Sunflower Halved Hypersaturated

Sunflower Halved Hypersaturated
Yes this is a real sunflower I took this shot a couple of summers ago in the garden outside my work window

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I ♥ This Commercial

Friday, June 26, 2009

Friday Random-ness

A lot has transpired this week...from the metro rail accident to the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. It's still a little hard to believe that MJ is no longer here. We have been singing and dancing to his songs since yesterday evening...just a state of shock, but time is promised to no one. It really just makes the statement "...live life to the fullest..." a little louder. Condolences to all those who have lost someone this week.

Wednesday, Jasmine and I ventured out to the garden across the street from my window at work to check out the sunflowers. If you don't know...SUNFLOWERS are my favorite flowers!! They just make me feel happy and cheery, and not to mention the giant ones are just amazing to look at. I heard from a co-worker that the garden is going to be replaced with a memorial for... ok I can't quite remember so it's either Roosevelt, Ford or another President, I just can't put my finger on it right now. Anyhow the point is we try to enjoy it every year that it's still around since we've been hearing rumors of the memorial coming soon for the last couple of years.















I also have a picture of Joey, our resident groundhog! He comes out often when Sarge (the dog) is not around...I'm not sure what it is that he eats in the backyard but he's hilarious to watch.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Father's Day Recap

In my family we have a tradition of preparing the birthday, anniversary, father's or mother's day meal of that particular persons choosing. Sooo when I asked my father what he would like to eat for Father's Day his unsurprising answer - a T-bone! I then became faced with options, where exactly was I going to by this T-bone? He started talking about the T-bones he saw at Costco they were 3 for $30, but I didn't want to go to Costco to get a steak. No offense to Costco, but I wanted a prime cut of beef as this was his only request and I wanted to find the best steak I could, I am a daddy's girl after all...so we needed QUALITY!! He then started talking about the Giant and how they may have some, but have any of you seen the steak selection at Giant? The meat is sooo then and the price is sooo high I knew I wasn't going there either. So I guess you're wondering where did I end up...well I went to my favorite store - Whole Foods Market! I chose Whole Foods for a number of reasons...


  1. I know they have a butcher in the store

  2. They have a huge selection of meats

  3. I could get prime quality beef

  4. I ♥ Whole Foods

When I arrived at the meat counter, they were 2 options of T-bones. They had Prime T-bones and the had Dry-aged Prime T-bones. Unclear of what exactly dry-aged meant I had to ask the guy to explain the difference and in his opinion which would yield a better taste. When I think dry-aged I'm thinking like drying the meat as in making beef jerky which is apparently the wrong impression. I ended up getting the dry-aged T-bone which was actually a porterhouse because there was more meat on the little side than what a T-bone cut would allow. That steak was $31...yes one steak $31...it was $19.99 a pound, but it's Father's Day so what the hay and as the worker at Whole Foods said..."Nothing says love like a good piece of beef!" For the rest of us, I prepared shrimp, scallops and broccoli over linguine with alfredo sauce. I took a stab at searing scallops and I think for the first try they turned out well, but I ended up just sauteing the rest of them.

Here's the proof!

These are the results of my attempt to sear scallops

This is the T-bone (actually porterhouse) prior to cooking, with the seasonings rubbed in

The results after being broiled

The shrimp, scallop and broccoli linguine with alfredo sauce

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Tragic...

I would like to express my condolences and prayers for the the families that lost loved ones in the metro train accident yesterday. Words cannot and will never replace them in your hearts. I also would like to express well wishes for those that were injured in the incident as well.

Here is a link to the Washington Post

(no commercial today.)

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Happy Father's Day!

Hopefully you dad's out there are kicked back and relaxed!

Friday, June 19, 2009

For the Weekend...

