Tonight, the typical conversation happened between my husband and I on my way home from work:
Me: hey, what are you thinking for dinner tonight?
Him: Uh, I dunno. What do you want.
Me: That's why I asked you. Okay, well I guess we can talk about it when I get home.
Him: OK
Me: Or, what about either Tuna Noodle Casserole or maybe Tator Tot Hotdish?
Something like that happens, with the dish options obviously changing based on what we have in our pantry and fridge/freezer at the time of questioning.
So, we decided on Tuna Noodle Casserole. I have this really basic recipe from my mom's mom that she used to make ALL the time when we went to visit her.
So, I made it and took that first bite - you know the one, the first bite that will tell yourself if you have indeed been successful in re-creating the dish that you remember from your childhood. Well, SCORE one for me tonight! I made it and it TOTALLY tasted like hers! Sometimes it varies and just doesn't taste the same, but tonight it was ON! It brought me back to sitting at her kitchen table, her serving it out of her antique yellow rectangle pyrex bakeware and serving it with a side of green beans. Seriously. Food and I are tight.
Just had to share.
Have fun baking your own memories!
-LD
Monday, August 22, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
CNP photos
Here are some of the highlight photos of my time helping out with staff training and check-in for week 1 this year at Camp!
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| I love the smell of camp in the morning! |
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| Our first ever Flash Mob for Staff intros 2011! |
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| After-dinner Opening Flagpole Ceremony |
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| Opening "Campfire" |
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| CITs Magical Peanut Butter Skit |
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| Skits |
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| CIT Joel's awesome Thrift Store Grandpa Sweater! |
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| "Literally Professor!" |
Friday, August 19, 2011
I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller...
I wish I had a girl who looked good
I would call her...
LOL. I just had to share one of the more crazy sights of working downtown. This is what I have walked past for the past three or so days on my way into work. I just had to snap a picture of it this morning!
Ahh yeah, now that is a RIDE! Okay, just some funky Friday humor for ya...
-LD
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
It's The Greatest Place I Know!!
This past Thursday I went into the ADA office (American Diabetes Association) to help the CITs (Counselors In Training) move all of the camp supplies up to camp. I get absolutely giddy this time of year, just with the anticipation of camp and all that it is to me.
Friday I drove out to camp and helped with staff training all day. I stayed there that night, as "Camp Mom" again this year. There were mostly the CITs who stayed with me in cabin 8. We stayed up way too late. We tried watching the movie Rio twice, but by the second time, every one of them were falling asleep, so I called lights out for the night at about 1am. It started storming that night, a couple hours later. The thunder was pretty loud and kept waking myself and most of the others - which I found out later that morning.
Saturday was another day of staff training with more of the other staff. Then that night, we all had to stay at camp, prepare cabins and camp for the campers who would be arriving at camp at 12:30pm the next day! So exciting! Sunday, the day of camper registration, I assumed my usual role as the Camp Store form collector and miscellaneous paperwork collector and question answerer. After that, we tore town the registration area and I helped the camp director with things that needed to get done around camp and prep for the week ahead. I think overall that they had a very good group of counselors and CITs this year. That is always a good thing to have that gut feeling that things are going to be alright with camp and everything staff wise, because some years, I assure you, it was not alright.
This year at camp we had a record-breaking number of campers attending camp first week - about 233 campers! After the campers arrived, and went through their rotations, there was the first ever CNP Flash Mob!! It was so fun to watch and I have it on video! There was so much crazy dancing! hehe! There were so many kids that for dinner, we had to set up tables on the back deck and outside, in front of the dining hall! It was insane! After dinner, we had "flagpole" where we sing songs, have announcements and lower the flag (at dinner flagpole). then after that, it was time for the Opening "Campfire," where the different counselor groups put on skits to introduce themselves. They are always really funny to watch and be a part of. After the campfire, it was time for me to go home and rest up for the week of "real life" that is this week.
I got home and the next morning, I was feeling pretty crummy. I think I can attribute most of it to dehydration and possibly picking up a cold while at camp. ugh. I ended up sleeping, napping and watching Netflix most of the day on Monday. I am glad, in hindsight that I had taken Monday off from work! I actually ended up running out to the gas station by our house to pick up some Gatorade and Vitamin Water. I actually tried a coconut water too - interesting, I must say. Not really a fan, even though I really like coconut...and I also found out that Glacier Freeze is my favorite kind of Gatorade. mmm...I never drink the stuff, but that was pretty tasty and seemed to do the trick.
I was still feeling kind of ishy today, but much, much better than yesterday. There is way too much to do at work to be sick right now, so I had better lie low and get myself back together!
Yahoo!
-LD
Friday I drove out to camp and helped with staff training all day. I stayed there that night, as "Camp Mom" again this year. There were mostly the CITs who stayed with me in cabin 8. We stayed up way too late. We tried watching the movie Rio twice, but by the second time, every one of them were falling asleep, so I called lights out for the night at about 1am. It started storming that night, a couple hours later. The thunder was pretty loud and kept waking myself and most of the others - which I found out later that morning.
Saturday was another day of staff training with more of the other staff. Then that night, we all had to stay at camp, prepare cabins and camp for the campers who would be arriving at camp at 12:30pm the next day! So exciting! Sunday, the day of camper registration, I assumed my usual role as the Camp Store form collector and miscellaneous paperwork collector and question answerer. After that, we tore town the registration area and I helped the camp director with things that needed to get done around camp and prep for the week ahead. I think overall that they had a very good group of counselors and CITs this year. That is always a good thing to have that gut feeling that things are going to be alright with camp and everything staff wise, because some years, I assure you, it was not alright.
