obviously I'm a horrible person

I love my grandparents

I really do

but you don't understand what's it like

to live with them!

Would you like to know what they're like?

Imagine George Castanza's parents

[Seinfeld]

and Ray Ramano's parents

[Everybody loves Raymond]

MIXED TOGETHER!!

And you're getting close,

but they're worse.

Many times a day I just

have to nod my head,

and fake a smile.

Because they go on and on

and on and on.

They want to know EVERYTHING

I'm doing and I'm a very quiet,

keep-to-myself time of a person.

So if you don't see posts

for a while it's cause I

don't have anything semi-nice to say.

just kidding around

once upon a time

i was a little girl

and my family took a trip

to the boardwalk

one night, after a pretty

amazing day

we were walking past

a payphone, remember those?

in these days

cellphones were rare

I'm not even sure my dad had

one at this point

so we're walking past

a payphone

and it rings

and these older kids

probably college kids

start laughing

and scrambler answers the payphone

the kids start to laugh

and then scrambler starts speaking something

similar to pig latin

and my family and I start laughing

and the kids are bewildered

and then the kid with the cellphone

comes over laughing

and gives scrambler five for

being such an cool, older dude

happy april fools day guys!

I said what?

it happens to every single one of us

critic tells a story, and includes what we said

what she makes up that we said

years ago, mom was watching a kid

we go to church with

and the mom was pregnant

we didn't know if that mom was

gonna have us watch them

after she gave birth

we love the kids,

we love the family

but sometimes we could

use sometime off because it's not

always easy

you've got to be a really good planner to make it work

so back to the main story

little kids were running around the house

and critic tells us the above story

and says "and you said

'I don't know if she'll let me babysit them

and if she doesn't I don't know what I'll do.

I'd be lost without him(the oldest one)'"

mmm, I think we'd be okay.

crocs, still super comfortable today

they might not be the most fashionable

but this family loves them!

they're prefect for trips out in our back 40,

standing on our kitchen tile while cooking

(it's super uncomfortable tile),

and many other uses.

scrambler has been saying for weeks,

that she wants some

but was worried they weren't in fashion

I remember being mocked in middle school for wearing them,

but hey, I didn't care what people said about my shoes

(read: I cared a lot, but didn't want to show it)

they were comfortable and I thought they were

cool, especially that they were all rubber

well critic and scrambler

came back the other day from a trip

out into the world

and guess what?

she had crocs!

mom said "You got crocs! I guess you aren't worried

if they're in fashion"

"Yes I got the crocs, but I am never wearing them outside!

I don't want people to see me wearing them!"

critic almost barked back

I'm sorry, but your over 80,

no one cares what shoes you're wearing

and crocs look better than 90% of the shoes

designed with senior citizens in mind!

so then, just a couple hours after coming home
from their trip, scrambler checks the mail
an lo and behold, what's in it?
a crocs catalog
critic looked at that thing for a half hour
complaining, about how she wish she had
see it yesterday, and how they were so much cuter
than the ones she got, why didn't scrambler get these ones,
and on and on and on.

she's a trip

queen of passive aggreessiva!

Critic sees the world

very differently than most people

ya know the whole half empty/half full thing?

well this is how she sees it

the wrong color, the wrong size, dirty 

and filled with the wrong drink.

and she likes to use passive aggressive phrases,

which she throws in thinking that she's being

politically correct

the other day she was talking to my mom

about an event she went to

{where there must have been "1,000 people!"

did I mention she also exaggerates?]

