well behaved boy. He's very responsible, and has made Honor Roll all year. I really should let this one issue go. That would be much easier if he didn't complain mightily about me and Q holding hands in public.

8. I'm bummed that CBS cancelled Swingtown. At least Bravo shows it in daylong marathons from time to time.

9. I'm even more bummed that the Arizona Cardinals lost the Super Bowl. At least they played strong and made the Pittsburgh Steelers work hard for the win. In fact, I found the whole season quite entertaining...and I'm not even a football fan.

10. I am easily amused by mislisted eBay auctions...such as this one. Attention dinneware sellers: know your Stones!

11. I am officially done decorating and organizing the laundry room. I now have my sights set on redoing the boys' bathroom.

12. Lucas likes to read over my shoulder when I type.

.

13. I can't wait until April 14.

Hers and Hers and His...

For some people, having two bathroom sinks is a luxury.

For others, it's a necessity.

For us, it's no longer enough. It seems we need a third vanity bowl.

Last night, Q and I found ourselves sharing one sink. I was brushing my teeth and he was washing his hands. We were both jockeying for position.

Meanwhile, our thirsty, self important cat took over the second sink and claimed it as her own personal drinking fountain.

And Then The Fight Started...

I got this from Q, who got it from his brother.
.
When I got home last night, my wife demanded that I take her someplace expensive....
So, I took her to a gas station.....
And then the fight started...
-----------------------------------------
.
My wife and I are watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in bed. I turned to her and said, "Do you want to have sex?"
"No," she answered.
I then said, "Is that your final answer?"
She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying, "Yes."
So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."
And then the fight started...
-----------------------------------------
.
Saturday morning I got up early, quietly dressed, made my lunch, grabbed the dog, and slipped quietly into the garage. I hooked up the boat up to the truck, and proceeded to back out into a torrential downpour. The wind was blowing 50 mph, so I pulled back into the garage, turned on the radio, and discovered that the weather would be bad all day. I went back into the house, quietly undressed, and slipped back into bed.
I cuddled up to my wife's back, now with a different anticipation, and whispered, "The weather out there is terrible."
My loving wife of 10 years replied, "Can you believe my stupid husband is out fishing in that?"
And then the fight started...
------------------------------------------
.
My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion, and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table.
My wife asked, "Do you know her?"
"Yes," I sighed, "She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since."
"My God!" says my wife, "Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?"
And then the fight started...
----------------------------------------- .

I rear-ended a car this morning. So, there we were alongside the road and slowly the other driver got out of his car. You know how sometimes you just get soooo stressed and little things just seem funny? Yeah, well I couldn't believe it.... He was a DWARF!!!
He stormed over to my car, looked up at me, and shouted, "I AM NOT HAPPY!!!"
So, I looked down at him and said, "Well, then which one are you?"
And then the fight started...
------------------------------------------
.
I took my wife to a restaurant. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first. "I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please."
He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?"
"Nah, she can order for herself..."
And then the fight started...
------------------------------------------
.
A woman is standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror. She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, "I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment."
The husband replies, "Your eyesight's darn near perfect."
And then the fight started...
------------------------------------------

Go Cardinals!

Sunday Dishes: From My Childhood

Cruising through the antique mall yesterday, I found the same dishes we used when I was a child. Minimal eBay research informed me that these are the Autumn Harvest pattern from Taylor, Smith & Taylor.

I'm not crazy about the pattern, but I LOVE the shape of that creamer and sugar.

In The Mail

I love getting packages in the mail...even if they're not for me. Currently, I'm waiting for:

--An art history book from textbooksrus.com
.
--A geology book from half.com

--Q's cortisone tablets (it's way cheaper to order them online)
.
--A new computer (birthday present for Lucas)
.
--Some Chartpak Ad markers from Dick Blick Art Materials
.
--An A/V cable for the Sega Genesis console that Lucas bought at Goodwill.

.
For once, there's nothing fun on the way. No dish trades from fellow collectors. No tops from Banana Republic's online clearance section. No architecture books from Amazon.
.
No FUN!

Cherner Side Chair

A few months ago, my good friend Rick found a Cherner side chair at a small local store in his town of Miami. Rick only paid $25 for his chair. He said it looked pretty rough, but was able to bring it back to life with a good cleaning.

Last month, while scavenging for vintage Fiesta at our local antique mall, I happened upon a Cherner side chair. At $175, I passed.

