WTF is with American Idol??!!

There is NOTHING on TV and I'm cleaning and don't feel like digging out a DVD. I've never watched this show before except for the bad and crazy tryout shows...and those people were better than these 12 thus far!! How did these people ever make the show??!! They are awful!! I've heard better playing Rock Band...frankly, my craptastic Rock Band singing might possibly be just as good and let me tell you...that is pretty bad!!! I probably don't even sound good in the shower!! I'm just disgusted. Why do people watch this show? Yes, we have Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, but has there been anyone else good on this show? I didn't like Clay. I didn't like Reuben. I didn't like Fantasia. Is that all? I also think Paula must be acting or flipping nuts and should ask Britney for her therapist's number (I secretly love Britney by the way...there I said it...I'm rooting for her to get normal again and Circus is in my car...I never like Backstreet Boys or 'Nsync though...I do have an NKOTB sleeping bag though).

Here's hoping one of these people doesn't make my ears bleed...

Update...Ok...so the Allison girl with the pink hair singing the Heart song was good. The country-ish guy was OK and the girl with the long blonde hair with the two year old was good too.

Ugh! It's inevitable I guess...

...and I am not happy about it at all! We are moving. To a place I think is a dump as is and my mother is so flipping wishy washy about what changes she's going to make. She is almost through with the process...loan secured and signed, contract signed, ...just waiting for closing which will be within the next two weeks. At least the Brownstone in Ann Arbor was nice and historic once Molly Maid got finished with it. I think that perhaps this place is still infested with hippies and is not what I would call historic...just old. It looks like a bunch of hippies vomited in the place!

The only two good things I can say about this place, well three...It's next door to my favorite Grandma, one of my crazy friends and it's somewhat closer to town. I'm just so completely annoyed. I like my nice clean room and huge closets!! The room I am supposed to live in has paneling and I HATE paneling! I haven't figured out what to do about that. I can't just paint it because then you'll still see the grooves and I HATE the grooves. I thought of damask wallpaper, but now I don't know if I'll be able to afford that right away. Grr. I thinking a neutral damask wallpaper or getting that paintable wallpaper and painting it a bright white and bright blue. I want something clean and comfy to make up for the craptastic rest of the place.

I just don't need the stress. I'm going to end up having a flipping heart attack and it will be all her fault for putting this stress on me right now!! She gets these stupid ideas in her head and then it has to be her way RIGHT THEN. Her thing now is apparently wanting to own her own place. She's old and doesn't take care of herself or her health conditions...she'll be dead before she pays it off! It just pisses me off and I can't even really stand to be around her anymore without being completely disgusted. And I apparently can't up my meds yet because I am having problems with my blood pressure getting too low and almost passing out. $@&* I go back to the cardiologist in a couple of weeks. There better be good news because I am freaking tired of living like this...it's not living at all actually.

A little cell phone etiquette please...

I have a cell phone, as does most of the rest of the modern world. When I go out to eat I put my phone on silent, vibrate, or turn it off. No one wants my ring tones to interrupt their meal and I don't want to hear yours. I understand forgetting once in awhile and that's ok, but tonight I went for a nice quiet calm dinner at Liquid Ginger. Liquid Ginger is so tranquil and makes you feel good...and has amazing food. Instead, I end up with some jack@$$ behind me playing You Tube videos quite loudly on his cell phone all throughout dinner!! Usually it doesn't bother me, but it was REALLY loud and obnoxious!! It sounded like a Gator Basketball game in the usually serene restaurant.

I do not answer my phone in the restaurant. Sometimes if it is important I will, but only if it will be short and I do not have to raise my voice any louder than normal conversation...otherwise I will excuse myself and go outside. My mother talks loudly when she's on the phone and I make her go outside, but now she'll go outside and talk for thirty minutes while I sit there and wait for her to come finish her meal...and it's not even important...just say..."I'm eating and I will call you back."

I just get annoyed when people are rude with their cell phones. This reminds me of an episode of Sex and The City where Samantha was in a restaurant talking as if to someone sitting with her on her cell phone. The restaurant told her she was being rude and could not be on her cell phone in the restaurant because it was disruptive to the other patrons. Meanwhile, there was this horrible child literally climbing the walls and throwing sphagetti on Sam's white suit, but that was completely ok because that was a child.

People are just completely oblivious of other people when they are in public and need to take a class on common courtesy.

My dinner of grilled scallops in a Lemongrass beurre blanc was extraordinary though. :) I LOVE Liquid Ginger! It is probably my favorite Restaurant in Gainesville!!

