Bring It On, Starbucks. I'm Ready.

Last year, I wrote a post (back when I was blogging on MySpace) about the amount of work that goes into receiving the perfect Gingerbread Latte. It should not be the ordeal that it is. Sadly, my struggle continues.

This year, instead of topping said latte with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg, Starbucks has decided to call it a Gingersnap Latte and top it with whipped cream and crystallized ginger flakes. (I call them ginger pebbles, because they're totally the size and shape of Fruity Pebbles.)




While I was unsure about the change, I gave it a try. The other day, when I had my first Gingersnap Latte of the season, I drank it with the ginger pebbles. You know what? Not a fan. They sink into the drink when the whipped cream melts and while they probably do enhance the ginger flavor, they don't dissolve, so when you get to the bottom you have chunks that fit through the hole in the lid. And seriously, who wants chunks in their mouth when they're drinking coffee?

So, I've now had to add another instruction to my drink order.

I would like a Nonfat, Extra-hot, Gingersnap Latte with whipped cream, no ginger sprinkles, add nutmeg.

What a mouthful.



I ran into another problem last year after the latte post. Several of my local Starbucks stores ran out of nutmeg. And not for a day or anything, for like, several weeks. I asked about it and was told that the supplier ran out. I'm thinking, what the heck? Go to Vons! Buy nutmeg! But apparently, they can't do that.

SO, in an effort to avoid any further problems with my Gingerbread Lattes in the future (that's right...I said "bread", not "snap") I have solved the supplier-running-out-of-nutmeg problem.

On Monday, while at Vons, I purchased the following:

Yes, folks. My very own, purse-sized container of nutmeg. I will never again be subjected to an incomplete Gingerbread latte.

My family's thoughts on this matter:

AC: While he's not thrilled with the cost of my continual visits to Starbucks, I think my determination and creativity have impressed him.

John: If I go, it means there's a chance that he'll get a frappuccino, so he's all for it.

Matthew: "Mom, you're obsessed."


I think Matt's probably right.

Great Illustrated Classics

No, I'm not talking about the book series. I'm talking about when one of my favorite, classic movies coincides with everyday life and makes for a perfect illustration. Let me explain...

Today in U.S. History, the kids and I were discussing Andrew Jackson and some of the decisions that he made during his presidency. Among other things, he hated banks, and he targeted the National Bank, trying to bring it down.

It turned into a discussion on how banks work; how banks don't just have money in the vault to cover all of their accounts. I was trying to explain it clearly, and how if everyone wanted all of their money at the same time, the bank would be in trouble. And then it hit me! I had the perfect illustration sitting right there on my DVD shelf.

Please observe:



This morning, three of my favorite things collided in my living room: Christmas, movies and history! Loved it!

Yippee! It's Y Day!

Things that I am thankful for that begin with the letter Y...in no particular order...

1. Yeast. Without it, bread just wouldn't be nearly as yummy.

2. Yahtzee. A classic.

3. Yellow Roses. My favorite flowers.

4. Yankee Candles. They really do have the best candles. The gals that work at the Yankee store in the mall totally know me. That might not be a good thing!

5. Yodeling Veterinarian of the Alps. One of the best silly songs ever.

6. Yarn. I know that this is going to be used my several people today, but that's okay. Yarn is worth mentioning repeatedly.

7. Yellow Brick Road. (Not the magical road from the Wizard of Oz.) There used to be an arcade upstairs, above the ice rink at UTC. When I was a kid, it was a BIG deal if your mom gave you a few quarters and let you go hang out in Yellow Brick Road. That's where all the cool, older kids were.

8. Yard Sales. Most people call them garage sales, but in my family, they're yard sales. And no, I don't like shopping them. I would never shop them. But I like having them. I have some sweet memories of our huge, family-wide yard sales from when I was a kid. My grandma always let me be in charge of the money!

9. Yardley Soap. It's the soap that they use at Outback Steakhouse. I love the way it makes my hands smell.

10. York Peppermint Patties. Never any other brand, always York.


To see what everyone else is thankful for today, visit Beyond Black & White.

He No Nuts, He's Crazy!

A few months ago, AC started a running program. It's some thing that he found online; you run three days a week, for several months, and by the end you're a runner. Seemed like a great plan. He's stuck with it, he's doing great, I'm very proud of him.

We talked about it and decided that it would be a good thing for him to do with the kids. He'd still do his own running on other days, but three days each week, he'd lead the boys through it. It would give us needed P.E. minutes and get them in better shape. AC decided that they would start it today, thinking that they could be a good deal into the program by the time the Spring baseball season starts.

Now, I need to lose weight, get in shape, blah blah blah. I've been lazy about going to the gym lately, so I figured this would be a good opportunity for me to get back to it. I would get up with them at 6am and I would go to the gym while they run.

That was my plan.

Until yesterday, when I had the following conversation with Matthew.

Me: "You need to get to bed at a reasonable time tonight, you 're going to get up at 6:00 and run with Dad in the morning."

MC: "Aren't you going to do the program with us?"

Me: (trying not to laugh out loud) "No."

MC: "Why not?"

Me: "Well, I've got a weak ankle, you know that. I'll go to the gym while you guys run."

