tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33490651580506112572024-02-20T13:02:36.069-06:00Lady FromageLady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.comBlogger205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-82503062356230798962014-03-10T12:19:00.001-05:002014-03-10T12:19:58.323-05:00Hello out there!I'm still here. I doubt if I have any followers remaining after my year long hiatus, but just incase anyone pops over, I thought I'd leave a little update here to be found. <div><br></div><div>Blogging has obviously fallen entirely off of my priority list :-) Here's what's been keeping me busy: </div><div><br></div><div>CPT Fromage's request for early resignation was approved by the Army last week, so in a few months he'll become Student Fromage! We'd originally wanted to do the school thing starting last year, but by the time we settled in Mississippi exhaustion set in and after 3 states in 12 months and a new baby, we decided to take some time to regroup before starting our next adventure. Daddy Fromage worked hard on test prep, applications, and all of the other stuff that goes into getting into grad school. It payed off and he was accepted to the business schools at Duke, Harvard and Dartmouth! We changed directions here too, as the plan was to attend Harvard, but after lots of consideration, he accepted the offer from Tuck (At Dartmouth); the location is a better for for our family, the community is unbeatable and the education is superb, and much more what Daddy Fromage felt would be a good fit. So, in just a few months we're saying good riddance to active duty Army life (reserves are still on the table, we've yet to make a decision there) and moving our family to New Hampshire!</div><div><br></div><div>Speaking of our family... Baby Fromage is now Toddler Fromage and couldn't be more awesome. Seriously, what was life before parenthood? Every day is bursting with fun, new experiences and excitement. The hugs and cuddles turn me to mush and his antics keep us always entertained! We are so crazy about this kid we decided to have another one! Toddler Fromage will be promoted to Big Brother in about 6 weeks! He and Little Brother will be just less than 20 months apart, which couldn't be more perfect. We always hoped that our family would be complete with 2 boys, 20-24 months apart before I hit 30 (I can't believe I'm turning 29 this year!). We are SO excited about our newest addition! </div><div><br></div><div>In odds and ends news, we're up to 3 dogs now (hint: don't keep a stray puppy, no matter the sob story, for any amount of time if there's any chance your kid will become horribly attached); moving to the Deep South should require a visa or something because it might as well be another world down here... I won't miss it. I finally had surgery on my knee, which actually made the problem worse; a year later I'm just getting back to where it was pre-surgery and my surgeon discussed total replacement at my last appointment. The less dramatic solution will require breaking my tibia and relocation tendon attachment points. For right now, I'm not scheduling anything, though I may reevaluate in a few years, once I'm done carrying toddlers and babies all the time and could manage in a cast for 6 weeks for healing. </div><div><br></div><div>So, there's the last year in a nutshell. Busy, busy, busy! Hectic and the next few months will pile on more challenges but we are so excited for everything we've done and what's to come! </div><div><br></div><div>I leave you with a recent picture of my sweet little boy being his silly little self :-) </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ae-XLyXjMvVWf5PhdtBmT0oRWyK3j3gV5vgK0koMritQMV1wB0fHl4xiuPXF3u_ANEcwTx0Tq1ZGr7yD0aE-9-MBra65-RFobiNEh4P_Xyo6FRhEgsJMZBIG6K9o8-hobtzWaFQqOYg/s640/blogger-image-881451330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ae-XLyXjMvVWf5PhdtBmT0oRWyK3j3gV5vgK0koMritQMV1wB0fHl4xiuPXF3u_ANEcwTx0Tq1ZGr7yD0aE-9-MBra65-RFobiNEh4P_Xyo6FRhEgsJMZBIG6K9o8-hobtzWaFQqOYg/s640/blogger-image-881451330.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-58264573412305300462012-09-17T11:33:00.000-05:002012-09-17T11:33:11.285-05:00Introducing...<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Kurt Nolan Fromage</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Born 11:59:58, August 31, 2012. Just barely in time, but he
made it on the blue moon, which Grandma Acorn was thrilled about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m not going to bore you with the entire birth story,
because the thing took 19 hours, I pushed a 10 pound baby out of my vajayjay
and if we’re being honest here, the whole thing made seriously rethink the idea
of doing this again in a couple years <em>(I may or may not have tried to schedule
a tube-tie procedure before even leaving the delivery room).</em> I’ll just share
some of the low points…. Er….highlights:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Baby Fromage was in no rush to be born <em>(Despite the fact
that he was already the size of a middle school student) </em>so I ended up with the
max dose of Pitocin, which made for some pretty intense contractions; they
wouldn’t have been so bad if my epidural didn’t wear off… twice. I got pumped
with something to take the edge off while the epidural was adjusted, but I
don’t respond well to pain meds, and apparently neither does Little Man,
because his heart rate dropped, I was put on oxygen and proceeded to throw up
<em>(ever puked with tubes up your nose?).</em> I got yet another dose of drugs for the
nausea and promptly fell asleep. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes, you read that right. I fell asleep. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dude, I’d been laboring for some 16-17 hours, the last thing
I’d eaten was a half bowl of Raisin Bran at 5AM and I’d had a dose of every
drug in the hospital. Thankfully, the epidural must have been wearing off again
because I did wake up for each and every contraction, just long enough to push.
I don’t recall, but apparently I was convinced Daddy Fromage knew something I
didn’t because he claims I kept asking him, “How many more (pushes)?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have no idea how many pushes it actually took <em>(but it was
enough to take 2 hours),</em> but we did finally have a baby. A giant baby, with a
full head of hair on a perfectly shaped head and not a typical baby wrinkle in
sight. Oh yeah, he was also purple.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He’s absolutely A-O-K now, so I’m keeping this light, but
D@MN, it was the most helpless, horrifying moment of my life. I can’t even
begin to express how terrifying it was to deliver a baby who wouldn’t breathe
and had to be whisked away to the NICU <em>(for more than an hour)</em> while I just
laid there, entirely unable to do a thing to help him, no one could tell me
he’d be alright. I’m pretty sure it brought on some gray hairs, but I’ve been
too busy changing diapers to look in the mirror yet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So in the early morning hours of the first of September, I
finally got to spend some time with my son <em>(My heart swells up typing that… MY
SON!).</em> Guys, he’s perfect. I may be a little tiny bit biased, but he may be the
most handsome baby evah. He’s got my giant feet and detached earlobes, he
sneezes in twos just like his daddy and he’s had us both wrapped around his
tiny little finger from the moment we saw him.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Speaking of fingers…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">People Whose Eyes I Want to Poke Out With My Middle Fingers
– <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The nurse who let me labor for 19 hours, drenched in sweat
with a wet towel draped over me as Daddy Fromage rubbed ice on my forehead and
with mere minutes left of the ordeal, asked if I’d like her to turn the air on,
since the room was a tad warm. Lucky for her, my legs were numb and there was a
baby dangling from my lady parts, or I’d have jumped up and clawed her face
off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whoever made the rule that ice chips are ok, but water in
liquid form will cause certain death, any form of food is also out of the
question. I started to wonder what was worse: labor, or hunger/thirst. I wish I
was kidding, but in the last moments, the only thing that kept me going was
telling myself “Once you push him out, you can have a Gatorade and a meal!” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My doctor who, almost as if it was funny, told me “If we’d
known he was going to be so big, I’d have induced you back at 38 weeks!” and
later added that if he’d been just 50 grams bigger, she’d have given me the
option of C-section. Bee-ach, shouldn’t you have done some kind of grown scan
to check this $H!T beforehand? Thank God Daddy Fromage and I had to schedule
the induction because of this upcoming knee surgery, because if little man had
been allowed to incubate another week or 2, he’d have come out large enough to
be a starter on the high school football team.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">All of the pregnancy aches and pains, the hellavuh labor,
the sleepless nights and countless dirty diapers… totally worth it. Being a mom
is freakin’ amazing!</span>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-84626153132822887122012-08-20T11:26:00.003-05:002012-08-20T11:26:43.366-05:00This Will Be A Fun Story for Later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<em>(<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why the nutella? It came up when I image searched "Overwhelmed new mom", though I can't figure why! But hey, it made me feel better, as nutella always does, so it's representin' for this post!)</span></em></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Baby Fromage is due to arrive in a mere 9 days now. Give or
take, of course, since despite the fact that he’s less than 10 pounds and not a
day old yet he’s running the show. Lots of anticipation around here and every
time CPT Fromage or I make a phone call home, the first question is always “Is
she/are you in labor!?” I’m as miserable as I’ve ever been and ready to say
goodbye to pregnancy and start the feeding/diapering/crying baby stage. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I mentioned in my last post that we were adding to the excitement
of a baby with a move to Mississippi 8 weeks post-birth; I later realized I
didn’t mention WHY we were relocating there. CPT Fromage was offered a training
position at Camp Shelby while he transitions out of the Army; easy-peasy staff
job with National Guard and Reserve soldiers and no chance of deployment, can’t
say no to that! So come the first week of November, we’ll settle in at our
third address in as many states for the year… with a new baby this time... should
be fun!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As if our first born on the way and a move on the horizon
aren’t enough to keep us busy, it looks like CPT Fromage is going to need knee
surgery in the coming <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4 weeks or so.
