They learn so young

When I went back into the workforce after being out of the workforce for about 8 years, I had no clue about Excel, PowerPoint or any thing else other than Word and even that was limited. The last time I had used a computer at a job, it was on a mainframe and the computer looked like this:



Actually, I should correct myself. This was not a computer but a "terminal" used for mainframes. I believe this model came out in the mid-1970's. So basically, the terminal and I were the same age. I was using it in the early 1990's.

Fast forward to 2009:

Even though I have been working part time for the last three years, I still didn't learn PowerPoint until this past year and was a little scared too. But my 4th graders know how to make PowerPoint's and have done so in class as part of a "how to" presentation in class.

Both girls have made PowerPoints at home for fun. I am not sure if they are doing this to show off to me or if they now know something and just want to do it. Probally it's a little of both :)

Here is the most recent "how to" PowerPoine #3 did at home for fun.

Publish at Scribd or explore others: How-to-Guides & Manu Books Fiction science war

This is #1's most recent PowerPoint.

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

I am impressed. I will totally let them do my PowerPoints from now on.

Ribbons...and ribbons...and ribbons

For the longest time, I have wanted to win a ribbon for something at a county/state fair. Actually, I can pin point the moment I decided I wanted a ribbon. It was watching an episode of the Andy Griffith Show titled "The Pickle Story". Aunt Bea wanted to beat out Clara for the blue ribbon in the pickle contest at the fair. I was very young (early 1980's) but knew I wanted a blue ribbon too.

Fast forward as an adult to 2002. While living with my dad in Tennessee, my step-mom, sister and I decided to enter #4 in the baby contest at the county fair. It was strictly on a whim. We read about the contest in the paper that afternoon and made it to the fair grounds in time to enter him. He won 4th runner up out of 30 babies. Ok, now #4 had a ribbon, his picture in the local paper and a $2 cash prize to call his own from a fair. As a mom, I was so excited, but he should have been 1st! As a person who wanted her own blue ribbon, well, I was a little envious.

A question I had failed to ask my self is "What would I even enter into a fair?"

Fast forward to 2009. I had learned how to sew and Spelly had showed me how to take some really good pictures. I had missed last years county fair so I was ready for this year! Even the girls were ready and #4 decided to draw a picture to enter too.

Well here is our wall of ribbons. It was so fun to see my kids enjoying the lime light but I finally had my blue ribbon!

Sliders, mini burgers...who cares, they were good!

Actually, I had never heard of sliders until a restaurant commercial in the last year or so. Any little burger to me was a Krystal burger. Even then, for it to be a good "little burger" it actually needed to be a Krystal. White Castle?? Umm, no. It was always Krystal's. Anyway...

My all time favorite food man, Alton Brown, did a show on "mini man burgers". It seemed easy enough and I had the required equipment (a griddle, plastic wrap, freezer paper and a cookie sheet). Tonight, on a whim, at 8:30 no less, I decided to try these mini burgers. We went to the grocery store for a pound of ground meat and a couple packs of dinner rolls. It took all of 5 minutes to roll out the meat and sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder over it. Alton the folds the meat in half and cuts 8 equal squares. Well I had 6 people to feed so I did not do this step but I will next time. He does this so all the seasonings are in the middle of the burger. I do believe by me not doing this step I left something to be desired for seasoning. BUT, I made 20 little burgers and they were soooooooo good. On my second one I added a pickle and a squirt of mustard. Yum yum yum, it was the closet thing to a Krystal burger.

Maybe Billy Mays' slider maker is a neat little deal but doing it Alton's way = free. It went quick and they tasted great. Plus Alton's are square. A perfect shape for walking down memory lane about the dozens upon dozens of Krystal burgers I have eaten since I can remember.

I didn't even know I had been nominated!

R from work sent me an email this afternoon to make sure I knew about this special award. Please follow the link below.

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=RQDU.hV0GoU4BNi9qofMgjEwNzA1NTQ5&referred_by=3437892-C0QVq8x&p=moveon

How great is that!!

An almost retraction...

In my medication post in which I was whining about PCOS and "well meaning female friends" insisting the grass was greener on my side of the fence because my side has no periods, regardless of other negative ailments that come along with my yard, I focused on how the grass is greener thing is not always greener.

I knew I could point this out because I don't play the greener grass thing. Or so I thought.

Tinka called to make sure I was not necessarily referring to a specific person. This led us to a conversation about there are always situations where at some point every one wants the greener grass. I agreed but knew I was much better than that, especially if the grass in question was a sensitive grass area. Or so I thought.

