Lost and Found

Suck: Getting lost because you program your GPS for the wrong city. Missing the football game.

Rock: Finding a Sonic in Northeast Ohio while lost.

Super-Rock: Finding a Big Boy for a hot fudge cake dessert!

Pepsi Throwback To Be Back in December

I just read a tweet from @pepsico saying Pepsi Throwback is coming back to stores in December. I have no idea if this is another temporary availability or a permanent one. Something is better than nothing. The wall was starting to come down. It is great to know we will be able to replenish.

Mapleside Farms, Bruinswick Ohio

Four of us went to Mapleside Farms. When we arrived we realized there was a Jazz festival going on in the back, so everything was busy. We were not deterred. It's difficult to get us to willingly walk away from good eats. Mapleside Farms has an applehouse and bakery, a gift shop, and a restaurant. We took our time in all three. Our favorite part? It's a tie between the applehouse and bakery and the restaurant. Very solid and worth the time.

The highlight of any trip to Mapleside Farms is the big caramel apple. These are so wonderful I will not eat a caramel apple from anywhere else. I used to be happy with caramel apples from candy shops and Carmel Popcorn stands, but now I am spoiled. (This will come as a shock to anyone who knows me - I should have made sure you were sitting down.) They start with giant delicious apples. The glob on the caramel so thick it makes me giddy. There are options, but I am a purist and go for one with chopped peanuts.

The dining highlight had to have been the barbecued ribs my husband ordered. They use apple butter barbecue sauce. Oh my ganache, I'm feeling faint just thinking about them! I didn't like the idea, but the sauce itself was out of this world.

If you are in Northeast Ohio this month (October) you are in for a special treat because Mapleside farms is having their 'Fall weekends" with horse drawn hay rides, apple picking, and a corn maze, among many other fun things to do.

Two college kids enjoyed it, and are looking forward to returning.

Four of us went - four thumbs up!

*I was only able to take pictures with my phone so the pictures of the ribs were blurry. I'll go back with a proper camera so you can see them.

P.S. Now I am hungry.

Oy With the Leonard Cohen, Already! AKA: Leonard Cohen, You Are My Sunshine

If you are a true Java Junkie, you get the "Oy with the Leonard Cohen, Already!" title. If not, I'm sorry.

Here's the rub: (another nod to Java Junkies) I want Leonard Cohen to sing "You Are My Sunshine" when he comes to Cleveland. I also want a recording of him singing it. Who can help? Does anyone know who I can call? I would work for free for a week, maybe two, just to get to hear him sing it and get to have a copy of him singing it.

Suggestions? Hints? Tips? Ideas? Anything?

Jellyfish at the Akron Zoo

In my opinion, some of the most beautiful things at the zoo yesterday were the jellyfish.
I could sit and watch them all day.

Suck: Migraines again! (5 days worth) Especially when they make you super nauseous.

Rock: Relpax. Again. (5 days worth)

Just a Little Favor

We're going to Little Italy today. Please come and clean my house while we are gone! Don't forget to do the laundry!

Now You Can Sleep At Night

I know you guys probably haven't been able to sleep because you were concerned about the expense of the Leonard Cohen tickets I was drooling over lately. I want to put your minds at ease. I got tickets! They arrived in my lovely mailbox just this week. I was going to take a picture of them but I didn't. I had a good reason, though. You would have been able to see my seats. Then all of you would have tried to buy tickets to sit near me. Frankly, Cleveland theater doesn't need to be marred by the stampede which would surely be caused by your enthusiasm to sit by me. If you know me at all you know I am way too lazy to photoshop things so the idea of blurring out the seats was beyond me. I am not too lazy to do this, though:

My favorite Dolly

Suck: Migraines

Rock: Relpax

Wife Stealing Singer to Visit Cleveland Ohio

Suck: Another man is trying to steal my attention on the same day my husband has his birthday.

Rock: Leonard Cohen is coming to Cleveland!!! On the same day my husband has his birthday!

Leonard Cohen Comes to Cleveland Ohio!!

Here I go writing about Leonard Cohen on my blog again. Leonard Cohen is coming to Cleveland and I think he is doing it just for me!! The tickets are amazingly expensive, though. What gives? Seriously, $209 is the cheap seats. They go all the way up to $1400. I need some kind of corporate sponsor to go to a concert, now. I really want to see Leonard Cohen, though. I regret greatly never seeing Johnny Cash. I don't want Leonard to end up being another regret I have. Also? Pavaratti. He was in Cleveland, but I was in South America, or traveling there, that day. I am flipping my lid over Leonard coming to Cleveland! I guess I need to go seek employment so I can afford his tickets.

Anyone need a Girl Friday? Will work for Leonard Cohen tickets!

A Cry For Help, aka Feedburner Hates Me

Okay, maybe "Feedburner Hates Me" was a bit much. Maybe. My feedburner does not behave the way I would like. I see lots of other people who are able to get theirs to practically do circus tricks. Can anyone out there tell me where to find the options? I have searched repeatedly, but it is just not happening for me. I would be so happy for the help I would bake cupcakes in your honor. You wont get any, because between me, my five children, and my husband they will be gone before they get a chance to fully cool, but they will be in your honor.

This is not a photo of a cupcake, I know that! It is one of my mother's home made cream puffs. Go see how she makes them at My Mom Makes Good Stuff.

Congratulations Betty, Big Winner of the Keurig B60 Brewer

The randomizer chose # 268,

bettycd said...

