Here's a Blog Post You Can't Refuse

Last night J and I watched The Godfather. Surprisingly, I've never watched it before! J said I had to watch it since it was about my family. Silly boy, not all Italians are in the mafia! All I have to say is: THOSE POOR MAFIA PEOPLE. Even though it was fiction. Power is hard to maintain.

Also, yesterday afternoon, J and I had a delightful fight for 1.5 hours. Then we got over ourselves and went to the IMA. We walked in the gardens and beside the river and made bets on who would cross the bridge and who wouldn't. I lost $0.35 to my husband. It was a pretty afternoon! The museum was closed but J got them to let me in to employ and observe the restrooms. The faucets there don't add air to the water like most do (bubbly water is what I usually see). I must admit, though it uses more water, an uninterrupted stream from the faucet is so interesting that I decided to write about it on my blog.

Then we went to Euphoria for dinner! Locally grown, in season, freshly prepared food from a chef named Brad. Though I'm mostly a vegetarian, I eat meat when it is "happy" (raised well, butchered well, and its upbringing not wreaking environmental havoc), last night I ate chicken in a restaurant! I rarely eat meat other than what I buy and cook so this was exciting!
Pretty yum too:)

That's all, gotta get ready for church!

Alas, I Ate Your Beloved Dessert

I must think happy thoughts right now because J is a bit miffed at me for having eaten his last-Friday-dessert. I seriously somehow thought he didn't want it. I don't know how I came to that conclusion because I realized this evening HE VERY MUCH WANTED IT!! My best guess as to why I consumed it is: it was TIRAMISU (coffee!!). AND yesterday, while attempting not to fall asleep while tutoring, it was the only coffee available to me in 5 minutes between kids. Plus, it being almost a week old, I didn't even stop to think about it....

Enough airing of The Jarvis Marital Problems. We seem to fight over desserts a lot. Hehehe:)

Here are a few things that make me happy this week:

1. Lizzy and I eat a piece of zucchini carrot bread each evening.
2. I played my violin very well today while practicing and only slightly less well at my lesson.
3. My fingertips are getting calloused!!!
4. I have exercised 5 times in the past 7 days.
5. My house is clean!!!
6. Coming home tonight are: my mom. my sister. my brother. I get to see them all tomorrow afternoon, after work! Sadly, leaving on Saturday are: my sister. my sister. my brother-in-law. my nephew. my nephew. my delightful niece. Alas, I will not be able to borrow any children for 2 weeks:(
7. Lizzy goes home tonight! We will have the house to ourselves. Oh. My. Gosh. I am just about jumping with excitement!!!! J and I have remarked "This is how it will be when we have kids? We'll only be able to have face to face conversation after 10:00? We'll be exhausted and only want to clean the house and then sleep? AND SHE'S A GROWN KID. AND ONLY ONE KID." I'm a little disappointed in us already.
8. I went to the library on Monday. I got a ton of new books, 2 of which I've already read 4 days later. It had been 3 weeks since my last book and all the magazines I've been catching up on aren't as good as a book. What made me sad was my $5 fine for late books. Sigh.
9. J is wonderful:)
10. Spock hasn't gone to the bathroom on our carpet in weeks! J's idea of aluminum foil on places Spock especially loves seems to be working. Also, my efforts at cleaning carpet helped too. I have to think this because if they didn't, what was all that effort for?!?! 20 pounds of baking soda and a gallon of vinegar!!!!

That's all the happiness I can give you this week!!

Ah, Sweet Delights

One of my favorite things to do is sit and read Travelzoo's weekly e-mail, informing me of all the delightful deals I could be getting somewhere in the world. And one day, when we have kids and I'm not a teacher, we'll abandon the chillens at one of our parents and go on a January vacation. We'll sleep late in Venice again, finally go to Budapest, cruise on the Russian rivers, and picnic on a green Irish hill. Then we'll come home, hug our polite, obedient children and leave in February for a short US trip. Perhaps New York again, but this time we'll be at a high rise, 5 star, downtown hotel. We'll sleep late there too. And we'll have aTV in our bedroom, something we don't allow ourselves to have here at home.

Of course we'll have to be rolling in the dough for this. But I think we can swing a January vacation every once in a while.

Travelzoo Weekly Top 20

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************************************************************
TOP 20 DEALS * -- JULY 22, 2009
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$899 -- Thailand 3-City Escorted Tour Package incl. Air
http://www.travelzoo.com/top20/26112795-620767/
Source: Friendly Planet Travel

$699 -- Venice, Florence & Rome 6-Night Vacation w/Air
http://www.travelzoo.com/top20/26112795-621055/
Source: Gate 1 Travel

$1118 -- Peru & Machu Picchu: 6 Nights w/Hotels, Tours & Air
http://www.travelzoo.com/top20/26112795-621082/
Source: LatinAmerica4Less.com

$699 -- Dublin Summer Getaway incl. Hotel & Direct Flight
http://www.travelzoo.com/top20/26112795-621085/
Source: Aer Lingus Vacation Store

$139 -- Legendary Chicago Hotel into September (Reg. $255)
http://www.travelzoo.com/top20/26112795-620888/
Source: The Drake Hotel

$1099 -- 2-Week Panama Canal Cruise incl. $150 Credit & Air
http://www.travelzoo.com/top20/26112795-620897/
Source: CruCon Cruise Outlet

$69 -- Upscale New Orleans Hotel w/Breakfast, incl. Weekends
http://www.travelzoo.com/top20/26112795-619519/
Source: Omni Royal Crescent Hotel

$365 -- Fly to Fiji from Los Angeles (each way)
http://www.travelzoo.com/top20/26112795-620412/
Source: Air Pacific

July 21, 2009 Is Upon Us

Clouds behind Jarvis's house:)

Japanese Beetles are here!!!

Sadie is scared of WAY over grown zucchini...

The infamous Lizzy

Jessica and her son, my nephew, Levi:)

ECHINACEA!!!

The wonderful J

Hello world!!! I've been busy! With Lizzy!

Officially, today is my first free day with no work, no Liz appointments, and no family gatherings:) To celebrate, we have been reading, cooking, cleaning, and catching up on things. Liz is reading Night of the Twisters and I am reading The Eyre Affair, a Thursday Next novel. Makes me want to name my kids after days of the week. Wednesday Jarvis. Sunday Ann Jarvis. Hehehe.

We're waiting for bread to rise, the pasta sauce to simmer, and the yogurt to finish doing what is does (Curdling? Hmmm...). At 4:30 we're off to the farmers market in search of tomatoes, corn, broccoli, onions, and anything else that strikes our fancy.

Today is my 2 year wedding anniversary! You gotta love my husband for sticking with me this long:):) Happy anniversary delightful, marvelous, patient husband!!! You are my best friend and I'm glad I get to be with you forever!!!