Nothing good happens before 8:00 AM

Reason 485 that being the older sibling can suck even though it's rewarding at the same time: You receive a phone call on your home phone at 6:30 AM on a Friday!!!

Now for most people (including me normally) 6:30 AM on Friday isn't so bad. However, since I've been working from home for weeks now, I haven't opened my eyes before 7:00 except to kiss the hubby good-bye, roll over and go back to sleep until 7:30 AM.

Today at 6:30 AM my home phone rings. I roll over trying to figure out what day/time it is while reaching for the phone. I see my mom's name on the phone and instantly panic that something is wrong, as my mom strictly follows the cell phone only rule this early in the morning since she knows the hubby has every other Friday off and today is one of those Fridays.

It's my sister (she's on my mom's cell plan, and had I being functioning better - or at all - I would have recognized the number below my mother's name). Still worried that something has happened to my mom now. This conversation ensues:
Me: Hello? (tone of slight panic)
Sistor: Sistor?
Me: What?
Sistor: I need directions.
Me: What?! What's wrong?
Sistor: I need directions to work. There's an accident on the freeway.
Me: What? I thought you carpooled.
Sistor: Carpool buddy has pink eye.
Me: (Sigh/groan) Hold on. (stumbling out of bed, stumbling to office, opening laptop)
Sistor: It's raining too.
Me: Lovely.

Our conversation continued with my vowing to purchase a navigation system for her for Christmas instead of the Coach ring she asked for...I'm the big sister, I know what's best. We played guess the street name as I moved the little blue line on Google Maps to the appropriate route and then texted the directions to her.

Side note: Today was my last day of working from home and I knew I was totally going to be screwed next week when I needed to get up at the ungodly hour of 5:30 AM. Secretly (not so secretly now) this early morning phone call sort of helps me out.

I'm gonna make a run to Starbucks now...not functioning normally and need a dash of caffeine for good measure. Plus the Christmas cups are a guaranteed mood lifter, so I guess to answer Kim1Bump's question - Depressed going in, Joy coming out.

Side note #2: Hubby just went to put the trash cans outside as today is trash day and he forgot to put them out last night - another benefit to a 6:30 AM wake up call.

Christmas in November...

But after Thanksgiving!

I got my Christmas present today and I'm already playing with it!!! I got permission since it's also my last and next birthday presents too... it's a Canon Digital Rebel XTi and I LOVE it. I get it before Christmas so that I can practice with it and take pictures at Christmas.

I took a few random pictures of the furries on all of the auto settings and they were EXCELLENT!!! (Bonus - the beeping noise the camera makes when it auto focuses gets their attention so they look at the camera!

As soon as I connect the camera to my laptop I'll post a couple of the pictures!

Why Procrastination CAN Pay Off!

Two weeks ago I showed off my expertise in procrastination when it comes to school work. The final proof came through today. As usual I waited until the last minute to begin my research paper for my nutrition class. I had everything planned out perfectly (down to the last minute) and would have just enough time to comfortably complete the paper.

And then Madeline decided that she wanted to be born that particular evening and left me with the (un)fortunate choice of watching her birth or writing my paper. Knowing that I work/write exceptionally well under pressure, I chose to watch her birth which was absolutely amazing! (Thanks Bianka for giving me the opportunity!) That left me to write my 3-4 page research paper the day it was due.

I finished the paper by 6:00 pm the day it was due and anxiously awaited my score. It wasn't my finest work, and felt strangely like a blog, but I figured it would do.

Today I received my perfect score (75/75) and the following comments from the teach:
"Eating For Life" sounds like a very healthy, reasonable diet. I like that there is one day where a person can eat whatever they want. Your report was well-written and interesting. You did a good job of organizing your thoughts with the details of the diet. Thank you for your hard work.

If she only knew... :)

Grocery Store Snob?

Sometime in the last few months I've become a food snob. Possible causes?

• 9 days in Colorado (people are more wholesome and don't require fast food)
  
• Living with Margot for most of that time (she loves to cook and hide healthy stuff in tasty food)
  
• Losing 20 pounds post-op and wanting to lose more (and be healthy and keep it off)
  
• Watching Rachel Ray when I wasn't working from home (she makes cooking fun)
  
• Watching Jon & Kate +8 (the woman makes a point to buy organic food for 10 people!)
• Taking a Nutrition class (and having to write a report on Eating for Life)
• Brain Surgery (when in doubt, it's always a great excuse!)
  

