Don't Judge, just vote.

I need your help. Don't judge. Don't question - just vote. Go to www.badknitgirls.com and click on my banner (Boutrosbabe, the first one). Yes, I knit, yes, I have a tattoo, yes I'm a dork. Just vote for me, okay? Thanks.

~Amalia~

Apple Bread, anyone?

I made apple bread yesterday. It is a quick bread (no yeast required), so it took next to no time to prepare. I did have the help of my beloved Bear and Kitchenaid Mixer, which I admit helped. When the hour went by, this came out:

Doesn't it look yummy? It isn't as sweet as I'd thought it would be, but there's no sugar in the recipe so it makes sense. I plan on making it again this week, and may add a bit of brown sugar to the recipe to heighten the flavor. I'll probably make several loaves to share with people and use up some of our apples. We still have probably 15 pounds after two pies, a loaf of bread and a big bag given to Bear's aunt and uncle. If my brother and T-licious decide to visit us before the wedding next weekend, I'll have to give some to them, too.

Bear and I had an awesome day yesterday, despite working the whole day and getting off to kind of a shaky start. We both woke up grumpy because we were forced to sleep in the guest bed Saturday night. Why? Because we got a ton of rain this weekend, and when it rains the roof leaks ONTO my bed (it drips down the light fixture - not a good situation). So Saturday while I was at work, Bear pulled the light out of the ceiling to avoid an electrical fire and put a bucket on the bed to catch the drips. Sunday morning we went to breakfast because we were too tired to cook and because we desperately need to get groceries. While there, we discussed what to do. The conclusion we came to is that we would have to switch bedrooms. This is not an easy task. Our bed frame alone weighs over two hundred pounds (Bear made it out of hardwood lumber). There was a huge chest of drawers we had to remove, two bed sets, etc., etc. We did it though. We worked for about six hours and got everything moved around. What is now the guest room is still a complete wreck, but we can't really put it together until the roof stops leaking anyway. Our new room looks amazing. It will take some getting used to, but so far, I like it. I'll have to take pictures to show everyone. Throughout the day, I kept expecting Bear to get frustrated (or for me to). but we maintained good humor the entire time and spent much of the day being affectionate and cuddly. I love when that happens! It made what could have been a stressful day a delightful one.

Love.

~Amalia~

Grammie Ruth's Apple Pie

Here you go, Alice, as a reward for running! And because I told you I would.

Grammie Ruth's Apple Pie

Filling:
6-8 apples (macs and cortlands work best), peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. flour
1 &1/2 tsp. lemon juice
sprinkle brown sugar
1 tsp. each cinnamon and nutmeg

Mix well and put in crust. cover with second crust. Cut slits into top crust for venting. Bake 1 hour in a 400 degree oven. If crust browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.

Crust:
2 & 1/4 cups flour
1 cup Crisco shortening
1 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
cold water

Beat egg and place in a 1/2 cup. fill almost to the top with cold water. Blend into the flour/crisco mix until all is just mixed. Pull out onto floured surface and knead until almost smooth. Roll flat with rolling pin. Makes top and bottom crust.

My gram is famous for using very few directions... it took me a while to figure out how to cut each crust out. enjoy the challenge!

~Amalia~

Email me if you need help! boutrosbabe@hotmail.com

Hi

Just a short post this morning, since I will be posting my grammie's apple pie recipe for Alice laster this afternoon. I'm also going to make Apple crumble. We picked 32 pounds of apples, remember? Since Alice is a newlywed, she deserves a killer pie recipe to wow her husband with.

Maybe another time, I'll share Gram's international favorite Dog-Turd Cookie recipe.

Just don't tell her I called it that. That name isn't the one she uses with company. She is horrified by the delight I experience in calling them that. To the rest of the world, they are called no-bake cookies.

I like my name better, don't you?

~Amalia~

Morning.

