Blame it on the girls

So yesterday, I thought it would be fun to take the girls up to GB for a bridal show. The show was a bust, but before we left town, I suggested to the girls that we stop at a bridal shop so they could look at dresses to see what kind of style they might like.

They both found a dress and (can you believe it?) agreed on one style. At the same time, I was looking at the bridal book and found a dress that I kinda liked. Turns out the dress was very similar to the bridesmaid dresses the girls liked.

And then the dangerous thing happened.... After I got the girls to try on the dress and they both agreed they loved it, the girls convinced me to try on dresses myself.

Now, trying to keep the wedding budget low, I hadn't planned on an actual wedding dress. Thought I'd just find a nicer dress to wear that was white-ish.

So the consultant shows me a dress that was kind of informal and was the type of fabric I was sort of looking for. Says she just wants to 'size me'. She grabs the sizing dress and the dress I was looking at and we head for the dressing room.

I try on the sizing dress and it's a really good fit. It's a strapless number with a chiffon overlay and a black sash around the midsection with some rhinestone embellishments. It's nice, and the girls love it, but I'm not sold. Being a bigger gal, I don't think strapless looks good on me.

We take off the sizing dress and the consultant puts the other dress on me. I come out of the dressing room and look in the mirror. I'm like "uh oh". The girls, however, aren't sold. Then, the brilliant consultant grabs a sash accessory (complete with rhinestone bling) that looks almost like the attached sash from the sizing dress and throws it around my waist.

Suddenly, the girls are like "Yah!" And they love it. And (gulp) so do I. The consultant starts throwing around words like "six month interest free financing" and "we can order this in white" (the sample was in ivory). And all I can think of is "Shit." I never thought loving a dress could feel so bad.

I turn and look at the consultant and say, "Get this dress off me. Now I'm going to have to convince my fiance that we can skip something else in the budget (like food). If I don't take this dress off right now, it's gonna be a situation of "No need to wrap it, I'll just wear it out.""

*sigh* Before yesterday, I didn't care if I got married in a t-shirt and jeans. Now I have to have THAT dress. Ugh... Why, of all things, must wedding dresses be my weakness?

That reminds me of one of my favorite episodes of Friends. Go ahead, click on the hyperlink. I promise there's no Ross involved.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Tee hee. My ex-husband is emailing me, asking for my peanut butter frosting ingredients. I reply back with the list of ingredients. He asks for amounts. Silly boy. There aren't any.

You see, there's a special trick to making my peanut butter frosting. I even I don't know what it is. All of the amounts of the ingredients are eyeballed. Every time. And it always turns out light and fluffy.

I even gave my mom (who I got the original recipe from, mind you) the recipe once (with an approximation of ingredient amounts) and she couldn't duplicate it. I walked her through it, step by step, on exactly what I do at each point and she couldn't do it right.

Now, when my mom wants peanut butter frosting (which is delicious, if you haven't tried it), she asks me to come over and make it.

For anyone willing to try, here's the recipe. Good luck!

Take a dollop of creamy peanut butter (no more than 1/2 cup) and add about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and about 1/2 cup butter (one stick)(I suggest using real butter, not margarine or spread). Cream together until smooth. Add powdered sugar (start with a cup and keep adding until thick). Add a dash of milk. Whip at high speed and alternate powdered sugar and milk until the right consistency (light and fluffy).

Hint: I don't think you can make this by hand. I use my mixmaster to do it. I'm not even sure a hand mixer will do it right.

And the Answer is....

Okay, so today I'm driving to work and I get behind this vehicle with a bumper sticker I can't quite read. Well, I can read one part and it says, in large letters, "Jesus". I can see there's writing underneath it, but without kissing the bumper, I can't read it. So, of course, my brain starts running with it.

First, I notice the font on "Jesus" looks kinda like what you would see on a comic book cover. So I start thinking, is Jesus a Superhero? I mean, technically, you could say he has Superpowers.... Like walking on water, healing the lame, rising from the dead, etc., etc., etc. But what would Jesus's alter ego be? Or would Jesus just be like an X-Man with no alter ego? Would Jesus wear a spandex suit? I don't think so.

Next, I notice that there's these mounts on the top of the vehicle. I'm not quite sure what they're for, but from the right angle, they look almost like the car has horns. On a vehicle with a Jesus bumper sticker, I find this hilarious.

So then, I decide I HAVE to know what's written under Jesus. I decide to speed up and slowly pass the vehicle so I can get a closer look. I find it says "is the Answer."

