Monday, November 23, 2009
Feels Good....
....to have the whole house clean! I absolutely hate to clean, but will be the first to admit that when the house is sparkling from top to bottom it feels amazing. I had my first whole weekend off in a long time this past weekend and spent all day Saturday and Sunday cleaning the carpets (got a new carpet cleaner), washing the other floors, doing laundry, dusting and pretty much everything else you could imagine. My house feels so fresh and is completely ready for family and friends to come over for Thanksgiving. I think I'm gonna try to cut back on some of the cooking chaos this year by making a few of my Thanksgiving dishes ahead of time so that all I have to do is pop them in the microwave to heat them up. Might go so far as to peel and cut up the potatoes. Did you know if you do that and then put them in a bowl filled with water, they won't turn brown? Would much rather do all that stuff before the guests come....that way there's less work and more time to spend with them. Good idea, right?!?
Friday, November 20, 2009
AMAZING!!!
A lot of people think that this is a computer generated video, but it's not. I used to live near this house in Cincinnati and while I never made it over to see it for myself, I have friends who did and they said it was even more spectacular in person than it is in video!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Holiday Mail for Heroes
If you're looking for info on Holiday Mail for Heroes, here it is:
~Pennsylvanians are encouraged to help make the holidays a little more merry for our troops. Holiday cards will be accepted until December 7th and all collected will be delivered to US veterans and soldiers all over the world.
~Cards need to be addressed to:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791
~Pennsylvanians are encouraged to help make the holidays a little more merry for our troops. Holiday cards will be accepted until December 7th and all collected will be delivered to US veterans and soldiers all over the world.
~Cards need to be addressed to:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791
Thursday, November 12, 2009
It Goes On and On and On......
Remember that post from February when I told you about my horrible issue with the dentist? Well....here's what happened today (I've pasted from my FB page). You'll get the idea:
Traci Taylor: Sitting at the dentist. My wait time is usually an hour except there was a time they let me sit and wait for almost 3 hours. Wasn't that kind of them? Cross your fingers it goes faster today.
Yvonne Colleen Bachman-Johnson: <--- doesnt like dentists... terrified of them.
Heather Kunkel: fingers crossed
Traci Taylor: Thanks!
Olivia Westcott Lancaster: We run on time in my office.. any longer than 20 minutes is totally UNACCEPTABLE !!!!!
Traci Taylor: Where are you located? Does your dentist take time to talk and listen (I'm needy when it comes to my teeth)? Do you accept Ameritas?
Traci Taylor: The one day I had to wait for 3 hours it was just to have the dentist look at my molds and the whole thing lasted just 5 minutes. Crazy, right? Especially since I go to a place that has 4 dentists...
J.J. Duling: agree with Olivia- frankly, I show up at mine 5 min. early and expect to get in on time. I understand and appreciate emergencies, etc., but making you wait more than 10-15 minutes is quite unacceptable and motivation to find a more customer-friendly DDS.
Angie Messersmith: I don't enjoy going to the dentist!
Olivia Westcott Lancaster: The dentist I work for.. is my hubby. We're on Lincoln Hwy East by the Brassierie Restaurant, Lancaster. Yea, he talks.. to much... LOL. I'm here right now and we do have Ameritis patients.
Traci Taylor: Good news- only had to wait an hour. Bad news-have to go back at 4pm. Dr. broke something & can't fix until then. Want this fixed and done. Been up since 2:30am and still have other things to do today. Yep- havin' a pitty party.
Olivia Westcott Lancaster: Wait.. did he break something IN your mouth????
I am dying to know where you go?
Jennifer Mears Arrigo: I barely sit down in a chair in the waiting room and I am called back to visit the dentist. Never a wait. Now my medical doctor is another story.....two or three hours is the norm there. He talks to everyone.....about everything.......and you continue to wait your turn.....but he is the best doctor on earth!
Traci Taylor: He broke a chunk off my lower temporary partial when he was trying to reshape the wire. Said I didn't need it since I'm getting my permanent in 2 weeks, but I want it fixed because I paid for it and want it as backup in case something happens to the permanent...
Traci Taylor: Ready for this? I'm back at the dentist and they've told me they need to take another impression because the one they took earlier today broke. I couldn't even make this stuff up. I want to scream out to all the women sitting in the waiting room to run.
Traci Taylor: Sitting at the dentist. My wait time is usually an hour except there was a time they let me sit and wait for almost 3 hours. Wasn't that kind of them? Cross your fingers it goes faster today.
Yvonne Colleen Bachman-Johnson: <--- doesnt like dentists... terrified of them.
Heather Kunkel: fingers crossed
Traci Taylor: Thanks!
Olivia Westcott Lancaster: We run on time in my office.. any longer than 20 minutes is totally UNACCEPTABLE !!!!!
Traci Taylor: Where are you located? Does your dentist take time to talk and listen (I'm needy when it comes to my teeth)? Do you accept Ameritas?
Traci Taylor: The one day I had to wait for 3 hours it was just to have the dentist look at my molds and the whole thing lasted just 5 minutes. Crazy, right? Especially since I go to a place that has 4 dentists...