But Rick encouraged me to go back and check the chair out more carefully to see if it is an original piece (reproductions go for $659). And since this is 15% off weekend, I decided to do just that.

Apparently, I didn't inspect the chair well enough when I saw it the first time. There was a big, honking divot carved out of the back.

Plus, it looks like someone tried to restore it, but did a poor job and wiping up the varnish drips.

So, once again, I passed. It's too bad, too. Had it not been for the damage, this mid-century treasure would possibly have been adopted into my home.

What Flower Are You?

I got this from Elaine and Becky.

I am a Petunia What Flower Are You?

You are a tried and trusted friend who will be there for your friends when they need you. But you have a tendency to be nervous about doing things that go against the norm.

Happy Birthday, Lucas

Laundry Room: After

After two weeks of disarray, the laundry room is finally done. Since the space is so small, I had to photograph it piecemeal.

The cabinet that I bought from IKEA this week keeps all the detergents, cleaners, and polishes out of sight.

This wire shelf serves as a drying rack for delicates and a place to keep extra hangers. No more having to fling my bras over a shower curtain rod!

I used bins, baskets, and hooks from the IKEA Bygel series for organizing mop cloths, cleaning wands, and small hand tools. The basket on the right serves as a dispenser for dryer sheets. The white bin to its left is a little trash receptacle for dryer lint and the endless stream of food wappers that I'm always fishing out the kids' pockets.

This mop and broom rack fits behind the door and out of sight. Previously, they were haphazardly shoved into the area between the washer and dryer.

.

This newly designed space has received good reviews from the non-female members of the household. Kyle said that I really "pimped out the laundry room". And that's good. That room needed a good pimping.

J. Dangle and Fuzzy

In recent weeks, these two kitties--J. Dangle and Fuzzy--have made their presence known on our street. They live two houses from us, but they have made themselves known to at least three families that I know of. The neighborhood children have become quite captivated with J. Dangle and Fuzzy. And they are just eating up the attention.

J. Dangle is always sitting on this rock in front of his house, keeping watch over the neighborhood. He seems to do better police work than his namesake. The only time he leaves his post is to walk a beat.

Fuzzy likes letting herself into our garage. Here, she has made herself at home on the trunk of the car. Jango and Fuzzy have had a few visual confrontations. For the time being, I have been able to keep a window or screen door between them.

I have a feeling that Fuzzy and J. Dangle will become regular blog material.

Giant Lemons

Looking out in the yard this morning, I noticed four large yellow figures lying on the ground. At first, I thought the neighbor boys had thrown some Nerf footballs over our fence. But on closer inspection, I found them to be lemons that had fallen off the same neighbor's tree. The Diet Dr. Pepper can was included for scale comparison.

Occasionally, our lime tree will yield similar sized fruit.

A Bad Idea

Taking a Mustang on an IKEA run. Because you will never, EVER get "just a few small things".

Sunday Dishes: Go Cardinals!

Just Like Jango?

Laundry Room Painted

After finally completing some touch-up work, I deemed the painted laundry room photo ready.

I decided base my paint color on Fiesta's contemporary Chartreuse color. I matched it up to a Behr paint color called Japanese Fern.

The space is nowhere near done. We still need to find and install wall cabinets, hooks for dusters and cleaning wands, and a drying rod. I also want to rig up some sort of dispenser for the dryer sheets. Additional photos will be posted when that part is done.

I like the look of an empty dryer surface. I'll be anxious to see how long it stays clean.

Midweek Couples Meme

I'm borrowing this from Melissa, who borrowed it from Becky.

1. How long have you been together? 19 years.

2. Who pursued who? Hard to say. We were friends first, and our relationship just grew from there.

3. Do you wear any type of wedding/commitment ring? I wear a gold wedding band with my engagement ring--a matching band with a pear shaped diamond solitaire.

4. What was the hardest thing about learning to live together? It's hard to say. We've been together so long and Q is very easy to live with.

5. Who takes longer to get ready in the morning? I do...no contest.

6. Do you usually eat breakfast together? Define "together". We eat breakfast in the same house...usually at the same time, but seldom together. I like to eat in the living room while Q either eats at the dining room table or at his desk.

7. Do you ever share clothes? Yes and no. Q doesn't borrow my clothes, but I will borrow his sweatshirts, sweatpants, etc. He used to have a raglan sleeved Diamondbacks jersey that I long ago claimed as mine.

