Cold season

I love this time of the year. Most people are getting sick and spreading germs. The squeezing, nose blowing, coughing, and stuffed nose. I have these symptoms, except for coughing.

At work, I refuse to use tissues at my desk. I don't want to be responsible for getting co-workers sick. When the time comes to blow my nose, it is right into the restroom or my darkroom. Basically anywhere with a sink to wash my hands afterwords. At the end of my shift, I pull a huge can of germ killing spray out of my desk and hose down the keyboard and mouse.

During the day, I'm taking medicine like candy. Please, help me breathe through my nose! After taking the medicine, I find myself with my mouth open. Who doesn't like chapped lips? At bedtime, I take my cold medicine that is supposed to help me sleep through the entire night. It works but it takes a while. In the meantime, I prop my pillows and sleep with my head up. That's comfortable.

Well I have to go. I have to take some candy before getting on my treadmill.

So its come to this.... New Year's Resolutions 2007

My New Year's resolutions for 2007 are:

1. Run over 500 miles - This year I will have run around 470 miles (I'll have the final count on New Year's Eve). It would be nice to run 4-5 times a week, instead of the 3 times a week that I'm doing now.

2. Cook - Santa put two Rachael Ray cookbooks in my stocking for Christmas, 365: No Repeats and 2, 4, 6, 8 - Great Meals for Couples or Crowds. I plan on using these books to cook and eat more at home. Rachael's recipes are so easy and most of them can be made in 30-minutes.

3. Shoot photos more - Most of the time I use my camera everyday for work. In the new year I would like to make it a habit to go out once a week and shoot for myself. I photograph plenty of sports, but I would like to add to my own personal series that I have started: cemetery statues, ballet and decaying structures.

This is not the way to start the day

While getting dressed this morning for work at 4:28 am, I was already planning and looking forward to my afternoon nap.

Christmas day

This was the last family photo of the day, Mom, her seven children, their spouses and children. Even though some of us have our eyes closed or looking in another direction, this picture is special because all of the siblings are in the photo. Christmas 2005 is the last time we were all together under the same roof.

Back row (left to right): Diane, Mike (my husband), Deloris, Daniel, Dan's son Carter, David and Mom.
Front Row (left to right): Deanna, Denise, Dennis (Debbie's husband), Debbie and their son Jack.

Books read in 2006

The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre
The American Way of Death Revisited, Jessica Mitford
Shopgirl, Steve Martin
The City of Falling Angels, John Berendt
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
Portrait of Myself, Margaret Bourke-White
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe, Donald H. Wolfe
Marilyn: The Last Take, Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Churchwell
Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart, Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
Shutterbabe, Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Hidden Hitler, Lothar Machtan
Auschwitz: A New History, Laurence Rees
Jack The Ripper: The Complete Casebook, Donald Rumbelow
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out, Steven A. Shaw
Lincoln's Melancholy, Joshua Wolf Shenk
The Dark Side of Camelot, Seymour M. Hersh
Sinatra: The Life, Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
The Third Reich in Power, Richard J. Evans
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Kenny Moore
Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Six Intimate Friends, Judy Balaban Quine
Grace and Power, Sally Bedell Smith
Grace, Robert Lacey
There She is, Miss America, edited by Elwood Watson and Darcy Martin
Sex Wars, Marge Piercy
My Dark Places, James Ellroy
Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidant, edited by Henry Ashby Turner, Jr.
L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy
Straight Up and Dirty, Stephanie Klein
Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year that Changed Our Lives, Susan Dworkin
The Day Diana Died, Christopher Andersen
The Perfect Wife, Ann Gerhardt
No Lifeguard on Duty, Janice Dickinson
First Son, Bill Minutaglio
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Because He Could, Dick Morris
Diana in Search of Herself, Sally Bedell Smith

Currently Reading: A Man of Faith, David Aikman

Up Next:

Creepy

While walking to my car this morning, two guys on the sidewalk passed me. I opened my car door, set my camera and backpack on the front seat and shut the door. I look over and the two guys I passed are now standing in front of my car.

Man #1: "Excuse me ma'am. I know this will sound a little weird, but I just got a DUI and I was wondering if you would drive us to my car at Hotel X. I will pay you ten dollars to drive us there."

Me: "No thank you."

Man #1: "Thank you for your time."

I was taught not to let strangers in my car and these two men were that: strangers.

Getting ready

Thursday my husband and I are hosting a Christmas dinner at our house. That will be Christmas dinner 1, Christmas dinner 2 and 3 will take place on Christmas.

After returning from the grocery store with the supplies that we needed, I started to get to work. First I made a dessert for everyone to have, marble brownies. I got everything mixed, placed in the 8x8 glass dish and put it in the oven for 35 minutes. While that was baking, I mixed up an cheese spread for an appetizer. I got the ingredients from a co-worker this morning. It was really easy to make and it tasted really good. If you make it, Ritz crackers taste great with it.

What we have left to do tomorrow before the family comes over is mix the salad, stick the ham in the oven, make the mashed potatoes, green beans with portobello mushroom saute and fried ravioli before everyone arrives. It won't be hard to do, just still alot to do.

Cheese Spread
(adjust portions if needed)

5 cream cheese blocks
1 package of beef chips (chopped fine)
1 green onion (chopped fine)
3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

Mix together and place in the refrigerator to chill

Freedom!

There is nothing like going to a basketball game and seeing a bunch of Braveheart lookalikes. These guys had the face paint, the kilts and the little sashes. Near the end of the first half one of the guys yelled "FREEDOM!" when it was quiet in the gym. That made me laugh.

They get an A for effort. Nice outfits guys.

Its the most wonderful time of the year

Christmas is almost here.

Last night I put all away of my Christmas card crafts. I don't need my rubber stamps, card stock, ink, rulers, paper and utility knife out on my office desk anymore. I'm done making all of my cards for the year 2006. My husband Mike and I have five, let me say that again, five Christmas cards yet to mail. I'm sorry if you haven't received your card yet. We probably lost your address when our hard drive crashed earlier this year. We didn't recover any addresses from the address book.

While I was trying to sleep, or tossing and turning was more like it, Mike was buying wrapping presents. At this point in time there are five presents wrapped under the tree. What is with five in this post? I think I might gather the presents for my mom, sisters, nephews, in-laws and wrap them before my photo assignment tonight.

The Christmas dinner that my husband and I are hosting is a couple of days away. My sister who lives in Toledo told me she won't be able to make it now. Her boss changed her schedule and now she has to work until close. My brother who lives in Kentucky will be missing as well. But missing two out of six siblings isn't bad. I hope we can all see each other on Christmas day. Besides a couple of missing siblings, my husband and I are slowly getting the supplies we need for the dinner. Mike bought the ham and plenty of green beans last night. The day before the dinner I plan on making brownies for dessert and the day of I will be making a big supply of Fried Ravioli for an appetizer.

Besides worrying about dinner, I have yet to finish my Christmas shopping. I get paid this week, but I have to save money for bills, i.e. car payment, student loan, second of third oral surgery bill, mortgage payment and car insurance. I'm thankful that Mike said I didn't have to get him too much this year. I still feel bad but he will still get three nice gifts, that I will buy probably Saturday morning.

It sucks that life (bills) gets in the way of my Christmas plans.

Winter?