Well I went to get my hair cut shortly there after and told the stylist how I wish my hair grew faster. She said that every person she has ever dealt with doesn't like something about their hair and wishes it was different. She pointed out that those with thick hair want it to be thinner. Those with thin hair what it to be thicker. Curly hair needs to be straight and straight would be so much better curly. If it grows too fast the cut doesn't last long....blah blah blah. I told the stylist that all that didn't really matter to me because all those other people she was talking about had positive things where as my hair grows extremely slow and so therefore it was not good. "Come on", I said, "I don't care what the "perceived" problems are with all these people with great hair. I could totally deal with the "problems" if my hair just grew faster.

Then an amazing thing happened. I looked into the mirror and saw Tinka sitting on my shoulder rolling her eyes, laughing and pointing at me. Not really, but Tinka was in my thoughts as I was rolling my eyes, laughing and pointing at me. I thought of our previous conversation and realized I just played the grass is greener.

I called Tinka to tell her about my revelation and we enjoyed a good laugh. Then I realized how much I do wish my grass was greener. I realized that I could think of several things of Tinka's that are sooooo much greener than mine. Despite her wishing her grass was greener about two things in which I would mow lawns until the cows come home to have, I realized I have insensitively brushed her off by saying, 'even though you think of it as a negative and I think you are nuts to think that, I could totally deal with the negatives just to have the problems you wish you didn't have'.

Hmmmmmm Who does that sound like? I can now admit it, I sound like my "well meaning female" friend in my PCOS rant.

Don't get me wrong here, even though I realize I play the grass is greener game, this post is not a total retraction of my PCOS rant. You must understand, my problems are different and worse than yours and my grass is brown. Yours is green and plush, so it is ok that I want your grass even though you think your grass is light green. But remember, you must be totally senstive to my grass and see it for what it is...brown and dead.

LOL, I am just joking. It was a very simple moment that made me see that I too am the "well meaning female". It was quite the moment to see how I need to be thankful for any grass that I have.

I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies but JC does!!

D decided to have a home birth with a midwife with her most recent baby and she asked me if I wanted to be there. I said sure as long as little G was able to come on the weekend, Mondays between 8:30am-4pm or after 7pm, after 8:30am on Tuesdays, in the afternoon on Wednesdays or after 4pm on Thursdays and Fridays. D wasn't sure if she could commit to such a schedule so I arranged with work to be able to leave if I got the call while at work.

I guess since I had opened up little G's schedule, D was able to relax and her water broke this past Sunday morning at 6am. The contractions were steady at 3-4 minutes apart but not strong. And the midwife was being generous by saying D was at 3cm at
9am. So we all played the waiting game until the contractions started getting stronger and 6 mins apart at 4am Monday. D let me know at 7am and I told her to let me know as they got closer together. I felt ok about going our in early morning service as D said she felt like it would be awhile. I said I would be there at 9am regardless. She said that sounded good. I keep pointing out that D said it was ok but I now have learned not to believe a woman in labor.

By 8:30 I had not heard from her so I started trying to get in touch with her or JC. No answer on any of the phones and no texts by 8:45. I headed straight to her house and walked in at 9:05. A few minutes after the midwife and 10 minutes after G was born! Both the midwife and I missed the whole thing. JC birthed the baby on his own with a little help from D.

From my understanding D was feeling pretty good with the contractions, walking around and talking on the phone to the midwife. Then at 8:30 D said she thought she needed to lay down. As they got to the stairway, she felt a pop and gush and said I think she is coming out now. Up the stairs they went. JC said he didn't see the head but then D had a contraction and the head was crowning. JC turned to look out the window to see if the midwife had pulled up. When he turned back around, the baby was half way out! JC said push and there was little G. This was 8:53. The midwife arrived about 10 minutes later then me after that. So I guess when you are the fourth baby, you come fast and furious.

She was a healthy 8lbs 2oz. So welcome little GMC!

Ethnic Reciepe #1

An Armenian friend made THE best pork ribs! I asked for the authentic Armenian reciepe: red pepper, black pepper, salt and chopped onion. That is all. I put the above in a gallon zip lock bag and pork chops, let it sit overnight and then grill. OMG, easy and soooo good. My kids licked their plates!!!

This is how easy it looks in the zip lock bag in the fridge. I didn't measure anything. I just shook in the peppers and salt and chopped a large onion. I can't wait until dinner tomorrow night.