and said well I didn't know if 

"you people" like that

and by you people she meant mormons

and she doesn't do to be potlically correct

she just wants attention, any way she can get it

her other favorite phrases include:

the alternate, those people

apparently "apparently they went to church on sunday"

supposedly "supposedly they had her 15 months after they got married"

there's more, but you'll read about that later

the guy has an attitude

there's this guy,

a family friend,

who comes over to the house a lot

and he usually parks in his favorite spot in our driveway

that spot just happens to make scrambler

not such a happy camper

so much so that he complains to us for hours

and has been known to give him the finger

scrambler used to be such a nice old guy

well let me back up a little bit more

mom says that he used to be kinda ornery

I didn't remember that until

I thought back to my baptism day

I was so excited and I just wanted to share that feeling with everyone

while talking to critic and scrambler

I just remember being sad,

they weren't happy for me

mom says that once scrambler

retired and joined this support group as a voulnteer

he, and critic became closer to God

and was a lot nicer

the more recent memories

in my mind cast scrambler in the later role

but with critic's health failing

and scrambler not getting any younger

he's reverted to his grumpy, younger attitude

I miss the fun, scrambler I used to know

I wish I could send back the mad at the world one

lunch date, a reoccurring feature

critic and scrambler

like to go out to lunch a lot

i may like a certain fast food place

and stop there often for a drink

but these people put me to shame

they go out to lunch

quite a few times a week

and then they come home

and tell us all about it

what they ordered, if they liked it

and how the service was

prime entertainment value

for me, for my family

and fortunately for you

i'm a sharer!

so you get to get in on the action too!

Recently they went to a local attraction

and went to one of their restaurants

[I would give you the location but it would

give away my location, and also giving away

my anonymity]

scrambler got
beef stew
with fried apples
and french fries

and I forgot what
critic got

but trust me, they'll go out again soon
and I'll make sure I catch what critic got

"this is a keeper"

mom and I were watching tv

the other night and she got all 

obsessed with this seafood chowder

I have accepted the fact that

I have to make my own dinner cause

I am the pickiest eater ever

but things have changed with

scrambler and critic moving in

[which by the way, they think they're here

for an "extended visit"]

critic has to watch her salt intake

because of her heart, so that rules out a lot,

and she can't stand peas

scrambler can't stand fish,

among other things

so with every meal mom makes

critic and scrambler tell her if she should keep making it

like they're the bosses around here,

don't even get me started

mom made a seafood chowder

which i could smell by 11am

upstairs, in my room, with the door closed

[I can't stand the smell of seafood]

and at the end of the meal

scrambler says "this is a keeper"

and critic says "it was okay, it could have been warmer"

which is a whole other story, for another day

but trust me the irony of him

liking a SEAFOOD chowder is not lost on me

for the recipe head over to 

the bearfoot contessa's page on HGTV

nine inch voices

why is is that older people,

who also have a hard time hearing, 

think that since they can't hear people whispering

other people won't hear them whispering

there are many times I remember

GGm "whispering" to GGp

and GGp would shake his head

what i wouldn't give to have him shake his head again

but I digress

so i would be sitting on the couch ten feet away

I could hear them

in fact in that same volume I could hear

them all the way from the kitchen

and why am I bringing this up now?

just last night

almost the same thing happened

with critic and scrambler

and I just don't get it

maybe it's because I can't whisper

there's something wrong with me

so I stick to note writing and texting!

so nine inch voices? 

more like nine yards voices!

anyone have any thoughts?

zaggat's picks the top 25 spots to get some grease

so you may know i'm mormon

so I don't swear.

okay i'm not perfect,

and every once and awhile

one may slip out

but i never take the Lord's name in vain.

having critic and scrambler

live with us are not good influences

when it comes to either one of the above.

scrambler was reading the namesake article of this post

"Oh My G[osh]! How in the hell

do they get off charging over $50 for a burger?!?"

now I think that is ridiculous as well,

but then I thought...

what's on it?

what's it made out of?

because i've been known to pay $3.99

for a bacon cheddar burger, uncooked

at my local fresh market

(it's the best burger ever!)

and they kept going on and on

and on and on about it, 

and how in atlanta they charge $20

and how that was ridiculous as well.

