Tomorrow is Saint Valentines’ Day , so I have dedicated this week’s random thoughts to Love and Valentine.  Some of the quotes may come from late night comedians including Jay Leno,  Jimmy Fallen , Tweet, Tweet.  Enjoy! 

• I learned I love picking through a box of chocolates looking for the caramel and nut ones, one tiny candy at a time. Or I could just buy a giant Snickers bar and get it over with. 
• I learned that the only Valentines I get in the mail are from Ed McMan.
• I know it is Valentine’s Day, when it’s time to go to a packed restaurant with hundreds of other couples.

• Today is Valentine’s Day – or, as men like to call it, Extortion Day!”  Jay Leno
• I learned if I give my hubby his card, and candy in the morning of Valentine’s Day, I’ll be sure to get one that evening. Signed in the car. 
• Here’s 10 pounds of chocolate, now go put on that negligee.

So when your hubby buys you lingerie for Valentine’s Day, whose gift is it really? 

• Roses are red, Violets are blue, the chocolates you gave me, gave me diabetes type 2.   Tweet

Monday night Guy tweet: I think I’ll stay home for Valentine’s Day and try to find the girls eliminated from The Bachelor on Facebook. 

• I feel bad for people who die on Valentine’s Day.  How much would flowers cost then, ten grand?  Jay Leno

Valentine’s Day is when a lot of married men are reminded what a poor shot Cupid really is. 

• When I said I didn’t want to do anything tonight, it didn’t mean I wanted to be alone while you acted like you just got a rose on the gay hillbilly version of the Bachelor!” Ellie to hubby ,Andy, who ditched her on Valentine’s Day for a guy’s night. (Cougar Town). 
• It is love, not reason that is stronger than death.  Thomas Mann
• You had me at, “babysitter.” 
• I got a Valentine’s Day card from my girl. It said, ‘Take my heart! Take my arms! Take my lips!’ Which is just like her. Keeping the best part for herself.   Robert Orben
• To love someone is to see a miracle invisible to others. Francois Mauriac
• Florist: I lost a whole sheet of flower orders. It’s cool I wrote better messages for all of them anyways.
• A bunch of my friends hate V-day so instead they celebrate “Singles Awareness Day”.
• I got my Valentine’s Day present early. Can anyone loan me a foot pump so I don’t have to blow her up? Guy Tweet
• If you make me yours, I’ll make you mine.
• What’s worse than no date and no gift is getting a bouquet of flowers from your mom.
• Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day?  Because the Card and Jewelry industries are  hurting a month and a half after Christmas.  
• Why are cute Valentine cards filled with bear hugs? I guess snail hugs are too slimy. 
• I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.  Roy Croft
• Love doesn’t make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile. Franklin P. Jones
• Here’s to love – the only fire for which there is no insurance.  
• Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. Peter Ustinov
• And when love speaks, the voice of all the gods makes heaven drowsy with the harmony.  Shakespeare 
• Love may not make the world spin around, but it certainly makes a lot of people dizzy.
• Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age. Jeanne Moreau 
• To love someone is to see a miracle invisible to others.  Francois Mauriac 
• I hope your husband will do special things for you on Valentine’s Day like open the door for you when you put the laundry in the washing machine or plug and unplug the vacuum as you move from room to room cleaning. 
• I tell ya, my wife was never nice. On our first date, I asked her if I could give her a goodnight kiss on the cheek – she bent over!  Rodney Dangerfield   
• It’s tough to stay married. My wife kisses the dog on the lips, yet she won’t drink from my glass! Rodney
• Last night my wife met me at the front door. She was wearing a sexy negligee. The only trouble was, she was coming home. Rodney
• When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing: either the car is new or the wife.  
• Valentine’s Day is getting a diamond from some dude named Jared… and we don’t mean the Subway guy.

The 45^th Super Bowl is behind us, and many are finished with all the hoopla, especially Dallasites.  Undoubtedly you have heard all about the fashions, the parties, the mishaps, the Dallas weather, the halftime show from many sports reporters & newscasters across the country and even the late-night talk show hosts.  

The celebrity packed Dallas area had a lot of news coverage to say the least.   But I wanted to give you a glimpse into the parties from a local, commoner’s perspective. 

I had the luck to be invited to Leigh Steinberg’s Super Bowl bash Saturday before the big game.  For those of you who are scratching your heads, Steinberg, who?  He’s the preeminent sports agent, known by many as the inspiration behind Tom Cruise’s character in Jerry Maguire.    Steinberg partiers get to;  “Show him the Money”  by participating in the fund raising party, Saturday before the Super Bowl.   His 25^th annual Super Bowl party was held at Eddie Deen’s Ranch in downtown Dallas.  

Steinberg said, “This party is the Super bowl of people-watching.  The Super Bowl is a convention of Americana.  It is the largest meeting ground available. Our party gives us the ability to mix the world of business and entertainment with the world of sports.”

The event was plugged as “the party” to see big names on the “Green Carpet” such as Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, Jerry Jones and President George W. Bush, Jennifer Aniston, Adam Sandler, Serena Williams, Emmitt Smith and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.  A teaser was also announced that there would be a Jerry Maguire reunion as Jay Mohr, Cuba Gooding Jr and Regina King would be at the party. There was also an invite out to Tom Cruise.

Cruise, Aikman…enough said.  Count me in.  Spying on the rich and famous at a pre Super Bowl party sounded like a fun Saturday night.  After all, half the western world seems obsessed with star watching and besides my favorite hockey team was out-of-town that evening.   With my iphone camera in hand, we cruised to the event.

We arrived at the party in no time, with no traffic issues per se, and valet parking right at the front entrance, so less walking in my genuine Cowboy boots.  The downtown area was hustling with fans and party goers and people anxious to get out after being snowed in the last few days.  Every corner of downtown Dallas leading to the Ranch (across from the Convention Center) was marked by four police cars with flashing blue and red lights.  The atmosphere was electric…pretty exciting so far. 

The ESPN mobile unit was set up outside.  Muscle men security guards were stationed at the front doors.   My friend, Mike, knew the security detail at the green carpet entrance.  We proceeded directly to that entrance, only to be politely turned away to the commoner entrance.  Contacts or not, this was serious celebrity safeguarding. 

Once inside the party was hopping in an all Texas-style fashion with live Country music, plenty of boots and cowboy hats, live bulls, and nice touches like custom cigars, plenty of sports paraphernalia to bid on, and plenty of bars to belly up to. 

I was feeling special, and this was a pretty exclusive thing.  Our arrival boosted my self-importance, at least momentarily, but that was easily neutralized. 

After an hour or so of walking around looking for celebs to snap photos of (yes, I saw Leigh Steinberg himself, &  a glimpse at Roger Staubach , Serena Williams, and a few other ex Pro-athletes  ) I was starting to wonder where we could rub elbows with the VIPs?  There were more commoners, like me, than celebs. 

I was excited to see tweets coming though on my phone; “Word at the Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl party: former President George W. Bush is on his way here”     WooHoo.  I couldn’t wait.

A little while later a certain ESPN reporter tweeted , “President George W. Bush has apparently arrived at the Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl party. Secret Service is sweeping the building now.” 

Really?  Where?  Yes, we were cleared outside an area of a room for a while, but when I asked, it was because someone named “Tony” had a heart attack and the ambulance drivers needed a clear path to get in.   A quick peek outside and I saw an ambulance, but no motorcade. 

After a while, we realized that there was “another room” beyond the double doors where the VIPs mingled with other VIPs.  They entered the building through the green carpeted entrance. 