Amazing timing, right! About a month ago he injured it at PT (<em>Physical
Training)</em> playing football. An X-ray didn’t show any problems, so he took it
easy a few weeks hoping it was a sprain; when it didn’t heal up, and MRI showed
2 meniscus tears and a cyst. Wonderful. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We’re a pretty sorry sight to see, CPT Fromage on a gimpy
knee and my waddling around, belly as big and inconvenient as ever. Undoubtedly
now I’ll need a c-section, because c’mon, that’s the most awesome scenario
imaginable right? Both new parents recovering from surgery and running on no
sleep; prepping for a move in between changing dirty diapers and cleaning spit
up? Maybe Baby Fromage can be colicky too! Oh my…. /sarcasm</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Truthfully, our excitement hasn't been dampened, it’s
going to be just fine no matter what. We’ll get through it one way or another. My
mom is on standby, as soon as she gets the call she’ll be on her way to help
and a friend of ours – who recently became a baby pro - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>just moved into the same apartment complex and
she’s volunteered to give us a hand as well. Phew! The in-laws will hopefully
be coming out shortly after and my sister is going to drop in for a few days
too. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If there’s one thing to be grateful for it’s that I made 3 weeks’
worth of meals and froze them; at least in the midst of the chaos we’ll have
something to eat besides delivery!</span>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-18825913815565582492012-08-08T09:29:00.000-05:002012-08-08T09:29:33.762-05:00"Get this baby OUT of me!" - MIL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Forgive the tacky bathroom mirror picture, please. At least I'm not making a duck face!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">40 weeks is a crazy long time to have a tenant in my uterus,
especially when he’s not sticking to the lease agreement. Did he ask about the
remodels? No. I didn’t plan to expand the space in there, and if he wanted
purple stripes so badly we could have painted them in the nursery instead of on my
tummy. My tenant also keeps a partier’s schedule, being up most of the night
banging on the walls and disturbing his neighbors <em>(I do take some pleasure in the
fact that he often kicks CPT Fromage in the back at night, so I’m no longer the
only one being kept awake!)</em> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I kid, kid. Baby Fromage can hang out as long as he needs to,
we want a big healthy boy coming home from the hospital and truthfully, I’m not
sure caring for a fussy, pooping, burping, hungry baby is going to be any
easier than being 37 weeks pregnant in the Oklahoma summer heat anyway. Last
week, the weatherman used this phrase, one I’d never heard before, to describe
the day’s forecast: “Lava-like temperatures”, which apparently is 115 degrees. A
friend made a joke about it melting the sidewalk, to which I replied with a
link to the news story about the pavement buckling on one of the major roads.
It’s flipping hot here! Most nights, at bedtime it’s still over 100 degrees. Thank
God it’s downhill from here. Once Baby Fromage is born, I’ll cool off tremendously
<em>(I hope!)</em> and everyone keeps telling us that the hottest time of year here is
the last 2 weeks of July and first week of August. Hope they’re all right and
the mercury drops a little soon. On the bright side, it’s been fantastic
weather for making sun tea. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Three weeks ‘til D-Day – assuming he’s a due date baby <em>(which
few are). </em>Never has a Fromage been accused of being on time, much less early,
so bets are on that he’s going to be late, but a gut feeling tells me he’s
going to surprise us all and join the party before August 29. We’ll see!
Shortly after our new addition arrives, we’re off to Mississippi; less than 3
months from now CPT Fromage reports for his new job there; hooray for another move /sarcasm. Lots of big changes
coming up for our little <em>(growing!)</em> family, all happening fast! I should be
getting prepared, but all I really want right now is a nap.</span></div>
Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-38936430531282346822012-07-16T11:31:00.001-05:002012-07-16T11:31:24.688-05:00Cambridge or Bust!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-FbSJaimwK4MuWcIp52tRSYrjGZJsy1Y_Jt0oWcmhT9fxgwdRdGO63wM1HS4HDWuhCijeQrFr5XqNchfvMuz62_sbnpaAOYHGcuW7w2aE0GcejqHmaRFWoO1H5pMgvjyG6N7bNozDS0/s1600/harvard-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-FbSJaimwK4MuWcIp52tRSYrjGZJsy1Y_Jt0oWcmhT9fxgwdRdGO63wM1HS4HDWuhCijeQrFr5XqNchfvMuz62_sbnpaAOYHGcuW7w2aE0GcejqHmaRFWoO1H5pMgvjyG6N7bNozDS0/s1600/harvard-logo.jpg" /></a>We haven’t ordered new address labels just yet, but our
hopes and hearts are set on 2 years in Massachusetts. CPT Fromage is applying
for the Harvard MBA program and the goal is to start in the fall of 2013. I
have full confidence he’ll be accepted! Behind the curve? You bet. Rushed? Yes,
yes we are. Panicking? Yep, a little. Excited? H3LL yeah we are!</div>
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<br /></div>
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The timing couldn’t be more… <i>wonderful…</i> as we’re only about 6
weeks away from the most hectic time of our lives <i>(Though, nothing could take
away from how excited we are to bring Baby Fromage home from the hospital!).</i> Prepping for the GMAT, the application process for an Ivy League
school, trying to lock in where we'll be until we make the transition and rearranging our finances so we can live on about half of our current
income for 24 months seems overwhelming on its own, but coupled with a brand
new baby, it’s really going to suck. <i>(Though I’m sure Baby Fromage will try to
be helpful and wake his dad up throughout the night so he can get up and study.
