Wanna Bet?

Today is Superbowl Sunday.  

 I have my sausages in the crock pot and am making homemade  rolls in my new hot dog bun pan  (got it for Christmas--this is the first time it's being used.  Hopefully the buns will turn out and I can blog about them tomorrow),  I have my queso dip started and am ready to watch all the commercials!  Wooooo!!!

But I kinda want to run down to the casino and make a bet.

I'm not a gambler....

.....even tho we have a slot machine in our garage. 

The Handyman LOVES it and plays it every evening for a few minutes.

It's weird to me, because he can only win back his own money...but if it makes him happy. (?)

Anyway, I am not a gambler.  I have no desire AT ALL to sit and put my money in a slot machine.  There was a comedian who said one time, it was like driving down the street and throwing quarters out your car window.  It's kinda like that for me...what's the point?

But the Handyman brought home a sheet from the Sports Book of all the things one can bet on this Superbowl.

You can bet on:

The team to score 1st in the game

The team to score 1st in the 2nd half of the game

The team to score first in the 3rd quarter of the game

The team to score last in the game

The team to score last in the 1st half of the game

The team  who will win the coin toss

The team to make the longest field goal

The team to make the 1st punt

The team to make the last punt

The team to punt the most times

The team to make the 1st sack

Who will throw more interceptions

Who will throw more TD passes

Will the team that scores the 1st touchdown win the game

Will there be a safety

Will there be overtime

Will NYG score in every quarter

Team to commit the 1st penalty of the game

Player with the 1st touchdown Jersey--will it be even or odd number

I could go on and on.  You can bet on  just about anything  (even  a half-time wardrobe malfunction) that might happen at the Superbowl.

These kind of bets seem so much more fun to me that who wins or who loses.

I might go down just for fun and bet on who will score the last TD in the game.

Saturday Snapshot

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books.  It’s easy to participate – just post a picture that was taken by you, a friend, or a family member and add your link on her site.

Whew!!  I didn't think I'd ever get to do this again--the Susan G. Komen  3day-60mile walk--and now I can, if I want,  (check out this  link here.   if you want to know why) because it was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.

Not wanting to get political  (that's what got them into trouble in the first place), I just want to say Yay people!!  (no matter your beliefs or your cause,  YOU REALLY CAN move mountains.)

The power of people thru-out history has always intrigued me.

Chocolate Chip Cookie #4 and a Month of Letters

Let me just say--The PERFECT chocolate chip cookie is relative.    There really is no right or wrong chocolate chip cookie--we all have different tastes and different nostalgic feelings and memories about chocolate chip cookies.  It's all okay. Your favorite cookie is just perfect!    (there are some people out there who take their chocolate chip cookie way too serious.)

Take for instance the flatter chocolate chip cookie--some people think it's just not how a chocolate chip cookie should be...but that's how my mom's was.  Flatter, but not spread out and greasy--it was crispy and chewy.  Like when you bit into it, there was the teeniest tiniest resistance and a very very quiet crunch, and then the inside was soft and chewy.

(I borrowed this picture below from pinterest.  It's a chart of cookies.  I think the original pin came from this website... a great one...it's called  "the perfect chocolate chip cookie",   (they have some awesome stuff on there--it isn't that I don't like their site and recipes.  I do.  I just think that...)   and everything they say makes perfect sense to me. 
Until....I go home and smell my mom's cookies fresh out of the oven and take that first bite.  HEAVEN!   Like I said,  it's all relative.)

My mom's cookies looked like number 9.  I don't know if they tasted like this one,  but they looked like it.  With that crackle on top.  That little bit of crackle was the  resistance, revealing the chewy inside.   But critics say that that cookies was cooked in an oven set to a too low temperature.

Cookies being relative brings me to Chocolate Chip Cookie #4.  It looks to be similar to #3 in the chart/photo above, which was said to have too much flour.
The dough was very stiff when I made these.
It's not from the book, but from a recipe I've had in my collection for well over 20 years.

(cookies compared---Ch. chip cookie #3--from MY recipes--not the chart above-- and Ch. chip cookie #4)

Let me back track a bit--when my 3 sons were in elementary school, and I was the school librarian,  I would  baby-sit  3 other boys in the neighborhood during the summer.  They all played together all day long anyway, so it was really no problem.   Their mom would even pack their lunch to bring to my house.  She used to send these chocolate chip cookies--they were small and poofy and soft.  I asked her for the recipe, because they were good and my boys liked them too...but I don't remember ever making them.  
One day last week, I was  going thru my cookie notebook, pulling out every chocolate chip cookie recipe I own and  this recipe was one of them, so  I decided to make it right away and add to my   cookie search project.

They're a fine cookie --not my mom's tho.