I've paid $25 for a nice burger one time,

one of the best burgers I've ever had!

i'm back!!!!

life got busy,

I got a job at the cutest

little ice cream shop ever

and started getting into ysa activites

and then I moved home

and I had nothing productive to write about.

in august I thought about writing again,

after GGp died.

it was his time, but it was hard.

he had gone down hill fast

after I moved home.

then in november critic and scrambler

moved into the house

and just before that mom had broken a leg

and things were crazy.

things have died down a bit

and now i need an outlet

let the hilarity ensue!

shepard's pie

this is one of my favorite meals

my mom made while i was a kid

pound of meat

mixed veggies

and i kinda messed up the next part

what your supposed to do is

mix a can of cream of mushroom and half a can of milk

and then pour it over the first two layers

then mashed potatoes

when it's like half done 

throw some cheese on it and let it be

i could be wrong but if the meat is warm, and the potatoes

then it's 350 degrees for 30 minutes

taco salad and fireworks!

i have been craving a taco salad

for like the past month

and finally i made it for GGm and GGp

i had a problem though

how to make the tortilla bowl

i'd fried tortillas before

but to get them into bowl shape

i was stumped!

and then i saw these rubbermaid bowls i have

so i fried the tortillas and then

gently put them into the bowls

about 20 minutes later they were cooled and retained their shape

unless you tore them apart

but i just took some lettuce from the fridge

and cut some bigger cherry tomatoes

into quarters

take a pound of ground beef

and mix in a packet of taco seasoning 

according to directions

that's where the fireworks come in

as i was doing it i moved it to the back burner

and was just barely moving it back

i hear a crack

and white sparks EVERYWHERE

and a scream coming from somewhere

i have no idea where it came from

[okay, it was me]

yes, i broke the coil

but if it happens to you

grab it, head to your local home depot

or lowe's [what's the difference anyways?]

and you can get them for about $10

or at least that's what my dad says

so here's how i did it

lettuce

tomatoes

meat

and then cheese

although in retrospect

i would do meat and then tomatoes

my bowl

GGp's bowl

GGm's bowl

i don't try to give her smaller portions

but i have this germ thing

and if she doesn't finish her dinner

she puts it back in

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

i love pumpkin chcolate chip cookies

i beg my mom to make them all the time

well mom got a new recipe for them

awhile ago, and i seriously could make them anytime

three ingredients

spice cake mix

canned pumpkin

chocolate chip cookies

seriously could not be easier

bake at 350 degrees

and for how long changes for how moist you want them

and how big each cookie is

but start at 20 minutes

when you put them on the cookie sheet

you can put them really close together

because they grow up, not out

so push them out to how large you want them

grilled sandwiches

so i might be addicted to grilled cheese

not kidding!

a friend of mine used to have grilled cheese parties

and then right before i moved out of my favorite apt

i was making them like 3 times a week

i've gotten better though

but GGm and GGp sure love them

i think they may like the tuna fish ones better though

grilled cheese is pretty much self-explainatory

but here are the basics if you have never

heard of them before

butter one side of each piece of bread

i put the butter side up and let it melt

so that as it browns it's already warm inside

and melting the cheese

but that's probably how you do it too though

don't make fun of me

i make tuna fish sandwiches

the same way my mom has made them

although due to my limited supplies i substituted 

i ususally use miracle whip, cause i can't stand mayo but that's all i had

i usually use dill pickles, cut them into quarters from circles

[i don't know to explain it, sorry]

but i do the same thing with the bread

so that it warms to tuna

and for the record i know i made this

way more complicated than it needed to be

chicken alfredo

so i love fettuccine alfredo,

freaking love it!

but i have a hard time with people putting chicken in

because some people screw it up

but bird's eye does it just right

it's got some kick

but not too much

and there are veggies too

although i am trying to get GGm and GGp

away from frozen food

because seriously 99% of it is so bad for you

but this is something i will get cause 

it has a ton of food groups!

if you want to make this,

you can find it in the freezer section of your grocery store

stroganoff

this has always been one of my favorites

i remember begging mom to make it all the time

so i suggest buying a good chunk of ground beef

cook it and then freeze it in pound increments

which by the way

1 pound of ground beef is

2 and 1/2 cups cooked

thank you google!

also something else you might like

springpadit.com

it's freaking amazing!

it's also where i keep recipes my mom gives me

i'll give you the recipe

remember to follow the instructions

stroganoff

• 1/2 c minced onion
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup IMO or sour cream
• 2 TBLS flour
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• dash of salt and pepper
• Noodles
• 1 TBLS parsley (optional)