J.J. Duling: agree with Olivia- frankly, I show up at mine 5 min. early and expect to get in on time. I understand and appreciate emergencies, etc., but making you wait more than 10-15 minutes is quite unacceptable and motivation to find a more customer-friendly DDS.
Angie Messersmith: I don't enjoy going to the dentist!
Olivia Westcott Lancaster: The dentist I work for.. is my hubby. We're on Lincoln Hwy East by the Brassierie Restaurant, Lancaster. Yea, he talks.. to much... LOL. I'm here right now and we do have Ameritis patients.
Traci Taylor: Good news- only had to wait an hour. Bad news-have to go back at 4pm. Dr. broke something & can't fix until then. Want this fixed and done. Been up since 2:30am and still have other things to do today. Yep- havin' a pitty party.
Olivia Westcott Lancaster: Wait.. did he break something IN your mouth????
I am dying to know where you go?
Jennifer Mears Arrigo: I barely sit down in a chair in the waiting room and I am called back to visit the dentist. Never a wait. Now my medical doctor is another story.....two or three hours is the norm there. He talks to everyone.....about everything.......and you continue to wait your turn.....but he is the best doctor on earth!
Traci Taylor: He broke a chunk off my lower temporary partial when he was trying to reshape the wire. Said I didn't need it since I'm getting my permanent in 2 weeks, but I want it fixed because I paid for it and want it as backup in case something happens to the permanent...
Traci Taylor: Ready for this? I'm back at the dentist and they've told me they need to take another impression because the one they took earlier today broke. I couldn't even make this stuff up. I want to scream out to all the women sitting in the waiting room to run.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Snakes
Snakes also known as Garter Snakes (Thamnophissirtalis) can be dangerous. Yes, grass snakes, not rattlesnakes. Here's why.
A couple in Sweetwater, Texas, had a lot of potted plants. During a recent cold spell, the wife was bringing a lot of them indoors to protect them from a possible freeze.
It turned out that a little green garden grass snake was hidden in one of the plants. When it had warmed up, it slithered out and the wife saw it go under the sofa.
She let out a very loud scream.
The husband (who was taking a shower) ran out into the living room naked to see what the problem was. She told him there was a snake under the sofa. He got down on the floor on his hands and knees to look for it. About that time the family dog came and cold-nosed him on the behind. He thought the snake had bitten him, so he screamed and fell over on the floor.
His wife thought he had had a heart attack, so she covered him up, told him to lie still and called an ambulance.
The attendants rushed in, would not listen to his protests, loaded him on the stretcher, and started carrying him out.
About that time, the snake came out from under the sofa and the Emergency Medical Technician saw
it and dropped his end of the stretcher. That's when the man broke his leg and why he is still in the hospital.
The wife still had the problem of the snake in the house, so she called on a neighbor who volunteered to capture the snake. He armed himself with a rolled-up newspaper and began poking under the couch. Soon he decided it was gone and told the woman, who sat down on the sofa in relief.
But while relaxing, her hand dangled in between the cushions, where she felt the snake wriggling around. She screamed and fainted, the snake rushed back under the sofa.
The neighbor man, seeing her lying there passed out, tried to use CPR to revive her.
The neighbor's wife, who had just returned from shopping at the grocery store, saw her husband's mouth
on the woman's mouth and slammed her husband in the back of the head with a bag of canned goods, knocking him out and cutting his scalp to a point where it needed stitches.
The noise woke the woman from her dead faint and she saw her neighbor lying on the floor with his wife bending over him, so she assumed that the snake had bitten him. She went to the kitchen and got a small bottle of whiskey, and began pouring it down the man's throat.
By now, the police had arrived.
Breathe here...
They saw the unconscious man, smelled the whiskey, and assumed that a drunken fight had occurred. They were about to arrest them all, when the women tried to explain how it all happened over a little garden snake!
The police called an ambulance, which took away the neighbor and his sobbing wife.
Now, the little snake again crawled out from under the sofa and one of the policemen drew his gun and fired at it. He missed the snake and hit the leg of the end table. The table fell over, the lamp on it shattered and, as the bulb broke, it started a fire in the drapes.
The other policeman tried to beat out the flames, and fell through the window into the yard on top of the family dog who, startled, jumped out and raced into the street, where an oncoming car swerved to avoid it and smashed into the parked police car.
Meanwhile, neighbors saw the burning drapes and called in the fire department. The firemen had started raising the fire ladder when they were halfway down the street. The rising ladder tore out the overhead wires, put out the power, and disconnected the telephones in a ten-square city block area (but they did get the house fire out).
Time passed! Both men were discharged from the hospital, the house was repaired, the dog came home, the police acquired a new car and all was right with their world.
A while later they were watching TV and the weatherman announced a cold snap for that night. The wife asked her husband if he thought they should bring in their plants for the night.
And that's when he shot her.
A couple in Sweetwater, Texas, had a lot of potted plants. During a recent cold spell, the wife was bringing a lot of them indoors to protect them from a possible freeze.
It turned out that a little green garden grass snake was hidden in one of the plants. When it had warmed up, it slithered out and the wife saw it go under the sofa.
