My newest find...

Last week, on a late evening trip to Publix, George convinced me to buy a new cookbook, The Shamrock and Peach.

That night I embarked on a journey from Northern Ireland (Ulster) to the American South (Atlanta). The story and recipes are so compelling that I had to do some more research - in other words, I am in love with this book. Judith McLoughlin, Irish chef and caterer based out of Roswell, Georgia, runs a small shop called the Ulster Kitchen, where she sells Irish linen goods and teaches cookery. She also has a food blog called The Shamrock and Peach where she posts recipes and informational tidbits. Check is out - this is good stuff!

Finally, he got to play with his b-day present!

George finally got to use his big green egg this week!

Since the weather was nice, on his day off George cranked it up and smoked some ribs

(which we ate for dinner that night) and two boston butt roasts


(which we saved for later).






They were delicious, and he really enjoyed cooking them.

I'm so glad he's happy with his present!

Just call me "Box Top Mom"

Each fall and spring since Megan was in Kindergarten, I spend one weekend clipping, sorting, counting, bunching, and labeling until my fingers are sore. That's because I volunteer as the "Box Top Mom" for my kids' classes. Basically, I take this

and make it this.

Tedious and timeconsuming, but I love doing it.

One Awesome Movie

If you haven't seen it, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is one of those movies that just makes you laugh. Definitely not for the younger crowd (it is PG-13 for good reason), this gamer-inspired movie is about a young Canadian man, Scott Pilgrim, who plays in a band and lives with a gay roommate. He meets Ramona, a super-cool, non-committal chick (who reminds me a lot of my hairdresser, Bekah, but I digress) who poses one problem for Scott. She has seven exes that he'll have to battle before they can really be a couple. My favorite of the exes is Todd Ingram, a vegan demi-god who is in a band with and dating Scott's ex.

The whole scene dealing with vegan culture is hilarious, mainly because what they're making fun of is so true. George and I can't get enough of it. If you like action, garage band music, and over-the-top ridiculous satire, you'll love this movie.

My Weekend "Off"

My days off have been seeming less and less like days off lately, and this weekend was a perfect example. Saturday morning was fully booked with Karate (with the added bonus of a tornado warning), a quick stop at home for Danny to change clothes (and watch the Weather Channel to check on the tornado warning) and a not-so-relaxing hair appointment (there is a reason I usually go by myself). After another quick stop at home, just in time for the severe thunderstorm in our area to move over us, I took Danny to a birthday party at Skate World. The storm was so bad that Danny was having second thoughts about going to the party due to his worry that I couldn't see the road well enough to drive. When we finally got to Skate World, Danny had a lot of fun hanging with his buds
and actually skating the whole time!

No really, he did. He and Chase happened to stop long enough for me to get a pic because they were watching the races. Of course, during the actual party, he was a little distracted by the big screen next to our table.

I think he was probably the only 8-year-old in the place paying more attention to the dopplar radar than the rink.

That's my boy! On the way out, the parking lot was completely flooded, and we got out with only one casualty,

my pants. See how high the water was? Once at home, with George getting ready for work, our day was pretty much at an end as we settled down for the night.

Sunday was supposed to be quieter, and it started out that way. George got home late (traffic homicides and a lot of other things happening on rainy nights in Tallahassee), so I made breakfast and sent him off to bed. After getting ready for church, we were about to leave when I went to the back door let Harley inside.  Through the glass, all I saw were her hindquarters sticking up out of a montrous hole and dirt flying all around her. Sorry I don't have pictures, but I was too angry and was afraid to take pictures while hosing her down outside. After a quick dry in the garage, we were off to church.

Seeing as it was supposed to be a quiet day, our time after church was pretty free of plans. Laundry, dishes, and homework were on the agenda, and I had time for a quick nap on the couch. Then, to my utter delight, the neighborhood girl from whom I had ordered Girl Scout cookies (over three weeks ago, which was too long for Danny, prompting him to say that she had taken our money and bought nail polish with it - LOL!) showed up with my boxes!

Danny was the most excited as his faith in people was restored!

It was such a beautiful day, and we were so excited about the cookies, that we decided to take Harley for a walk. Almost immediately after our return, she proceeded to vomit all over the kitchen floor. Of course, Mom is always the vomit cleaner-upper, so Mom did not much feel like cooking dinner after that. After 2 trips to Zaxby's (the second due to the Zaxby employee forgetting to give salad dressing for the Zalad), I was ready to give up and crawl into bed. So why am I up writing this?

I was awakened by gunshots on the television as the Jews were being gunned down by Nazi soldiers in The Pianist. A dose of perspective always makes me feel better. I guess I can make it another day.