WFMW!

It's no secret how much I love Starbucks. Love to order the Venti Lowfat White Mocha With Whip - doesn't get much better! But I also am very cheap and will not let myself spend $5 for coffee very often. And sometimes at work I'll crave it, but alas, there is no barista in the lobby. Invented out of desperation - pour a package of hot chocolate mix in a cup and fill with coffee instead of water. Voila! It really is quite good and sometimes will get rid of the craving. For an extra richness (but unfortunately extra fat and calories, so I don't do it very often), add a splash of half and half in the cup as well.

Works for me!

Wednesday Morning

We're on a roll with this going to the movies thing! Last night Keith, Lynne' and I went to see Mission Impossible III at the dollar movies. Kind of sad to think how quickly this movie died out in the theaters and is already at the dollar movies. The best part for us though is that our dollar theater is only fifty cents on Tuesday nights - woohoo! There's hardly a movie out there that isn't worth fifty cents. And since we love movies where things blow up, this movie did not disappoint us!

We did see a prime example of an uncaring employee though. The young gal stationed at the lecturn to take tickets and direct you to the theater where your movie is playing was bent over at the waist, her chin on her hands and elbows leaned on the lecturn. She would take the ticket and grunt "left" or "right" and that was it. I suppose that since they only charge fifty cents for tickets they probably are not paying the employees a high rate, so they probably get what they pay for. But it was rather surprising nonetheless.

This morning at a stoplight on the way to work - I kid you not - the man in the car next to me had his laptop open and propped on the steering wheel just typing away! I have no idea if he continued typing when the light changed or not as I was in a hurry to get away from him. I felt a little less than safe knowing he was traveling the same roads I was. ;)

~ Elizabeth

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

More Exercise Tapes

I've decided that my new exercise routine, in addition to my morning walks with Joe the Wonder Dog, will be going through my exercise tapes. Last night was Tae Bo with Billy Blanks and it was much harder than I remember it being! I did enjoy it though and I think this system might work well since I won't feel like the tapes were such a waste of money and because it's just so hot and humid outside. Perhaps in the fall I'll try bike riding or even put on my Michelin man outfit and do the jog thing again. ;)

Mother Daughter Bonding

Lynne' and I had such a good evening last night and it was kind of a blast from the past - with a twist. I have been lamenting my hair color for some time because the roots were getting to be a little much. And Lynne' has been wanting to play with hair color, so we went to the beauty supply store together last night to choose our weapons. Mine ended up being my old "real" hair color and she chose a very subtle, but bright (if that makes any sense!), red! She came out of her bathroom absolutely thrilled with it and I have to admit that it's very pretty, especially if you're 20. ;)

The twist is because it reminded me so much of when she was little and we played dress-up together. She always enjoyed being pampered and primped and obviously still does! I recently did a scrapbook layout of her 6th birthday party, which was a princess party. All the little girls came dressed up in their finery and sashayed around our house. Diana and I did their nails and makeup and they loved every minute of the primping. I made her a princess birthday cake (my version of the famous Barbie cake with the doll plopped in the middle) and everything was pink and lavender. She doesn't wear as much pink now, but she does still enjoy the pampering. And I enjoy no longer having gray hair!

Tried a new recipe for dinner last night that we loved - Honey Mustard Chicken. Served it with rice, peas and croissants and oh so good and oh so easy (the best kind of meal!). L took leftovers to work today for lunch. :)

Honey Mustard Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1 can (10-1/2 ounces) chicken gravy
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 to 3 teaspoons honey

In a skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook chicken over medium-high heat for 5 minutes on each side. Combine the gravy, mustard and honey; pour over chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-12 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.


~ Elizabeth

Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life. - Proverbs 16:31

The Boys

I haven't shared a picture of Meeko and Joe in some time, so for your viewing pleasure I present them from this morning!

Silver and Gold

Horribly cliche I know, but this weekend was such a perfect example of the old addage "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." Friday morning I received a phone call from a long time friend that I haven't spoken with in a while. We had the best time catching up and solving the world's problems and when we disconnected Cingular was happy to report, via the cell phone, that we'd talked for two and a half hours! She is truly a friend that when we talk it seems like we've never been apart. Definitely a "gold" friend.

Then Saturday night I spent some time with some ladies that I'm just getting to know better. I had a really nice time and see in them many of the qualities that I enjoy in a friend. When I left and during the drive home I realized that I had a smile on my face, which is an obvious sign of a good time. Hopefully some "silver" friendships were strengthened that evening.

Last night I finally managed to get the ends woven in on the first scarf I've made for the Think Pink Challenge and I'm pretty pleased with it. This scarf was fun to knit as it satisfied my "instant gratification" need quite well. And oh so soft!

~ Elizabeth

"...we shape our lives with a circle of friends" - Unknown