What a thoughtful baby he will be!)</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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While it’s going to be a challenge to make it happen, it’s
also doable. Living on student loans makes me nervous, but based on others’ experiences,
we should make it just fine and come out with a manageable amount of debt <i>(though,
it’s still going to be a lot).</i> At the end of the day having a happy family,
unseparated by war, a husband who’s happy at what he’s doing and can be a dad
to his kids’ from home instead of via Skype is worth pinching pennies,
tightening our belts and taking on some debt. The saying “Some people are so
poor, all they have is money” comes to mind.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Right now, in addition to being totally stoked, we’re also
pretty overwhelmed. Every time we think we’ve solved one issue, 10 more pop up
in its place. Not to mention that CPT Fromage isn’t actually out of the Army
just yet, they can still make things hard for us until he’s out from under
their thumb – assuming they let him leave at all <i>(but things look good... for now!)</i>. We’re bracing ourselves for
whatever happens to mess up our plans <i>(as things certainly will)</i>. Things are a
little stressful and I’m sure they’ll continue to be until we get out feet on
the ground in Boston and make it through the first few months. Thankfully,
we’ve just about mastered the skill of taking turns being the rational, calm
one and the partner who’s having a breakdown. We rotate every few days to keep
it interesting. :)</div>
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<br /></div>
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The coming months will likely be full of excitement and
disappointments, huge steps forward and as many backward, and lots of
readjusting to make things happen. But we’re so excited to change direction;
we’ve just got to brace ourselves since we’re doing it at full speed!</div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-39555995841901761252012-07-13T08:41:00.002-05:002012-07-13T08:41:52.896-05:00Warning: Sharp Turns Ahead<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things have been a little crazy around here lately.
Actually, that’s an understatement; it’s more like, upside-down, backwards and
inside out all at once!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After lots of discussion and careful consideration, CPT
Fromage has made a big decision, one I’m super excited to get behind…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>He’s getting out of the Army!</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>(that is, he's submitting the packet and we're crossing our fingers and praying it gets approved. This isn't the real world, so he can't really quit at will. It's unlikley that they'll prevent him from leaving, but it's not beyond realm of possibility that they'll decline him.)</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Neither of us has enjoyed this lifestyle and he’s been more
disappointed with his job every day, but until recently the plan had been for
him to stay in for 8 years in order to give things a chance in his new branch.
What changed?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First of all, the more <em>(soon to be former!)</em> CPT Fromage
learns about things in his new branch the more he’s been disappointed.
It’s really not going to be much better than the situation he’s coming out of,
and in all likelihood even if he doesn’t hate it he won’t like it enough to
make a career out of it <em>(And if you don’t stay in the Army for 20 years, you
might as well have not stayed in at all… no benefits if you get out a day
before two decades).</em> Why spend 3 more years doing something he hates if
it’s not going to take him anywhere <em>(except on another few deployments!)? </em>Might
as well jump ship now, there’s nothing in it for us by delaying the inevitable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next, job prospects are less promising the longer he stays
in. Again, since he’s not planning to make a career out of military work <em>(he
doesn’t even have a desire to get on with the FBI, CIA, etc, where top secret security
clearance, etc, would be appreciated),</em> he’s not gaining any skills that will
transfer into “the real world”, putting him 8 years behind his peers who are
also competing for jobs. Sadly, the fact that he’s a West Point graduate with
military leadership experience won’t offer much of a push when it comes to
seeking employment later<em> (outside of government or police type work).</em> Once again, it looks like it's going to be best to
get off this path now and start down one that’s going to be more productive for us.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then there’s the obvious: deployment, time away from home,
lack of stability and all of the other disadvantages to serving in the Army.
With Baby Fromage due next month, the idea of those things sounds even less
appealing than it did before. It’s a sucky lifestyle, and it only gets worse as
we go. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are some personal opinions and feelings about the
military, and Army in particular, that came into play, but it’s not really my
place to broadcast CPT Fromage’s feelings about that here and now. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what’s next for our family (Hard to belive that in less than 7 weeks until we grow our household by 1!)? I’ll tell you in my next
post!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjzO6H8DvS1WMZ3jCvrd730IdS8OsJ6y_77bH_PcR3an6Y09gLnkmEVvyNoZmHWK9ykM43X8NnYeb3fCjd_qCC9eb83uwIvgxxx2MO9cb1vUsgXFZGF6wUQNdnMcMFmB72AM0LZIOWcM/s1600/exitchangessign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjzO6H8DvS1WMZ3jCvrd730IdS8OsJ6y_77bH_PcR3an6Y09gLnkmEVvyNoZmHWK9ykM43X8NnYeb3fCjd_qCC9eb83uwIvgxxx2MO9cb1vUsgXFZGF6wUQNdnMcMFmB72AM0LZIOWcM/s400/exitchangessign.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-81487968727163750052012-06-07T10:38:00.000-05:002012-06-07T10:38:10.621-05:00Lessons Learned<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ah, the joys of being novice renters...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Always, always, ALWAYS take pictures and do a thorough walk-through
with careful documentation when you move in and out of a rental. More than 2
months after turning in our keys to our place in the Little Apple, we’re only
just now done dealing with the headache that was our security deposit. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Despite leaving the place in mostly better condition than we found
it and multiple walk throughs where we were told, minus some minor damage,
things were great, our previous landlord never returned our money <em>(or our calls…
or responded to certified mail…)</em> Once he got a call from a lawyer, we got an
itemized receipt and check pretty quickly; however the check was for an insultingly
low amount, and the itemized list was…. Wel, silly. Let me share some of the
highlights… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>$150 dollars for cost of dirt, to fill holes left by dog</u></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">True story, Erika digs. We did indeed leave some holes
behind, but isn’t dirt supposed to be, uh, “dirt cheap”? Some price checking at
the home store indicates that according to his claim, he had to purchase 6,000
pounds of dirt for those holes. Folks, that’s THREE TONS! I’m hiring our dog
out for excavation!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>$140 for hose, sprinkler and watering<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ok, I understand the need to grow some grass in all that new
dirt, but since we weren’t provided lawn care supplies when we moved in, I don’t
believe we’re responsible for leaving any behind for him upon move out. Also,
forgive me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t the lawn need to be watered no matter
what shape we left it in? <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>$505 for carpet replacement and labor<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Landlord absorbed cost since carpet was not new when tenant
moved in” Well sir, obviously the cost was not absorbed, since we got charged….
And the thing is, the carpet sucked when we moved in! They were going to
replace it before we got there but only left it because we asked them to <em>(who
wants new carpet when you’re potty training a puppy? Not me).<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>$65 for… Clorox!</u> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Seriously? Dude, wherever you buy your bleach, you’re
getting ripped off…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This story does have a happy ending <em>(for us, anyway, I’m
sure the landlord would have a different opinion!).</em> Thanks to CPT Fromage’s
buddy who happens to be a consumer rights lawyer, another check is on it's way and we're getting back every penny we
deserve. Not only that, but he made all of the phone calls, handled all the
documents and saved us a lot of hassle. A big shout out to CB for all the help!
We know better for next time!</span></div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-18987444622052010692012-06-04T09:50:00.001-05:002012-06-04T09:50:12.629-05:00Old Boobs<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before I start, let me preface with this statement: I am fully aware that 27
isn’t that old. To some of you, I may still be a young whipper snapper.
