My Response

Ray wrote a blog post with a subject matter that I am passionate about and I thought I'd share with everyone my response. The subject of his blog was hunger here in the US.

Ahh, a topic near and dear to my heart. 

The fact that there are families in this country that haven't a clue where their next meal is coming from infuriates me. When we talk about basic human rights, free speech, bearing arms, due process, trial by jury, suffrage, etc, why isn't a daily meal included? Our government has decided what we can't have, drugs, alcohol (even though they changed their minds on that one)high powered firearms, but what about things we should have; what about basic needs being met? I have to wear my seat belt when in the front seat of a vehicle, even though if I'm in a wreck the only person that will be injured because of my lack of seat belt is me. They're so worried about things like this, but not something so basic as a meal. 

Now, for my real stand...

The problem isn't our government, It's the Church. I'm not talking about the buildings, I'm not talking about the people who show up on Wednesday, Sunday, Christmas and Easter. I'm talking about the Body of Christ. The body of Christ is the problem. As a whole we are not doing our job. We are not following the second greatest commandment. We are not loving our neighbors as ourselves. We are not assisting "the least of these".

We have fallen so deeply into the pit of the world that we have actually forgotten, as a whole, what we are supposed to do, what we have been commanded to do.

I am thankful for the family that was put in my life as a teen. If it weren't for them being in my life, I don't know if my relationship with my parents would have improved, ever. It took years, but I finally figured out what it meant to honor my parents. It's the only reason those relationships still exist. It's the only reason that I can consider moving back home. And for anyone that might read this and not know my background, yes, hunger played one of many parts in the gross dysfunction of my family.

So no, I don't blame our government. And no, I don't think the government is the one who is failing. I blame the church as a whole. We are failing in so many areas, but this is one that is inexcusable. 

I don't know why food and shelter are not basic human rights in our country or any other country, but it should be a priority of the Church.

I know we have a need to spread the gospel around the world to those who have never heard the name of Jesus, but we need more people "staying home" and fighting the good fight on our home front. We need the Church to take care of their communities, their neighbors, each other.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad Pitas

These are really very good. It's a different twist on chicken salad. It all works together very well and is very filling.

I hope you try it and enjoy.

Ingredients:

3 cups   Cooked, chopped chicken

1 cup     Plain Greek yogurt

2 tbls     Lemon juice

½ tsp     Cumin

¼ tsp     Crushed red pepper

1 cup     Chopped red bell pepper (1 large)

½ cup    Chopped pitted green olives (about 20 small)

½ cup    Diced red onion

¼ cup    Chopped cilantro

1 can     Chickpeas, rinsed and drained

6           Whole wheat pitas, cut in half

6           Slices tomato, cut in half

12         Bibb lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Combine chicken, red bell pepper, olives, onion, cilantro, chickpeas in a large bowl.

3. Add yogurt mixture to chicken mixture; toss to coat.

4. Line each pita with lettuce and tomato

5. Add ½ cup chicken mixture to each half pita

Calories: 404

Fat: 10g

Carbs: 46g

Fiber: 6g

Black Bean & Cheese Enchiladas

Ray and I made these enchiladas tonight and thought they were yummy!

Makes 6 servings
2 enchiladas per serving
300 calories per serving







Ingredients
2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 cups water
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion, white or yellow
5 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups reduced fat shredded Mexican blend cheese
3 sliced green onions
12 corn tortillas
6 tablespoons light sour cream
Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine chiles and 2 cups water in a saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Drain chiles in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

3. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add onion; saute 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic and salt. Cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Add broth oregano, tomato paste and cumin; cook 8 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

4. Pour onion mixture into a blender; add chiles and cooking liquid from chiles. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); put lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in lid to keep sauce from splattering. Blend until smooth; stir in lime juice and red pepper.

5. Combine the beans, 1 cup cheese, and half the green onions in a bowl. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon 3 tablespoons bean mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-side down, in dish. Pour remaining sauce over filled tortillas. Top with the remaining cheese. 

6. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Sprinkle with remaining green onions; serve with sour cream.

Bits & Pieces

UH football has really rocked it out this season. Keenum, the QB, has been terrific against the opponents faced. It has been fun to read, listen and watch them march through their schedule this season. It is an up and coming program that someday, if managed correctly, will be a contender against the big boys, or maybe just the medium ones, of the college football world.

So with the great play of the Coogs thus far this season, College Game Day was at Robertson Stadium for the first time. By the looks of it there was a great crowd present. Each week Lee Corso does something crazy when he makes his pick for the team he believes is going to win. This week, he did something the FCC isn't going to like. The clip is below so you can see it yourself. Once you realize what Corso says, make sure you pay attention to the reaction of his fellow reporters. I love Herbstreit's reaction! But then again, I just really like Herbstreit in general!

My Astros have a new owner. I'm excited about this change. I'm looking forward to the team becoming competitive again. Their fan base is loyal, but we do require a carrot every once in a while. Now, while I'm excited about the new ownership, I am saddened about the move to the American League. The Astros have always been my team, but I've always rooted for the Rangers as my "AL team". This move is going to make this difficult. I won't be able to root for the Rangers anymore. Then there's the rule differences between the NL and AL. In the NL all players are baseball players. In the AL, most players are baseball players and some are pitchers and some are just hitters. I don't like that at all. If you're going to play baseball, then play baseball. 