I don't have anything particularly witty or entertaining today. Sorry. Life has been busy as always (is there anyone in America who thinks they have enough time for all they need to do?), but nothing major is going on. The truck is fixed, $560 later. We had to use all the money we had saved for M and T-Licious' wedding, so we are back to square one there with only two and a half weeks to go.
We went apple picking on Saturday after I got out of work, which was a good time. I baked two apple pies, but didn't manage to take a picture of either one before they were gone. One went to Bear's aunt and uncle, the other went into our bellies. Yum! We picked thirty-two pounds of apples, though, so no worries - I'll make another one. If you really kiss my ass, maybe I'll post my grammie's secret pie recipe. I even make the crust! Well, sometimes I do.
I went running on Friday and it was good, although I have lost all the stamina I once had. I was up to 43 minutes of straight running, if I remember correctly. I ran six straight minutes on Friday before I had to take a break. The cooler air sets my lungs on fire. I need to toughen up! I am planning on running again tonight, and I'm shooting for seven straight minutes of running. Friday I ran 6, walked 2, ran 5, walked 3, ran 3, walked the rest. I'm kind of ashamed of myself, actually.
I've been knitting like a madwoman lately to complete one of the four knitting projects I have to complete before Bear will allow me to buy any more yarn. I wish at times I only had one job or I could knit while driving, because it takes SO LONG to complete a single project! I always find ten projects I want to do before I ever finish the one I'm working on. I've completed ONE of the four projects so far, and am about 35% through this one. Sigh. Wish me luck! Actually, kick my ass and make me knit, won't you? I respond much better to ass kicking than ass kissing. Damn.

That's all that's going on in my world ... sorry it isn't more exciting. What's going on with you?

~Amalia~

I TOLD you there was a silver lining!

After 34 days of waiting (I said 33 yesterday, but I forgot that August has 31 days in it), I finally got my new sneakers. It is a good thing, too. Here are my old ones:

See the giant holes under my big toes? Yep. I wore these poor things OUT! It didn't help that I wear them to school and Rite Aid a lot, either. My NEW sneakers will be JUST for running. Look at how pretty they are:





What do you think?

Okay, enough.

Okay. Two days of ceaseless bitching has taken its toll. I needed to vent (I'm probably not done venting yet, actually), but tonight I'm mostly waiting for the upswing. After things suck, they get better, right? I sure could use some of that right now. My truck is being repaired by a mechanic I trust for a *much* more reasonable rate than the other place quoted me. My mechanic, Mikey, is sweet and trustworthy (if you can get past the fact that he likes to show his penis "Duke" to everyone), and is saving me quite a bit of money. I'm so grateful to him right now, he could show me Duke right now and I wouldn't even mind. I'm that thankful.
My sneakers came today - thirty-three days after I ordered them. I will be taking and posting pictures of them tomorrow. As soon as I get home tomorrow, I'm going to run. And I'm going to KEEP running. Until I feel better. Until I can't run any more. Until my head clears and I'm in a better place. Because I need to be. Because I want to be.

All I have to do is get through tomorrow. If I can make it to 3pm, I'll have made it. Made it to the weekend and made it home. I just have to get to 3pm. Wish me luck!

~Amalia~

PS Thanks to all who offered words of encouragement... it was noticed and appreciated.

Shit, Shit, Shit

I shouldn't have complained. Because as bad as yesterday was when I blogged, it got a HELL of a lot worse. Since I last blogged:

• My truck broke down. On my way to my inservice training.

• I sliced my hand open with a box cutter at Rite Aid. Kinda bad. Like, hurts every time I move it bad.
  
• This morning, after calling the garage, I find they want to charge me $500 JUST for parts to fix the damn thing!!!!!!! It just needs a fuel pump and sender. It CAN'T cost that much. Oh, and the best part? That's just the price for the PARTS. That doesn't even cover LABOR.
  

I FUCKING HATE MY FUCKING LIFE!!!!

Can you believe it happened AGAIN?

Okay, so I'm not done with the Finish Line fiasco - I'm still waiting for my shoes. Hopefully they will be at the post office today. If not, I'm going to be ripped. I am waiting for another package, though... this one from Borders. It hasn't arrived yet, either.

Grrr.

