Trick or Treat . . .

Tomorrow's the big day...the day kids go on a sugar overload! I am guilty ..I take candy into school on Halloween and have it on my desk for the kids to stop by and pickup. The only rule is they have to say "Trick or Treat". I feel bad for high school kids, they get a bad rap on this holiday. They are so excited when they come in the office and are like "WOW, Ms. C you have candy!!, Can I have some?"... "Sure, you can have one, after you say trick or treat"..."TRICK OR TREAT!" they grab one and off they go. You see in their eyes they are like little kids again and not the older ones that don't get to go out anymore.

The secretaries in our building usually dress up every year. Some years we all coordinate so we look alike, other years we are on our own, that's this year . So I have decided this year I am dressing like a hunter. Since hubby just got home all of his stuff is laying around, so I am going to put it to use for another day. OF COURSE..no guns on campus, no knives, no bow/arrow, no good stuff that hunters use. SO what's a hunter to do?? I will just get all suited up, have my bright vest on, my fanny pack, binoculars, holster, elk call, it's all good. I should look real good next to my boss who is going to dress like Sponge Bob don't you think?? haha!! Happy Halloween! ps. I got my halloween board done too!

Perfect Day . . . .except for the birds

Today is a perfect day...it's really sunny outside, crispy cold and the leaves have begun to fall. I am sitting on the couch with all of my back issues of Better Home's & Garden's magazines cutting out recipes and watching old horror movies.

Just waiting for the mighty hunter to return home today after a week at Elk camp (hopefully after a successful hunt).

I really enjoy watching the older horror movies. With Halloween next Wednesday it seems this is the only time of year that you can see some really good films. The Vincent Price & Bela Lugosi vampire movies are my favorites, and of course Psycho & The Birds. I watched this one today called "The Vault of Horror" oh my gosh..it was a major "B" movie from the 70's...the blood even looked like KoolAid!! Some of the newer scary movies are good, but they are VERY scary to me (ie. The Ring, The Grudge)..not like the older ones. I usually can't watch any of them alone..they freak me out too much. Don't like any of the bloody movies either, but the suspenseful ones keep my attention. Sometimes I'm peeking through my hands that are over my face most of the time. Why do we do this to ourselves?? It's really stupid when you think about it, we want to watch it, but it scares the bee-jesus out of us??!! This website is about watching scary movies..perhaps it can help you too....http://www.horrormoviesurvivalguide.com/

It's a baby boom!

We have some great news!

We are going to be grandparents AGAIN!!! Yes, Josh and Dani are expecting and we couldn't be happier! Ultrasound yesterday confirms the little one has a mighty heartbeat! :). The new little Christopherson should enter the world in late May/early June. Lucas will have a new cousin to hang with!!! Better get to the store and start my baby shopping!! woohoo!!

Treats .... it's what we do best!

When you work in an office you celebrate birthdays. A couple times a month we celebrate various birthdays by bringing homemade goodies into work. I have done this for as long as I have been working .... like almost 100 years now ....it feels like. I know some of the best recipes I have accumulated over the years have been from different people that I have worked with. Actually if I counted up all the dozens of cookies I've brought in or desserts I've whipped up...the calories would be in the bazillions! When the boys still lived at home and hubby still says it, "I suppose you are having a birthday at work again, since you never make that stuff for us." That answer is "correct" I say. "This stuff is bad for you. You don't need to be eating sweets". They would walk off...grumpy..with the "that's not fair" look. When I grew up Mom didn't make sweets because my brother was a diabetic. So, I never really knew what I was missing I guess. Since I've been married and started a family, I still rarely make desserts or sweets for us. Plus, they really aren't all that good for you. I suppose if I want my sweet tooth satisfied I just wait for an office birthday party and a new recipe. Here is a good one I've brought in for the chocolate lovers in your office:

Amazing Chocolate Expresso Surprise

1 18.24oz box chocolate cake mix

1 3oz package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 1/4c. sour cream

1 6oz c. vanilla bean yogurt

1c. butter, softened

5 eggs

1T instant coffee crystals

1t almond extract (optional)

5 - 1.55oz milk chocolate candy bars, broken into pieces

Powdered sugar

Tillamook Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch bundt pan. In a large bowl, sitr together cake mix and pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in sour cream and yogurt, softened butter, eggs, coffee crystals and almond extract. Beat 3 minutes on medium speed. Add broken pieces of milk chocolate bar and stir. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool and turn onto a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. AND THE BEST PART! Serve with Tillamook Vanilla Bean Ice Cream!!! 16 servings

The Best . . .

I don't know who has been developing the marketing campaign for the Kaiser Permanente Health System, but their latest commercials have been very innovative and they make you think. This is their most recent commercial and it is one of my all time favorite commercials! I love this kid!