Since we moved in June, I've struggled to find a grocery store that I liked. I've ended up going to various stores for various different things. I've avoided the Vons by my gym because I have always perceived Vons as being too expensive. Tonight the hubby and I went there because I figured it was worth trying as we only needed a few things.

I was sold from the minute I walked in. It had a Trader Joes/Henry's sort of feel and had organic/healthy choices for just about everything! I got a ton of food and didn't end up spending much more than I normally would have. Bonus - their soups looked and smelled tasty and they have a handy floral/gift shop type corner - oh and they have a Panda Express inside which is the hubby's favorite fast food choice.

I'm going to see if the hubby can detect the organic/healthy ingredients in the dinners I'll be making and see if he likes them. (He was unable to detect the wheat pasta that I used last week - score 1 for the wife). I'm also going to play a little game called Mind over Matter and see if I can convince myself that I like vegetables. Wish me luck!

Right on Target

New obsession alert: Darts!! Who knew I'd like darts? Not only does playing darts allow me to be competitive, I get to throw dangerous objects, and relieve stress. It's like running with scissors, yet not.

I honestly had very little clue about how to win the various games we played, but apparently I did quite well. Just because the dart board is hanging in my garage, does not mean that I've actually thrown a dart before! However, I will be practicing in preparation for our housewarming party/birthday extravaganza in two weeks!!!

Deliver the letter, the sooner the better...

I'm a huge fan of Christmas cards!! I LOVE getting them and I religiously send them every year. (I also religiously send thank you notes, address changes, and invitations - in the electronic era, I still believe some occasions warrant snail mail! However, I am not sending paper invitations to our upcoming housewarming/birthday extravaganza - if you're reading this blog, you're invited Dec 8th - you'll just need to call for directions if you haven't been here yet. I digress...)

I was super prepared with the Christmas cards this year! We did the photo cards last year and I totally loved them! The family likes the picture (including the pets of course), old friends know what I look like so if we run into each other somewhere we recognize each other, and I don't have to actually write on the card. :)

Prior to my surgery, the hubby and I took pictures in Colorado for the card in the event that I ended up losing more of my hair than expected. When I got home from Colorado I ordered the cards, addressed them, stamped them, and had them all ready to go - before Thanksgiving!!! I literally had the hubby drop them in the mail on the way home from Thanksgiving dinner. The bad part to being so prepared? I've lost a good 20 pounds since my surgery (after all I've consumed this week - maybe 15?), so I look huge in the card photo...oh well, I'll just look that much more thin when people see me :)

Comment at 4:00 AM?

Yep, that was me. To find out why...go here

Let the Festivities Begin!

After thoroughly enjoying last night's food coma, I'm probably the only person on the planet not out fighting the crowds of Black Friday. There are 2 reasons for this: 1) I HATE crowds, and 2) I'm decorating for Christmas today!!!

Here's the annual Thanksgiving photo of the Kolbows/Eberlings:
I've got to remember to take a picture of Art to photo shop him in, since he always takes the picture.

I'm so excited that the Christmas celebration can now begin!! I must confess, last night I listened to Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas CD in the car on the way home (oh alright, I'll admit it, I cheated and listened to it on the way there too!)

Happy shopping and decorating everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving & Turkey Carving 101

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Things I am thankful for:
1) Family and friends of course - you made it possible to get through one of the most trying years on record for me! (When you start wishing in July that the year would be over, you know it didn't start off well!) I'm not even going to try to name you all as this blog might last until the new year. :)

2) The HCBC - you gals are the greatest group of women that I've never actually met :) Thank you for allowing me to feel as though I've known each of you for years and for filling my love tank on a continual basis!

3) Dr. Oro and all of the other doctors and medical staff that touched my life this year - who would think that anyone would be thankful for brain surgery?! Not only was it successful, but I now feel better and have a life better than I ever thought would be possible.

4) Our new home that allows us to be closer to our family and friends and not feel that we are living in a foreign country.

5) My hubby for being loving and patient throughout this entire year of insanity and supporting my blogging addiction.

6) Everyone of you that reads this blog - even if you don't comment (argh)!