Top reasons to clean out your closet regularly...

I am trying to get rid of stuff and clean out stuff I don't need, wear, doesn't fit, etc... During this process, I have come up with some reasons why you should do this regularly. Please feel free to add your own to the list.

In no particular order...

1. No one is going to want your crazy clothes from the 1990's (or 1980's)!! You start thinking...Man...what was I thinking??!! I actually wore that!

2. You are more acutely aware of the difference in the size of your clothes...the newer ones aren't that small...man...I think they shrink when they hang in the closet...I'm telling you...those buggers just hang there on that hanger and shrink up!!!

3. You start seriously questioning your ability to pick out your own clothing! Sequined/glittered sweaters??!! Flowered knee length gauzy skirts?? Blossom hats!!

4. It's not a month long process if you do it more than once a decade!!!


Ok...that's enough...it's too depressing!! Haha I seriously had clothes in my closet that I wore as far back as 9th grade...and no...I'm not going to tell you what year that was!! I seriously do not remember some of those clothes being that small!! I don't remember ever being small enough to fit in some of that...it had to have shrunk...that has to be it. How could I ever wear some of that stuff??!! Sadly, I find that some of it is coming back in style...I saw similar stuff to some of it in the most recent issue of InStyle magazine. I'm sorry, but I wore it once and I don't want to go back!! I'll stick with my jeans and black shirts thank you very much!!

I already gave away about 10 garbage bags of clothes and I still have about six boxes worth. Teresa and I are thinking of getting a booth at the flea market...she really wants me to get rid of more than I am...I don't dare let her in here or she'll get rid of EVERYTHING!! At this rate, I think I'm going to need two booths. I still have so much to go through and I already have the front room full of stuff!! I went through and put price stickers (I got pre-printed ones...they rock) on about half of the stuff...and of course the cat wanted to help!! He'll ignore me all day when I'm watching TV, but as soon as I start actually doing something he starts meowing and hugging all over me...he's male...that probably explains it. :-P

So...I've learned that it's less depressing to get rid of things in more of the Teresa fashion...about every other month. Haha

I guess I should attempt to sleep now since it's almost 2AM...

My name is Jackie and I'm a Shopaholic...

So I went to see Confessions of a Shopaholic last night. Oh my gosh!! I read the first two books in the series (which are the ones that the movie is loosely based on), but it was so much funnier with Isla Fisher playing Rebecca Bloomwood in living color! She even ends up going to Shopaholics Annonymous (which was not in the book). I don't really know if this is sad or not, but I so identified with a lot of the things she did and said...though I didn't just go out and buy like she did and most definitely not from upscale boutiques...I would love me some Prada and Christian Louboutin heels though!! This movie was so hilarious!!

It apparently got poor reviews from the "critics," but I guarantee you that if you are female there is going to be something you relate to and if you like shopping...you will definitely find this movie amusing. I did really relate to her attempts at "de-clutter" by putting everything in space bags and sticking it in a closet...then something happens and they slowly become "un-sucked up" and bam...when you open it...everything comes popping out!! I'll post a few pictures of some areas of my closets (yes...I did mean to put closets plural...I have three...all walk-in...one used to be a guest room and then a storage room...it is now my shoe closet and I am only showing you a small portion of my shoes). I have already gotten rid of and/or removed about ten garbage bags of clothing from my closets and they are still full, but I am severly attached my shoes and clothes...yes call me materialistic if you like, but I don't care I still like them no matter what you or anyone else says. However, I do find my self having too many pairs of things such as sunglasses, scarves (why do I need so many scarves in Florida??!! But I like them!), etc. Anyhow, I just thought I would share my materialistic side with you. :-P It really sucks that we are moving and I will have one teeny tiny little non-walk-in closet!! I have ALWAYS had a walk-in closet!! I guess I'm going to have to get a storage unit!!

Yummy Valentine's Treats

I came home and made Orzo with pine nuts and wilted spinach for dinner. It was pretty yummy. Then I started on some homemade Valentine's sweets. I made lavender heart cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, and chocolate raspberry truffles...half with sugar coating and the other half with toasted coconut coating. It's all pretty yummy!! I LOVE chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate raspberry truffles!!

Wal-Mart sucks!!

Wal-Mart was so horrible today!! It was packed!! I wonder why there is a rumbly in my tumbly and then I realize I haven't eaten today, so I want to go home and eat. I had to wait in line to check out for fifteen minutes for about five things!!!

