Do you ever wonder?

I'm a people watcher/observer. I love to go in a mall and sit on a bench and watch the people that walk by. I wonder about them, who they are, what their home is like, etc.

I wonder a lot about people in general. I wonder what makes people think the way they do, or act the way they do. I wonder what things are learned, who they learned them from, and if they were learned in defense or protection and what things come from birth. Of course, some you just wonder if they suffer from a severe mental illness (such as myself - kidding- I think) because the things they do really don't make any sort of sense.

I wonder sometimes about relationships with people. I wonder what attracts us to some and what deters us from others. I wonder why we can tell some people everything and completely leave out others. I wonder how we can become close and again why we distance ourselves.

I wonder a lot of times how people get so messed up. Then I wonder if they're the normal ones and I'm messed up! How does their thinking or methodology get so skewed? Or is it mine? I wonder how they come to expect so little and how I came to expect so much. I wonder how people can live their lives waiting for someone to save the day and how I live mine knowing that I won't be rescued - nor do I want to be. I don't understand how to depend on others when I learned to only depend on myself.

I wonder where we get the standards that we have. Such as the way we choose to keep our homes, our vehicles. The ways in which we cook or we clean. I know, as a girl (I don't like to call myself a woman), that I do things like my mom did - actually, I do things more like Cindy or Karen do. I fold towels differently though - hmm, odd (I fold in threes from the short side so the ends are in- except kitchen towels which I fold in threes lengthwise). I'm told most girls do things like their mothers did. Mine wasn't home much.

Of course, I wonder the normal things too like - how come some brands of hot dogs are sold in 10 packs, when the buns are packaged in 8's or 12's?

I guess I wonder lots of things...

Oliveburgers?

I see olive burgers on a menu here and there once in awhile. I'm always very interested, though I never have ordered one. I've seen other people order them - you know, olives on the burger, olives in the mayonnaise. To me, that isn't an olive burger. I always think of olives IN THE burger. No one makes olive burgers this way.

Until now.

Last night, Jeremy made them for me. He took regular hamburger and mixed in chopped up olives - just for me. It was great! The burgers stayed together, stayed moist, and the flavor of the olive was not overpowering.

I am glad that I never did order an olive burger in a restaurant. I have found that I like the olives IN THE burger. No cheese. Extra olives on top of the burger. Mayo on the bottom bun. Ketchup on the top bun. Just like that!

I can't wait to have them for dinner again tonight!

Date night!

You may have seen a post here prior to this one - with the same title. It's gone now.

I'm sorry for the confusion. Date night has been postponed. No Emergencies or anything.

To sell, or not to sell?

That is the question.

I'm trying to decide. Do I have another yard sale this fall? Like after/around Labor Day?

I'm going to start selling what I can of Jacob's now on a popular online auction site (I don't feel like linking today). You know, the name brand stuff that brings in some coin. And I did do well with the shoes I sold - $5.50 plus $4.95 to ship. Then I question - do I sell them singly, or in a lot? (Not the shoes, the clothes)

Then I have all this...stuff. Stuff that didn't sell from my last sale. A lot of winter stuff - like Jacob's winter coat and snowpants from last year, and his boots, and Christmas stuff. Stuff that I've decided I don't want since my last sale. And Jacob's birthday is coming and then Christmas and the next thing you know, I'm over loaded with stuff again. Speaking of - it's time to sort those toys once more! I might as well get rid of anything that isn't a firetruck or a train!

And the books! I have a ton of BOOKS!

I guess I'm hawing over this as I know I should have another sale, yet I don't think I have enough stuff to have a sale by myself. I'm scared to have another sale because I already did have a sale this year. But if I do have another sale this year, and someone joins in with me, then I need help to have the sale because my math skills SUCK and I can't add up prices and separate someone else's money from my own and then I make people wait and I feel bad because they're waiting and I feel dumb!

Got all that?

Breakfast with the Firefighters

Saturday morning, I awoke to an email from Jeremy's boss:

"Just wanted to let you know there is a fire truck and Sparky the fire dog for the pancake breakfast if you wanted to bring Jacob."

This is what we saw in the parking lot when we arrived:

Jacob and the firefighters.

(The guy to your left of the guy in the white is a probie. He has to do what ALL the other firefighters tell him to do. He was helping to clear tables, set tables, and greet people. He also took Jacob to see the inside of the fire engine. Jacob wouldn't get in - shocker!)

Wearing the Captain's helmet. The captain is the fellow with the moustache withOUT glasses and blue shirt. I don't know the difference between blue shirts and white shirts. Sorry.

"This hat is heavy!"

This breakfast was in support of the Great Lakes Burn Camp. Thank you to the Otsego Twp. Fire Department for your service.

I love a deal!