She let out a very loud scream.
The husband (who was taking a shower) ran out into the living room naked to see what the problem was. She told him there was a snake under the sofa. He got down on the floor on his hands and knees to look for it. About that time the family dog came and cold-nosed him on the behind. He thought the snake had bitten him, so he screamed and fell over on the floor.
His wife thought he had had a heart attack, so she covered him up, told him to lie still and called an ambulance.
The attendants rushed in, would not listen to his protests, loaded him on the stretcher, and started carrying him out.
About that time, the snake came out from under the sofa and the Emergency Medical Technician saw
it and dropped his end of the stretcher. That's when the man broke his leg and why he is still in the hospital.
The wife still had the problem of the snake in the house, so she called on a neighbor who volunteered to capture the snake. He armed himself with a rolled-up newspaper and began poking under the couch. Soon he decided it was gone and told the woman, who sat down on the sofa in relief.
But while relaxing, her hand dangled in between the cushions, where she felt the snake wriggling around. She screamed and fainted, the snake rushed back under the sofa.
The neighbor man, seeing her lying there passed out, tried to use CPR to revive her.
The neighbor's wife, who had just returned from shopping at the grocery store, saw her husband's mouth
on the woman's mouth and slammed her husband in the back of the head with a bag of canned goods, knocking him out and cutting his scalp to a point where it needed stitches.
The noise woke the woman from her dead faint and she saw her neighbor lying on the floor with his wife bending over him, so she assumed that the snake had bitten him. She went to the kitchen and got a small bottle of whiskey, and began pouring it down the man's throat.
By now, the police had arrived.
Breathe here...
They saw the unconscious man, smelled the whiskey, and assumed that a drunken fight had occurred. They were about to arrest them all, when the women tried to explain how it all happened over a little garden snake!
The police called an ambulance, which took away the neighbor and his sobbing wife.
Now, the little snake again crawled out from under the sofa and one of the policemen drew his gun and fired at it. He missed the snake and hit the leg of the end table. The table fell over, the lamp on it shattered and, as the bulb broke, it started a fire in the drapes.
The other policeman tried to beat out the flames, and fell through the window into the yard on top of the family dog who, startled, jumped out and raced into the street, where an oncoming car swerved to avoid it and smashed into the parked police car.
Meanwhile, neighbors saw the burning drapes and called in the fire department. The firemen had started raising the fire ladder when they were halfway down the street. The rising ladder tore out the overhead wires, put out the power, and disconnected the telephones in a ten-square city block area (but they did get the house fire out).
Time passed! Both men were discharged from the hospital, the house was repaired, the dog came home, the police acquired a new car and all was right with their world.
A while later they were watching TV and the weatherman announced a cold snap for that night. The wife asked her husband if he thought they should bring in their plants for the night.
And that's when he shot her.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
You've GOTTA check this out!
I'm in love with this baby! He can't be more than a year old and already playing DJ. Check out the adorable video...
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Sick as a dog....
Man! I can't remember the last time I felt this sick. My whole body aches and I feel like a semi is sitting on my chest. Loaded up on cold meds. Hope they kick in soon...
Friday, October 16, 2009
Lucky me....
....I have the once in a lifetime opportunity to take advantage of male enhancement products!
Aren't these emails annoying? Apparently the people who send them don't check the gender of the person they're sending them to. What in the world do I need with make enhancement products?
Aren't these emails annoying? Apparently the people who send them don't check the gender of the person they're sending them to. What in the world do I need with make enhancement products?
Monday, October 12, 2009
Apple Harvest Festival!
What a beautiful day it was yesterday for the Apple Harvest Festival in Bigglersville! My friend Linda drove up from Jersey to check it out with me and we literally spent hours walking around, eating food and dancing along to some great music. If you've never been, you really should try to go next year. Apple Harvest Festival is the first 2 full weekends in October.
My friend Linda munching on pulled pork.
I LOVE pumpkin ice cream!
Thought this blanket was really cool.
Have scarecrow, will travel.....
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Back on the blogwagon.....
.....yep, I fell off the blog wagon, but I'm hopping back on. There've been so many things going on in my personal and professional life that I took a hiatus, so it does feel good to be writing again.
Let's see.....what's new?
I broke down and bought a Blackberry. Now I've become a crackberry!
My family came to visit twice this summer and both times they were here it was awesome! I'm hoping to get to NY to visit them and friends sometime before the end of the year. I've got 2 weeks of vacation to use up before the end of the year or it's gone. I don't get paid for unused days :(
I already know what I'm doing for my birthday and it's not until February. My very good friends Anne and Leo are getting married in Vermont on Valentine's Day, my birthday....so I'll be going to Vermont for the wedding. Two wonderful things wrapped up in one....my friends are geting married and I get to spend my birthday in my favorite place in all the world. How lucky can a girl get?!?
Still hating my house and wishing the market would get better so I can sell it and buy a bigger place. When I moved here, I didn't want a place that I'd have to fix up, so settled for a smaller new home. Since my work schedule has changed, I have time now to work on renovations in the afternoon, so I'm going to keep a fixer upper in the back of my mind as a possible next buy.
