You know you grew up in the 80's if......

You know you grew up in the 80's if......

I got this from a friend (thanks Heather) and thought it would be fun.

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.
2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton

3. You know that 'WOAH' comes from Joey on Blossom
4. If you ever watched 'Fraggle Rock'
5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.

6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
7. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.

8. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.
9. You played the game 'MASH'(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
10. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.

11. You know the profound meaning of ' WAX ON , WAX OFF'

12. You wanted to be a Goonie.

13. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (Some of us...head-to-toe)

14. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off, his cheeks shifted and his nationality became questionable.

15. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.

16. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pail Kids in the schoolyard.

17. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.

18. You still get the urge to say 'NOT' after every sentence.

19. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.

21. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.

22. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying 'I know you are, but what am I?' 23. You remember 'I've fallen and I can't get up'

24. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.

25. You have ever played with a Skip-It.

26. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.

27. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.

28. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.

29. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.

30. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool... and don't even flinch when people refer to them as 'NKOTB'
31. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on 'Saved By The Bell,' The ORIGINAL class.

32. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
33. You just sang those words to yourself.

34. You still sing 'We are the World'
35. You tight rolled or french cuffed your jeans. And still debate on which is the right term!
36. You owned a bannana clip.
37. You remember 'Where's the Beef?'
38. You used to (and probably still do) say 'What you talkin' 'bout Willis?'
39. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!
40. Your hair looked like this for at least 1 school picture!

41. You ever wore biker shorts under another pair of shorts.
42. You had a tail.
(I add the last two just so I could post this picture)

A Wish List That Should Have You Scared -- And Furious!

This is a great article that reviews some of the "highlights" of the proposed "Stimulus Package" as designed by our congress and president. Thanks a lot...we need this like we need a hole in the head!

Wall Street Journal Article -- "A 40-Year Wish List"
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123310466514522309.html

Here are a few of the highlights...

• "$1 billion for Amtrak, the federal railroad that hasn't turned a profit in 40 years.
• $2 billion for child-care subsidies.
• $50 million for that great engine of job creation, the National Endowment for the Arts.
• $400 million for global-warming research and another $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects
• Congress wants to spend $600 million more for the federal government to buy new cars. Uncle Sam already spends $3 billion a year on its fleet of 600,000 vehicles.
• Congress also wants to spend $7 billion for modernizing federal buildings and facilities.
• $82.7 billion in refundable tax credit (again no jobs created with this).
• $1 billion on nutrition programs
• Another "stimulus" secret is that some $252 billion is for income-transfer payments -- that is, not investments that arguably help everyone, but cash or benefits to individuals for doing nothing at all"

"...Only $90 billion out of $825 billion, or about 12 cents of every $1, is for something that can plausibly be considered a growth stimulus." And this is after they took out the line item for $100 million towards contraceptive distribution and education (the Democrats call it "preventative, cost-saving health care...to prevent unplanned pregnancies and promote maternal and infant health.") Congress and Pres. Obama are apparently banking on the fact that Americans (at least the 55% -- or whatever-- who voted for Obama) don't look to deeply at the fine print.

This all makes me sick. We're perpetuating poverty-mentality, increasing the power and scope of a morally corrupt and greedy conglomerate of politicians, and weakening the very foundation upon which this country was founded. I do not want a bunch of self-aggrandizing-political-prevaricators taking more of my hard earned money to hand out to people and causes THEY deem worthy only to turn around and call me "racist," "bigoted," or "ignorant" for not offering up my whole-hearted support for their "magnanimous" efforts. AGGHHH!!!!

Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. :)

Lemon-Blueberry Bundt Cake

I don't think I've ever posted twice in the same day, but I just had to share my latest creation from the kitchen...Lemon-Blueberry Bundt Cake, from Cooking Light Magazine. I found these fabulous fresh blueberries on sale at Safeway this week and bought them. I had the whole pound this week (blueberries with yogurt - yum!) and went back yesterday and got another pound. So yesterday while organizing some recipes I found this one and decided to try it. Can you say DIVINE! This bundt cake is absolutely delicious -- light lemon essence, with succulent blueberries, and just enough sweetness with out being heavy. I just had to share, and take pictures of it. Let me tell you, it tastes even better than it looks and it was pretty darn easy to make. I hope you give it a try.