Peter King Challenge Update: Ray's middle brother is leading the pack with a 94. I have a 93. Ray and his cousin's wife have 92. Then there's indyjeepgurl that's not doing so well, but is really giving us a run for our figurative money in the college football picks. Really? How'd that happen?!? After this week, there's only 6 weeks of regular season NFL football left.

Meal planning has never been my strong point. Usually I make a list of some basic stuff for the store, buy it and throw it together in different ways each week depending on how I feel and what sounds good. Last week I actually sat down and choose meals for the week. I made a list, bought the groceries, then came home and cooked 5 of the 6 meals I had chosen, leaving one for Ray to make during the week when he was off. It turned out well. The grocery bill was actually lower than normal. The meals were 350 calories or less per serving. We didn't eat out during the week for lunch/dinner. We saved almost $100 last week just spending the time and effort to cook at home. Oh, and our grocery bill this week, even less. I think this just might work. One last thing, this should definitely lead to a lighter, more healthier me.

The past few months Ray has spent his Thursday nights off at a place here in town playing poker (Thanks Yi-Vet!). He has found another place that plays on Monday nights. He's talked me into going with him. I'm a bit nervous. It's been a long time since I've sat down with folks and played.  I think it'll be fun, but I guess we'll see how it turns out. 

On My Mind

I went to the doctor last week for my quarterly check-up. Besides gaining 4lbs since my last visit, all was well. She did notice that I had a cold. I hadn’t noticed yet. Just so you know, I notice now. The sneezing and runny nose is really starting to bother me. Ugh! 

Mike Matheny for the St. Louis Cardinals Manager position…Really?!? I’m not a Cards fan by any means, but I am huge fan of baseball. I don’t understand this decision. What does he have in his pocket that qualifies him to be the manager of the World Champs? I mean, he was a minor league instructor. He wasn’t even part of the coaching staff. The Cards have been managed by some of baseball greats: Whitey Herzog, Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa. And now Mike Matheny! Ray has a saying for occasions like this…He must have pictures of someone.

Speaking of pictures, I enjoy photography, but the latest “World’s Most Expensive Photograph” just isn’t mind blowing in my opinion. I appreciate it and what it’s trying to do, but it isn’t WONDERFUL.  You decide.

I had been a T-Mobile customer since a friends dad gave me a cell phone in 1999. When I finished college I stayed with T-Mobile and switched the number over to my own account. A couple of months ago Ray and I switched to Verizon. It was actually emotional. I know that sounds weird, but I knew I could count on T-Mobile’s customer service. I had never had an issue that they weren’t able to help and did it with the best attitude. But, here in Indy, there is a large span of highway between home and work that I don’t get signal. This part of the highway runs through corn fields. If something were ever to happen I’d be stuck. So we switched…and it’s been great. Not only do I get phone signal but 3g data as well. It does help to ease my mind now that the first flurries have fallen.

For the last few years Ray and I have participated in The Peter King Challenge where you choose the winners of each weeks NFL match-ups. It’s a fun way to compete against each other. This year we have some friends and family that have joined a group and we’re competing against each other. The group name is Salem’s Lot. Yup, that’s how we roll. All of that to say, man this week has been horrid. So far I’ve only won 5 games with 2 games left to go.

The Walking Dead is a great comic. It tells a story in a way that should have been made into a TV series. That’s the conversation Ray and I had a couple of years ago. Last year the TV series premiered and was well done. This season it has returned with a vengeance and has been great. I both look forward to watching it each week and want to run away from it each week. Why run away you ask? Because more weeks than not my gag reflex is tested and that’s not something I enjoy. But I return to watch anyway because it’s just a good show. Check it out if you’re not squeamish. 

Health Update 2

So I shared with you that my last doctor's appointment didn't go very well. Some of my meds were changed and my doctor, who I really like, had some frank words for me concerning my future if I didn't make smarter choices. So some changes were made and unmade and made again between the last visit and my visit last week. It was a much better visit this time. She was happy that I'd lost weight and had a plan to continue that trend. She was really excited for Ray and his weight-loss, even though he isn't her patient. She noticed the difference right off. It made me smile that my doctor was paying attention to my husband's health even though she wasn't being paid to do so. I've lost right at 15lbs and Ray has lost twice that amount.

I'd say she was happy about my blood pressure, but that would be an understatement...I received a hug! My blood pressure is finally normal, which is something it hasn't been in almost 3 years. In fact, I've been in stage 2 hypertension since diagnosed with high blood pressure. I've taken so many different types and combinations of medications to get it under control, but they've only been able to bring me down to stage 1 hypertension and even then it wasn't always that low. But now, all is well. the doctor actually made sure I understood that my continued weight loss could result in low blood pressure which would cause me to be sluggish and that I need to keep an eye on it. So now I'm keeping a weekly journal of my BP and we'll see how it goes from here.

It's been a good 11 weeks health-wise. I go back to the doctor in 13 weeks for my next quarterly check up and I must say, I really am looking forward to another hug!

Carrie Underwood Moment

I’m sitting in a comfy chair at the Starbucks inside of a local hospital while my friend has surgery and thinking about a story requested of me a few days ago. It’s a story I think of each time I hear Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” and it makes me smile and laugh.