This week, Thursday and Friday, I took half a day off each day. Jeremy had both days off and my intent was to spend some extra time with him and Jacob both days, rather than just one and I did but, I also did a few little fun things on my own.

Thursday, after I ran a few other errands, I went and checked out the local Aldi. I hadn't been there in years. Once I figured out the cart rental system, I was on my way (enter quarter in the slot and undo the chain). After talking with a guy from work who does their family grocery shopping at Aldi, I had decided to try and save a little money on my grocery bill and start buying my staples at Aldi. I did find some really great bargains on a lot of things I use often. For instance, cereal ($1.79/box), egg noodles (99 cents/bag), soup (49 cents/can), canned goods (49 cents/can), a gallon of milk for $1! Now - there are things I won't skimp on: Heinz ketchup, Dawn dish soap, and Comet Cleanser, just to name a few. I have learned that canned goods - most of them, the same company cans the name brands, the store brands and the Aldi brands. The just run different labels every few hours. A penny saved is a penny saved. I haven't figured out my savings but I can tell you this - I saved over $1 on frozen french toast sticks and the $1 gallon of milk?? Worth the trip!

I've also changed my thinking on laundry detergent. I always bought Tide with Bleach for my whites - which I will continue to do but, on my other stuff - does it really matter? I mean, isn't it true that the stronger the soap, the more it will fade my clothes? And do my clothes really get that dirty. Um, no. I sit at a desk! Jacob is pretty good at hitting his mouth now, and Jeremy's stuff - I add a little Dawn to those loads anyway to cut the grease. So, my local grocery last time had detergent on sale - buy one, get TWO free! Count me in!

Back to my half days off...Anyway, on Thursday, I also took the time to peruse the local Goodwill as I do once in a while and I so scored! Not at one store but, at 2 stores!! In Holland, I got a pr. of jammies for me $4, a like new sweater for $2.99 and an inflatable bed for Jacob (I was looking for this last year - it was $30!) for $13.55 - BRAND NEW and in THE BOX! This is the exact one!

And then I toured the Goodwill in Allegan. I found a pair of work pants for Jeremy ($3.99 and like new). I don't like to buy new for him for work as he ruins them in the restaurant. A Red (from the movie Cars) but, this one is missing part of the ladder and the hoses ($2.99) and Jacob can play outside with it so he's happy (HA! While looking for that link, I just found one for $20 including shipping - I'm so ordering that for Christmas!). A dollhouse furniture set in a HUGE bag. It's the Little Tikes brand that I can sell on an online auction site for TRIPLE the $4.99 I paid. I found the Perfection Game, with ALL of the pieces for $1.99. I also got Jacob a pair of Levi's Signature jeans for $2.99 - again, like new. But the best of the best - I had a 20% off coupon!! I saved like another $4 off my total!

I like when that happens!

What a weekend!

Whew! Why is it that the weekends when you do nothing seem like you did everything?

Saturday, Daddy went to work and Jacob and I went to see G&G S for the evening. They had Nick and Nevaeh, Jacob's full biological brother and sister. We had a really good time until Nick locked Jacob and Nevaeh in the bathroom. ON PURPOSE! He locked one door, ran around, shut and locked the other door. Jacob and Nevaeh were fine, they were playing with a bottle of baby powder (the good kind, not TALC). Grandpa got a coat hanger and sprung the lock. I wasn't very happy with that Nick. The rest of the visit was pretty good.

Sunday = ugh! Sunday started off fighting with Jacob about going #2 in the potty. I have read about sooo many people having this trouble but I don't remember how they resolved it. If you have a success story, please, please, share? Daddy told Jacob that he couldn't go outside until he pooped in the potty. Yeah, didn't work. He waited for this morning when he could poo in last night's pull-up. Jacob hung out in the recliner most of the day watching his programs arguing with me about pooping on the potty and going outside.

I managed to complete 3. Yes, 3 books over the weekend. I'm sick. I need help. No one should be able to read like that! 2 of them, I read, in entirety, on Sunday. I have so many things to do. I have my Christmas shopping done, like I said but, I neglected to tell you that I have to MAKE all the stuff before they're really gifts. I'm also working on a quilt - I'm doing the top and the Amish by my sister Cindy, are going to finish it off for me. I should be making that stuff instead of having my nose STUCK in a bunch of books! :)

Jacob and I had some good quality time together in the evening though while Daddy was at work. We ordered out for dinner, we watched a movie, we took a bath (ha! my fat butt in the tub didn't last long but, Jacob was amazed at the change in the water level every time I moved), we watched his programs together and 'fnuggled' on the floor with our 'bwankies'. This morning, he was in our bed again and caught me picking my nose (sometimes, you just have to pick - and it was only a pick!) and said "Mommy, you eating birdseed?"

IYCSAN