8. Who does most of the cooking? Q...no contest.

9. Who usually takes out the trash? That's supposed to be the boys' job. But lately, we've been going halfsies.

10. If you have pets who usually does litter box or poop patrol? Again, that's supposed to be Luke's job. But lately, he's decided that his $5 per week allowance is hardly worth getting out of bed for. So, since Jango is my kitty, the litter box job has fallen to me.

11. Which one of you is more likely to answer the phone when it rings? Probably Q. Whenever he works at home, he forwards his office phone to the house phone. As for the off-hours, answering the phone is just a matter of who's closest when it rings.

12. Who’s in charge of the remote if you’re watching TV together? Almost always Q. Unless Desperate Housewives is on. During which time, he's not allowed to even LOOK at the remote.

13. Who usually drives when you go out together? Again...halfsies. Q will drive if we're going to a place that is familiar to him. But if we're running errands, he'll have me drive since I usually know in which order our stops will occur.

14. Which one of you takes care of spiders and bugs that get into the house? Whichever one finds them.

15. Facing the bed, who sleeps on which side? Me on the left; Q on the right...kind of like our political views.

16. Who usually checks the (postal) mailbox? Me

17. If something breaks or goes wrong in the house, which one of you is more likely to either fix it or call someone to fix it? Since I'm a graduate of the school of "throw away and buy new", Q either fixes it or calls someone who can.

18. Who is generally the neater of you? Q is. But then, he doesn't have dozens of unfinished projects scattered around the house. He doesn't collect anything, either.

19. Who handles the checkbook/pays the bills? Q does.

20. What was your last fight/disagreement about? Instead of asking nicely, Q INFORMED me that I HAVE to pick his meds up at the pharmacy. Being a redhead, I didn't take it well and blew everything out of proportion.

21. When you slow dance together, who leads? If the person who wrote this meme knew my husband, that question would not have been included.

22. What do you love the most about your other half? Many things. For one thing, Q is the best dad and husband ever. We also share most of the same values. But most of all, if I gain weight, break out in acne, and don't do my hair, he doesn't utter a word.

Fiesta Haiku

A few times a week, a group of Fiesta collectors congregates in the CMG chat room. We gab about everything from jobs, men, home improvement projects to pets, kids, and what we're watching on TV. And sometimes, we actually talk about dishes!

That was the case the other night. The subject gravitated toward Fiesta-related haiku. I came up with a few at the time, but I found them goofy. I have since come up with a creation that I deemed worthy of sharing:

Persimmon dishes

A must for every kitchen

Works with all colors

.

I'm sure I'll come up with more. If so, I might make this a regular feature.

Laundry Room Cleanout

With a week left before the semester starts, I was thinking about cleaning out and redoing the laundry room.
It's the only room--and I use that term loosely--that hasn't been painted or upgraded in any way. And after almost 10 years in this house, it is way past due. Colorwise, I'm thinking either Sapphire or Shamrock (royal blue and bright green to you non-dishers). Any opinions on this matter would be appreciated.

I'm also thinking about replacing this shelf with a cabinet or two. There is so much wasted space above the bottles of cleaners, laundry soaps, grout sealers, and light bulbs that are packed into this area. Much of this crap will be tossed in the trash. There's a package of bags for a vacuum cleaner that we no longer own!

These pictures didnt' turn out great. A 6' x 6' windowless room is very difficult to photograph.

Sunday Dishes: Sesame Street Style

Sunday Dishes has been brought to you today by the letters F and S, and the number 4.

.

*Note to self: buy more Scarlet.

Goodwill Finds

Despite the fact that it wasn't half price Saturday, Lucas and I decided to hit a few Goodwill stores anyway. There was no Fiesta, architecture books, Lucky Brand Jeans, or vintage video game consoles. But we hit paydirt on patio furniture.

The wicker chairs on our back patio are looking pretty ratty. They will be gone by Hippie Christmas, if not sooner. At which time, these heavy iron and raffia chairs will move in. But for now, they'll stay on the front stoop.

I'm not exactly sure what I'll do with these plant stands yet. I might stick a flat surface across the top and make one or both into small end tables. Or maybe I'll do the unthinkable and use them for their intended purpose. If I do keep them as plant stands, I'll have to buy pots that fit.

