Sunday, September 30, 2007

We were so cool . . .

This song was the very first record (45rpm) that I bought for the start of my record collection. I still have it along with all my other oldies! ...enjoy!

Beavers 0 ... Tailgate party 10+


All I can say is it's a good thing we have a great group of friends we can console with when our Beavers disappoint. This entry is ALL about the food! Kudos to Blake & Dennis for their combined culinary skills behind the grill. We counted at one time 38 people standing around and munching out...so fun!!! What a menu this week!! Biscuits and gravy as well as chocolate chip pancakes for the early birds. Cheeseburgers, chicken fajitas (so tasty!) and tortilla soup. Then the contributions of all with a smoked salmon dip, deviled eggs, veggies and dip, homemade salsa, jumbo shrimp with cocktail sauce, peanuts, munchie mix and chips lot's of chips!! Then the desserts!! Snickers cake (soo delicious!), oatmeal raisin cookies, brownies, apple pie....the list goes....I leave you with a great recipe that is a hit every time...Dennis's Hot Habenjeros!! yummmmm. Oh and by the way, if you are in the area next Saturday vs. Arizona, it's BBQ'd Pulled Pork sandwiches, come on over!

Dennis's Hot Habenjeros

Ingredients: Habenjeros (however many you want to fill), cream cheese, chicken breasts, Italian salad dressing, bacon, toothpicks

Directions: Marinade chicken breasts in Italian salad dressing overnight. Next day grill them over BBQ. Let cool, chop finely and combine with softened cream cheese. Split habenjeros along one side leaving them connected along opposite side, scoop out seeds, ok to leave top stems on, stuff habenjeros with cream cheese filling, wrap 1/2 strip of bacon around pepper and secure with toothpick. Grill over BBQ watching at all times, cook until bacon done. Remove carefully with tongs. READY TO EAT! They are best right off the grill but still really good after they are kept warm. The have a kick if you get some really good peppers! Then wash down nicely with a tall cold beverage!!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Pssssssst.....Hey Deer! . .

Run..Run for your lives!!!!...They have had their meeting, they have a plan, they are coming after you, they have scouted your territory, they know where you hide. I'm just telling you, they will rise early in the morning and seek you out, they will find your feeding ground, they will find where you bed down in the afternoon. Beware..of any crackling of branches or leaves you may hear in the woods...be afraid..be very afraid....sssshhhhhh..don't tell them I have warned you...

Monday, September 24, 2007

Fabulous First Day!

Hey Andy....hope you had a great first day back at class!!. . . Go Wolves!!!
PS. In case you forgot..... I hate Monmouth!!! your stinking town with one light that makes me late on the way to the OSU games !! I will honk when we pass through on Saturday!!
Love, Mom

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Athletic Secretary - Top 20 List

As I enter the parking lot, pull in and lock my vehicle, head into the front doors of the school and unlock the office, I turn on the lights, open my bottom drawer and put my purse away, sit down...and it begins. The top 20 questions asked everyday, multiple times a day, by any number of teenagers at FGHS....
Welcome to my world . . . . .
always preceeded by... "Hey, Mrs. C " . . .
20. What happened to your Beavs this weekend?
19. Is this where I pick up my Varsity Letter?
18. What schedule are we on today?
17. When is the bell going to ring?
16. Does Andy have a girlfriend?
15. Are you always on the phone?
14. What would Mr. Thompson do without you?
13. Go Ducks! (only the awnry kids say this)
12. Are you always on the computer?
11. Can you chaperone the dance this Friday?
10. Are you coming to my game tonight?
9. Has anybody turned in an iPod to the Lost and Found?
8. What time does our bus leave today?
7. How do you think the BEAVS will do this weekend?
6. Can I get a key to the ice room?
5. Do you have any bandaids?
4. Do you have any tampons? (always in a whisper)
3. Are you always here?
2. Can I sign up to be your assistant?
and the number one question . .
1. Where is Mr. Thompson?

Saturday, September 22, 2007

I'm addicted to coffee . . .



There I said it . . . that is the first part of my recovery process.


I don't really recall when it happened, but it has taken over my life. I promised myself when school started this year I would cut back..well..that became I will cut back after registration and things slow down..well..that has become I will cut back next week...well that was 2 weeks ago...now I WILL cut back starting Oct. 1st....yes Oct. 1st sounds like a good date.


