Oklahoma Evening

It's 102 degrees.

The wind is sporadic and only about 5 miles an hour.

The shade is small and their are about 20 people crammed into it.

The trees providing the shade are, as Shawn says, 10 years to young.

Where am I?

Mid-High Co-Ed Softball.

As you can see, I'm having trouble getting the camera to focus through the fence. Shawn has finally taught me, but I really should write it down.

But this at this cool one I got of the Cute California Boy! Right through the fence baby!!

Zyrtec-my drug of choice

From the moment I said "I do" this body of mine has been falling apart. I've developed allergies, broken ribs, had a kidney stone, mysterious pains requiring exploratory surgery, an ovarian cyst, Fifth Disease, and an emergency c-section. It looks like my parents unloaded me just in time!

My allergies are my most constant bother and I've been on several different medications over that last 13 years. My body tends to get used to them and stop working but Zyrtec and I have been together for many years. Imagine my excitement when Shawn brought home a Zyrtec mug complete with a nose on the side! I'm more of a cold weather coffee drinker but every once in a while I have a day that necessitates coffee.

Thursday was one of those days.

As I picked up my mug I noticed a water ring that was left on the counter. I silently blamed all the other people in the house for not being able to pick up a dish rag and clean the counter and left the ring there to make my point. As I sat down in the den I felt some drips on my leg and guessed that I had sloshed the coffee a little. About 10 drips later I started to wonder why the drips weren't hot, the coffee was. I had to investigate. The drips turned out to be clear. I don't drink clear coffee. Upon further investigation...are you ready for this?...the nose was dripping!! It was dripping dishwasher water. Funny since it had been sitting, nostrils down, in the cabinet for quite a few days. So I did the only thing I knew to do.

I wiped it.

And finished my cup of coffee.

Yes, I'm being lazy.

Since I'm at my in-laws and their internet isn't as fast as mine I can't upload pictures. So sad, I know. But I can surf Photobucket! So instead of trying for hours to upload personal photos, I'm blessing you with a blog that I wrote for my myspace page. I was tagged by someone else who had done the same thing. I in turn tagged 10 people and had so much fun reading all about them. I learned things I'd never known about people I've known most of my life.

So, here it is. I hope I don't scare anyone off!

10 things you never knew and probably don't really want to know about me:

1. My right arm is two inches shorter then my left and I could never signal a touchdown in a football game because I can't raise it very high. It's all because of a 'Freak Rodeo Accident'.




2. I cannot touch a drain, anywhere! Bathtub, sink, shower...can't do it!




3. I can touch my nose with my tongue.





4. I went skydiving and my parachute didn't open.

5. I have an odd fascination with all things presidential.

6. When I first was married I could only make rice and macaroni and cheese.

7. I hate seafood. If it swims I won't eat it!

8. I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue.

There wasn't a good picture for this one. As soon as I get to the bottom of my Sonic Diet Dr Pepper with cherry and easy ice to see if there's a cherry, I'll see what I can do.

***Update***

I've since had three, okay four, more of those drinks and not a single one has had a cherry in it!

9. I can quote almost every line from Captain Ron and The Princess Bride.

10. I hate baths! They disgust me! My girls were all showering by age 2.


There you go, a little slice of Stefunk. Weird, isn't it?

*****I guess I should tell you the truth. I tried for two days to write this blog but because of the slow internet I just couldn't make it happen. So right now I'm traveling down the interstate using Shawn's laptop and his air card. I really like this thing!!*****

Oh the love of Photoshop

On our recent trip to Texas we passed some amazing things along the side of the road that I thought would make good picture backdrops. Beautiful brick silos, old barns, weathered abandoned houses, and old cars.

Of course, it was raining. It always rains when I drive to Lubbock. ALWAYS!

Since we were in a hurry to get there I told myself we could do it on the way home. I had four places picked out. Guess what? It was raining on the way home! Imagine that! It always rains when I drive home from Lubbock. I decided with an umbrella and really fast children it was possible.

Well, I missed the silos, the barn I liked, and most of the houses. They apparently were all scenery on the way to Lubbock, not on the way home. Of course, since it was pouring rain I could have missed them. We were a few miles from the highway change that would take us into big cities instead of the cute little towns when I saw it. The old car and worn down building! I scared the girls a little when I veered left into oncoming traffic and drove off the road, but it was worth it.

It was, you guessed it, raining, but only slightly. One girl at a time ran out and my camera and I stood under the umbrella. I, of course, played around in Photoshop (until 2 in the morning) and came up with these.

Oh how I love Photoshop!

