Chicken & Dumplings

In honor of Frankenstorm and this cold weather, I thought I would share my favorite (and easiest) way to stay warm...

Frankenstorm Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients

- one store bought rotisserie chicken
- 1 can cream of chicken
- 1 can cream of celery
- 1 finely diced onion
- 2-3 stalks of finely chopped celery
- 1 cup of sliced fresh carrots
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
-1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1-2 cans of Pillsbury biscuits (Depending on how many dumplings you like in this dish.  I tend to use 1 large can and 1 small can.)

Directions

Fill a large stock pot about 3/4 of the way full with water and boil.  While your water is starting to boil, de-bone the rotisserie chicken and set all of the yummy chicken meat aside.  Place remains from de-boning is the stock pot and add salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.  Let the water and chicken remains continue to boil on med-high to high for an hour.  Once the hour has past, remove the chicken remains from the stock pot.  Add cream of celery, cream of chicken, finely diced onion, finely chopped celery, and carrots to the stock pot.  Cook for another hour on med-low heat, stirring occasionally.

During the hour, roll biscuits with rolling pin on a floured surface until they are approximately 1/4 of an inch thick.  Cut into small squares (about an inch) and set aside.  (biscuits are an easy alternative from homemade dumplings, and they taste WONDERFUL.  You can also use frozen dumplings (which are still very yummy) if you really want a quick version of this dish.  My mother always used biscuits... so that is how I prefer them!) :)

After the hour has passed, add in the chicken and cut biscuits.  Let these simmer for about another 45 minutes, and then add in the frozen peas.  Cook for 15-30 more minutes, add salt and pepper if needed, and serve with love.

* If you find the C&D need to be thicker, just add a little bit of sifted flour.

This dish is perfect for weathering snowing days or Frankenstorm.  :)

Hope you enjoy!

-Cap

P.S.

*These received the Med Student's seal of approval, and that's a tall order! :)

The District and Frankenstorm!

 This past weekend we spent the last of our warm days with friends in D.C.  It was fun.  J and I have added D.C. to the top of "The Places We Could Live" list.

The gang(minus me)

We found a LSU bar in Capitol Hill, and decided to hang out with the local fans.  "TACKLE HIM!" became the phrase of the game.  We stole it from the girl at the bar who thought she knew a little something about foozeball.

Molly Malone's yummy bloody mary

Casey was our good luck charm.  We started winning when she walked in!  GEAUX TIGERS!

We ate at Ben's Chili Bowl.  The place where only Obama and Bill Cosby eat free.  :)

We also ate Ethiopian food... It's still up for debate whether I like it or not.  Everyone eats from the same plate with their fingers, and that doesn't sit too well with me. ;)

That's J's hand.  He's waving to the new love of his life.  Good luck loving a med student, hot stuff!

We also had a chance to meet up with Bri and her friends! (Unfortunately, by the time we met up, I was tired of carrying my camera around... so I don't have a C&B in D.C. pic.) Being in a big city is always fun, but being in a big city with lots of friends is even better.  Life felt right again.  I got a daily Starbucks, ate lots of ethnic food, and surrounded myself with big buildings and busy streets.  I love city life.

Today, we are preparing for FRANKENSTORM!  The storm that meteorologist have started calling, "The perfect storm".  YIKES.

What does one do to prepare for their first snow storm?  

They probably fight the crowds at the local supermarkets buying candles, batteries, water, and can goods.

But we just play in the snow.  :)

Mosie's first snow

Frankenweenie! 

Be afraid.  Be VERY afraid.

Our backyard

Frankenweenie and J

The Hansel and Gretel house

Hope all of our East Coast friends stay warm and dry this week!  

-Cap

B Travels to DC

This past weekend was a flash and in the best of ways.

I won't bore you with all of the details, so I will share my travels with you in a very orderly, Type-A-med-student-husband-approved way.

1. It all began with a seven hour road trip with two of my fifty-year-old board members. It was awesome. We stopped every hour to pee and ate schnitzel along the way!

2. I got to Georgetown around 5pm and checked in at the hotel all by my lonesome. I was antsy and excited, so I decided to go for a walk and explore a bit, and yeah, mother nature happened. Torrential downpour sans umbrella.

3. I ducked into a Hagen Dazs for refuge and was guilt-ed into spending $4 on a sorbet that I took three bites of before the rain temporarily let up, inducing me to chuck the sorbet and hightail it back to the hotel. I spent the remaining few hours before Marg arrived painting my nails and watching Twilight movies.....