Enough with the sappy stuff! ;) And now, turkey carving 101 by my mom:




It wasn't pretty, but it was TASTY!! (Like the Evans family, we had the Dahl girls Thanksgiving last Saturday).

Thanksgiving Fun for Today...Gobble Gobble

It could be that this is one of those things where you had to be there, but I think that if you try it, you'll find that it's fun too!...gobble gobble!

QB: HAPPY THANKSGIVING, gobble gobble
JA: lol
QB: everything is better with a gobble gobble after it
JA: totally
JA: in fact everything should end in gobble gobble today - gobble gobble
QB: lol gobble gobble
JA: see gobble gobble
QB: it's fun! gobble gobble
JA: yep! gobble gobble
QB: hmm, wonder if punctuation should go before or after the gobble gobble? gobble gobble
JA: lol gobble gobble
JA: maybe it should have it's own? gobble gobble?
QB: good plan! gobble gobble!
JA: we should annoy everyone soon! gobble gobble!
QB: wonder if i should throw this into my meeting coming up... gobble gobble...
JA: now that i'd love to see...gobble gobble...
QB: i'm thinking of not adding it into customer emails? gobble gobble?
JA: probably a good idea gobble gobble
JA: I wonder...gobble gobble...
QB: hmmmm gobble gobble
JA: ok greatest thing ever: :) (on AIM it looks like a turkey) gobble gobble
QB: ha! gobble gobble!
JA: Will this be your blog for today or mine? gobble gobble?
QB: i've already done mine :-)
QB: i'm committed to getting my final driving story out! gobble gobble
JA: excellent gobble gobble
QB: omg, i forgot to gobble gobble! gobble gobble!
JA: lol gobble gobble


Please end all of your comments in "gobble gobble" - Thank you! Gobble Gobble!

That Was NOT Easy!

I'm probably NEVER going to change my profile photo again!!!!! Why is doing this so difficult? Everything else on Blogger is fairly user friendly, but changing your profile pic requires an IT degree!

I will summarize the steps should anyone else be daring enough to try this:
1) Post the picture you desire to have as your default picture in a blog post. (You can keep it as a draft).

2) Go to the HTML tab in the part where you can edit the post.

3) Copy the SECOND http: link that's in there into the field on Edit Profile - why it is different is beyond me.

The key here is step # 3. I hope you like the new photo!

What are Wii Doing?

Traditionally at family gatherings we play cards while enjoying adult beverages. At our early Thanksgiving celebration last weekend we added a new activity - playing Wii!! The idea was that whomever got out of the card game could go play Wii. Soon we found that everyone was playing Wii or watching!





If you don't have a Wii, you should ask Santa to bring you one! I'd even consider playing a few games of Wii tennis to be a decent workout!

The 12 days of Christmas...BLOGS!!!

Alright, since I LOVE Christmas (almost as much as Teri), I've decided to write 12 days of Christmas blogs! Maybe more because I've already for a long list of topics. Come on you know you're excited too!

I'd also like to thank Queen B for helping me come up with a rather extensive list of topics!!

HOWEVER!!! I will NOT be putting them up until AFTER Thanksgiving!!! I am a rule follower!

TINSTAAFL or TINSTAAFB?

TINSTAAFL = There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (in this case I'm going with Breakfast) There's my educational Economics reference for you. :)

Yesterday was my sister's last day working for "the mouse". Since graduating from high school 5 1/2 years ago she's worked in one of "the mouse's" restaurants in one capacity or the other. She was only at her last restaurant for about a year and thus I hadn't managed to visit her there while she was working because she only worked during breakfast hours.

I told her that the hubby and I would be coming for breakfast on her last day. I then secretly coordinated to have my mom, aunt, uncle, and uncle's parents join us. When I called my sister for specific directions she refused. After a little "flexing of the muscles" the hubby got the directions.



My sister stuck us in the back corner because we tend to create a ruckus when we're all out together (the mimosas may have had something to do with that). Her boyfriend, Alfonso, was our server (poor guy) and the back of my head aka scar and "boy hair" were the main attraction for everyone that worked there. They were nice enough to take a group picture of us and that server in the background is Alfonso!

Then came the favorite part of any meal with my family - the bill came. Regardless of where we are or who paid last, my mom and aunt (and any other working adults present) fight over who gets to pay the bill. Money gets thrown around and there is a tug of war over the little black bill holder. The debate raged for a good 5 minutes before my sister came over to our table and asked if any of us had bothered to actually look at the bill. My mom opened the bill holder thingy and saw this:



Guess she wasn't going to earn very many Southwest Miles on this bill!