However, it’s hard not to feel a wee bit… seasoned…. when I’ve pulled 2 gray
hairs in the last month and have been carded for liquor fewer times than that
in the last year. My 10 year high school reunion is next spring and my
firstborn son will graduate with the class for, gulp, 2030! Maybe CPT Fromage’s
new nickname for me <em>(“Old Boobs”… he means that lovingly... I hope!)</em> isn’t that far off. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nah, really, it’s not so bad. 27 is my favorite number for
one thing, and besides, I feel like I’ve done a lot in the last little while… </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’ve spent the last 5 years building a relationship with my
best friend and this year we’re starting our own family. I don’t have a 9-5 job
or career that comes with a 401K, but I contribute to my IRA every month, we’re
financially stable with some spending money in our pockets and I’m about to
start my dream job: Stay at home mom. A far cry from the frozen dinners and
take out in my “younger years”, I’m cooking homemade meals almost every night,
even mastering dishes like duck and salmon and I finally own some cookware,
dishes and small appliances I can be proud of; heck, I even have my own china
and silver serving set! In the last few years, seeing as I finally feel more
like a grown up, I’ve started treating myself to the finer things in life –
better beauty products <em>(No more 98 cent Suave shampoo)</em>, professional hair coloring now
and then instead of a box of L’Oreal and even an expensive bottle of perfume. Part
of me will never grow up; I still enjoy young adult fiction once in a while and
I can’t sleep without my stuffed cow, Sir Loin<em> (See, mom! I didn’t grow out of
it!)</em> and I will forever have a love of boxed macaroni and cheese. Some things
never change.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nope, 27 isn’t so bad <em>(but I sure could do without those
gray hairs! As soon as Baby Fromage makes his big appearance, I’m making a salon
appointment!)</em> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhjCfYFMF3Ez5VJLBh6NSn3skSSA45oP7Mi-zLOOsWpx1DSH4sU47DUyC9pJzP7cKA8v7_X1xZO0GyN3ToOrDOfjh-4z56KZHihiwln3ftUmIR4ZWHFcTt93_dWg8VpGNIDxlZNaXeus/s1600/YellowRoseTheater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhjCfYFMF3Ez5VJLBh6NSn3skSSA45oP7Mi-zLOOsWpx1DSH4sU47DUyC9pJzP7cKA8v7_X1xZO0GyN3ToOrDOfjh-4z56KZHihiwln3ftUmIR4ZWHFcTt93_dWg8VpGNIDxlZNaXeus/s400/YellowRoseTheater.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Happy birthday to me! CPT Fromage took me to a Motown
musical dinner theater this weekend, where we had a BLAST! Baby Fromage even
treated me when he finally rearranged himself so he’s not in the most
uncomfortable position possible. Thanks, guys!<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-45219963754369161102012-05-29T20:24:00.001-05:002012-05-29T20:24:26.667-05:00Water and Watermelon<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last night CPT Fromage and I decided to grill. We totally
would have done it over the weekend but everyone and their brother was
grilling! It’s not that we’re too cool to do something if it’s already
trending, but rather that our apartment complex won’t let us have our own grill
<em>(lame sauce)</em> and our entire development has to share ONE propane grill. Double
lame sauce. So we waited until the weekend was over to bring our brats and “good
dogs” <em>(dude, tofu dogs are my new favorite food)</em> outside. Know what else we
brought? Wait for it…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Watermelon.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yes. We totally grilled watermelon. And it was
UH-FREAKIN-MAZING. I wish I could describe it to you so you’d be totally
excited to try it, but I can’t even begin to start. The texture; it’s gets
almost meaty, and the taste is indescribable except to say it’s smoky, it’s
spicy and it’s heavenly! We ate it as a side dish, but I hear it’s also good in
place of a burger <em>(slap some cheese on it and throw it on a bun? I’d try it!)<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Grilled Watermelon</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbldt29ctP3hNdS4HWO4i0F0gA5eAF7DY3aGer954dUIXFhKWpE4Q_jW6btOShHkHYUVVRS2kIgU4mJcoxOvr0yWCUbif_v6J7mhSnPQ5THSW6mi7PwUAUohLiejjyJcQV0t1ucnYrOg/s1600/grilledwatermelon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbldt29ctP3hNdS4HWO4i0F0gA5eAF7DY3aGer954dUIXFhKWpE4Q_jW6btOShHkHYUVVRS2kIgU4mJcoxOvr0yWCUbif_v6J7mhSnPQ5THSW6mi7PwUAUohLiejjyJcQV0t1ucnYrOg/s320/grilledwatermelon.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4 slices of watermelon, 1 ¼ inches thick <em>(My slices were
quarters, if that makes sense… A half of a half slice)</em>
¼ cup honey<br />
juice of 2 limes<br />
dash of cyan pepper<br />
dash of salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Combine the honey, lime juice, salt and cyan pepper in a
glass baking dish and add the watermelon slices. Flip them over so both sides
are coated and let sit for 15-20 minutes. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Turn your grill to medium-high heat and grill watermelon
slices for approximately 5 minutes per side (you’re looking for nice, dark
grill marks)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Serve and enjoy! You can thank me later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So about that water... it was good luck we planned to grill last
night, because we got hit with a pretty fierce storm about 45 minutes before we
started cooking. The wind and hail broke one of our windows, wrecked the cars
<em>(and we just last week picked up one of them from the shop for hail damage repair…
FML…)</em> and knocked out our power for 12 long hours. We’d have had no way to cook
a darned thing inside with the power out! Our A/C didn’t work either of course,
and our apartment wasn’t the only thing getting warm… I had to throw out the week’s
worth of groceries I’d bought just that afternoon… Lame sauce. At least the
watermelon was delicious! </span>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-31239589849127825822012-05-24T10:37:00.000-05:002012-05-24T10:37:00.732-05:00Today’s post brought to you by the letter B<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Babies: Why must baby things be so expensive? I suppose the
hit to our bank account would be less if we stuck to just the basics – car seat,
crib, diapers… But how am I supposed to simply close a browser window when an
etsy seller has knitted such a darling newborn size cow hat? <em>(obviously our
newborn will need a knitted hat… in September) </em>Or the personalized burp clothes
with cow print trim? <em>(if it doesn’t have his name on it, how will we all keep
up with who’s burp clothes are who’s?)<o:p></o:p></em></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Boys: We don’t know a whole lot of people here in Lawton
yet. Mostly because we Fromages are sort of recluses. CPT Fromage has made a
few friends from his course but of course, none of these guys have wives, or
hardly even girlfriends. One has a fiance… who’s in New York. Lamesauce. So my
only social interaction outside of my better half, is with his friends. While I
have a potty mouth myself and enjoy a good “That’s what she said”, I’m finding
myself missing girlfriends. A “thank you for cooking supper” or “the steak was
great, thanks” would go a long way. Why don’t boys know about those polite
gestures? I will also never be able to erase from my mind some of the dirty
stories <em>(and accompanying visuals) </em>shared over the supper I spent hours
cooking. Ugh. I miss girls.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Best Steak Marinade in Existence: So, I can’t vouch for this
personally, since I’ve never eaten a marinated steak myself, but, I’ve made
more than my fair share of them and CPT Fromage agrees that this one is top
notch. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I can’t take credit for this recipe, and you can <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-steak-marinade-in-existence/" target="_blank">see theoriginal share here</a>, but to save you the trip, I’m posting it on my blog as
well…<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><u>Best Steak Marinade in Existence<o:p></o:p></u></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ingredients<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1/3 cup soy sauce<br />
1/2 cup olive oil<br />
1/3 cup lemon juice</span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce<br />
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder<br />
3 tablespoons dried basil<br />
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes<br />
1 teaspoon pepper<br />
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)<br />
1 teaspoon dried minced garlic (optional)<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 3;">
<b><span style="color: #7a7a7a; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Directions<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 12pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: black;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">Place
the soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder,
basil, parsley, and pepper in a blender. Add hot pepper sauce and garlic, if
desired. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds until thoroughly mixed.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 12pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="color: black;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">Pour
marinade over desired type of meat. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
Cook meat as desired.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt -6pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*I skip the blender step,
eliminate the hot pepper sauce and used fresh minced garlic instead of dried. I
also prefer to marinade much longer, starting the night before so it’s almost
24 hours. Was incredible on rib eye and sirloin, and I’m sure we’ll be making
again and again!</span></span></div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-14536183942046092752012-05-23T16:19:00.001-05:002012-05-23T16:19:40.955-05:00Watermelon Smoothie<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So it’s about 100 degrees here today, and humid, and I’m
still pregnant. Just makes me want a mug of hot chocolate… Kidding! What I
really wanted was a milk shake, but let’s be honest, it was too hot to get in
my sick minivan with the mostly broken air conditioning to drive to Sonic.