It is December 16 and officially winter hasn't began yet. But right now in Adrian, MI it is sunny and 42 degrees. The high for later today should reach 49 degrees.

Sunday the forecast says it should be 55 degrees. Weather like this makes me like winter even more.

Finally a topic

At the newspaper I work at the last week of February, we print five special sections called FOCUS. We focus on different county topics like Citizen of the year, arts and education, business, medical, technology and the special photographers section.

The photographers section started two years ago. We were asked by our former editor to divide the county between the four photographers. Each photographer received a couple of cities, villages, and townships and it was our job to focus on them. We each went to our cities and took photos of we thought was for lack of a better terms, neat or cool. After we finished taking all of the pictures, they were edited and laid out in the section. Along with our photos, important people from each of these cities, villages and townships wrote about why they like their city and so on. The section was a success, according to our old editor. People really liked the photos of their towns.

Last year, we, the photographers were asked to do the photo section again but it had to be a different topic then the year before. One photographer choose music, another photographed children and my topic was decaying structures and objects around the Adrian area. I photographed cars a junk yard, abandoned apartments, old office buildings, factories, an old hotel, a school not in use and a train engine waiting to be scrapped. I loved every minute of this assignment. I would actually look forward to going out to shoot with my camera. It took me over a month to get everything that I needed, but it was worth it. When the section was published, I personally thought it was better then our first year. The subject matter was of our own choosing and that made it special to each of us.

This year has been a bit different. We were told that we are putting together another photographers section. The details were the same as last year, shoot whatever you want, but the subject matter had to be different. That was difficult, because everything that I love (i.e. cemetery statues, ballet, decaying), I have already shot for the paper. That frustrated me. I was thinking about what to shoot for two weeks. After talking with my husband, I thought I decided on buildings. While downloading photos after a game last week, I was telling my photographer co-worker my idea. When I told him, he started bringing up better topics then mine. When I left work that evening, my original idea was gone and I had a new one: a day in the life of whatever job I want to photograph. Later that evening I received an email from my co-worker, he suggested a new topic: the church I attend.

The next day at work, I was reading stories by the sports department on my computer. I ended up reading a brief about a local gymnastics club in town that competed in an invitational recently. While reading the brief I knew that this gymnastics club was my new topic. I was so excited. I was excited because I knew that most of my worries were over. I could stop thinking about it and finally start shooting. When I was leaving work later that morning I received a cell phone call from my co-worker. I asked him what he thought of my new topic: gymnastics. He liked it. He said that the owners of the gymnastics club would be willing to let me follow them around and photograph practice.

Before driving to a volleyball game yesterday, I stopped at the gym to talk to the owners. I walked in, introduced myself and told him what I wanted to do. He was very nice and said I could come back in January when the winter schedule starts and take photos. Also, he already gave me directions to one of their invitationals just over the border in Ohio for the last weekend of January.

I can't wait to get working on this assignment.

Green bean choices

My husband and I are hosting Christmas with my family December 21. We are going to have ham for the main course. As for a side dish we both agreed, to skip the green bean casserole. We both love green bean casserole, but are kind of sick of it right now after eating it three days in a row due to Thanksgiving. We wanted to try something else instead.

I found a bunch of recipes on Food Network. My husband and I have narrowed the field down to two: Green Beans and Portobello Mushroom Saute and French Cut Green Beans with Almonds and Fried Onions. Both recipes come from the awesome Rachael Ray and her show 30 Minute Meals.

Green Beans and Portobello Mushroom Saute
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

1 1/4 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut in half
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
2 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry sherry

Simmer green beans in salted boiling water 5 minutes. Drain green beans and return skillet to moderate heat. Add oil and butter to the pan. Add onions and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms 3 to 5 minutes with onions, add green beans back to the pan. Heat green beans through and add sherry. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer green beans and mushrooms to a serving plate.

French Cut Green Beans with Almonds and Fried Onions
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

1 pound fresh green beans or frozen French-cut green beans
Salt 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup slivered almonds (2-ounce package)
1/2 lemon, juiced
Ground black pepper
1 can fried onions

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a high-sided saute pan. If using fresh beans, cut them lengthwise while you wait for the water to boil.
Add salt and green beans to boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain beans and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the butter. When butter is melted, add the almonds and cook until golden brown.
Return the green beans to the pan, along with the juice of 1/2 a lemon, add salt and pepper, to taste. When warmed through, top with fried onions.

Before the big dinner, we'll make samples of both to see which one we like better. Right now, they both sound good enough to eat.

Why?

While getting ready for work Monday morning, I was in the bathroom listening to the radio. A song that was playing made me think, "Why?"

The song that was featured in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing, "She's Like the Wind" by Patrick Swayze has been covered by Lumidee.

Miles run in 2006

With the 2 miles that I ran yesterday, that brings my 2006 total to 450 miles. I was going to run 5 miles on Sunday, but it just didn't work out. I knew that I could and should run Monday before going to a Christmas party with my husband and eating a lot fatty foods*.

Total miles run up to December 12:
2004: 294.6
2005: 330.8
2006: 450

*At the party, I ate a couple of finger sandwiches, plenty of nacho dip, assorted nuts and cookies. I really need to run again, soon.

Books read in 2006

The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre
The American Way of Death Revisited, Jessica Mitford
Shopgirl, Steve Martin
The City of Falling Angels, John Berendt
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
Portrait of Myself, Margaret Bourke-White
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe, Donald H. Wolfe
Marilyn: The Last Take, Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Churchwell
Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart, Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
Shutterbabe, Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Hidden Hitler, Lothar Machtan
Auschwitz: A New History, Laurence Rees
Jack The Ripper: The Complete Casebook, Donald Rumbelow
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out, Steven A. Shaw
Lincoln's Melancholy, Joshua Wolf Shenk
The Dark Side of Camelot, Seymour M. Hersh
Sinatra: The Life, Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
The Third Reich in Power, Richard J. Evans
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Kenny Moore
Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Six Intimate Friends, Judy Balaban Quine
Grace and Power, Sally Bedell Smith
Grace, Robert Lacey
There She is, Miss America, edited by Elwood Watson and Darcy Martin
Sex Wars, Marge Piercy
My Dark Places, James Ellroy
Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidant, edited by Henry Ashby Turner, Jr.
L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy
Straight Up and Dirty, Stephanie Klein
Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year that Changed Our Lives, Susan Dworkin
The Day Diana Died, Christopher Andersen
The Perfect Wife, Ann Gerhardt
No Lifeguard on Duty, Janice Dickinson
First Son, Bill Minutaglio
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini

Because He Could, Dick Morris

Currently Reading: Diana in Search of Herself, Sally Bedell Smith
Up Next: A Man of Faith, David Aikman

The hair scrunchy

"No woman who works at W Magazine and lives on Perry Street would be caught dead at a hip downtown restaurant wearing a scrunchy!"

-Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

While sitting in a high school gym Friday night waiting for the varsity boys basketball game to start, a large family sat in the bleachers next to me. They sat down and looked across the gym and saw people that they knew, got up and walked over to the other bleachers. As they were walking away from me, I noticed that the mom was wearing a scrunchy. When I saw that scrunchy all I could think about was the Sex and the City episode where Carrie criticizes Berger for having his leading lady in his book "Hurricane Pandora," running around New York wearing a hair scrunchy.

