So, today started out hot, and muggy, and before we knew it, the power went out and the sky opened up. I think Kate was going to the waterpark. I hope that went ok.
And then......the real storm comes.
:) I really do hope Kate and the kids weren't caught in this storm. It knocked a bunch of tree limbs down, and the street flooded (like it always does). And it's still going!
Hmm...what am I going to have for dinner? I have some turkey breasts, maybe I'll make some crusted "turkey" romano, (Matt's favorite dish from Cheesecake Factory is crusted chicken romano). He's not hungry, but I'm starving, so we'll compromise, and I'll wait about an hour to start cooking.
I can hear fire truck sirens in the distance. I bet some lightning hit some houses. Dang, it was a fast moving storm, didn't even see the clouds build up. They came out of nowhere.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Dizzy Lily!
My lily is blooming! How exciting is that? I felt much better this morning and decided to ride my bike over to Kate's. And there it was! Sooooo Pretty! It was worth the wait. The rest of my flowers have quit blooming, and quite frankly, do not look good in this heat. The greenery is all brown. But here's the lily, standing out and looking so pretty. :)
On a side note, isn't my niece cute? We just spent about an hour outside with Parker, playing red light/green light. :)
On a side note, isn't my niece cute? We just spent about an hour outside with Parker, playing red light/green light. :)
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Ugh!!
So right now, I feel sick. I can totally empathize with Marie with her head cold. I have a sore throat, it hurts to swallow, it hurts to cough. Its horrible. I think its from the Great Dismal Swamp fire that has been burning for two weeks. I think it's finally starting to get to me. I should stay inside today and take it easy. I need to finish a huge project for one of my classes. But I can't seem to get motivated to do it. I just need to buckle down and get it over with. It's due tomorrow. So, in my typical procrastinating style, I wait until the last possible minute to do it. But then I don't even feel like doing it. Hmm...must change my ways before it gets out of control.
So can anyone help me add pictures to this dang thing? I don't have the knack. what is the secret? All my pictures end up in a big mess. Is there something I'm missing?
Ok, back to playing scramble. For those of you who don't know, there's a facebook application that is just like boggle. Since boggle is my favorite game, I am absolutely hooked on scramble. It's really addicting. I recommend it to everyone! You can play against yourself, and try to beat your best score. Or you can have a game against your "friends" and compete. It's really fun.
TTYL,
Pam
So can anyone help me add pictures to this dang thing? I don't have the knack. what is the secret? All my pictures end up in a big mess. Is there something I'm missing?
Ok, back to playing scramble. For those of you who don't know, there's a facebook application that is just like boggle. Since boggle is my favorite game, I am absolutely hooked on scramble. It's really addicting. I recommend it to everyone! You can play against yourself, and try to beat your best score. Or you can have a game against your "friends" and compete. It's really fun.
TTYL,
Pam
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Grade Update
I'm not sure who cares, but I just checked my grade, and I got a 109% on that test we took today. Not too shabby for not really studying. I love, love, love class every day. That way, I don't forget the material, and I don't have to waste time outside class studying. :) I think my class average is over a 100%. Yep, that's me for ya. Semi-worried about a test, and then blow it out of the water.
Kind of like my Biology lab practical I did last week...I thought I did horrible. I prepared myself for a C when I went to class. And then we got our scores back and the teacher had been REALLY kind, and I ended up with over 100%. *sigh* I work myself up over nothing, it seems. :) So, still on track for Dean's List this summer!
Kind of like my Biology lab practical I did last week...I thought I did horrible. I prepared myself for a C when I went to class. And then we got our scores back and the teacher had been REALLY kind, and I ended up with over 100%. *sigh* I work myself up over nothing, it seems. :) So, still on track for Dean's List this summer!
Bike Rides
Ok, so I think that just about the best thing in the world is riding bikes. I think I've always felt this way. When I was little, I remember riding bikes in the summer, all day, every day. I couldn't get enough. But I lost that when we moved to Bancroft. We lived too far away from "civilization" and it seemed too far to ride into town, so we didn't (now I have a completely different perspective). Now that I've begun to ride my bike again, I don't think there's anything better than getting on a bike and going for a bike ride. :) Yes, I may be tired after riding 20 miles still (I'm not quite in the shape I want or need to be in) but it is a good kind of tired.