4. 9pm - Margaret arrived. We went to Thunder Burger. OMG. My burger was so delicious. And the fries?! And the aioli for the fries!? I can't. Marg had a gin martini, dirty. I had a vodka (duh).

1. Marg thought it was a WONDERFUL idea to go see Jessica the psychic. I can attest to this being a very bad idea indeed. We walked up the narrow stairs and into the woman's living room where her eight year old granddaughter was playing on an IPad with a cat snoozing under the chair. "The Psychic" then charged Marg $10--since the $5 special had just run out..............--and proceeded to stare at the ceiling while she read Marg's palm..................................... and got EVERYTHING wrong.

2. Elizabeth got in at midnight so we called it an early evening and got up bright and early Saturday to go explore the Eastern Market on Capitol Hill. I didn't take any pictures there because I was too busy obsessing over the incredible jewelry stands! W will be getting me earrings from one stand for Christmas :). I will post those later.... After the market, we introduced Marg to the US Capitol, which she had confused with the White House. She kept saying, "Where's the big black fence that you stand in front of?????? Its so much bigger than I remember!!" Lawdy.

3. We walked through the sculpture garden on the way to the Natural History Museum.

4. Fall colors in DC on our way to the Natural History Museum and the Hope Diamond.

1. Lunch at Paul's, a favorite bakery. Marg and I split the biggest, most delicious raspberry macaroon we had ever seen. Mmmm.

2. NATIONAL ZOO. OMG. BEST IDEA EVER.

3. Flamingos! My new obsession.

4. The tiger was very agitated.

1. Dinner at Bistrot du Coin, another favorite. Cotes du Rhone was the beverage of choice.

2. WE FOUND CAP!!! Margaret, Elizabeth, Me, Cap at a rooftop bar.

3. View from the rooftop.

4. Of course, we had to stop and love on the DCPD Clydesdales.

1. Elizabeth escaped early on a plane Sunday morning. Margaret and I thought it would be a great idea to ride bikes all over Georgetown after the previous evening's antics. It actually was awesome! I was very surprised that we were able to stay upright the entire time. We had brunch on a patio by the river with Margaret's BFF, Carrie and then we parted ways. :(

2. My conference began that night at a palatial building near Dupont Circle called Anderson House. It was filled with elderly women drinking gin and scotch. The final day of the conference found me at Gunston Hall Plantation, eight miles south of Mt. Vernon. It was incredible in all of its colonial charm.

3. Napoleonic Bee necklace I purchased at the gift shop and am now obsessed with.

4. Came home to my fluffy daughters and sweet W who is another year older.

Great trip ladies! Let's do it again soon!

-b

Where is my mind?

The lovely Pixies sing one of my favorite songs.
It goes like this...

Your head will collapse
If there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself

Where is my mind?

It's been stuck in my head a lot lately.

However, around this medical school stricken house we sing...

Where is Jason's mind? 

Yesterday, I made amazing mexican stuffed peppers with ground turkey.  Since I'm only cooking for two, I wrapped half of the ground turkey in tin foil to save it for another dinner.  I asked J to write ground turkey and the date on the front side.

Simple enough, right?

Wrong. 

This is what I found this morning while reaching for my frozen blueberries to make my daily spinach smoothie...

"Ground Turkey & The Date"

Dear Friends, I fear this man's brain is gone... or likely just too full of board material that it no longer has room for normal everyday function.

Either way.. we have reached absent minded/crazy husband period.  Actually we reached that weeks ago.  While I do feel for my sanity through this, I must admit I'm more worried for J.  I've never seen him study so hard for anything in my life.  I know he wants to do well so badly, and for both of our sakes... I hope he dominates that dang test!  I also hope he comes back to me with his brain fully functioning and intact.

Maybe that's asking too much...

I can only hope to get him back to how I found him 10 years ago!  ;)

In other news...

One of my best friends from home sent me a little necklace via snail mail, and my day has been bright ever since!

It's a charm of Louisiana and a turquoise stone.  Could she know me any better?  I mean... REALLY!
Mose also approved.

There are few things I love as much as snail mail.  Turquoise and Louisiana are among the few.