Sure the lady was far from New York, W Magazine, Perry Street and a hip downtown restaurant, but it was funny to see someone wearing a scrunchy out in public. I didn't think they were made anymore.

Books read in 2006

The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre
The American Way of Death Revisited, Jessica Mitford
Shopgirl, Steve Martin
The City of Falling Angels, John Berendt
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
Portrait of Myself, Margaret Bourke-White
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe, Donald H. Wolfe
Marilyn: The Last Take, Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Churchwell
Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart, Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
Shutterbabe, Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Hidden Hitler, Lothar Machtan
Auschwitz: A New History, Laurence Rees
Jack The Ripper: The Complete Casebook, Donald Rumbelow
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out, Steven A. Shaw
Lincoln's Melancholy, Joshua Wolf Shenk
The Dark Side of Camelot, Seymour M. Hersh
Sinatra: The Life, Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
The Third Reich in Power, Richard J. Evans
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Kenny Moore
Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Six Intimate Friends, Judy Balaban Quine
Grace and Power, Sally Bedell Smith
Grace, Robert Lacey
There She is, Miss America, edited by Elwood Watson and Darcy Martin
Sex Wars, Marge Piercy
My Dark Places, James Ellroy
Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidant, edited by Henry Ashby Turner, Jr.
L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy
Straight Up and Dirty, Stephanie Klein
Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year that Changed Our Lives, Susan Dworkin
The Day Diana Died, Christopher Andersen
The Perfect Wife, Ann Gerhardt
No Lifeguard on Duty, Janice Dickinson
First Son, Bill Minutaglio
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini

Currently Reading: Because He Could, Dick Morris
Up Next: Diana in Search of Herself, Sally Bedell Smith

Christmas Cards

This afternoon I started making my own Christmas cards. I know I could spend about $10 and buy a box of pre-made cards that are fabulous. But I don't want to.

About 5 years ago, I had an assignment for the newspaper to photograph a class of "Learn to make your own Christmas cards." I photographed the entire how to class and saw how easy it was to make them. I was so excited! I went to the store and looked at stamps. I didn't realize how expense the stamps were. The cheapest ones were around $10. That meant I could only buy so many. If you buy stamps, then you need ink. I bought seven different colors of ink. Now I needed cardstock, then envelopes and you get the idea. All I have to say of those first year cards: Terrible. I only gave them to my family. They thought they were cute.

After 5 years of stamping my own Christmas cards, I think I have gotten better. I'm sure I pale in comparison with other people who stamp their own cards and who can actually spend more time on them. It usually takes me about a week or so to make all of them and mail. I hope to mail mine out next week. Or when I actually go buy more stamps at the post office.

Overheard at a game

Last night I covered a season opening boys basketball game. The varsity game was running behind schedule due to the fact that the freshman and the JV games ran long. I dislike triple headers!

When I walked into the gym, I was standing behind a teenage girl who looked about 15 years old holding a baby talking on her cell phone. I passed her and found a seat by the reporter who was there to cover the varsity game. During the rest of the JV game and warm ups for varsity, she was passing around her baby to friends and kept walking back in and out of the gym showing off her kid.

She was walking in front of my seat in the bleachers with a friend when she said this, "I'll tell you what, this Fucker is heavy."

That is a nice thing to say about your baby.

Overnight calls

My dog Blitzkrieg has been on medication for his ear problems for 5 days now. Since he has been on the medication he has been drinking more water. More water = more potty breaks.

When I get ready for bed in the evening, the dogs are let outside to do their business. After 5 or 10 minutes I let them back in the house. I have been doing that same routine every night for 3 years.

This week and the past week has been different. Blitzkrieg has been barking at various times during the night; midnight, 2 am and 3 am. Sometime last week, he barked at midnight and 3 am. Last night, actually this morning, he was barking at 2 am. I got up to let Kelly and him out. They went outside and did what they needed to do and played in the fresh snow in the backyard, we got about an inch of snow. They were chasing each other around the yard, but I needed them back in the house so I could go back to bed. Once I was back in bed, I couldn't get to sleep. I kept tossing and turning and checking the clock. I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to lay in bed anymore, I decided to get up just before 4 am and get ready for work.

Hopefully with Blitzkrieg's medication cut in half, I hope his overnight barking will stop. I don't know how many more nights I can go with only 4 or 5 hours of sleep.

*To make up for the fact that I got 5 hours of sleep last night, I took a wonderful two hour nap this afternoon.

Weekend Update

This past weekend was filled with activity:

Friday night my husband and I stayed at home and put up and decorated our Christmas tree. Actually he did most of the work. I was too busy taking pictures then helping. I put some ornaments on the tree.

Saturday morning I traveled to Ann Arbor to meet my photo friend Stacy. We decided to photograph at cemetery. While there, we photographed a mausoleum, Christmas ornaments in a tree, statues, headstones and a burial plot. I was all about the burial plot then Stacy suddenly says that she is done and sits back in her Jeep. I finish taking photos and then she said a guy was in the sitting in the truck that dug the burial plot. I looked over at him and he was looking at us. We left the scene in a hurry. After the cemetery we went to a park and shot photos of a wood fence and cabin-like building. After that we ended our day with some good photos and agreed to try to meet again before she moves.

Saturday night after church, my husband and I went to the Toledo Zoo to see the Lights before Christmas. It was 10 years ago that my husband took me to the zoo on our second date to see the lights. We try to go see the lights every year. Besides seeing the beautiful lights, it was very cold. I'm glad I took my scarf with me. I used it to cover my face from the brisk wind. After seeing the lights we had dinner at Olive Garden. YUM-O!

Sunday morning I got up early to start the housework. I cleaned the kitchen, the bathrooms, swept the carpet and started the laundry. I wanted to get most of that done before heading up to DeWitt to photograph a friend's son 1st birthday party. The party was fun. Andrew received a ton of gifts and I took a bunch of very cute photos. I know my friend Kathy will love them when she sees them. The day ended with the birthday boy getting birthday cake and frosting all over his face, hands and high chair.

It was a busy weekend. Now I'm in the middle of processing my photos from my Ann Arbor trip with Stacy and Andrew's birthday party. All I need now is to find time to finish making my Christmas cards.

Silly girls

My photo assignment for today was to take head shots of a local school's winter varsity sports teams. The portrait photographer that was shooting the individual and team shots set his backdrop and lighting equipment up in the school's auditorium. When he photographed the team photo, he took the players down to the gym. My job started when the players finished their individual photo with the portrait photographer, the next stop is over to me. I have them write their names on a piece of paper, two players stand side-by-side and I take the head shot for the newspaper. Exciting huh?

While the portrait photographer took the cheer team down to the gym to take their team photo, I stayed behind in the auditorium to read a book. I was sitting in the front row of the auditorium reading my book when I thought I was all alone. Out of nowhere I hear a teenage girl say, "I'm watching you, " and make some oohing sounds at me. After she did that her and her little friend thought it was so funny and started laughing. She continued to say that she was watching me and made some noises. Finally I said, "You're hilarious," and kept on reading my book. I never turned around to see if the girls were still standing there or not. I just figured ignore them and they will go away.

