I just returned from walking 2 miles, after the girls got on the bus. I’m training for a 3 miler – all the way up to the neighborhood gatehouse and back.

Soundtrack for this walk: Tinted Windows. Bun E Carlos on drums, Taylor Hanson as lead singer, and James Iha and Adam Schlesinger on guitar. Nice, upbeat pop, good walking music. Even the one slow song. I turned around in the middle of song 5 (Back With You), and was home towards the end of song 11 (Take Me Back – how appropriate). My favorite song – well, it’s hard to choose. Their single was Kind of a Girl, and that the first track, but I also find myself humming to Dead Serious, Doncha Wanna, and sometimes Can’t Get a Read on You. I really hope they do a follow up, but then, I have a bunch of one disk wonders in my music collection. I will be walking to them all week.

Tomorrow’s Soundtrack: Blue Stone.

Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinted_Windows_(band)

Adapted from Cooking with the Skins (NFL Redskins cookbook, 1987, Brenda and Dan Riley)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 stick butter
• 2 ripe bananas
• 3 eggs (2 for regular altitude)
• 2 cups whole wheat flour (or all purpose white, which we were out of)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs.
3. Add flour and baking powder, and mix well.
4. Add sour cream, baking soda, and bananas
5. Add water if batter is too stiff to stir.
6. Bake for 1 hour in greased loaf pan.

This is good warm or cold. With cool whip on top.

When the girls go back to school in three weeks, and I begin to write seriously on a daily basis, this should come in handy.

Vocab Test (estimated).

Good thing I read a lot. I mean voraciously.

I was flipping through an old Taste of Home magazine, and came across a recipe for Pepperoni Macaroni. Not my style, plus I didn’t want to heat the oven, so I tweaked it.

Ingredients

• Pepperoni
• Pasta
• Green Beans (I used 1 can for 4 people)
• Corn (I used 1 can for 4 people)
• Shredded Cheese (I used about 1 and a half cups colby jack – the end of the package, and some mozzarella for added gooeyness)

Instructions

1. Make the pasta according to package directions.
2. While that’s cooking, chop the pepperoni however fine you want it. I quartered mine, then chopped a but more.
3. Drain the pasta, add the other ingredients, then nuke for about three minutes, stirring as needed.

Girls took the option of adding parmesan cheese, to both their first and second helpings. I didn’t think it needed it. Steve added salt n pepper, but says it didn’t really need it. It was just a habit, since I don’t usually cook with those.

We’ve tried to have chicken every other night, to increase healthy eating. I LOVE red meat, but it’s supposed to be bad for you. So, I couldn’t find the energy to make any of the recipes I have for chicken, and I had some thighs that were thawed and had to be used up. “What’s for dinner?” the girls and husband asked (three separate questions, from three separate people. “Chicken Something.” was my answer, each time. When I finally got into the kitchen, here’s what I threw together. This is Chicken Something.

Main Ingredients

• Cut up chicken Thighs
• Macaroni (or other pasta)
• Frozen mixed veggies
• Shredded Cheese

Instructions

1. Boil the pasta according to package directions, but include the frozen mixed veggies (either dump them in when you put the water on for tender veggies, or for more crispier ones, put them in with the pasta).

2. While the pasta/veggies are doing their thing, cook the chicken over medium heat in a coupla tablespoons oil, until juices run clear (the smaller the pieces, the quicker they cook).

3. Combine all ingredients in a baking dish, cover with cheese, and nuke until cheese is melted. (Optional – stir before serving to mix up cheese everywhere).

My family scarfed this up, including some leftovers the next day (I used a LOT of pasta that time). Vary the amounts of ingredients, or use cut up chicken breasts. Changing the cheese, as needed. We had colby jack that time.

(The kitchen is clean, and the children are occupied with a newly found box of toys.)

Although we do have some in the front yard – roses. But the rainy season appears to be over, so prolly no more rainbows for awhile.

Life here is hardly “idyllic.” When Julia was in skating camp, Cailin and I checked out the library – and of course, silly me lost my wallet. So that was a crazy 24 hours, calling the library and the rink seeing if anyone had turned it in.

Replacement card arrived finally arrived last night. Grocery shopping yesterday with both girls was a challenge as I had to keep tabs on the running total and make sure the girls didn’t destroy the store or my nerves. However, they were much better behaved in the store this last time, so they ARE getting better behaved.