Gotta run....have an appearance at Shurfine in Spry.
Will write more tomorrow.....
Let's see.....what's new?
I broke down and bought a Blackberry. Now I've become a crackberry!
My family came to visit twice this summer and both times they were here it was awesome! I'm hoping to get to NY to visit them and friends sometime before the end of the year. I've got 2 weeks of vacation to use up before the end of the year or it's gone. I don't get paid for unused days :(
I already know what I'm doing for my birthday and it's not until February. My very good friends Anne and Leo are getting married in Vermont on Valentine's Day, my birthday....so I'll be going to Vermont for the wedding. Two wonderful things wrapped up in one....my friends are geting married and I get to spend my birthday in my favorite place in all the world. How lucky can a girl get?!?
Still hating my house and wishing the market would get better so I can sell it and buy a bigger place. When I moved here, I didn't want a place that I'd have to fix up, so settled for a smaller new home. Since my work schedule has changed, I have time now to work on renovations in the afternoon, so I'm going to keep a fixer upper in the back of my mind as a possible next buy.
Gotta run....have an appearance at Shurfine in Spry.
Will write more tomorrow.....
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
I'm horrible.....
It's been forever since I wrote and new blog. So much has been going on that I've not had time to sit down and write it all out, so here goes.....
I had jaw surgery in March. Every thing's good except for the occasional pain here and there.
I've dropped 10 pounds since I got sick in February. I've started working out and feel great. Another 10 pounds to go and I'll be happier with my body.
My sister is getting divorced. 21 years old with a baby. Feel for her.
I've been working like a maniac. 10 hour days most days and then taking work home. I'm working really hard on not working so much. It's just not healthy, not to mention my personal life is suffering.
I bit off all of my nails. Got really mad one day and chewed them off. I hate myself for doing that.
I've started wearing heels more often. Love the way they make me feel.
Fell in love with a new body spray. It's called Sexiest Musk. Yum.
Been to a bunch of concerts in the past 2 months- Bryan Adams, David Cook, Eddie Money and American Idols Live. My favorite was the Bryan Adams show. He's SO hot. Can't believe he'll be 50 this year. Looks like he's in his 30's.
I'm starting to feel unsettled again. Happens every now and then. Start thinking about my life and wondering if I'm really happy or not. Ever get feelings like that?
Really want to go to the beach.
Went shopping with a friend and she helped me pick out some clothes that make me feel great when I wear them.
Keep getting bills in the mail for my hospital visits in February. Keep paying off the bills as soon as they come in, but seems like every week there's a new charge popping up. Wonder if I'll ever have this paid off.
Thinking about moving. Been looking for a new house. It's not really such a buyers market as everyone says. Might move to York because taxes are cheaper there, as are the house prices. Although, I love where I live right now. Beautiful development with views of the mountains and river and a corn field in the backyard...but the house is too cramped and I'm not close to anything. Maybe I'm just too picky.
One of my brothers and one of my sisters (I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters) are planning a trip to see me. Hope they'll really be able to come. I miss my family.
Getting a bunch of money back in taxes. Yea!
I had jaw surgery in March. Every thing's good except for the occasional pain here and there.
I've dropped 10 pounds since I got sick in February. I've started working out and feel great. Another 10 pounds to go and I'll be happier with my body.
My sister is getting divorced. 21 years old with a baby. Feel for her.
I've been working like a maniac. 10 hour days most days and then taking work home. I'm working really hard on not working so much. It's just not healthy, not to mention my personal life is suffering.
I bit off all of my nails. Got really mad one day and chewed them off. I hate myself for doing that.
I've started wearing heels more often. Love the way they make me feel.
Fell in love with a new body spray. It's called Sexiest Musk. Yum.
Been to a bunch of concerts in the past 2 months- Bryan Adams, David Cook, Eddie Money and American Idols Live. My favorite was the Bryan Adams show. He's SO hot. Can't believe he'll be 50 this year. Looks like he's in his 30's.
I'm starting to feel unsettled again. Happens every now and then. Start thinking about my life and wondering if I'm really happy or not. Ever get feelings like that?
Really want to go to the beach.
Went shopping with a friend and she helped me pick out some clothes that make me feel great when I wear them.
Keep getting bills in the mail for my hospital visits in February. Keep paying off the bills as soon as they come in, but seems like every week there's a new charge popping up. Wonder if I'll ever have this paid off.
Thinking about moving. Been looking for a new house. It's not really such a buyers market as everyone says. Might move to York because taxes are cheaper there, as are the house prices. Although, I love where I live right now. Beautiful development with views of the mountains and river and a corn field in the backyard...but the house is too cramped and I'm not close to anything. Maybe I'm just too picky.
One of my brothers and one of my sisters (I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters) are planning a trip to see me. Hope they'll really be able to come. I miss my family.
