This is Why I Always Listen to My Gut

     Since my husband is taking a couple weeks off work right now we have been gallivanting around doing some of our favorite things. So, mostly eating. Yesterday we spent the day at Barnes & Noble, where I read half of the new David Sedaris book. I did not get to the diabetic Owls yet. No spoilers, please.

     First, though, we went to Outback Steakhouse. We shared an obscene blue cheese wedge salad. Those are amazing, and honestly, it was the happiest part of my meal. While we were noshing on bread, my husband got this:

     A mini milkshake,chocolate. Guess what? It is the best chocolate milkshake either of us has ever tasted! I'm not a milkshake fan because they always give me an upset stomach. But this was beyond amazing. It's made with Bluebell ice cream, which is, I suspect, also the reason it did not upset my stomach. Lots of places make milkshakes with something other than ice cream. If you want to taste the be-all end-all of chocolate milkshakes get thee to an Outback Steakhouse this summer!

     They are small, and I actually asked them to bring a second one. My husband loooooves milkshakes! After we ate, our server and the manager were talking with us about the banana pudding milkshake so we tried it, too. Oh my gosh! It tastes exactly like the whole banana pudding with vanilla wafers dessert!  Eventually, our table looked like this:

And then I ate the vanilla wafer.     

Don't be sad. This little army lives on in our hearts and minds forever. 

     We headed across the street to Barnes & Noble. I grabbed the new D. Sedaris book and found a seat. Not the soft comfy seat I used to be able to find at a Barnes & Noble, sadly. I sat in a hard wooden chair for an hour or two, then headed down to the cafe. Now, this B&N cafe has turned into a bizarre bazaar. There's just nothing like it anywhere else in my world. Yesterday the thing I could not stop obsessing about was this. As you can see, I felt it was billboard worthy:

     

     Oh yes she did! She took off her shoes and put her feet up on a chair in the cafe. As if to say: "Oh, nothing, just lounging around with my feet up doing paperwork." The truth is I felt a little angry because it is what I wanted to be doing all along, but did not let myself. You remember when you were a kid and your friend would do something and get away with it, for like an hour? And then you did it? And after .39 of a second your parents would be all over it? Yeah. That's how this made me feel. 

     Finally we left, and my senses told me that there is no fairness in the world. It was hot, and muggy, and we still had kids at home. To drive places, feed, nag, you know - the whole nine yards. We stopped by the grocery store and got 'a couple of things'. Which loosely translates into a hundred dollars worth of crap. 

     Of course our local store has, no word of a lie, at least ten open self checkouts and two actual cashiers. This is always how it is. So I do self checkout. Everything was going swimmingly until the dang red apples. This may have been partly my fault, because I kept picking up one apple to get the four digit code, and then it would start to weigh the apples as I was putting that apple back in the bag and it would get confused. Finally, as the last item of the transaction, I was able to pull it off! Or so I thought.

      I scanned my coupon, scanned my payment card, pressed 'finish and pay' and I got this blue screen which would beep at me every few seconds telling me help was on the way. Lying blue screen. Help was nowhere around. After a couple of minutes (which felt like an hour, stranded there with no ability to help myself) help arrived. Help told me I had not paid for my gala apples. I told her I had, see? She said I paid for granny smith and macintosh, but no gala. I explained that I only had one bag of red apples and one bag of green. After a thorough inspection of our cart she agreed and fixed the problem. I guess I look exactly like the type of person who will try to scam Giant Eagle out of four red apples. You've been warned.

     We left the store for the heat and humidity. I pulled out the keys and started opening the tailgate as we made our way to the van. Oh! I forgot my receipt. But it's hot. And who needs a grocery receipt, right? So I decided to forget it. Then something nagged at me. I did not know why, but my gut was screaming at me to go back and get it. So I did. Because, and this is the only reason: I learned years ago to always, always, always listen to my gut.  

     I went back into the store. The lady who helped me was standing in front. I told her I forgot my receipt, but now I couldn't remember which lane I was on. I started checking machines for a dangling strip of paper, with no luck. She walked to my machine and simply said:

"You didn't pay."