Before I begin, it needs to be understood that this was not a date. The people I was out with were a gal I worked with, her husband and a guy that worked in the same department as us. The intent was that we would meet at Gilley’s for drinks and dinner, and then make our way to play pool. It should have been an enjoyable evening, probably not worth remembering in the grand scheme of things. Obviously, that’s not how it turned out.

First, let’s set the scene. I had spent 6 or so months holed up in the house fighting my own personal neurosis, had friendship end that caused more than just a little distress, had a difficult time finding a job after completing college, but things were finally looking up. I got a job, it was interesting, enjoyable and paid well. I was losing weight and jogging on a regular basis. I was making new acquaintances and friends. My shell was breaking. I was ready to have “fun”.

I’ve never been a wild, out of control person. It’s just not my style. I don’t enjoy crowds or noise. I’d never been much of a drinker. I think I drank more before I was 21 than I did 5+ years afterwards. I like to read, watch sports, listen to music, check out museums, look at and take pictures, eat at very yummy restaurants and cook. I’m pretty boring and I like it that way.

With that said, I’ve tended to draw towards people who are more social butterflies. My best friend since we were children is rambunctious. If there’s trouble, she’ll find it, or it’ll find her. I prefer not to be noticed most of the time. My college roommate was/is very much a people person. I tend to dislike the general public. My friend having surgery today, while she isn’t a social butterfly, she does like the “scene”. She prefers to be out and about amongst humanity. I like to be on my couch. Then there’s Ray. Ray was told once he “could sell ketchup on a stick” and another time that he’d be a great used car salesman. He’s a natural people person. He likes to hear and tell stories. He’s a talker. Then there’s the other side of Ray that prefers to sit on the couch with the laptop reading random things and watching Dr Who reruns all day. I prefer to listen to folks stories and I’ll take the laptop and TV too.

But after you spend months trying to figure out what normal is, things start falling into place again in your life and your feelings seem to have healed, it’s time to go out on the town and have a good time. Laptop closed, TV off, sexy outfits bought and on.  Anyone for last call?!? I'm over here!

So the four of us met up at Gilley’s. We were seating near the bar at a round table and ordered a couple of pitchers of margaritas. The night was already looking up! We sat around the table exchanging stories, eating, drinking and laughing it up. We were having a good time.

Now, the guy present that worked with us had a saga taking place in his life that he had been keeping us at work informed of and entertained with. It involved a girl who we fondly referred to as the Crazy (insert word that rhymes with “witch” here). The short version is that they went on a date, it hadn’t gone well and he thought he had been pretty clear that he wasn’t interested. Apparently he wasn’t crystal clear. She was stalking him. She called, left messages, continuously showed up at his house…it wasn’t good. Well, while we were having a grand time that evening, someone walked up behind him and started talking very loudly, but was slurring and obviously drunk. Three of the four of us at the table didn’t have a clue as to what was happening, except that some crazy  (insert word that rhymes with “witch” here) was really putting a damper on our little party. I’m still not sure what he told her, but she huffed off away from our table. He was very apologetic to us, explained that it was the crazy girl and that we should probably go ahead and make our way to play pool. Good idea!

We walk out of the restaurant, turn right toward where we had all parked, and OH MY GOSH! The chick was relentlessly keying his beautiful black, 4x4 Dodge pick-up! He yelled out at her, she turned and looked at us and he started running for her. Unfortunately for him he had hit the unlock button on his keys and she jumped into the truck and locked the doors and started keying his leather seats and dash. He finally remembered his keys, unlocked the doors and dragged her out. While he’s checking out his truck, she goes after the girl that’s with us yelling about how the guy is hers and she can’t have him. So our friends husband steps between them and explains their relationship and that she needed to go ahead and leave before she caused more of a scene. Well, in her drunken powers of deduction she decided I had to be the one dating him and decided to chat with me. And the fun started.

She got within inches of my face and started poking me in the chest and yelling that I needed to stay away from her man. Again, let’s all understand that I was NOT on a date. I was out with friends looking to blow off steam and have a good time. I stepped back and was trying to explain that I wasn’t dating her man and that she could have him if he wanted her and that we were cool. For every step I took back, she took one forward and got louder and got more irate by the step. The guy came over and got between us and was trying to calm her down. She was hysterical. Arms were flailing and snot was flying. At one point in him trying to talk to her she slapped the crap out of him. It wasn’t funny at the time, but afterwards when we’d talk about it, it was hilarious! He was close to six foot and she was shorter than me. It took much determination for her to reach up and get him. Take a second and imagine it…funny, huh? Told you.

He was a bit stunned that she had hit him and while he was recollecting himself, she made her way back around him to me. Yay! She went back to her lines of how he was hers and I needed to leave him alone, then she shoved me.

At this point in my life the only fight I had ever been in was with my sister growing up where we punched, shoved, hit and bit each other. Nothing serious. I gave a girl a bloody nose playing basketball once and yeah, it was on purpose, but well, I’d probably do it again now if the circumstances were the same.

