When, what to my wondering eyes should appear...

Okay, so it is not a reindeer, but it is close enough.

In my half-sleep I opened the back door to let my dog out, and what do I see? Just over the fence and into our neighbors backyard I see a pony. A real life pony.





Please note that the top of the car at the bottom of the picture is our car. That is how close the pony is.

Also, these are not the same neighbors with the chickens. I feel like we are out of the club. Maybe we will get a cow....

Where the Wild Things Are

Those familiar with my blog, or my life for that matter, know that our move to the city has been riddled with not-very-city like things. We awoke on our first morning as city-dwellers to the undeniable sound of a rooster's crow, we have had raccoons stalk us - both inside and outside our home and we have had a litter of baby kittens in our backyard. Yet, even with all of that history, I was not at all prepared for what Bryan found hanging out by our back porch this morning...



That's right, we have chickens. What do you do with baby chickens? We considered calling animal control, but I was afraid they may meet some unkind end, and I was running late for work, ha, so we decided that Bryan would deal with it after her returned from taking me to work.

That ended up being a good decision. As Bryan got home the young man who lives next door was carrying one of our new found chicks in his arms while the others followed behind. He explained, as if his farm-living was completely normal, that the chickens had just been brought to them by some friends from Detroit (both the chickens and the friends were from Michigan), and that they were trying to "get them nice and fat." You can imagine why.

Poor chickens.

Quesadilla and Italian Green Beans

Dinner tonight was very simple.

Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla:

I marinated my chicken overnight in Kraft Fat Free Zesty Italian Dressing and then threw it on the Foreman Grill. The Foreman only seems to emerge when I am eating shredded chicken in something. For this it worked just fine.

I cut the chicken into tiny pieces, put them on one of the tortillas, topped it with 1/4 cup shredded three cheese Italian blend and cooked it using an olive oil spray in a skillet.

For dipping I used fat free sour cream.


Italian Green Beans:

This recipe seemed to me like it might be gross, as I am not a huge fan of tomatoes, but it turned out well.

Heat 8 oz of tomato sauce in a skillet. Once heated through add a a packet of Good Seasons Italian dressing mix and some green beans (fresh or frozen) and cook for about 7 minutes. That's it!

Here is the result:


Pros:
- The green beans were good! Much better than just steaming or sauteing in olive oil
- Very quick and easy to make
- Low fat

Cons:
- The quesadilla was nothing to write home about. I have been resistant to adding salsa to my quesadillas in the past, but I might they that next time to perk it up a bit.
- The SODIUM. Oops. It was very high. Especially thanks to the tortilla and the Italian seasoning mix. I will have to find some low sodium alternatives.

Overall grade: B

Holiday Breakfast

On Saturday, as we celebrated the anniversary of the birth of our great nation, I made a breakfast favorite from over a half-decade ago when Bryan and I were first dating. I don't know why I stopped making it - except that it is probably extraordinarily bad for you. But it is good. Very good.

1) Crumble and fry pork sausage
2) Heat the country gravy of your choice
3) Scramble a few eggs

Drain the sausage and then return to the skillet, adding the eggs and some shredded cheddar cheese, and cook on low heat until the cheese has melted.



Next, prepare the rolls. I buy the refrigerated tube of the Pillsbury jumbo crescent rolls and pull them apart as if I were going to roll them the normal way, then take a rolling pin to each piece, making it larger in each direction.

As each piece is ready, add a couple spoonfuls of the sausage-egg-cheese mixture to the center of the crescent and roll it up, folding the corners in and wrapping them around the filling to create a pocket.

Bake at the recommended temperature for about 6 minutes.

Top with gravy.

I served them with breakfast potatoes which came frozen in a bag. Lazy. Ha.

Here was the final result:


They were really very good. I might try something similar as a dinner option - like little pizza pockets?

Scared to near-death

Everyone has those moments where their entire life flashes before their eyes. A moment when you are caught between the panic of the second and the stark realization that you are not in control. Often those moments come with slamming brakes and screeching tires or abnormal test results from a lab. No matter how long the period of uncertainty lasts, seconds while you regain control of the car, or days while you wait for the all-clear from a doctor, the fear that you are filled with is more real than most emotions you feel in the course of a day.

I had one such moment this morning, which in words on a page may sound small and silly - but just try to imagine explaining to someone the fear you felt when you almost got side-swiped on the highway. Strong emotions are hard to convey.