     Embarrassed, I paid, got my receipt, and left. What would have happened if I decided to go home without the receipt? Would I have ended up on the local police facebook page? The one where they post pictures of people shoplifting and ask you to call if you know who they are? Or would they have just used my frequent shopper card to look up my address and send the police to my house? Or called security when I next scanned my card? 

     The moral of the story is: Listen to your mother. Keep your feet off the furniture and listen to your gut.

*Anyone who knows me well knows I would never steal from the grocery store. I have always said it would take a bank or casino job. My integrity does not go cheap.



P.S. Someone told me she was unable to comment on my blog. If anyone else is having that problem, would you please let me know? Maybe send me an email tammigirl at gmail dot com or tweet @tammigirl  or tell me on facebook? I would really appreciate it.

I Really Have No Idea

There's no good way I can think of to introduce this. It's comments I left on other blogs. Great blogs. You'll see.

Just now: 

"We didn’t so much play tag, but woe be to the one who knocked chocolate after a fart. Please tell me I’m not the only one who understands this."  

@ http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/2013/04/rules-of-tag

I grew up in an area which was not so much a neighborhood. Lots were big and driveways were long. But the house nearest ours had twin girls my age. The only people in the age group to be found for a long while, except during sometimes when a local celebrity would bring his brood to summer across the street. Lynn and Lori Pipes may be the only two people in the world who 'get' this, wherever they are. 

"Oh my gosh! That is one of the most beautiful children I have ever seen who isn't one of mine. So of course the question begs to be answered: Can I have her?"   @http://tamaralikecamera.blogspot.com/2013/04/make-little-birdhouse-in-your-soul.html

You have to go see her blog. Her wee ones are adorable, she takes amazing photographs, and she writes to your heart.

"If your family doesn't feel finished nothing else much matters. As my husband always likes to say to me "There are ways and ways.
Which simply means your kids will find ways to go to college no matter what. Even if you can't pay for it for them. Lots of kids work their own way through or take out loans for ALL of it, out of necessity. And lots of kids know to work for scholarships. 
I think we all like to think if we don't do anything to upset the delicate balance of life when it is good and easy then it will stay this way forever. But tomorrow something unexpected could happen to change it all forever anyway. Trust God, yourselves, and the universe to know it will all be okay. 
Gosh I miss baby chub."   

@ http://allmyhappyendings.blogspot.com/2013/03/just-one-more.html

She's beautiful, sweet, and writes another heartfelt blog. 

"That house was adorable, and I was always jealous of your curved wall. We built a brand new house, and while it's lovely in a million happy ways, there are no curves. 
Your house was so 'you' and that made it a super-cool-party-people house. But the house you find and fall in love with, the one big enough for the whole Luke + Erin clan, will turn into a new, somehow even better version of 'you' and be even more amazing than the cute little house with the curved wall. And in this house your kids will bring all their friends, you will watch crowds grow up, you guys will plant stuff and watch it grow for decades, maybe. The kids will claim their spaces - the ones in which they will go through all the different phases of life. 
It's been almost a year for us and I still mourn my old house a little bit. Not the house itself, which I did not love at all. I mourn the place where the house sat, the view of town hall, the romance of living right at the center of the smallest town in the U.S.A. The one where everyone even knows your dog's name. 
Wow, Erin, I just came here this morning to say I miss your words all over this page. And when I did, to my happy surprise, there were new words from you on this page. And it made my heart so happy to hear from you again."

@ http://www.swonderland.net/2013/01/sorting.html

If you have never read Erin's blog, you should. It's my favorite blog in the world. I have a lot of others which vie for spot #2. Erin seems like a truly kindred spirit and oh so very real. I have this feeling if I went digging through family trees I would find a connection.