From our party room, I got a few glimpses into the double doors as a passerby was let in the VIP section.  The comments around me, “ Is that what’s his name?”   Feeling like a snotty outsider kid, peeping into the inner sanction I quickly returned to the commoners section where occasionally a VIP passed through. 

All night my friends at home kept tweeting and texting me, “Send me pixs.”  “Who have you seen?”   As the night grew older, I realized this ordinary guest wasn’t going to be allowed into the VIP areas without a special VIP name or VIP badge.  I had neither. 

Don’t get me wrong, the Eddie Deen’s Ranch was great and the party was packed, but the celebrity watching and mingling was negated by several levels of sectioned off VIP areas.  The more popular the VIP the worse the celebrity inner sanction was.  I’m not a celebrity stalker dudette , but I’m quite certain that if you were , and you were in the VIP room , it would have been every stalker’s fantasy.

The commoner’s areas of this huge party always came to a collected halt when rumors of a “celebrity in this part of the house” passed around.   With camera in hand, my finger on the button, I quickly snapped a blurred blob as “he/she” passed by.   “Who was that? “   Click. Click. Click.  “And him?” Click. Click.   “Oh, I know her, she’s ….”   Click. 

I’m not too worried that I’ll never touch “stars”, because the stars are up in the sky, and I’m down here on earth.

With that said even if the party was lacking in celebrity gawking and elbow rubbing; the Texas atmosphere, the attendees and awesome fundraising made this party redeeming.   This event was thrown to raise money, so I’ll give it thumbs up, and if anyone important at Leigh Steinberg’s is reading this, I’ll be happy with an invite to next year’s Super Bowl Party.

 Have you met a Celeb/VIP?  Did you gawk or take a photo together?

NOTE:  Photos of Pam with Celebs coming.  Stay tuned. 

Recently, I spent a few meals in New Orleans.  It is true, whenever I get an opportunity to go to New Orleans; I measure my travel there in “meals” versus “days”.  For over two decades, I have had the pleasure to travel to New Orleans for business.  I have been fortunate to have seen the city during Mardi Gras, post Mardi Gras (the colorful strands of beads speckled the streets and trees), before Katrina, post Katrina (by several days, when cars, boats, and furniture were washed up on the sidewalks) and even now after the gulf oil spill (the Gulf oysters are plumb and flavorable).  The food is amazing. While other cities I travel to grow increasingly dull with chain restaurants in strip shopping centers,  Nawlins continues to display its own culturally entertaining world where food is a religion.  

Where else can you go and eat unbelievable cuisine at a funky neighborhood bar or at the grandest haute restaurant? And where celebrities, locals, businessman, and Jeff & Jane from Nebraska wait in line wrapped around Canal Street for a table at a restaurant that doesn’t take reservation.  My dilemma has always been there’s a myriad of foods to choose from jam-packed in only a few days. 

Sea scallops swimming in mushroom risotto, sizzling oysters on have shell, blackened fish, deep fried beignets covered with powdered sugar, Seafood po’boys, muffuletta, Cajun gumbo (a catch-all stew filled with seafood & spices), crawfish etouffee, turtle soup, bread pudding with whiskey sauce and creole jambalaya; the attraction to New Orleans food is only surpassed once a year by the Mardi Gras Parade. 

I usually branch out and go beyond the bars/restaurants on Bourbon Street.  But you could easily spend weeks at the French Quarter and still never scratch the surface of all the great gastronomic and cultural experiences.

Tujaques (pronounced “Two-Jacks”) is one of the oldest restaurants in the United States.  My story with Tujaques started eight years earlier when a former boss on hearing I was going to New Orleans for a business meeting, told me he had gone to Tujaques with a local “regular” and in turn he was given the VIP treatment.  He said the key is to go in the restaurant and instead of ordering off-the-menu just tell the waiter these two words; “Feed Me”.  And they’ll know what you’re talking about.  “The food will keep coming all night”, he said.  “Whatever the chef feels like whipping up in the kitchen, they’ll bring it out to you.”  He told me he had 5 courses including a side of homemade brisket with horse radish, and the tenderest fried chicken with garlic potatoes.   It is true they do have a “prix fixe” or “feed me” menu, but they provide this to all diners.  I never did tell him, even to this day, that this is a price set menu, which is served each evening with several courses.  VIP or not, everyone gets brisket chunks in horse radish. I let him think he was like a food critic in disguise, where really his ruse was known.  However, an insider tip, the “chicken dish” is not available on the menu, so for a “feed me” experience, you should order it.

 Unlike most of the places on your list to travel, which are tourist worthy for the sights, New Orleans combines two distinctive reasons to visit: the food and the culture.  Your taste buds will thank you. 

Another holiday season is upon us, and I have noticed a trend in the gift exchange at parties; White Elephants.   No, not the very large kin to the gray animal, but a tacky, outrageous, often re-gifted item.  

Maybe the economy has compelled the party hostesses to invite their guests to bring thrift store items to swap with other party goers over the traditional cookie or ornament exchanges or maybe it is for the sheer fun of it.   For whatever reason, the White Elephant exchange is sure to bring a laugh or two at any holiday party. 

The idea behind a White Elephant Exchange is to bring a wrapped, obnoxious gift that most people would not choose as a gift item.  A white elephant gift is usually a gift that is funny, creative, and the best white elephant gifts are a little bit inappropriate or irreverent. Usually a swapping of the gifts takes place based on the numbers the guests draw from a hat.  When a guest opens your gift, you know they are sincere when they say, “Wow, I’ve never received that before!” 

While in search of your White Elephant gifts, think of that SkyMall magazine you have read on airplanes.  Don’t you always wonder who uses this stuff anyway?  A White Elephant is your chance to re-gift those items you’ve collected over the years that are still in their packages stuff in your closet or basement.

Have you attended a White Elephant gift exchange? What was your favorite White Elephant gift? 

We have held a few White Elephant exchanges and here are some of the words used in the invite. 

“Bring a white elephant (an onerous, obnoxious gift) you can spare,

and we’ll trade your Sh*t with someone who may care.

 One man’s trash, is another man’s treasure,  

the bigger the laugh, the greater the pleasure.

 So bring a gift, no need to spend a dime,

if it’s useful or pretty, you’ve committed a crime.”

The fun in a White Elephant exchange is not only in receiving and trading the gifts, but also in hunting down and selecting the gift. 

In addition, if you really want to liven up the party consider requesting your guests go “green” and wear a tacky sweater they have hidden away in their closet.  You know the ones you didn’t throw out because someone knitted it for you. The tackier, the more hideous, the better! Nothing says cheer and glee than Snowmen, Santas and bells made out of yarn, sequins and applique, especially if they outshine the Christmas tree!

Have fun!  And let me know any suggestions for a White Elephant gift you have? 

I have included some ideas for your White Elephant gifts to make the exchange fun and so you won’t feel flummoxed when it comes to finding a random, but ever-so-thoughtful gift for your next exchange. 