Family Jargon, Part 5

Unibrow Taillights: Taillights where the red lenses connect in the center, giving the appearance of one, continuous light. An example is this Saturn SC2.
.
Escrow Papers: Part of Lucas’ weekly homework routine involves the need for a parent’s signature on each of his take-home assignments, every daily entry of his reading log, his daily planner, and his take-home folder. The escrow papers are so named because we have to “sign and date here…initial here, here, here, and here”…just like when closing escrow on a house.
.
Courtesy Kibble: Every morning, Jango screams for food as if she’s being starved to death. Most times, her bowl is empty. But every so often, the bowl will still have a quite a few nuggets in it. In those cases, I’ll toss in 2 or 3 pieces of courtesy kibble to trick the cat into thinking she’s getting a fresh serving.
.
New-Old: Any used or discarded item that is old to someone else, but new to me. Most of my new-old items consist of vintage dishes, second hand furniture, or the used books I find at Goodwill.
.
Three D Bands: Bands whose names start with “Three D”. Examples include Three Days Grace, Three Doors Down, and Three Dog Night. Courtesy of Lucas.
.
Siesta Wear: My fancy term for pajamas.
.
Laverne & Shirley Doors: This can best be explained by this picture from our bathroom. If you still don't get it, you didn't watch enough TV in the late '70s.

Siamese Chaperone: The role Jango assumes when she jumps on the bed and plants herself in between me and Quinton, thwarting any attempt we may make at physical contact. Q came up with this one.
.
Taco Bite: Asking for a taste of someone’s food and taking more than is offered. Eating at a Mexican restaurant, my dinner consisted of two grilled shrimp tacos. Before I started my second taco, Kyle asked if he could have a bite. I held up the taco and Kyle wrapped his entire mouth around it like a boa constrictor eating a dead rat. In one bite, Kyle had eaten more than half of my taco. Granted, it wasn’t a very big taco, but it was half of my meal. Now, whenever he anyone wants a bite of my food, I usually say yes, but “no taco bites!”
.
Al Gore Light Bulbs: Lucas gets credit for this one. It’s what he calls those “green” (yet mercury filled), politically correct, uber-trendy, compact fluorescent light bulbs that are useless for anything more than a very dim nightlight.
.
John Kerry Ketchup: It’s what Lucas calls any Heinz product.

Family Jargon, Part 4
Family Jargon, Part 3
Family Jargon, Part 2
Family Jargon, Part 1

The Vacation Has Just Begun

Q and the boys had been home for the better part of the last two weeks. They are now back at work and school. That means:

--No more whining about being bored.
--No more hasty, last minute cleaning because people are coming over.
--No more fighting over who gets to play Guitar Hero next.
--No more complaining when I want to stop in Macy's to look at the dishes. (I didn't force anyone to come shopping with me. They got in the car voluntarily.)
--No more afternoons filled with wall-to-wall Monk reruns!!!!!!

And now, it's my turn. I get my own vacation--a nice, two-week reprieve before the spring semester starts. I can:

--Sit in my jammies and listen to The Adam Carolla Show without being interrupted by someone needing help finding their shoes.
--Go to the antique mall without having to tack on a detour to GameStop.
--Go to the antique mall without being rushed.
--Go to the antique mall, period.
--Watch Desperate Housewives reruns in the afternoons. They're currently playing Season 3 on Lifetime.
--Clean a room and enjoy its uncluttered glory for at least a few hours.
--Go to IKEA (thanks for the gift card, Pat) and look for kitchen storage accessories and closet shelving.
--Drive into the city and enjoy a nice lunch with Q. After he goes back to his office, I might stay in town and hit a few consignment shops.
--Read one of my new-old architecture books in peace and quiet.

New Years Meme

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

--Joined the gym

--Attended an HLCCA conference

--Transferred colleges

--Laid ceramic tile

.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Yes, no, and maybe. I tend to only make resolutions that I deem very attainable. This year, I bought more dishes, I did copious amounts of clearance shopping, and I blew my stack on more than one occasion. I didn't always keep fresh flowers on display or eat less chocolate. Also, I did very little decorating. We laid new tile in the den and I bought two wicker accent chairs from the clearance section at Pier 1.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? No

.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No

5. What countries did you visit? United States!

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? An associates degree, a job, and a new car. But only one of those things is likely to happen.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Nothing really earthshattering happened this year. Certainly nothing important enough to warrant remembering the exact date. History was made on November 4.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting my interior design certification from GCC.