Then I hurry back to my car...only to be stuck behind someone who waits to pull out of the aisle until there is absolutely no cars or people coming...I wait for FIFTEEN MINUTES!!! Then...the guy FINALLY turns and I can go, but nooooo...these stupid old people walk with their buggy right in front of my car and walk really slowly...I think a snail woulda beat them. I swear if I didn't want to bust a head light, I would have probably hit the gas!! That is so annoying when people walk right out in front of you when you had obviously been sitting there waiting to go. I also hate it when they walk right down the middle of the aisle while cars line up behind them!! Ugh!!! Then I miss the turn signal because they guy in front of me stops AT A GREEN LIGHT!!! four or five cars besides me could have made it through that light, so I just turned right and went the back way!! Grr!!! Why are people so bloody stupid???!!!! I know that you may not have somewhere to go on a Friday afternoon, but I don't want to be stuck sitting in Wal-Mart parking lot!!

You would think this would make my blood pressure go up, but nooo. Twelve hours after I have taken my meds and when it's time to take them again it drops to 95/41 and I get all dizzy!! My doctor switched one of my meds because the insurance won't pay for the one I was on and now this one is sucking. It gave me a headache all day yesterday and it's lowering my blood pressure even more. I'm thinking of going back on the other and just paying for it out of pocket. It's so flipping frustrating!!

One more thing, if you're really cranky and pissy...don't call me!! I don't want to talk to you! I hate it when people are really cranky and then call me and wonder why I get annoyed with them and call them cranky!! If I didn't do anything to piss you off...don't get pissy with me...actually...even if I did do something to piss you off...don't get pissy with me. :-P Hehe

So...that was my rant and annoyance of the day!

I wanted to share this article from CNN.com...

My biological clock is broken

By Colleen Kane

(The Frisky) -- I'm smack in the middle of my thirties and about to get married. For some childless women my age, this is tick-tick-tick time. However, while other women may be intimately in touch with their ovulation cycles, I'm in no hurry to have kids now, if ever.
My old man and I have talked about it, but we're both horrified by how much our lives would have to change -- not to mention how big a pain in the ass kids are for, oh, say, 18 years.
We have two starter kids: dogs. Sometimes, they drive us bonkers. They give us joy and a lot of laughs, but when we travel, as we often do, they complicate our plans.
Actual children, what with their need for food more than every 10 hours (or whatever it is that you're supposed to do with little humanoids), and their ability to talk, scream, and cry, would be far more painful at travel time.
Or, say, at 4 a.m. time, and all those other ungodly hours they pick to start needing things.
Then there's the whole nine months business. The older I get, the more I'm grossed out by pregnancy.
If I'd found myself madly in love and in a stable relationship as a younger woman with less experience and a steady income, I probably would have gone for it. But now a lot of the gory details make me shudder.
"But it's great!" we're told by new parents. Amazing. "Best thing that ever happened to me," they say.
Sure, they have to say that -- to recruit more new parents into the club, so they have someone to talk to about their kids. I'm sure it is life-changing, heart-expanding, and all that good stuff. Maybe I'd want to do it someday.
But it's like how I feel about running. Runners always foam at the mouth about how great running is, how you get in shape, the bonus of getting a runner's high. I bet it is invigorating as hell and super-healthy to boot.
But I hate running. So you're not going to see me doing it -- unless I'm being chased by a pack of fast, blood-thirsty zombies.
I don't want to rule anything out absolutely, but if I'm comparing having children to being chased by a pack of zombies, it's probably not the right time to start planning a little treasure in my belly. And that's OK by me.




Find this article at: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/02/04/biological.clock.broken/index.html

So sad...

So sad. :( I was able to get back there a few weeks ago. I'm sad to see places like this close.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090130/ARTICLES/901300922

Wise's 'Fountain' serves last meal

By Anthony ClarkBusiness Editor

Published: Friday, January 30, 2009 at 6:25 p.m. Last Modified: Friday, January 30, 2009 at 6:25 p.m.

Customers old and new alike have come out of the woodwork to grab one last milkshake or daily lunch special since news came out two weeks ago that Wise's Drug Store is closing its Fountain lunch counter after more than 70 years.

THEN AND NOWPrices from Wise's Fountain menu, circa 1950s, show their age. (Current prices in parentheses.)Banana split -- 35 cents ($3.75)Milkshake -- 25 cents ($2.50)Limeade -- 10 cents (75 cents small, $1.20 large)Coffee -- 10 cents (75 cents)

Wise's not-so-secret milkshake recipe, by Buddy WiseA squirt and a quarter of Hershey's chocolate syrup, maybe 2 ¼ ouncesSeveral scoops of DeConna vanilla ice cream, 2/3 of the way full.Whole milk, about half way from the ice cream to the top.Mix. "Maybe the shake mixer makes a difference."