As you are all aware, we have a storefront area attached to our house which we use as a rec room, and which has an outside entrance. While getting ready for work this morning I was in that room getting pants off of a drying rack when I heard what sounded like someone messing with the doorknob. I immediately assumed that it was another animal scurrying somewhere in the room, which made me uncomfortable and anxious to get out! As I quickly surveyed my clothing options the noise was continuing, only it became clear that it was not an animal, but was absolutely someone at the door. I stopped for one second thinking that maybe there was a rational explanation - someone was selling something or delivering something; but it was 7:00 in the morning and, even if it weren't, a delivery person does not try to open your door.

Then complete panic set in. The person was obviously having trouble getting the door open. The awkward fumbling was getting louder and I ran as fast as I could toward the main part of the house thinking that if the person had a gun or weapon I would be safer on the other side of the particle-board door - the side where Bryan was, and my animals, and my phone. As I got to the landing of the stairs the door came opened and something made me pause and turn around to look. All I could think was that if we were going to be robbed I wanted to know what the person looked like. With my hand on the door at the top of the stairs I turned around in what seemed to be slow motion only to see BRYAN, who had evidently left our house through the front door and come back in through the Rec Room door to get his bike.

The whole thing lasted maybe 90 seconds, but I cannot remember a time in my adult life that I have felt as scared. I yelled at Bryan and then ran to the bathroom and cried.

It was exhausting and I have felt a little uneasy all day.

The Sky is Falling

So, I live in a house which, despite its MANY flaws, I am in love with. I can't help it. It has charm and bright colors, old moldings and archways, high ceilings and wood floors. Most days I am completely delighted to live here. That said, the other days, the ones during which I am not delighted, are terrible. They are filled with raccoons and leaks and broken light fixtures. And falling ceilings.
Today we had a falling ceiling. The second in a year.
I should say that the ceiling in the kitchen has been cracked since we moved in, and we have had leaking, but the structure never seemed to weaken. Until yesterday. Somehow what was a crack a few days ago became a gap in the ceiling early yesterday. While both Bryan and I thought that it looked a bit unsafe, we were not overly concerned until late yesterday when the "gap" widened a significant amount.
This morning Bryan took the following pictures and sent them to the landlord for review.

Upon arriving home from work I found the ceiling looking more precarious. Bryan had decided to move the hutch, which is filled with all of our dishes, just as a precaution. Good move Bryan.

Not two hours after I arrived home, and only moments after leaving the kitchen, the ceiling fell. Seriously. See for yourself.

I am out of blogging time so I cannot write much commentary. The pictures will have to speak for themselves.

Fettuccine Carbonara

So, today I made Fettuccine Carbonara - or at least a recipe called Fettucini Carbonara. The sauce was not as thin as carbonara usually is, and it is supposed to be made with ham instead of bacon. I used Jennie-O Turkey Ham.

This recipe was really very simple. Cook the pasta, adding the peas for the last couple minutes of cooking. In a sauce pan, mix low fat cream cheese, light Caesar dressing and and a bit of flour. Add milk and the turkey ham. Drain the pasta and peas and toss it with the sauce. Top with parsley and parmesan.

Pros:
- The sauce was very tasty, I thought the Caesar dressing would be overpowering, but it wasn't!
- Very quick and easy to make
- Very filling

Cons:
The cons this time were almost all my fault.
- The pasta sat too long after it cooked and before I put the sauce on it, so it was clumpy and did not mix as well as I would have liked with the sauce and peas.
- The wheat pasta was a little much for the sauce. It would have been better if I used regular pasta, but I was trying to get more fiber into the meal.

Overall grade: B

I will add it to my regular menu, but will pay more attention to the timing of the pasta.

Tomorrow: Caesar Salad Sandwiches (I think)

The Return

Disclaimer: This entry is not about food!

Let me set the scene:

Returning from a late night trek to Chesterfield, Bryan and Jennifer climb into bed. The time is approximately 12:15 am, and they are both tired and somewhat irritated (okay, mostly Jennifer is irritated). Laying with her head at the foot of the bed so as to be in better reach of the fan, Jennifer notices a large shadow moving downward on the outside of her mini blind-cloaked window.