Also, the window doesn’t roll down, so it’s a little embarrassing when I have
to open to door for my drink <em>(Eh, actually, I sort of roll with it now, I’m
learning to embrace my new ride).<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">With a milkshake out of the question, I decided I’d try out
my new Ninja blender. It got here yesterday* <em>(Er, last week, I just was too
lazy to walk to the office and pick it up until yesterday)</em> and I wanted to see
if it was really as amazing as the reviews claimed. Dude, it is. Know what else
was amazing? My watermelon smoothie. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since getting pregnant, I’ve been on a mega watermelon kick.
I always liked it before, but now I crave it like crack. It’s still not really
quite in season yet, but at least it’s easier to get my hands on than it was in oh, January
or February. Anyway. We bought one last month that turned out to be a dud, but
I couldn’t bear to throw it away so I chopped that sucker up and threw it in
the freezer, figuring I’d think of something to do with it when I one day got
around to buying a new blender.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guys, it was amazing. If I could be in love with a food or
drink item, and Green Curry was already in a committed relationship, it would
be this smoothie. Try it. If you don’t like it, send it to me and I’ll drink
it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u>Watermelon Smoothie<o:p></o:p></u></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Makes 2 servings. Unless you’re me, and then it’s one big
serving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZF1qkSO1GTfvC_uEetKWwNA9NTeJ-aaAi4t_JBfog6s6D6pNrqDtKa4XOYgoQB0XpioYWoWlj4v6JFjtoYR58KNsBWANJgPlYEbi_IZlmPMqPt7ANSvxqUkNQrGFRgZJsYOKgY4xWNA/s1600/watermelonsmoothie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZF1qkSO1GTfvC_uEetKWwNA9NTeJ-aaAi4t_JBfog6s6D6pNrqDtKa4XOYgoQB0XpioYWoWlj4v6JFjtoYR58KNsBWANJgPlYEbi_IZlmPMqPt7ANSvxqUkNQrGFRgZJsYOKgY4xWNA/s320/watermelonsmoothie.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 ½ cups frozen watermelon<br />
1 small apple (I used Pink Lady, ‘cause that’s my fave)<br />
½ of a fresh lemon, squeezed<br />
1 TB maple syrup<br />
½ cup Limeade* <em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Give or take. I prefer
my smoothies pretty thick, so add more if you want<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to use a straw instead of a spoon!)<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">*Lemonade is probably great too, or Sprite for that matter. I’m pretty sure this would rock your socks with Vodka, but seeing as I’m with child, I can’t vouch for the awesomeness that I’m sure would ensue if you added a grown up beverage… Let me know if you try it so I can be jealous.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Blend it all up and enjoy!</span></div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-1052834618154687372012-05-22T11:34:00.000-05:002012-05-22T11:34:15.269-05:00Mashed Cauliflower - You've gotta try this!More violent crimes around here to report: armed intruder in a woman’s motel room, armed home invasion, armed gas station hold up and a double shooting. What a wonderful place to raise a child…<br />
<br />Besides violent crime, Sh*t-hole of the Earth <em>(Oops, I slipped again… Lawton)</em> also has a bazillion stray dogs. Seriously, it’s like finding pennies on the sidewalk, they are everywhere! We’ve only been here 2 months and have already picked up 2 nursing mommas! Sheesh!<br />
<br />Besides not getting shot and picking up strays, been doing a lot of cooking. <em>A lot of cooking!</em> I’ve tried somewhere in the range of 30 new recipes, most of which I’ve been pretty stoked about. I’ll be posting a few of my favorites here coming up, so keep an eye out.<br />
<br />Most surprising food we’ve enjoyed was mashed cauliflower. I know, right? Ew. CPT Fromage hates the stuff, but one of our weekly dinner guests is on a trendy carb diet, so mashed potatoes were out of the question. I figured if these sucked, no big deal, I’d blame it on his dietary restrictions. Haha. But can I tell you, we LOVED them. We tore through the entire bowl and still wanted more. CPT Fromage has even announced publicly that he prefers them to mashed potatoes. Dying to try them now? Here’s what you do…<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
<br />
1 head of cauliflower<br />2 Tbl heavy cream<br />1 Tbl butter<br />2 ounces flaked Parmesan cheese<br />Salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
Break down the cauliflower and discard the stem, steam until tender. When you’re done steaming, be sure to let the cauliflower cool for a little while; it helps the texture so you don’t end up with a soggy side dish. <br />
<br />
Once the cauliflower has cooled, it’s time to blend it with your remaining ingredients. You’ll want to warm it up again ever so slightly so that the butter and cheese melts in <em>(I know, it seems like a pain, but trust me, you should let it dry out). </em><br />
<br />
I so badly wished that I had a food processor because it was a… splendid… experience trying to puree with my electric hand mixer. Messy messy! I ordered a food processor the next day to avoid this in the future. All that to say, use a food processor if you have one handy, as I’m sure it’s easier, but if need be, you can mix it without one. <br />
<br />
I served mine up with some green onion on top, and if we weren’t watching carbs, probably would have added some sour cream. Let me know what you think and if you make any tasty changes!Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-61376636888280630352012-05-17T14:19:00.000-05:002012-05-17T14:19:05.236-05:00Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive!<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In just the last week or so, our local news has reported a
police standoff with a man holed up in his house with a gun, a shooting turned
car chase through town, a domestic situation where shots were fired, blood was
on the scene but no victim ever surfaced, and a car that crashed through an
apartment building into a man’s bedroom as he slept. Never a dull moment around
here I suppose. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This sort of thing wouldn’t surprise me if we lived in LA or
the Bronx, but really? Sh*t-hole, USA <em>(Er, I mean, Lawton, OK)? </em>Somehow, this
city is also the 8<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> most dangerous in the country for women and has
a violent crime rate that’s almost twice the national average. Who knew the
southern-midwest could be so…. Exciting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In an attempt to make it out of this 8-month stay without
getting shanked, CPT Fromage and I bit the bullet and spent the extra money for
a place with extra security features in a safer part of town, and we rarely
leave it after dusk. Not that there’s much to do here anyway; unless you’re
into meth that is. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank goodness for a German shepherd, concealed carry
permits and a lifetime of being taught self-awareness <em>(Thanks, dad!).</em> 2 months
down and no 9-1-1 calls yet!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, it’s been a lot of Pintrest, Hunger Games books<em> (Uhm, if you
haven’t yet, READ THEM!)</em> and trying lots of new recipes. You know, cooped up
activities. We also FINALLY came to a decision on a baby name! We’re pretty
excited to meet our little guy, who now has a more formal moniker <em>(because “Dat
Baby” wouldn’t carry over well into adulthood).</em> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hooray for a trip back to Colorado this weekend for my bro’s
high school graduation <em>(Know what’s depressing? Baby Fromage will graduate class of…
2030! I feel very, very old).</em> So looking forward to a few days of good company,
