Hello, November. Happy birthday Dad!

Welcome November! The month of Election Day, frosts, soups, turkey, all things pumpkin, Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas mania, and today - my Dad's birthday.

Happy birthday, Dad. Thank you for always making me feel loved, safe, supported, encouraged, and like everything would be ok, no matter what.

You showed me strength, hard work, and patience so that today I am a person who is strong and works hard...sorry, the patience thing did not take. You taught me the importance of car care, maintaining lifelong friendships while making room for new friends along the way, being there when people need you, taking good care of your house and property, minding money and saving, and listening to Bruce Springsteen. I also inherited a withering stare from you, but unfortunately not the ability to raise only one eyebrow. Maybe someday? I still learn something from you every time we talk so I have hope.

You love reading, baseball, college hoops, grilling, red wine, travelling, cigars, sambuca, the shore. From you I learned to work hard and work first, but after all the work is done,  to take the time to enjoy life, appreciate small pleasures, and celebrate big moments.

Dad's 50th - Key West

I am grateful for who you are as a person, for your generosity as a parent, and for your tolerance of my dogs even though you are not a dog lover.

One of my favorite traditions is actually your tradition, of gathering on Christmas Eve with friends to eat, drink and be merry. You've taught me that friends are family, and now in addition to you and your friends gathering, me and my friends and Stephen and his friends all get together with you and your friends, and it's one of my most favorite days of the year.


Ugly Sweaters at Sandy's - Christmas Eve 2010

Some of the older crew in 2006

Some of the younger crew 2010

When I lived at home, a huge bone of contention between you and me was that I let dishes linger in the sink. I never understood why you were so adamant that the dishes be put into the dishwasher immediately. Now that I own my own home, I find myself demanding dishes be removed from the sink and put into the dishwasher immediately. For that reason and many others, I often step back and think, "I am my father." And that's one of the best things I could be.

I love you Dad! Happy birthday.

Love,

SMD

Halloween. Gimme some candy.

Happy Halloween and happy Samhain. Blessed be!

We had a great time Saturday at the annual Fischetti/Ficci Halloween party. Our costumes:

I also had a great time laughing so hard I cried before we left. I was sitting in the car, and MFD was cleaning it off with a fly swatter since we couldn't locate the scrapers. Who the F expects snow on Halloween weekend? He slipped and nearly fell, and his wig fell right off of his head. Sorry people. Falling (or nearly falling) is funny.

I am off to do mundane errands like grocery shopping and picking up a prescription, because I was a lazy ahole yesterday and didn't get them done. I abhor driving on Halloween.

Be safe out there! Trick or treat, little homies.

SMD

Friday, I think I love you

TGIF, mofos. I'm not sorry to see this week go: week two of this wretched chest cold, three nights of all over body hives, two of my good friends laid parents to rest this week and I couldn't be there for either funeral, and it's been a disastrous week as a homeowner. I do not thrive in a chaotic or messy environment, so good day, week from hell. I SAID GOOD DAY.

Incidentally, that was the alternate title of my blog, isaidgoodday.com, but some wanker had it and stephaniesaysgoodday.com would mean that I was constantly referring to myself in the third person, which I'm rabidly opposed to. So, weinerwhistle weinerwhistle weinerwhistle.

Speaking of, this week's weinerwhistle award goes to Charlie Brown. I know I'm not popular for this, and I don't really care. Charlie Brown and Linus are weinerwhistles and Sally is a complete fool. I do like Snoopy, Woodstock and the music. Suck it, Great Pumpkin.

My Halloween weekend tips:
1. Have fun.
2. Be safe.
3. Don't dress up as a clown.
4. Don't have jello wrestling, it's a mess to clean up.
5. Don't chintz on candy for the children.
6. Don't bother trying to top me and MFD as Dog the Bounty Hunter & Beth from a few years back:

Favorite movie line of the week:

Hollywood, you're an asshole for remaking Footloose and Dirty Dancing. No reason.

Happy Halloween Weekend!

SMD

p.s. A spoke on my beloved Totes clear bubble umbrella broke yesterday. I had to stop at Kiddie Mart (What my Pop calls K-Mart) on the way home, and hark! They had a full rack of them. You rarely see them in stores. Hie thee to Kiddie Mart, people!

I Don't Get It - Volume II

More things I don't get, man.

1. The phrase "Just sayin'." Are you actually just saying it, or are you really doing it/thinking it/feeling it? The phrase's time has come to an end. I'm not just saying that. I really mean it.

2. When the weather turns from summer to those first crisp days of fall in October and people turn out in wool coats and gloves. No one has fleeces or lighter jackets? A heavier sweater and scarf are inadequate for 63 degree weather? Do their moms send them out like this in January?

3. Imma be.

Gus - Halloween 2006

4. Thinking dolls and stuffed animals are cute as an adult.

5. Consistently being late. We all have things that delay us when we're trying to get somewhere. Life is about adapting and constantly examining options and priorities - sometimes you can't do something or deal with an issue AND be on time. If it can wait, let it wait. Most things can wait. Don't keep your clients, colleagues, friends or family waiting. It's unprofessional and rude.

Set your clock earlier or something, fool.

6. How my entertainment center can be dusty immediately after I dust it. Why, household gods? Why?

TV tuned in to Investigation Discovery Channel.

7. These two.

8. The most recent upgrade to facebook. I can see what friends post on the walls of their friends that I don't know. Why would I want to be able to do this? Everyone likes to stalk a little bit but this is just a creeper's paradise, Zuckerberg.