Immediately she begins replaying the previous few nights in her head. Several times during the past week she has awoken to find the dog, normally a sound sleeper, with his nose pressed up to the fan placed in the screened window. Similarly, the cat had seemingly developed a new fascination with the general window area.

Certain she was exaggerating the movement of a large branch or plant of some kind, she ignored it and closed her eyes. For a second. Opening them again she saw the shadow moving upward, quickly at first, and then stopping.

She panicked, screaming "There is something outside the window!" to which her husband sleepily replied "what is it."

She yelled at him to turn on the light, which only made seeing that much harder, so she yelled at him to turn off the light! They then raised the blind to find:



THE RETURN OF THE RACCOON!

So Jennifer SCREAMED like someone was murdering her and let down the mini blind. She jumped back in bed and tried to pretend it was not there. Bryan watched it scurry up out of sight, likely to the roof, and then returned to bed beside his trembling wife. A brief conversation transpired between the couple about whether it was possible that the raccoon could get through the screen and the window fan, but they both agreed that was impossible, so they tried to go back to sleep.

About 15 minutes later the dog was back at the window. Not a casual walk-by either. He was standing on his hind legs, something he is rarely capable of doing, with his nose pressed against the fan.

Jennifer sprang from the bed again and raised the blind to find:


He was back. This time she knew it was serious. The raccoon had been up against the thin screen, likely plotting his entry by way of the small gaps around the window fan. The decision was made that the fan had to go. But when to remove it? The raccoon was daring them to give him an opening.After a staring contest of about three minutes the raccoon began his slow assent, presumably back to the roof to await his next opportunity.

Together Bryan and Jennifer opened the window just enough to dislodge the fan and slammed it shut.

Safe. For now.

Chicken Strips and Potato Salad

So, tonight I was supposed to have chicken strips and roasted red potatoes, but I got home late from work, and the potatoes take 40 minutes to cook, so I substituted potato salad that I made on Sunday.

I should have said in my first food related blog entry that almost none of these recipes are mine in full or in part. Ha. That said, tonight's chicken was really my recipe - as is obvious in it's simplicity.

To start, I cut chicken breasts into strips, rinsed them in water and coated them with crushed crackers, Parmesan cheese and garlic herb seasoning. We found these 12-grain crackers at Trader Joe's that make the best chicken coating. They are like Ritz, but much better for you.

Then, I sprayed a cookie sheet with olive oil spray and put it in the oven for a few minutes to heat it up (so the chicken would not be soggy on the bottom) and then baked the strips for about 12 minutes. It was pretty easy.

The potato salad is one of my new favorite side dishes. Here is the exact recipe:

• 1 lb red potatoes
• 1/4 cup light zesty Italian dressing
• 1/3 cup Miracle Whip Light Dressing
• 1-1/2 tsp. Grey Poupon
• 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
• Sliced green onion - to taste
  

Boil potatoes just until tender
Drain, rinse with cold water until cooled completely
Mix dressing and mustard, add potatoes, eggs and onions; mix lightly
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (the longer the better)

I like to serve side dishes in a glass - an idea I stole from a restaurant in Chicago (thanks Lauren). I used barbecue sauce (also from Trader Joe's) for dipping.

Here are the results:

Pros:
- The breading had great flavor
- The chicken was juicy
- Very quick to make
- I love the potato salad

Cons:
- The top of the chicken was not as crispy as I would have liked

Overall grade: A

I will add it to my regular menu.

Tomorrow: Fettucini Carbonara

Turkey and Vegetable Tostadas

Tonight's dinner was Turkey and Vegetable Tostadas. I have been wanting to try this recipe for awhile.

In short, you simply brown the turkey, drain it, add tomatoes, zucchini, water and taco seasoning and simmer.

The tostada part was simple as well: spray the tortilla with cooking spray, sprinkle it with taco seasoning, and bake it a bit.

I added cheese and a tiny bit of my favorite parmesan ranch from Trader Joe's. Oh - and fresh cilantro. That's right, I garnish my own plate. Ha.

Here are the results:


Pros:
- It was tasty, though the taco seasoning on the tortilla was a little much
- A good way to sneak in tomatoes and zucchini, which are not my favorite foods
- Very filling
- Quick and easy, I cut up the ingredients while chatting with T-Mobile tech support

Cons:
- The tortilla itself did not have much taste, and the edges were too done while the center was not quite done enough
- A lot of leftovers which I am certain no one will eat.

