The Tank Is On "E"

So, I've been searching around in my head for something to blog about that is neither too boring nor too personal.

Guess what I came up with so far?

No... not more food blogging. Take another guess!

Uh uh... nope... not a blog about Hawai'i.

Are you really even TRYING??

One more... guess!!

Ding! Ding! Ding!!

Yep. You guessed it!

I have NOTHING to blog about!!

However, never let it be said that I didn't make a valiant effort. I'm pretty sure the beads of sweat on my forehead are from digging around in my own head for several solid minutes!!

I'm just too beat. I think I may even have heatstroke. I can't be sure but I feel like I've been broiled alive.

I was sitting in the Teen Taxi for over four solid hours today!!!

I drove and waited... and then waited some more... and did some reading (highly recommend 'The Name of the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss) and watched a couple of episodes of "Reaper" on my old iPod.

Hey, at $4.42/gallon for gas and only getting 14 mpg.... I can't afford to go off and entertain MYSELF on these trips.

So, there I sit... sweltering!! Brewing up a batch of heatstroke.

Only ONE on my electric windows goes down anymore (thankfully the DRIVER'S window!) so there isn't much wind moving through. But, I did manage to find one scraggly little tree to park under for SOME shade.

After the second hour, I started to get really groggy and finally had to get out of the car to walk around because I could almost FEEL my brain cells dying as they were being baked.

I can only hope that the lifelong benefit to my children for going to these extra-curricular activities will outweigh the loss of thousands of my brain cells.

We shall see!!! :o)

That Not-So-Fresh Feeling

Oh, you know that feeling...

I'm not talking about the Summer's Eve type of not-so-fresh feeling.

I'm talking about that feeling you have first thing in the morning. You know, when it's summer time and you wake up all sticky from the heat. Your mouth feels like you were sucking on a sneaker while you slept.

But, you're so groggy and it's still so hot that you just KNOW you aren't going to be able to force yourself into the shower. You're going to slump in your seat and fan yourself and think some arctic thoughts.

That's what I'm struggling with this morning.

I have to get up and get motivated and get moving. The teens want to go see their friends and I've got to be on point to supervise.

*snort*

I think I just tell myself I'm supervising while we ALL really know that they are being perfectly normal teens who are dodging me and doing whatever the hell they want.

I'm just there to minimize the potential destruction as much as I can.

But, that's a whole 'nother blog.

Right now I'm focusing on walking to the ice box to get myself something cold to drink. I can see the ice box from here... it's beautiful and tempting. It's just so far away...

Soon (I can feel it in my bones) the hope of feeling the ice cold quench of tea washing down my throat will win.

You know you're hot when you can feel a cold drink going down your esophagus all the way into your stomach. That's just freaky... and wrong!

And, heavenly.

Mmm... I think I'll get off of here and move to a seat that is closer to the ice box.

Baby steps, people. Baby steps!!

Not A Vibrating Bullet

So, there is ongoing debate here over putting in a rail-system.

You know, sort of an above-ground subway system.

The kind with "bullet trains".

The problem is... we are a TINY, tropical island. You know... PARADISE.

Are there rail systems in Utopia??

Does Heaven have bullet trains??

(Well, in MY version of heaven there are free, vibrating, remote-controlled "bullets" for everyone!!!)

I don't know the answers to these questions. But, I DO know that a rail system will be a hideous eye-sore that will impact the way it FEELS here. It will feel VERY much like a big city... Seattle, New York, wherever else they have trains set up to ferry commuters back and forth.

And... will it really help alleviate the traffic problems we have here?

Our governor has said, in a recent sound byte, that this would be the single-most expensive project the State has ever undertaken if it goes through.

Hell, they can't even afford to maintain the roads we already have... there are HUNDREDS of roads, bridges, and damns in advanced stages of ill repair.

How about we fix those problems first?!!

Oh... oh... I know.

Because they're also planning to hike up our taxes to help cover the rail system.

Hmmm... the cost of living is SO high already that most people live with extra family members to help pay the bills.

Don't get me wrong. We all KNOW we are blessed to live here.

But, it's hard to reconcile the state defacing Paradise with an above-ground subway when we are trying to cling to that blessed feeling by looking around are our scenery!!

*Deep, cleansing breath*

Ok, I'm going to have to go look out the window or something.

Reminding Myself to Feel Blessed Today

It's A Pork Fat Thang

Yesterday was Family Day... or, as the rest of you may refer to it... Sunday.

It was a lazy day - as most days that are NOT spent driving the Teen Taxi turn out to be in my house!

We spent the overwhelming majority of the day in front of the TV and playing board games... and eating pork products. I'm not really sure how THAT part happened but it did.

On Saturday Night... or Family Day Eve... we have "Breakfast For Dinner". Whole wheat pancakes and all-natural pork sausages... hey, we were trying to keep it "healthy"!!

When I got up on FD, I made scrambled eggs and potatoes with peppers and onions. Not too bad so far, right?

We watched Food Network while we ate breakfast. Guy Fieri was making bacon-wrapped shrimp & southwestern corn ravioli... and there we were with our pitiful piles of eggs 'n taters.

He talked about the bacon so much and showed off how thick it was... oh, it was cruel!!

So, we all started talking about how long it had been since we had bacon. Then, we started to crave it. Then, sweet Nana made the mistake of calling and asking if we needed anything from the grocery store on her way home.

That did us in.

She brought home real bacon and turkey bacon (Daughter prefers turkey bacon to real bacon... what a weirdo!!)

Oh, yeah... you KNOW we cooked up BOTH packages. We wrapped a few pieces of bacon around some left over chicken breast. We even took out the last few small slices of leftover ham and fried that up on the bacon-greased griddle.

We snacked on all of that while we watched 'Carrie' and 'Carrie 2' (the TV edited versions)... and tried VERY hard not to make any connections during the pig's blood scene.

ANYWAY!

I'm sure Son ate an entire package of bacon by himself and then helped us eat the rest of the other stuff. Boys have bottomless guts. LOL

We all were packed-full of pork (and pork-substitute turkey)

By the end of the day - in which we'd done nothing productive except clean the kitchen, vacuum, and take out the rubbish - we were all desperately in need of some fruits and veggies.

So, I chopped up every veggie we could find between our house and Mom's down the hall... and I made a HUGE batch of chop suey.

Here's the thing. Mom also wanted some protein in it... and she wanted.... wait for it... wait for it... PORK.

*groan*

Yup. I cut up the pork she donated to the chop suey cause and put it in there. It was delicious, if I do say so myself.

We felt better about ourselves for having eaten cabbage, carrots, celery, bean sprouts, onions, and cilantro. We could almost pretend that we WEREN'T eating MORE pork.

We chased it down with lots of ice-cold, sweet, crisp grapes. Mmmm...

And we chased THAT down with the promise that NEXT Family Day will not include ANY pork... before we end up having to call it Fatty Day!!!

Blogging Time Once Again

Ok, I've promised a friend (you know who you are... W2S) that I would start blogging over here again.

Not tonight, dear.

I've got a headache.

*rolls over, feigns sleep*

Maybe tomorrow!! :o)

Nice to be back, though.

XO♥