B stands for the BEST!

So, today was my first day of summer school... and guess what B did? He brought home Sims 3 to me as a "happy first day of summer school!" surprise. I love him :)

PS: You may notice a slight decline in my blogging after this. Blame Sims.

Rock Hall of Fame

So B and I spent Sunday-Tuesday driving out to Cleveland just to see the Bruce Springsteen exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We had a great time and an extended weekend, so no complaints there! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip (sorry--not many from inside the museum because cameras weren't allowed).

Summer Break: Day 1

6.30: Wide awake. I'm gonna have to work on the whole "sleeping in" thing.

7.00: Out the door. Found a few yardsales. Bought $4.75 worth of stuff.

8.00: Home, checking my emails. Realize I have a book due today.

8.15: Head out to my balcony to read.

10.30: Done reading Water for Elephants. Good story!

11.30: Catch up on all my blogging.

12.00: Ready to run errands with hubby. Too bad the weather's yucky.

Done!

It may have been 4pm by the time I finished today, but I finished. Let the summer fun begin! :D

Clap your hands!

I just thought I'd finish the song that S started because, yes, I'm happy (finally). Afterall, there are only 2 days of school left! What's left to be cranky about?!

So what have I planned for the summer, you ask? Well, I'll...
...teach summer school
...meet friends for lunch after summer school*
...host my in-laws in July
...READ
...lounge in my jungle
...hit up the thrift store with mom*
...see John Mellancamp
...COOK
...lounge by the pool
...pal around with M and S*
...go bike riding with hubby
...see Green Day
...see U2
...catch up on Seasons 2 & 3 of Big Love
...hang out with L*
...see Bruuuce (again)
...celebrate our 2 year anniversary
...RECOUP!

*Please note additions to my list :-p

A Food Equation

if Food = Good, and Family = Fun, then...

Food + Family = Good Fun!

Last night was E and M's turn to cook for sibling dinner night. They came over to our place. This is E's disapproving look at the sorry state of my kitchen--she has no room to cook!
Yet somehow she managed to make it happen. PS: I helped -- a lot. The boys ended up just drinking beer and shootin' the breeze while E and I made dinner. Figures!

Here's my brother. Isn't he cute?

So last night was M's debut, and he came out in style! Check out his HOMEMADE cake. Yes, that is fondant. Yes, the fondant is in 3 different colors. Yes, there is a layer of strawberry filling inside that cake! Yes, he did that all from scratch -- he even dyed the fondant himself. Call up Ace of Cakes!

PS: I made banana nut bread. And it was good :)

Food for Thought

"We weren’t always a nation of big debts and low savings: in the 1970s Americans saved almost 10 percent of their income, slightly more than in the 1960s. It was only after the Reagan deregulation that thrift gradually disappeared from the American way of life, culminating in the near-zero savings rate that prevailed on the eve of the great crisis. Household debt was only 60 percent of income when Reagan took office, about the same as it was during the Kennedy administration. By 2007 it was up to 119 percent.

All this, we were assured, was a good thing: sure, Americans were piling up debt, and they weren’t putting aside any of their income, but their finances looked fine once you took into account the rising values of their houses and their stock portfolios. Oops."

This is exactly the logic upon which I was raised. Refinance! Take out a loan! Don't worry, the value is in your house, and that is something that will never go down. -- I feel a shift in culture coming on, don't you?


from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/opinion/01krugman.html?_r=2