I'd try Green Mountain Summer Safari Blend and Green Mountain Perfect Peach

Hooray for Betty! She won the Keurig B60 Coffee Brewer!

I did the drawing on the 18th, emailed Betty for her information, sent her information to Joe at Shoffee.com, and got this in an email from Betty the morning of the 22nd: (How is that for
fast!?)

The gorgeous beautiful Keurig arrived late yesterday. Turns out the warehouse is less than an hour away. Shoffee Joe included a mixed bag of Kcups. Peach makes me think of tea - pretty sure coffee just shouldn't smell that fruity; makes me think of tea with every swallow. My husband had Summer Safari Blend - that one is superb. The variety he sent is a excellent way to figure out just which to order. My daughter is so thrilled - she now wants one to take to college.

The Games Lovers Play

Suck: Late night visits from the gas company, after playing a game (in the dark, no less) of "What's that smell"

Rock: They did not come in and see my basement with the mountain of laundry.

Time Flies When You're Inhaling Rice

Suck: Time passes much too quickly, sometimes

Rock: Great lunches with wonderful friends.

p.s. ignore the utensils, I'm rebellious that way sometimes.

Honest Scrap: From Lorelia Gilmore to Cruella De Vil

Kendhal over at Stepmom Extraordinaire decided I deserved this, so here we go! I am supposed to share 10 things about myself you may not know, but are absolutely true. I am also obliged to pass this on to 5 bloggers.

1. I used to find making lists one of the most comforting things in life. I realized it did not matter how many lists I made, they didn't change a thing. Now they do not carry the same meaning.

2. I have erased three things so far because I decided they were too personal. I am only on #2. This can not be good.

3. I usually feel like the one in the group who does not belong. I can never quite figure out why people have me around. I feel like this pretty much anywhere I am, except at home.

4. I can not believe I made it through the first 30+ years of my life without my husband. I can not imagine living one day without him now.

5. I have finely tuned intuition. Ignoring it is always a mistake.

6. The two favorite boxed sets of dvds I own are: Upstairs Downstairs and Gilmore Girls.

7. Compliments make me feel uncomfortable at least 7 out of ten times.

8. I have never had a beer, although I tasted one. Once.

9. Someone has left a comment for me on Fuel My Blog today.

10. Sometimes I feel like Cruella De Vil. Not because I want to make coats out of puppies though. Because I want to yell at people for being incompetent. (But coats out of puppies would be warm!)


p.s. I wanted to erase #3 as well, but if I keep erasing everything I am not comfortable with I will never write out ten things.

p.p.s. I just erased #5. It had to do with swimming and baton lessons and gymnastics.

Now, on to five of you suckers:

1. Nicole

to be continued - I'm lazy/sleepy/lacking brain function.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Travel In Style Tuesday

Don't be jealous. This guy had way more room in his car than you did, but that's because he thinks outside of the
box
trunk. And besides, who needs to see directly behind them anyway? We had a really interesting road trip. This was just one of the things which made it so.

Why Can't Life Always Be This Simple?

Suck: Out of Chocolate. Out of my mind.

Rock: Someone made brownies!

A Stolen Meme I don't know why I did.

Today we ripped this meme off a blogger named Becky from Musings from the Sofa. She credits two bloggers for her theft, the Queen, and also Zoesmom. But, it was probably stolen there as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!

Cheers to all us thieves!

Sunday Stealing: The ABC Meme



A – An advantage you have – The best husband any girl could ever have.

B – Blue or brown eyes – Who? Me? Hazel.

C – Chore you hate – Yes! All of them!

D – Dog’s name – Tony Blair

E – Essential start of your day – Warm blanket time.

F – Favorite color – Pink. Or lavender. Whatever, I can choose two if I want.

G – Greatest thing you’ve ever done that made you feel really good – I don't know if I can just choose one thing. Giving birth. Many times.

H – Habit you have – Making jokes. Changing the words to music to fit my situation/mood.

I – Issue you hate that the world tries to make you pursue – Bad news. I do not think it is necessary or even good for a person to hear a lot of bad news from all over the place.

J – Job title – Carer

K – Kohls or Target – Target!

L – Living arrangements – I live in a house with my husband, four kids, and a shih tzu.

M – Music you like – Most music, but it varies depending upon my mood.

N - Nicknames – T, Tam, Kitten,

O – Overnight hospital stay – only when I gave birth.

P – Pet Peeve – Just one? How rude! Nah, I'll just add an 's'. When people don't lift up their feet when they walk. I think lots of women think it's somehow cute. It's not. I better stick to one. We could be here all day.

Q – Quote that you like most –

Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the universe is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request, and everything your heart desires must come to you - Mohandas Gandhi

R – Right or left handed – Right

S – Siblings – nope

T – Time you wake up – Exactly when my brain says "Wake up!"

U – Underwear – Is this a yes or no question? I don't get it. I like underwear?

V – Vegetable you dislike – Asparagus

W – What makes you run late – Goofing around and not starting soon enough, usually.

X – X-rays you’ve had – Hmmm... shoulder, does a mammogram count?

Y – Yummy food you make – Oh. My. Ganache! Don't get me started. Fried potato tacos. Migas, baby cupcakes, salsa, Fantastic cookies. Okay, I'll stop.

Z – Zoo animal – Penguin!

Age Appropriate Fashion: Mistake Onesie

Suck: Old people onesies

Rock: Wearing a polo

For the love of all that is holy, people, please stop pulling your shirt way way way down in the middle. Especially when you sit down. This does not hide whatever it is you are trying to hide. It just makes you look like you are wearing a giant scary onesie.