National Chocolate Day...Hurrah!!!!!!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! NATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY!! Time to get out the chocolate chips, chocolate bark, cocoa powder, chocolate syrup or whatever chocolate goodness you have and get baking! Enjoy these delicious chocolate treat recipes while you snuggle up with your favorite chocolate lab, while watching a chocolate cooking show, while wrapped in a chocolate colored sweater....because there's almost nothing better than CHOCOLATE!







Warm Brownie Pie (Comfort Food cookbook): http://www.almanac.com/…/cook…/comfort-food-warm-brownie-pie
Chocolate Mud Bars Recipe (Everyday Baking): http://www.almanac.com/…/cooking-…/chocolate-mud-bars-recipe

"Closed" Encounters of the 3rd Kind

It definitely was a "Closed" Encounter of the 3rd Kind.  Yesterday morning, many of the characters involved in the 4 month long saga gathered around a conference table to hear the words, "It's a wrap!"  Instead, after many explanations, signatures and sharing of funds, the red button took center stage declaring, "THAT WAS EASY!"  .........the understatement of the year.


All humor aside, Jeff and Lacie finally closed on their new digs.  It's been a long haul filled with ups and downs, a myriad of emotions and 14 weeks of living out of totes, suitcases and vehicles. We all learned about land use laws, insurance regulations, banking procedures, Medicaid ramifications, real estate rigamarole and the importance of surrounding yourself with competent professionals.  Thankfully, we had the latter in hand.


Now, what would normally be the tough part becomes the fun (easy) part.... renovating an early 60's home into the chic and classy home of a couple of 30 somethings and their nearly teenaged "Julz."  Thankfully, they have been residing with the consummate planner and have had the time to make lists, plan strategies and create some pretty cool projects for all things at the 4628!  Holiday time is upon us and a bit of urgency to get in will move the entire crew to sheet"rock and roll!"  That began minutes after the deal was sealed.


Updates to follow with some pretty cool transformations. Stay tuned!

Nothing is Certain

As they say, nothing is certain but death and taxes.  Through the years I've become a tad too cynical.. That's sad!  Outwardly, I'm the optimistic one in the family always saying, "Chin up, if it's meant to be, it'll happen, all good things take time, patience is a virtue....blah, blah, blah..  Sometimes, my heart is less than into it but my voice trudges on!  I'm a firm believer that we all need things to look forward to. It gives us purpose, a goal and often excitement in the adventure. Enough's enough already.. It's time for the kids to have their own home and the adventure to become a reality.....T-24 and counting... Please Houston.....no problems!


As for the certain uncertainties in life there are also some undeniable for-sures...Meant with a modicum of humor and a smidgen of self experienced reality, here are 5+:

 

1. A girl is said to be grown up when she starts wearing a bra. A boy is grown up when he starts removing it.

 

2. We all love to spend money buying new clothes but we never realize that the best moments in life are enjoyed without clothes.

 

3. Having a cold drink on hot day with a few friends is nice, but having a hot friend on a cold night after a few drinks - PRICELESS.

 

4. Breaking News: Condoms don't guarantee safe sex anymore. A friend of mine was wearing one when he was nearly shot dead by the woman's husband.

 

5. Arguing over a girl's bust size is like choosing between Molson, Heineken, Carlsberg & Budweiser. Men may state their preferences, but will grab whatever is available.

 

I haven't verified this on Snopes, but it sounds legit…A recent study found that women who carry a little extra weight live longer than the men who mention it.

Holding my breath (sort of) for 23 more hours.

In the Cloud

In this amazing age of technology, we have the opportunity to store everything in The Cloud.  Our documents, our blogs and most importantly our photos. The savvy gurus of the Internet extol the virtues of The Cloud in all it's glory.  The weather predictors all explain that along with the sun must come the clouds....it's the balance of nature. Well, I'm here to tell you that cloudy isn't always a good thing.  With the advancement of Science and Medicine comes the cataract and it's demise.  As you know, or maybe don't, cataracts are the clouding over of the lens in your eye...It's pretty much like drawing a sheer curtain over a window that invites you to a clear, sunny day.  Not really all that wonderful.  I remember my Dad having his "sheers" removed.  It entailed a hospital stay, limited or no activity for days...even weeks, patches on his eyes, repeated Dr. visits and days of rest. Wow, what a difference a few decades make.  I had surgery on my left eye (right done 2 years ago) last Wednesday.  Jeff unloaded me at outpatient Surgicare in Ithaca @ 6:15 a.m......first patient of the day.  After "checking in" and answering the same questions I had answered 4 times in the past 4 days, I was ushered to my bed, given a multitude of drops, asked the exact same questions again and poked in preparedness for a little "happy juice!"  More drops, same questions again from the anesthesiologist ( a peach of a guy) and the wheeled into the O.R. for a 5 minute slice and dice. Wheeled back out, given a little ginger ale to take a couple of pills and on my way home at 8:15.  No pain and the sheers had been pulled.  A day of lying low and continuing drops and I was good to go with no restrictions..... The only down side to the entire procedure is that my glasses (left lens anyway) aren't even remotely close to what I need.  Where before I had to have my phone nearly touching my nose to read texts, I now find I need my arms to be about 3 inches longer.  No new prescription until my return visit in 2 weeks... then wait for them to be made.  So for now it's bigger fonts, a little more TV and a little less reading, swatting at gnats in the air that are really just floaters from surgery and enjoying the fact that life can be better without the cloud! Take that Apple... it really does keep the Dr. away!