Being that honey bunny (J) and I got into a little debate about why an ipod shuffle does not say "I'm so happy you're my wife and HAPPY THREE YEARS"... I'm thinking maybe I should tell Megan to pick out my anniversary gifts from now on.  :)  It would be better for all of us.  (Even Megan, because she has to listen to me vent.)

Happy Wednesday, Friends!

Cap

B on the Road Again

I am off--yet again--this weekend sans the medical student. I know you all must think I am quite the absent spouse, but I am becoming more and more convinced that the old adage, "absence makes the heart grow fonder," might indeed be true as well as a necessity when it comes to NOT murdering your med student husband.

Now, I am going to shock you all when I confess that I will be leaving W for five days this Friday, which also just so happens to be his 29th birthday. Terrible, right? I should be so ashamed of myself. In fact, I totally am, yet it did not deter me from scheduling my girl's reunion in DC this weekend.

You see, dear readers, I get to hang out with two of my dearest friends in one of my favorite cities.

At Margaret's Kansas-themed going away party. I was the state insect. She was Glenda.

This is Elizabeth. We were doing what we did best, barhop in CHS, SC.

You see, I was heading to DC this weekend anyways for a work conference that starts on Sunday and ends on Tuesday. I am notorious for turning work trips into fun getaways, hence this weekend's obvious girl-time theme!

Margaret currently lives in NYC, and when W and I were there visiting in April, she told me that she had purchased a Groupon for a round-trip bus ride to DC. Knowing that I went to DC often for work, we decided that my next work trip should coincide with her using the Groupon. We are so economical.

I haven't seen Elizabeth since a few months after my wedding, nearly 3 years ago. RIDICULOUS. So, we thought we would make it a true reunion. You see, all three of us enjoy visiting one another.

Elizabeth and I visited Margaret when she lived in Denver.

This weekend is sure to be thrilling. I have barely recovered from our whirlwind weekend in Lewisburg and the hazy late-night we spent at the Greenbrier and its cave-like casino on Saturday (geesh), but I wouldn't miss this epic girl's weekend for anything (even for W's birthday, apparently!!!!).

Coincidentally, Cap and J will also be in DC this weekend, so I have convinced Cap that she must stay with us and even stay on with me through Tuesday. J just doesn't have a say.

Can you spot Margaret and Elizabeth? Hannah from the Birmingham trip is in there, too!

Can't WAIT!

-b

October Fun

This weekend was filled with wonderful fall festivities and lots of friends!

Friday, Bri and W came to visit from Charleston. Bri and I had our hopes set on an Oktoberfest night, and I think we pulled it off rather well!

Our Menu 

Entree'

Bratwarts on hoagie bread with grilled onions

Cheese fries

Fresh greens beans 

Dessert

Smores over the bon fire

Drink of choice

Sangria (for the ladies) 

Sam Adams Oktoberfest (for the guys)

The Sangria was a big hit (even the guys approved)!  I made one pitcher with white and one mini pitcher with red.  Both were great!  You can get the Sangria recipe here. 

Fall Sangria

While Bri and I were enjoying our Sangria and cooking the scrumptious Oktoberfest spread, the guys showed off their boy scout skills by starting are backyard bon fire.  

Star gazing.

Saturday, the wonderful weekend continued with Rob (guest writer from Confessions of a Mousewife) and KK, who came to visit from Bridgeport, WV!  With an adorable toddler along for the ride, we all went to stuff our faces at T.O.O.T (taste of our town) in downtown Lewisburg.

TOOT is a wonderful festival in Lewisburg were all of the local restaurants come out and set up booths selling their favorite dish!   

If you're like Bri and me.. You can skip all the booths and hit up the local bakery's boiled peanuts!  I'm still convinced they were the best thing I ate all day!

Southern girls love their boiled peanuts!

Rob and Kayla

The Gang

FLASH MOB in the streets of Lburg!

Fall is in bloom!

The guys showing a 10 year old how hardcore they are.  :)

Adorable Toddler!

 After it was all over Saturday, I became quite jealous of this kid's napping ability!  If I could nap while hundreds of people walked amongst me and loud music played in my ears... I could rule the world.

EXHAUSTED!

