Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Equal opportunity employer

We have major laundry issues at the Robinson house these days.
It's not necessarily dirty laundry.
It's mostly piles of half folded clean laundry.
Laundry that started out neated folded, fresh from the dryer and fairly organized...but just never found it's way to the closets or dressers, and ends up looking that this....

And of course there are random piles of actual dirty laundry on the floor because all the laundry baskets are consumed by clean laundry...

And then there are just random pile of jackets, sweaters, and maybe clean/maybe dirty stuff in the recliner in the kitchen.

Yes. That's right.

Our recliner (and couch) are in the kitchen.

We have issues. Issues we didn't take into consideration when deciding to rennovate a house while living in it. Issues that I may need to seek counseling for.

Jim has a separate laundry problem that really has nothing to do with our home rennovations. He really does try so hard to be neat and tidy for his psycho clean freak wife. No matter what, his dresser always looks like this by mid week...

When we buy new bedroom furniture, I'm consider a large toy box that he can just pile everything and shut the top. Seems like a reasonable solution to me?

In the meantime he can live happily with the new found equality that home construction has brought our relationship.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Manic Monday

Start out with a rainy, dreary morning, followed by a 7:00AM dentist appointment, 2 accidents, throw in 1 disabled vehicle, and bridge repairs and you've got a 2 hour and 30 minute commute.

I really love Mondays. (insert sarcasm)

Did I mention there was a spider in the car with me?
Did I mention I've developed a bit of arachnophobia complete with crazy spider dreams?
We have a serious spider infestation.
I can't get into that right now. I can feel my blood pressure rising....
Deep breaths.
sigh...

After a long rainy, humid day I walked in the door looking like this.

I know. You're jealous.
We all can't be blessed with a natural rat's nest that thrives on humidity and moisture.
Jim's one lucky guy.

Monday...

"Only a fool test the depth of the water with both feet."

African Proverb

Friday, September 24, 2010

What's mine is NOT yours.

We have 4 travel mugs in our house. Two of them are absolutely Jim's...they were both given to him as gifts. Of the remaining 2, one is pink (obviously mine) and one was sent free in the mail through a chiropractic association that I belong to, so I'm going to claim it as mine.

I'm really not a mine and yours kind of girl, but in some scenarios it's necessary. Jim is terrible about bringing the travel mugs back. So, he typically ends up with 3 of the 4 mugs at his office or stuffed into the bottom of his bag with mold growing on a damp papertowel inserted into the bottom to absorb in remaining coffee. But he always curtious enough to at least leave the pink one alone. Until today. When I opened the cupboard and there were NO travel mugs!!!!!
Where is MY pink mug?!

It was 5:30 and I was tempted to shake Jim in bed a throw a royal fit. How am I suppose to make it through my hour commute without coffee? It's almost as bad as the time my friend Sarah substituted my morning coffee with decaf. gast!!

But, I'm not that mean and decided I would just prefer to call him out on it to a larger audience (i.e. my blog). And I found the 'free' mug in the dishwasher b/c I had used it yesterday.

You got lucky this time Jim....

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Soup to nuts

Yesterday an older-than-me lady in the locker room muttered under her breath oh so subtly something along the lines of, "girls thinking they can expose themselves in front of everyone..." She was referencing me. I know this because I was the only other person in the locker room and she was gumbling at the exact moment I was exposing my breast between the time it takes me to take off my sports bra and close my robe, literally about 2 seconds. I was even still wearing pants and shoes.

Apparently she has never met Naked Lady!

Today commuting was back to normal. Leaving at 5:55 caused me to encounter about 15 minutes in traffic delays, resulting in a total loss of about 20-25 minutes from my normal workout time.
"No soup for you."
Actually only soup for me for lunch today.
Trader Joe's Organic, low sodium tomato and roasted red pepper soup to be exact.
I will consume about 10 gallons of this stuff before winter is over (and it's only their no gluten list!). It's so yummy.
And it was already packed for lunch today and has absolutely nothing to do with the amount of time I spent burning calories this morning. I'm not that psycho.

Although I did recently purchase these really cute skinny jeans from Gap and need to keep my girlish figure at least long enough to wear them once...and preferrably throughout fall and winter.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Monday...

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

~Dr. Seuss

Sunday, September 19, 2010

My uncle's bonfire.

At some point last week I got an voicemail from Jim's old chiro school roommate, and our good pal, Troy. He had some how deleted Jim's number but wanted to invite us to his uncle bonfire on Saturday night. Troy lives in Massachusetts and we obviously don't see him frequently...the last time actually at our wedding nearly 2 years ago. His uncle lives in Allentown, about a hour drive for us. "Bring a tent and some sleeping bags if you want to stay over."



Troy & Jim sporting their Garden Club t-shirts


We gathered up another chiro buddy and decided to make an appearance and head back home that night. We didn't really want to be imposing on a family gathering with Troy's family, but decided it was a good opportunity to catch up for a few hours.