good restaurants and no more sundown curfew!</span></div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-55608555819150309362012-05-02T12:03:00.001-05:002012-05-02T12:05:10.843-05:00Why am I soft in the middle when the rest of my life is so hard<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The other day I felt it was necessary to apologize to CPT Fromage for my choice in music. Not because we have to like all of the same tunes, but because it was 7AM and I was on the 5th repeat, at full volume, of “Break My Stride”. To me, this is a fabulous way to start the morning, but CPT Fromage isn’t as into 80’s music, so I’m fairly certain this was equivalent to waterboarding or some other form of torture to him. Trying to be a good wife, I put on some mutually enjoyed bluegrass over breakfast, but was jamming out again as soon as the door closed behind him. <em>(And now I’ve had to go que it up for another listen since I’m talking about it! “Oh! Ain’t nothin’ gonna break-a my stride, nobody gonna slow me down, oh no! I got to keep on movin’!”)</em> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love 80’s music. Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Eric Carmen and Howard Jones… Those guys get some serious play time on my iTunes. No ZZ Top or Aerosmith songs have a home on my playlist, nope, I like the more terrible stuff. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ashamed to admit this? I am not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So this morning, as per the usual, I was rocking out to the 80’s on VH1 when the video for “You Can Call Me Al” came on. Seriously? How have I not seen this in my nearly 27 years of life? <em>(*Pausing Matthew Wilder to pull up the Paul Simon video*)<o:p></o:p></em></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have to assume everyone else in the music listening world has enjoyed this terribleness already, but in case you have missed out, or just want to subject yourself to it once more… <em>(Once more won’t kill you… I’ve played it at least a dozen times.)</em></span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ULjCSK0oOlI?fs=1" width="459"></iframe>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-77454547628113707732012-04-25T12:08:00.000-05:002012-04-25T12:08:27.970-05:00You've Gotta Try This...<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First off, we’ve gotta talk something about Kale.<o:p></o:p></span>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’d never had this green before, but recently I saw a recipe
for kale chips on <a href="http://www.pintrest.com/" target="_blank">Pintrest</a> <em>(dude, if you aren’t pinning yet, get your bootay on
over there!)</em> and decided to give it a try. Dang! CPT Fromage and I haven’t
bought a bag of potato chips in a month, which is huge for a couple that was
going through something like 3 bags a week before this discovery. Besides the
fact that this is the tastiest snack ever, kale is also a “super food” and,
obviously, much healthier than the deep fried stuff we were buying before. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCejeYz7YUFZLdpazL0Hyg5PmOxB1kLjftUXMFqud1JRErVLTH-trPWqm3nluwWbcBvWicyy9ctSC2pwHkLS2IpQHnpaToOZkX3QOOcmJ_upt9rXUkIHdyt9lZmknO5igOOSb6fTgkIdc/s1600/kalechips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCejeYz7YUFZLdpazL0Hyg5PmOxB1kLjftUXMFqud1JRErVLTH-trPWqm3nluwWbcBvWicyy9ctSC2pwHkLS2IpQHnpaToOZkX3QOOcmJ_upt9rXUkIHdyt9lZmknO5igOOSb6fTgkIdc/s400/kalechips.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Super easy. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, wash and dry
your bunch of kale and tear into smallish-mediumish pieces – about the size of
a potato chip. Drizzle with olive oil <em>(I use extra light extra virgin)</em> and
sprinkle with salt <em>(We’ve been enjoying Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, but use
whatever you prefer).</em> Spread onto a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for
16-18 minutes. Pull those bad boys out when the edges start to get brown and
enjoy! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Are you back from your snack? You’re welcome!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On to some lame sauce news. My bestie in the whole wide world
lost her baby last week. She was almost 32 weeks and we were so excited about
raising our little boys together. She’s in the less than 1% of moms who suffer
this tragedy so late in the process and my heart is broken for her and her
husband. Life just isn’t fair. At all. In the midst of it all, I feel a little
bad being happy about how well our little man is doing, but I’m relieved to say
Baby Fromage is growing big and strong <em>(he’s measuring about a week ahead, going
to be tall like his daddy I suppose!)</em> and it looks like the down syndrome
and/or heart problem the doctors were concerned about are worries of the past. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So good stuff since my last <em>(forever ago)</em> post… Kale chips,
a healthy baby and we’ve made it a whole month without getting shanked out here
<em>(because, dude, if I’m ever going to get shanked, it’s going to be in this
town!)</em></span></div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-67419871679912551992012-04-09T09:22:00.002-05:002012-04-09T09:25:24.497-05:00It’s a….<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3GkQJcr0ArkhVRVt6EK7MQjJsnrikxn9UI7-p0j4iqU4g-x5-oYBlPWSToTuTT6SoCCwhgUCCcBe4xU5pnDdKA_MRm2JePdZ0cxJd9vlgSdr-JJJRID2RGjuijnVjbde3p2Zg1jMPE8/s1600/itsaboy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 361px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5729406949950565026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3GkQJcr0ArkhVRVt6EK7MQjJsnrikxn9UI7-p0j4iqU4g-x5-oYBlPWSToTuTT6SoCCwhgUCCcBe4xU5pnDdKA_MRm2JePdZ0cxJd9vlgSdr-JJJRID2RGjuijnVjbde3p2Zg1jMPE8/s400/itsaboy.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Wonderful baby boy!</div><div><br />We really had no idea what to expect, but we were wary of the Combat Arms Curse. It’s a phenomenon among Combat Arms Officers, they only have little girls. Dude, it’s weird, but it’s a rarity to meet one of those daddies with a boy. Of course, the less superstitious fact is that CPT Fromage’s family has only had 1 natural born girl in the last 100+ years, so on that hand the odds were in our favor for a little man. I guess genetics paired with the fact that CPT Fromage is in the middle of a branch transfer out of Combat Arms blessed us with the boy we deep down both wanted. <em>(We totally would have been thrilled for a girl too, but we’ve both always dreamed of having a boy)</em></div><em><div><br /></div></em><div>Hooray for tiny ties, sweet little sweater vests and 3-piece suits for 3-year-olds! I feel like I’m the only woman in the world who thinks shopping for boy clothes is more fun than buying for little girls, but dang, they make some sharp outfits for little fellas! </div><div><br />Our little man doesn’t have a name just yet but he does have a crib, a decent supply of diapers and a closet full of second-hand clothes <em>(neither CPT Fromage or I can justify spending $10+ on a single outfit when we can pick them up gently used for a tenth of the price… They’re just going to get spit up and pooped on anyway)</em>. CPT Fromage is already an involved dad and has bought<br />some handsome outfits for our little man <em>(A great husband and a great dad-to-be! What a lucky family we are!) </em></div><div><em></em><br />It’s obviously a lot of fun baby shopping <em>(except when it hits the checking account!)</em>, but nothing compares to how exciting it is feeling him kick, hearing his tiny heartbeat or saying hello via ultrasound. We still have 21 more weeks ‘til we get to meet our little guy and I’m hopelessly in<br />love already! </div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-29756800657301339292012-04-03T22:01:00.002-05:002012-04-04T09:42:25.115-05:00That Went Well…<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKirkZhhs0Tgd9OVaJGH6ftL3Kh_PYxo8-LL-XWEBEIKf_6WDh4_XgHDNIvo3SYYem9jnYGyjGK8m_rRkpuI2itOO6q6cJ6k4NhRC7m_V6MAXpI0KevBk_pcS6gZEr8c3yFfyP8nIDBnw/s1600/movingsucks.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 206px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5727555857697197586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKirkZhhs0Tgd9OVaJGH6ftL3Kh_PYxo8-LL-XWEBEIKf_6WDh4_XgHDNIvo3SYYem9jnYGyjGK8m_rRkpuI2itOO6q6cJ6k4NhRC7m_V6MAXpI0KevBk_pcS6gZEr8c3yFfyP8nIDBnw/s400/movingsucks.png" /></a><br /><div><div>Pardon my absence. Moving chaos, you know…</div><div><br />The packers messing up all of my organizing was nothing compared to what was to come! </div><div><br />A U-Haul a size too small (note: a king size mattress won’t fit in the 14 foot truck) was the first crisis, perhaps prepping us for the one to follow… </div><div><br />Our apartment is significantly smaller than the display unit we were shown a few months ago. So much smaller that I’m surprised we can even fit said mattress in the master bedroom. Nothing else fits with it! Goodbye, dresser and nightstand, I’ll miss having drawers… </div><div><br />“Hello, Storage Facility? I’ll need to upgrade to a larger unit please, for all of our furniture that we anticipating using, but now can’t…” (Thank God they had a size up coming available the next day)</div><div><br />The movers went to drop off all of our extra things in our newly-upgraded unit on Saturday, but of course, there was a problem with our security code, and, because how else would this go down but on a weekend, when no one was in the office. CPT Fromage had fun dealing with that.