Overall grade: C+

I would make it again, with some modifications, but not often.


Tomorrow: Chicken Strips with Roasted Red Potatoes

A new twist

I have decided to take my blog in a new direction. That's right, I am holding on to the idea that my blog had a direction before.

Lately I have been trying out all these new recipes and find myself wanting to share, so I thought "what better forum than my own blog!" At least here people can read about my kitchen exploits at their own will. Or when I tell them to. Whatever.

The first post is coming this evening. Get your skillets ready!

The Year in Review

Here is the post I finished about 6 months ago. Ha. It is still worth looking at the great pictures. Also, the formatting is regrettable. Don't judge me. Ha.



As 2008 came to an end (not a moment too soon), I thought it might be therapeutic to look back at the events of the year.

JANUARY

January began, as most new years do, with cleaning up the Christmas crap that we were too lazy to clean up in the preceding week. Also with a bit of torture for our pets. That is normal isn't it?

Although I hate people who keep their lights up/on after the holidays - this tree is an exception. It is in front of an amazing house in Kirkwood and I went out of my way to drive past it every day. I love it.

The final bit of Christmas celebration came in January when the extended family all came together. We were all there. I got a great gift. That is all I remember. Oh yeah - there may have been alcohol...

Although it may be under-represented in this retrospective, I spent a great deal of time this year working to get President-Elect Barack Obama elected. One piece of that was creating fliers for distribution in the neighborhood.

This part should really be on Bryan's blog, but because you have not seen these pictures, I thought I would include them here. As Bryan was out taking photos of historic St. Louis-y things, a person came out of the building below to ask why he was taking pictures, and offered to let Bryan come in an look around. It is a beautiful building.

After a resounding Obama win in Iowa, my mom, Bailey and I settled in for a nervewrecking and disppointing New Hampshire primary. Bailey dressed for the occasion.










FEBRUARY

Super-Duper Tuesday could not have come fast enough - and we were ready.

I took a picture of my ballot, which is evidently not allowed. Oops. Do you see Barack Obama's name on that ballot? How amazing is that?

I am not sure what we were celebrating, but here are the animals each getting a treat. We were honestly not racing them.

Bryan gave me this for Valentines Day. Isn't it adorable? And super soft.

For the first time of this year I had the chance to see Ramona and Peyton. He is getting so big!

I also saw my first Blues game. Well, second really, but I was serving drinks for charity during the first one.

During this part of the year Bryan was off on Mondays and Tuesdays, which made President's day the first day of the year that we had off together. In an attempt to do something fun and exciting we did what every young couple would do - we drove to the state capital! Ha. As it turns out there was very little to see. Also, we did not consider that we would not be able to get into any builings because it was a national holiday. Prior proper planning.

OMG - Look at this great gift from Audra. It remains perched nicely atop my monitor at work. Yes We Can!

Scout got into the toilet paper. I decorated him with it as punishment.

The highlight of February was seeing Barack Obama. I had a front row position, and I got to shake his hand and talk to him for a moment. It was incredible.

MARCH

March began with a lot of snow. A lot.

It is also, sadly, the month that we lost Chelsea. I am still sad about it, but she lived a very long time and we loved her. Bryan always called her Grandma. It was very cute.

By this part of the year my relationship with Di'Onna was in full swing. I enjoyed being a Big Sister. Here she is in prehistoric times - at the Science Center.

Next was a celebration of Kevin's birthday, complete with DDR (there is video - if you haven't seen it, you should!).

And a leap year party, Audra & Brad style. There may have been alcohol here as well.

And then (the very next, very hungover morning) a birthday celebration for my mom and Robbie.

APRIL

This month has one of the largest numbers of pictures because it contains a vacation - and a Ryan Montbleau concert! We spent about 7 days in Chicago and saw a LOT of museums! Ha.

We arrived the day of the concert and we were pumped! It was at the Beat Kitchen and Lauren came with us - her first RMB show.

We used the super zoom on our camera to get pictures of the song list so that we knew what was coming, and what to request. By request I mean scream the name of a song. Over and over.

And this is Lauren's love, Laurence.

And then they slept...

Through an entire day. Ha. This is the view from the roof.

The next six days were filled with museums, WALKING and funny pictures.

Bryan as Harry Potter.

This turtle was such a bully. He got a hold of this other turtle by the neck and would not let go. We almost got aquarium officials to intervene. I watched for more than twenty minutes.