• A package of batteries, with a note attached that reads, “Toy not included.” (Pretty clever, and still useful!)
• Long Live the King.  Anything Elvis.  An Elvis Stocking that plays Blue Christmas, Elvis Stacking cups, Elvis ornaments.
• Reindeer Poop.  Place malted milk ball candies (such as Whoppers) in a plastic baggy and attach this poem,  “I was too lazy so here’s the scoop, the gift you’ve won is reindeer poop!”
• Peruse the drug store aisles for usual items, like ear wax removal drops, or mustache bleach. These bizarre gifts are funny, and maybe even something your guest need but don’t want to admit it!
• Paul Frank Flannel Pajama set (that cute Monkey) at Target  $24.99
• A Big Foot Holiday ornament (or something similarly outrageous)
• Silk boxers with funny designs
• 36 Count Package of Toilet Paper It will most likely be the largest gift at the exchange, & something everyone could use.  (Make it the double rolls and give away 72 rolls of TP)
• “I Love Lucy” puzzle, or the “Brady Bunch” Game or a Star trek or Battlestar Galactic Calendar. 
• A broken ceramic holiday knick knack and a tube of superglue.  Even if the broken piece is missing, the glue is still useful! (Or break off the handle on a ceramic coffee mug and include it with the glue and the handle.)
• Cookie Decorating Kit (Cookies and icing included)
• Graphic T-shirts from the local Thrift Shop.
• A neck massager, candles, bubble bath and a bottle of sparkling wine.
• The Office Overtime Digital shorts Collection DVD (Everybody needs a pressure-valve release after a long day at the office and these “not seen on TV” video shorts will do the trick!  $15
• Hand mold kit.  (Especially if the party includes couples with children.)
• A live fish.  (Don’t forget to include a bowl and fish food.)
• Fruitcake (You’ve heard about the Fruitcake that gets wrapped up each year and the same one shows up over and over.)
• Striped socks with toes
• Magic tricks
• Chia Pet Plants, The Clapper,
• An armadillo beer can holder
• S’Mores & Hot Cocoa. A bag of marshmallows, chocolate bars, instant cocoa and a box of graham crackers.
• Pogo stick or Hoola Hoops
• Shake Weights

Please post what gifts you have received?  or the ones you have given that have gotten a good laugh?  Let me know so I plan for my next exchange!  Happy Gift Giving!

Thanksgiving Eve

I woke up this morning and thought to myself, this does not feel like the eve of Thanksgiving.  But, it is the Wednesday before the last Thursday in November and it is the day the rest of the kin arrives from out-of-town plus the Today Show confirmed that “today is the busiest travel day of the year.”  Yep, tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  

Most families have special foods that they serve on Thanksgiving, but this year we agonized over what meal to serve to the clan before the big Turkey Day meal.  Since we had relatives visiting we haven’t seen in years we ruled out takeout Chinese or Pizza Delivery.  Our culinary talents could do better.  So how about a buffet?  And do we use paper plates or the good China?  Do we save the beautiful centerpiece for the big day or use it on the “Eve”?  Placemats or tablecloth? What will we do without the football games on TV playing in the background?

We were so busy planning the Thanksgiving feast and making final preparations that the Thanksgiving Eve meal slipped past us.   No problem.  Thanksgiving eve needs its own traditions.  And today we will start them. 

For most families, Thanksgiving represents a wide range of traditions that are carried out; from the special recipes we eat once a year to backyard flag football, to the Macy’s Day parade,  to Charades or planning out your Black Friday shopping spree.   Whatever your family traditions and foods are, Thanksgiving is more about family togetherness than it is about turkey and pies. 

What I like about Thanksgiving is that is an American holiday that everyone can celebrate.  Other than the turkey and cranberry industries, nothing is being marketed in the stores.  No gifts, no candy or costumes.  It’s all about family and food and traditions.  

In our family, everyone has a role, from carving the bird, to setting the table, to making the pies, we all contribute to the meal.    Tomorrow when the great day dawns, I am reminded of the many hours of food labor, set before us but soon delicious aromas will fill every nook and cranny of our home from baked pecan pies to the twenty pound turkey basting in the oven.  From canned cranberries to jellied cranberry molds, from hams to yams, everyone has a Thanksgiving favorite food tradition. 

The cast characters change over the years- but no matter how big or small, our table always has room for family and friends.  This year our unpretentious kitchen will produce a big Thanksgiving number.  With relatives and guests from Houston, Phoenix, St Louis and Pittsburg, we will all gather for a day of eating spree and fun festivities and of course; the Dallas Cowboy’s football game.

To me, Thanksgiving is more than a big feast, it’s about homecoming and reunions with family and friends, where family traditions are performed and kin reconnect.

So whether your table is set right out of House Beautiful or whether it’s paper plates and mismatched stemware, it’s a table where your family gathers to give thanks.   I’m thankful I live in such a wonderful world with the people I love.

What are you thankful for? What are your favorite traditions?  What are your favorite foods?

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

You can still find award winning quilts, pigs and pies at the State Fair this season, but based on the long lines at the concessions; the FOOD is the main attraction.   

Don’t get me wrong, I love to see the happy faces of the 4-H kids standing next to their blue-ribbon farm animals and handmade quilts, but setting aside livestock, rides and games, it’s really the food that draws most of us to the Fair.  And why shouldn’t it, there’s so much to sample!   

The Fair comes only once a year, so why not enjoy “food with no rules” for a day?   Our common senses are checked at the turnstile when we enter the fair; calories don’t count at the fair and there’s no such thing as a rip-off.    

Everyone loves the idea of a Fair, and no one more than me!   

Here’s a taste of some of the foods you can try at Fairs across the country this season:  

Funnel cakes, Corn dogs, cotton candy, caramel apples, donut bacon cheeseburger (A bacon burger wedged between two glazed Krispy Kreme donuts), kettle corn, maple bacon cupcakes,pizza, Turkey legs, patty melts, calzone, five pound gummy bear (only $25.), chicken fried bacon, spiral potatoes, fudge, ice cream, bacon and cheese mashed potato bites, frozen lemonade, Pigs in the mud (chocolate covered bacon)  Koolickles (a dill pickle marinated in Cherry Kool-Aid), meats-on-a-stick (pork chops on stick) and of course , just about every type of food DEEP FRIED; fried alligator, fried snickers, fried Oreos and Twinkies, fried butter, fried ribs,  fried cheese pizza, fried chocolate strawberry waffle balls , fried Honey Bun, fried pickles, fried cheese curds, Texas fried Frito pie, fried snickers, fried smore, fried club salad, fried Chips Ahoy cookies, fried grilled cheese, fried peanut butter & jelly sandwich , fried cheesecake, fried pies, fried cookie dough, fried peaches and cream, fried pumpkin, and even fried beer!   

What I learned in life:    

• I learned the bigger the stuffed toy prizes are, the louder the midway vendors yell.
• Pig Racing at the State Fair; Squealy Nelson beats Snoop Hoggy Hog, Hamma Montana, & Christina Hoguilera. Swines racing for oreos?  Hmmm, sounds like the midway. 
• I learned you can even get your teeth whitened in between tastings of deep fried stuff.  Check out the dental demo.
• I learned to avoid the Twilt-A-Whirl area after dinnertime unless you don’t mind schlepping through vomit.
• What the cotton candy machine malfunctioned? That could leave a very sticky situation in the hands of fair officials. he he. 
• I learned Fair food vendors do things that no chef or person in the real world would dare. 
• I learned there’s lots of shopping, and things you can really use, like – an Armadillo Beer Holder. 
• An impulse buy, at the Fair…a hot tub? Why not?  I’ll take it! Load it into my car, water and all.
• A favorite thing to do at the Fair is to go to the children’s petting zoo…even if I did almost get eaten by a giraffe this year.
• I wasn’t even that close to that giraffe.  Wow, do they have long tongues. Seriously that’s my arm.  Hey, really…quit that.  I’m not lunch.    
• I’m pretty sure that was a drive-by sliming by some random, saliva-foamed mouth of an identified animal at the petting zoo.
• I learned at the Fair, size does matter.  Miniature sized animals, like pigs, are too cute, but oversized bunnies, not so cute. 
• I learned if you’re ever feeling down about yourself, go to the state fair and look around.
• I learned that roosters can “cock-a-doodle-do” pretty much constantly, not just at dawn. 
• Fried P&J, is it a meal or a dessert? 
• Deep fried butter!  Isn’t that one of the signs of the apocalypse?
• Whoever came up with deep fried Oreos should win the Nobel Prize.  I’m just saying.
• After five different fried foods and the cholesterol coma sunk in, my feet were draggin to the next food vendor. 
• Outrageous food item at some of the State Fairs this year is a burger patty between 2 Krispy Kreme donuts.  WTF?  My arteries are clogging just thinking about it.
• Corn dog pizza, really?  Apparently this food vendor wanted to save fairgoers the trouble of having to choose between pizza and corn dogs.