MC: "You know, Mom, your ankle is only weak because you never use it. You should come with us."


Nice, kid. I talked to AC about it later and we agreed that I would give it a try for a week and see how it went. I promised that I wouldn't give up due to normal muscle soreness, but that if my ankle gave me problems, I would return to my plan and just go to the gym.

So, I did it; I went with them this morning. My legs were sore after the first 60 seconds, but I stuck with it. I went at my own pace, slower than the rest of my family, but I did it! I'll do it on Wednesday and Friday, and then decide what I'll do from there.

One unforeseen issue, it kind of made my jaw pain flare up (I'm on a several year journey, dealing with severe TMJ issues.). I don't know if that will put an end to this quicker than my ankle, we'll have to see.

But for today, I made it.

However, I think Matt, and Andy for that matter, are both crazy for thinking that I'm actually going to be able to complete this program. Absolutely insane.


*Bonus points to anyone who can tell me who said the quote that I used as my title.
**An extra million points to anyone who knew it without looking it up.

Missed It By That Much!

If you've been following along, you'll recall that last Sunday was not the best of days. Since I gave you a list of everything that didn't go according to plan last week (I really do love lists!), I thought I'd list for you all of the things that went right today. It was absolutely fabulous; it was just what I needed.

- 8am: I woke up. I love sleeping in!

- 8:01am: I realized that it was a rainy day. I enjoyed my cup of coffee while watching the rain fall outside our bedroom window.

- 9:30am I chatted with my brother. While I am truly thankful for this, I'm mostly throwing this in to see if he's really going to start reading my blog like he said he would (he'd better be).

- 10am: I watched the Titans win again. I spent the whole time on the couch, under the blanket, thoroughly enjoying the rainy day.

- 11:30am: I got word that John's baseball game was officially called due to the weather. I was so excited that I got up and did a little dance. (Come on, sports moms...who doesn't love a rain out every now and then?)

*I spent the next few hours watching football, feeling cozy and working on my scarf.

2pm: I found out that Matt's thumb is not broken after all. (He'd injured it in yesterday's game.)

3pm: I took a little snooze.

5:30pm: Andy and I had dinner with our best friends; just us grown-ups, woo hoo!

7:30pm: I got a super-sweet, melt-your-heart smile from Nate the Great

8:30pm: We ended the night with lots of good, old-fashioned fun watching Get Smart.


As I said, it was exactly what I needed. Nothing overly exciting in the grand scheme of life, just a bunch of little things that, when added up, made for a great day. It was the best Sunday I've had in a long, long time.

They. Could. Go. All. The. Way.

And they did!

Matt played his last baseball game of the season a few hours ago. He was on a fabulous team with the best coach ever (we've had him for years, he's usually been John's coach though). They were 9-0 going into today's game. We were a bit nervous because we were going to be missing players today, but they really stepped up and took care of business. They won 17-4, completing their perfect season.

The coaches gave everyone nicknames; I'll use them to introduce the 2008 Fall Ball Champions.

Back (L to R): Coach Pat, Coach Ross
Middle: The Rat, T-Bone, Lefty, X-Man
Front: Lu, Coast to Coast, #5, Woody, Pec, Matty (aka Cup-o-Coffee)
Missing today: E.O., The Doctor, Scraps


Here he is:
the starting shortstop,
the backup catcher,
a big hitter,
an amazing athlete,
my boy.

1984

Good morning, everyone.
(At least it will be once I get this cup of coffee in me!)

Today we find ourselves heading back in time, to the totally rad year of 1984. I have a couple of pictures for your consideration.

Here we see quality leadership in action. My parents have taken some of the kids from their Sunday School class to the zoo. (I have no idea why....contest winners, illustrations on creation, who knows.)

I would like you to note the following:

- My dad's large belt buckle and the pen in his pocket. (You never know when you might need a pen.)
- Most of us are dressed in summer attire, but there is one who is wearing long pants, and long-sleeved collared shirt and a sweater. Did she get a memo that we didn't?
- You can't see much of me, but if you look closely you will note that my pink knee socks are pulled up all the way. Way to go, Michelle!
- Both of the boys have on nifty striped socks (again, pulled up all the way) and sweet, two-strapped velcro shoes.
- There are two pairs of jelly shoes; one with jeans and socks, the other with shorts and no socks. Whichever look you prefer, we've got you covered.
- The vest. OH the vest. With the sweater-looking tank top under it. The vest.

You've gotta love fashion in the 80's!

1984 was a big year for me. My dad was not at all happy with this decision, but once he made his feelings clear, he left it up to me and my mom.
In 1984, I went from this:

To this:

I was thrilled. He wasn't.
Yes, that is a crocheted cat in my lap in the before picture.
No, my eyes aren't green, for those of you who are very observant. It's just the coloring in the picture.

Lastly (I really need to start cleaning my house), I have a quick picture from Halloween.

Who am I? Oh, come on, isn't it obvious? I'm Julie, a resistance fighter, from the tv show "V". (Hence, the big V on my sweater.) Alas, there is no Donovan with me, just a cowboy-with-a-mask and his little brother.

That's all I've got for today. Thanks for joining me. See you in '85!