Getting a bunch of money back in taxes. Yea!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Surgery Outcome
My surgery on Thursday went well, but I have to go back because they weren't able to get everything. So I've spent the past few days in bed doing nothing. I'm so drugged up that I keep forgetting things. For instance, I called my Mom and forgot I called her, so called her back to tell her everything I'd already said. I only know this because I was told that's what I did. In addition to the pain of the surgery, I've developed a bad cold. My entire body aches and my back hurts from laying on it, but when I sit for too long, I get dizzy. I've also been sleeping non stop since Thursday afternoon. I find that I can only stay awake for 2 or so hours at a time. Guess I really need the rest. It's nice to know the pain I've been in for so long has almost come to an end. Hopefully, I'll be able to beat this cold and the pain from the surgery will go down by Tuesday because that's when I've got to go back to work.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Meltdown
I kinda lost it last night. Ok, maybe not kinda. I had a complete and utter meltdown. I'm having extensive jaw surgery this morning and last night it all just caught up with me. I had one of those "somebody just died" cries. I'm thinking it was a combination of realizing how big my surgery is and getting no sleep this week. I've been averaging only 4 hours of sleep a night and I'm an 8 hour a night kinda girl, so if I don't get 8 hours....look out. This morning has been kinda tough because I can't eat or drink anything before surgery, so I'm not able to get my coffee fix. How do you get up at 3am and do a morning show without coffee?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Eddie Money and John Waite Concert
Went to see John Waite and Eddie Money at AMT. It was my first time at the theater and I've got to say- I was really impressed. It's such a nice venue and the best part? The seating! Nice big comfy seats with lots of room.
John Waite opened for Eddie Money and he was AWESOME! Totally enjoyed his performance. He did Missing You, of course and When I See You Smile and closed with a little song about a cafe and girl trying to become famous. I've got to see if I can find out that name of that song because I really liked it. (Sounded like something Shawn Mullins who sang Lullaby would sing)
Eddie Money started on time, which was nice because it's not usually the case. You know how you go to see a show and sit there forever waiting for the artist to make their way to the stage? Hate that. I was surprised to read that Eddie turned 60 yesterday because he looks a lot older, but still has a killer voice.
I have to admit, I'm not an album Eddie Money fan, meaning I don't know songs off his albums, only what we play on the radio but even when he was doing songs I didn't know, I found my foot tapping along. Loved when he picked up the sax- I'm a sucker for the sax.
John Waite opened for Eddie Money and he was AWESOME! Totally enjoyed his performance. He did Missing You, of course and When I See You Smile and closed with a little song about a cafe and girl trying to become famous. I've got to see if I can find out that name of that song because I really liked it. (Sounded like something Shawn Mullins who sang Lullaby would sing)
Eddie Money started on time, which was nice because it's not usually the case. You know how you go to see a show and sit there forever waiting for the artist to make their way to the stage? Hate that. I was surprised to read that Eddie turned 60 yesterday because he looks a lot older, but still has a killer voice.
I have to admit, I'm not an album Eddie Money fan, meaning I don't know songs off his albums, only what we play on the radio but even when he was doing songs I didn't know, I found my foot tapping along. Loved when he picked up the sax- I'm a sucker for the sax.
But then something happened......Eddie's daughter, Jesse took the stage. She'd been there the whole time singing back up, but Eddie walked off and Jesse took over. It was all a little confusing. I wasn't sure if I was at a talent show or strip show. The girl is beautiful and really has a nice voice, but she needs to calm down. Seriously, the girl was gyrating and groping herself and at one point my guy asked if I had any dollar bills. I can see how the guys in the audience would enjoy the performance, but for me, it was a little too much. A couple people walked out during her part of the show. I don't know if it's true, but I've been told Jesse is to thank for getting Eddie back into the concert circuit and if that's the case; kudos, but she still needs to tone it down!
Eddie with his daughter Jesse
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Lookng for a SUPER EASY dinner idea?
Here you go- something I've made myself many times and it's fast and easy.
You need:
Chicken Breast (I buy mine in bulk- the boneless, skinless frozen in a bag kind)
Lunch meat Ham (Store brand works well and is cheap)
Provolone Cheese (Again, store brand is cool)
Water (It's free!)
Olive Oil (You can get some cheap olive oil at Aldi- it's like $3 for a bottle0
Knorr's Pesto Sauce (I wanna say this is like $1.75 at the grocery store)
Chicken Broth (Store brand- I never pay more than 30 cents a can)
Before you go to work in the morning- put 1 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast per person in your crock pot. Cover with 1 can of chicken broth and set on low. When you get home from work, (carefully-the chicken will be really tender and might fall a part) take the chicken out of the crock pot and place on a baking sheet. Take a slice of thinly cut ham lunch meat and put over the top of the breast. Next put a piece of provolone cheese over the ham and chicken. Then whip up a packet of Knorr's Pesto Sauce (all you need is the sauce packet, water and some olive oil) and spoon a little over the chicken/ham/provolone. Pop in the oven (at the lowest setting- mine is 175 degrees) until the cheese melts.
I like to serve this with brown rice and broccoli, but I've also put the whole thing on a toasted roll and made a sandwich out of it.
Yum, yum, yum!
You need:
Chicken Breast (I buy mine in bulk- the boneless, skinless frozen in a bag kind)
Lunch meat Ham (Store brand works well and is cheap)
Provolone Cheese (Again, store brand is cool)
Water (It's free!)