To which my brain says, "Well, I guess that would all depend on what the question was." I mean, if the question is "What tastes best deep fried on a stick?" I'm thinking Jesus isn't the answer. At that point, cheese or hot dogs would be the Answer. Is the question, "What should I wear today?" Jesus. See? It doesn't work. So what's the question?

By the time I finally pass the vehicle, I'm giggling so hard, the guy in the vehicle gives me a really funny look. But that's okay, I know I'm going to H-E-double-hockey-sticks. I mean, come on... The visual of Jesus in a spandex suit with a giant J on the front is funny.

Wedding Bells Are Ringing

That's right. I'm engaged. Again. Boy, I must be a glutton for punishment.

Actually, my fiance, Smiley, is pretty nifty. Of course, I'm a bit biased.

So now, Miss I-Don't-Ever-Want-To-Think-About-Getting-Married-Ever-Again (me) is going nutso. I mean, once I actually accepted the fact that I agreed to take the plunge for the third (yes, third) time, I've kind of been getting into it.

Especially the dresses.

When I was a teenager (or maybe even younger), my friends and I would go to the local Deb store (especially around prom time) and try on the fancy dresses. What the heck - it was free and drove the salespeople crazy. Whee!

So I guess I've always been a glutton for fancy fru-fru dresses. Which, if you would know me only on an exterior level, you probably wouldn't guess. I'm normally dressed in jeans and leathers.

*sigh* Maybe I'll convince the girls to go dress window shopping this weekend. Oh the horror!

Welcome Back, Kotter

Wow. It's been almost a full year since I last posted. So much has happened since then.

Let's see... I still have the same job (a stress-filled job requiring an hour and a half commute each way yet somehow fulfills me). My commitment-phobic boyfriend asked me to marry him (I, surprisingly, said yes) (I say "surprisingly" cuz I've become commitment-phobic myself in my old age). My dear, beloved father unexpectedly passed away about a month ago. I'm still the same old crazy (or as my father would have said, "unique") gal I've always been.

Hmmmm. What a waste of a year, eh?

Actually, aside from losing my father, it really hasn't been too bad of a year. Work sent me to first New York and then LA. (I didn't much care for either.). Smiley's kids are really enjoying calling me "Mom" since the engagement. Got a new car (Dodge Caliber - I highly recommend them) after my wonderful Saturn took a crapper after eight long, wonderful years of service (yes, I cried when I traded it in). Got another tattoo started (about 1/3 done currently) that is literally a piece of art. Went from second shift at work to first shift.

Ummm... What else? Seems like more should have happened in a year. Oh well.

I must say, I just re-read my entire blog and was saddened to see it didn't take me more than a few hours. I need to start posting again. Will do.

Well, this was just a catch-me-up post. I'll write something amusing next time. Promise. Hope everyone is well. Later!

R.I.P. BooBoo

We brought you home on Mother's Day. You were AKC registered as Sabita Menanne Borstad. We named you Rusty. We affectionately called you BooBoo. You were this little furball that we just couldn't get enough of. Just a tiny cream colored ball of fluff with red ears.

You made everyone love you at first sight. You were the sweetest thing. Your soft fur absorbed tears better than any towel. A wag of your tail and kisses from your soft, black tongue could brighten even the gloomiest of days. And you were the only dog I've ever known that when given hugs, hugged back.

My grandmother, at the end of her days and in the throws of Alzheimers, couldn't remember my name when we came to visit, but she always remembered yours and asked about you.

You tolerated your little sister, even when she beat the snot out of you.

You thought you were a cat. And you let Harley think he was a dog.

If it had been a while since I had seen you, your eyes lit up when I walked in the door it was all kisses and hugs until I left again.

You were afraid of thunderstorms, but fearless in the face of a snowball.

Basketballs didn't stand a chance around you.

I still remember the day we realized we would need to get a stand-up food and water dish because we found you asleep with your head in your current dish.

I loved you, BooBoo, more than you'll ever know. And your daddy's a dick for not telling me you passed. But I'm in the process of making sure that doesn't happen with your sister.

I can't believe I'll never get another one of your hugs. Or see you make your BooBoo face again. There is an empty hole that will never again be filled in my heart.

You were irreplacable and you will be missed.

Rest In Peace, Rusty.

I Just Love Making People Cry

At work, our supervisor will be leaving us soon to go to another shift. Tonight our team suprised the supervisor with a going away party. She was totally suprised. We even got a few tears.

I'm really going to miss her. She has made work fun, and at the same time was a really good boss. She is motivating, supportive and encouraging.

So Two Box.... If by any chance you ever read this... Deuces!