It's all because of flavored coffee. I never liked coffee until it became flavored. I always loved the smell of coffee, growing up I remember my parents making fresh coffee in the morning and it smelled soo good. Once I took a sip and thought..oh my gawd..how can they drink this stuff..it's so bitter. Now if I don't have 2-3 shots of espresso in my nonfat sugarfree grande hazelnut latte I get cranky(er). It's all that stupid Seattle's fault, why did they have to go and invent Starbucks!! Now there are coffee carts on every corner of every town in American...you can't escape! My wallet has more coffee punch cards in it than credit cards and identification...that's insane!! All the employees at the coffee shops/carts in town know me by my first name, they know I'm addicted!..not good. I start my morning with a cup of coffee at home reading the paper, then usually stop at the espresso stand conveniently located down the street directly on my way to school, then have another cup or two after I get to the office. So by about 11am...I'm a buzz.. I am addicted...no doubt about it..but I will cut back...I will...by the first of the year....oopss I mean Oct. 1st..

Thursday, September 20, 2007

On to another project . . .


We are project people...we are always working on something either in the house or the yard. Seems we just get something finished and one of us has an idea for something else to change. So before winter sets in we are going to get started on building a new smaller deck and flower box next to the pond, as well as set some river rock around the edges of the pond to make it look more natural. After the huge project we did a couple summers ago - tearing out a big deck, laying pavers and concrete, putting in a firepit, we kept coming back to this and saying we needed to get this half of the backyard finished. Our goal is to finish before the really bad weather starts, but we might be working into the rain we know and love here in Oregon. With hunting season quickly approaching and some Saturday's in Corvallis cheering on the Beavers our weekends are going to be few..so spring may be a better completion date...we'll see.
I guess I should clarify since I did use the term "we" many times. "We" means I think of the brilliant project ideas and supervise (preferably with an adult beverage in hand sitting in a lawn chair) while Dale does the work.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Remote Control . . .

Is it only me or do you have this problem at your house?

In the rare moment that I am able to quietly watch TV with the remote control in my hand, these are my selections . . .
  • Paula Deen cooking up something on the Food Network, I just love her style, although I reduce the butter in her recipes she makes by at least 1/2...she's a hoot!
  • Entertainment Tonight - I know this is a waste of brain cells but if I can't keep up on what's happening with Britney Spears, OJ Simpson, and who the latest date on George Clooney's arm is, my life would be over..haha!
  • Animal Planet - if I channel surf and land on this channel it usually stays here for awhile, I really enjoy all their stories or documentaries. Their photography is always brilliant.
  • The Travel Channel - I can dream. .
  • NBC Evening News with Brian Williams - yeah, he's got my vote, not switching to Katie, nope.
  • The Office - new shows, reruns, doesn't matter I love this show.
  • CMT - music videos, can't help it that I love looking at those country boys!
  • Shawshank Redemption, Cool Hand Luke, or Grease - ok this is sad, if I am surfing through channels and any one of these movies are on, I start watching the movie whereever it is...it's like hypnotic or something, I can't seem to move the channel until I have finished watching it to the end.

OK..now let me share what actually appears on our TV, oh I'd say 99.9% of the time.

  • World Poker Tour
  • NFL Football, live, commentaries, replays, etc. Monday Night, Thursday Night, Sunday Day & Night...(am I missing any?)
  • According to Jim (Dale thinks this show is about us, I don't)
  • Hunting Shows - especially with "annoying" Ted Nugent
  • America's Funniest Video's
  • History Channel
  • Perry Mason
  • Spike TV
  • Did I mention World Poker Tour?
  • Deal or No Deal (something about the ladies with the boxes I gather)
  • Major League Baseball
  • Golf
  • Two and a Half Men

And some people wonder why families have multiple TV's in their home, I rest my case. . .

