Tah Dah!

I told Keyomi that I'd place a picture of me without my braces on the blog. Here it is. I took it myself, I didn't brush my hair, I am all dewey from the heat, and I am still learning how to smile all over again. But hey, not bad if I do say so myself...

NOTE: I do have to wear a few braces
on the bottom teeth for a week longer-
just until my retainers are ready.

What's Going On...

A quick, random post...

1. My arm is FINALLY starting to feel just a tiny bit better. Ran out to the doctors today for a quick little assessment and rehab session. I'm getting there, slowly but surely.

2. I'm a huge fan of the new show on Sundance Channel called The Lazy Environmentalist. It's filled with lots of cool ideas, for lazy greenies like me. For instance, I've been looking for an easy way to do composting for some time now. Because of this show, I am seriously considering investing in the Worm Factory. I'm also very interested still in the NatureMill. I still have to do some more research on both though. See, I am lazy. :(

3. The next two days will be packed full of fun. Tomorrow Mike and I are taking my mom and grandma out for dinner then for a little shopping around town (but not before I call my dad to wish him a very happy birthday.) Wednesday Mike and I are going to Six Flags so we can act like goofy kids.

4. On July 10th, Mike and I are making a return trip to Santa Cruz, to hang out at the Boardwalk and to see one of Mike's favorite bands from the 80's- the one and only Loverboy. And this may end up being an 80's month for Mike. Eddie Money, who we saw last year at Santa Cruz, will be right down the street at the Solano County Fair on the 25th. When I casually suggested the idea to Mike yesterday, he got giddy with excitment. Silly guy. :D

5. I'm grateful for the fog, the Bay Area's natural air conditioning, that rolled in last night. We dropped 20 degrees in temperature. I don't do too well in the heat.

6. I finally did buy a pair of black shoes. I think I've been looking for about a year now. I didn't buy the Anne Klein ones that I thought were just so adorable. I figured since I was willing to put out a little bit of money, I better try on the shoes first. What I brought home was a beautiful pair of Clarks pumps, called Fia. Don't worry- I spent only half of the online price. And I ended up with a comfortable pair of shoes that I can wear with both pants and skirts.

7. My genealogy blog may not be as active lately, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been hard at work for people. In fact, I've busted through several people's brick walls lately. But I'll be updating that blog again soon, I'm sure. Oh, and I've finally hit the 300,000 mark on my 1,000,000 California pioneer project. I would have done it a long time ago, but everything that has happened this year really slowed down my research.

Okay, that's it. What's new with you???

Way To Go Anna!

And now Anna has written her first freelance article too:

Holocaust literature a reminder never to forget

What can I say- I know some talented people! Nice work, Anna. :D

Way To Go Serena!

I was so impressed with Serena's first freelance article for examiner.com that I just had to share with you all.....

Summer's here: it's more than just reading

Great job, Serena! :D

Taco Salad

I told Pam that I would put this recipe up earlier, but I just haven't felt like spending a whole lot of time typing online. Sorry for the delay, Pam. Hope I didn't make you wait in drool mode for too long.

Taco Salad is a sure fire way to put a smile on Mike's face.

This is so quick and easy that it really needs little instruction. I bought a box of taco shells and filled it half way up with chopped romaine lettuce. The second layer is a mixture of cooked extra-lean ground turkey and S & W Santa Fe Recipe beans. For the third layer, I dabbed on just enough salsa to make things moist. I then put 2% Mexican flavored shredded cheese on top of the turkey/beans and then spooned on a huge glob of Fat Free Greek Yogurt (which I swear tastes just like sour cream). I threw some sliced baby tomatoes and black olives around the outside of the salad and sat this in front of a very eager hubby.

Because I put in the turkey instead of beef and used the yogurt instead of sour cream, this is a much healthier version of the typical taco salad. You won't miss the beef at all. In fact, if you want a vegetarian version, it takes fabulous with just the beans.

Ouchy!

The pain was more than I could stand today. After my orthodontist appointment this morning, I again went to the doctor for my tricep tendonitis. I received a very painful shot of cortisone and was told to stay away from the computer and other activities for a few days. Guess I should stop typing now...

What's New?

Not much with me really, but I thought I should check in. After all, this is my blog. I should be here every once in a while.

1. I'm still losing weight. It feels good. The aches and pains I have from exercise though don't. I've been nursing a torn tricep muscle. Worried that it is in fact tricep tendonitis, I've been babying my arm as much as possible. Lots of rest and ice when the pain gets bad. And as hard as it has been for me, I've not been doing any weight training.

2. My luck in finding a pair of black shoes has ran out. I'll buy those Anne Klein ones as soon as I stop spending money. Part of losing weight means buying clothes. And I'm afraid I've taken it to the extreme lately. Lesson learned- I should stay away from the mall. Far, far away...after I buy the shoes.

3. Had a lovely chat with a friend today via Facebook. She's a gentle reminder of all the kind people out there. I've been hesitant to make friends via internet, since a bad experience a year or so ago left me both hurt and angry. Lesson learned there too though- Go with my gut instincts and back away when things get weird.

4. Mike and I had a wonderful dinner Saturday at Sahn Maru. We learned about this place after seeing it on Check Please! Bay Area- a local PBS show about the restaurants that Bay Area residents have tried out. This place was wonderful! Easy to find, reasonably priced, and the food- I think Korean food may now be my favorite. We ordered "Dinner A" which consisted of numerous types of pickles that accompanied rice, an giant appetizer of cellophane noodles with vegetables, a generous portion of tofu soup and for the main course, Korean Barbecue Chicken and Beef. Obviously our first time at a Korean restaurant, the owner was kind enough to show us how to eat everything- take a crisp piece of Romaine lettuce, put a little beef or chicken on top, add some delicious pickled veggies and a tad of barbecue sauce, roll it all up and down that thing like there is no tomorrow. Ok, so I added the "downing" part myself. I couldn't help it- the food was that good!

Picture Courtesy of CHERiE Y.