-Cap

Fighting the Crud

As I sit here at work, head throbbing and woozy, I am coming to terms with the fact that I am most likely housing an infection in my right ear. This is likely to become a very annoying and painful ear infection set out to destroy my fun-filled weekend. I have been feeling not quite with it all week, which isn't too unusual for me this time of year when my allergies turn my head into an achy balloon of mucus. Excuse my obvious lack of shame when it comes to discussing bodily functions. I am after all the wife of a third year medical student. We don't mince words or spare one another from life's grosser moments. I can however usually get over these fluctuations of the middle ear and excessive expulsions of sinus fluid out of various orifices with quite a bit of sudaphed (the meth-maker's drug of choice) and gallons of saline nasal spray. I fear now that my white blood cells' efforts have been surpassed by the apparent dedication of this year's crud. Consider me a victim.

I was late getting to bed last night as I was unknowingly sucked into this awful show called Nashville about the worst kind of music (country) that I will probably become OBSESSED with when I watch it in its entirety this afternoon (because I need closure).................. but when I finally crawled into bed and laid down on my right side (my preferred side to begin my weird sleep routine on), I felt a searing pain right beneath my jaw bone as I rested my head against the pillow. I gingerly rubbed the spot that hurt and felt a knot. I first thought it might be a pimple, so I sighed at my body's extreme hormonal confusion and let my head fall back down. Searing pain again! This time, I sat up and prodded more intensely. It felt like a hard, painful pea under my skin. So of course, I violently shook W awake, grabbed his hand and jabbed it under my jawbone.

My little army against this lump.

"DO YOU FEEL THAT!?!?! What is it?!?! Am I dying?! Is it cancer?!!?"

Without even lifting his head from the pillow or shifting his body to more easily prod the lump, W slurred that it was a lymph node and that we would look at it again in the morning.

"LOOK AT IT!? You haven't even opened your eyes!?! AND, YOU'RE GOING TO BE A DOCTOR!?"

However, W was once again fast asleep.

I of course did not sleep for the rest of the night. How could I? I couldn't complete my sleep routine, which is to lay on my right side (as the inside spoon) until the weight of W's leg cuts off the circulation to my right foot. Then, I heave my leg out from under his and flip to my left side. I stay in this position for approximately 10 minutes until it is no longer comfortable. Then, I flip back over to my right side and fall peacefully asleep until morning.

The painful pea-lump did not allow me to sleep on my preferred side. BITCH.

This morning, I reminded W of my cancer. (I am not making light of cancer. I honestly had nightmares all night that it was indeed a cancerous tumor. I am what some like to call a hypochondriac.) He checked it, informed me it was not deadly, and said I was most likely getting an ear or sinus infection. WONDERFUL.

I will not allow this to deter me from the next three days' packed schedule. Sure, I am deathly afraid to turn my head to the right, since that pinches my node and hurts and makes me break out in a terror sweat, but there is just too much to do!

Let's reflect for a moment on the very real torture that awaits me tomorrow at 12:30pm........... ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY fourth grade students will descend upon me and my fragile museum house for a tour and history lesson. Please say 50 Hail Marys that I make it through unscathed. Or, just load me up with some fast-acting antibiotics and lots of ibuprofen with a few cups of coffee to boot. Maybe, we should all just say a little prayer that these children make it through the afternoon in one piece. PSA: I am not responsible for my actions while heavily medicated. I have several activities planned to keep their evil minds from concocting terrifying feats of fun in the vicinity of the 200 year old museum and its precious artifacts. They will be forced to play a corn toss, gourd roll, and then, when they can take that no longer, I will make them all string cheerios on to yarn that they will then hang in the trees for the birds. I dare them to allow their minds to wander to sinister thoughts of asking too many questions, running, jumping, not using inside voices, and constantly twitching as their undeveloped brains cannot control their writhing bodies.

After the tour, W and I are hitting the road for Lewisburg for the weekend. We will of course be staying with Cap and J so that the boys can have their date night. Cap has--in true perfect-wife-fashion (J is so damn lucky)--planned a thrilling Oktoberfest themed evening for us complete with a bonfire. Maybe, we will all don animal-themed masks and dance around the flames like the pagans of yesteryear, praising the gods for fruitful harvests to last us through the dark months (winter). (I do know my Halloween history, do you?) Or, we might just roast some marshmallows. It has the great possibility to get CRAZY. (As always, follow my Instagram (bri_jackson) to keep up with it all.)