Corndog Pizza

• Speaking of food – butter anyone?  Every year, someone does a giant sculpture out of butter.  Where’s the giant popcorn sculpture? 
• I learned the Fair is not for the faint of heart.
• I learned I am getting too old when some of the fair rides feel like mild forms of torture.   
• Stuffing yourself with pizza and fried foods and then riding the rides is not an ideal combination. 
• Step right up and get your fried foods right here. Greasy, artery-clogging fun for all.
• Does Crisco sponsor the State Fairs?
• Hey, did I mention the fried Oreos are the bomb? 
• If you’re headed to the State fair, drink a Crisco smoothie to prep your innards. 
• Hello ginormous turkey leg and random fried foods! After eating everything, I need to go on a holistic retreat to purge.
• I learned people will wait in line for hours to be spun around and dangled upside down.
• I learned people will easily drop a C-note on various games involving darts, rings and softballs, in order to win a 5 dollar prize.
• Dad with eyes rolled up in his head, “7 hours at the State Fair, what have I done to deserve this?”
• You know you’re getting old when all your favorite bands are reduced to playing at the State Fair in 20 years.
• Pickles & funnel cake?  Enough said?
• I am like a binge-eater-let- loose-at-the-Texas-State-Fair-after-a- Paula-Deen-marathon.
• What there’s no Deep Fried Sloppy Joes? 
• Just watching the ride that looks like a whirling giant octopus being electrocuted while clutching its victims, um, I mean riders, makes me nauseous. 
• How far will they go with the stick-impaled snacks? Camel on a Stick in Minn? Huh? 
• The Texas State Fair isn’t the only place with some weirdo fried goods that will blow your arteries away.  Wisconsin has fried cream cheese and bacon.  Mmmmm.
• Someone call 911 for these guys in line for the donut burger.  Next booth, open heart surgery.   
  

  Krispy Creme Donut Burger. Hold the mayo, I'm dieting.

• And this donut burger; what genius looked at a burger and thought, “You know what this is missing? Krispy Kremes donuts?” 
• So how do they top this year’s Fair foods? 

PS I really do love the art and livestock too!  

Head to your State Fair and enjoy a tradition, and don’t forget to try some deep fried foods that shouldn’t be fried.   Whatever state you live in, the Fair is sure to offer the sweetest, chewiest, gooiest, creamiest, messiest, crispiest, crunchiest, greasiest, saltiest, most awful for you, and yet irresistible foods!   Enjoy the Fair this season!  

What’s your favorite food at the Fair?  What’s your favorite thing to do at the Fair?  What other foods shouldn’t be fried?     

Fixin to Eat Fried Beer

Fried Beer is Disgusting

Fried Peaches and Cream ...Wonderful!

Fried Grilled Cheese with a side of fried Club Salad

Deep Fried Butter Stand from Indiana State Fair

The tamest ride at the Texas State Fair, The Ginormous Ferris Wheel!

Howdy Folks, I'm Big Tex wearing size 70 boots & a 75-gallon hat!

Autumn reminds me of Goldie Locks eating porridge at the Three Bears house.   Summer is too hot.  Winter is too cold and gray.  But autumn is just right; I could eat it all up! 

The long, lazy hazy days of summer draw to a close and make way for the cool, crisp autumn air and the sunshiny days.   And I love it!  The arrival of fall conjures up so many warm and cozy feelings for me.   What do you like most about the fall season?

I love the autumnal aromas of pumpkin, roasted chestnuts, baked apples, cinnamon and spice and at night hints of woodsy, smoky smells from bonfires floating in the open windows. 

I love how the landscape of green trees and countryside change to vibrant yellows, oranges and ambers.

I love how the early morning sounds of the high school marching band practicing and the train horn whistling travel for miles. 

I love The State Fair, corn dogs, Hay rides, pumpkin patches, Friday Night high school football, ice hockey and volleyball.

I love the tastes of autumn and eating ourselves silly; apple pies, turkey, squash with buttered brown sugar, chili and corn bread, caramel apples, hot cocoa with marshmallows, smores and monster themed cereals like booberry and count chocula. 

I love autumn and busting out my sweaters and boots. 

I love how by just stepping on one crunchy leaf this time of year can conjure up childhood memories of raking leaves into huge piles and jumping into them feeling the crisp maple and oak leaves bustling all around us. 

What do you like the most about the fall season?    What’s your favorite thing to do in autumn?

Here’s what I learned in Life and other random moments and thoughts:

• Every time I take a sip of my Starbucks pumpkin spiced latte, I am taken back to many years of autumns. Time machine-in-a-cup!
• A mom yelling, “Point! Point!” at the top her lungs at her son’s hockey game is trying to shout an offensive play for him to shoot the puck to the defenseman at the point.   A mom yelling, “Point! Point!” at the top of her lungs at her daughter’s volleyball game is trying to tell the girls keeping score that they missed a point on the scoreboard because they were chatting. 
• CPSC has recalled 10 million Fisher Price toy gym sets because of a choking hazard.  How big are these kids anyway?  
• The ONE thing I hate about Autumn. . . . . . Daddy Long Legs. Yuk.
• Skin crawling news, bedbugs attacking hotels and stinkbugs attacking the Midwest.  Double Yuk! 
• Bedbug registry?  Really?  You can call ahead to make sure your hotel doesn’t have any bedbugs registered.   
• That gives all new meaning to the bedtime rhyme, “Good night, sleep tight,
  Don’t let the bedbugs bite.  And if they do, Then take your shoe, and knock ‘em ‘til   They’re black and blue!” 
• This time of year my summer clothes are replaced in my overflowing closet with fall clothes.   Honey, don’t make me choose between you and my boots. 
• Other reasons to love autumn, men in flannel.
• Tough choices to make last week on the Fall lineup; Sheldon’s first date on Big Bang Theory or Betty White on Community.  Hmmmm.  
• S#*! My dad says, for heaven sakes, just shut up.  If you have nothing funny to say, what’s the point?
• I learned that the teenager new term for dating is, “We’re talking”.
• The economy is so bad Jimmy Choo is shopping at Payless.
• I learned it is not so comforting, when my seatmate, an elderly lady crosses herself when our plane takes a sudden drop.
• I learned I should look at the elevator floor buttons BEFORE the door shuts.  I got in an empty elevator to go downstairs from the 27^th floor and all the buttons were pushed going down.
• I learned the Ihop cheesecake pancake breakfast is a total calorie explosion.  Anytime you use the word “cake” twice in a breakfast food you know it cannot be good for you!
• Teen breaking up with your girlfriend the night before Homecoming dance by texting her is not cool, especially if the girlfriend doesn’t have a text messaging plan, paying .20 to get dumped.
• Never jump into a pile of leaves with a wet sucker. ~ Linus

What do you like the most about the fall season?    What’s your favorite thing to do in autumn?