Books read in 2006

The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre
The American Way of Death Revisited, Jessica Mitford
Shopgirl, Steve Martin
The City of Falling Angels, John Berendt
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
Portrait of Myself, Margaret Bourke-White
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe, Donald H. Wolfe
Marilyn: The Last Take, Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Churchwell
Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart, Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
Shutterbabe, Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Hidden Hitler, Lothar Machtan
Auschwitz: A New History, Laurence Rees
Jack The Ripper: The Complete Casebook, Donald Rumbelow
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out, Steven A. Shaw
Lincoln's Melancholy, Joshua Wolf Shenk
The Dark Side of Camelot, Seymour M. Hersh
Sinatra: The Life, Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
The Third Reich in Power, Richard J. Evans
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Kenny Moore
Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Six Intimate Friends, Judy Balaban Quine
Grace and Power, Sally Bedell Smith
Grace, Robert Lacey
There She is, Miss America, edited by Elwood Watson and Darcy Martin
Sex Wars, Marge Piercy
My Dark Places, James Ellroy
Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidant, edited by Henry Ashby Turner, Jr.
L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy
Straight Up and Dirty, Stephanie Klein
Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year that Changed Our Lives, Susan Dworkin
The Day Diana Died, Christopher Andersen
The Perfect Wife, Ann Gerhardt
No Lifeguard on Duty, Janice Dickinson
First Son, Bill Minutaglio

Currently Reading: The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Up Next: Because He Could, Dick Morris

Blitzkrieg and dinner

Tuesday evening, my husband and I loaded our two German Shepherd, Blitzkrieg and Kelly up in his car to go to the vet. Blitzkrieg needed to go to the vet because of problems with his ears. The vet told my husband that Blitz broke some blood vessels and developed a blood blister in his ear due to all of the scratching. Blitz was given medicine and ear drops. Since being on his medication he hasn't scratched his ears and they are not as red as they were before.

After the vet, my husband and I got dressed up for an awards dinner at a local college. We got to the venue and my husband found his name tag and seating assignment. I didn't have a name tag. We found our table and my husband started to mingle.

He mentioned to me that there was cheese being served as an appetizer. I'm a cheese lover, so I darted over to the table. I saw some people standing near the table, I thought they were just talking. I grabbed a plate then looked over at the huge line waiting for appetizers. I took myself and my plate to the back of the line. My husband joined me in the line and we finally got to the cheese. I was very hungry, I ate my 12 or so cubes of cheese quickly. It was around this time, everyone was told to have a seat because the ceremony was about to being. At our table was Adrian mayor, his wife, two other commissioners and their guests.

Placed at every one's seat was a salad. After the invocation, we passed around the dressing and ate. I was the first one to finish the salad. While everyone was eating salad, each table was being let go one at a time. The college served some sort of veggie mix, mashed potatoes and gravy, beef and chicken. While in line, I wanted two servings of beef. I asked my husband if I should take two or not. He said I could. I had the tongs in my hand and layed them down instead. I didn't want to look like a hog. Instead of the second slice of beef, I took a piece of chicken. The veggie mix was OK, the mashed potatoes were good, the beef was very yummy and I didn't finish my chicken. I'm not a chicken fan.

After dinner, we all had a piece of apple pie at our tables. I'm not a fan of apple pie so I really didn't want it. But it was on the table, so I tried it. I took one bite and that was enough. My husband just shook his head at me and said that I could eat the caramel that was on top of the apple pie. I did just that. I eat the caramel and the crust. The rest of my pie was left on my plate.

When everyone was done eating, it was time for the award portion of the night. It started a little before 8 pm, and by 8:30 pm I couldn't stop yawning. I felt bad because I was there to listen to this people say what a great person this guy is, but it was near my bed time and all I thought about was going to sleep. There was five speakers before the man who won the award finally came up to except and speak. When the award winner said he didn't know what to say and that he didn't have much to say that made me feel better. But with all of the talking the event didn't get over until 9:30 pm. BOO! I didn't get asleep until 10:30 pm. That is disappointing to someone who gets up at 4 am everyday.

Blitzkrieg

This morning I called the vet to make an appointment for my dog, Blitzkrieg.

For a while now, he has been using his foot to scratch both of his ears. Lately, they both have been very red and irritated. Last night while eating dinner, I noticed Blitz's right ear. Inside of his ear is a huge growth or bump. My husband said he didn't notice that when he cleaned Blitz's ears a couple of days ago. Blitz usually gets his ears cleaned by my husband once or twice a week. After he cleans them, Blitz doesn't scratch them so much.

So later this afternoon Blitz will be going to his appointment at the vet's office. We hope that it is something that medicine can take care of.

Miles Run in 2006

Sunday evening I ran 5 miles on my treadmill. I ran 5 miles to make up for the fact that I only ran twice last week. Chalk that up to being lazy and eating three Thanksgiving dinners. I was planning to run again today but I was busy editing photos and burning Cd's for my business. I plan on running Tuesday before going to an awards dinner with my City Commissioner husband.

Total miles run up to November 27:
2004: 274.6
2005: 318.8
2006: 435

Books read in 2006

The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre
The American Way of Death Revisited, Jessica Mitford
Shopgirl, Steve Martin
The City of Falling Angels, John Berendt
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
Portrait of Myself, Margaret Bourke-White
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe, Donald H. Wolfe
Marilyn: The Last Take, Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Churchwell
Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart, Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
Shutterbabe, Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Hidden Hitler, Lothar Machtan
Auschwitz: A New History, Laurence Rees
Jack The Ripper: The Complete Casebook, Donald Rumbelow
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out, Steven A. Shaw
Lincoln's Melancholy, Joshua Wolf Shenk
The Dark Side of Camelot, Seymour M. Hersh
Sinatra: The Life, Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
The Third Reich in Power, Richard J. Evans
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Kenny Moore
Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Six Intimate Friends, Judy Balaban Quine
Grace and Power, Sally Bedell Smith
Grace, Robert Lacey
There She is, Miss America, edited by Elwood Watson and Darcy Martin
Sex Wars, Marge Piercy
My Dark Places, James Ellroy
Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidant, edited by Henry Ashby Turner, Jr.
L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy
Straight Up and Dirty, Stephanie Klein
Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year that Changed Our Lives, Susan Dworkin
The Day Diana Died, Christopher Andersen
The Perfect Wife, Ann Gerhardt
No Lifeguard on Duty, Janice Dickinson

Currently Reading: First Son, Bill Minutaglio
Up Next: The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini

Thanksgiving

This year, Thanksgiving keeps going and going.

On Thanksgiving, my side to the family came over to my house. We had so many appetizers and desserts! My sister Denise brought a vegetable tray and cupcakes. My sister Deanna brought spinach dip and bread. Mike and I had cheese and crackers and I made Fried Ravioli. YUM-O! After getting stuffed on the appetizers, it was time for dinner. We had salad, turkey, green bean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes, beets, steamed vegetables and biscuits.

Once dinner was through, Mike, my sisters Debbie, Diane, Deanna and me washed and dried dishes. After completing the dishes, we all gathered in the living room to watch TV. I got out the Uno cards and we played a quick game. Dinner settled in our stomachs. It was time for dessert. We had cake, pumpkin pie and jello. It was a very filling day. After the family left, Mike and I skipped dinner and just had a snack.

Today was Thanksgiving Number 2 at Mike's parents house. And finally on Saturday, Thanksgiving will come to an end at Mike's uncles house. After tomorrow, I know I won't be eating turkey for a long time.