<br />I wasn’t dealing with any moving chaos because I was in the hospital.</div><div><br />There’s no more convenient time to be admitted for vomiting up blood than during a move to a town where you don’t know a soul. Three long days later I was discharged and spent my second night in our new home. </div><div><br />Of course, once I got home, we found out our air conditioning unit wasn’t installed properly so we spent a fun day in the 90+ degree heat! What’s with this spring weather?! Shout out to our awesome maintenance guy who spent the whole day, plus some, getting us cooled off.</div><div> </div><div>I’m not sure what’s coming next, but hopefully the next few weeks are filled with nothing more than unpacking, settling in and relaxing. </div><div><br />On a more fun note… I was sent for an ultrasound while I was laid up, and we got a great view of Baby Fromage’s little baby parts! We’ve been buying… Blue? Pink? Hmmm… Check back! :)<br /></div></div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-40658606669848055692012-03-19T12:52:00.002-05:002012-03-19T12:56:01.623-05:00And Away We Go!<p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">I’m a planner. I like to know what’s going on, and I like it to be going on the way I intended it to. The last time we moved I wouldn’t let CPT Fromage accept the assistance from a moving company, even though it wouldn’t have cost us a dime. Nope, I didn’t want anyone else touching my stuff! How could they possibly know how to do it the right <em>(my)</em> way? Though it had nothing to do with my opting to pack our things myself, that move was a disaster. I had to promise we’d leave it to the professionals next time. So here we are, nearly 3 years later and it’s time to move again. As was the deal, movers arrived this morning. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><div><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Now, I promised CPT Fromage we wouldn’t do the move ourselves, but nothing was mentioned about packing. Sure, they can lift all the heavy boxes and I’ll let them carry our furniture, just so long as I’m able to make sure my favorite mugs are packed nicely away where I can find them, our decorations are separated by room and books are boxed by subject. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div></div><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">For nearly a month now I’ve been carefully and thoughtfully packing our things. Every box has an itemized list of what’s inside and a strip of colored ductape to indicate how it will make the 6 hour journey, and where it will end up when we arrive. Orange tape on the boxes that will go into storage, green for things we’ll need at the apartment but can trust the moving company to transport, and yellow for necessities we can’t live without and will take ourselves in the U-Haul<em> (Oops, I may have promised we’d never rent another one of those again…!) <o:p></o:p></em></span></p><br /><div><span style="font-family:Calibri;">We finished late last night, almost all of our belongings sporting a strip of colored tape. I was so proud! Then this morning came and we met the movers… 2 men who, albeit very friendly, must not suffer my same level of OCD… <o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div></div><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Oh dear… They’ve emptied and repacked lots of my boxes! Books on religion mixed in with memoirs? Decorations from the living room are WHERE? In with my serving dishes? Oh my… </span></p><br /><div><span style="font-family:Calibri;">Thank goodness this pregnancy hasn’t made me a psycho-crazy-bee-ach. Lucky me<em> (and even luckier, CPT Fromage), </em>the bigger my belly gets the more mellow my mood. Odd, but a pleasant surprise, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time because otherwise this move would be killing me! I’m trying to let go of the stress that comes from knowing that my living room lamp is nestled up next to the coffee grinder, and just be appreciative that I didn’t have to wrap every single dish we own or deal with boxing up everything in the pantry again. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:Calibri;">72 hours left in The Little Apple… Lawton, here we come!</span></div><br /><div><br /></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721668021249639346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUNkLy6nGceqzC5g8lSAjiOKjza_fjMoOcDDFLfrJhWyyzk_nmoQob7hQgQDDzbafHS0Jujeox6Sv0f5DGLPBK5DtbRYHy8Ok6YPXmON6JiAAuWksyp9NKiYEaCwYwpcE8J2cSEyHuo8/s400/TheBillMovingDay.JPG" /><br /><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Calibri;"><em>(Erika doesn’t like moving either)<o:p></o:p></em></span></p>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-3539597075262096822012-03-16T11:30:00.005-05:002012-03-16T11:36:33.575-05:00I Love Technology<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwS_zUVS4o3tXWnNpk9wqljp_dOzFJbMSpFEmMpM0fd8VVYOphy7Sfpl3UOA4D6Rwc5NqAIqpggz2cikOIoMI4ctNPlZBKfTcEvXMPtDYfXwKyXP_u_j7Hl0VS9eIBaRjFLt-h2OueJb0/s1600/ilovetechnologykip.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 333px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720534247633611186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwS_zUVS4o3tXWnNpk9wqljp_dOzFJbMSpFEmMpM0fd8VVYOphy7Sfpl3UOA4D6Rwc5NqAIqpggz2cikOIoMI4ctNPlZBKfTcEvXMPtDYfXwKyXP_u_j7Hl0VS9eIBaRjFLt-h2OueJb0/s400/ilovetechnologykip.jpg" /></a>CPT Fromage and I aren’t really… techy. For example, when we moved to our first home we decided it was time to get a respectable TV and retire the bulky TV/DVD combo I got at K-Mart when I moved out of my parents’ house. With a lot of help from the guy at Best Buy, we ended up with a decent <em>(but not too big)</em> flat screen. We decided we’d use some store credit we had to get a surround sound system to go along with it. Because the DVD player we had was a small, purple thing that cost less than $20 at Wal-Mart <em>(another purchase of mine)</em> we needed to upgrade that as well to make the sound system work. The guy at Best Buy tried to show us a Bluray player, and we scoffed! “We’ll stick with DVD, if you please!” We had so much money sunk into our DVD collection; no way were we going to throw that all away to start over with this “blu ray” crap…<br /><br />We applauded ourselves for our responsible decision, that is until my sister and her husband <em>(who are both very techy)</em> got a new entertainment set up. They showed us the quality of their new Blu ray player, “Yeah, it looks great, but we didn’t want to start our movie collection all over. That’s just stupid.” That’s when my BIL broke it to us. For those of you who don’t know this… You can watch DVDs on a Blu ray player. Yep. True story. <em>(I wish we’d mentioned our reasoning for the DVD player to the employee at Best Buy, he’d have saved us this whole situation!) </em><br /><br />For his next birthday, CPT Fromgae got a Blueray player. And we love it. Even though it took us 4 years to jump on that bandwagon.<br /><br />We also finally upgraded to…<br /><br />A wireless printer. Actually, that could even be “a printer” as a general term. Yep, we can finally scan and print from the comfort of our own home!<br /><br />Smart phones. Last year, before CPT Fromage deployed, I got an iPhone. Mostly because all of our communication would be electronic and I wanted to be able to check email and facebook and use Skype on the go. CPT Fromage’s phone, which he’s had longer than his wedding band, is on its last leg, so he’ll be joining the rest of society next week. No longer will he be the ridicule of his friends and coworkers!<br /><br />A Gaming System. For Christmas this year, I got a Wii. Of course, it’s no longer the cutting edge system to own, but we’ve had a blast playing Mario Kart, even if everyone else has been enjoying theirs since 2006.