Think Geek

The twins have placed a couple of orders with Think Geek. They are, as the " highly caffeinated monkeys" who run Think Geek call it: 100% Awesomeified.
The Geekers have some fun in every bit of the job... their emails are funny, their packing slips are funny... even their packaging is funny!

This is the bag of air pillow cushioning
"Free Monkey Breath Enclosed"

The shipping carton

A duodecahedron "Rubics Cube" type puzzle



These are the instructions on the box of the Duodecahedron puzzle

The puzzle instructions are... puzzling.

The boys also ordered a "World's Hottest Pepper" growing kit... and hope to be the proud owners of burned off mouths in a few months.
If you are shopping for something fun for someone hard to buy for... check out Think Geek. They have paper catalogs available as well as their online store.

Summer is here already?

The boys had a good birthday, I believe.

Around the house, we have had a breakdown chain. The switch we replaced in our fridge has already went out again... and I lost the receipt! It was an online purchase, so I'd have trouble finding where I ordered it. Then the microwave started zapping out on me as I was melting butter. tom tried it, with the same results. But later, it acted fine with a cup of water. So it is probably on its last legs. Then, the dishwasher. It is refusing to drain. After bailing it out, I used a plastic aquarium tube to siphon the remaining water from it. I should call the landlord on that one, it IS his machine.

I will be trying to fly down to DFW this coming weekend, to see my son and the rest of the family I have there. It may be my last opportunity to see him for awhile... perhaps even years.

I would say I have been battling depression the last few days, but honestly, I don't think I've put up much of a fight. Dissolving into tears at the drop of a hat... sometimes even dropping the hat myself. The twins, my "babies" turning 15 hit me even harder than my eldest turning 30 a few years ago. I am accustomed to being happy- just by personality. "Pollyanna" or Suzy Sunshine, most of the time. Feeling like this just sucks.

So I guess I should just "suck it up" and get on with things.

Mr C is going through one of our periodic moving manias. Looking at Moving To Ohio from every angle. Getting stuff sorted through, minimized, packed up.
Yeah, decluttering is good. Minimizing is good.
The packing up stinks... since it will all eventually have to be unpacked.
I have even gone so far as to start a couple of job applications in Ohio.
But it still feels like a rut to me. High centered. Wheels spinning, spinning, spinning... and getting nowhere.

2011 is half over. I was looking at a work periodical this morning from February. It took me a moment to realize that February is MONTHS behind us. Not just a couple of weeks, as it seems. Yikes.

Well, since I am rambling on and on about nothing, I may as well shut up. Hope you have a very blessed day!

Tomorrow is the big day...

My "babies" will be 15! They are starting their party early... tonight at 7:00... watching bad "B" movies (mostly old monster/horror flicks). Movies with special effects so bad, the boys wake me up shrieking.... with laughter.

Their first birthday gifts are scheduled to arrive tomorrow from ThinkGeek.com, followed by a delivery from Amazon on Saturday. Grandma Rose got them gift certificates to ThinkGeek, so they are having a wonderful time browsing the site today, and will probably continue to drool look over the site between movies tonight.

Tomorrow I have to stop by the grocery store to get the ingredients for their birthday dinner. Their final decision was Chicken Fajita Alfredo for the dinner, and Lemon Meringue Pie for dessert.

My idea for a 'big' gift was shot down... I wanted to take them to LegoLand in Grapevine, and stop by to see Chris while I was down there. Mr. C had a different gift in mind, but said I can go see Chris before August... just not this weekend. (Being the twins birthday as well as Father's Day.) Dad suggests that perhaps Ben and Tommy would like to take their brothers to LegoLand, seeing as how you can't get in if you are over 18, unless accompanied by a kid!

Tomorrow stands to be a major work day for me, as the store broke an all time record in sales this week. Most of the stock to replenish will hit Friday. (Tomorrow). Then I get to cook supper AND clean the kitchen as it is our tradition that you get your birthday off from chores.. Better eat my Wheaties!

Have a blessed day, and Thank you for reading.

Gee, THANKS, Arkansas....

Said in the sarcasm font...
I will be removing the Amazon links in my blog in a few weeks. I got a notice from Amazon that bloggers (and others) from Arkansas will no longer be eligible to receive fees from sales generated through their blogs, due to new State regulations.

Any income generated is already subject to being taxed, as is almost any form of income. But the new regulations taxing interstate commerce via the internet has caused Amazon to opt out of advertising their wares through bloggers in this state. So  my bloggy links will be disabled soon... and I will then remove them.
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The boys chose their birthday gifts from their Dad and I today. I added a little to what each boy asked for- items I knew they wanted. And both were concerned they were asking for "too much". Both chose items totalling less than $20. Always concerned about what things cost! And seriously, boys... you are probably the only soon to be 15 year olds on the planet who want ice trays for your birthday.
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I have a pot of beans on cooking for supper, and just made some amazingly delicious cornbread.
I think the recipe is already on the cooking blog... if not, I will add it as soon as I can. The guys will have about a sliver each with their beans- leaving most of the pan for me. I'm pretty sure I will do some fried taters to go with the beans as well.

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May you have a blessed day.

The Hocking Hills

Here is a link to the Ohio pictures taken while I was on vacation. I went in this afternoon and added titles to most of them.
I will be adding a video or two to the site also, you may have to click on the site header when you get there and look for the videos on the right hand side.

Didja Miss Me?

We are back from our Ohio trip. I didn't announce it on the blog or Facebook, since there was no one here to guard the casa. Even had a couple of blogs set to "auto-post" while I was gone. So, first up... Becky informs me that this was Her and Stephen's SIXTH wedding anniversary, not 5th. I stand corrected!

We had a great visit with family, and I even got to drive down to the southern part of the state and meet a long-time internet friend, Heather. She is the mother of seven girls. So far, none of our kids are matched up like Becky and Stephen were. Heather was really sweet, and a real person... not a troll nor axe murderer looking to stuff my body into a barrel in her woods. (My BIL suggested THAT charming scenario!)

As usual, we did a lot of hiking. Tom spent several day-trips at his brother's house, doing the small chores that his brother was neglecting in order to spend time with us after work. The boys went over with Tom a few times to fish, and to swim in the beautiful little lake across the road from his front yard.

On one of  their excursions over to BIL's, my MIL and I went to town ourselves. We visited a craft mall and a huge antique mall, as well as a Glass Factory Outlet. I got several "sandwich" plates, as this is the size plate almost everyone here reaches for rather than a "dinner" plate. Instead of picking a pattern... I chose all different plates. I have a nice variety to use for dishes on the food blog! It was a lot of fun for both of us.

Monday was the 13+ hour drive home. THAT wasn't all that fun. We made good time though, arriving just 13 hours and 5 minutes after leaving my MIL's house. It normally takes us 13 and a half hours, minimum. But we didn't take time out to "stop and eat"... instead having drive-thru McDonald's for breakfast, and a quick put together sandwich at a rest area while walking the dogs and having a potty break.

Tuesday I was right back to work, and actually ended up having a full day on the job, instead of three or 4 hours. Then there was grocery shopping, cooking supper, and starting endless loads of laundry. I didn't want to get out of bed this morning. I interrupted my walk after work today to have a nap!

For supper tonight, I plan on having the boys grill some chicken breast, and siding it with some Spinach and Mushroom Salad. (Maybe we will even grill the bacon for the salad... hmmm?)

I was just too tired to make it to the library today, so that is on tomorrow's agenda.

Have a blessed day, Thanks for reading!