Cook hamburger. When done, part in center and saute onions. Add flour, salt and pepper, and mushroom soup. Cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken soup. Simmer uncovered for 10 mins. Just before serving stir in sour cream and heat thoroughly. Stir in noodles, sprinkle parsley over top. Serve

it's super good!

although IMO makes it taste way funny

i didn't have minced onion or parsley 

but they are not essential so if you don't have them

don't freak out

this does constitute as heaven in your mouth

valentine's day dinner

although i knew i was going to hate valentine's,

since i was continuing my membership in

the lonely hearts club,

i decided to make valentine's special

for GGm and GGp

so after doing something monday

i got home about 10 til 4

i told them that i needed to go grocery shopping

so i got the shopping list

hurried through the store

[which is so out of character for me]

because i was supposed to pick up the pizza at 4:30

i had called it in so i wouldn't have to wait

so i get to the pizza shop and give them my name

can't find the pizza

they ask for my number and look again

can't find the pizza

so they say we'll get your right out

it took them ten minutes, after the ten minutes i stood in line

ugh!

so i rush home

only to find out that GGP had let GGm eat a big lunch

which when GGm eats a big lunch

she doesn't want anything for dinner

they told me they didn't want to eat til 6:45 anyways

so i rode up to my aunt's [SJ's mom] with DQ

to give some valentine's and then

drove back

we decided to get some dinner for me

since the plan was to leave GGp and GGm alone for dinner

we decided on Rumbi Island Grill

we called it in and i crossed my fingers that

this time my food would be ready

it was supposed to be ready at 6:16

it wasn't ready until 6:46

so i was very mad!

i had dinner to finish and i was keeping them waiting!

so i call them and ask them to heat up the oven

[did i mention the pizza is a u-bake pizza?]

i get home throw it in

make a salad

[iceberg lettuce, cause that's what they like,

carrots and celery-don't judge me, i was in a hurry]

i then set the table

pretty fancy, right?

i didn't want them to get up so i had plenty of salad

which they ate all of

and there were extra slices of pizza

i even had desert on the table too

heart shaped chocolate chop cookies

GGp was partially in on it

he knew a heart shaped pizza would be involved

but nothing else

so both of them were blown away

i lit the candles as i left

and they still can't stop talking about it

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

***UPDATE-rumbi has totally made up for my horrendous night. the manager called me on wednesday and apologized after corporate forwarded my email to him. and i have free meal vouchers. i'm still waiting on papa murphy's to call me back [feb. 23, 11]

truth or dare

remember how i told you

that sometimes it's easier to

just make something up

than have to explain it all

well i might have done it again

so i was watching greek 

and they were playing kiss or tell

and i didn't want to explain it

so i told GGp that they were

playing truth or dare

cause everyone knows how to

play truth or dare

or so i thought

because GGp then said

"what? what is that?"

so i had to try and explain it to him

i had seriously thought everyone

knew what truth or dare was

check back later this week for GGp and GGm's

valentine's dinner!

baked seasoned chicken and rice

Last week I bought chicken breasts

and was needing to use them

so last friday i made chicken noodle soup

with three chicken breasts

and with the other four i baked them

super easy baked chicken

salt

pepper

montreal chicken spice/rub

water

**preheat the oven to 350 degrees

i pour salt onto my hand and then rub the chicken

i do the same with pepper

then i sprinkle the montreal chicken stuff just on the top of the chicken

pour just a tiny bit of water into the bottom of the pan you are going to use

for the small pan i used i put in less than a fourth a cup

cover the pan with tin foil

and cook for 20-25 minutes

then 5-10 minutes with the tin foil off for the chicken to brown

now for the rice

i admit i didn't know how to make rice on the stove

so i youtubed it!

if you want to make it in the microwave

i suggest this one

but leave out the salt

if you want to make it on the stove

i suggest this one

just follow that and you'll be fine

it's a little blurry, blame the iPhone

add some veggies and you are good to go!