So, my numbers so far this week:
Sunday 6 miles
Monday 22.56 miles
Tuesday 22.33 miles
Total 50.89
If you had told me a month ago that I would be riding my bike 50 miles (or more) in a week, I would have told you you were crazy!
On a side note, a few weeks ago, or maybe a month, I had a UTI and I didn't want to go to the doctor's. I knew they would just give me antibiotics, and I had just come off an antibiotics regimen, so I decided to try to let my body fight it off. I probably got the dang thing because the antibiotics I had just finished taking had killed off all of the good guys down there. And then when I went swimming in the ocean, well... Anyways, Matt and I did a little research, and found there are several things you can take to help your urinary tract. I want to share with everyone, because I am a total believer. We all know about Cranberry, and how good they are for us. Well there's some other things, like Olive Leaf Extract which is also ridiculously good.
I'm also taking something that is called Ultimate Urinary Cleanse. It seems to work wonders. I don't know who else in the family is prone to these things, but I seem to get them all the time. The Navy doctors couldn't really tell me anything, just the normal preventative measures, and the antibiotics to fight them when they flare up. But I would much rather do something "naturally" (I don't know how natural pills really are, but since they work so well, I'm not going to be picky) than kill off all the good and bad bacteria each and every time I get one. So far, so good. I feel great. In a short amount of time, I've noticed great results.
Today, I took my first final of the first 6 week session. I hope I did well. Actually, it wasn't a "final" it just happened to be the last test. The final is optional, if we don't like our grade. It was for a linguistics class; we were learning a completely different way to look at sentences and diagram them. It makes a whole lot of sense, but I'm not sure I could explain it to anyone. I also have a big project for one of my education classes due on Friday (which I haven't really started on yet) and a test as well that I can take either Monday or Tuesday. And then a whole new batch of classes start up on Monday. So I have technically 3 days off this week, which is good, because I feel like I need a break. I can feel the burn out coming. Hopefully I last until the end of the summer.
Ok, well, speaking of things I should be doing, I should be working on some homework. But I'll actually probably read some more of my book. I'm reading the prequel to the Dune series, House Atreides. I've read the others, a long time ago, so this prequel is a pretty good refresher for the series. It introduces all of the characters. Oh, and before I forget, here's a picture of me, riding my bike. Aren't I cute? I think this is on the way to the Lineberry's for the Memorial Day BBQ.
So, my numbers so far this week:
Sunday 6 miles
Monday 22.56 miles
Tuesday 22.33 miles
Total 50.89
If you had told me a month ago that I would be riding my bike 50 miles (or more) in a week, I would have told you you were crazy!
On a side note, a few weeks ago, or maybe a month, I had a UTI and I didn't want to go to the doctor's. I knew they would just give me antibiotics, and I had just come off an antibiotics regimen, so I decided to try to let my body fight it off. I probably got the dang thing because the antibiotics I had just finished taking had killed off all of the good guys down there. And then when I went swimming in the ocean, well... Anyways, Matt and I did a little research, and found there are several things you can take to help your urinary tract. I want to share with everyone, because I am a total believer. We all know about Cranberry, and how good they are for us. Well there's some other things, like Olive Leaf Extract which is also ridiculously good.
I'm also taking something that is called Ultimate Urinary Cleanse. It seems to work wonders. I don't know who else in the family is prone to these things, but I seem to get them all the time. The Navy doctors couldn't really tell me anything, just the normal preventative measures, and the antibiotics to fight them when they flare up. But I would much rather do something "naturally" (I don't know how natural pills really are, but since they work so well, I'm not going to be picky) than kill off all the good and bad bacteria each and every time I get one. So far, so good. I feel great. In a short amount of time, I've noticed great results.