It felt like a thousand degrees outside.  Thank god, I was already 4.6 miles into my 5 mile run. I was almost at my goal.  My body glistened from head to toe in sweat, my side had a stitch, my left knee ached – but the focused person that I am, I kept going. 

Despite the pain, I couldn’t believe the incredible pace I was running.   I turned the corner knowing the finish line was near.  I picked up my pace.  This could be my PB (personal best). 

Springsteen’s “Born to Run” was blaring on my Nike connected iPod and was briefly interrupted by a voice that said in my ear, “… point four miles until your goal”.   I was on a runner’s high, pure euphoria and nothing could stop me.  I focused on my steps on the gray pavement. 

I clomped forward in the bright Texas morning.    I was nearing a turn off from the street and onto an alley lined parkway ahead.  Each alley was surrounded by eight foot wood fences that led to the backyards of my neighbor’s houses. I looked over now and then and saw the backs of my neighbor’s houses whizzing by.  But for one second I looked up and caught a glimpse of it,  almost too late; a silhouette of a five foot tree that was dangling out from the back of the boring alley.   

But wait.  Halt.  I put on the sneaker brakes.   “Was that a Gardenia tree?”  Could that lush waxy green pint size tree be sprinkled with fragrant white gardenia blossoms?  Without hesitation, and forgetting to pause my iPod, I backed up and approached the large bushy tree and stuck my nose right into the white fragrant flower and its magnificent aroma filled my nostrils.  “Ahhhh, yes, gardenias.” 

Over the years I had stumbled upon dead frogs, smashed snakes, the smell left behind from a wayward skunk, dozens of rabbits and once shared my path with a coyote.   It never fazed me.  I kept on running, like the energizer bunny. I kept right on going and going.   So why stop now?  For a flowery bush? 

“This smells so gooood!” I said out loud, still bent over sniffing the sweet flowers swallowing their smell and feeling much happier than I had been all morning and forgetting for the moment the pains afflicting my runner’s body.

I had always loved the smell of gardenias.  I had even tried growing a Gardenia bush or two over the years.   My black, clay soil and my black thumb prevented them from surviving.  I learned that not too many temperamental Gardenia bushes survived the hot Texas sun.  

I pondered for a few more moments and then returned to my run.  I wouldn’t make my PB that morning. I stopped just long enough to raise my overall time and since I did not pause my timer on my iPod, my overall pace was higher as well, but I’m glad I stopped to smell that Gardenia bush.  Finishing my run, I silently laughed to myself.   “Had I just acted out a real life cliché?” 

We all know the old cliché; “Take time to stop to smell the roses.”  It reminds us to take time to appreciate the situation you’re in or to slow down and pay attention to what’s going on around you.  Do you forget to, “stop and smell the gardenias”?  Are you too busy to enjoy life?

Have you ever had an experience in your life where you just took a few moments to truly appreciate what life is all about? 

Some unknown author once said, “If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over for dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. 

I would have eaten popcorn in the “good” living room and worried less about the dirt when you lit the fireplace. 

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have sat cross legged on the grass with my children and never worried about stains.

I would have cried and laugh less while watching TV… and more while watching life.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for a day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show dirt, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

When my child kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, ‘Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.’

There would have been more I-love-you’s, more I’m listening’s.  But mostly, given another shot of life, I would seize every minute of it.  Look at it and really see it. Try it on, live it, exhaust it, and never give that minute back until there was nothing left of it. “

Frequently, I am now known to take a detour from my normal running route in order to run by a particular alley.  I always look forward to turning the corner and seeing the waxy green leaves sprinkled like snow with white blossoms spilling into the alley.

I stop to smell the sweet and refreshing gardenias.  And I hope others see this jogger pausing for a moment to enjoy what life has to offer.  You should too.  We’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to stop and smell the flowers along the way.

Have you ever had an experience in your life where you just took a few moments to truly appreciate what life is all about?  Let me hear from you.  

*  Twitter – a place to talk to yourself, publicly. 

* I use to think a tweet was a sweet treat for a tweedy bird, not a message of up to 140 characters shared on Twitter.

* On twitter, breaking news spreads like wildfire—140 characters at a time.

* I always feel like I’m tweavesdropping on other people’s conversations.

* And then how do I jump in a conversation?  I’m still learning my twetiquette.

* What is scary is that Twitter is “over capacity” during the prime work hours.  Who’s working, if everyone is tweeting? 

* Left on voicemail; “Hi Sue, this is Kristen, Twitter was down this morning.  Call me right away when you get this message.  I’m dying to know what you had for breakfast.” 

* In my business meeting this week I said , Hello all my tweeple…um people.

* I have finally learned to stop calling it “Tweeter”.  It’s Twitter.  And people tweet, you twit. 

* Maybe someday I will get tweeting and become a full fledge twanthropologist.

* What’s worse than your dad following you on Twitter?  Your boss is following you. 

* If someone is Twittering alone in the forest, and nobody else is there to receive the tweet, is it just a 140 character blog?

* When I begin to talk too long, my husband smiles and says, “Talk in tweets honey, brevity”. 

* Twitter is like hitting “reply all” to the universe.

* Twitter acronym for “Typing what I’m thinking to everyone reading.”

* Twitter definition: “a short burst of inconsequential information,” like “chirps from birds.” -Jack Dorsey creator of Twitter. 

* Twitter like the chatting at the water cooler on steroids. 

* Twitter Tantrums, really?  Swapping barbs on Twitter is not a good idea.  Tiny Twitter tirade… don’t do it! 

* I may turn into an enthusiastic hashtag machine.  #hashtag #gettingtwitter #lovetwitter #Imatweeter #Imjustsaying  #helloanyoneoutthere

* Twitter is an addiction worthy of a 12 Step program.

* Hi, my name is @mommytwitter, and I’m a Twittaddict.

* You’re addicted to twitter when you tweet your partner to turn out the light, when you’re both in bed.

* Twitter is like crack when you realize Twitter should be called “Twitch” for how compulsively your fingers are at needing to keep typing something.

* I require random tweets and blog posts from random people to make it through the week.

* My tween kids think my tweets and blogs are a confetti bomb of our small embarrassments. 

* Twitter is only 140 characters? Don’t worry my editor is good at eliminating “unnecessary characters”. 

* I just use Twitter, so I can talk the goofy Twitter-speak.

* I think I’m going to have to outsource my tweeting to India- ghost tweeting.

* How many tweets can a twitter tweeter tweet if a twitter tweeter could tweet?

What are you favorite Tweets? 

As we descend from 30,000 feet early Sunday morning, I once again find myself upon the eve of one of my business travel pleasures…a side trip.  I am due in meetings in the San Francisco area first thing Monday but in order to get the best airfares, I chose to fly in Sunday.  

I had planned to spend the day in my Bay area hotel working onmy presentations, taking a bubble bath, ordering room service , and curling up in my king sized luxurious bed with a novel.   But after completing all my work on the three hour flight, I decided I should take a side trip to Napa before settling into my hotel for the evening.  I thought, what the heck, if Elizabeth Gilbert can travel to Italy, India and Indonesia in search for everything and document it in Eat, Pray, Love,I can plan a solo trip to Napa in one day in search of Food, Wine, Enjoy and document it in my blog. 

As we descend into San Francisco International Airport I daydream about driving through vineyards, stopping here and there for a wine tasting and picnicking in the beautiful countryside.   

Life is good.

