My boss, whose awesomeness knows no bounds, asked me if I would be interested in a couple of Red Sox tickets for tomorrow night's game. For free.

He has a meeting and blah, blah, traffic, blah, blah, stress, blah blah, parking...I wish I knew what else he said because I totally stopped listening when he said FREE Sox Tickets.

I call my husband on the way home and said "hey, I know YOUR boss is in Federal Prison and can't really give you much but MY boss isn't in jail and he totally gave me two tickets to the Sox game"

And he was glad but he's not that glad (comfort of his own home, NESN HD and all of that) and immediately offered up his ticket to my girlie. Who, I'll be honest, I'm kind of not all that excited to take. I foresee many trips to the bathroom and lengthy explanations about the number of visits to the concession stand that my wallet can handle.

But, maybe she'll surprise me - we shall see. She loves hockey games, cheers like a crazy girl and sings all the songs. Baseball's a little slower, okay - A LOT slower but I'm thinking some Fenway magic might just rub off on her.

So, my sister-in-law's new digs - it's a restaurant that she helped launch. She's a chef and worked her mojo to get things off on the right foot.

Did we go? No.

Why? Long story and it involves lots of favoritism and unhealthy thoughts about how my husband just doesn't rank well in his family's dysfunctional tree - which, on the whole, is actually a good thing, even though it does sting.

We stayed home and had breakfast for dinner, which the kids love and I? Convinced myself that french toast and bacon was every bit as good as mahi-mahi with grilled pineapple and coconut rum sauce.

It almost worked.

Which, I just hit publish and realized that I sound like there's some regret there. There isn't. Am I a mite bitter about how the whole pre-dinner thing went down? Yes, especially in light of how this has been going on for years.

But do I really wish I had been out to dinner with the in-laws instead of serving up an impromptu breakfast in my own kitchen with my three favorite people? Not really.

Driving Me Bananas

Tone Deaf OfficeMate Singing Along to the Easy Listening Station at Work - check

Vacation Bible School Brainwash of Youngest Child- check

Sandwich Crumbs on the Just Cleaned Kitchen Counter - check

Tornado Warnings - check



On the bright side the family and I get a complimentary dinner tonight at my SIL's new digs - hopefully I'll remember the camera.

Jon & Kate + 8? Love it or hate it?

A few months ago, I turned it on...and quickly turned it off. I have trouble watching people show off their worst side. And Kate's worst side? Yowza. I was fairly certain Jon's backbone was no longer in place.

I've seen a few episodes since then, some more painful to watch than others. And really, with cameras on you all the time - how could they NOT catch a sarcastic remark or a frustrated moment? Who am I to judge? I mean between honest to god frustration and editing I can't imagine how a t.v. show about my own life would play out.

Still though I saw some links the other day, that there was some behind the scenes controversy going on and blah, blah, blah. I check out the link and find that there will probably not be any happy, extended family cookouts in their near future.

So apparently, I have trouble watching someone make an ass of themselves on t.v. but if they choose to air their dirty laundry on the internet? I have no trouble at all reading about it.

The blog is written by the sister of Jon & Kate's sister-in-law and oftentimes babysitter, Jodi. Obviously, you can't believe everything you read or, apparently, see but again - Yowza.

So, yeah, the seas were a little rough on Sunday. And it's a good time, watching adult after adult get mowed down by waves as they crash onto the shore. I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the waves - because it couldn't have anything to do with the beverage consumption. Could it?Funny how keeping your arms out of the water seems to make you think that 64 degree oceans are actually not all that cold. Putting your arms in, it freezes you dead, right on the spot.

The only time my husband has had four bathing suit clad girls hanging off of his arms. Even if you combined all of their ages (27) they'd still be too young for him.

The only thing about spending all day Sunday at the beach? By Monday night you're already wishing it were Friday.

So I've not been around much. Scratch that, I've been around - READING just not posting. I mean, really, would you rather read half hearted drivel, which is all my empty little head can produce these days or whole hearted drivel? Drivel that takes weeks to make it from my brain to the keyboard?

