Ready to hit it running again!

So, its been a long time.  I moved to California, found an apartment, found a job, Jeremy graduated high school, then  Army Basic Training.  Boy, as a mother surviving basic training is a blog all on its own! But, I learned a lot, like how much patience I don't have waiting for letters to arrive in the mail! Now, here we are November, 2011 and we have moved in with my boyfriend and are settling into a routine.  I hope to get my blog back in order, and maybe get some tips from fellow bloggers on how to make my layout pretty and add things to it to make it more appealing to the eye, not just the reader.

In the meantime, I have found this awesome website, Pinterest and fellow bloggers have been posting their receipes and all of us have been drooling over them and repinning them to our own boards to make later.  I am addicted, just so you know.  I think I might try working my way through my Taste of Home cookbook so I feel like I am contributing to the world of Pinterest and Blogging! Hope everyone is enjoying their Fall weather! See you soon!

I've moved...

Well, not my blog or any website...my physical family moved.  Moved 3 states West... to the coast again.  Where I began.  You can go home again... and again... and I have, again. LOL

So with this move, I now have to find a new job.  It's not as easy as it used to be.  At least not here in Sunny California.  Now, if I could afford all of this luxurious time off and Brennan still be in daycare a few days a week, I'd be all for it.  A few days at the beach just walking around enjoying the sun and shops with or without Brennan.  Maybe get a season pass to the San Diego Zoo or Wild Animal Park and spend a day or two a month there.  Something but sitting in my apartment scouring over the job boards and applying for every job out there.  Right now, I just want to work and so do millions of other people.

In the meantime, I am reading.  Something I haven't had the luxury of having time to do in a long time!  I am into the series The Hunger Games. A friend of mine gave me the trilogy for Christmas and I am loving them! I got my mom started on them too... she has them on her Kindle now.  Anyway, I'm always looking for new books to read, nothing too dark or gross though.  I don't do Stephen King. 

Well, I am going to enjoy the beautiful weather we are having until tomorrow when I hear the rain is supposed to come.  So enjoy life wherever you are!

What a great day!

So far, this day has been productive and enjoyable! It has been a long time since I have been able to say that, at least since June.  Brennan woke me up a little earlier than I wanted this morning and after a few fits he was quickly dispatched back to bed.  LOL He is cutting his eye teeth, and can be a bit cranky when he isn't getting his way.
Late morning we got him up again and went to watch Paden play 3rd grade level tackle football!  How fun was that?!? I haven't seen my friend LaVonne in quite a while, and hadn't met her new man, Coby.  He is really nice and we are going to get to spend more time with them next Saturday for Jacee's 4th birthday party.  I'm really looking forward to it. 
Some of my goals that I make for myself center around trying new recipes, getting some scrapbooking done, and organizing.  Today I will have done 2 out of 3.  No scrapbooking was done today, although I really need to get back on that.  I like doing it in the winter because its not as nice out to go anywhere and do anything.  So, today, I made homemade croutons.  We had some italian bread left over from a spaghetti dinner we had during the week, so I cut it up into cubes along with a few pieces of texas toast that was close to death...drizzled it with some olive oil and melted butter, then tossed in some kosher salt, garlic powder, and fresh ground peppercorns.  Put it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, and Yummy!! Jeremy and I have been picking at them since I pulled them out of the oven!  I need to make a salad so that I can eat them! LOL I don't think I will ever buy store croutons again!
Yesterday on my way home, I stopped at Walmart to pick up some diapers.  I happened by the meat section and they had beef brisket for $0.98/lb!! Holy Cow! Literally.  So I grabbed a 10 pound slab of brisket, cut it up into 3 sections and threw one section in the crockpot this morning with some Skull Creek BBQ Brisket Rub on it and some onions for flavor. It's been in since about 8 am, and smells super good!! I have some hamburger buns and some BBQ sauce to pair up with the brisket for dinner, I can't wait!

I hope everyone has a safe and fun Labor Day weekend!  I may write more if I try out these Buzz Balls I have been holding onto tonight.  I've tried one already, but I have 2 more waiting and I want to try all three samples before giving them a thumbs up or down.  They are small but pack a punch, or Buzz... keep an eye out for the next blog. 

Unhappy diner...

iFratelli
My friend and co-worker Casey and I went to lunch at iFratelli's in Irving the other day.  We were looking for a tasty inexpensive Italian restaurant for lunch.  We had a craving for some pasta and good bread.  We were thoroughly disappointed.  I mean, its pretty hard to screw up italian food, especially hard to ruin a house salad.  Casey and I were seated in a small booth, which is fine, they were busy and there was only the two of us.  Our waiter really didn't have the personality of a spaghetti noodle and shouldn't be in the service industry.  When he spoke, it was always on the move, never made eye contact and he mumbled.  We never knew what he was saying or bringing to us next. 
I ordered the Tortellini Robusto with their Rosa sauce.  The Rosa sauce is the combination of marinara and alfredo.  Our meals came with warm bread, which was surprisingly good and also warm... and a side salad.  I chose the house salad.  When he brought the salads to the table with our dressing on the side, I was wondering if we were in the middle of a food rationing that I had not been made aware of.  My salad consisted of iceberg lettuce, one green olive and one pepperoncini.  Really?? TWO small accessories to my lettuce?? Isn't this an italian restaurant? Do they not have tomato and some day old bread that they could make into croutons?? Seriously, I would be embarrassed to serve that in my home let alone make a patron pay to be served such a thing!  By that time, I was so bewildered by my salad that the main course might as well have been a slice of Pizza Hut Pizza, predictible. 