Onion Soup Mix Recipe

Trish in VA asked the following question:



The potatoes look yummy! Could you please share the soup mix recipe? My husband can't have all the sodium in the prepacked mixes, so we usually make our own of everything.



Well Trish, I was really excited to share it with you until I got out my Beef Soup Base and looked at the sodium content......it's not good. 1 teaspoon has 880mg of sodium. I'm pretty sure that's not a low amount.

But in case you can find a way around it, here's the recipe.

Onion Soup Mix

3/4 c. dry minced onion
1/3 c. beef soup base
4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. crushed celery seed
1/4 t. sugar

Mix and refrigerate.
5 tablespoons equals one packet.

Now by mix, they mean get out a strong spoon and mash and break up, mash and break up. It's a definite upper arm workout. Be sure to switch arms from time to time or you'll look lopsided.


Nobody wants to see that.

Since my MSG allergy keeps me from using canned broths, bouillon cubes, and consomme I went on a search and found this. I had already been using it for several years when MSG Free broths came out so I've just stuck with it. I get mine at our local Sam's Club. As you can tell in the rather blurry picture, it's well used. I always have a container of Chicken also!

Enjoy!

Soccer!

Shawn played in a soccer game Saturday night that took a lot out of him. He came home with a bruised calf and a jammed, swollen, black and blue pinkie. It could have been because his wife is behind on laundry and he had to wear dress socks instead of soccer socks and it threw off his game...but let's not place blame here. He told me that he wouldn't be playing in the Monday night game because he needed a break. Woo-hoo! No need to do laundry!

When he visited a hospital (for work) on Monday morning he x-rayed his pinkie and found this.

Can you see the dislocation at the top of the x-ray? He decided to use a fluoroscope and watched while he, himself, pulled it out and back into position. That makes my stomach flip:(

Since his finger was fixed he decided to go ahead and play. Whoops, no time for laundry. So, more dress socks. See where his shin guard is sticking out a little? I felt guilty. But it didn't hold him back.

He was all over the field and even scored a goal.

It must be the secret to the teams success.Nate's socks didn't even match and he scored an amazing penalty shot!

Bubbles!

Lynsea is a 'Bubble Expert' at a children's museum where she lives. Because everyone needed a pool break last night she asked if I had glycerin, dish soap, a stick, and string. I was intrigued. Hours later the girls were soapy, worn out, and thrilled to have had so much fun.

Did you know you can take a picture through a bubble? You can, but I didn't do it on purpose!

Lynsea taught the girls to push their fingers into it-Blow it through interesting things-

Hands-

Diving Rings-

The stick and the string-

Cookie Cutters-And to play with it until it popped-

The audience was enthralled.

Herb Grilled Potatoes

As I mentioned in my last post, I was asked for a recipe. I tried to be a little Ree-like but don't think I could ever be like her. First of all, I don't have the nice new kitchen or all the fun dishes. But here's what we have.

Herb Grilled Potatoes

1/2 c. olive oil

1/4 c. butter, melted

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 t. dried thyme

1 t. dried marjoram

1/4 t. pepper

3 pounds red potatoes, quartered

To give the potatoes a head start after they're quartered, I boil them until just tender.

While those are boiling I mix the sauce.

I melt my butter in the wonderful Pampered Chef thingy. The lid keeps it from popping all over my microwave. I hate to clean the microwave. This thingy (yes, that's what I call it) was something that my mom ordered from a party right before she died. When some of her co-workers came to pay their respects they gave me her order. That makes this thingy extra special.

After everything is mixed in it looks like this-

YUMMY!

Now, here's how I change things up a bit.

I add broccoli that is cut into florets and sliced mushrooms. Actually I add whole mushrooms if Wal-Mart isn't out of them!

**If I add the mushrooms and broccoli I only use two pounds of potatoes**

I give the broccoli about 3 minutes in the water with the potatoes, just because.

After the potatoes are slightly tender I drain it all and put it in an aluminum pan. Then pour the sauce on and stir it all together. The pan is really full but it will cook down quite a bit.

Now it's ready for the grill! Leave it uncovered because you will need to stir it from time to time. Over high heat it needs to cook at least 20 minutes but I've been known to leave it on for up to 40! I like it best when the potatoes are almost burnt.

Now, before I get questions as to what the stuff in the custard cup is...it's onion soup mix. I have an allergy to Mono Sodium Glutamate and can't have pre-made soup mix. (And lots of other things! But that's a story for some other day when you're all very bored.) Therefore, I have to make my own. So that's what this weird concoction is.

I'm sitting next to the pool, slightly reclined, VERY full at this exact moment. It could be the two servings of veggies, or the burger, or cantaloupe...or eating almost a fourth of this.

Who knows:C)