Lemon-Blueberry Bundt Cake
Cooking Light Magazine

Cake:
Cooking spray
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
3 C. all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ¾ c. granulated sugar
¼ C. butter, softened
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind (zest)
4 large eggs
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 16-oz container fat-free sour cream
2 cups fresh blueberries
Glaze:
1 C. powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To prepare cake, coat a 12-cup bundt pan with cooking spray; dust with 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar. Set aside.
3. Lightly spook flour into dry measure cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
4. Place 1 ¾ C. granulated sugar, butter, and lemon zest in a large bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (about 4 minutes total). Beat in vanilla and sour cream. Add flour mixture; beat at medium speed just until combined. Gently fold in blueberries.
5. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes on a wire rack, remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
6. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle over cooled cake. Yield’s 16 servings.

Kara's Birthday Luau

My niece Kara's 1st birthday luau was held two weekends ago and I'm just now getting around to posting details. Part of Hawaiian culture is having a luau for a baby's 1st birthday, so Justin and Rachel through a hum-dinger of a party. We had it at a park out in Gilbert -- In my humble opinion one of THE BEST parks I've ever been to in my life. I'm an adult and I LOVE the place. The family was there and there was TONS of FOOD! Justin grilled terri-chicken (by the ton). He also made potato-mac salad and sticky rice. Mom made inari-suzshi and Hawaiian salad dressing (basically a toned-down version of thousand island). I made Uncle David's Chicken long rice. And there was of course fruit and a great cake Rachel's sister made. The birthday girl took it all with stride. Here are a few of the highlights....

Justin with Jacob & Tyler in the party-duds.Kara enjoying her chicken long rice -- I think chicken long rice probably tastes better when eaten in this manner.
The birthday girl enjoying her (traditional) first birthday cake all by herself. It took a little persuasion and some demonstrating by her older brother Jacob, but she soon got the hang of it.

Reed and Jamie.Ellie, Jeff, Mom, and Dad trying to stay warm. It was actually pretty cold and breezy for AZ, but then again who can really complain with this type of weather in January.Happy Birthday Kara!

Belleview Biltmore Hotel -- Right out of a horror flick

This past week I have been attending a National Dropout Prevention Network conference in Clearwater, FL for work. I flew out there on Tuesday, and just flew back into town this morning. The conference was OK, attendance was pretty sparse. But the most interesting part of the conference was the hotel where the conference was held and where we stayed.
The Belleview Biltmore Hotel was built in 1892 and today is the nations largest all wood structure still occupied. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Place. And the most important things about the Belleview is that it is haunted.

Now I would consider myself a skeptic -- a skeptic with an overactive imagination. However, I can report that the Belleview is stinkin' spooky!!!!! Confession time: I really had three nights of the worse sleep, because I had to sleep with the bathroom light on and I just couldn't feel comfortable in the room. It was all soooooo creepy.

First, the Belleview is about 5 months away from a complete $150 million dollar, 2 year renovation. They are actually closing the hotel for the entire time. So needless to say, they are not making any repairs, updates or upgrades in the mean time. That means the wallpaper is peeling, there are wires and pipes showing everywhere and it just has a VERY rundown appearance inside -- thus adding to the spooky old feeling of the place.

Second, the Belleview has the STINKINEST SCARRY HALLWAYS I've ever been down. Honestly, every night when I had to walk back to my room, I had to call Kiki to keep me company while I was making the 1/2 mile treck to my room.Because of the disrepair of the hotel, I'd guess more than 2/3 of the room are uninhabitable. I passed a room where maids where working and the walls were missing. It was totally creepy.

I was able to take a tour of the hotel and it has an amazing history. Some of the famous people that have stayed there...Thomas Edison, Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers...he spent many summers here for swim training), Margaret Thatcher, Duke of Windsor and most recently (though I hate to admit it) President-elect Obama. Underneath the Belleview are miles of tunnels, as back in the old days, servents were not to be seen as they went about their duties, so the tunnels were developed for them to travel back and forth between different sections of the hotel. Here are some my photos from the tour.
Underneath the hotelOriginal 1897 shoe shine stand in one of the men's restrooms.