Today, I took my first final of the first 6 week session. I hope I did well. Actually, it wasn't a "final" it just happened to be the last test. The final is optional, if we don't like our grade. It was for a linguistics class; we were learning a completely different way to look at sentences and diagram them. It makes a whole lot of sense, but I'm not sure I could explain it to anyone. I also have a big project for one of my education classes due on Friday (which I haven't really started on yet) and a test as well that I can take either Monday or Tuesday. And then a whole new batch of classes start up on Monday. So I have technically 3 days off this week, which is good, because I feel like I need a break. I can feel the burn out coming. Hopefully I last until the end of the summer.
Ok, well, speaking of things I should be doing, I should be working on some homework. But I'll actually probably read some more of my book. I'm reading the prequel to the Dune series, House Atreides. I've read the others, a long time ago, so this prequel is a pretty good refresher for the series. It introduces all of the characters. Oh, and before I forget, here's a picture of me, riding my bike. Aren't I cute? I think this is on the way to the Lineberry's for the Memorial Day BBQ.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Pictures
Ok, so some people have complained that I do not have enough pictures on my blog (Kate) so I decided to post some. These are pictures of when we were working on the house. Here I am taking care of the old tile floor, cleaning up a bit before we started putting the new floor down. And Matt, taking up the old linoleum in the dining room. Boy was that hard!
And on the right are pictures of the finished product! Don't the floors look nice?
OK, I hope that satisfies some people for a little while. I still don't have the hang of adding pics yet, so cut me some slack. I had to have Matt help me with this and make it look nice. I'm so lucky to have a husband like him!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Hand Cut French Fries
Ok, by popular demand, here is the best recipe for French Fries. I can't take credit for it, I got it from watching "Healthy Decadence with Devin Alexander" on FitTV, but here it is:
Hand Cut French Fries
The trick is boiling them first, and you don't need a whole lot of oil, just enough for taste. They taste oily and salty and yummy!
Try it! Pretty much every recipe on the site is excellent. I tried the BBQ Beef sandwiches and they were yummy. Ask Emily. She ate the whole thing! And it even had a whole wheat bun! Just don't tell her that. She liked it!
Hand Cut French Fries
You save: 165 calories, 18 g fat, 3 g saturated fat
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 medium baking potatoes (approximately 8 ounces each)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Place a large pot of water over high heat. Add one teaspoon of salt and bring the water to a rapid boil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Scrub the potatoes well to remove any dirt. First cut the faces off one potato to create a flat surface on 4 sides. Some skin will remain on the sides and the ends. (Do not peel the skin from the potato). Discard the faces and cut the remaining potato into 1/3-inch thick sticks. Repeat with second potato.
Add the sticks to the pot and boil them for 3 minutes (not longer or they will break) then drain them. Let them cool for 5 minutes.
Transfer the par-boiled fries to a medium bowl. Add the olive oil and salt and, using your hands, toss them until they are coated. Then place them on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer so they do not touch. Put the sheet in the oven and bake them for 12 minutes, flip them, and cook them an addition 12-16 minutes or until they are crisp on the outsides and lightly browned. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.
Each serving has: 166 calories, 3 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, trace saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 330 mg sodium
Traditional Hand-Cut Fries have: 331 calories, 3g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 22 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 686 mg sodium
Devin Says:
If you like softer fries, you can skip the boiling stage. Simply cut the potatoes into sticks, toss them and bake them. Boiling releases water from the potato, which yields crisper fries.
The trick is boiling them first, and you don't need a whole lot of oil, just enough for taste. They taste oily and salty and yummy!
Try it! Pretty much every recipe on the site is excellent. I tried the BBQ Beef sandwiches and they were yummy. Ask Emily. She ate the whole thing! And it even had a whole wheat bun! Just don't tell her that. She liked it!
Total Miles
Ok, so here's a rundown of how many miles I rode last week:
Monday-none.
Tuesday-22.2
Wednesday-11
Thursday-22
Friday-none
Saturday-20
Sunday-none so far.
Total for this week: 75.2!
Now if I can only be able to do that in one day!
Monday-none.
Tuesday-22.2
Wednesday-11
Thursday-22
Friday-none
Saturday-20
Sunday-none so far.
Total for this week: 75.2!
Now if I can only be able to do that in one day!
