Moneyball

     I'm a sucker for a true story.  True story.  I also watched baseball for a tiny time right around the drama of this movie.  I heard it had Oscar buzz so I figured it had to be a great film.  Buzz duzz'nt come easy.  I have the urge to watch baseball so it must've been pretty good, right?  It made you cheer for the underdog and who doesn't love a good win?  Oh, and it had a little star by the name of Brad Pitt.  Need I say more?!?

Watch "Extreme Couponing"

     In between dinner and dessert I thought I would run through the guide on tv.  We don't watch much TV these days but I like to look for silly things here and there for fun.  "Extreme Couponing" caught my eye.  Think "Hoarders" but with sales flyers and organized shelves of detergent.  At first I was excited.  I mean I've been pretty proud of the return to my old shopping habits.  Supermarket circulars are perused for sale items which then inspire my week's menu.  Then I get crazy and find a few coupons to make it even juicier.  For about a month now there have been savings right around $60 per week.  I am wasting no food.  Lunches and snacks are getting packed for two children as much as possible.  Leftovers are even cleverly disguised for repeat meals if possible. 
     The two ladies that I watched were insane.  Hours were spent clipping hundreds of coupons.  Shopping trips included four and five carts.  Houses were packed with shelving units.  One mother loaded extra things in every open space in the house.  I might not be a fire marshal but putting rolls of paper products under a kid's bed just seems wrong.  One woman had an estimated $35,000 worth of food and cleaning products in her home.  She bought 70 bottles of mustard just because she had coupons.  At two bottles a year (since her husband didn't even like mustard) it would take her 35 years to use it up.  What are they thinking?  I understand saving but to spend money and hoard food just for the rush of the final number seems a bit extreme.  Maybe I'll buy a binder and start hitting the recycling bins to steal coupons...or maybe I'll just keep up the good habits I'm returning to and hope for a good sale!  I'm not sure if I was horrified or inspired by these women but I sure was entertained!

Shoot a Gun

     I have shot a dirty look.  I have shot a photograph.  I have never shot a gun.  They scare me.  Petrify me actually...I grew up in the Bronx, remember?  Now line me up with some quarters at the old timey shootin' range at the amusement park and I'm a happy girl...since I was old enough to line up my sights.  Give me a video game with some ducks and I'm not so bad.  But the real deal? Nah...scared to death on top of the fact that I don't have the need for a gun.   I am a peaceful soul who wishes hugs worked instead of any type of violence.
     Enter Suzan.  She is my buddy...a great mom...a wonderful wife...a sweet and kind person.  She suggested Ladies' Night at the range and I accepted the challenge with vigor.  I knew it would push me so far out of my comfort zone that the adrenaline would be pumping.  I was right.  I also pulled Leigh Ann along for the ride.  Ironically, the same breathing and concentration needed for her meditation was needed for this skill as well.  The instructor was correct...you can only think about one thing when you are shooting.  For three ladies whose brains never stop spinning this "violent" activity was actually quite calming. 
     The one hour of education was extremely informative.  I got to say words like "glock" and "clip" which after so many cop and action movies was kind of exciting in itself.  I learned the parts of the gun, touched bullet casings, reviewed old physics principles and heard some very interesting stories.  We were taught safety.  We were also taught that the gun isn't the danger...the person holding it is and though I knew this...it really gave me a different perspective.  Then it was off to the range.
     We loaded our bullets into the clip and popped it into the .22 before taking our stance.  Targets were loaded.  Eyes were protected.  Ears were safe.  After learning how to breathe and squeeze as well as how to compensate for my cross eye dominance...I had my first shot.  Bam...right in the middle of my target sheet!  About 17 or so shots later with a few different distances I had calmed down.  The sweating had subsided and the adrenaline returned to a somewhat normal level.  I also hit my targets quite nicely so all of those amusement parks and video games finally paid off. 
     We left with a brand new knowledge.  We left having done something out of the ordinary for so many.  We left empowered.  We didn't get to do the Charlie's Angels pose but I bet inside our heads we all had a little moment of badass! 

From Taxes to Laughter

     It's all about the balance, right?!?  So today I started and ended with a new thing.  One was not so great and the other was hysterical.
     First it was to the tax office in town to appeal the rate of taxes we have been dealing with since we moved here.  I wanted to clarify that the big, beautiful second story was only being enjoyed by countless bats and other vermin.  That I have been sleeping in an area with no door, no heat and no air.  Turns out that things were never done properly long before I moved in and we are now being penalized for various other things that were never accounted for by the previous owner.  So I took off a day of work in the hopes of saving some money only to find out that it bit me in the ass. 
     The rest of the day was spent digging through piles of mail, fixing more problems, doing homework with kids and all of the usual...but I had a little reward lined up for the end of the day.  Amy Schumer was coming to little ESU.  I watched her years ago on Last Comic Standing and loved her back then.  Now you might have heard of her since she did the Charlie Sheen roast just a bit ago.  She was free.  FREE!  She was also absolutely hysterical.  Funny.  Witty.  Dirty.  Honest.  Did I mention hysterical?!? I believe I laughed the entire hour and I don't remember the last time my cheeks hurt from laughter so it was a perfect way to end the day.  I didn't even care that we were a crew of old folks in the middle of a sea of teenagers!  Thanks CAB for booking a good one...ya still got it!

Hula at the White House

     Today we celebrated the first birthday of my little niece, Gianna.   It was a traditional luau complete with flowers,  pork and hula girls.  I was pulled into the group (thanks Theresa!) that was about to learn a traditional Hawaiian dance.  Though a little hesitant at first about the challenge it turned out to be absolutely hysterical and fun!  I threw out my nets, caught some fish and saw the sun...all with my hand gestures and hip rolls.  After the giant flip flop pinata and a sweet cake for a sweet girl we said goodbye until next time.   As usual this was no ordinary White Party and I scored a new thing as a bonus to round out a great day.  Happy 1st Birthday, Gianna!!!

Celtic Classic

     I've always been an Irish wannabe.  In high school I discovered that I could become an honorary member of the culture if I joined the Emerald Society.  I wore a green and black plaid skirt and marched proudly in the St. Patrick's Parade that year.  It was an amazing feeling.  Back then my best friend was a girl by the name of Colleen Lynch....not Irish at all.  She was from a large family and nothing made me happier than a sleep over at her house...even IF we had to make pancakes the next morning for 12 of us.  The music, culture, love of family and sense of pride made me feel at home even if I didn't have a drop of Irish in my blood. 
     Have I eaten or cooked corned beef every St. Patty's Day?  Yep.  Do I attend our local parade each year?  Sure do!  Do I have too many green shirts and sweaters?  Indeed.   All of this and I somehow managed to miss the big Celtic festival right here in Bethlehem.  Today I made up for lost time...with a Killian's Red in hand I watched some Highland Games,  listened to bagpipes play and watched girls with bouncing curls dance their way around the event.  I also watched an awesome band, Burning Bridget Cleary, not once but twice because they were just that good.  I can still hear the fiddles and can't seem to get the image of men in kilts out of my head but it was all worth it! 

New Blog for the Chaos

     I started a new blog that will inspire me to clean up my life...the physical messes, the financial burdens, the old and the new changes, saying goodbye to some big stuff and finding my new way to what is next...
     The other two blogs are working wonders so I can't wait to see what this one can do!