Olive Oil (You can get some cheap olive oil at Aldi- it's like $3 for a bottle0
Knorr's Pesto Sauce (I wanna say this is like $1.75 at the grocery store)
Chicken Broth (Store brand- I never pay more than 30 cents a can)
Before you go to work in the morning- put 1 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast per person in your crock pot. Cover with 1 can of chicken broth and set on low. When you get home from work, (carefully-the chicken will be really tender and might fall a part) take the chicken out of the crock pot and place on a baking sheet. Take a slice of thinly cut ham lunch meat and put over the top of the breast. Next put a piece of provolone cheese over the ham and chicken. Then whip up a packet of Knorr's Pesto Sauce (all you need is the sauce packet, water and some olive oil) and spoon a little over the chicken/ham/provolone. Pop in the oven (at the lowest setting- mine is 175 degrees) until the cheese melts.
I like to serve this with brown rice and broccoli, but I've also put the whole thing on a toasted roll and made a sandwich out of it.
Yum, yum, yum!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Long or Short of It
Having a hard time deciding whether to grow my hair long or to keep it shorter. If you've ever had to make this decision, you know how hard it is. Help!!!! Which look do you think is better?
ps. Love my hairdresser, but he WON'T take me back to blonde. :( That's the one thing I'm really sure that I want to do.
Long:
Or short?
ps. Love my hairdresser, but he WON'T take me back to blonde. :( That's the one thing I'm really sure that I want to do.
Long:
Or short?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
What the Stimulus Means for You
A study of the recovery plan shows most households will qualify for a tax break. Boost for some could be worth several hundred to several thousand dollars.
Roughly 97% of American households could see tax savings as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to a new analysis by a nonpartisan research group.
The Tax Policy Center crunched the numbers and concluded that the average savings would be $1,179. But how much a household actually gets depends on income, marital status and whether a filer has children. The savings range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
The law, which President Obama signed on Tuesday, contains a range of tax breaks for individuals. Those likely to affect the greatest number of households are the new Making Work Pay credit worth up to $400 ($800 for joint filers); a patch to protect middle- and upper-middle-income families from having to pay the Alternative Minimum Tax; and expansions of the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit for low-income families.
There are also breaks that address specific situations: a new credit for first-time home buyers, a sales tax deduction for car buyers and a new credit to help pay for college tuition. For people receiving unemployment benefits, the first $2,400 will be tax free.
On Saturday, Obama said the government had already taken action on the broadest of the law's cuts -- the Making Work Pay.
The Treasury Department has told employers to reduce the amount of taxes withheld from paychecks by April 1. Treasury estimates that a typical family will begin taking home about $65 more per month, according to Obama.
"Never before in our history has a tax cut taken effect faster or gone to so many hardworking Americans," Obama said in his weekly video and radio address.
In addition, the economic recovery plan contains a host of tax breaks for small businesses.
The Tax Policy Center used a representative sampling of all tax filers and non-filers, including information on their income, their spending and their demographics. And then they applied the various tax provisions for which those in the sample pool qualify.
Some Tax-Saving Scenarios
A single person with no children making between $20,000 and $30,000 would see a 12.5% reduction in his or her tax liability for an annual savings of $453. The same person making between $50,000 and $75,000 would see a 4.6% drop, or $626.
How households may fare under the economic recovery plan.
Income Tax Saving Drop in Tax Bite
Under $19K Avg. $476 -95%
$19K-$38K $652 -22%
$38K-$66K $781 -9%
$66K-$112K $1,301 -7.5%
$112K-$161K $2,549 -8.3%
$161K-$227K $3,883 -8.3%
$227K-$603K $5,133 -5.7%
$2.8M plus $39,350 -1.4%
Source: The Tax Policy Center
At the upper income ranges, someone with income between $100,000 and $200,000 would see a 2.1% drop, which translates into $706.
With or without kids, a married couple filing jointly making between $50,000 and $75,000 could see a 10.5% drop for a savings of $991. Those making between $75,000 and $100,000 would see their tax liability go down 9.1%, or $1,457.
Couples with very high incomes -- between $200,000 to $500,000 -- could see a 7.5% decline in their tax bill, or $5,645.
Households with children, regardless of the parent's marital status, would see savings on their tax bill averaging 9.7% of their tax liability, or $1,975.
The first tax credit filers will enjoy is the Making Work Pay credit, which will show up in increments in people's paychecks starting in April.
In some instances, such as with the first time home buyer's tax credit, the money can be claimed on one's 2008 tax return if the home purchase occurs between Jan. 1 and before Nov. 30 of this year.
But in many cases, a household won't see some of their stimulus savings until they file their 2009 returns, which they can't do until 2010.
Of course what filers' save on their federal taxes under stimulus may be muted by the fact that their cities and states -- facing steep budget shortfalls that will be lessened but not eliminated by stimulus funding -- may end up raising taxes and fees.
Copyrighted, CNNMoney. All Rights Reserved.
Roughly 97% of American households could see tax savings as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to a new analysis by a nonpartisan research group.