Then, Saturday morning, there is an event in downtown Lewisburg, called TOOT or Taste of our Town, where restaurants and vendors set up tents and make delicious food. There's haggis (blegh), ribs, crabcakes, tiramisu and so much more. Cap and I plan to enjoy a little bit of everything. W will most likely be at the Greenbrier Resort talking up a few vascular surgery residency program directors (whew) from the northeast. Fingers crossed that he makes some worthwhile connections! After that, who knows what will happen! Maybe, we will have dinner at our favorite restaurant in West Virginia, Julian's. Maybe we will have another pagan bonfire. The possibilities are endless. This weekend is peak color for the leaves, so we will be sure to enjoy the foliage.

Let's just hope that this infection/swollen lymph node thing is a DUD. I refuse to accept it. No thanks. Go away.

On that note, I would like to take this time to vent about the extreme lack of compassion from my medical student husband in the wake of my illness. My boss sent me home early to rest and recuperate before the heathen tour tomorrow. This meant that W and I could enjoy lunch together at home! W was in the midst of reheating leftovers for lunch, when I trudged in and set water to boil for my go-to sick meal, Ramen noodles. I asked W to put my noodles in the water when it started to boil, which he did. Then, he very unfeelingly yelled from the kitchen for me to come, "Watch your noooodles!" How rude! I asked him if this is how it will always be from now on--do only paying patients get his time and care? Well, do they, W????

Its like that time I went nearly 10 years not being able to see long distances. My MOTHER, a school nurse (!!!), never believed me when I told her that I couldn't do boardwork from my desk--I had to sit on the floor under the board just to see it. Sure, it was her job to do yearly screenings on all of those ungrateful public school kids to make sure that they could all see and hear, but her own daughter? Nah! She'll be fine! Boy, did she feel guilty, when finally during my freshman year of college (!!!), I convinced her that I really couldn't see the board--"No, MOM, its not a ploy for attention because I might actually be blind"--did she agree to make an eye appointment for me. On the ride home from Lenscrafters with my sweet purple DKNY specs on, I surveyed the trees in the distance and couldn't stop the eruption of joy the sight induced. "MOM, I can actually see the leaves on the trees! I never knew you could see the individual leaves! I just thought everyone saw a massive blob of green." I think she might have cried. GUILT. I really made her feel bad that night when I wondered at the stars. "Stars are actually little pinpoints in the sky. They do look like diamonds! I never understood that line in 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' until just now. WOW!!!

Oh, how the times have not changed. I guess its just me and my health, all by our lonesome. W just doesn't have the time for us!

MISSING: ADORABLE PUMPKIN *REWARD*

On another note, some jerk stole my ridiculously cute pumpkin off the front porch of my museum. I mean look at that thing. Have you ever seen anything so adorable--look at its pudgy stalk??? I am bitter and pissed and feel very violated. WHO STEALS PUMPKINS FROM A NON-PROFIT!?

What are your plans for the weekend?

-b

Going back to the beginning.

In continuation with my last post about boards and all their glory, I thought I would tell you a few things about Medical School that led up to the blessed boards; AKA the events that take place before med school.

I was blind.  I told J from the beginning, “As long as we are married I will go anywhere you get accepted.”  This was my ploy to get married. 

DON’T DO THIS PEOPLE.

I locked myself into all the homesick pain I am currently in here in West Virginia, and because of my wonderful promise… I can’t complain at ALL (except on this blog, of course).

But I did get a ring.

Our three year anniversary is next week.  :)

J was wait listed for a Med School in Louisiana and had already been accepted into the school in WV.  We were in limbo.  Waiting until the very last minute for LSU to call and putting all of our eggs in that basket.

Three weeks before school started in WV, we still hadn’t heard from LSU.  I was STRESSING.  J wanted to wait it out, and I could not handle the thought of attempting to move our lives with one or two days notice.

I honestly didn’t care if we moved to New Orleans or WV… I just wanted to KNOW where we were going!  Lewisburg was kind of a scary thought, but J talked about how cute and charming the town was and how they have cheep housing (like the 3br/2ba $100,000 house he looked at while visiting for interviews).  

If you tell your new young wife you will buy an adorable white house that needs a little TLC… she will follow you ANYWHERE.

1. Don’t fall for that unless you have papers in your hand!

2. Husbands do not always research and worry about housing and future cities like wives.  Start this process early!  Call schools and ask what areas most students live in, look on their website for suggested apartments for rent, and Google EVERYTHING so you know what you are getting yourself into.  If you are renting blindly over the Internet ASK tons of ridiculous questions!

·      Is there a bar across the street?  What time do they close?