9. What was your biggest failure? Not buying an external hard drive BEFORE my computer crashed.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I injured my wrist when I fell while roller skating. A few times, I drank too much and threw up. And I had the flu back in February.

11. What was the best thing you bought? See #9

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Kyle's. Whenever he does something wrong, he almost always comes clean before I find out about it.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The Amazon Marketplace seller who didn't send me the book I ordered or respond to my e-mails. I needed this book for a school assignment and had to make do without it. At least I was able to file a claim with Amazon and get my money back.

14. Where did most of your money go? Gas, groceries, mortgage payments, new tires, and dishes.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Going to the HLCCA conference in Minneapolis.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? "Money" by Pink Floyd.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer? Happier, thinner, richer.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Activities outside the house

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Goofing off at the computer and procrastinating.

20. How will you be spending Christmas? I don't plan THAT far ahead!

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? No. But I didn't fall out of love, either.

22. How many one-night stands? Zero

23. What was your favorite TV program? Desperate Housewives

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don't care to talk about it.

25. What was the best book you read? "High Rise Living" by Andrew Weaving

26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Probably "Mercy" by Duffy. This is hard since most of the music I like is not from this century.

27. What did you want and get? Adam Carolla back on Phoenix radio; a haircut for Lucas

28. What did you want and not get? Tom Leykis back on Phoenix radio; a haircut for Kyle

29. What was your favorite film of this year? Sex and the City

30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 35. That evening, I attended upholstery class. Gawd, I'm boring!

31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? The feeling of gratification in knowing that we're not upside down on our mortgage because we didn't fritter away our equity on SUVs, vacations, big-screen TVs, or other high ticket frivolities.

32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Gussied up. As an impending designer, I've discovered that it's important to look the part...even at school.

33. What kept you sane? Snuggle time with Jango

34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Owen Wilson

35. What political issue stirred you the most? Proposition 102/Prop 8/gay marriage

36. Who did you miss? Toss up. Either my dad or my grandpa.

37. Who was the best new person you met? My modern architecture instructor at SCC. Great teacher AND an interesting subject. I was bummed when that class was over.

38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Let my kids solve their own problems.

39. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "Money. It's a crime. Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie" (see #16)

Gelt Trip

You don't have to celebrate Hanukkah to enjoy chocolate gelt coins! Every Christmas, I put these in the boys' stockings. This year, I didn't buy enough. Every coin was gone by the next morning. These coins are positively addictive...especially when they're frozen.

So this afternoon, I stopped in Cost Plus to buy more gelt. And since the candy is in the back of the store, I was "forced" to walk past the Christmas clearance racks. Here, I finally found a topper for our Christmas tree.

It's not a star or an angel. I'm not sure what it is (a spire, perhaps?), but it gives the tree a cool, modern vibe. Plus, I got it for $3.75.

Literal Translation

A few months ago, Craig posted this literal translation video. Tonight, Lucas and I were looking for more videos like it. The pickings were slim, but we did find this gem from Tears For Fears.

Sunday Dishes: Dish Booty '08

This year, both Q and I got Fiesta dishes for Christmas. I bought him the Gusto Bowls because he had expressed a desire for smaller serving bowls for things like shredded cheese, lettuce, and other taco condiments.

The rectangular baker was an impulse purchase. Since the Heather color (purple to you laypeople) is about to be discontinued, I got it for a really good price. I also bought him the 15" pizza tray because we're always looking for large, flat platters for serving snacks and hors d'oeuvres. The cake plate is too small and the dinner plate is just that.

The boys pooled their resources and got me the 4-piece place setting in Ivory. That fills a big hole in my collection.

The Mini Disks were a gift from Wendy.

But perhaps my greatest score was the Fiesta Ironstone serving bowl in Mango Red. I found this mislisted auction a few weeks ago a nd sent it to Q. He did the rest.

We did something similar last year when I sent him an auction for 3 Harlequin single egg cups. On Christmas morning, they were mine. I'm thinking we should make this a tradition.

The Heat Is On

And when I use the term "heat", I mean the furnace in our house. Tonight, we are in the midst of a freeze warning in Central Arizona. Overnight lows are supposed to dip into the low 3os.

We are not used to this weather. The cat is snuggling up to me for warmth. The boys are wearing their jackets in the house. My feet are freezing. Being from Montana, Q is the only one who's not complaining.

So, in a vain attempt to generate some heat, I bring you this tongue-in-cheek diary of a new Arizona resident.