Fried Ravioli
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian
Episode: Italian Street Food

Olive oil, for frying
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups Italian-style bread crumbs
1 box store-bought cheese ravioli (about 24 ravioli)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 jar store bought marinara sauce, heated, for dipping


Pour enough olive oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees F.

While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Working in batches, dip ravioli in buttermilk to coat completely. Allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet, and continue with the remaining ravioli.

When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.

Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

How annoying

This morning while editing senior pictures I took Wednesday afternoon, I heard a car horn honking on the street in front of my house. It stopped after a couple of honks. About five minutes later there was more honking. Obviously the person that they wanted still hasn't come out of their house/apartment.

Fast forward to an hour later, the people were still sitting in their car on the street honking their horn.

After 5 or 10 minutes, wouldn't you get out of the car to see what the hold up is?

Kramer....... why?

This morning I heard about Michael Richards using racial slurs at The Laugh Factory in West Hollywood Friday night. Later this morning I watched the video on the internet. I couldn't believe that the man who was once the lovable Kramer kept going on and on.

Monday night he apologized on David Letterman while his buddy Jerry Seinfeld was a guest.

On a side note: Today Seinfeld Season 7 is released on DVD.


Photo Credit: Associated Press

Books read in 2006

The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre
The American Way of Death Revisited, Jessica Mitford
Shopgirl, Steve Martin
The City of Falling Angels, John Berendt
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
Portrait of Myself, Margaret Bourke-White
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe, Donald H. Wolfe
Marilyn: The Last Take, Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Churchwell
Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart, Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
Shutterbabe, Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Hidden Hitler, Lothar Machtan
Auschwitz: A New History, Laurence Rees
Jack The Ripper: The Complete Casebook, Donald Rumbelow
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out, Steven A. Shaw
Lincoln's Melancholy, Joshua Wolf Shenk
The Dark Side of Camelot, Seymour M. Hersh
Sinatra: The Life, Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
The Third Reich in Power, Richard J. Evans
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Kenny Moore
Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Six Intimate Friends, Judy Balaban Quine
Grace and Power, Sally Bedell Smith
Grace, Robert Lacey
There She is, Miss America, edited by Elwood Watson and Darcy Martin
Sex Wars, Marge Piercy
My Dark Places, James Ellroy
Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidant, edited by Henry Ashby Turner, Jr.
L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy
Straight Up and Dirty, Stephanie Klein
Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year that Changed Our Lives, Susan Dworkin
The Day Diana Died, Christopher Andersen
The Perfect Wife, Ann Gerhardt

Currently Reading: No Lifeguard on Duty, Janice Dickinson
Up Next: The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini

Books read in 2006

The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre
The American Way of Death Revisited, Jessica Mitford
Shopgirl, Steve Martin
The City of Falling Angels, John Berendt
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
Portrait of Myself, Margaret Bourke-White
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe, Donald H. Wolfe
Marilyn: The Last Take, Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Churchwell
Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart, Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
Shutterbabe, Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Hidden Hitler, Lothar Machtan
Auschwitz: A New History, Laurence Rees
Jack The Ripper: The Complete Casebook, Donald Rumbelow
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out, Steven A. Shaw
Lincoln's Melancholy, Joshua Wolf Shenk
The Dark Side of Camelot, Seymour M. Hersh
Sinatra: The Life, Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
The Third Reich in Power, Richard J. Evans
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Kenny Moore
Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Six Intimate Friends, Judy Balaban Quine
Grace and Power, Sally Bedell Smith
Grace, Robert Lacey
There She is, Miss America, edited by Elwood Watson and Darcy Martin
Sex Wars, Marge Piercy
My Dark Places, James Ellroy
Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidant, edited by Henry Ashby Turner, Jr.
L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy
Straight Up and Dirty, Stephanie Klein
Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year that Changed Our Lives, Susan Dworkin
The Day Diana Died, Christopher Andersen

Currently Reading: The Perfect Wife, Ann Gerhardt
Up Next: No Lifeguard on Duty, Janice Dickinson
On Hold: The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini

I have The Kite Runner on hold. The library computer says it is in the building, but no one could find it. When it turns up, they will call me.

Sad day for Michigan football

Bo Schembechler, Univeristy of Michigan's legendary football coach died at the age of 77 Friday after collapsing during the taping of a TV show.

Bo died on the eve of the biggest game in Big Ten history, 2 Michigan vs 1 Ohio State will be played Saturday, November 18, 2006 at the Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio.


Photo Credit: Associated Press

I've been tagged

I have been tagged by Krista.
Five things I want to do, someday, in no order of importance.

Here goes:

1. Visit Italy. During my senior year of college, I had the chance to go to Italy but passed. The Art Department was taking a two week trip to Italy to study and sightsee. I could have taken out another student loan to pay for the trip, but I didn't feel like jacking up my loans even more. I hope to get there with my husband for our 10 year wedding anniversary (which is 5 years away).

2. Run a half marathon. Detroit recently had its annual half marathon/marathon. Some of my co-workers asked why I didn't run it. Next year, I would love to actually train for the half marathon and run it in October.

3. Have my own gallery show. My senior year in college I shared the gallery with three other people for our BA show. Many people told me I could have filled the gallery with a beautiful show. Now I know they were correct. Since then I have participated in some local shows with only a couple of pieces in each. Hopefully, I'll get asked to hang an entire show someday.

4. Go to a football game at The Big House in Ann Arbor. I have been a University of Michigan football fan for as long as I can remember. I have driven by Michigan's stadium plenty of times, but have never actually been there. It would be an awesome to sit in the stands and hear in person "The Victors". Go Blue!

5. White House Photographer. Photographing the President of the United States at events wouldn't be too shabby. Traveling all over the world, flying on Air Force One. Awesome.

Books read in 2006

The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre
The American Way of Death Revisited, Jessica Mitford
Shopgirl, Steve Martin
The City of Falling Angels, John Berendt
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
Portrait of Myself, Margaret Bourke-White
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe, Donald H. Wolfe
Marilyn: The Last Take, Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Churchwell
Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart, Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
Shutterbabe, Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Hidden Hitler, Lothar Machtan
Auschwitz: A New History, Laurence Rees
Jack The Ripper: The Complete Casebook, Donald Rumbelow
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out, Steven A. Shaw
Lincoln's Melancholy, Joshua Wolf Shenk
The Dark Side of Camelot, Seymour M. Hersh
Sinatra: The Life, Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
The Third Reich in Power, Richard J. Evans
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Kenny Moore
Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Six Intimate Friends, Judy Balaban Quine
Grace and Power, Sally Bedell Smith
Grace, Robert Lacey
There She is, Miss America, edited by Elwood Watson and Darcy Martin
Sex Wars, Marge Piercy
My Dark Places, James Ellroy
Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidant, edited by Henry Ashby Turner, Jr.
L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy
Straight Up and Dirty, Stephanie Klein
Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year that Changed Our Lives, Susan Dworkin

Currently Reading:
Up Next:

I will be going to the library Friday morning. I hope to come home with some books to read.

Is it that time already?

It's only November 14, 2006 and my husband and I have been invited to a New Year's Eve Party. We've been told to bring an appetizer. I was thinking Fried Ravioli or Mac and Cheese Skewers. YUM-O!