The penguins at Shedd's.

We went to the Navy Pier (it was closed the last time we were in Chicago) and it was deserted. We were one of five people on the Ferris Wheel - but we got some cool shots.

Curiously, the toilet system required multiple plaques worth of explanation. I am not sure that I approve of the toilet guessing how much water will be required based on the amount of time I remain in the stall. I have nothing more to say on the matter.

More drinking ensued upon our return to Lauren's apartment.

And also a round or two of spoons.

And then off to another day of museums and walking. Doesn't Bryan look cute?

Here are our directions from Lauren. I could not get the mirror in my pocket...

I think this is a submarine... or maybe an airplane? It would be a roomy airplane I guess.

This replica of Chicago is awesome. It has the train going through it and everything!

I am not sure the significance of this... I look worried.

My worry is gone. We waited in line behind some kids to get up in this thing. I loved it.

Milking electronic cows, always enjoyable.

Clowning around.

This was old school for me. I wore a real one and was featured in the Daily Union in elementary school Who needs a cut out?

My first ever fried macaroni and cheese. Man was it good.

Lauren - is that green on your burger???

Here we are in the underground -

And posing as the most unusual primate...

I can't remember exactly where we were, but one giant section of it was filled with taxidermied animals. It was gross. Bryan liked it a lot.

I was super excited about the Freedom Museum, where I was able to picture myself as president. Literally.

And then we each got to vote for Obama again!

200 Days? That seemed an impossibly long time.

I should also mention that while at the Freedom Museum I recorded an audio time capsule about what I think elections mean - or something like that. It is likely available for review if you should happen to visit. Although, I would rather you didn't.

From Chicago we drove to Kansas City for another Ryan Montbleau show, at which we sold merchandise for the band. It was pretty great.

And then home - to shave!

MAY

These pictures are taken as I drove up highway 270 - I almost crashed the car trying to get them.

The rainbow pics were on my way to spend some time with on of my favorite kids ever. Peyton is so grown up!

Maureen graduated from high school this year - which is hard to believe. Hers was the first diaper I ever remember changing. Congrats to her!

This is just one of many YWCA functions that we attended this year. I chose this one because it had the best table tents. Seriously. Those are some nice tents. I wonder who did them?

JUNE

For the first time in our lives, we had things growing in our yard. Don't be too impressed though, they came in all on their own.

Is this me and Barack? Was I drunk? Was I crying? Was I on TV? Did Obama just accept the nomination of the Democratic Party? Is my hair completely crazy? Yes on all counts!

While I cannot remember the specific occasion, one day in June I came home to a surprise McDonald's cake. I love these things! Seriously. I had not tasted one since I was a "Birthday Party Hostess" at McDonald's in high school. They are exactly the same.

Quick, can anyone name the band? That's right - it is Ryan Montbleau! We were lucky enough to see them three times this year. This time we brought the clan.

And we drank a bit... ha.

Much of the month of June was spent preparing for Circle of Women, a YWCA event. I had to make centerpieces which may look simple, but were very time consuming. Thanks to everyone who lent a hand!

The flooding during the summer was crazy. I have never seen anything like it in my life.

JULY

On the first of July we signed a lease on a new house. I loved it. It is unique, and as you can see in the picture, it has a storefront. That could be fun!

We also chose that day to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library! I had been there twice before, but Bryan had never been inside. It is amazing. Especially the show in the beginning.

And the gift shop!

Afterward we had dinner at a small place in Springfield - I cannot think of the name of it. They did have buckets of MGD for a very reasonable price. I am pretty sure the food was good.

Here are my family members settling in to the new place.

AUGUST

Bryan made me cookies.
They did not want to leave the tray.

Even Scout was excited about the impending election. He demanded that we only buy him toys which reflected that excitement.












Bryan is so cute.

The most exciting part of August was the Democratic National Convention. We went to a watch party at the Moolah and had a great time. And great popcorn.

Bryan was very serious about the business of the evening.

They were very organized and had call sheets for each person as they walked in. During the commercials we all used our cell phones to phone bank.

This is the best!!!
















SEPTEMBER

I had my first opportunity to see Joe Biden in September. It was very exciting! My mom and I got there at the last minute, but we got great seats. It was an empowering speech.