On both packages, I listed my PO box as my shipping address. NEITHER website had a problem with this, or bothered to mention that they use UPS and Fed Ex instead of the good ol' Postal Service. Crap, crap, crap. Finish Line lost my package before it could become a problem. I haven't heard from Borders yet. Why don't websites say who they ship through? I figured if it wasn't listed, it came via regular mail. MOST companies will tell you if they can't ship it to the address listed. These two? Nope. So now I have no sneakers and no book.

It's gonna be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Finish Line, Shoe Puveyor from Hell

I ordered new sneakers on August 15th. I ordered them from Finish Line, because they had free shipping and I didn't want to drive three hours South to get them from the one store in Maine that carries them (Finish Line doesn't carry them in their stores. Go figure).

I STILL do not have them!

UPS lost the package in New Jersey, a trace had to be put on the package, yada yada yada... I've been dealing with this for weeks. I'm so fucking FED UP! I just want my FUCKING SNEAKERS. I haven't run in over a month because my current sneakers are so crappy they hurt just to stand in, let alone run. I am calling Finish Line again today - if they don't give me my sneakers, they can go fuck themselves and give me my money back. I HATE them.

Assholes.


Arg!

Saw it and had to share

Does anyone else think this is freakin' HILARIOUS?

I have a person!

Do you know what I did yesterday? I spent the day with my two most favorite people - my husband and my sister. Okay, so she isn't my sister technically. But I'm closer to her than I am to most of my family, so I say she counts.
Bear and I went to Houlton where T-licious (her new nickname per her request) is living now to spend time and eat. And eat. And eat! Have I mentioned that T-licious is Italian? Homemade artichoke dip, minestrone soup, stuffed shells with tomato sauce... rich, decadent, delicious, amazing food. I'm up three pounds over yesterday. We ate, and laughed, and talked, and snuggled. We caught up on what was going on and I (at least) got my fix of the woman who has become a vital part of me. I finally understand for the first time in my life what it means to have a sister. What it's like to have someone know what you're thinking without ever having to say it. To know that no matter what comes, no matter what the world throws at me, she will be there at my back. Loving me. Because we're sisters.

Have you ever watched Grey's Anatomy? If you have, then you know that early on in season one, Christina tells Meredith that she is Christina's emergency contact. "You're my person," she says. That means something. It means that nothing is allowed to be in between the two of them - it's full disclosure, full support, full... everything. It goes beyond mere friendship. T-licious is my person. I love having a person and I love that it's her.

T-licious has two other real-life sisters who I'm sure would be unhappy if they saw this blog. to them I say, "Tough!" I am totally selfish and am keeping her for myself. They've had her for more than twenty years. I just got her. You can ask for her back in a couple of decades -
-but I'm not giving her back.

~Amalia~

Food pics (For Alice and Eileen)

Be warned - these things taste MUCH better than they look, which means they kinda look like crap. Taking photos for a cooking magazine will never be one of my jobs. Here's the Alaskan Blueberry Coffee Cake:
Obviously I need to grease the pan next time. I don't just bake, you know. I make my own trail mix, too. This one has almonds, pine nuts, chocolate chips, coconut, and organic granola:
The best snacks, however, have always been made by Little Debbie:
~Amalia~

Okay, here they are! The promised pics

Cow. Okay, so it's a moose, but it's a GIRL moose, and we call them cows. Doesn't seem very nice, does it?

Bear's birthday pile. Notice its absurdly minuscule dimensions.

My husband. Isn't he a dreamboat? I heart him. So much.

My sweet truck. His name is Burke. I heart him, too.

Yup.

Briggs doesn't just sleep WITH her brother... she sleeps ON him, too.


When he's not around, she sleeps like this. Looks like it hurts, doesn't it?


Flowers from my yard. Anyone know what they are?


Alice - I haven't forgotten you want pics of my food. I'm making the Alaskan Blueberry Coffee Cake in a few minutes, and will post pics of of it tomorrow.
Sorry, Fox, no sexy pics. There's always next time, right? ;-)

Phew!

My little gecko must be the luckiest little guy on the planet. Not only did I find him alive and well yesterday (he was pretty thirsty, but otherwise fine), but that's not his first miraculous survival.