"Oh my gosh! You poor thing, you're as crazy as all the rest of us. So you're normal. Embrace the crazy because it's here to stay. (although it seems like you are already embracing it) Not exactly reassuring, but what are you gonna do? Once Gracie is older, and she starts getting her personality in full bloom, well... Let's just say you wont have as much time to be afraid of this stuff because you'll be afraid that if she rolls her eyes at you one more time today you might be tempted to ship her off to boarding school, which God knows none of us can afford. So you'll be busier worrying about how to pay for boarding school and you'll have less time to focus on lint spiders and cabinet people. Trust me, I was a full-on basket case when my first daughter was born. Butas she turned into her own person with her own attitudes,(and don't even get me started about my 2nd daughter and her attitudes) I was faced with new fears like "Gosh, I hope I don't lose my temper with her when she gets back up out of bed one hundred and nineteen times after I put her to bed tonight." 
Okay, okay. I'm Tammi and I leave long comments. So sue me. 
p.s. You are adorable. You'll be 'fine'. Whatever that means."

@ http://www.thericefamilyblog.com/2013/03/you-are-being-irrational.html

This is a blog I just found and she's young, has a new baby, and also 'writes real'. 

Would you like me to perform some rites of absolution for you? I mean, we could involve chocolate, ice cream, and possibly a fruity drink.It’s easy to forgive other people. It’s hard to forgive yourself. Do you trust yourself? The person you are now? If so, you have already forgiven yourself but you forgot to send the part of you which holds guilt the memo.

@ http://www.thekircorner.com/2013/03/pardon-me-mama-kats-writing-workshop
Another newly found blog, but she also writes real. Sometimes in the world of blogs it's hard to find, so I treasure it.

Go on now, go read their blogs.

Old Ideas

     On Friday we packed our bags and headed south so we could go see Leonard Cohen at the Palace Theatre in Louisville Kentucky. Where do I start? The Palace Theatre is a beauty. Go see it if you ever get the chance. Simply amazing.  Leonard Cohen was fantastic. He arrived on stage at 8 PM and he  put on one heck of a show. We staggered out of the Theater a little past 11:30, after many standing ovations. On the brief walk across 4th Street Live to our hotel I promised my husband I would stop referring to Leonard as my boyfriend sometime in the next month. (29 days and counting!) 

     Leonard jogs out on stage, a young whippersnapper of 78 years old. He sings songs, tells stories, pays reverent homage to his fellow musicians on stage, each one very worthy of our love. He's a gentleman of the best kind. He's respectful of everyone, but doesn't take anything too seriously. There's two kinds of women at a Leonard Cohen concert: The kind who have already lost their mind, and the kind who are about to lose their mind. I'll let you decide in which category I reside, but suffice it to say I have been to a concert of his in Cleveland in 2009. 'Nuff said. 

     But seriously, while I sit mainly still in my seat in awe of it all, some of these women are hypnotized in other ways. There are a lot of reminders of what it's like in some churches. And I have to admit, at many times throughout the night I kept thinking to myself it felt a little like a church. Except a church where nobody was pretending they never said bad words. A church where you could buy a beer or a glass of wine and bring it into the sanctuary with you. And they did. And we all sang. Women raised their hands to the sky all the time, and swayed in their seats.  People danced in the aisles a little bit. There were standing ovations scattered throughout the show, for Leonard Cohen, for Sharon Robinson, Hattie & Charley Webb, and every member of the band. People shouted out "I love you, Leonard" at times throughout the show but I think nobody minded because we all wanted to shout it out. At some point a lady shouted out "Best Easter Ever" and we all silently agreed. I wanted to shout out and if I could I would shout to Leonard "Ole`!"  

And if you want to fully understand why "Ole`!" you can see the very heartfelt and genius video of the Ted Talk here:

It's worth every second of your time. I think it's one of my all-time favorite Ted talks. 

     There's so much more I could say about it. I could tell you how Leonard Cohen will be at Radio City Music Hall the 6th and 7th of this month (in 4 days!) and I want to go so much I was digging through old gold to see if I could see enough to finance another trip. I could tell you how lucky I am to have a husband who understands my soul with his soul and led the chase to Louisville. I'll leave you with this photo I took, which does no justice, but makes me happy all the same. 

Ole`! Ole`! Ole`!

p.s. Oh my gosh I found my people! And they are here: Leonard Cohen Forum! Where have you been all my life?