Is it hot in here or is it just me?

OK....so what does it mean when it's 56 degrees outside, I am in the car, and I have rolled all the windows down, and I still have to turn the air conditioning on full blast because I have broken into a full on sweat! Uh oh, this has been happening quite a bit here lately. I will be sitting at my desk at school and all of a sudden...oh gawd...here we go...tropical vacation heatwave approaching...gotta take a walk...gotta go outside...gotta get some cool air..need a fan...a big fan..where is a damn fan!! Oh..it's better now..it's gone away..for now but it will return..just like it does everyday and in the night lately too. I tried the Black Cohosh (by recommendation of a friend)...doesn't work....then there is Hormone Therapy.. kinda scary not sure if I want to go there cancer warnings and all...geeezzzzz, what's an old gal to do?? Just stick it out and drive everyone around here crazy by keeping the thermostats down. One website recommends putting your bra in the freezer to help cool your temperature...WHAT?!! probably some guy said that!...Like that would be comfortable. Hubby says," I thought hot flashes were suppose to be good things?"...ha...WELL THEN YOU HAVE THEM!! Only kidding honey, Can we go on a cruise to Alaska?? Like maybe this weekend??

Oh no!

I can't leave Grampa alone with Baby Lucas for 2 minutes without him dressing him up!! arrgghhh! the nerve!

Floosies and Lushes . . . .

We have our first babysitting arrangement this Saturday with our grandson. We are very excited!!! We will be talking with him about what type of playmates to avoid. Just hope he listens . .

On the floor with Eddie!

What a great birthday! Thanks to Jeff! for the Kohl's giftcard and birthday card, Thanks to Mom for the shirt and jacket, Thanks to Brian, Grace and the kids for the first ecard of the day! Thanks to my boss Doug for a gift certificate for a massage! and to Sue for the OSU Beavers rain poncho!!! woo hoo! Hey and thanks to my dentist and Macy's for my computerized birthday postcard (they brought a tear to my eye) it was sooo personalized..haha. I do have to say the biggest birthday surprise was from the kids and Dale!!
Don't be calling me on December 1st at 8:00pm because I will be ON THE FLOOR, ROW 23 singing and dancing at the VANHALEN concert at the Rose Garden!!
SOLD OUT concert I might add. The last concert I went to was Elton John about 9 years ago and I was in the nosebleed seats. My husband already tells me he is wearing his earplugs, poor man, he will be missing the whole experience. I will be rocking the night away and forgetting that I am fifty __ for a few hours anyway!. When I opened the envelope the other night with the tickets in them I took this picture of Lucas....I guess he is a KISS fan!

Good for a laugh . .and a thought . .

I'm really NOT a political type...but this one is rather entertaining

WHAT A GAME!!

BEAVS 31 CAL 28

Not already . . .

I made a little shopping trip into Kohl's on Friday. It's a really nice store, similar to Mervyn's or Lamont's I guess. As I was browsing through the store I wandered back to the department where you buy towels, sheets, that kind of stuff. As I am wandering around I am hearing the faint sound of music...I follow the sound....only to be directed into a HUGE Christmas display!! There they are trees, lights, ornaments, home decor, Christmas villages (the music was from a village whose ice rink plays Christmas carols)...arrrghhhhhh!!! I was actually starting to get stressed out just hearing the music. Whatever happened to Christmas sales after Thanksgiving...oh yeah..right...that was the old days..hummppfff bah humbug.

Bruce evades the paparrazi . . . .

Today in our local newspaper there is an advertisement for a pet photo contest. The contest is being sponsored by the new Coastal Farm & Ranch store in town. Categories are divided into the following - Cutest Cat, Most-Dashing Dog, Most-handsome Horse, and other furred, feathered or finned friends. One winner is selected in each category and each will receive a $100 gift certificate to none other than Coastal Farm & Ranch stores. I usually ignore these ads in the paper but this time I have a good one. It's not our cat (camera shy), koi fish or turtles...no, it's our son's dog Bruce. I just have to send in this photo...I hope it's a winner. You also have to submit with the photo a caption that reads: Loves to ...(eight words or less)

So here is my submission: Loves to be the life of the party! ....Wish us luck!!

To Western Oregon U it is . . .