Monday, September 17, 2007

Root Canal vs. Insurance Shopping




It's been awhile (long while) so it was time again to comparison shop for auto/home insurance policies. I hate doing this stuff so I put it off, but it seems our current company - Country Insurance and Financial Services, is not serving our best interests. So online and calling I go..it sucks. I have to take time off work to do this because insurance companies are only open during my work hours. It seems like I have to tell my tale to each company I call, fax documents..blah, blah, blah. We have narrowed our choices down to Nationwide, MetLife, American Family Insurance, and State Farm. I am typing out this big ole spreadsheet so we can compare, current coverage, more coverage, better coverage, ie. earthquake & sewer backup coverage (might come in handy). There are soo many options, I think I am going to need to take out extra healthcare coverage after stressing about picking the right company. It looks like we are probably going to go with State Farm, they seem to have the best rate for the buck and they are local. At least we are not insuring young male drivers in our home any longer...ALLELUIA!!

Friday, September 14, 2007

Friday Night Lights . . .



Tonight's the night.....the mighty Vikings of Forest Grove will host the Techmen of Benson. The first home football game of the season. Football brings out the biggest crowd in town. No matter what Title Nine has brought to the table, football and only football draws the largest numbers of community members in support. This begins the first of many games and dances for the freshmen..I think back to 1972 (oh so long ago) when I began watching Viking jersey number 61 on the field. He didn't play much, kickoff team, special teams, but it didn't matter to me. HE WAS CUTE! Especially in his football jersey on game day. When I think back to high school, hanging out at the football games (then held at McCready field at Pacific University), they were probably some of the best times I had. Usually a group of us girls hung out at the games, sometimes getting into some trouble (aahhh...remember Peg). So give it up for the Vikings tonight! and the good times and great memories that kids don't even know they will have yet! Oh by the way.....#61 has been my hubby for 31 years now....GO VIKS!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Time for HOT rocks . . .

Ok....I don't do it often, but the time has come. It's time to completely spoil myself, spend money on something that is a complete indulgence. What might that be?? Well, for me it is a "Tualatin River Stone Massage"...aaaahhhhhh. Smooth river rocks warmed to exactly the right temperature and gently but firmly rubbed on my aching neck, shoulders and back. There is nothing that feels more like ascending into heaven (I think). The place that this all happens is at Ruby's Spa in the McMenamin's Grand Lodge. You enter the spa and wait in a dimly lit waiting area while you either sip on iced lemon water, tea or wine. Then you enter the massage room which is even more soothing with gentle music playing and warm towels to lay your weary bones on as the massage therapist begins the magic. Seems as I have attempted to age gracefully (sortof) that my neck and shoulders haven't. Too many years of that repetitive computer data entry, I think. I try to sit right, have my keyboard "ergonomically" correct, but to no avail after pounding the computer day in and day out, a sore neck and shoulder is a constant. SO..this weekend I will visit my little piece of heaven. aaahhhhhh.....
http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=59&id=68#null

Monday, September 10, 2007

Birthday in the family!!!

Happy Birthday Mama Nicole......Hope you have a great day on Tuesday, I'm sure Lucas will be on his best behavior just for you!!

It's their job. . . . .

September 11th........

  • I'd like to take this day to recognize all the firefighters and rescue workers who risk their lives each and every time they go out on a call.

  • To remember all the men and women who didn't think twice in climbing those stairs to help the people who needed them that day.

  • For all the wild fires in our state and others that they help control and keep away from our homes and property.

  • No amount of money could get me to walk into a burning building, and these people do it without hesitation.

THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO . . .

Sunday, September 9, 2007

It's a bumper crop!



Our garden is finally bursting!!!..after waiting and watching...everything seems to be ripe NOW.. Cucumbers, beans, peppers and tomatos...Lot's of tomatos..This year I planted Romas and Red Stars. I love tomatoes, they do give me sores in my mouth though, because I eat too many of them...We have them on salad, just plain with salt & mayo on them, in sandwiches and my favorite...in salsa. We also share them...it's a farming thing I guess. When you have too much of something..you take some to your neighbor and share. Our neighbor usually returns the favor with smoked steelhead... it's a great trade! I'm not really into canning, I suppose I should, so we just have to eat them fresh while they ripen. My favorite salsa recipe...tomatoes, onion, cilantro, garlic, mild jalapeno pepper, salt..chop, blend, dip with chip! Guess I'll get started....

Thursday, September 6, 2007

You can feel the tension . . .