So, the crazy chick shoved me and I took a step back. I told her not to touch me again. She stepped forward and shoved me again. I stepped back and reiterated my previous statement. She stepped forward and went to shove me again and I stepped aside and she fell forward onto the pavement. She was laying there crying and was having a hard time getting back up. I helped her up, told her she was going to be okay and left her to stand on her own. I thought we were done so I turned and was walking away. Then I hear my friend yell out my name and I turned and when I did, crazy chick was right there. She started slapping and scratching me. Way uncool. I was trying get away from her, but was pretty close to being backed up against the building and she was closing the gap between us quickly, so I pushed her away trying to make room for my own escape. Well she hit the ground, landing on her bum. Before I could get around her she was back up and in my face again, so I pushed her again and back to the ground she went. When she got back up she was going for my face and that apparently is where I drew the line because I punched her in the mouth. Down she went, crying of course. We were trying to get her back on her feet and over to a bench when she went after me again. This time I decided I was done. I grabbed her upper arms and shook her to get her attention. I got it. She wrapped her hands around my forearms and started steadily scratching my arms. I tried to get her to stop and she wasn’t having any of that, so I pushed her away from me as hard as I could. She hit the ground and rolled. When she finally got up she ran to her car and took off. Within minutes the sheriff’s department was there. We had to give our statements and when the sheriff got to “her man” it was obvious they knew each other. It turned out the sheriff was her father. He asked where she was and we told him she left. He sent his partner after her. We got to listen to the radio call back to him that he had her and she was drunk. Dad told his partner to take her in. WOW! Charges were filed against her for destruction of property, assault, DWI and driving with a suspended license. She had a full plate there.

I had to have my arms looked at before we could go. They looked bad. To this day I can show you proof of this evening on my arms. Thankfully it’s not too prominent.

Not sure if it needs to be said or not, but we didn’t play pool afterwards. I went to see a friend at work and get debriefed of the evening by her.

My crisp white, pearl button down shirt was ruined. Not only was there blood on it, mine and hers, but it was torn.

I loved that shirt.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I eventually did end up dating the guy. It didn’t last a year. It shouldn’t have lasted a week.

"I dug my key into the side

Of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive 

Carved my name into his leather seats."

Where do you get your ebooks?

For those of you who have an ereader of some sort, whether it be a NOOK, Kindle, Sony, Kobo, or maybe you have a tablet such as an iPad or one of the many Android offerings, or maybe you simply prefer to read on your computer screen as opposed to the printed page, let me give you a few more book obtaining options

There is of course the Barnes & Noble site, the iBooks app from Apple and the Amazon Kindle Store from which you are able to buy books from, but what are your other options?

There's Google eBooks. The books are compatible with the NOOK, iPad and Sony ereaders. Also, the site has partnered up with some brick and mortar stores and libraries so you can buy and borrow from them too. This is definitely my favorite ebook site.

Project Gutenberg allows access to books in the public domain (read 'free books'). The site gives you multiple file types to choose from for you download so you are able to choose which is right for you.

While Kobo offers their own ereader device, they also offer file types available for download that will work on other devices as well.

If you're into Sci-Fi and Fantasy, then Baen is for you. They also offer multiple file types available for download so they are compatible with Apple products, Kindle, and NOOK.

Hopefully I was able to give you a few more options for where you obtain your ebooks. Look around and find the best deals, or better yet check out the library ebook offerings and the public domain offerings.

Happy reading!

In Response to Ray's Post on Our Second Date

For those of you who have read Ray’s blog about our second date, let me add a bit of fluff to the story from the wife’s point of view. For those of you who haven't read his post, go read it now.

I remember the moment I was told to stay away from Ray with great detail. The QA manager and I were walking down the dock together. For some reason or another I had been “loaned” to QA to assist with a project and would be walked through it that particular day. There were a number of people in our building who either utilized golf carts or bikes to maneuver through the warehouse and on this day there was a golf cart headed straight at us. Driving this cart was Walmart Ray. Really, when we needed something and we needed it from him, we’d page “Walmart Ray, please come to door XXX for assistance.”

It’s his fault. He told us to page him that way. I think it was because he was still a bit insecure about his last name. He had a run in with a Hispanic orderfiller in his previous DC who told him when he said his last name certain way, the way he’d always said it, it sounded like a derogatory phrase in Spanish. So, my assumption is that not only was there another Ray in the building that worked for the third party company, but there was a fear of someone thinking he was being ugly on the paging system. So Walmart Ray it was.

Well, Walmart Ray had helped me during my first few weeks on the dock as a supervisor to learn the computer system we were using and taught me how to read the paperwork that came from the traffic office so that I could effectively teach my associates how to know what to do when they received their packets. All that to say, I knew who he was and his personality. I had already pegged him as a certain type of male, one which I have a name for, but won’t put in this blog post.

So back to my walk with the QA manger. We were walking down the dock and we see the golf cart headed toward us so we take a step or so to the side so it can pass without fear of it plowing us into the cement. Apparently the manager had recognized Ray, because she smiled and waved and he did the same as he drove past us. She then stopped, so I did the same since she was leading the way, and she put her left hand on my right shoulder and said, word for word, “If that one comes anywhere near you, run the other way. Just run.” I smiled, laughed and told her I’d already figured him out. Her reply, “Good.” You could tell by the look on her face that she was serious.

I remember seeing him after he had the crap beat out of him and thinking to myself that he could use some humility in his life, but man, it really looked like it hurt! The gossip floated through the warehouse like the fog off a lake in the morning hours. It was thick and plentiful. The more I heard, the more I realized that there was a lot of truth to the gossip and then watched people look at him as he walked through the building as if he had the plague, which I guess could have been a possibility. (To type “haha” or not to type “haha”? Or would a smiley face be a better option? hmmm)

He asked me out the weekend after he returned to work. My answer was a simple, “No thank you.” While in my head I was thinking, “You just don’t learn, do you?”