Regulars came more regularly. Long-ago customers returned for the first time in decades. And curious newcomers came for the first time. Families of three or more generations gathered around tables. They came to reminisce, to pay their final respects to one of the last vestiges of old Gainesville or to see a throwback to mid-20th century lunch counters. All came for the last time Friday.

Buddy Wise, who turns 70 next month, and the full-time pharmacy staff and bookkeepers are moving to Wise's Pharmacy at 708 SW 4th Ave. at the end of February, but the lunch counter closed for good on Friday. Wise said he and brother, Larry, wanted to cut back their hours and can split duties in the other location. He also said business has slowed, largely because of the prevalence of prescription drug plans that require mail-order pharmacy service.
The news started a daily lunch rush with waits as long as 45 minutes. Wise's had to hire a few extra helpers and moved a pharmacy clerk to hostess for crowd control.
"That's how it is: You don't know what you've got until it's gone," said Zach Seymour, 28, who came for the first time with four co-workers.
Lynn Goolsby came for the first time Friday after about 25 years in Gainesville.
"I used to eat at lunch counters a lot growing up as a child. It's a shame they've all closed," she said.
During lunch, the 15 counter stools and 27 table chairs were full while a crowd waited throughout the aisles.
Wise said he was surprised by the crowds of the last two weeks.
"It's good to see the people. They make me really hate to close it, but I've got to do it," Wise said. "It brings up old memories. There's just been an awful lot of people who worked in this area, people who shopped in this area coming back just to remember something of what it was like."
Bob Shirley, 78, of the Micanopy area said he came for lunch every day from 1962 to 1972 when he worked at the nearby BellSouth building and then just whenever he was in town.
"It's an icon here that should never leave, but I guess Buddy's getting old," he said, his comment directed at Wise.
Wyena Hanneld, 81, of Gainesville came with her son and his wife, granddaughter and great-grandson.
She said she and two co-workers who died last summer came there every day for lunch when she worked at the nearby Western Union from 1948 to 1972, "because we only had a half hour lunch. We were the threesome."
She recalled former counter manager Marie Jones spreading condiments on sandwiches with her flattened spoon.
Not everyone was enamored by the crowds.
Paul Guidry, 70, who lives outside Gainesville, was also a regular while working at BellSouth from 1964 to 1994 and has continued to visit at least once a week to see old friends.
"All these people in here now ain't showed up in 20 years. They're disrupting the whole place," he said.
Jo Ann Parham, 79, came for lunch with her "lunch bunch" last Monday and reminisced about her first date there in September 1948 with her late husband, Robert Parham, who would be the first pastor of Northwest Baptist Church.
"We sat on the bar stool and went to the Florida Theatre after," she said by phone Friday. "It's just kind of sad to think of another historic thing that has brought some pleasure to so many people — to have it close. Of course, downtown is nothing like I remember it as a young person, either. Wise's is probably one of the last things left."
Not all the older regulars are older. Wise said they "adopted" Kyle Eller, a precocious 8-year-old who has come in weekly with his grandfather, eye doctor John Beckum, and befriended all the workers and other regulars.
"It's the end of an era," Beckum said. "It's kind of a meeting place for old Gainesville."
Employees expressed mixed emotions.
Cashier Yvonne Densen said she was retiring after 32 years at the business.
"It's going to be sad. Very sad," she said. "They're nice people to work for. Everyone seemed like family to me."
Debbie Robbins worked at Wise's Fountain off and on for a total of 25 years.
"When you've done something as long as I have, it's really sad to have to leave it," she said while making sandwiches. "They're good people to work for and fantastic customers."
Contact Anthony Clark at anthony.clark@gvillesun.com or 352-374-5094.

Blueberry Extravaganza

I have 10 containers of blueberries and a lady picked a bag of fresh lemons off her tree for me, so I wanted to use these yummy fresh ingredients. It is so amazing what a difference there is with fresh off the tree lemons compared to the waxed up ones from the grocery store. I also had extra ricotta in the fridge, so I found a recipe for ricotta blueberry squares. I utilized the lemons in a loaf of lemon blueberry bread with a sugar-lemon glaze. They are so yummy!! They aren't that pretty, but they are certainly delicious if I do say so myself (as does my mother). :)

If you want the recipes, I pulled them from my favorite recipe site, http://www.allrecipes.com/. There are so many amazing recipes there and you can search so many different categories as well as by ingredients you have on hand and want to use.