·      How many windows does the apartment have?  (I always asked this, because one woman I spoke to had a studio apartment for rent in the basement of her house for $850 a month with NO WINDOWS!!!)

·      How far is it from school?  Is it a safe walk to school?

·      Is there central A/C and Heating?

·      What is the square footage of the living room and bedroom?  (One landlord informed me that my queen bed and couch would not fit in the apartment after I asked this.  PEOPLE ARE CRAZY, and they assume everyone calling is a single med student who doesn’t have furniture.)

·      If you are living in a snowy area, do they have someone who shovels the snow on the driveway? (believe me, you don’t want to live on a rural route with a busy med student hubs and have to do that work yourself!)

I made the mistake of trusting that J had this all under control, and I would just pack up everything and wait for him to get the moving truck.  NOT THE CASE.  Three weeks before the big move, J was still looking at houses for us to BUY.

I finally had to break it down for him.

We do not have a place to live.  I have never even seen this town.  NO ONE CAN BUY A HOUSE IN THREE WEEKS… ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON’T HAVE MONEY! 

I decided to take over looking for apartments, but by this time… EVERYTHING was taken.  I must have called 100 different landlords.  I was in panic mode.  I do not do well with being in limbo, and my life was currently packed in cardboard boxes with no future WV home in site. 

That’s when I FREAKED for the first time in our marriage and for the first time on this Med School journey.

It was a Thursday night, and I remember it well.

J came home from work and after five full days of me looking for apartments and talking to very sweet, but annoyingly over friendly landlords saying how adorable their place was then sending me pictures of homes a serial killer would live in…. I lost it.

J, we HAVE to go to WV tonight.  I’m not kidding.  I called work, and someone can cover my shifts.  If we don’t go now, we will be living on the streets of Lburg or in the same house with Jeffery Dahmer.  GO PACK! 

He actually looks normal which is even scarier! Source

J, understanding the desperate tone in my voice, agreed.

3. If you and your significant other are on the fence about which school he will attend… visit ALL of the cities that are true potential options to get familiar with what area you would want to live in, and find apartment selections in ALL of them.  This way, if you happen to need to use craigslist to find a place, you will know what area you are willing to live in.

We made it to Lburg and continued our hunt.  I’d forgotten that J had never lived away from home before (we lived in a studio apartment above his dad’s garage while in newlywed/med school limbo), and this experience was INTENSE!  He wanted to look at ALL of the options… even the options that were $400/per month.  I tried to explain to him that YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, but he wasn’t buying it.

4. Pick a reasonable price range for the area you are moving to, and stick with it!  Don’t waste valuable time allowing your husband to be cheap.  Also, you are moving for him… USE THAT TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO GET A NICER PLACE.  :)

After a full day of looking at apartments with wipe off board walls in the bedrooms and living rooms, I realized that med school was WAY more than I could have imagined, and when J started thinking those wipe off boards were great ideas… I realized he was going to be CRAZY for 4 straight years.

J, I am not living over a 24-hour laundry mat so you can have a massive wipe off board to study on.  Also, we are not having a wipe off board as a wall. 

5. Stand up for yourself and your décor!

In the end, we found a cute two bedroom apartment.  It wasn't perfect, but it was better than wipe off board walls and living in a basement!

Hope that helps!

-Cap

A Most Successful Sunday Funday

This past weekend promised to be a major flop. After weeks of nonstop running around like a crazy soccer mom on a mission--these women are INSANE--I decided that this past weekend would be lazy, peaceful, calm.

I forget that deep down in the very depths of my soul, I am one of those crazy soccer moms, minus the snotty-nosed brood for the next couple of years, who have only one speed and no time for lazing.

Friday morning, I felt the itch. It starts on the back of my neck. I start to get antsy. Soon, I can't sit still. I can't focus on anything for more than a few minutes. I am so over work. I check the clock. 1:17pm. Damn. I check that the intern is steadily working away like a good little intern. Cue major guilt trip at my ADD onslaught. The thoughts begin.

Oh, W.

We should do something tonight.
I wonder if anything is going on.
God, I would love to go to a pumpkin patch.
Maybe, we could pick apples on the way to the pumpkin patch.
The flea market is in the morning, too.
Google things to do, charleston wv, october 2012
There's a chilli cook-off downtown tomorrow!
And fireworks!
There's a pumpkin festival 30 minutes west of here.
LET'S DO IT ALLLLLL.