My uncle is having a bonfire....
What a ridiculous understatement.

His uncle's bonfire is actually more like some kind of mountain festival.
Hundreds and hundreds of people.
A beer truck, rumored to house 30 kegs.
A hotdog and hamburger line that wrapped around a block.
A tent city filled with college kids and hippies.
Rope jumping into a pond.
Acres of wildflowers mowed down to form a parking lot.
And a bonfire the size of a house.

After a few hours of relaxing, enjoying the perfectly fantastic weather, & catching up with the Wilson crew, the festivities set way with a million little snap crackle pops of firecrackers exploding over the bonfire.

Followed by the most amazing display of fireworks I'd ever seen.

The thunderous boom echoed through your chest, rattling your organs and sending shocks through to your limps. Tragically loud. Deafening. Grasping your breath from the air before you've fully exhaled. It was exhilarating, almost panic.

At the end of the fireworks, the bonfire was set ablaze.

We ventured up close to watch.

In only a matter of moments, the crowd was inching back further and further because of the heat. Firetrucks set by patiently in case of any stray embures.

We lingered for awhile longer, then hit the roadways back to Philly with plans to return for the next event, schedule for 2012.

It was quite an unexpected experience. As Jon put it so nicely, not for any single cause or even a cover charge. Just because.



Moral of the story...if Troy Wilson invites you to ANYTHING, no matter how lame the desciptions, just go. It's bound to be a good time.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Wide Open Spaces

I wonder what my life will be like when I don't commute anymore. It has to come someday. My new commute is 55 miles one way straight down 95 past the grand 'ole city of Philadelphia and it just ain't gonna last forever.

I try to get up at 5:00 so I can be on the road around 5:30. Getting on the road before 6:00 is essential to my sanity. Some days I get up a little late, some days I become distracted by some kind of behavior and/or cognative disorder and start putting away or washing dishes, cleaning countertops, or organizing stacks of mail and don't get out the door until 5:45. The closer to the 6 o'clock hour I leave, the more volume starts to pick up and traffic problems defeat the whole purpose of getting up so damn early in the first place.

Today I stayed in bed until almost 5:30. Jim and I were sleeping on an air mattress in the basement because we are banned from the upstairs during the hardwood floor refinishing project. For some reason, I thought this was reason enough to sleep in. I pulled out of the driveway at 5:52. Cutting it a little close for my liking. For some odd reason, there was absolutely NO traffic. Hardly another soul to be seen. Even the traffic reports were all commented on how trouble free the roadways were, essentially having nothing to say except, "guess you could've slept in this morning."

It was so barren that I started to be concerned that I had missed some kind of newsflash about an approaching natural diaster or terrorist threat. Is it Saturday? I am suppose to be at home? Seriously. The roads are never this free and clear during the 6am hour on a Friday unless it's Christmas. I really became alarmed when the paramedic in the passenger seat of the ambulance that was passing me slowed down and he just gawked and gawked. I'm certainly not wearing a skirt or looking dolled up at this point, so there's no real reason to stare unless he wondering why the hell I'm on the road in the first place.

Maybe all the Jews stayed in preparing for Yon Kippur. Maybe everyone drank too much last night and decided to work from home or take a 2 hour delay. Maybe the darkness is finally starting to push peple into early stage seasonal depression. I don't know what was going on. And I'm not really complaining... I'd certainly rather being cruising solo than surrounding by all the crazy loons forging toward the city. I just don't like so much confusion bouncing around in my head so early in the morning.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Gluten Free Week 2 & 3

I celebrated the end of week 3 of gluten free living with lasagna, garlic bread, & bruchsetta...all stuffed full of gluten. It was a party...what was I suppose to do? Overall I think I did excellent job over the three week period. I had a few beers with my brother over Labor Day and a Corona on Saturday night. I guess beer is my weakness?! Otherwise I was gluten free (except for that piece of italian bread with butter with my pot roast on Saturday night...and 2 bites of carrot cake. I guess 2 weeks and 6 days is close enough!)

I've discovered the real key to sticking with a gluten free diet is planning ahead. All the easy quick foods tend to be loaded with the enemy. It's also forced me into really preparing dinner every night. Typically two nights a week Jim and I grab something from the freezer, which is stacked with Trader Joe's stuff, add a steamed vegetable, a small salad, and maybe couscous or rice. This "laziness" is mainly a result of our work schedule. Who feels like cooking dinner at 8:30 at night? Now, almost all of our favorite frozen pre-made meals are off limits...forcing me to plan ahead.

It also forced me to get creative and try some new things, especially with my vegetables. I good up some delicious fried eggplant, roasted kale, piles of roasted veggies, and lots of different salads. Recipes and a few photos to follow...