     

Bob's Hamburg, Akron Ohio

Bob's Hamburg, counter seat. Right in the middle of the action!

     The other day I had to make a run to Akron, which I never enjoy. I am a country mouse, not a city rat. I am also not sure I should be mentioning mice and rats when I am about to tell you about an eatery, but such if life. Since I was in Akron with our youngest child I thought I would pull up Urbanspoon on my phone and see what was close. Bob's Hamburg was 1.7 miles away! 

     Bob's Hamburg is an Akron legend. They have been around now for over eighty years - that's a long time for a family owned diner to stay in business. I think they have six booths and a counter to seat another six or so. It's tiny. See the photo above? We sat at the counter so we could be right where the action is. The grill is small, I think about 2 feet by 4 feet. The place was packed when we arrived, right at the end of breakfast service. When they switched over to lunch I contemplated staying and eating it too, but the breakfast was so giant I had to take half of it home already. 

     Did I mention the food? It's sublime! I have had their hamburgers and they are special. The fries and onion rings are the real thing. The omelet I had I think was three large (burger sized) sausage patties fried and cut up into what I think was three eggs and cheese. And of course, I had to order some of their amazing hash browns. They are some of my favorite hash browns ever. And a cup of gravy, which had the equivalent of another sausage patty in it. If you are in Akron, go check them out. 

     Bob's Hamburg is doing fish fry Fridays right now for lent and they are staying open until 8:00PM. Lake Erie perch, people! Plus oysters and crab cakes. Call (330)253-02627  for carry out or go save me a seat at 1351 East Avenue in Akron. The cook the orders in the order they come in, so you may get anxious thinking it is taking longer than you expected, but that's because of phone in orders. They will not forget you and it will be worth the wait. 

*UrbanSpoon has them listed as cash only, but I was able to use my Discover. Maybe they used to be cash only, but now they definitely take cards. 

Bombay Company Is Back!

     Back in 2007 I won this contest on Fuel My Blog and the prize was $200. I used the prize to buy tables to flank our bed from Bombay Company. I love them as much today as I did the day I bought them. Not long after that, Bombay Company closed their stores in the U.S. and kind of disappeared from my radar. But they are back and as great as ever. They have a facebook presence now. I'm going to begin working with them on Pinterest soon. Here is a link to Bombay Company's U.S. Pinterest account.  Also, here they are on twitter. 

     I do not want to buy all my furniture from the big box stores made out of flakeboard. I like my furniture to have curves, like me. Maybe interesting, chunky legs, like me. I also appreciate the hardware when I buy something like this. My bedside tables both have a top drawer which locks, and a decorative keyhole on the bottom drawer.  The drawer fronts are rounded. 

     While I was on facebook today I saw they are going to start selling rugs. If their rugs are as nice as their other things, I would say we are in luck! Who needs a rug or ten for their new house? I know I do! 

7 Places You Should Be Shopping Online

1. Decor Steals is one of my favorites. They have a different deal each day and some ongoing deals, too. You have to act fast because the better the deal, the sooner it might disappear. There are limited quantities available. They start a new deal at 10AM est every day. Shipping is always just $5. Some of my favorite household items came from Decor Steals. If you sign up for their daily emails via my link we each get $5 off the first time you make a purchase. Win-win!

In the photo beow there are several items from Decor Steals: The angel wings, the bamboo mat at the bottom of the photo, the bamboo mat up towards the piano, and the wooden basket on the table. 

2. Antique Farm House. They are a sister site to Decor Steals, but I haven't seen the companies do anything together besides post buttons for each other. Antique Farm House brings collections of items andI sells them for a couple of weeks or until they are sold out. You never know what kind of collections you will see or what will be in them. I got some awesome remote-controlled pillar candles from them for a great price. Usually when you order from them you get something which exceeds your expectations. They always undersell. It's a source of great deals and unique finds. Everything isn't farm style, don't worry. 