Within thirty minutes of landing in SFO I am navigating my rental car toward the Bay Bridge.  I had been to both Napa and Sonoma on several occasions in the past.  Never in the summer.  Never on a weekend. Never solo.   I had no idea on what to expect.  I had little time to research the wineries, but I knew if I traveled North on Highway 29 I would end up in the heart of Napa Valley, and have my tantalizing pick of dozens of vineyards to wander and ponder.  Since I was solo and I was my designated driver, I planned to do more exploring than tasting and more spitting than sipping. 

As I crossed San Francisco bay the blue water stretched all around me, I inhaled the marine air.  The summer landscape in the bay area came as a pleasant surprise.  The ridges and hills were a golden maize dotted here and there with desolate green trees.   I have been to the area many times, but never in the heat of the summer when it hasn’t rained since April.   The highways were surrounded by rolling hills that no one had bothered to irrigate.  The terrain was parched, but the landscape was beautiful.  I had always been to the area when the hills were an emerald green and I loved it, but this drier, hay like landscape was delightful.  I already knew I had made the right decision to journey to the Valley.

Traffic was light since it was before ten am.  On most week days you could drive from historic downtown Napa, at the bottom of the valley, to Yountville (a culinary boomtown) in lower Napa, to St Helena the middle of Napa, ending in Calistoga, near the north border of Napa County, in an hour.   Depending on your stops at the over 200 wineries in the valley, this hour drive could stretch into a day or for some tourists several days.   

By the time I drove through Napa downtown the traffic was beginning to back up.  On the West side of 29 , I passed Moet et Domaine Chandon in Yountville.    I am not a fan of sparkling wines, so I did not stop.  I heard it is worth the stop for the views.   In fact, Highway 29 is picturesque with acres of vineyards sitting majestically up the hillside on either side.    I began seeing wineries and vineyards galore, about every hundred yards. 

My first stop was at the 130 year old Oakville Groceryat Highway 29 and Oakville Crossroads, about 15 miles northwest from Napa downtown.  Every time I travel to Napa I stop there.  The general store and deli carries a wide range of unusual groceries and picnic supplies.  I purchased a bottle of my favorite Napa Valley whole grain spicedmustard to bring home (great as a dip with pretzels) and a deli sandwich of turkey and brie.  I was starving and decided not to wait to eat at one of the many restaurants. Many Napa Valley wineries offer picnic facilities.  And nothing is better than tasting a couple of great vintages, and then buying the bottle of wine and parking your friends and family on a picnic bench to enjoy the wine and eat lunch in the charming countryside. 

As I ate my sandwich on the picnic table, the view of the neat rows of vines a few  feet away was spectacular.  It was nice to unwind. The valley air smelled of hay, sage and country living.  The birds were bustling and chirping and the sun was warm, but not hot. 

From Oakville Grocery, I could literally walk across the street to Napa Wine Company.  The little town of Oakville is at the rim of the Mondavi vineyards.   I did stop in the Spanish mission styled Robert Mondavi vineyard  just northwest of Oakville.  My stay involved a quick stroll through the grounds and gift shops.  I did not do a tasting.  Mondavi is perhaps the best known winery in Napa Valley. Since the tour is optional; take it if you have time.   I didn’t have time this trip.   

As I drove through Rutherford(one mile northwest of Oakville), I passed Cakebread, Sawyer, Suprey, Opus One, to name a few. My next stop was Peju, a French provincial winery on the east side.  The driveway, pristine gardens and tower drew me in.   It was still too early for a wine tasting, so I lingered in the tranquil gardens.  The Tower is the tallest building in Napa. 

From there I meander past Caymus, Frogs Leap, Beaulieu, Mumm, Rutherford Hill; the wineries fly by every other driveway on this dusty two- lane road, intimidating but welcoming.  There’s also an Olive Oil store, but I can’t remember the name.  Yes, they grow olives too!          Does anyone know the name?

I stopped at Grigich Hills.   

I was met by a friendly dog, as I casually walked right up to the vines and photographed a bunch of green grapes with venous leaveson a post marked 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon.   

For all you wine connoisseurs, if you haven’t stopped reading this blog by now, I did actually taste this time.  I won’t bore you with all the details of my choices, but Grigich Hills has always been a favorite.    

I held up my glass.  I took a good look, I sniffed once or twice, I swirled (it’s called volatilizing the esters, but who am I trying to impress?), I sniffed again; at last, I took a sip!  I swirled the wine in my mouth, held it there for a few seconds, then I spit or swallow.  Again and again. Taste, sip, enjoy.  A vibrant and flavorful experience lingered in my mouth.  A nice first flight.    

As I continue northwest on Highway 29, I visited various tasting rooms.  I soon realize that the swallowers far outnumber the spitters. I was a spitter, and felt I had to explain I wanted to preserve my palate (and my sobriety). 

My last stop was at one of my favorite NAPA wineries, V Sattui in St Helena.  I hit the jackpot.  They were having a chocolate and wine tasting that day! Score!  A two for one tasting.   V Sattui  is a unique wine country experiencewhich includes picnicking  amongst the vineyards or beneath the centuries old oak trees.  V Sattui has an awesome Italian marketplace with delicacies prepared by chefs. 

Wine AND Chocolate Tasting TODAY!

By now the tasting bars were four deep.  My server was friendly and informative.  After my fill of award winning wines and mouthwatering chocolates, I decided to head back to my hotel.   Highway 29 was a single file lane headed northwest whenI left V Sattui, so I was thankful I decided to leave when I did.  I can only imagine the traffic in a few more hours as the wineries begin to close around 4-5 pm.

I stopped once more to photograph the summer vineyards heavy with bunches of grapes in marching row after row  of vines that have been methodically set ten meters apart, enough for a tractor to pass between them. 

I returned to my room before night fall, popped open a bottle of my private label reserve, and while soaking in my bubbling bath, I toasted myselffor my good sense in touring the Napa Valley.

Have you been to Napa?  What is your favorite winery?  I’ll have to plan my next trip there during the CRUSH season.

Here are my random observations and other random thoughts that were comprised from my list of what I have learned and observed over the past week and over the years.  As a writer, when I get a random thought, I usually jot it down in my notebook wherever I am, and whenever the mood strikes me. A lot of times, I’ll read these one-liners later and wonder; what was I thinking?  Where did that come from? So don’t ask. They made sense at the time! Enjoy and let me hear your thoughts about your summer so far!