I counted the other day...since I began my work life 35 years ago...I have been through 17 different computer software conversions. That doesn't count all the upgrades that have happened on our home computer over the years. This week now marks my 18th. The school district has connected us to a new internet based software for all of our student management ie. attendance, student scheduling, registration, transcripts, grades, etc. etc. Well, today at approximately 11:00am it all came to a screeching halt when the system locked up because it couldn't handle the volume of users accessing the database....duhhh....it's always something, don't they think about these things...arrrghhhhh. I can recall in every conversion I have ever been through, the techies say, "It will be easier, you can access the information faster, it is user friendly, you will like it so much better"..CAUTION whenever the term "user" friendly is used beware. OH and whenever they say, "It will make your job much easier"...just punch them right away..they don't know what they are talking about...Especially when they don't do your job!!!!! Freaking computer people....they are the only ones whoever think things are "user" friendly. Something that is "User friendly" is my bed, my hot tub, and my Nordstroms credit card NOT my computer or it's software....yikes...I am a little stressed today.... Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Off with the paint ladies . . .

It's time again to take off with the paint ladies!! woooo hoooo! We are going to stay in Tillamook this weekend at a great little house right on the bay. It's got a great view of the hills and the water coming into Tillamook bay. We will take a couple breaks to head into town and go to the Cheese Factory and the Blue Heron wine & cheese shop, a couple of our favorite places. Dinner will be a drive just past Garibaldi to the Pirate's Cove with it's wonderful seafood selections and breathtaking view over the water. My project this weekend is to make something for Halloween. I found a pattern I really liked and ordered a wood piece to paint it on. Hopefully, I will be productive and not drop my painting to read too much or take too many naps, eat too much food, share endless stories or brag about my new grandbaby with the ladies to much..I must finish...it is my goal to finish!.... Here take a look at what I'm painting . . .
http://www.artistsclub.com/projects/projects_display.aspx?itemid=37294202

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Oh the old days!! . . . .

Hey Chad! See if Lucas rocks out to this song as much as you use to!!

Monday, September 3, 2007

Tailgating Etiquette 101 . . . .

We had our first "mini" tailgater this past Thursday. It was a work night for most of us and we didn't get to Corvallis until right before game time. We did meet up with our friends at halftime for some quick catching up, good eats and then back into the game..home at 12:15 that night and up at 5am for work the next morning. Glad we don't have to do that very often! Anyway, here are some great rules in tailgating.. and I think our group follows most but not all of them for sure! Looking forward to the next one gang!!
  • Tailgating is part of the fiber of the game-day experience.
  • It's not about the number of tailgaters at the stadium, it's about participating.
  • While food is a main ingredient of the tailgate, food doesn't make the party. Your friends make the party. When you're standing around laughing with your friends, hot dogs taste great!
  • Attitude is key to a successful tailgater. A tailgate is a special place where the only stranger is the person you haven't said "hello" to yet.

Top 10 Tailgating Mistakes

  • Getting drunk (oops, some in our group have been there)
  • Not having a checklist and forgetting things
  • Not bringing trash bags and not cleaning up after your tailgate
  • Not bringing enough food (never a problem with our group)
  • Not bringing enough ice
  • Not treating visitors with courtesy just because they're wearing the colors of the opposing team
  • Using obscenity - verbally and by means of clothing, like wearing a tshirt insulting your opponent rather than supporting your team.
  • Not being dressed properly for weather
  • Leaving your radio, TV or other item on and running down your car battery.
  • Not having proper jumper cables to help people who leave their radio, TV or other item on and run down their car battery :)

Tailgating unwritten rules . . . . .

  • Never take up more space than needed while tailgating.
  • Don't wear shirts that contain foul language, they'll only end up embarrassing you and especially if children are present it's tacky!
  • Draw the line between good natured ribbing and obnoxious behavior.
  • Be aware of which way the wind is blowing on your grill
  • Offer food and drink to tailgate neighbors
  • Never use gas or flames to impress others. . . (ok Blake?)
  • Realize when stereo volume may be a little too much
  • Use manners to your opponent's fans and act sportsmanlike after the results of the game are final
  • Leave your venue the way you found it
  • Don't drive home drunk!

Here is the recipe to a quick and easy dip that seemed to be popular at our game Thursday.....sooo easy! happy tailgating!

1 carton sour cream, 1 carton cottage cheese, 1 package Hidden Valley or Uncle Dan's ranch dressing, mix together, let set for min. 2hrs before serving. Serve with chips....it's really good!