When my son came over and saw them he said-- "THESE ARE MY FAVORITE COOKIE!!  I never thought I'd see them again!"
I said, 'you like them better than the ones last week?"
He said,  "like 100x better."
(see?  It's all relative)

Those  3 boys moved away, but in high school my son was friends with their cousin and he went to his house  (the cousin's) one day and there were the same cookies!    He was so excited... just as he was when he walked in my house the other day and there they were on the counter cooling.
It must be an old family recipe.




They are not my favorite, but The Handyman and my son LOVED them.
They are soft and poofy and small.    And very good.   Just not 'my' favorite.
(they don't even look like they've been cooked to me--they look just like when I put them on the cookie sheet )

Chocolate Chip Cookie #4
source:  The Maynick Family (exactly as it was written for me)

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
Beat butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat again. Add soda and salt.

1 tsp vanilla
beat in vanilla

3 eggs
3 cups sifted flour
alternately beat in eggs and flour.  It may be difficult to beat with the mixer by the time you get to the last cup of flour.

1 12oz package of mini chocolate chips
mix in by hand

Drop by spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for about  10 minutes.

If you made it thru all that---well,  GOOD FOR YOU!   Stick  with me now and I'll ramble about  "a month of letters".    (hey--my mom finds my posts very interesting. )

Day #1
I wrote a letter to my friend Dorothy Minor.
But her letter is addressed to   "Mrs.  Dick Gootman Schmenkminor"  (a joke between friends--too boring for you)

Day #2
a birthday card and letter to my oldest son.  He'll be surprised as I never have written him a letter.

and now...day  #3
let me pull a letter  out of my bag, which needs to be answered by me.  And the winner is....
My friend Sally in Pennsylvania!!!

Letter writing is nothing new for me as you know...so this challenge is not hard. Well, to be honest, the  EVERY DAY part is challenging, but writing a letter is not.

I always think it strange when people say they have nothing to write about.
Just sit down and WRITE!
Write about things you did,  things you saw,  food you ate,  the weird lady at the grocery store, write about the Ottoman Empire (it's in a book I'm reading) ...seriously  YOU CAN write a good letter.   Try it!

Music

I've mentioned before, that I love music (and that the Handyman is much older than I am.   He really isn't THAT MUCH older---only 7 years---but I like to tease him), so  it was sad for me to hear of the death of  Don Cornelius, creator and host of  "Soul Train" yesterday. 
The show ran from 1971 -1979 --so while I was a Jr High and High Schooler listening and dancing to Soul Train, The Handyman was married and  working hard to make a living.  He remembers Soul Train, but his love (music variety show love, that is) is still with this little remembered show called "Where the Action is."

Has anybody ever really heard of it?  I vaguely remember it....the  'houseband" was Paul Revere and the Raiders. Anybody?

According to Wikipedia:
Where the Action Is or (WTAI) was a music-based television variety show in the United States from 1965–67. It was carried by the ABC network and aired each weekday afternoon. Created by Dick Clark as a spin-off of American Bandstand, Where the Action Is premiered on June 27, 1965.




But again, I digress, I remember  Soul Train, because it was during my time. My time as a young rebellious teenager.  (my parents were still watching  Lawrence Welk and I veered off the path to Soul Train and American Bandstand!   But guess what?  I LOVED  Lawrence Welk---those Lennon Sisters?  WOWZA!  To be able to dance and sing and twirl around in those flowing gowns---sigh)

I am sharing two videos from the 70's.  One from  American Bandstand and one from Soul Train.  Notice anything?






There is no diversity.  In either show.
It's good that things are different now.  In most ways anyway.  I hope.

I am being nostalgic.
I just heard a quote about nostalgia...
“You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.”

Hmmmm..... I also know that in Nursing Home therapy they use  "memory' techniques sometimes.
NOT that I'm ready for a nursing home, but what's wrong with  reliving good memories sometimes?
(do I do it too often?  Is it too much?   I do it a lot, I know.  YIKES!!)

But I'm smart enough to know that:
Nostalgia is a seductive liar.”

I was just saddened and wanted to remember Don Cornelius and Soul Train.

I am open minded enough to want  grow and to know what music is popular and what  my grandchildren are listening to. I don't ever want to be an old curmudgeon!!
So, I've thoroughly researched and investigated what my grandchildren are listening to today.  I will never be one of those gramma's who makes them turn the channel....even if I have to suffer thru today's music.  Today the popular music is:




As all my grandchildren love it!!

A month of letters

So much for my New Year's resolution!

I just joined a challenge.

 I said I wasn't going to...I don't like the pressure.

But...but...this is  one I love.

see this post

and this one.

I've signed up for the  Month of Letters Challenge!!

I write at least 2x a week anyway, and I've wanted to write more.  There are so many people I want to keep in touch with--thru letters.

So--keep your fingers crossed for me as I write a letter a day for the month.

I would write more here Dear Reader, but it is 3:10pm, I just signed up for the challenge and I have to write a letter and get it to the post office before 5pm.