If you're looking to start a gluten free diet, start basic: meat (no marinades or sauces), vegetables or fruits, and dairy. Rice, corn, potatoes, and quinoa are also on the O.K. list, but again I have to be careful with any additives or sauces. I'm still trying to figure out which preservatives/additives are in and which need to be left alone. I've been a label reader for a lot of years now and try to stick with the rule of thumb...less is more. The smaller the ingredient list, the better I feel about consuming the product. I also try very hard to avoid products with ingredients that I can't pronounce or just sound gross. And no high fructose corn syrup. Now, I just need to decipher which ones contain gluten.

Because it's likely that I'm gluten sensitive, opposed to allergic (celiac disease) a little is Ok anyways. Gluten sensitivity causes inflammation in your gut as it builds up. The main idea is to flush the gluten out of your system (i.e. 3 weeks gluten free) then only consume in small amounts. I will say I feel better...not 100% cured of my angry gut, but definitely better (no one's looking for details I'm sure) so I'm planning to stick with it. It will just be easier knowing if I'm going to a party, out to dinner, or eating at a friend's house that I don't have to be a complete weirdo and pass on everything but the salad. I'm weird enough with out dietary restraints!

Monday...

"Do not tell me, for I've heard it all, there is too much to do with hate, but much more to do with love.

~William Shakespeare

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Random thoughts for Thursday

Naked lady took a 10 minute 'sponge bath' in the sink using those rough brown paper towels at the gym, (completely naked of course) then gave herself a manicure stinky up the whole locker room.

I ate my apple before lunch, so now I have no afternoon snack.

My boss called yesterday and wants to put my face on the side of 11 vans to transport patients all across the surrounding Philadelphia area.

Don't underestimate the power of epson salt.

I joined Jim and SoFee last night for her bedtime walk for the first time in nearly a month.

Four day weeks are sooo nice. Weekends are even better.

I searched for Rhonda Hockenberry on Facebook, 1 Rhonda Hockenberry (not her) and 3 Tonda Hockenberrys. Tonda is more popular than Rhonda?

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Fall

Is it really September already?! Where did the summer go? I think July got rolled up with our old gross carpet and who knows what happen to the entire month of August!

Due to my recent injury, I was away from the gym for two weeks. Somehow in just a mere fourteen days darkness completely took over the 5AM hour...and too much of the 6AM hour for my liking. It's just so much more difficult to get out of bed! And I know it's only a matter of time before it's dark when I leave for work and dark before I get home from work. and that's when I slipped away into a desolate land of winter blues. sigh.

In the meantime, I'm getting geared up for Fall, my all time favorite time of year!!!
Juicy, crisp apples.
Pumpkin picking & hayrides.
Hiking with the crunch of leaves beneath my boots.
Sweaters, jeans, light weight jackets.
Candy corn and someones big 30th birthday (wink, wink)


Fall 2006

Monday, September 6, 2010

Help me Rhonda..

...help, help me Rhonda.

I don't actually know a Rhonda.
Except Rhonda Hockenberry from grade school.
We use to hang out on the playground together.
I remember she thought she was pregnant in the fifth grade.
I also remember that I didn't even understand how that was possible.
She was a bit endowed for her age and I think technically was suppose to be in the 6th grade.
We didn't stay playground friends for much longer after that.

Anyways. I need help! I have deemed myself incapable of making this decision alone. So I'm gathring opinions. This is our foyer/living room area.....

After stripping away all the yuck and muck we ended up with this.

We're about to have the hardwood portion refinished...
and I need to decide on a stain color...
or possibly just leaving the color as is.

The black slate is my problem.
But we won't be removing it.
Some of it will be covered with a lovely rug.
But it's a large space. This picture shows less than half of the foyer/black slate area.

The colors seem to contrasting to me.
What do you think?

Ohio

Our weekend is Ohio was filled with blue skies...


and happy faces....







Monday...

"The pen is mightier than the sword."

~Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Richeleiu

Friday, September 3, 2010

Bonus..


puppy SoFee with scruffy Timmer.
courtesy of The Garden Club (which is really courtesy of our home computer)
ps. that aloe plant in the background is now bigger than puppy SoFee. Pictures next week.

Happy Friday...

I have three unfinished posts from earlier this week, a busy half day of patient care, followed by a 7 hour drive to Ohio for the long weekend. So, I'm taking the lazy way out....

Some recent blog discoveries:

Kendi Everyday Isn't she too damn cute? Do you think you could document what you wear everyday? I have a feeling everyone would loose interest somewhere around Saturday afternoon, when I'm either still wearing my Pj's or rugged yucky painting clothes.

Bryn Alexandra Cool post today about the newwest oval office decor. And a great place for a little home decor inspiration.

Reagn's Blob Another gal who I think has great style and is 'i want to be like her' adorable, with a heartwarming story about her little girl, Piper.

Gluten Free Girl Self explanatory.

The Holistic Chef I've been into cooking lately.

Check 'em out and have a great weekend!!!