Fantasy "Island"

I thoroughly enjoy Fantasy Football.  We "win" nothing more than the occasional "atta boy/girl" for correctly drafting players, astutely choosing our weekly lineup and luckily finding our players healthy!  It keeps us all interested in more than just our favorite team.....which in my case would make a lot of Sundays (and Thursdays and Mondays) depressing.  I am a Bills fan..( sounds like an AA meeting) I'm not 100% sure why except for the fact that if you are a true fan, you hang in there through thick and thin....consecutive Super Bowl losses makes for a pretty thin line.  There are always games that remind you why you love your team and then there was yesterday.  My 2 favorite teams are The Bills and The Seahawks.  Then I would probably hang in there with the Jets and Giants if only to show allegiance to my state.............although they play in New Jersey:-(  All four of those teams lost yesterday :-(  That's why I love my FF.  I was avidly rooting for the Colts on Thursday nght as I have Andrew Luck as one of my QB's.  Who wouldn't want a player named Luck?  My benched QB was Joe Flacco and it ended up that he would have given me 10 more points than my Lucky QB....who knew.  Then there are injuries, drug tests and wife beatings.... Now who can predict those? 
Last season I did pretty well in the standings and this season, so far, I have had some respectable wins. 3-2...............................until yesterday.  I was pretty optimistic until my RB's and WR's faltered. My opponent and I only had Sunday daytime games so I knew I wouldn't have to wait for Monday night to see my fate.  It was 7:00 and the prime time games were over. I clicked on my FF iPhone app and saw this:
Oh crap..."ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY ! There's always next week on my Fantasy Island:-)

Cautiously Optimistic

Only 1/2 of my mouth is curving upward this morning.  The rest will join in when the kids have officially closed on their house.  The last major hurdle was jumped last night when the Locke Planning Board approved the boundary line change on the property they're (hopefully) buying. Now, to gather signatures from the family afar and close the deal.... Shhhhh! Next week will be a busy week but we'll manage to fit it in the schedule if the Gods see fit and so do the pieces of the puzzle.  Then the physical work begins and the mind and stress neurons can rest.  Tearing off wallpaper, ripping up carpet and banging out walls will be so therapeutic I can hardly wait...............to watch!  Cataract surgery mid week will put a damper on my physical contributions but I'm a really good foreman (woman.) and we have a plan....Shocker!


Keeping our fingers crossed for one more week and then (if we can physically uncross them,) work will begin to transform 4628 from a house to a home.... Let the good times sheetrock and roll:-)

A colorful day!

Yesterday was a day full of color...Green and Brown!  Tim Green ( SU and Atlanta Falcons football star turned writer) visited Millard Fillmore Elementary School.  He has just published his 30th book and this one was full of local flair.... One of the coaches in the books is the Dad of Corey Wasileski (reading teacher at MFES) and one of the coaches is "Coach Buzz Hewitt!"  Corey and I entered our dads in one of Tim's Facebook contests and we WON!   I invited Tim to speak at the elementary school and he graciously accepted.  Grades 3-6 were treated to a presentation by Tim all about the virtues of character, kindness and READING.  Tim took questions from the kids and stayed on to enjoy lunch with the contest winners from each 3-6 classroom...and Bailee and Abram... They were the ambassadors and greeters as their Grandpas were featured characters in the book.  Tim also donated hardcover copies of this book, First Team, to every student in grades 3-6....generous beyond words!!!
We're pretty excited about Grandpa Hewitt living on in Tim's book.  I'm assuming that my family and friends know what they're getting for Christmas ;-)


Yep, she was excited.....and he forgave her for saying her favorite football team was the Miami Dolphins;-)

Never too L.A.T. (E.)

I love John Tesh... A very wise man. The other night he discussed the new wave of lifestyle called L.A.T. (Living Apart Together......I added E for easily)  I listened intently.  They touted the idea that absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Many couples , especially in NYC, have such tiny studio apartments that when they get together, there is literally NO room for the partner and the costs for larger apartments are out of sight.  Couples married for years often sleep in different rooms as their acquired habits just don't jibe anymore.  One is in bed at 8.....the other at midnight.  One snores...........one doesn't.  One farts............one doesn't!  One tosses and turns.....one doesn't.  Well, enough about me:-) Many couples have different interests.  One likes to travel....one doesn't.  One hates the cold....one enjoys it.  Seriously, enough about me.  The following article gives credence to the positives in doing what makes you happy even if it isn't what many see as the "norm!"


http://www.tesh.com/story/love-and-relationships-category/can-you-be-together-and-separate-in-a-relationship/cc/13/id/25504


Check it out..... It's never too L.A.T.E. to do what makes it work:-)