I think I became a project at that point. You know, like collecting a full series of 2006 Topps All-Star baseball cards. (You like the reference back to his blog?) He was in the Traffic office every day that weekend, multiple times of day. He always needed something and it was always something mundane. He needed copies of this or a packet of that. It was always something. His office was in a completely different part of the building than mine, yet he still came to mine for copies. Paging Captain Obvious! Captain Obvious do you have a copy?

On Monday, February 13^th , 2006 (Yes, I have a knack for remembering dates), I was at the back counter of my office sorting through some papers when Captain Obvious entered the office. The door to the office had a 4 or 5 foot hallway before you walked into the open of the office, so I was able to stop what I was doing and look to my right to see who had entered my office. When I saw it was Ray I remember smiling to myself because he was immediately looking towards the back corner of the office, you know, the corner where I sat and would have had my back to the door if I had been at my desk. But since I wasn’t at my desk, I got the first look, not him. That definitely pleased me.

He stopped short and was turning around when he saw me at the back counter. He came over and had some papers in his hand and explained that he just needed to make some copies. Again, there was a copy machine within feet of his own office. I asked him if he wanted me to make them for him and he said sure. So I took the papers and set the machine to make his copies, then went back to my papers.

 He walked closer toward me and I stepped aside a bit. I had a thing about keeping my personal space.  I had recently ended a relationship that I had no business having in the first place and had ended a friendship that was more than a friendship, but less than a relationship. It was complicated and unhealthy and caused some real confidence issues and emotional scarring. I had just put the pieces of myself back together, was back in church, had lost about 40lbs and was looking pretty good if I say so myself. Then there was Ray. I still had the manager’s voice in my head telling me to run. I had all the stuff I knew was true that I really didn’t want to deal with, not to forget the things that I had heard that was unconfirmed, but pretty close to the stuff I knew was true so I lumped it in as well. Then there was this guy that since he came back to work, he wasn’t the same. He acted differently. He carried himself differently. He wasn’t maintaining his reputation. It had fallen and shattered to pieces.  This was not Walmart Ray that was standing next to me at the copy machine, yet I still stepped aside. It’s hard for us sometimes to allow people to change and grow. Skepticism is just so easy.

He made chit chat while the copier copied and stapled his packets. He told me about the revival a few weeks back at church. He told me that the church was having a Valentine’s banquet that week and I thought, oh, here we go. He’s going to ask me to the banquet. Not my ideal first date. It’d be a bit uncomfortable for me to say no, I don’t want to accompany you to a church function. He didn’t ask and I was glad.  He did utilize it as a segue into asking about my relationship. He asked, “So do you and your honey have plans for Valentines?” I told him I didn’t have a honey. It wasn’t until the other day that I found out he already had that scouting report in his pocket. He then proceeded to ask me to lunch and a movie. I agreed. I had a head slap moment asking myself what I had just done, but decided that a girl had to eat and free is always good. Oh my stomach was already in a knot.

He sent me an email when he got back to his office asking for my number, so I sent him my number, 3066. It was my extension in the office. I don’t remember if he called me or if he sent me an email, but one way or the other he let me know that he already had that particular number and was wanting my home number. Ahhh! I gave him my cell number and on we went. When I got out of work that night I had a voice mail on my cell and it was from Ray. He said he was just making sure I hadn’t given him the number to the weather channel or something like that. Yes, I still remember the message, because it made me laugh and made me nervous at the same time. It had been a while since I had given my number to someone that I intended to go on a date with…Then it struck me. I was going on a date. Crap what had I done?!?

Back to Ray’s blog since the first date has yet to be disclosed to the world at large (It’s a good story). I didn’t know he asked someone how to pronounce my last name. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it if he had mispronounced it. I had spent 24 years of my life at that point with people mispronouncing it. It really didn’t matter. The funny thing is that when I read his blog and learned he asked someone, his description of that person clearly defined one person. He won’t know until he reads this that that particular person had nothing but kind things to say about him. I didn’t understand at the time why she was talking him up, but she apparently had the inside track.

As we drove down I-10 from the movie theater after our first date, I was thinking to myself that he could make a good friend, but didn’t seem like relationship material. Then he popped into the office the next weekend and asked if I would like to meet him for dinner at Outback. Well sure! Again, free food is a good thing and Outback was a great thing. Oh, and our conversation wasn’t so bad on the first date. I could stand to listen to him some more for free steak. Mmmm, steak!

When he let the words, “I want to be honest with you.” fall out of his mouth at the restaurant, I wanted to yell, “No, the steak hasn’t come yet!” Obviously that didn’t happen and he continued and spilled his life story on the table. It was ugly, sorry, shameful, full of disgrace and ended in redemption. It made me smile. So, I took my turn and laid my cards out. While they were a different hand, they were full of the same characteristics as his. What a pair. He smiled and made a statement to the effect of, “And I was worried we wouldn’t have anything in common.” I smiled back. We talked the rest of the night, past the closing time of the restaurant. The doors had to be unlocked to allow our departure from the restaurant. We stood in the parking lot and talked for a while longer about ourselves and each other. I think we were still trying to convince the other that this was a bad idea.

