Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense. - Gertrude Stein

So...Whitney Houston died the night before the 2012 Grammy's...and people are shocked.  But really, shocked?  Whitney Houston has openly spoken about her drug and alcohol addiction.  Is it sad that her life has come to an end?  Yes.  Is is sad that she spent most of her life battling her personal demons?  Yes.  Is it sad that she has left a child without a mother?  Yes.  But now, let's move on.  I'm not quote sure when all the need for information on a celebrity death and the need to have every gory detail started.  I will admit...I listen.  There were times when I did want to know all the things that happened.  Maybe I'm getting older or more jaded, but this time...I just don't care.  Is it sad for all the reasons I said above?  Yes.  But is there a need for all the breaking news?  No.  So she has died.  Now...Let's move on.  Ultimately it's the loss of a mother, a daughter, a sister and a friend to someone.

Sugar and glass top stoves don't mix!

Unfortunately I have an electric stove.  I am not a huge fan, but my house is not set up for a gas stove.  So I have a very nice glass top range.  The only problem...sugar and heat don't mix.  So one day around Christmas I was making some Gumbo.  I put the pot on the stove and walked away.  Next thing I know...I smell something burning.  I run to the kitchen and see smoke coming from my range.  I go to pick up the pot and I can't.  I try again and when I do I take part of the glass top stove with me.

Apparently I had a tiny piece of candy cane on the bottom of my pot and it burned.  When I pulled the pot off the burner...the glass came with it!  THANKFULLY I had a service warranty on my stove and Conn's sent out a very nice man to replace the glass top at no cost for labor and they gave me their price for the parts. I snuck a picture of the guy fixing it at my house! HAHAHA...mainly because I had to cancel my trainer to get this fixed and this was my proof! HA

After that, Austin and I went to Los Tios for my friend Kerry's birthday dinner.  She and Austin are birthday twins...both born on 1/26.  It was a good time.  Lots of people and everyone sang Happy Birthday to Kerry & Austin...and I got a cute picture with my Birthday Boy! (PS:  MY head is no where NEAR as big as Austin's...I'm just in the foreground!)

AND...LASTLY...I made such a great salad yesterday!  It was just a typical salad with lettuce, turkey, broccoli, scallions, and Parmesan cheese, but I added some roasted garlic sea salt to the salad and made a dressing.  I used Olive Oil, Roasted Garlic Red Wine Vinegar, McCormick's salad topping and some Italian seasonings and it was healthy and delicious!!!  I'm on my way to winning the weight loss challenge at my gym...if only I hadn't eaten Mexican food last night!  Oh well...it's just practice right now anyway.  Official weigh-in is February 6th!!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!

This year has been difficult and busy, to say the least.  But I we did find some time to take a family vacation.  We just got back from Steamboat Springs, CO.  We had a great time...and with just 1 trip to the hospital, the trip was relaxing and so much fun!  No worries...Morgan just had a stomach virus...and with the altitude change, she was pretty bad off!  After she got a few bags of IV fluids she was good to go!  We skied 3 days (Morgan only got 2 days in), we watched football and played board games.  It was so relaxing!  When we first arrived, there wasn't much snow, but that night we got some pretty good snow.

So, now I'm back and getting caught up on work has been hard, especially since it is tax time!  But I am almost all caught up.  Also...I have joined the 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge at my gym.  My first official weigh-in is the Monday after Super Bowl.  It should be fun to see what happens to my body in 90 days!!!!  I'm going to start keeping up with my weekly weigh-in and any good recipes I find here...but I am not ready to put what my initial weight yet, but I will keep you posted on what all happens with the weight loss and all the special activities they have planned at the gym for those involved.  Well...back to work now.  Gotta make sure all taxes are filed in a timely manner!!  TTFN

It's Football time in HOUSTON!!!

For the first time in franchise history...the Houston Texans were in the playoffs!!  Not only were they in the playoffs, but they won the first round against the Bengals.  And I was lucky enough to be there!  It was an amazing game!!  Let's Go Texans!!!!

We were lucky enough to get tickets to have brunch in the Houston Texans practice bubble.  

Auld Lang Syne - 2012

This year's New Year Celebration was pretty tame.  I had Austin for the first time in a few years, so I invited over some close friends and their children.  We ate food, played board games, popped fireworks and passed out dead asleep at promptly 12:15!  I'm not sure why, but it seems so hard to stay awake past 12 on New Year's!!  Anyway... Happy New Year everyone!  I don't know about you, but I'm glad the holidays have past and I can resume my regularly scheduled life!

2012's resolutions are as follows:

1. Continue to work out and live a healthier lifestyle.  This includes more sleep, less partying and drinking.

2. I'm going to try to stop over booking myself.

3. Read the Old Testament.  Last year I resolved to read the bible in a year from a book I have on reading the bible in a year.  But I kept getting confused and forgetting where I left off.  So, this year I resolve to just read the Old Testament, Psalms & Proverbs daily.  Next year I'll tackle the New Testament.

4. Save more / spend less!

5. Update this blog more often... even though I think I am the only one that reads it! HA