3. Wayfair. I have so much stuff from Wayfair, that if I listed it all you'd wonder if I ever bought anything anywhere else. I found my flatware from them, I bought my husband an industrial size popcorn machine from them, I was able to find paintable beadboard wallpaper through them. I even have a wine refrigerator I just got from them in a giveaway they did! I mean it - I have a label maker, a few open stock farberware pieces, coffee maker, sewing machine, giant wood cutting boards, desk chairs, quite a few pieces of Le Creuset, puppy potty pads, memory foam mattress toppers, shelving units - you get the idea, I'm sure. They carry everything at Wayfair. They are great about shipping; it is usually free and it is fast. Plus, they wrap everything well. I had bubble wrap for miles. Right now I am considering buying a mattress from them. I'm a little nervous about a mattress, but they have been great for everything else. We'll see.

4. Save On Crafts. I can't even begin to scratch the surface with them. Want decorating things for a wedding? Oh, you got it, dude! They are a great source for that German Glass Glitter everyone charges a fortune for around the DIY blogosphere. Seriously, the clear for $6 a pound and the silver or gold for $16 a pound. Compare it to the about $20 an ounce lots of re-sellers want for it and you can thank me later. They have wire baskets, bottles, lights, fairy lights, chalkboards, apothecary jars, boxes, buckets - forget me trying to list it. If it is home decor or home decor supplies or anything you need for a party they probably have it. Their prices are the best. Warning: You may lose hours the first time you visit the site. 

5. Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm. They sell you the stuff direct from the source. They offer free shipping on orders over $40. I can't promise the best prices in the known universe, I haven't done enough research for that kind of vow. I can tell you I did enough research to feel good recommending their prices. Lavender is another item where price gouging exists at little shops. If I am going to spend $40 on lavender, I'd like to get a generous supply. 

6. Decor Superstore. If you are a DIY'er  you will be in heaven! Crown molding, ceiling medallions, tin ceiling tiles, corbels, baseboards, door trim, window trim, chair rail, water features, rosettes, etc. They have it and they have good prices. They even have outdoor statues. 

7. Amazon Prime. Really. For about $80 a year we get a Netflix type subscription AND free two day shipping on most stuff we buy on Amazon.  We buy a lot of stuff from Amazon. If you buy from them often it's a no-brainer. Why pay more for slower shipping? Add the free video on demand subscription and drop Netflix and you save more than the Netflix streaming costs per year anyway. 

Do you have some go-to online shopping sites to recommend? I would love to hear about where you get your deals. 

Just Make Me Soft & Smooth, Please.

Here are, in no particular order, some great cosmetics I use all the time:

Mary Kay Satin Hands - Nothing I've ever seen compares to this quick but lovely system.
Mary Kay Satin Lips - I can take or leave the balm, but the mask is a must-have.
Lancome La Base Pro - Makes my face feel the softest ever. This is wonderful beyond words.
High Résolution Eye Collaser-5X - Makes my eyes stop the puffy and takes away wrinkles.
High Résolution Collaser-5X - Vacuums out my wrinkles. Hooray!
Absolue Ultimate Night Bx - BIG difference overnight. Seriously!
High Résolution Refill-3X - Great moisturizer. Feels good, not greasy.
High Résolution Night Refill-3X -Another night miracle maker.
Tweezerman Lash Comb - You must have this. No other lash comb compares. At all.
Softlips - I've tried all kinds of lip stuff and I like this the very best. Tubes are everywhere!

Love Lives Here:

This is the old hog house at my grandparent's house. We all call their estate "Home", even though it's just the two of them actually living there full time. The sound of the gravel in the drive under the tires of an incoming car is unlike any other driveway in the world. There are 8 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren so far, and each of us feel connected in a special way to everything about this place.

I got my first crush on Johnny Cash, listening to him at their house. I remember a blizzard in the 70s when we grilled steaks in the fireplace. We've eaten a metric ton of homemade ice cream and fried fish and noodles. The whole place is magical - it's like our own private DisneyWorld. There are tractor rides instead of teacup rides, there's sledding down the hill instead of roller coasters. There are always magical characters at meal time, with no special reservations required. There's a parade from kitchen to front room, which never stops. Music can, at times, be provided by the player piano.