We had stopped talking for a bit and were just standing there staring at each other. It was then that he asked if it would make me uncomfortable if he kissed me and I replied that it wouldn’t and yes, it was bad. It’s actually on the worst kiss list as #1 for me. The second kiss was not horrible, or bad, or okay. It’s a memory that I can think of when I’m in an aggressive mood and it makes me smile and immediately soften my tone and body language. As Martha Stewart would say, “It’s a good thing.”

I did make a phone call that night and tell someone that I would marry him. Such a move in mindset from the beginning of dinner to the end. It was as if the continents had come back together, but not in a drift, but rather through a turbulent disaster. I say disaster because the next few months were a whirlwind and rough and changed the course of my life. It was one of those times when it’s all over and you look back, there’s only one set of footprints in the sand. As cliche as it sounds, it's the truth.

I have a few of my own side facts: 1.) The waiter wasn’t slow. We continually sent him away because we were busy talking which resulted in us not looking at our menus until about 30 minutes after his first appearance at our table. I remember this clearly because I knew the waiter. I had gone to school with him. I remember feeling a bit of comfort with him there checking in on us. I needed that comfort that night. 2.) It wasn’t a corner booth. I could walk you to that booth right now. If you are standing at the hostess stand waiting to be seated, you would walk to your left and there are three booths that share the wall to the bar on your right. We were in the middle booth. There was a couple with a kid in the booth behind Ray. Every once in a while he’d pop his head over and smile at me with his light brown eyes and shaggy hair the color of the sand in Galveston. I remember thinking that about his hair and how it looked like the wind had won the fight. 3.) I have a good sized collection of baseball cards.


Here's a picture of the coaster Ray mentioned in his blog

Fresh from the Garden

It makes me happy when I'm able to pull items from our container garden. The satisfaction felt from using items that you've invested your time and efforts in is great.

I'm not advocating for folks to go all Hansel and Gretel, but rather to buy a plant, tomato, proper, bell pepper, or some type of herb, and experience the convenience and satisfaction of personally providing something for your meal. Give it a try.

Lifestyle Change Update

Ray and I have been counting calories the past 2-3 weeks in an effort to retrain ourselves in how and what we eat. It's been a little challenging, errr, a lot challenging, for me. The good news is that it's gotten easier and I'm rediscovering foods I haven't cooked with in a while. Also, I've lost 5lbs. Yay!

So here's to future positive updates.

Oh, and if you have any favorite healthy recipes you want to share, post them or shoot me an email.

Fruit of My Labor, Literally!

Time for Change

After visiting the doctor in March and receiving some news that caught my attention, I needed some time to think and figure out what I wanted. The end of March and the month of April were a bit stressful and I allowed that to take my eye off the ball. May has been a good month and now, right now, it's time for me to take action. So here's my plan:

Stealing shamelessly from Michael Pollan, I am going to "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." I'm not going vegetarian or adopting any other "veg" type food lifestyle, but rather going to rearrange my plate to where the veggies out number the yummy moo moo, chick or piggy that is present. Also, it's a decision to stay away from processed foods. The "Not too much" part comes in with calorie counting. That's right, calorie counting. 

I have a goal to run a 5k in 9 weeks. Yup, that's 2 months. Go to CoolRunning.com to see my plan on getting there. 

Ray and I have talked a lot lately about how positive our weight and health were just five years ago. We've talked about how much energy we had and how we held each other accountable with our diets. The most interesting thing was that our diets had become a lifestyle. They weren't a lot of work. It was second nature to the both of us to choose healthy options. We playfully blame Bob Evans (YUM!) and Friendly's (Double YUM!), but we both know we let each other down.

Ray currently doesn't have any plans to run a 5k, but he will be with me on this journey to lead a healthier lifestyle going forward. Pray for us. We know this isn't going to be easy.

Strawberries

Our first buds appeared today!

First!

We have a jalapeño!

Mini Garden Update

So you know I have the basil, cilantro, rosemary, jalapeño and 2 tomato plants, red and yellow. You also know that I ordered some seeds a while back too. Well here's the pictures of the peat seed starter I used.

They started out as these little peat disks about a quarter of an inch tall. I had to add warm water to them and they started to "grow" and ended up being these little 2" tall piles of dirt with netting around them. I then sowed 3 seeds to each stack and waited. It took about a week for the white cucumbers to sprout up.

The others took a bit longer, but they've finally started reaching for the sunlight! Below are the gherkin cucumbers and the orange tomatoes.

I planted the white cucumbers today and am praying for some sunshine to help them stand back up, but I don't think we'll see any of that until later in the week. They look a bit depressed at the moment.

I have had a couple of tomatoes appear on the red cherry tomato plant, but they haven't ripened yet.

Oh, and I've had my first casualty. One of my basil plants just didn't have the will to live.

We did buy some mint plants and they look pretty good if I say so myself. They will come in handy on the days we desire to have tropical drinks to assist our imaginations take us to warm, white, sandy beaches during this cool weather still present.

And we can't forget the strawberries! I told you I ordered those in my last garden blog. When they came in, they were just root systems in a plastic bag filled with damp paper shreds. I got them planted, but wasn't sure if they were going to survive. 

As it turns out, they're doing wonderful! They're growing like champs!

So there you have it. This has been a lot of fun so far. We only have the gherkin cucumbers, tomatillos and orange tomatoes left to plant when they're ready. After that, we'll see how it all turns out.

