Ham

Would you drink ham?

Husband says, "Yes."

Adoption

To know or not to know...that is the question. As an adoptee I take particular interest in this article and the legislation it represents (granted my "home" state is not involved just yet...but better to be well-educated in the goings and comings than caught off guard one day...) On one hand, it would be awesome to know my medical history and, just for fun, the exact time of my birth. On the other hand, I respect the privacy of my birth mother/parents. I believe they did the "right" thing in choosing to give me up for adoption. If making their records "public" would in any way hinder a person's decision to give a child up for adoption, I'd say stop pushing for this information to be opened to the public. I mean, how ungrateful are you to not respect the privacy of those who gave you life? They didn't have to go through with their pregnancy but they did. They chose the best for their child and shouldn't they deserve some gratitude? When I turned 18, like most adoptees, I thought about doing "the search", but, obviously, I stopped. Too many horror stories about the reuniting of birth parents and children, too many questions, too many people to which I would have to explain my decision, too many whys...was it really worth it to dig up the past and potentially hurt someone in the present all to say, "Thank you" because really, that's all I want. To say, "thank you."

"Thank you for choosing to love me by giving me a chance. Thank you for not taking the easy road, but rather taking the road less traveled. Thank you for not trying to raise me yourself when you knew you were not up to the task. Thank you for offering me the chance at a better life. If only there were more like you in the world realizing the best thing they can do is to allow someone else to take the reigns. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Hands

Why does it never fail that as soon as I put lotion on my poor dry hands that I have to use the restroom...and subsequently wash my hands? I tend to not realize my hands are dry until it's ridiculously painful, itchy, and weird...which is a long time after first washing my hands...perhaps if I got into the habit of putting lotion on after I washed my hands it would be more effective.

Note: I still have not purchased new lotion for work. My cube still smells of spoiled black raspberry vanilla.

Itch

What causes a nose to itch?
Is it possible to rub one's nose off?
Why does the box say, "May cause excitability in children; may cause drowsiness"?
Why did it choose "drowsiness" with me?

What would I look like without a nose?

Ridiculous.

Costumes

This Halloween was quite the treat! Our new neighborhood has TONS of little kids (we had at least 200 kids come to our door) and the neighborhood was so full of fun and laughter. We met tons of neighbors that we otherwise might never have met and made lots of friends since apparently little kids LOVE Reese's (and Hubby's pumpkin). So much different from other Halloweens in my life which were plagued by fear, darkness, and anxiety.

I feel I have really come to terms with how Halloween fits into my world view and feel quite satisfied and confident now that I've separated the holiday from my past negative experiences with some helpful teaching from the pastors at Frontline. (FYI: Not all my past Halloweens were negative, and my mom made, hands-down, the BEST costumes of anyone else I know, but looking back and leaning on my cynical-side, I tend to dwell on the pumpkin smashing, late-night fireworks, and scary haunted houses...)

Enough depth. Onto the.....

1st Annual Halloween Superlatives!!

Best Costume
Lightening McQueen - featuring a cardboard car attached to the small boy with red suspenders! (Granted he took out like 4 kids in front of him trying to get to the candy bowl, but whatever, his costume DIDN'T come from off a rack at Target (that kid got two pieces of candy))

Best Ensemble
The Wizard of Oz crew

Best Duo
Two Spidermen, one older with lots of muscles and one younger with a skin-tight costume (too funny!!)

Best Effort
Little girl in "bear" costume (no head, couldn't really tell what it was) that would run so fast to get to houses that she would fall flat on her face...pick herself back up and keep on running!

Best Line
"I need a break!" (2 year old boy dressed as a skeleton sits down on our sidewalk and stares at us for 5 minutes)

Strangest Line
"I wasn't here yesterday." (I sure hope not kid, I have NO idea who you are!)

"What ARE you?" Costume
Kid running around carrying a stick with a bandage on the end wearing jeans and a tee shirt

Saddest Moment
Bing decides his pumpkin kitty looks more like Wilbur the Halloween Pig (click to see picture).

Biggest "Awww" Moment
"I can't have Reese's, I'll allergic to peanuts!!!!!!" (said with the greatest pain on his face...think I've gotta poo-face) to which I responded, "okay, here, I'll take it out, do you want a Kit-Kat instead?" "Do THOSE have peanuts?" (said with the most concerned look ever...like I told him his dog might not live or something) "Umm, I don't think so...." followed by 'Dad' interjecting "We'll check your candy later buddy, it's okay."

Weirdest Recurring Phenomenon
Kids reaching into the candy bowl to take a second piece of candy wanting to put it into their bag themselves...or get the candy of their choice when I hadn't chosen properly.

Best Trick or Treat
Surprising friends and getting to see their newborn all dolled up in a orange and white pinstriped onesy and pumpkin bib!

Pumpkins

Nice Pumpkins, eh?

I was pretty excited for some roasted pumpkin seeds, let me tell you! I made two different kinds. One was just with some salt and pepper and the other, oh the other...

Pumpkin Pie Seeds
Roast 1 cup pumpkin seeds at 250º-300º for 45 minutes.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet.
Add roasted pumpkin seeds and 4 tsp of sugar to the skillet.
Stir until all the sugar is melted and the seeds are covered.
Remove from skillet and toss with the following mixture:
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or a mix of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves)
2 tsp sugar
Spread out on plate to cool so they don't stick together in a big glob.

Enjoy!

Lotion

Can hand lotion spoil?

I suspect that something is "wrong" with the hand lotion on my desk at work. It is supposed to smell like Black Raspberry Vanilla (not one of my favorite scents, but not terribly offensive either for the workplace). I definitely think the lotion no longer smells like Black Raspberry Vanilla, but rather...Nasty Laundry Detergent Public Restroom Soap No Vanilla. This is unacceptable. Granted this bottle is probably three years old by now...maybe four...a Christmas gift from the pre-marriage days from a friend of the family. I still have just over half the bottle left (obviously this is a mental note to all not to buy me full-sized versions of lotions) and have quite a dilemma on my hands...do I throw away what may still be perfectly good (effective) lotion due to it's now offensive smell and buy a replacement? I'm sure that Bath and Body Works is running a sale on travel sized items...since they are always running a sale on those types of things... Or do I suffer on with the scent of Black Raspberry Vanilla But Not looming overhead in my cube?

I wonder if people outside my cubical can smell my lotion...


(By the time I checked the mail this evening, guess what was in the mailbox? That's right, a coupon for Bath and Body Works...apparently even they know I need new lotion!)