• Is it just me, or did the World Cup go on forever? 
• Now that Spain has won, can we go back to forgetting that soccer exists?   ew 
• Arm your vuvuzelas, my house is too quiet while my kids are away at camp.  Yes, I’m complaining. Surprise. Surprise. 
• AND the Vuvuzelas are not meant to be blown in the dogs ears. 
• OK, no more on the skinny horns, I just like saying the word, “Vuvuzela”.  I’m just saying.  
• So on this whole spy thing; if these are the Russian A-team how we’d catch these James Bond wannabes with their sloppy spycraft?
• Despicable me, cute.  Mel Gibson, Despicable him.  Lindsay Lohan , Despicable her. 
• “I’m Bored, Mom.”  Summer is in full swing.
• ‎Yes, summer is in full swing.  It’s a skinfest at the pool, at the beach and even shopping.  I am starting to sound like my mom; “Where’s the rest of your outfit?”
• Summer-where according to my hubby, it’s too hot outside for picnics, but when he is given the choice between obtaining his food from an adorable wicker basket or from a flaming grill, he will always pick the grill. 
• Summer - when the  flies steal meals from the hard working ants.
• Did you know some meat flies can smell meat from a mile away?  
• Summer – when the meat files stay around for dessert. 
• Summer- where you wake up every morning excited to spend a full day with your children, but go to bed every night praying for school to start.
• I learned that Silly Bandz DO clog a pool filter. 
• I’m happy it’s July, where other people have my kids for a week!  (JK, kids… Really.)
• I learned that this week was humid and a good week for hair products. 
• On my airplane this week there was a baby in front of me that insisted on standing on his mom’s lap the entire flight.  Good thing we weren’t going to China, she would have needed thighs of steel.
• I offered to help get the baby to settle down and to calm the other passengers, but they didn’t want my sedatives.
• Not what you’re thinking! The sedatives were for all the adults around the baby, not the baby.  (Well, all the adults, except the pilots.) 
• The baby finally sat down because the mom threatened to take him to see Santa Claus when we landed.  (All kids are born with an instinctive terror of Santa.) 
• While driving through the farmlands of Indiana, I saw a sign which read, “Used Cows for Sale”. What? Really?  
• With teens when traveling we get two rooms now.  I don’t miss the kind of family togetherness that was only achieved by cramming five people into one small hotel room. 
• With older kids, I don’t miss buying tacky souvenirs. 
• There are dozens of different ways to wear my convertible, reversible, easily packable dress that I brought on my vacation and I can only figure out one -hanging in the closet.   
• Gypset dresses, huh?  A cross between a gypsy, jet-set, bohemian, mini, maxi dress…but it packs well. 
• Summer hockey is odd; sitting in an ice rink watching hockey when it’s 102 degrees outside.
• Hockey dad, when in doubt, do NOT – I repeat- do NOT punch your son’s hockey coach. 
• R.I.P George Steinbrenner. Best Seinfeld episode; George and George. 
• George Steinbrenner hours after getting into Heaven, fired God and told Jesus to lose the beard.  Jay Leno
• Bad Apple. Hey Steve, duct tape costs a few cents versus a $30 bumper iFix. 
• Mel Gibson uses the new F phone.  
• Golf, I watch it to see what John Daly is wearing.
• The blond bomber ball buster sets the style for the golf course with his purple paisley pants. 
• The British Open is not all flat; some bunkers are so huge you can lose children in them.
• Who cares about the golf scores, the scenery is great. 
• So how does Author, James Patterson publish two or three books a year?  My writing goal is to write as many words this year as James Patterson wrote last week. 
• My most satisfying task today was crumbling my sign, “No Chocolate-Ever!”

How’s your summer going?  Are you traveling?  Where’s your favorite city to visit?  What are your favorite things to do while visiting a new place?

 I love to hear comments back, and feel free to post them on the blog under the comment button.  I get a lot of emails from my readers but feel free to post comments too.   Follow me on twitter, where most of these random thoughts originated.  Twitter: pamlaux

This weekend as Americans celebrate the “birthday” of the United States of America with flags, BBQs, fireworks and picnics, I am reminded of a story about my daughter’s eighth birthday where we commemorated the Fourth of July and her birthday with a fish fight.   

I’m known around our circles as the “Martha Stewart” of entertaining.  Even my children’s birthday parties were becoming more elaborate as the children got older.  Lissa’s 8^th birthday was no exception.  I wanted it to be magical and memorable.  It was memorable alright.  It was a birthday party that any kid that attended would always remember.   

I had been planning her birthday bash for weeks.  That year, my daughter had a love for dolphins and wanted to be a marine biologist when she grew up.  I planned a red, white and blue nautical theme for her birthday.  I covered our wood patio table with bags and bags of white sand and seashells and starfish. The centerpiece for the table was a fish bowl lined with red and blue crystal marbles and radiant live fish.

I had picked out three gorgeous fish for the center bowl; a red, a white and a blue fantailed Betta.  They were the main attraction for all the boys and girls.  The fish kept the rambunctious, highly energized eight year olds from running around wild from being pumped full of adrenaline with party excitement.

At cake time, my daughter and her friends were so thrilled to be able to make sand paintings on the table and to watch the beautiful long tailed fish swimming in the bowl in the center of the table.  
Everything was perfect. 

Pam, the party planner extraordinaire had every detail covered, with one small exception; Bettas are called Siamese fighting fish for a reason.  Who knew?  I had no idea that a dominant male Betta would fight to death to protect his territory and that Bettas should not be placed together in a small environment. 

Yep, you guessed it.

Within a short while the blue Betta puffed up his brilliant colors and began chasing and attacking the red Betta! At first they acted like two cats chasing each other and nipping at each other’s tails.  But soon it became apparent that this was aggression, not playfulness.

Then the white Betta decided to flex his muscles and he too got in on the action.  He flared up his brilliant iridescent fins to make himself look bigger and more menacing.  He began attacking the blue Betta.  It was a fin flaring contest, albeit red, white and blue, accompanied by fireworks and tail nipping.  Who knew Bettas were little Piranhas.   When I look back at the whole incident, I marvel at the interesting phenomenon of the way Bettas puff out in aggression.  But not that day.

At first the kids thought they were cute, and just innocent fish rough housing, until pieces of the red Bettas fluffy fins started falling off and floating to the bottom of the bowl. 

Lissa screeched and screamed, “Mom, they’re eating each other!” 

“No, honey, they’re just playing,” I said staring at the bowl.   But it did appear that they were attacking each other and the blue one was indeed nibbling on the red ones long, but tasting looking fins.

The three fish were putting on quite a show with all the chasing and biting of their fins and heads.

The bowl soon became a plethora of torn fish pieces.  Red, white and blue fins, tails and scales floated in the milky water.  Unknown to me and the kids, the “males” were trying to figure out their “pecking” order.   

The kids were screaming as I ran around looking for anything that would work as a net.   I couldn’t find a net.  There was no way I was sticking my hand in the bowl to separate the aggressive Bettas.  I pictured my fingers going in to grab the fish and being nipped until I pulled out only my finger bone.

A wounded fish floated to the bottom of the bowl while a group of little girls watched on in tears.  WARNING: Do not watch this show with young kids!  

The boys watched with fascination as the fish fought.  Some even pulled their chairs closer to the action.  Great.   Nothing like a patio full of little munchkins in a frenzied motion yelling and screaming at a bowl full of fighting Siamese fish.  This party had plenty of liveliness with the wrong distractions and excitement.

In a freakish Frankensteinian fashion, I had created a monster of a mess.  A memorable birthday party for sure.  I felt like Hannibal Lecter’s fish hating cousin.    

Staying in the party master of ceremonies mode, I finally scooped the fish out of the bowl and separated them into plastic cups.  I salvaged the party with silly tactics like, “look the fish are smiling now” and “look their wagging their tails, so they’re happy again.”  Their tails resembled a tattered fringed flag. 

Separated at last the fish and the kids both settled down.  The kids were not so traumatized that they would not eat cake.  Needless to say I had to forgo the game, “pin the tail on the fish.”  And my “catch of the day” treats of fish shaped gummies threaded on a pretzel fishing poles, did not make it out of the kitchen. 

I heard later on that the kids talked about it for many weeks after.  “Mommy can I have a fish attack birthday party like Lissa had?” 

As I tucked my daughter into bed that night, I made a mental note to cancel the pot belly pig party for my son.  

How have you celebrated your kids birthday parties?   What do you have planned for the fourth?  Do you have any crazy “pet” stories? 

We are all forgetful at times.  We are all guilty of every day distractions.  We are all human.   However, since it is Father’s Day this weekend, I felt compelled to pick on the man of the house.  The following story could easily be replaced with “me” versus my husband, but this week “dads” are the focus of my blog.  

When my husband is not traveling, he works from our home.  He often heads to his study early in the morning and there he will stay… sometimes all day.  There are days, when he rarely leaves his office, but he says he feels like nothing seems to get done.