Until tomorrow....

Saturday Snapshot

I am linking this to At Home With Books, where Alyce hosts "Saturday Snapshot".

Stop by and check it out.


There is a Stephen King Reading Challenge going around.  It first caught my attention at  Bibliophile By the Sea, where Diane had the link to the original sources,  Coffee and a  Book Chick, (where there is another really cool meme called A Walk Around Town, that I just discovered ) and  Boarding in My Forties.

I love Stephen King.  The Stand is one of my all time favorite books. 
 This looks like  fun challenge to join, but I'm trying to stay away from  "joining" challenges this year, (because I never follow thru, or when I do there is so much pressure put on myself by me, I am just staying away this year)   although I do plan on reading some Stephen King for my own pleasure--his newest,  11/22/63,  is on the top of my list.

One thing I find interesting about King's novels, is that quite a lot of the evil,  takes place in the state of Nevada.  (or Maine.  We feel your pain Maine.) 
Evil  (Randall Flag in the Stand) walks along the lonely desert highways in  The Stand,   There is a made-up town of Desperation, Nevada in Desperation.  And there are other books by other authors who use Nevada for the evil setting -- I think Dean Koontz  uses Nevada for aliens in Strangers.

I find that interesting and kind of funny.   Why?  Why do they want to mark us as evil?  Is evil desolate?  Bleak?  Gloomy?      
Well....I guesssss   we do make a good  "setting" for the story.

JUST LOOK---
(but you must take a vow not to be judgemental.    Every place has it's beauty.  Some are just better than others  to describe evil...to set the scene for wickedness   ~smiles~ )

A couple of summers ago, we went on a picnic out in the desert to the Lovelock Caves. 

Just and 'evil' hole in the mountain...not nearly as big or as famous or as touristy trapping (if that's even a phrase)   as other state's caves.   In fact, they are little known  (good for horror novels I suppose), and we were the only ones there that day.  (We as in 13 of us.  MAN!  Is that an evil coincidence or what?  13?  The bad luck number--and Stephen King horror/evil references all in one post? )

(i hope you know I'm joking)

The evil landscape as we drove to the caves...

taken while riding in the car.

Our evil hike begins.



My grandson Camron at the entrance of the caves.

Inside the  evil caves.

The Caves are up there on that hill.  

This picture just shows how "evil" the weather can be.

It can change in a moments notice.

The first one was when we arrived at the caves.

The second one was when we thought we better get the heck out of there before that storm got worse/came over to us.

We needed the  protection of our vehicles.

It was a mix of dust and wind and rain.

Going back to school

Yep, the Handyman and I are going back to school.   With some of our friends.

(I took a few secret snapshots of our class, of course...to document our journey.  These are my friends)

Last night was our first  "Digital Photography" class.  Let me rephrase... that would be:  Art 149, Introduction to Digital Photography.
A  REAL  college course, complete with quizzes  (I didn't know we would have tests for heavens sake!!) and homework and  a "final",  which requires  entering two pieces of our work in an art show.
I was thinking this would be a fun, community-type of class without pressure.
The Handyman says,  "Well it should be a serious class, considering the amount of money we paid!" 
But we'll end up with a college art credit Handyman!!  It's well worth the money.  Just to be spending time with you!  (yes, I'm sucking up--in case he reads my blog)

One other exciting aspect of this class  (besides doing something fun with the Handyman) is that, half the class are friends of ours.   We did a 'couple' thing.  (and also a couple other friends who came without their spouses) 
( a couple other friends.  Funny.  Was that a pun?)

We all met for dinner before class began at  7pm.
This week it was Mexican food.

Then, because we are all old  (I say this joking)  we got tired halfway thru the class.  NOT that it wasn't exciting... IT WAS, but we are all used to going to bed at 9 and the class lasts until 10.  We had full tummys, maybe had a glass of wine or a beer with dinner, the room was warm, and the lecture rhythmic, and as I looked around--I saw sleepy eyes from all of us.
(except for the row of teenagers behind us.)

Mitzi  paying close attention.

Maybe to use for our birding weekend!

click here for birding fun--It just dawned on my that Mitzi is in all my blog posts about birds.

As is Jolina!

Birding friend.

Photography friend.

Bookclub friend.

(that's Doug there on the left)

And the Handyman  (head turned)

and Lorin.

One thing we talked about last night was the fact that Kodak filed bankruptcy yesterday.
That makes me so sad.  Why, you ask?
Besides it being one of the premeir camera/photography companies,  my grandma always called her camera, any camera,  "a kodak".
She would say,  "let me get my kodak and we'll take a picture"  (and then come out with a polaroid or something.)
I don't know why excatly...it just makes me very sad.

I will keep you posted on my photgraphic journeys.  Both in class and out of it.
I'm excited!