My weekend is not as full as the past two weeks (horray!!!) have been so I'm feeling stress free! Today is my early day so I am off at 11a and then it's to the grocery store. I am making 2 cakes for a friend of mine. She is trying to talk me into the baking business, but I really have to think about that some more. I don't mind baking, but being under a time constraint and actually having to bake more the occasional cake here and there is a big undertaking. I'm trying to decide before the holidays come around if that really something I want to do. Saturday I'm visiting my friend I haven't seen in at least a year, that will be fun and exciting we have soooo much to catch up on. I also am thinking about finishing my museum tour of the American History museum, but that depends on the timing of my morning. Sunday is Father's Day! I haven't planned a thing for my daddy. I know shame on me, but he was supposed to be having surgery and so technically I didn't have to do anything too extravagant, however is was postponed and so now I need to come up with something. I feel like I'm a bad daughter...I keep making plans for Sunday and forgetting that it's Father's Day. Hmmm what to do?!? I also need to get my dirty and I mean DIRTY car washed and finish filling out some paperwork. I can't believe half the year is gone already...I feel like I haven't accomplished much...I suppose it's time to kick it into gear!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Yesterday morning was one of those morning's that I wish I had stayed in the bed. Unfortunately hitting the snooze button for 30 minutes did not deter my determination for joining the work world, I got on up and got ready for my venture into work. Boy do I wish I stayed home, one of these days I'm actually going to listen to myself, lol. Anyhow, I get to work insanely early, 5:30a, and it's usually just me tinkering around for about 15 minutes alone. I walked into the side door looking at the floor and I noticed that the carpet was wet...soaked actually, in front of the copy machine...I'm thinking since the piece of junk hasn't worked in a couple of weeks anyway and that something else happened to it. Ha was I wrong...I looked up and there was this stream of water flowing from the ceiling onto the machine. The first thing I thought, this is not happening...and I continued to my desk. The whole I told you so, you should have still been sleep started playing in my head. If you don't know how hard it is to find help before 6a let me tell you...VERY DIFFICULT! Needless to say my headache began shortly after and continued to grow as the day went on. Apparently the nitwits who renovated the building did not seal the sprinkler pipes with the correct materials, hence any of them at any time could spring a leak. With that knowledge...tomorrow I will be taking most of my personal things on my desk home with me! I would hate to come in and see a river at my desk and everything on it ruined. Needless to say the copy machine should be finished, low and behold the stupid thing still comes on. It's bittersweet though...we got it less than a year ago, but it never functioned correctly anyway so about 50% of our hopes of a new machine may still be possible.

Anyhow last night we took a friend out to dinner for their birthday in Annapolis. I haven't been to Annapolis in at least 10 years or more, sad I know, but I actually forgot about the things out there. It looks really nice around there now and although it seems like it took for ever to get down rte 50, but the highlight....the new Whole Foods Market. I think that is the best one I have been in yet. Definitely will be going back, but I have to take Chef Squirt so she can start cooking for us. I need to see if she really learned something in Rhode Island last year!

Well back to work...Happy Thursday!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

I ♥ This Commercial

Although the, ahh hmm, Lakers (yuck)won the NBA Championship, I'll allow Kobe to grace my blog this one time because the commercial is funny...

Monday, June 15, 2009

When Good Intentions...

Oh this story tugged at my heart a tad. The little youngster had great intentions, but he just didn't know how to quite go about them.

Manic Monday



Happy Monday! I am pleased that rain is not in the forecast until later in the week and the weather will be in the 70's for most of it. I was a tardy blogger last week...tsk tsk. I am back on track this week and I'll be writing away as usual, well just as the last month went! This weekend was pretty laid back. Family Fun day was rescheduled due to the saturated lawn, which is great because I don't like outdoor activities all that greatly, but I am hoping the new date does not bring crazy temperatures and humidity (insert yucky face!)

I have plenty of things to catch up on...I should correct that, plenty of things to complete since I took the weekend off.

So.....

Until Tomorrow!!

Friday, June 12, 2009

Friday...


One of the few times that I am actually too exhausted to be really excited for Friday. I am happy it's here but considering the wealth of emotions I have experienced this week...I'm ready for sleep, but of course with the weekend comes more and more things to do. I was privy to lots of information this week most of it sad and depressing. I'm hoping for more "sunny days" for the weeks that follow, but it just seems as though everything is in limbo at the moment. I'm sure all of this sounds like I'm speaking in circles, but this is how all of the thoughts are roaming through my head.

I'm definitely taking a nap ASAP after work...

Happy Friday!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Under the Knife

Today is surgery day for my father. Hopefully this will be the last one he has to endure and although his back will never be 100% again...if it could be 85% that would be awesome. We have our prayers ready and our fingers crossed.

Love you Daddy!

UPDATE: Surgery has been postponed for a later date...

Monday, June 8, 2009

Class of 09'...




I am soooooo tired...this weekend was sooooo busy and it continues....