Parent's weekend at Western Oregon University is this weekend. We missed it last year (sorry Andy) because there was an Oregon State home football game. So we went to the game instead of our son's freshman year at WOU Parent's Weekend. He likes to remind us where our priorities are....watching OSU football vs. visiting him at school. Well, this year he is our number one priority (because OSU football is away)...Yeah Andy!! We love you!! We are coming to see you!! Well, not we.....ME. Dad flies off to Phoenix this weekend to help with the big move north for Chad, Nicole & Lucas. So MOM yes MOM is coming to the wonderful town of Monmouth! We get to hang out, go to a WOU football game & casino night on Saturday! woohooo!! Hey should we enter the mother/son lookalike contest?? So what's this table tennis game I should have been in training for?? You didn't tell me what I needed to do to prepare for this competition?? Ping Pong right?

Coming home. . . .

One week and counting until Chad, Nicole and Lucas are back in Oregon......yipppeeeeeee!!! Everybody is really looking forward to their return home. Lucas has a bed all ready for him at grama's house.

PS. Nicole, Tell your sister's, Mom, Bob, Dad, Lora...they are always welcome to stay here if they need a place to crash in Oregon!!

A Classic. . . .

"Our" song....the one I had with my first boyfriend in 6th grade...it still gives me goosebumps when I hear it. I know it's a girl thing! I'd hear this song and believe we would never break up. Boy, to be so unaware of what was to come in the future. So Garth (yes, his name was Garth) wherever you are here's to holding your sweaty hand walking home from Camelot Elementary School. Remember when you would give my brother Phil pieces of candy so he wouldn't tell my Mom & Dad that we were holding hands. He would be giggling as he walked behind us threatening to tell our secret. I haven't thought about that in years....PS. I have since moved on....

Help Save Oregon Wrestling . . .

On November 19, 7:00pm the University of Oregon will be hosting the NWCA All-Star Wrestling Classic. This event is a dual meet, where top ranked college wrestlers in each of the 10 weight classes compete as an exhibition.

“We’re fighting to reverse the decision made by the University of Oregon and we feel showcasing how great the sport of wrestling is and showcasing the demand for wrestling at the University of Oregon,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “Wrestling in Oregon is very strong, it always has been,” said NWCA President Ron Mirkitani. “We want to create a groundswell of support and continue the momentum. By having this event early in the season and hosting it at Oregon can show wrestling belongs at the school.”

100% of the proceeds from ticket sales will go towards the

"Save Oregon Wrestling" campaign.

http://saveoregonwrestling.com/

Photo followup . . .

After reading my entry about cleavage..a friend sends me this photo!! Hahaha!!

What next !!

Let's GO CUBBIES!!!! . . . .

Cleavage crisis!

I knew that headline would get your attention. Mothers of America! and Fathers for that mattter...please!...do not send your daughters off to high school with half of their boobs hanging out of their shirts. There I have said it! I never had girls, I did have boys and yes at times their jeans were baggy and hanging low during whatever "fashion faze" was happening, but the most you could ever see was the brand name of their boxers. I guess I should thank god they were always wearing boxers...as alot of these girls with the tiny tops aren't even wearing bras. How can girls expect to be taken seriously with half of their chests hanging out of their shirts. I hear the boys under their breathes and the girls face is NOT the first part of their anatomy that is being viewed....ever. So it begins . . . the "female" staff member refers them to the office, because too much cleavage is a dress code violation. The male teachers are not allowed to send them directly to the office, they have to refer the students name to a female administrator because if the male teacher made the referral that would mean that HE WAS LOOKING.....like ddduuuuhhhhhh!! Lawsuit happy parents might have an issue with that....oh brother. What do you expect when it is hanging out there and the teacher is a male. It's goes back to genetics! If your daughter is over 18 and wants to show off her chest..fine..whatever, I still think the reaction by males is the same, but geezz when they are 15, 16, 17 show some restraint. I'm positive my mom would have never let me leave the house the way these girls leave the house now. I have no problem walking up to them and saying, "Your shirt is way too low", and most of the time they will be very embarrassed, and either try to pull it up or get a sweatshirt from a friend, some are sent home to change. So come on Mothers of America...cover up your daughters cleavage, please, it's embarrassing.

Bring on the rain . . .

Some like summer, some like winter, some like spring....I love Fall. I like it when after months of being in the sun attempting to stay cool in the warm weather I can put on a sweater again. I like that I can wear sweatshirts and layers of clothing, I've missed that. My coats and jackets are being revisited again this month. I like that I can order a pumpkin spice or gingerbread latte, just because it's October and it just tastes better in October (ps. note how I haven't quite cut back yet..oops). I enjoy the changing color of the leaves. Have you ever really stopped to notice that? This begins the start of nesting inside the house for the next few months, in front of a fire in the fireplace, curled up on the couch snuggled up in an afghan reading or watching TV. This is beef stew, chili and cornbread weather. It's my birthday month, it's high school homecoming, it's halloween, it's time for a mammogram (oh geezzzz..not that again), well it is October!