If you have any thoughts, comments, ideas or tips, please don't be shy! I can use all the help I can get!

New Hobby

With everything that has been going on lately in our lives, the stress level has been up a bit. It’s felt like life has been one up on us. I decided it was time to stop the defensive driving and jump in on the offense a little bit. Time to do something a little different.

Red cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, yellow cherry tomatoes

We’ve started a mini garden on our apartment porch today. It has red and yellow cherry tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, basil and rosemary. There are a few seed packets on the way, as well as a strawberry plant that is suited to grow well in Indiana and in a container. Ray will have learned of this as he reads the previous sentence. (Hi hunny! See what happens when you sleep? J)

Basil

We haven’t spent much money on any of this, so if it all decides to become mulch, compost, muck, or just plain dead plants taking up space on our porch, that’s okay. But, fortunate you will be blessed by pictures and progress reports on these plants and not only their wellbeing, but ours too.

Rosemary and cilantro

We were inspired to really get going during our trip to Houston when we stayed with my Dad and Kim. They have a small garden in the backyard that had been successful in the past and looks to be once again. To hear them talk about it made me cheerful. I don’t know if that’s a normal response or not, but it was mine and replicating that feeling by Ray and me doing this little garden together has become important to me.

Hopefully, it will be a success and the pictures will be pretty and my neighbors will be jealous.

Here’s to a green thumb!

Lyrics for Greg Long's In the Waiting

Pain
The gift nobody longs for, still it comes
And somehow leaves us stronger
When it's gone away

Pray
I try and pray for Your will to be done
But I confess it's never fast enough for me

It seems
the hardest part is waiting on You
When what I really want
Is just to see Your hand move

I want a peace beyond my understanding
I want to feel it fall like rain
In the middle of my hurting
I want to feel Your arms as they surround me
And let me know that it's okay
To be here in this place
Resting in the peace that only comes
In the waiting

Time
Time to let it go and just believe
Trusting in what no one else but You can see

Free
Freedom from the fears that close me in
When I can't get beyond where I have been, but then

Again
The silence doesn't mean that I'm alone
As long as I can hear
That I am still Your own

I want a peace beyond my understanding
I want to feel it fall like rain
In the middle of my hurting
I want to feel Your arms as they surround me
And let me know that it's okay
To be here in this place
Resting in the peace that only comes
In the waiting

Home

It’s times like these that my heart yearns to be home. My head knows that I wouldn’t last there, but when so many things seem to be bad there, while I know I couldn’t fix it, the desire to wrap my arms around them and share the pain is overwhelming.

The phone just feels so cold and uncaring.

Our Own

So the US has once again engaged in being the world police. Don’t get me wrong, I do not support the likes of Gadhafi, but at what point do we stop stretching ourselves? We have troops deployed all over the world to help others, but when do we start taking care of our own citizens?

When will our government spend their minds and money to shelter the homeless, feed the poor, protect the abused and educate the less fortunate? I’m not looking for handouts for folks, but rather support programs worth seeking. Our social service programs are poorly funded. How are they to effectively transform the lives of those they touch? No, it isn’t all about money, but it is about priorities and our country doesn’t have theirs in order.

I understand that we are very influential at the world’s table because we’re involved in the world’s issues. I know those who serve our country allow us to keep the freedoms we enjoy each day and allow me to sit here and convey my thoughts without fear of retaliation. I honestly do comprehend and enjoy it.

I will continue to support our troops for their willingness to give their lives for others and I hope you will too.

I simply want to know when we will start taking care of our own?

Heavy Heart

It was a rough work week, but not in the way most people will assume. There were multiple heart to heart conversations had between myself and other folks. Most ended well, but a few ended badly and I wish I knew how to meet those folks where they're at and fix it or convey what it is that needs to be done to make it right.

I made the statement many times this past week that the most difficult part of being a leader isn't the work, but the emotional impact you take. Everything can go right and the numbers turn out great, but when your folks aren't happy, when morale is down or you have to end the relationship between the company and an associate, it weighs on you, or at least it does me. It's like an anvil around my heart and I can feel the beat in my calves.

Interviews were conducted and finished this week, and while an offer has yet to be made, I'm already concerned about how those who were not chosen will react to the news. We had great candidates and trying to figure out who to choose was difficult. It could have been any one of half the folks interviewed and it would have still been a win for the team. I want to be able to convey that when we sit with folks, but will it come across? Will our feedback do them justice? Will they give up on us?

I have a heavy heart right now and as often as I try to give it up, I seem to have kept a string attached to my wrist so that I can pull it right back down to me.

I need the scissors.

Thoughts...

The past few weeks have been interesting and have left me with some things on my mind.