Fried Ravioli
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian
Episode: Italian Street Food

Olive oil, for frying
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups Italian-style bread crumbs
1 box store-bought cheese ravioli (about 24 ravioli)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 jar store bought marinara sauce, heated, for dipping


Pour enough olive oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees F.

While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Working in batches, dip ravioli in buttermilk to coat completely. Allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet, and continue with the remaining ravioli.

When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.

Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.


Mac and Cheese Skewers
Recipe courtesy Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh
Show: Party Line with the Hearty Boys
Episode: Grown-Up's Halloween

Salt, for pasta water
1/3 pound rigatoni (about 40 pieces)
4 ounces easy melting American Cheese (recommended: Velveeta)
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan 2
tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 eggs, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water, for egg wash
2 cups vegetable oil 20 cherry tomatoes, halved

Special equipment: frilly toothpicks

Fill a saucepan halfway with water and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and salt the water liberally. Add the rigatoni and cook 9 to 11 minutes, until al dente. Drain, rinse well under cold water and set aside.

Cut the block of cheese into 1/2-inch slices and cut each slice into 4 equal pieces lengthwise. Cut each piece in half. You should have 40 pieces. Slide 1 piece of the cheese into each rigatoni (the size should be near perfect.)

Pour the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and parsley into a small bowl and mix well. Working in small batches, put the stuffed rigatoni into the egg wash first, then roll in the bread crumb mixture. Place in a sealable container (they can be stacked on top of each other). Place in the freezer for at least 2 hours and up to 2 weeks.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Pour the vegetable oil into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat for 5 minutes. Test by dropping a cube of bread into the oil; if it turns golden within 1 minute the oil is ready.

Working in batches of 6 to 8 and using a slotted spoon, carefully drop the rigatoni into the oil.
Fry for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the bread crumbs are a golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all of the rigatoni have been fried. Keep warm in the preheated oven.

To serve, skewer 1 piece of the mac and cheese and a cherry tomato half with a frilly toothpick. Serve while still warm.

Double vision

I had my yearly eye exam today.

I was hoping to come home with my new contacts. My eye doctor wanted me to get contacts that I throw away every two months. They sounded nice. She then told me the price. Umm Pass. Too expensive.

I was asked to get an eye exam with a new machine. I declined. It was an extra $29. I kept telling the doctor, "Whatever is cheaper." I'll always say that because I don't have vision insurance. GRRRRR!!!!

At the end of the exam, I was told by the certified optical dispenser to have a seat while she got my contacts. She came back with one, the right contact. Usually they have my contacts on hand. She told me that I could take the right one now or wait to pick them up. I decided to pick them up when they come in sometime next week. BOO!

Standing at the counter, the office assistant worked on my bill. She said, "that will be $201.40." I swear it didn't cost that much last year. Disappointed, I handed over my debit card and said goodbye to my money.

Two hundred one dollars for an eye exam and contacts. I'm sure glad that I didn't get that fancy eye exam and the expensive disposable contacts. If I did, my bill would have been $90-100 more and my debit card would have been declined.

Books read in 2006

The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre
The American Way of Death Revisited, Jessica Mitford
Shopgirl, Steve Martin
The City of Falling Angels, John Berendt
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
Portrait of Myself, Margaret Bourke-White
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe, Donald H. Wolfe
Marilyn: The Last Take, Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Churchwell
Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart, Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
Shutterbabe, Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Hidden Hitler, Lothar Machtan
Auschwitz: A New History, Laurence Rees
Jack The Ripper: The Complete Casebook, Donald Rumbelow
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out, Steven A. Shaw
Lincoln's Melancholy, Joshua Wolf Shenk
The Dark Side of Camelot, Seymour M. Hersh
Sinatra: The Life, Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
The Third Reich in Power, Richard J. Evans
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Kenny Moore
Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Six Intimate Friends, Judy Balaban Quine
Grace and Power, Sally Bedell Smith
Grace, Robert Lacey
There She is, Miss America, edited by Elwood Watson and Darcy Martin
Sex Wars, Marge Piercy
My Dark Places, James Ellroy
Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidant, edited by Henry Ashby Turner, Jr.
L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy
Straight Up and Dirty, Stephanie Klein

Currently Reading: Miss America, 1945: Bess Myerson and the Year that Changed Our Lives, Susan Dworkin
Up Next:
On Hold: Elizabeth, Sarah Bradford

The dogs

Kelly biting Blitzkrieg in an attempt to get him to play. Needless to say, it didn't work.

Election Day

I have never been so glad for it to be Election Day.

This is the day that the ads on the TV and radio will stop. I'm very happy, because I'm sick of seeing them. This is the day that the ads will stop appearing in my mailbox. The ads were sent to me in my married name, my husband's name, my maiden name, our family name and RESIDENT. At our house we averaged 4 or 5 pamphlets/flyers a week. Sending me those pamphlets won't sway my vote. I already knew who I was voting for. Basically, politicians, you're throwing your money away. I only looked at the pictures and then threw them in the trash or the shredder.

This morning while putting out going mail in the mailbox, a political pamphlet was sitting on the end of my front porch. I thought that was a dumb place to leave it. It was raining and it was getting soaked on the top step of my porch. Wouldn't it have been better to leave it in the door? Oh well, it went right into the trash.

Tomorrow is a new day. A day without political ads on my TV, in my mailbox or on my porch. I'm Deloris and I approve this message.

Souper Run 10K

Sunday, I was one of 400 runners to participate in the 6th Annual Souper Run held in Adrian, MI. The Souper Run raises money for The Daily Bread, Lenawee County's Soup Kitchen. As I did last year, I decided to run the 10K again this year.

It was a cool morning, but not too cold. I ran in shorts, one heat gear long sleeve shirt, another long sleeve running shirt, a hat and sunglasses. The first mile went well. During the second mile, I developed stomach cramps. I really wanted to stop and walk, but I didn't. I slowed up my pace until the stomach cramps went away. By that time, most of the 10K runners were too far ahead of me to catch them, except for one guy.

Around 4 miles, I was really getting warm. I rolled up the sleeves to my both of my long sleeve shirts. That helped cool down my arms. It felt like they were on fire. At this point I knew that the hardest part of the run was still to come. But before heading down into Island Park, around 4.5 miles a worker was on the side of the road. I was running by her and said encouraging things to help me keep going. At that point in time, I really don't listen to what people are saying, I just want to finish the race so I can walk. But she said, "good job you're almost done. When you finish you can get some hot soup!" When she said that I just wanted to puke. I didn't want any hot soup because it sounded nasty at the time.

I made my turn to head down to Island Park. Running downhill was alright. I finally get downhill and I see a water stand. Usually I never drink water while I'm running, but I held out my hand for a glass. I bent the cup and took a drink. I think most of it ended up on me, but it was good. The guy who was in front of me, stopped to drink his water. When he did that, I thought I had a chance to catch him. I was about 30 yards away from him running through Island Park. But he got away from me on the hill. By the time I had to run back up the huge hill at Island Park, I had nothing left. I ran up the hill, but it felt like I was walking. When I reached the top of the hill, my legs were so tired. But I kept going. Finally, I made my last turn to the finish. Most of the time, I sprint to the finish. I couldn't even do that. I was very tired. I finished my 10K in 1:13.15.