The Tax Policy Center crunched the numbers and concluded that the average savings would be $1,179. But how much a household actually gets depends on income, marital status and whether a filer has children. The savings range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.
The law, which President Obama signed on Tuesday, contains a range of tax breaks for individuals. Those likely to affect the greatest number of households are the new Making Work Pay credit worth up to $400 ($800 for joint filers); a patch to protect middle- and upper-middle-income families from having to pay the Alternative Minimum Tax; and expansions of the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit for low-income families.
There are also breaks that address specific situations: a new credit for first-time home buyers, a sales tax deduction for car buyers and a new credit to help pay for college tuition. For people receiving unemployment benefits, the first $2,400 will be tax free.
On Saturday, Obama said the government had already taken action on the broadest of the law's cuts -- the Making Work Pay.
The Treasury Department has told employers to reduce the amount of taxes withheld from paychecks by April 1. Treasury estimates that a typical family will begin taking home about $65 more per month, according to Obama.
"Never before in our history has a tax cut taken effect faster or gone to so many hardworking Americans," Obama said in his weekly video and radio address.
In addition, the economic recovery plan contains a host of tax breaks for small businesses.
The Tax Policy Center used a representative sampling of all tax filers and non-filers, including information on their income, their spending and their demographics. And then they applied the various tax provisions for which those in the sample pool qualify.
Some Tax-Saving Scenarios
A single person with no children making between $20,000 and $30,000 would see a 12.5% reduction in his or her tax liability for an annual savings of $453. The same person making between $50,000 and $75,000 would see a 4.6% drop, or $626.
How households may fare under the economic recovery plan.
Income Tax Saving Drop in Tax Bite
Under $19K Avg. $476 -95%
$19K-$38K $652 -22%
$38K-$66K $781 -9%
$66K-$112K $1,301 -7.5%
$112K-$161K $2,549 -8.3%
$161K-$227K $3,883 -8.3%
$227K-$603K $5,133 -5.7%
$2.8M plus $39,350 -1.4%
Source: The Tax Policy Center
At the upper income ranges, someone with income between $100,000 and $200,000 would see a 2.1% drop, which translates into $706.
With or without kids, a married couple filing jointly making between $50,000 and $75,000 could see a 10.5% drop for a savings of $991. Those making between $75,000 and $100,000 would see their tax liability go down 9.1%, or $1,457.
Couples with very high incomes -- between $200,000 to $500,000 -- could see a 7.5% decline in their tax bill, or $5,645.
Households with children, regardless of the parent's marital status, would see savings on their tax bill averaging 9.7% of their tax liability, or $1,975.
The first tax credit filers will enjoy is the Making Work Pay credit, which will show up in increments in people's paychecks starting in April.
In some instances, such as with the first time home buyer's tax credit, the money can be claimed on one's 2008 tax return if the home purchase occurs between Jan. 1 and before Nov. 30 of this year.
But in many cases, a household won't see some of their stimulus savings until they file their 2009 returns, which they can't do until 2010.
Of course what filers' save on their federal taxes under stimulus may be muted by the fact that their cities and states -- facing steep budget shortfalls that will be lessened but not eliminated by stimulus funding -- may end up raising taxes and fees.
Copyrighted, CNNMoney. All Rights Reserved.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Why am I laughing....
....when I should be crying after the day I had today?
I locked myself out of the house this morning and had to place a "honey, I need you" call to get back into the house. You can imagine how that went over. I've got to remember to get a new battery for the garage door code puncher inner thingy so that this doesn't happen again.
I went to a meeting where my boss and I were the only ones to show up. Do we smell or something? We sat there for half an hour just looking at each other before we decided to ditch the meeting.
A sales person took a jab at what I was wearing (wouldn't you wear jeans and a sweat shirt if you had to clean out dirty vehicles?). He's an ornery old man who likes to pick on people littler than him (he's like 7 feet tall- so mostly everyone is littler than him). Some days are just better for jabbing than others.
My hair decided to really make me mad today by falling in my face. Sometimes it really knows how to push my buttons....
I got screamed at by not one but two people on the phone. I had no idea what they were talking about and tried to tell them, but they kept screaming. I hope they feel better. Their lungs really got a work out. No way I could work at a call center. Can you imagine getting screamed at by people all day long? That's why I start every call center conversation with "I know this isn't your fault, but...."
I broke a nail. If you're a recovering nail biter like me, you know why this is a big deal.
Got a bill from the hospital telling me I have no health insurance and that I have to pay them 2 grand for my hospital visit earlier this month. Uh. What's that I pay an arm and leg for each month? Oh yeah....HEALTH INSURANCE! I'm giving myself time to calm down before I call them.
AND then I was told some upgrading needed to be done on our website. No biggie, right? Wrong. Out of all the markets in the country, OURS was the one who's work didn't save. It's 8pm on a Monday night and I've just finished re-building everything I built on the web last night.
And here I sit laughing. My sides ache. I don't know why I'm laughing. I should be crying, but I can't stop laughing. Usually I'd cry. Maybe I've finally been broken. I kinda like this laughing thing. Sure beats crying...