Malibu Barbie

A week or two ago (the then very pregnant) Bianka and I had the following conversation:

Bianka: Is your mom's last name still Dahl?
Me: Yes...?
Bianka: How long have I known you?
Me: At least 5 years.
Bianka: It just occurred to me this morning that your mom is Barbie Dahl!
Me: And up until last weekend, she drove a Malibu...so she was Malibu Barbie!

Which then led me to share the following story....
Shortly after my mom bought her first Malibu, my sister and I bought her a license plate frame that read "Malibu Barbie". One day my mom was sitting at a traffic light when a motorcycle cop pulls up next to her and taps on her window. She rolls down her window...

Officer: Is your name Barbie?
Mom: Yes
Officer: (chuckling) And you drive a Malibu?
Mom: Yes, and my last name is Dahl!
Officer: (laughing) Have a great day! (and he drives off)

This is a picture of my mom on her birthday (I won't say which birthday, I'm not that mean) and YES she is in a dog house. I had a perfectly nice picture of her up, but she called me and told me to take it down. I warned her that if I did I'd be putting this one up. Enjoy!


I love you Mom!

Margarine of Error

What's wrong with this picture?













I do not have the best cooking skills, but thankfully I knew that Mac' & Cheese takes exactly half a stick of margarine. Otherwise, I'd still be trying to measure it out!

Really this time!!!

Bianka is in labor and Madeline Kate is coming quick!!!! Go to her blog for updates and play guess the baby's weight!

8:30 PM Update:
She's HERE!!!

Freeway Face-Off

The Kings played the Ducks tonight at the Honda Center and the hubby and I watched the game on FSN West. They were showing the game from a "rinkside view" which basically means down low and without the annoying announcers. I liked it! It was sorta like having glass seats without losing any of the action.

A few observations:
-Not having commercials and getting to go behind the scenes was kinda cool
-The Ducks' owner's wife seemed that she'd had a tad too much to drink to be interviewed on live TV
-While the commentators were not on TV, the hubby felt compelled to do his own commentary and yell at the TV when appropriate - this was after I'd commented (early in the 1st period) that this version was more calm, relaxing, and enjoyable
-The reporter for all the behind the scenes stuff was annoying
-Whenever there was a chance they were sure to show the "Quack Whores" as I call them aka the scantily clad girls who shovel the ice
-Do not be offended by "Quack Whores" - I use Quack whenever possible in reference to the Ducks (sorry Kim!): Quack in the Box (Duck penalty), Little Quackies (their little players), Quack Heads (obnoxious fans), etc.

Things that make you go hmmmm

This is an actual movie poster hanging in the local movie theater. Do you have any idea what it's about? (In this case I consider Google-ing cheating!) Does anyone else find it ironic that Neil Patrick Harris is with a unicorn?

Pass the Cheer!

First, I'd like to say that I'm saddened to have not yet experienced the "Pass the Cheer" cups from Starbucks...must get Starbucks...soon.

And now the best of the HCBC...

Kim - this is the blog that officially got me hooked!
Queen B - how does one compete with a produce assault?
Ann - if only I'd remembered this when they were giving me Percocet in the hospital and making me nauseous! Another service of the HCBC! (the SlimFast series is my favorite, but Jane already picked that one!)
Jane - a wonderful example of "corporate america"
Ruth Anne - possibly the shortest blog (text only) to generate the most comments!
Teri - a reminder to remember the milestones
Bianka - I think blogging during labor has earned her at least an honorary membership!

What's the Buzz All About?

The hubby and I went to see The Bee Movie this week. Totally cute and I recommend seeing it...twice...right EHW? :)

The hubby is a big fan of buying the tickets online before we leave the house so we don't have to wait in line. I cautioned him not to, because when I went with EHW (post time change on Sunday), they hadn't fixed the time on the machines.

Shocker, we get there and the hubby prints out the tickets from the machine and they say "invalid". The following is my punishment for the hubby not listening to the wife:


He spent a good 10 minutes explaining to the guy at the counter what happened and why they needed to print us new tickets.

Madeline Kate is on her way!!!