Yesterday was my little cousin Jasmine's graduation. I am soo proud of her for completing this vital first step into the future. I wish her many successes in life...her path hasn't been lined with gold but she is a fighter and continues to shine throughout it all.

For some reason her school thought it would be "FUN" to graduate them from DAR Constitution Hall in DC. The worst idea so far this year! Terrible terrible terrible location because:



  1. Graduation did not start until 2:30p so when it was over we were entangled with commuters leaving their jobs


  2. Parking was not close and considering it was close to 90 and humid, walking with a cap and gown was the pits


  3. Most importantly her school is in Silver Spring, what happened to UMD as the prime graduating location?

None of that really matters anymore because it's over, but it really mattered yesterday when I was caught up with the masses of people. I'm so proud of J...she is the last of the children in our MD family to graduate high school. That really makes me feel old, agghh, but I digress.

On the way to silver spring I saw this sculpture. I know absolutely nothing about it, but it looked interesting and we were at a red light so I took the picture. It's on 16th street near Rock Creek Park if anyone knows...enlighten me please!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Getting Hooked...

I have just recently discovered YouTube...I know I know get all of your jokes, laughs and slander in, it's only been around since...I don't know...FOREVER, but like they say slow and steady wins the race! Anyhow on to the point...

I was listening to a Jordin Sparks song (save the jokes, I like her) and I came across this song she performed on AI. It still gives me goosebumps so I'm sharing the feeling!

Morality Check Please!

Back in November my next door neighbors experienced a house fire the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Luckily no one was home, but they lost everything. The wonderful world of home insurance reared it's ugly head and told them that although they had been waiting months, they would have to wait 6 more before they could start renovations. Unhappy with this answer, (as most would be) Mr X (no name disclosure!) started doing the renovations himself. He put up the drywall, painted, got the electricity and water turned back on, new windows, new door and yesterday they started replacing the siding.

Imagine the shock and udder disgust to find that someone stolen their lawn mower, edger and weed-whacker from the shed this past week. And on top of that, one of the neighbors witnessed the act, didn't call anyone or say anything about it and apparently it was one of the neighbors kids who stole the equipment. There are so many levels of wrong in this situation that I don't even know how to begin to address them. Talk about having no conscience, I don't understand why stealing happens in the first place, but to steal from someone who you witnessed lose everything they owned.

Truly Disgusting.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

I ♥ This Commercial

Very Creative!

American History



Took a side trip to the National Museum of American History yesterday. The museum had been under a remodeling for a while and opened maybe the earlier part of this year or late last year, regardless it looks great and is HUGE. I went to see the I Do Solemnly Swear: Photographs of the 2009 Inauguration and completely got sidetracked. There are sooo many wonderful exhibits to see (and sooo many tourists) that it was literally impossible to see it all in the short time frame I had. But I have a museum day planned for later this month so I'll explore the rest of the exhibits then. I did take some pictures while touring, and yes I am one of those crazy people who takes pictures through glass! Although I'm not as crazy as to turn the flash on while trying to shoot through glass, but some of the shots have strange glows due to the lighting in some of the cases. I will try to give you a run down of what is contained in the picture show below:

  1. Upon entering the museum (from the mall entrance) there is the flag displayed in a silver sculpture state
  2. A Betsy Ross imitator having children help her make the flag
  3. The Greensboro lunch counter
  4. Scurlock studio and photography equipment
  5. The America's at war (only the colonial time period, the exhibit hall was way too big)
  6. The Presidents
  7. American entertainment
  8. Photos of the 2009 Inauguration



Monday, June 1, 2009

Who Me?!?

So this weekend I went to see my favorite baby in all the land. Zoey turned 9 months on Saturday and she is truly growing up fast. She is a speed crawler now and also pulls herself to her feet. I always pick my favorite picture to showcase here, but I had two this time. I love both for different reasons.




It is the first day of June so that means I will be updating various aspects of my blog as the day goes along. For my google readers you may want to access the actual blog tomorrow to check out the updates. I cannot predict how many postings I will have this month...June is going to be pretty busy for me, however I will try my best to not be neglectful! I am also considering a new photo blog...it's still just a notion at the present time as I am trying not to take on more than I can do, and I have so many other things that I am planning for the summer. I just feel like I would like to share what I see, as I see it. Well time will tell I'll make a decision by July.

Happy Monday!