•   I am more grateful than ever at how the Lord has blessed me, especially as I feel that I have caused Him to continuously bend down and pick me up on a daily basis. Relationships are hard and I’m not sure that I’ll ever get this one right.
•  Five years ago yesterday I went on my second date with Ray and knew that I would marry him as I left the restaurant that night. I never thought I’d marry until that night. He means the world to me. He keeps me grounded, laughing and loving. And probably out of a psych ward.
• Health scares me. Or maybe I should say the lack their of? I went to the doctor last week and it was a sobering experience. Have you ever been told that you can’t or shouldn’t do something that you never planned on doing and now that you can’t/shouldn’t you’re mad about it? Or how about, “If you continue on this track in 5 years you’ll (insert unpleasant ending here).” I’ll summarize by stating it was a visit that left me a bit depressed, yet thoughtful.
• It’s March and we’ll make our last payment on our only debt! Holy smokes! I know some believe Dave Ramsey is a bit strict, but the Lord worked through him to get The Mancil’s financials where they should have been all along. The stress of “what if” isn’t as heavy and I know without a doubt that we have and are doing the right things concerning our finances.
• Speaking of debt, why do states have to balance their budgets, but the federal government doesn’t? How did we afford to give $1 billion to Haiti just a week ago? By no means am I saying they do not need help, but how does a country that is trillions of dollars in debt give $1 billion in aide to another country? Where did it come from?
• Why is our tax code so confusing that I can take my paperwork to three different people and get three different results? I’m game for a flat tax.
• Gas prices, Libya: Gadhafi vs. Rebels...It’s probably best that I stop while I’m ahead here.
• With everything that’s going on in the world, do we really need 24/7 coverage of Charlie Sheen?
• We vote for a President in 20 months. Hope to see you at the polls.
• Why do public workers need unions? And how do publicly elected officials who are paid by the tax payers think it’s okay to walk away from their state and jobs in protest. Get back to work. If you don’t get what you want, then keep fighting the political battle the way it was meant to be fought. This isn’t the toddler soccer team where everyone wins a trophy at the end of the season.
• U.S. Rep. Pete King’s hearing entitled “The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response” and the possible implications and the way the hearings have been framed = Irresponsible.

Do you have anything on your mind?

Really? Again?

While bending down to pick up the pencil, I felt the all too familiar stretch and catch I have grown accustomed to over the years that tells me painful days are ahead.

My back.

I was a junior or senior in high school, I don’t exactly remember which, the first time I became acquainted with back pain. I’m not even sure exactly how it happened, but I remember afterwards lying down with a tumbling mat between my stomach and the gym floor and thinking I could just die and all would be well. There was no doctor visit, but there were massages and pills. Eventually the pain receded and I felt whole again.

Then, I was a senior in college and I have zero recollection of what could have caused it, but I know I woke up one morning and struggled to get out of bed. When I say “out of bed”, I literally mean out of bed. I ended up on the floor and had to work to get to my feet. Standing straight was not an option and I remember walking was painful. Trying to wash my hair was an event filled with tears while my hands were above my head. I did drive myself to the doctor this time. I remember being a walk-in and the place being packed, so much so that I had to stand while I waited. I remember fighting back tears as I stood due to the pain being so intense. The relief I felt when called back was deeply misplaced.

The nurse wanted me to get up on the x-ray platform and lay down. I couldn’t do it. When she “helped” me, the tears flowed again. The pain was excruciating. I left with two prescriptions and the assurance that my spine was fine. As I walked out of the building, I was trying to remember where I was parked, looking out onto the parking lot, and missed a step and came slamming down on the ground. At that moment, as the tears poured from my eyes yet again, I struggled to breathe as the pain continuously shot through me. My thoughts at that moment were not good ones.

The medications worked well, but had a bit of a coma affect on me. I knew what was going on around me, but wasn’t quite in a state of mind to participate. I remember visiting a friend and having a drink one night and learned that pain meds and alcohol probably weren’t the best mix, yet they allowed me to rest for 5+ uninterruptable hours, which was more than I had had since the pain began. Still, definitely a bad idea not to be repeated.

Seven months after moving to Florida, five months after starting a new job and three months after my wedding, I sneezed. I was in so much pain. I didn’t have the ability to stand up straight and could barely walk. Thankfully, my groom was nearby and was able to assist me in maneuvering stairs and crossovers to safely make it downstairs. He immediately loaded me up in the car and we left work for the doctor. They wanted to give me pain meds, muscle relaxers, and shots to help. I voted only on the muscle relaxers, remembering how the pain meds affected me before.

We went to work the next day and our manger sent us home, me to rest and Ray to care for me. When I got up the next day the pain was unbearable. I couldn’t stand myself. I couldn’t get out of bed on my own, I couldn’t utilize the restroom on my own, I couldn’t sit or stand on my own, I couldn’t get dressed on my own. I was in agony. We returned to the doctor. I received the shot and collected the pain medication.

The next couple of weeks are a haze in which I remember bits and pieces, but my wonderful husband and a good friend of ours who took care of me while at work, have shared stories with me about things I said and did. I refuse to type them out here due to still being a bit uninformed, but if they choose to share, then so be it. I’m sure it would bring tremendous joy to some of your hearts.

So we’re now to current day, just after picking up the pencil. I’m wondering if back replacement is an option and if so, is it on the up and up or do I have to resort to the black market? I have moved forward from limping when I walk to just walking slowly and deliberately to avoid any jarring or impact at all. I can now sit without being in constant pain and can even get off the couch now without having to first roll to my knees on the floor, then using the coffee table to hoist myself up via my arms. (Side note: My arms are a bit sore from the pushing and pulling I’ve had to do the last few days with getting in and out of vehicles and on and off the couch or chair.)

I believe that I am making fast, positive progress in the healing area and believe a doctor’s visit is not warranted. Plus, I’d rather not return to the fog. I’m afraid one day I may choose not to return. 

Here’s to future latissimus dorsi replacement procedures.