Hmmmm
Ok, so I guess since the majority of my sisters have started to blog, I will too. Maybe the rest will catch on, too. I think we all started this online thing with Myspace, then Facebook, and now we've moved onto the wonderful world of Blogging! Like Marie, I don't have a whole lot to say, not much going on. But that shouldn't stop me from letting those who aren't around know what's going on in my life, right? I guess so.....
Ok, so right now, I'm ridiculously sore. From the 20 mile bike ride Matt and I did yesterday? Nope! From the small Pilates session I did yesterday. I am taking an online Yoga class, and we had to meet for our one class yesterday. Well, I guess the prof is teaching Pilates as well, and we all met together. At the end of our "class" (not much teaching going on, just a lot of discussion) we did a little bit of Pilates, then Yoga. The Pilates moves just about killed me, and when I woke up this morning, I felt like I had been kicked in the ribs. I don't know about you, but when I exercise, I don't like to feel awful the next day. At least my legs feel great.
For those of you who don't know, Matt and I have set a goal for ourselves that we are going to ride our bikes across the country, from Virginia, to either Washington, then California, or just to Cali. We haven't decided which. This is going to take place when Matt gets out of the Navy and I've graduated from school. So we have a little more than a year and a half to get ready for our trip. We'll be riding across on our own. We'll bring camping equipment and have a blast. It should take us at least 45 days, probably closer to 60, to get across. We hope to be able to ride just around 70 miles a day, and rest every 4 or 5 days. We'll sightsee and take our time. Doesn't that sound like fun?
So, in preparation for this trip, I've started riding my bike to school. It is 11 miles, one way. So I get 22 miles a day in. It isn't a hard ride, and I stick to the sidewalk most of the time. There's one good hill that goes up and over some railroad tracks. But most of it is pretty flat. It takes me a little more than an hour do get to school. Considering that I used to leave the house an hour before class starts just to be on the safe side, I'm not leaving a whole lot earlier than I used to. And on the way home, I just try to enjoy the ride. It's fun being outside for a couple hours every day. Not only do I feel good because I'm riding my bike and exercising, I save about $6 each day that I ride to school. And if gas prices keep going up, it's actually good news for me, because that means I'm saving even more money! :)
Ok, well, I'm sure you're all tired of reading this, but I'll try to keep everyone posted and updated about what is going on in my life.
Love you all!
Ok, so right now, I'm ridiculously sore. From the 20 mile bike ride Matt and I did yesterday? Nope! From the small Pilates session I did yesterday. I am taking an online Yoga class, and we had to meet for our one class yesterday. Well, I guess the prof is teaching Pilates as well, and we all met together. At the end of our "class" (not much teaching going on, just a lot of discussion) we did a little bit of Pilates, then Yoga. The Pilates moves just about killed me, and when I woke up this morning, I felt like I had been kicked in the ribs. I don't know about you, but when I exercise, I don't like to feel awful the next day. At least my legs feel great.
For those of you who don't know, Matt and I have set a goal for ourselves that we are going to ride our bikes across the country, from Virginia, to either Washington, then California, or just to Cali. We haven't decided which. This is going to take place when Matt gets out of the Navy and I've graduated from school. So we have a little more than a year and a half to get ready for our trip. We'll be riding across on our own. We'll bring camping equipment and have a blast. It should take us at least 45 days, probably closer to 60, to get across. We hope to be able to ride just around 70 miles a day, and rest every 4 or 5 days. We'll sightsee and take our time. Doesn't that sound like fun?
So, in preparation for this trip, I've started riding my bike to school. It is 11 miles, one way. So I get 22 miles a day in. It isn't a hard ride, and I stick to the sidewalk most of the time. There's one good hill that goes up and over some railroad tracks. But most of it is pretty flat. It takes me a little more than an hour do get to school. Considering that I used to leave the house an hour before class starts just to be on the safe side, I'm not leaving a whole lot earlier than I used to. And on the way home, I just try to enjoy the ride. It's fun being outside for a couple hours every day. Not only do I feel good because I'm riding my bike and exercising, I save about $6 each day that I ride to school. And if gas prices keep going up, it's actually good news for me, because that means I'm saving even more money! :)
Ok, well, I'm sure you're all tired of reading this, but I'll try to keep everyone posted and updated about what is going on in my life.
Love you all!
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