9. The Real Housewives. I watch, but I don't understand. 

10. Why people think only lazy uneducated hippies understand Occupy Wall Street. I have a job and a mortgage. I bathe daily. I don't piss outside unless it is absolutely necessary. I don't understand the concept of not working every day or not washing every day, but I do understand people taking issue with  the American taxpayers bailing out the banks and other corporations and then being pissed off when the banks hike fees on the consumers and stop lending money to small businesses; and the CEOs of the banks and other corporations continue to make a zillion dollars and receive bonuses. That makes no sense to the OWS protestors, and I have to agree with them. Some of the OWS people are probably lazy assholes, some of them are pissing all over the walls of City Hall or storing their urine in bottles here in Philly...but some of them are exactly like me, and work their asses off and are getting squeezed by the tax man while huge corporations fuck off and are not held accountable for what they've done with the money lent to them from my taxes, and CEOs of companies that were bailed out flitter around on private jets.

I am annoyed with every member of my government, and I think they should all be called to the carpet and impeached. I'm sick of the politicking, the finger pointing, and the arguing over gay marriage and abortions while people lose their jobs and homes. Fix the fucking economy and let people worry about who they marry or if they carry a child. Hold people accountable for their lives. Cut the lifetime pensions and health benefits for elected officials - you serve your term(s) and you go, then you do something else. You don't continue to live off of the tax payers for eternity. Create jobs so the unemployed and the people on welfare can earn a living and provide for themselves. Fix the welfare system - it was designed to give people a leg up, not to be their income for years and years. 

The Weekend that Was

Alas, kindred spirits, another Monday is upon us. I am in a good mood for a Monday, even though I was woken up at 6 a.m. by MFD reciting lines from National Lampoon's European Vacation in his sleep, forgot my breakfast, all the trash did not get out, two women were applying full face makeup on the train this morning, I have hives on my feet and my nails look like a homeless person's.

Perhaps someone slipped me an upper with me knowing? That would certainly account for this uncharacteristic good Monday mood.

Have some coffee and enjoy my weekend misadventures:

1. Major Project #1: Plant Bulbs.  I ordered my summer bulbs from Michigan Bulb, and on Friday I tracked them and they were on the truck for delivery, so I slated this chore for Saturday. They did not arrive Friday or Saturday. Incidentally my neighbor's new iPhone did not arrive, nor did my US Magazine. In any case, the bulbs did not get planted. Balls.

Where the F are my bulbs?

2. I took the dogs for a walk on Saturday and locked myself out of the house for an hour and a half with no phone. No neighbors were home for me to use their phone. Then MFD got home from work...he used my car on Saturday and took my spare keys...which have no house key. He did have a phone though, so we were able to get in when his sister brought the keys. Balls.

3. Major Project #2: Make Halloween costume. This did not happen for a few reasons. My name is not Laura and I am not crafty. Lack of time on Saturday due to time suck mentioned in #2 above. And Sunday I took a three hour nap instead. 

4. Every once in a while we come home to Keurig KCups with teeth marks in them on the floor near the closet where they are stored in plastic bags in a fashionable and awesome bin with no top. Sunday I left my house with Debbie only to turn around a block away because I forgot my phones. I caught Gus in the act of furiously ripping into the Donut Shop KCups. Foiled, Fatty. Mama's storing that shit in an impenetrable fortress of a bin from here on out. Add ugly bin with lid to this week's shopping list.

5. Pumpkin bars are the devil. The very very good devil with a large and fat behind from all the butter in them. I baked some Saturday morning, and between me, our nephew Drew and MFD, they're pretty much gone. Thanks to Shelby (see her blog here) for the recipe, which is super easy and listed after sign off below.  

6. Closet doors are my nemesis. I couldn't open them in the spare room so I ripped them off like Hulk Hogan rips through his shirt and will put curtains up on a tension rod like I did on my closet and the coat closet. HGTV would not be pleased, but it works for me. Closet door installation is a project to add to the Before We Sell list.

On a related note, I am full of glee over my newly purged and organized closet. I do not thrive in disorganized and chaotic home environments. Here's a tip for you people looking to organize shoes. I never knew what to do with mine. This is how I've stored them for the past three years. It's the best system I've ever used. Boxes like this are on the top of my closet and the spare closet. They can be found at Target for $2 a pop, and I buy the labels there too. Easy peasy.:

Other weekend highlights: another meal made with mushrooms, time with my nephews, sitting around a bonfire at Shady Brook on Sunday night with friends and family, more quality time with Investigation Discovery Channel, slept snug as a bug in a rug after putting the down comforter on on Saturday.

That's all, friends. Have a stellar week.

Humming on a Monday,

SMD

Shelby’s Pumpkin Bars

1 box yellow cake

3 large eggs

2TBS milk

1/4C sugar

3 TBS flour

1TSP cinnamon

1/2C melted butter

1 13.5 oz jar Muirhead 0r other pumpkin butter

1/4C cold butter

Preheat oven to 350. Reserve 1C of cake mix. Combine remaining cake mix, 1/2C melted butter and 1 egg. Stir well until mixed and press onto bottom of 9x13 pan.

Whisk together pumpkin butter, 2 eggs and milk. Pour over cake mixture in pan. Using pastry blender or fork, Combine cake mix, flour, cold butter, sugar and cinnamon. Crumble over top of cake. Bake 35-40 min or until golden.