Anyways, besides touring the Belleview I joined my fellow Pinnacle team members for an evening of sea food at Frenchy's Rockaway Grill. Yes, that's right I did eat seafood. Those of you who know me know that I HATE seafood. However, I have photographic proof that I ate actual seafood. And I will admit that for the first time in my life....I loved it! For some strange reason the food at Frenchy's was fabulous -- coconut shrip, jerk shrip, fried clams, and the MOST DELICIOUS She-crab cream soup, yum!

And to put a cap on a unusual weekend Thursday night we went into St. Petersburg, FL had dinner at an AMAZING Tapas restaurant called Civeche. It was so delicious. Afterwards we went on a walking Ghost Tour of St. Petersburg. Our guide was one of the best story tellers I've ever seen -- spooky facial expressions, great accent, and a voice that would carry 5 blocks. Our tour ended at one of the most haunted house in St. Petersburg. My friend Nick was tasked with using diving rods to see if he could detect any spirits. He said he had a definite encounter unfortunately, the photos didn't pick up anything.
Anywyas, it was an unusual weekend to say the least. And boy am I thrilled to be sleeping in my comfortable, but completely boring, bed.

Deliciously Perfect Homemade Chili

They say that you eat first with your eye and then your mouth. I would argue that you eat first with you nose, then your eyes, and then your mouth, because let me tell ya, I could smell this DELICIOUSLY PERFECT HOMEMADE CHILI before I set my eyes on it, and before it ever crossed my tongue. It tastes even better than it looks or even smells! And it's pretty healthy ta boot. Here's the recipe I made up:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lrg. onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 poblano chili, diced (if you don't like heat, reduce to 1/2)
4 cloves of garlic, diced
2 TBS taco seasoning
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 (80z) can tomato sauce
salt & pepper

Brown the meat**. Add diced vegetables and sautee them with the meat for approx. 4-5, allowing vegetables to soften. Season meat and veges with taco seasoning. Add beans and canned tomatoes to the pot. Stir and let the chili simmer on med-low for at least 30 min, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and garnish of cilantro.

**To kick the recipe up a notch try adding a chub of reduced fat sausage. I've also made it with ground turkey instead of ground beef and it actually tastes even better.

This tastes so amazing, especially on a cold night after a long work day. Hope you enjoy!

2009 -- New Year's Day

As I have done for the past several years, I spent New Year's Day at Mesquite Wash. My family has a tradition of spending the day riding ATVs, eating, playing games, and just having fun together on New Year's Day for many years. I have old memories of all six of us kids in our blue Astro van (we named it "Farley") bouncing around in the back as my dad drove the very rough rode into our favorite spot in the Mesquite Wash. We are still going to the same area today. Now the roads are much worse (they've washed out over the past years) and much more frequently traveled by others, and we've got much better toys to play with (my dad has 2 ATVs which I LOVE).

So this year, my dad, jeff, ellie and i joined other family and friends for some fun. The weather was PERFECT and we had a blast (except for a plethora of bees which seemed to plague our site, yuck!). We spent some time eating, playing games, and visiting with family.

My cousin Brigett was there with her husband Brad and their adorable kids. The little ones loved digging through the mucky sand in the nearby wash. There was enough water flowing through most of the washes that there was plenty of mud to be splashed around.

We had a blast with all of the ATVs and Rhino's. There was more than enought fun to go around. Here I am on Dad's red bike.

And our outing would not be complete with out some shooting of guns. Jeff brought out his small .22 pistol and then another bigger gun (I don't know what it was called but it looked like one of those old fashion gun slinger guns). I did shoot the .22 pistol, though I wasn't very good. But there was no way Jeff would let me touch his other gun, even if I wanted to.

Our good friends/family the Browns joined us this year. In fact it was a rather momentous occasion as all 5 of the Brown girls were there. It was been YEARS since all 5 of them have been at the same place at the same time. I just had to capture the even on film.

Tricia, Melissa, Katie, Callie, and Lindsey

All in all it was a great way to begin 2009.