I diagnose these activity disorders as adult A.D.D. or Age Deficit Disorder.  We both suffer from it.  There’s also Activity (as in TOO much activity) Deficit Disorder.   Too much activity on one’s brain can cause one to lose track of the simpler tasks and daily activities.  This is common among parents of newborns, as well as expecting parents.  

It has become apparent to me over the years how this ADD can manifest.   I know several people have written on this same subject, but I find it fitting to share our family’s version of our adult ADD.

In honor of Father’s Day, here’s a scenario of my hubby’s typical ADD day.  Many dads (& moms) can relate.     

As my husband comes in from getting the newspaper, he walks by the front porch pots and he decides the plants need watering.  So he lays the paper and his glasses on the porch table.  

He gets the hose to water the porch flowers, but as he walks past our son’s car parked in the driveway, he notices our teenager has driven through a puddle and splashed mud on his otherwise clean car.   He decides to wash off the tires.  He puts down the hose and goes back inside to get a carwash towel.  As he walks by the foyer table he sees the mail he brought in from the mailbox yesterday and he decides to go through it quickly, before watering the plants and cleaning the tires. 

He opens the electric bill, a company expense reimbursement check and junk mail.  He walks to the kitchen to throw the junk mail away.  He notices the kitchen trash can is full.   He decides he better take out the garbage first, because no one else will.  

Since he is going outside to take out the trash, he should pay the electric bill too because he can drop it in the mailbox.   He goes to his study and opens the drawer to get a check.  The checkbook is out of checks.  He needs to order more.  He takes a sip of his coffee he poured earlier, but it is now cold.  He decides to go to the kitchen and get a fresh cup.  As he walks to the kitchen he notices his blackberry on the sofa table.  He decides he better put his blackberry back on his desk or he’ll never find it, but first that fresh cup of coffee.  He sets his mug down, but before he fills it up he notices our daughter’s missing iPod sitting on the counter hidden by a vase of droopy flowers.   He decides to take her ipod to her room, but first he needs to water the wilted flowers for his lovely wife; me.   

Before he can water the vase of flowers, one of our dogs wants to be let outside.  He walks to the backdoor and lets her out.  He decides to check the dog’s water bowls.   Their water needs refilling. 

He gets a pitcher of water from the sink and he walks to the dog’s bowl but before he can pour it into the bowl, he spills water on the floor.  He goes back to the kitchen to get a dishrag to clean up the spill.   

After he cleans up the spill, he hears the dog bark outside.  He goes back to the kitchen to let the dog back inside.   As he is letting the dog in the house, he sees a beach towel has blown into the pool.  He goes to retrieve the hook to pull out the towel.   The dog barks again.  He returns to let the dog back in the house.   After he lets the dog in, he goes back to his study trying to remember what he came out to do.

At the end of the day:

The front porch pots are not watered.    The car tires are still dirty.   The kitchen trash is overflowing.  The electric bill is unpaid.  The expense check is not deposited.   New checks are not ordered.  There’s a cold mug of coffee on the counter. There’s a wilted vase of flowers.  The dogs are out of water.   Our daughter’s ipod is still missing.  There’s a beach towel at the bottom of the pool.  He can’t find his glasses or his blackberry.   

Then he tries to figure out why nothing seems to get done! 

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads of the world.

What are  your Father’s Day traditions?    What will you do special for the men in your life? 

Memorial Day remembrance

The remembrance of the United States Memorial Day is a day we commemorate U.S. men and women who died gallantly in the military service. This celebration was formerly known as Decoration Day.

This is the day of remembrance where we honor those men and women whom have served our country – you, me and the world – by dedicating themselves in an ultimate sacrifice. I am grateful to be living in a free country because of these men and women. Their honor, duty and dedication allow us the freedoms to enjoy this weekend, and every other day of my life, with friends and family doing something as basic as grilling food and sharing it in peace and safety. Freedom isn’t free. Honor those who paid for it. Fly your flags and thank soldiers and enjoy our freedom.

There are many Memorial Day quotes which we have remembered throughout the years. This year as part of the Memorial Day Celebration, I share with you Memorial Day quotes. Here are some of the memorable and inspiring Memorial Day Quotes:

• It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived. — General George S. Patton
• Decoration Day is the most beautiful of our national holidays…. The grim cannon have turned into palm branches, and the shell and shrapnel into peach blossoms. -Thomas Bailey Aldrich
• Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. – John F. Kennedy
• And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. – Lee Greenwood
• The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example. – Benjamin Disraeli
• Although no sculptured marble should rise to their memory, nor engraved stone bear record of their deeds, yet will their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored. – Daniel Webster
• So long as there are men there will be wars. -Albert Einstein
• Each man is a hero and an oracle to somebody. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
• But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for,
Is their monument to-day, and for aye. -Thomas Dunn English
• For love of country they accepted death. -James A. Garfield
• The greatest glory of a free-born people is to transmit that freedom to their children. -William Havard
• The dead soldier’s silence sings our national anthem. -Aaron Kilbourn
• For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity. -William Penn
• I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. -Albert Einstein
• The patriot’s blood is the seed of Freedom’s tree. – Thomas Campbell
• On thy grave the rain shall fall from the eyes of a mighty nation! -Thomas William Parsons
• The brave die never, though they sleep in dust: Their courage nerves a thousand living men. -Minot J. Savage
• We come, not to mourn our dead soldiers, but to praise them. -Francis A. Walker
• Isn’t death to fall for Freedom’s right? He’s dead alone who lacks her light! – Thomas Campbell
• I have never been able to think of the day as one of mourning; I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day. I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it. We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did. – Benjamin Harrison
• The dead soldier’s silence sings our national anthem. -Rev. Aaron Kilbourn
• I think that, as life is action and passion, it is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time at peril of being judged not to have lived. -Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
• Fold him in his country’s stars. Roll the drum and fire the volley! What to him are all our wars, What but death bemocking folly?” – George Henry Boker
• The cost of liberty is less than the cost of repression. -Web Dubois
• With the tears a Land hath shed. Their graves should ever be green. – Thomas Bailey Aldrich
• Green sods are all their monuments; and yet it tells A noaler history than pillared piles, or the eternal pyramids. – James Gates Percival
• They fell, but o’er their glorious grave , Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save. – Francis Marion Crawford
• The purpose of all war is ultimately peace. -Saint Augustine
• As I approach the gates of heaven; St. Peter I will tell; One more soldier reporting sir; I’ve served my time in hell. -Mark Anthony Gresswell
• The story of America’s quest for freedom is inscribed on her history in the blood of her patriots. -Randy Vader
• When we say “War is over if you want it,” we mean that if everyone demanded peace instead of another TV set, we’d have peace. -John Lennon
• Peace is more important than all justice; and peace was not made for the sake of justice, but justice for the sake of peace. -Martin Luther

What are some of your favorite Memorial Day quotes? Who are you honoring this weekend?

Other Related Memorial Day Articles:

Babies & Kids and POOLS: (New Guidelines for Kids and learning to swim): http://bit.ly/bFl6BA ( Drowning is the second leading accidental death in children under the age of 4)

Best Burgers: http://bit.ly/96RBKJ

Backyard trends: http://bit.ly/avAFsS
(Forget a simple patch of grass. Today’s yards sport gourmet outdoor kitchens, waterproof TVs — even air conditioning.)

Burnt , don’t get Sunburnt this weekend. http://bit.ly/dwrh0l

Other Memorial Day Articles: http://bit.ly/clSxPE

Memorial Day