I didn't run as fast as last year's 10K, but my goal was just to finish. But finishing is my goal for every race that I run. After running a disappointing time I was happy when I received a medal, I was third in my age group, 25-29.

Books read in 2006

The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre
The American Way of Death Revisited, Jessica Mitford
Shopgirl, Steve Martin
The City of Falling Angels, John Berendt
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
Portrait of Myself, Margaret Bourke-White
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe, Donald H. Wolfe
Marilyn: The Last Take, Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Churchwell
Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart, Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
Shutterbabe, Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Hidden Hitler, Lothar Machtan
Auschwitz: A New History, Laurence Rees
Jack The Ripper: The Complete Casebook, Donald Rumbelow
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out, Steven A. Shaw
Lincoln's Melancholy, Joshua Wolf Shenk
The Dark Side of Camelot, Seymour M. Hersh
Sinatra: The Life, Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
The Third Reich in Power, Richard J. Evans
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Kenny Moore
Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Six Intimate Friends, Judy Balaban Quine
Grace and Power, Sally Bedell Smith
Grace, Robert Lacey
There She is, Miss America, edited by Elwood Watson and Darcy Martin
Sex Wars, Marge Piercy
My Dark Places, James Ellroy
Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidant, edited by Henry Ashby Turner, Jr.
L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy

Currently Reading: Elizabeth, Sarah Bradford
Up Next: Straight Up and Dirty, Stephanie Klein

It's 3 am......

Daylight Savings Time ended October 29, 2006. When it ended my body alarm clock didn't turn itself an hour back.

When my husband came home from work around 6 am Sunday morning. I was awake. On weekends, I usually get up at or around 7 am. I really wanted to try to go back to sleep, but that wasn't happening. I couldn't lay in bed anymore. I went downstairs, let the dogs out, skimmed the newspaper and started housework. Sunday afternoons, I try to take a nap during the NASCAR race or football game. But I had no luck. I was so busy attending to my dirty pants and folding the three loads of laundry. Later I ran six miles on the treadmill, finished watching the race, took a shower and decided to go to bed at 8 pm.

Monday morning I woke up and looked at my alarm clock. It read 3 am. I was awake an hour before my alarm is supposed to go off. I tried to go back to sleep, but I kept looking at the clock every 15 minutes. Finally at 3:45 am, I couldn't stand it anymore. I got up, got ready and went to work at 4:20 am.

Tuesday and Wednesday morning were a repeat of Monday morning. I woke up at 3 am three days in a row! How depressing.

Will Thursday and Friday morning be the same? I hope not, but it is 7:27 pm and I'm getting tired. Will I make it through my TV show that is a hour long at 8 pm?

Yum-O!

Lately I have been watching a lot of Food Network. There are a few shows that I like to watch, Paula's Home Cooking, Everyday Italian, Iron Chef America and my favorite 30 Minute Meals.

Last week on 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray had a show called Bachelor Buster. This episode was geared toward bachelors, but if you know me, you know I love steak and I could eat it everyday. After watching the show, I wanted the meal. She made Strip Steaks with a Side of Blue Cheese Spaghetti and Warm Mushroom Salad Stuffed Tomatoes. I printed out the recipe from the website and showed it to my husband. After saying for about a week that I wanted to make that, my husband Mike and I went to Meijer and Country Market Monday to buy supplies that we needed to make the Strip Steaks with Blue Cheese Spaghetti. We didn't make the Warm Mushroom Salad Stuffed Tomatoes because Mike isn't a fan of tomatoes.

The meal was fabulous! It was easy to make and it was very good. Mike and I will be making this again.

Here is a picture of Rachael for the guys.


Strip Steaks with a Side of Blue Cheese Spaghetti
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
4 servings

4 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
Salt
1 pound spaghetti
4 (8-ounce) NY strip steaks
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
5 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 to 1/3 cup cream or half-and-half, eyeball it
8 ounces blue cheese crumbles
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped sage leaves
2 tablespoons chives, chopped, a palm full
2 cups arugula, a small bunch, cleaned, trimmed and shredded

Put a large pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil for pasta.

Preheat broiler to high with rack on top shelf.

Preheat medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Salt water for pasta and add spaghetti to the pot. Cook to al dente, with a bite to it.

Season the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides and arrange on slotted broiler pan.

Remove bacon to paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon and drain off most of the fat, return pan to heat and reduce heat to medium. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan and 1 tablespoon butter. When butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add in 2 cloves garlic and the shallots, saute for 3 minutes.

Arrange steaks on the broiler pan. Place under broiler - leave door to oven cracked ajar to limit flare ups and smoke. Cook 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, up to 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium well doneness.

To the garlic and shallots, add in flour and cook a minute more. Whisk in stock, bring to a bubble, about 30 seconds then stir in the cream. When cream comes to a bubble, add in blue cheese and sage and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir until cheese melts. Reduce heat to lowest setting.

Soften 4 tablespoons butter in microwave on high for 15 seconds. Mix in chives and 2 cloves minced garlic and reserve.

Remove steaks from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Place 1/4 of the chive and garlic butter mixture on each steak to melt down over the meat as they rest.

Drain pasta and toss with sauce to coat and combine evenly. Taste to adjust seasoning. Serve steaks with pasta alongside. Scatter the arugula and bacon bits across the top of the pasta.

Photo Credits: www.foodnetwork.com & www.fhmus.com

Rainfest 2006

The weather this past Friday and Saturday were terrible. There was rain, hail and cold temperatures. I was lucky to be photographing out in the elements Friday night and Saturday morning.

Friday night I drove to Dearborn High School to photograph Dearborn vs Adrian in a pre-district football game. The football field was in terrible condition due to the rain. It was raining pretty hard, that made difficult to take notes. The rain was washing most of my notes away. The rain and gel ink pens don't mix. I was wearing a long raincoat down to my calves. That didn't stop me from getting wet. The rain and mud found my pant legs. My jeans were wet all the way up to my knees. Mud even got inside of my pant legs. The raincoat sleeves aren't as long as the sleeves on my winter coat. The rain soaked my sleeves and ran down my arm inside my coat. I was very excited to walk back to my car at halftime and drive back to Adrian.

Saturday morning I drove to Jackson to photograph the Division 3 and 4 Regional Cross Country meet at Ella Sharp Park. I was prepared I wrapped my camera in plastic. I had one two coats, my raincoat and a hat. Before the meet began I bought cookies at the concession stand. I was thinking that it was getting hot and that I should go back to my car and take off some of my coats. I started walking to my car and the skies opened up. First it started raining. Then the hail came. I was standing in the middle of the cross country course. The only shelter was some trees and a bush. I stood in the rain/combo, then about 5 minutes into it, I stood under a tall bush. About 10 minutes before the start of the Division 3 boys race the hail and rain stopped. This made the course very muddy. My boots were covered in mud and so were my jeans. A replay of the night before, wet and muddy jeans.

Sunday morning I did laundry. It took 3 washes to get most of the mud out from the inside of my pantlegs. Three washes. My washer sucks.

Miles run in 2006

After buying some new fabulous shoes today at Running with E's in Adrian, I ran on the treadmill. That is not too exciting, but today it was. Running just two miles today, I reached my New Year's Resolution to reach 400 miles run for the year!