Pies and Pints Pizza Date Night: Chicken Gouda and Mushroom Garlic.

And so, we did most of it. I had to work for a few hours on Saturday, so that saved our weekend from becoming one, long, drawn out activity.

Don't get me wrong, I love wanting to do things and actually having things to do, but it does get exhausting. Ask W.

Our Friday ended up with some light shopping and date night that consisted of pizza and beer. Awesome.

W glows in the dark at the State Museum.

On Saturday, we visited the flea market, which is honestly ALWAYS disappointing, but some lady bought a box of toys at a WV flea market a few weeks ago and found a $150,000 Renoir painting. I think I will keep being disappointed. After that we crashed a Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome on the Capitol grounds because we decided to be sheep and follow the crowd. We decided to tour the State Museum instead.

Ahhhhh, the Farmer's Market.

I went into work for a few hours, which offered W some relief. Then, I left W to his studies and went searching for accessories for this weekend's trip to the Greenbrier Resort. Swanky. More on that afterward...... It was extremely unsuccessful but no less satisfying. I also stopped by the Farmer's Market, you know, Heaven on Earth. I bought some fall essentials for the museum and the 150 demons elementary students coming for a tour this Friday. Pumpkin, check. Indian corn for the corn toss, check. Knobbly gourds for the gourd roll, check. Cheerios and yarn for the redneck birdfeeder craft, CHECK! Bring it, children. You WILL be entertained.

Kale and chicken and rice with carrots for dinner Saturday night.

On Saturday night, we watched incredible fireworks over the river. This town loves it some fireworks. I think the mayor must require fireworks for all events within city limits. Its like that 30 Rock episode where Jack gives broadcast television a spectacle not unlike the Oscars or a terrorist attack, The Rockefeller Center Salute to Fireworks. I think fireworks might be peak for this town. I am not complaining.

Exhibit A:

Cute, right? She was very tall.

Exhibit B:

Yes, these are fireworks cascading off the bridge into the river. Ah-maz-ing.

The fireworks were a part of a classic car show that happened all freaking weekend and closed down major roads and disrupted my life for far too long for a few hunks of rusted metal. I am not a classic car fan. The fireworks were, in my opinion, the most worthwhile part of the car show.

Sunday dawned and was sure to be a lazy day. It was cold. It was drizzly. It was perfect couch potato weather. But the soccer mom in me was waging a war on inflated food costs and had her Diet-Coke-loving heart set on a trip to Sam's and the dreaded Walmart. She quickly packed up W and bustled him off for a morning of bulk-shopping. Her pony tail had never swung more happily than speed-walking the wide aisles of Sam's as she handled the sturdy packages of 36 count paper towels and double stacks of paper plates and directed W on the proper placement of the precious savings in the cart. This soccer mom left Sam's with 36 rolls of toilet paper, 24 rolls of paper towels, 9 thick cut pork chops, 40 chicken tenderloins, a red wagon wheel of Brie, a carton of baby portobella mushrooms, 2 cartons of half and half, a gallon of milk, cereal, two 6 inch stacks of flour tortillas, and several Bolthouse smoothies and coconut waters for a mere $100. Happy soccer mom.

Hello, my name is Lo, and I am the most adorable kitten-cat you've ever seen. I like bathtubs--especially wet ones.

Walmart was and is always a terrible idea. But this fateful Walmart trip united soccer mom with her new lover.

Behold:

Lover, Mrs. Meyer's All Purpose Cleaner.

W and I spent a few good hours scrubbing the house from tip top to bottom with this delicious concoction. The lavender scent left the soccer mom in me drunk on sparkling cabinets, damp floors, and freshly vacuumed furniture. It was a warm and fuzzy feeling. W even felt it, too.

Then, it was only right that I don an apron and roll up my sleeves to begin on the evening's menu. Pot Roast. It was incredible. I used Pioneer Woman's recipe here, but added a few of my own ingredients like red wine, mushrooms, potatoes, and peas.

This is W's. He likes his on white rice. I am watching my carbs, so I went without the deliciously pearly grain.

Sunday night ended with an episode of Once Upon a Time (a show that I once loved; that W scorns; and that I too am beginning to think is a little bit ridiculous; what do you think?) and W's famous chocolate chip cookies. YUM.

How was your weekend?

Picture overload right? Right.

-b and soccer mom