I locked myself out of the house this morning and had to place a "honey, I need you" call to get back into the house. You can imagine how that went over. I've got to remember to get a new battery for the garage door code puncher inner thingy so that this doesn't happen again.
I went to a meeting where my boss and I were the only ones to show up. Do we smell or something? We sat there for half an hour just looking at each other before we decided to ditch the meeting.
A sales person took a jab at what I was wearing (wouldn't you wear jeans and a sweat shirt if you had to clean out dirty vehicles?). He's an ornery old man who likes to pick on people littler than him (he's like 7 feet tall- so mostly everyone is littler than him). Some days are just better for jabbing than others.
My hair decided to really make me mad today by falling in my face. Sometimes it really knows how to push my buttons....
I got screamed at by not one but two people on the phone. I had no idea what they were talking about and tried to tell them, but they kept screaming. I hope they feel better. Their lungs really got a work out. No way I could work at a call center. Can you imagine getting screamed at by people all day long? That's why I start every call center conversation with "I know this isn't your fault, but...."
I broke a nail. If you're a recovering nail biter like me, you know why this is a big deal.
Got a bill from the hospital telling me I have no health insurance and that I have to pay them 2 grand for my hospital visit earlier this month. Uh. What's that I pay an arm and leg for each month? Oh yeah....HEALTH INSURANCE! I'm giving myself time to calm down before I call them.
AND then I was told some upgrading needed to be done on our website. No biggie, right? Wrong. Out of all the markets in the country, OURS was the one who's work didn't save. It's 8pm on a Monday night and I've just finished re-building everything I built on the web last night.
And here I sit laughing. My sides ache. I don't know why I'm laughing. I should be crying, but I can't stop laughing. Usually I'd cry. Maybe I've finally been broken. I kinda like this laughing thing. Sure beats crying...
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Friday Night and I feel Alright
(That song has been stuck in my head since Friday night- hate when that happens!)
Went out Friday night with some friends for Tapas at Culturas (a restaurant inside El Serrano Restaurant). It was wonderful to hang out with friends and share some really good food!
On Saturday we celebrated my father in law's 77th birthday. Two years ago this month, we sat in a hospital in Reading and were told that Father (that's what I call him) was dying. Thankfully he wasn't plagued with the cancer the doctors told us he was and he's still here today.
Here's Father with me, my sister in law Linda, sister in law Debbie and mom in law Mary Ellen:
Father with the sisters and me:
Me with my sisters in law:
Me with my sisters and mother in law:
Giving Father his 77th birthday cake:
I'm sitting here now watching the Oscars. Opening scene with Hugh Jackman was pretty cool. Who knew Anne Hathaway has such a great singing voice? Did you see Angelina on the red carpet? She looks preggo again. How long do you think it'll be before we're told that she really is? Right now Jen Aniston is on stage presenting. Wonder how weird it feels for her to be on stage right in front of her ex husband (Brad's smack dab in the front row). She's so beautiful. Much more so than Angie, I think. Speaking of Angie, I watched some of Changeling with my sisters in law yesterday. GREAT movie! I was bummed we had to leave before I could finish watching it.
DMB is coming!!!! Just saw a commercial that had Dave in it and I did a google search to see if the dates for their tour had been released. They're playing Hershey on 7/24, but tix don't go on sale until 3/13. I have to memory bank that....have never been to a DMB concert which is pretty pathetic since they're one of my favorite bands.
It's 9pm and I'm pooped. There's no way I'm gonna make it through all of the Oscars....
Went out Friday night with some friends for Tapas at Culturas (a restaurant inside El Serrano Restaurant). It was wonderful to hang out with friends and share some really good food!
On Saturday we celebrated my father in law's 77th birthday. Two years ago this month, we sat in a hospital in Reading and were told that Father (that's what I call him) was dying. Thankfully he wasn't plagued with the cancer the doctors told us he was and he's still here today.
Here's Father with me, my sister in law Linda, sister in law Debbie and mom in law Mary Ellen:
Father with the sisters and me:
Me with my sisters in law:
Me with my sisters and mother in law:
Giving Father his 77th birthday cake:
I'm sitting here now watching the Oscars. Opening scene with Hugh Jackman was pretty cool. Who knew Anne Hathaway has such a great singing voice? Did you see Angelina on the red carpet? She looks preggo again. How long do you think it'll be before we're told that she really is? Right now Jen Aniston is on stage presenting. Wonder how weird it feels for her to be on stage right in front of her ex husband (Brad's smack dab in the front row). She's so beautiful. Much more so than Angie, I think. Speaking of Angie, I watched some of Changeling with my sisters in law yesterday. GREAT movie! I was bummed we had to leave before I could finish watching it.
DMB is coming!!!! Just saw a commercial that had Dave in it and I did a google search to see if the dates for their tour had been released. They're playing Hershey on 7/24, but tix don't go on sale until 3/13. I have to memory bank that....have never been to a DMB concert which is pretty pathetic since they're one of my favorite bands.
It's 9pm and I'm pooped. There's no way I'm gonna make it through all of the Oscars....
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