I just looked up my New Year's Resolution post and I never said that I wanted to run over 400 miles this year. I wrote that I wanted to finish the year with more then 350 miles. But I know that I mentioned it to everyone. Anyhoo.

My final road race of 2006 is November 5. I turned in my entry fee when I bought my shoes this afternoon. I'm running in the Souper Run 10K in Adrian. This will be my second 10K of the year. Last year's race was terrible. It was cold and very windy. I think the wind gust were about 25-30 mph. The 5K and 10K course run together until the two mile marker then the 10K course turns right and the 5K course turns left. Most of the people running in the 10K race took the easy way out and turned left. With them not finishing the 10K it messed up all of the timing. It was very irritating.

Total miles run up to October 26:
2004: 242.5
2005: 293.3
2006: 400.8

Snickers of pain

My lunch of Pizza Hut and snack of a Snickers bar felt like I was eating razor blades yesterday. It hurt to chew the crust off of my pizza. I love the crust, it is the best part of Pizza Hut's pizza. So instead of enjoying them, they are now treats for the dogs. BOO!

I bought the Snickers bar during halftime at a very cold regional soccer game in Brownstone, MI. The candy bar was stored in the cold concession stand right behind the football/soccer field. Me not thinking the candy bar would like a brick, I took a bite. It hurt and there was pain. Candy bars are supposed to be soft! But being stored in a building without that much heat and the cold temperatures, everything was working against me and my mouth. Damn you Snickers!

I called the dentist today and told them about my mouth. They said that the pain should have subsided by now. Not a good sign. I'm going for a visit 1:15 pm this afternoon. I can't wait for them to tell me that it is infected.

**Update: I went to the dentist this afternoon. He told me that I had dry socket. He put two medicated dresses in the extraction sockets. I have to go back on Friday to have them removed. In the couple of hours that I had them, they are really working. YEA!

Dry socket refers to a condition which my arise after the removal of teeth. Symptoms include a throbbing, radiating pain. This pain may travel to the ear, jaw, teeth, head or throat. This condition will resolve without treatment, however, the pain can be managed through the use of pain relievers and/or with medicated dressings placed in the extraction socket.

Sweetest Day

Saturday was Sweetest Day. Before I met Mike, I didn't know it existed.

Last year I didn't get Mike anything, not even a card, because I said it was a made-up holiday*. Sometime last week, I asked Mike what we were doing Saturday. He said nothing. I said we're not doing anything for Sweetest Day? He said that last year I said it was made up so he didn't plan on anything. It is rare that Mike and I have the same day off and actually do something together, so it was nice to make plans.

We decided to go to the movies. We went to see Flags of our Fathers. I was hoping it would be good because Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby were good Clint Eastwood films. After seeing the movie, I was disappointed. It was good, but not that good. In the beginning, it was hard to follow. It was jumping back in the past then to present time, then back to the past and all over. The movie also dragged in many parts. I was thinking during the movie, "Did this really need to be here?"

After the movie we went to dinner. With my jaw still hurting from my oral surgery, we settled on El Chaps. I had tacos and a cheese enchilada. It was soft for me to eat and didn't involve that much chewing. It was there we saw that the Tigers were down to the Cardinals in the World Series. The Tigers lost Game 1 of the World Series to the Cardinals 7-2. But at least one Michigan team won that day, Michigan beat Iowa in football 20-6.

*On the back of the card I bought Mike, it explained the origin of Sweetest Day.

Observed the 3rd Saturday in the month of October, Sweetest Day observance originated in Cleveland in 1922. Herbert Birch Kingston, a philanthropist and candy company employee wanted to bring happiness into the lives of orphans, shut-ins and others who were forgotten. With the help of friends, he began to distribute candy and small gifts to the underprivileged.

Primarily a regional observance celebrated in the Great Lakes region and the Northeast, Sweetest Day is gradually spreading to other areas of the country. Ohio is the top state for Sweetest Day sales, followed by Michigan and Illinois.

Books read in 2006

The Constant Gardener, John Le Carre
The American Way of Death Revisited, Jessica Mitford
Shopgirl, Steve Martin
The City of Falling Angels, John Berendt
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, John Berendt
Portrait of Myself, Margaret Bourke-White
The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe, Donald H. Wolfe
Marilyn: The Last Take, Peter Harry Brown and Patte B. Barham
The Many Lives of Marilyn Monroe, Sarah Churchwell
Cary Grant: The Lonely Heart, Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
Shutterbabe, Deborah Copaken Kogan
The Hidden Hitler, Lothar Machtan
Auschwitz: A New History, Laurence Rees
Jack The Ripper: The Complete Casebook, Donald Rumbelow
In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
Turning the Tables: Restaurants from the Inside Out, Steven A. Shaw
Lincoln's Melancholy, Joshua Wolf Shenk
The Dark Side of Camelot, Seymour M. Hersh
Sinatra: The Life, Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
The Third Reich in Power, Richard J. Evans
Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, J. Randy Taraborrelli
Bowerman and the Men of Oregon, Kenny Moore
Bridesmaids: Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco and Six Intimate Friends, Judy Balaban Quine
Grace and Power, Sally Bedell Smith
Grace, Robert Lacey
There She is, Miss America, edited by Elwood Watson and Darcy Martin
Sex Wars, Marge Piercy
My Dark Places, James Ellroy
Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidant, edited by Henry Ashby Turner, Jr.

Currently Reading: L.A. Confidential, James Ellroy
Up Next: Elizabeth, Sarah Bradford

Dave and Erin's wedding - the picture story

Here we are in the parking lot of St. Anthony's Church in Columbus Grove, OH. We got a late start driving down to the wedding. Chris and Anna followed Sean and I because they didn't have the directions. I would say we made it in record time with Sean's speeding. We got to the wedding a half hour before it started.

Before the ceremony started I went downstairs to use the restroom. There is where Erin and her bridesmaids were hanging out before the ceremony. Erin was lovely in her dress.

Sean congratulating Dave after the wedding.

Anna and Chris were very hungry because they skipped breakfast. The pretzels, chips and nuts were good, but it wasn't filling them up. Sean asked the bartender what time dinner was supposed to be served. He said between 5 and 5:30 pm, which at that point in time was an hour and half away. We all grabbed our coats and headed to Ottawa to get some food. Anna and Chris went to McDonald's and Sean and I went to Subway.

Anna and Chris listening to the Tigers game in the car while waiting for Sean and I to return from Subway. Anna is laughing at Sean because he was pulled over by an Ohio State Trooper.

Sean looking over his traffic citation that he just received. While driving back from Subway in Ottawa to the reception in Columbus Grove, Sean was pulled over by an Ohio State Trooper. Sean was clocked on radar doing 72 mph in a 55. The Trooper wrote Sean for the entire amount.

Anna and Chris

Anna and Sean pass time before eating at the reception by playing a game of spoons.

Anna's spoon lost.

The happy couple Erin and Dave relaxing in the cool entryway of the reception hall.

Erin striking a pose.

Sean getting a little help from Anna drinking his Red Bull while enjoying the Tigers game on the bar TV.

My husband Mike couldn't make it to the wedding, so I asked my friend Sean to join me. Here we are dancing. This is the only picture of me from the evening taken by Anna. What is the guy in white doing behind us?

Chris and Anna take a turn on the dance floor before leaving.

Dave saying goodbye and thanks to his Michigan friends for coming to his wedding.