Bianka is in labor!!! And she's still blogging and on AIM :) Read the latest updates here.

Still 47days until Christmas!

I'm against Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!! But I still won't decorate my house until Thanksgiving weekend. When did we start going straight from Halloween to Christmas? Enjoy the decorations at a local fast food restaurant.

Tips for New Bloggers

Since so there are so many new bloggers this week, I thought it might be helpful to offer them a few tips (with a little help from the HCBC):

1) Make sure to post often on your blog and post comments on other blogs (in particular the hot chicks blog). If you do this, they may make you a lucky part of their group
-Rachel
As seen on This Pickle has something to say

2) Photos and links liven up each post. A little required reading goes a long way. News stories are great fillers on a slow day!

3) Everyone loves a poll!

4) Funny mom stories are great!

5) Discreet photos can make even the simplest things entertaining!

I'm sure there are more...Ladies?

Backyard - Furniture

Today our patio furniture arrived - YAY!!!

After a little assembly...

And a little supervision by the furries...

The hubby put the table together!

TA DA!!! When are you comin' over for a BBQ?

It's Rainin' Bloggers!

Meet Toe Jam aka Stephanie aka Pickle's Noodle. She has the cutest pug son in the world!

Clean Up on Aisle 3!

My mom called me today at lunch time frustrated with the Staples store that I worked at 7 years ago. Our conversation went something like this:

Mom: Does Staples sell "For Sale" signs?
Me: For your car?
Mom: Yeah
Me: Yeah, by the locks and safes.
Mom: Well I was there and the guy told me to go down one of the aisles but there weren't any signs there. And when I told him there weren't any signs, he said "we don't have any then". So I left.
Me: Well, go to Home Depot - they have them.
Mom: Well I'm by Target, do they have them?
Me: Yep! In the hardware section, probably by the locks and safes.

Shortly after our conversation my mom sent an email to my aunt detailing her frustration and proudly alerting us both that she had found her sign!

New Blogger Alert!!! (Again)

Apparently all of my badgering has finally paid off and once one new blogger caved, the rest followed. Ah the power of peer pressure and bandwagon jumping!

I introduce to you Striker aka the hubby!!!

Dodge Ball on the Freeway

Further proof that the Lexus was possessed by the devil:

The hubby was driving on the freeway last night when a piece of debris bounced up in front of him. Rather than fly towards the car and cause significant damage as it would have to the Lexus, it flew off to the side AWAY from the Altima! Ahhhh, how wonderful is that?!

Peer Pressure!!

ANOTHER NEW BLOGGER!!!

Please welcome Pickle!

Pickle is a she and is quite entertaining in real life...I'm sure her blogs will not disappoint!

Do Not Try This At Home!

While on house arrest (for medical reasons, not legal) I've taken to sitting on an exercise ball to give my couch a break and maintain/improve core strength since I can't do crunches. My mom came over today and asked about the ball.

Conversation went like this:
Mom: Aren't you afraid you'll fall off and hit your head?
Me: Mom, are you serious? It's practically impossible to fall off while sitting on this.
Mom: It looks risky.
Me: Mom, come on, try it.

And so she did...

She preferred holding on for safety...
And she fell off. Literally fell backwards.
I swear I didn't make this up!!! The hubby (yes, that's him with one sock on - his foot itched) and my sister both were witnesses!!!

Welcome Leaky!!!

New Blogger Alert!!!!! Welcome Leaky aka MSN at his new blog currently titled TBD.

Leave a comment and show him a big warm welcome by suggesting a name for his blog...you might even win a prize! Yes that's right, a poll AND a prize - he's off to a great start!!!

The Exorcism

Say goodbye to the demon possessed car and HELLO! to our new Altima!!

It has all of the same features as the Lexus except for navigation and defrosters on the side mirrors, but it has more cup holders and rides more quiet and smooth! And we're saving money!!!! YIPPEE!!!!
Take special note of what I call the "retard sticker"placed on the trunk:
It reads: "Trunk Release Button Location - Sticker to be removed by customer after purchase."
You see the car has keyless entry and retards might not be able to figure out how to open the trunk without the sticker! I shouldn't really make fun of this...we had to be shown by the dealer the first time we bought the keyless car. :)

Whose fridge is this?

I'll give you a clue, it's not mine (I eat WAY too much!):



P.S. Lots of Gatorade for you Kim :)