Moving to Arizona: The Heat Is On

May 15th: Now this is a state that knows how to live! Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy evenings. Mountains and deserts blended together. What a place! Watched the sunset from a park lying on a blanket. It was beautiful. I've finally found my home. I love it here.

June 14th: Really heating up. Got to 108 today. Not a problem. Live in an air-conditioned home, drive an air-conditioned car, work in an air-conditioned office. What a pleasure to see the sun every day like this. I'm turning into a real sun worshipper.

June 30th: Had the backyard landscaped with western plants today. Lots of cactus and rocks. What a breeze to maintain. No more mowing for me. Another scorcher today, but I love it here.

July 10th: The temperature hasn't been below 100 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least it's a dry heat. Getting used to it is taking longer than I expected.

July 15th: Fell asleep by the pool. Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed two days of work; what a dumb thing to do. I learned my lesson though: got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.

July 25th: Dry heat, my butt. Hot is hot! The home air-conditioner is on the fritz and the A/C repairman charged $250 just to drive by and tell me he needed to order parts.

July 30th: Been sleeping outside by the pool for three nights now. $1,600 in damn house payments and we can't even go inside. Why did I ever come here?

August 4th: 115 degrees! Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today. It cost $1,200 and gets the temperature down to about 90. I hate this &$@*#! state.

August 8th: If another wise ass cracks, "Hot enough for you today?" I'm going to tear his %$#* throat out. Damn heat. By the time I get to work the radiator is boiling over, my clothes are soaking wet, and no deodorant works well enough!

August 10th: The weather report might as well be a damn recording: Hot and Sunny. It's been too hot to sleep for two damn months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Doesn't it ever rain in this barren damn desert? $1,700 worth of cactus just dried up and blew into the #&!*$% pool. Even a cactus can't live in this heat.

August 14th: Welcome to Hell! Temperature got to 120 today. Forgot to crack the window and blew the &*#%$ windshield out of the BMW. The installer came to fix it and said, "Hot enough for you today?" My wife had to spend the $1,600 house payment to bail me out of jail.

August 30th: Worst day of the damn summer. I'm not leaving the house. The *%#$^ monsoon rains finally came and all they did is to make it muggier than hell. The BMW is now floating somewhere in Mexico with its new $500 windshield. Nobody told me about staying out of the washes during a "flash flood" warning. That does it. We're moving back to California and buying a house next to the freeway for some peace and quiet.

Death to the Clamshell!

Eight reasons why clamshell packaging sucks:

1. Little boys don't want to wait for their parents to find a pair of scissors to open the package so they can play with their new toy. Thankfully, Lucas is one of the patient ones.

2. It's impossible to open clamshell packaging without completely destroying it. Since many stores don't accept returns on unpackaged merchandise, this makes it difficult, if not impossible, to return the item for any reason. I smell a conspiracy among retailers!

3. Once cut, those jagged edges are dangerous! If you're not careful, the raw edge of a clamshell could slice your skin right open. They do bad things to Hefty bags, too.

4. Most packages are much larger than necessary. We once bought an SD Card, which measures just over one square inch. It came wrapped in a clamshell that was roughly the size of a license plate. Wasteful!

5. Most clamshell packaging is not recyclable.

6. Even with scissors, it's very difficult to open without ripping the directions inside. Sometimes you might end up scratching, defacing, or just plain ruining the item itself.

7. Originally, clamshell packaging was created to deter theft of electronic devices, high end accessories, and other gadgets. A good idea, in theory. But when a $3 pinball game on a keychain is totally encased in a sheath of impenetrable plastic armor, then what's the point?

8. Anything in clamshell packaging is very difficult to gift wrap. This facilitates the need for gift bags to be used, which could cause DS Mark to go Joan Crawford on your a$$.

Secret Santa '08

A group of dishers at Collectible Medium Green got together did a Secret Santa gift exchange. In all, more than 40 collectors participated. This year, my "Santa" was Wendy. Wendy and her husband Mike live across town in Scottsdale. And since we'd gone dishing together before, she had a pretty good grasp of my dish interests and buying habits.

Wendy gifted me with two Fiesta Mini Disk pitchers. One in Ivory (her favorite color...we often refer to as the Queen of Vanilla since she was lobbying for this color years before it came out). And the other in the new, much anticipated Chocolate color. I refer to these as the Ice Cream Collection.