Allergies have definitely surfaced. Wild flowers abound, prairie grass, and this house seems dusty.

And last weekend my check engine light came on. It went off the next time I got gas, but still, that was another coupla nerve-wracking days without the credit card.

The basement is pretty much finished, and Steve has started placing his electronics (60 inch flatscreen, 400 disc blu ray player, speakers out the wazzoo). So once that’s done, the Entertainment Center will be done, and I can tell the girls to go bug Dad as long as he’s not working.

Girls still whine when I ask them to do chores. We haven’t been nearly as social as the girls need (my fault) so they haven’t been on any “playdates” (I hate that word), but they do make friends when they’re at the pool. I don’t enjoy the pool. I’m nowhere near ready to swim myself, and I burn easily, so between the allergies and hugging the shade, I don’t enjoy the pool. But I’m reading a lot when we’re there.

Speaking of reading, they’re doing more of that, since we don’t have regular TV in the family room, and when I don’t let them watch shows, they are doing more reading.

For the most part, though, it’s turning into an okay life. I miss programming, but that will have to wait until they go back to school, other than the odd thing I do once a week or so.

We’ve been here about two and a half weeks. The first week was recovering from the trip out and getting the furniture truck, then we had skating camp. This has been the first week of figuring out how to live here.

Life definitely is slower. I don’t know if it’s the slower pace of things or the fact that I’m not working and don’t have to rush anything.

I have a clean kitchen this morning. Girls clothes are clean and put away (they did that, so I don’t know if they’re folded, and frankly, until they care, I certainly don’t). Living room and family room are straightened as well as can be expected with the piles of boxes still all round.

The basement final inspection is today, then we can start moving at least half the boxes downstairs, and working on the rest of the boxes.

My office is once again the catchall for things, but I hope to work on that next week.

We’ve been doing chores and watching a movie (at least the girls) in the morning, then if weather permits, going to the pool in the afternoons. I have done some walking, but the allergies are definitely hitting me here (all this prairie grass is new to me), so I haven’t been pushing it.

With me cooking, we’re definitely eating healthier. Cailin has lost seven pounds, but her bathing suit is now hanging off her, so she’s lost inches as well. We need to get her a new bathing suit this weekend. Julia’s lost a bit, but since she’s the skinniest, I’m not really concerned about her.

I’ve lost my trip weight gain, and maybe one more pound. I tend to make the home made healthy sweets, then over indulge, since they’re healthy.

I will post pictures, as soon as I remember to start taking them.

Also, my mother is continuing to spin in her grave, since I’ve willingly cooked and eaten yellow squash casserole, and eggplant parmesan. And last night I made an onion casserole, of which Steve had 3rds. I’ve knitted two dish cloths, and of course, there’s laundry. We have a septic tank, so I can only usually do one load a day. Today is my day. So at noon I will start the load.

We have 8 weeks until school starts. I need to find a doctor and schedule physicals before then.

So things get done, but slowly. My method is to work some, then rest/relax some. Heavy on the relaxing. I hope to make it a habit to update this place every day, so hopefully, you’ll see me here tomorrow.

Yes, it’s finally listed!

Homes Database

Realtor.com

So, now we’re just about ready to vacate the premises for open house time. We’ll go hang at my father’s place, with the dog.

We're two weeks out from putting the house on the market. Carpet installers come on Monday. Somehow, I'll be ready for them. I do plan to put pictures here, so maybe I can get to that this weekend.

So I go to the doctor yesterday for a sinus infection, and she says "Are you having trouble breathing?"

I say no, of course. She says "Yes, you are out of breath just talking to me, and I want a pulmonary function test." I'm thinking I'm only having issues cause I'm fat and outta shape. Besides, it's just a little breathlessness.

I hate pulmonary function tests, 'cause my pulmonaries, they don't function too good, and the test just makes it worse, every darn time. I've learned to live with it, hence the fat and outta shape.

So, I blow in the darn tube (candles on cupcakes on the laptop! - how game-y!), three times, and sure enough, I'm mildly obstructed. Well duh, I coulda told you that, but that doesn't mean I'm wheezing, or having trouble breathing. That's just me.

Well, I live life mildly obstructed, but it's better than steroids, let me tell you! Anyhoo, I got my antibiotics, and I'm supposed to try singulair. We'll see.

Somewhere up there, my mother is laughing.