We also had the unveiling of the History Wall at the YWCA Phyllis Wheatley Heritage Center. It is one of the most enjoyable of the YWCA events I have attended.

OCTOBER

October was a great month. We took an incredible vacation which lasted nearly half the month. (I will spare you the details of that, as I blogged it extensively at the time.)

Just before vacation we all traveled to Chicago for a NKOTB concert! It was awesome. Lauren was kind enough to host us in her newly redecorated apartment. The concert was great, alothough I ended up pretty sick from something I ate at the fabulous restaurant we chose. That is sarcastic. The restuarant was so bad it was funny - but funny is good. I have no pics from the show, as we followed the rules about cameras and did not bring one. No one else seemed to have seen the rule! In any case, here is Lauren's place.















I got back from Chicago on Sunday and on Monday morning we set off on vacation. When we got back we had a fun birthday celebration for Bryan's mom.

And saw Barack Obama again! This time he was at the arch grounds and it could not have been a better day. The number of people was aboslutely amazing.

And the very next day we got to see Bill Clinton! Thank you so much to Kathleen for pretending to be our mother so that we could cut in line and get a GREAT spot!

Bryan had to work on Halloween, but we still did our traditional pumpkin carving. As usual, our pumpkins did not turn out nearly as well as the stencils...

Bryan and Scout take a nap. Only Bryan does not have any idea that Scout is there.

Guess what comes next? Not Ryan Montbleau, but Joe Biden! This time Bryan got to see him with me, and we had a much better seat than last time. Front row!

NOVEMBER

Finally it was November! ELECTION TIME!

Here is the line at our polling place:

And here is my ballot!

And here is Bryan voting!

We went with friends and fellow Obama volunteers to the St. Louis Democrats election night party at the Chase Park Plaza. Despite the fact that my purse was accosted by a chair thief, the night was a HUGE success. Did you all hear about it? Ha.

The rest of November was largely filled with traffic tickets. I got pulled over twice for having a headlight out - and got tickets both times! I also got pulled over for throwing a cigarette out the window, only I don't smoke. Here is the picture that I brought to court to prove that I had fixed the light. I printed it on giant glossy paper. It was quite funny.

I arrived home from picking up Bryan at work, the same night that I was accused of littering and blackening my lungs, and found two giant (35 lb) racoons in my house. This picture does not do it justice. I had a 20 minute video of their eventual capture by animal control, but I lost it!

This is the damage that they did:

We hosted Bryan's family for Thanksgiving and had a great time. Every year our table looks a little better. This year it was all one height, so that is a distinct improvement.

I made a cheesecake and fruit filled, cinnamon and sugar cornucopias as an appetizer. Aren't they adorable?

Here was our feast. Look at my apple pie crust!

After dinner Bryan and Ronnie entertained us with their choreographed dance to "I'm in the Lords Army." It was pretty great.

DECEMBER

We ususally get our Christmas tree from Home Depot, mostly becuase it is closer and cheaper, but this year they had no selection and the atmosphere was not at all merry. So, we went to Ted Drewes and bought a GIANT tree. It was probably overpriced, but everyone there was happy and helpful and drinking hot chocholate, so it was was worth it.

Even the animals felt the joy of the season. This is the pictures I took for Scout's stocking.

Sometime mid-month I had the chance to spend some time with Peyton again. Bryan had not seen him in almost a year, which is like a lifetime for a baby. We had a great time. Bryan posed for pictures while I made a scene out of play-doh. I did not mix the colors - they are barely laid atop one another. I swear.

One of the highlights of the Christmas Season was our trip to Historic St. Charles. The go all out with people dressed as all of the holiday characters, decorations in every store, carolers, hot chocolate, misteltoe and roasted chestnuts. It was awesome.

We also suffered another loss this year. My poor Kia succumbed to a patch of black ice. I will miss it.
















The cat loves the train - and to knock ornaments off the tree.

Our Christmas celebrations spanned two days and began with Bryan's Family at our place. We had a great time. Especially Scout.








































We had round two at Audra's and round three at my dads. Thanks for hosting guys. Bryan and I both got a ton of great stuff. Thanks everyone.

Here are Bryan and I trying on Lauren's glasses. I look like Lauren in this picture! I think we could both pull the look off.

And that was 2008 - at least as much of it as can be recapped in photographs. I suppose it is lucky that you rarely have pictures of the hard times you encounter.