So, since when I get to go out to lunch, its a treat for me, I will not be treating myself here again.

Update...

So, the last couple of weeks have been busy and I haven't been able to update anything.  I had the unfortunate trip to California on the 7th of July to memorialize a wonderful man who died way too young.  After the services, it was just busy busy busy as I was only in town with Brennan for a few days.  I did get to see Clyde however, and that made me feel oh so good!  I love him, nuff said. 

I'm not sure how much fun it was traveling with a 16 month old baby!  Boy, once he is on the move, he is on the move.  There is no holding him back!  Plus all of the crap that you have to take with you! OMG... it was much easier when he was younger.  or was it easier because I had Jeremy with me to help entertain?? Must be it.  Anyway, had a semi enjoyable weekend trip, the downside of course being the reason for the whole trip, the funeral.  Did get to spend some time with the family, and lots of crying involved... not just Brennans either.  Back home... Jeremy gets his Senior pictures taken tomorrow... I'm not sure how I feel about that yet.  I can't be that old to have a son a year away from graduating high school... not possible!! I don't feel that old.  Anyway, I will update more hopefully this weekend or next week... the possibilities are endless!!!

The ABC's of Me Baby!

Ok, so I kind of have to go here this morning. For anyone who knows me, the dating world has been rough on me, not kind at all.  One of my favorite quotes from a movie is from Jerry Maguire and its not "Show me the money!"

Jerry: Can I ask you a question totally unrelated to your career?

Rod: Oh, we gonna be friends now?

Jerry: What do you know about dating a single mother?

Rod: Oh I know plenty. I was raised by a single mother.

Jerry: Tell me, because it's been a month, and she's about to take another job in San Diego.

Rod: First, single mothers don't "date." They have been to the circus, you know what I'm saying? They have been to the puppet show and they have seen the strings. You love her?

Jerry: How do I know?

Rod: You know when you know. It makes you shiver, it eats at your insides. You know?

Jerry: No, I don't know.

Rod: Then you gotta have The Talk.

Jerry: But I sure don't like that she's leaving.

Rod: Well, that ain't fair to her. A single mother, that's a sacred thing, man.

Jerry: The kid is amazing.

Rod: No. A real man does not shoplift the "pooty" from a single mom.

Jerry: I didn't "shoplift the pooty." We were thrown together and -- I mean it's two mutual people who -- Alright, I shoplifted the pooty.

Rod: Shame on you. Shame on you.

 

I am sure dating a single mom isn't easy for guys, and of course it is not easy for the single mom either.  Men tend to take advantage of our limited time out or location.  I've actually had a man say he had a hard time breaking up because of my kid.  Really? Thanks for thinking of him? Is that how I am suppose to respond to that? Or how about the one who says that he would "step up" for your kid without a dad?  Yep, you got me Hook, Line and Sinker.  My bad.

 

Single mothers aren't looking for the occassional guy who wants to take you out here and there, well maybe in the beginning... but they already think as they are sitting across from you, "do I want this man around my kids?".  That is how we weed out in the beginning.  How are his manners? Is he polite to the waitress? Does he tip them well? Is he checking out her butt while I am sitting here?  Does he drink too much? Smoke? Everyone has their limits on what they will or will not tolerate.  Cheating isn't tolerated with me.  When I tell a man I love you, I am telling you that I trust you not only with myself, but with my kids.  I am handing you my heart and theirs for the taking.  I am bringing you into the inner circle of our family.  When those words come out of my mouth, I am yours...heart, body and soul. Don't hand me back to my family in pieces. 

The road paved before me...

So, I was approached the other day about possibly contributing to a Single Mother's website that I belong to.  They are looking for bloggers that reach out to the Single Mother.  My blogs don't have a huge purpose except to inform the reader of the latest cute things that my 15 month old is doing, which as you can tell by the tons of blogs recently, he hasn't done anything too cute!  Sometimes my blogs are more cooking related.  I love to cook, so sometimes I really like to share what I have recently cooked that turned out really well. 

As I was thinking about how to reach the Single Mother crowd, I started thinking of the ones that aren't driven, have no ambition or just don't care to be.  Although, I'm not the "model" come from the trenches Single Mom, I did fight to be where I am.  I continually fight, day in and day out to make sure that the ends meet in the middle.  I have lived in low income housing, used grants and student loans to put myself through college, had a great support system with friends and family.  Some Single moms aren't as lucky as I have been with my support system, or the oppotunities I have had.  Most of the time, they just don't know where to look.  There are so many grants, organizations, groups, colleges, and even just people out there that want to help and can help.  Usually, if you can get in touch with one group, they are linked in with all of the others.  I received money for my college textbooks through EOPS, a California Community College program.  That program is linked into the CARE program, which helped me with child care costs to attend college.   Of course, you had to meet their requirements, such as GPA and credits, but if you are determined, you did that anyway. 
I guess my point is, where there is a will, there is a way.  I looked at it like this, I wanted to give my son (only 1 at the time) everything I possibly could.  I wasn't looking for some man to come along and bank roll me and my kid.  Believe me, they are out there... I have seen these women.  It really makes me sad to see smart women with great potential, turn on their charm for the easy way instead of trying to make an independent stand on their own.  Talk about selling yourself and your kids short.  Just think of the life lesson you teach your kids by standing on your own two feet and being independent no matter how hard it is, and how much you have to give up.  You do it because you have too.  You do it for yourself, and you do it for your kids.  Just puttin it out there.  Just want to thank all of the Single moms who paved the way before me to make it possible for me to get where I am today.  I did all the work, but I had to have a road to walk on.  Thanks!