This year at camp we had a record-breaking number of campers attending camp first week - about 233 campers! After the campers arrived, and went through their rotations, there was the first ever CNP Flash Mob!! It was so fun to watch and I have it on video! There was so much crazy dancing! hehe! There were so many kids that for dinner, we had to set up tables on the back deck and outside, in front of the dining hall! It was insane! After dinner, we had "flagpole" where we sing songs, have announcements and lower the flag (at dinner flagpole). then after that, it was time for the Opening "Campfire," where the different counselor groups put on skits to introduce themselves. They are always really funny to watch and be a part of. After the campfire, it was time for me to go home and rest up for the week of "real life" that is this week.
I got home and the next morning, I was feeling pretty crummy. I think I can attribute most of it to dehydration and possibly picking up a cold while at camp. ugh. I ended up sleeping, napping and watching Netflix most of the day on Monday. I am glad, in hindsight that I had taken Monday off from work! I actually ended up running out to the gas station by our house to pick up some Gatorade and Vitamin Water. I actually tried a coconut water too - interesting, I must say. Not really a fan, even though I really like coconut...and I also found out that Glacier Freeze is my favorite kind of Gatorade. mmm...I never drink the stuff, but that was pretty tasty and seemed to do the trick.
I was still feeling kind of ishy today, but much, much better than yesterday. There is way too much to do at work to be sick right now, so I had better lie low and get myself back together!
Yahoo!
-LD
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Meet Philamina Pigeon
Meet Philamina Pigeon...and her EGGS! AHH! When I was on my way into work this morning, walking across the skyway, I looked and there were a bunch of pigeons along the ledge. Lots of mama pigeons on their nests over their eggs! On my way home I stopped quick to take a picture!
And in other animal news, it is our dog, Tucker's birthday!! He is three! That's 21 in dog years I guess. I suppose that means it's time to give him a beer. HA just kidding!
And in other animal news, it is our dog, Tucker's birthday!! He is three! That's 21 in dog years I guess. I suppose that means it's time to give him a beer. HA just kidding!
My two favorite boys!
-LD
Monday, August 1, 2011
Downtown Happenings
Since going to work in downtown St. Paul, I have felt a little like the "little girl from the 'burbs dropped in the big, bad city." Navigating has always been harder for me for about as long as I can remember. The same holds true for me trying to drive anywhere downtown or even walking and navigating the skyway system. I do however like the fact that St. Paul is slightly smaller than Minneapolis and the same goes for St Paul's skyway system. I just need to go "get lost" down there sometime and take some time to find things. I am pretty big on using landmarks to find and remember where things are.
One thing I noticed about downtown are all the PIGEONS!! Where do they all COME from?! I am going to try to snap a picture one of these days, but I don't really want to be known as "that girl who takes pictures of pigeons randomly in the skyway." I will get one though.
Another thing, storms. Storms take on a more epic quality when the thunder rumbles through the tall downtown buildings. Being on the 13th floor is also pretty sweet too. Today the lightning show was awesome to see flicker through the office windows and then the rumbling thunder. I kind of like it when it rains/storms when I am at work. At least it is not a gorgeous day out and I can just get work done. It was also nice that it was on a Monday because let's face it, Mondays always go by pretty fast.
I got two rather large projects assigned to me with little to no instruction given about them or what exactly my tasks are for them. I am excited, nervous and scared all at the same time. It's go time and time to prove myself and why they hired me - in a way. I sort of feel isolated being on a main group of all guys while my counter part has the only other girl on the team to mentor her and describe and explain things to her in detail. She has the more relatable relationship of the both of us. I am a little envious of that, but I know that I am where I am for a reason and I feel really good and really "set" with knowing that.
Actually, I really like the new Avril Lavigne song right now and I think it sort of sums up what I feel about things that are going on with me right now. Especially the chorus:
"Smile"
[Chorus]
Yeah
and that's why I smile
It's been a while
since every day and everything has
felt this right
and now you're turning all around
and suddenly you're all I need
The reason why I smile
-LD
One thing I noticed about downtown are all the PIGEONS!! Where do they all COME from?! I am going to try to snap a picture one of these days, but I don't really want to be known as "that girl who takes pictures of pigeons randomly in the skyway." I will get one though.
Another thing, storms. Storms take on a more epic quality when the thunder rumbles through the tall downtown buildings. Being on the 13th floor is also pretty sweet too. Today the lightning show was awesome to see flicker through the office windows and then the rumbling thunder. I kind of like it when it rains/storms when I am at work. At least it is not a gorgeous day out and I can just get work done. It was also nice that it was on a Monday because let's face it, Mondays always go by pretty fast.
I got two rather large projects assigned to me with little to no instruction given about them or what exactly my tasks are for them. I am excited, nervous and scared all at the same time. It's go time and time to prove myself and why they hired me - in a way. I sort of feel isolated being on a main group of all guys while my counter part has the only other girl on the team to mentor her and describe and explain things to her in detail. She has the more relatable relationship of the both of us. I am a little envious of that, but I know that I am where I am for a reason and I feel really good and really "set" with knowing that.
Actually, I really like the new Avril Lavigne song right now and I think it sort of sums up what I feel about things that are going on with me right now. Especially the chorus:
"Smile"
[Chorus]
Yeah
and that's why I smile
It's been a while
since every day and everything has
felt this right
and now you're turning all around
and suddenly you're all I need
The reason why I smile
-LD
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