And yes, there is a difference and my apologies but you won't be reading it here tonight.

I've just been sort of hanging out. Enjoying summer. There's a lot of swimming and floating around the pond this summer. My girl learned to dive, um, she was in a play at camp and she bought herself a keyboard. The boy's had some sleepovers, gone to a PawSox game and is a mix of insufferable pre-teen and totally goofy, fun, snuggly kid. We had our first real get-together of the summer over here last weekend with some friends we haven't seen in far too long. Took the kids to see my friend's husband's band play an outdoor concert the other night. Good stuff.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a sizzlah, as we say up here, or at least as the weathermen say - I go more for 'wicked hot'. Fairly Odd Mother has piqued my interest with this grape vodka + lemonade beverage she mentioned so I'm thinking that might make it on the agenda. And fresh corn on the cob. And cucumbers with olive oil & rice vinegar.

Sunday, we're off to Humarock for the day - returning in time for a swim in the lake, pajamas and then I've got a date with my favorite girl to watch that new High School Musical show.

That's about it. Mundane and yet, why would I want it any other way?

In which I post about work, trying not to reveal too much - which probably makes it kind of 'who caresish'

Ah, Monday.

1. I've been the only official employee in my office for the past four to five months. There are voluteers who come in sporadically (read: one volunteer comes in, while I'm here, twice a week) otherwise, the work load is mine. Mostly, it's okay - I'm not qualified to fill the shoes of the girl who left so I'm not doing the technical, field work stuff - it's just that being the only one here? Sometimes, it grates....

2. One of the newer volunteers who visits the office even less frequently, well he visited a site in town - actually, he was on the neighboring property - and told us he spied a major violation on the site and we issued a cease and desist (stop work order) - delivered by the police department. All official like.

3. Same volunteer visited the site the next day and found that, whoops - he was mistaken - that the nice folks hadn't done any new work and everything appears to be just ship-shape.

4. Person on the receiving end of the complaint is nutty, called the office - voice quavering and holding back tears. Her husband is also nutty, having been arrested for carrying a concealed weapon into a police station sometime last year.

Seems like every time I sit down to post I get a severe case of ADD and find exactly forty gagillion other things that need doing.

That and I can't think of a single thing to say.

Monday was on the stinky side. There were enough things that I was able to provide my friend with a numbered list. (1. Pissed off wasp that I hit, but didn't kill, in my office...etc.) Tuesday, of course, was better.

This past weekend, damned fine. We set up the Taj Majal in the yard and the girlie and I camped out while the boys wasted an hour and a half watching 10,000 BC. We drank our hot chocolate outside the next morning and by seven thirty a.m. we were swimming and washing our hair with biodegradable shampoo in the lake.

Dough boys were cooked over the fire, the most simple recipe but seriously? It kicks the ass of the inferior s'more. Which, really isn't even a challenge because s'mores? Suck.


The Way Better than S'mores Campfire Snack

refrigerated crescent rolls
melted butter
cinnamon & sugar mix

Unroll the dough, tear off a triangle and then tear that in half. You can cook a whole one but there's only eight in a can and eight divided by four people only equals two each, which isn't enough for my kids. Or me. Anyway, wrap them around the stick, kind of in a spiral, and toast over the fire. They should be golden brown and will slide right off the stick when they're cooked through. Dip them in the melted butter and then in the cinnamon/sugar. Heaven.

We spent Sunday floating in the pond and cooking out and making smoothies.

A mighty fine weekend, if I do say so myself.

Hey, maybe I'll update those amazon links in my sidebar...I mean, it's only been six months or so.

That stupid orange raccoon? Prophetically named Soon 2B Forgotten? At least I know just how much follow-through I lack. I lasted precisely one and one half days on that stupid race. Still don't even know how it logged miles, found no websites worth reading and generally just hated the whole thing. Still, though...cute raccoon.