Yesterday when I got home from school, I headed straight to the bathroom (it's a long drive, okay?). My hellcat Briggs was in there, staring very intently and unmoving at something underneath the washing machine. I knew it might be Shota, so I shushed Briggs out of the bathroom while I finished up, and then grabbed a flashlight and laid on the floor to look under there. Ever looked under your washing machine? I don't recommend it (*shudder*). No Shota. Hmm. I was about to mark it up to Briggs being crazy, then had the thought that I might as well check behind the washer while I had the flashlight handy. I stood up, leaned over and shined the light. Down there, on the floor, in the back corner, I could see... something. It might have been Shota's tail; it might have been a sliver of an old pizza crust (I told you not to look there!). I reached for a nearby mop handle to poke the thing and see if it moved, but in the second I looked away, it had disappeared. Yes! I thought. Shota is under the washer. I shut the door to keep the cats out and went to my other job, since there was no way I could move that washer by myself.
When I got home, Bear informed me that Shota was still in the bathroom but no longer under the washer - he was on the towel stand. He'd apparently given Bear a good approximation of a glare from his new perch when Bear went in there upon coming home that evening. Bear was not about to try to catch him (he's not a fan of things that crawl), but was willing to help me guide him to a container. We went in to the bathroom, located my dearest little guy, and without too much trouble got him into a temporary tub so that I could tote him safely to his regular cage. We got him in, watered, and fed him without any drama. What a relief!

Thank you for your concern, all of you - I appreciate it. I will post pictures from the weekend tomorrow, as I promised you on Friday. I took LOTS of pictures (including an absolutely adorable one of Bear).

I

Oh, Shit.

I took pictures this weekend, and was going to post them. I still will, but today I need your help:

Shota has escaped.

Shota is my crested gecko. This morning when I woke up, his spray bottle and another bottle had been knocked off the shelf next to his cage (likely perpetrator: the cats), and his cage door was wide open. Shota is nowhere to be found. I'm shitting bricks. If he's alive, he could be anywhere. If he's not... well, then I need to find his remains. I really, REALLY hope he will go back into his cage when he tires of his jaunt; I don't hold out much hope of that happening.

Poor little guy. I'm sure he's scared witless.

~Amalia~

PS The pic above isn't him, but it's what he looks like. Will you let me know if you see him? I'd really like him to come home!!

Ahh, Friday...

I love Friday. I get to wear jeans to work, I wake with the knowledge that tomorrow I get to sleep in, it's Horny Day (!), Bear gets out of work a half-hour early, and I can stay up late because I don't have to get up at 5:45am to get ready for school. Friday pretty much rocks. I have a lot of plans for this weekend. Here's what I'm doing:

1. Taking a slew of pictures to post for my blogger friends. What do you want to see?
2. Laundry. I hate it, but it's almost caught up. I need to get it done!
3. Baking. Cookies, some sort of blueberry dish (coffee cake? Crumble? Crisp? Muffins?), even a baked ham. Okay, so it's baked hamsteaks. Close enough.
4. Mowing the lawn one last time. Maybe.
5. Playing with my cats. They have been neglected lately.
6. Sex. As much as possible.
7. Sleep. Ditto.
8. Apple picking? Hint, hint, Bear!!

What are your weekend plans?

Thanks, Alice

Alice from Wandering Wonderland asked what I was looking forward to this Fall. Since I've been so down about school starting up again and hating that summer is over, I thought it would be a good exercise. Here's my list:

• Football.
  
• Apple pie.
  
• Early morning sun gilding the night's frost.
  
• Scarves.
  
• Mittens.
  
• Pumpkins.
  
• The crisp breeze that blows just enough to make fallen leaves dance wildly.
  
• My brother's wedding.
  
• Tara becoming my sister.
  
• The anticipation of the first snow.
  
• Apple picking.
  
• Wearing socks to bed.
  
• Big sweaters.
  
• Wood fires.
  
• The brilliance of autumn foliage.
  
• Early sunsets.
  
• Love.

What are you looking forward to this Fall?