<br /><br />DVR. We don’t actually have it just yet, but when the installation guy comes to our new apartment, he’s bringing the box. Hooray for being able to record all of our favorite Food Network shows that we miss because they come on past our bedtime!<br /><br />What next? Will we finally update the maps on our GPS systems, which are still using information from prior to 2008? Stay tuned to find out!Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-54492009856643562932012-03-12T11:45:00.002-05:002012-03-12T11:49:08.668-05:00Carnivore in the MakingAs I’ve mentioned here before, I’m a long time vegetarian. If it ever had a face or a mom, you wouldn’t find it on my plate. For nearly 3 years I’ve been cooking up poor little animals for CPT Fromage, but my mouth never watered, not once did I sneak a bite or reconsider my eating ways. That is, until I got pregnant.<br /><br /><div align="center"><br />Dude, I’m growing a tiny carnivore in here. </div><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 280px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 280px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5719052885059058482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJTjy0uBR4TDHjq5duLOh3z8BtOJdKXIn92Vj1SuHQzBGiMbfWfgnxatDXMv8FWsLK5nLfwYEuIC3A6vadrVN4_DQKLy34ZViT0GExCY5xqZGhPSWmW72vVCSRPhvvzZcCed8RDaYUXCU/s400/baby-eating-steak.jpg" /><br />It started with fish: Fish tacos, fish sticks, grilled fish… Next I had 2 roasted chicken wraps and I hoped it would stop there but yesterday CPT Fromage was telling me how good his lunch was… Barbeque. <em>Someone</em> in my tummy must have been eavesdropping because for the rest of the afternoon my stomach growled. I tried to offer other things, different, vegetarian, protein options, but someone was having none of it. Barbeque was the only answer. I ordered a brisket plate. I don’t know the barbeque lingo, so I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it had a ribbon icon next to it indicating that it was one of their most popular dishes. Personally, I found it rather fatty/chewy/meaty but 4 servings of sauce helped make the parts I found eatable more palatable. </p><br /><p>Bleh. Baby Fromage seemed to have been satisfied, and our German shepherd was more than happy to help me out with the left overs, but I hope from now on this kiddo sticks to foods that I like to eat too. Like, it would be awesome if we could have some cravings for my favorite foods, like some Thai or mac and cheese <em>(actually, I’d be happy if I could just stomach the foods I used to love! Apparently, someone finds them repulsive because they keep being sent back…) </em></p><br /><p>Years from now, when this little Fromage is a mouthy teenager and claims I don’t care about making them happy/don’t love them/other youngster gripe, I’m going to remind them of the brisket<em> (and the fish, and the chicken)</em> and the 14 year run of meat free dining that was interrupted for their dietary preference. Now THAT’S love! </p><br /><p><em>*I’m pretty sure the only reason this 4oz Fromage is demanding when it comes to dining is because I haven’t been able to eat hardly anything from the get-go. I’m down 14+ pounds already, so I suppose this wackiness is just my body making sure I’m fueled up properly for this pregnancy when I am able to eat something. </em></p>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-55339803422129984672012-03-08T20:23:00.001-06:002012-03-08T20:25:01.186-06:00Old Ladies Rock<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZU2m5IA-vyyBhbJrRItimRv7a5lfzcFrPHXRcSKyvf7iQOPq9CzUDxyLmeM-CPmjFxzS-Mei09owdhHG1JZOWbeQsRBdAu-N36u3CQPcyYdjIY3mw1_65DGkehCDPiJscigqujg4FRig/s1600/SeniorsAreAwesome.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 478px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 558px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717717604126894514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZU2m5IA-vyyBhbJrRItimRv7a5lfzcFrPHXRcSKyvf7iQOPq9CzUDxyLmeM-CPmjFxzS-Mei09owdhHG1JZOWbeQsRBdAu-N36u3CQPcyYdjIY3mw1_65DGkehCDPiJscigqujg4FRig/s400/SeniorsAreAwesome.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div></div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-63402328284365707892012-03-06T13:01:00.002-06:002012-03-06T13:10:22.439-06:00One Hot MamaAnother way I’ve been avoiding packing for this move <em>(see yesterday’s post)</em> has been making appointments. We aren’t leaving the country, we won’t be relocated to an African village far away from any health services, but in our last few weeks I’ve packed my schedule with various checkups as though I won’t have the opportunity to attend to any basic needs once we leave the Little Apple.<br /><br /><br />Today was my dentist appointment.<br /><br />As a girl, I LOVED going to the dentist! If insurance had covered more than 2 visits a year, I’d have been there every weekend. There was nothing better than the feeling of freshly cleaned teeth. I even enjoyed most of my experience with braces. I was a pretty dorky kid, especially when I wore that stupid “I Love My Dentist” shirt to my appointments… sheesh… As an adult <em>(who no longer owns said shirt),</em> the prospect of clean teeth is nice, but the hassle <em>(and scraping and the like)</em> hasn’t seemed worth it. I’m ashamed to admit, but I’ve only been 3 or 4 times since college.<br /><br />Thankfully, all that time without a professional cleaning didn’t do much damage and I’ve maintained my perfect record of never having a cavity. Too bad that’s where the good news stopped today. This afternoon I go back to be fitted for…<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">Dun-dun-dun...! <br /><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong>A retainer.</strong></div></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><br /></strong></div><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 281px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716862921953952418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfTW5gbb0zl9cWIGMixu8DjrL9q9pk3uyNYfptS2pHPuX5j5q4Pt212Z2Yk-DkA3J7hI4I80nEIQpTD95KUgtYDXpLMuk63WqouNpQCQ3uNZdbFqaqjd4Ao0-1j-KQtmDVTPNXdFaRUE/s400/katyperryhasbracesandglasses.jpg" /><br /></strong>I thought I did my time! Wasn’t 5 years of orthodontic care enough? Looks like if I want to keep my pearly whites nice and straight <em>(minus the one rebel that shifted, the real reason I went in today)</em> this is what must be done… At least it’s the clear kind, and not the wire one I had so many years ago, and I’ll only be wearing it in the evenings. It could be worse.<br /><br />I thought being a mom-to-be would make me more grown up, but the pimply face this pregnancy has brought on<em> (something I never actually struggled with as an adolescent)</em> paired with my <em>(non</em>)metal-mouth makes me feel otherwise! Next week I go for an eye exam, maybe I’ll be sent home with big ol’ thick glasses to complete the look!Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-4393489813646635722012-03-05T22:53:00.002-06:002012-03-05T23:00:04.552-06:00Don't Be Jealous of My RideI’m stalling again. I hate packing and somehow I’ve managed to convince myself that all of our belongings will nicely place themselves in boxes if I wait around long enough. We’ll see how that works out… <br /><div><br />Things I’m doing instead of packing?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Watching TV, which is sort of a bust. I tried watching Lifetime, but I kept crying, because now everything makes me cry; then I switched to Game Show Network, but in addition to being super emotional, I also have “Pregnant Brain” and Family Feud is just no fun when I can’t think of any answers to play along…</div><br /><div><br />I cleaned the rat cages. I mean deep cleaned, like 2 hours’ worth, disassembling and scrubbing… I don’t know how 2 hours of that was better than packing, but it felt less terrible. </div><br /><br /><div>Spent some time on <a href="http://ladyfromage.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>, <a href="http://www.pintrest.com/">Pintrest</a> and <a href="http://foodonmydog.tumblr.com/">FoodOnMyDog</a>. <em>(Awesome, awesomer and most awesomest!)</em></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBd5ufBldTmjXTxqisGs5TXI22Zdwt_FkRi0TZu-uct3vnblckG5KkrP0MIm88L_lDfz7Nc6UgIANv9X2C57ddFNOKy_MVW5xxHnQnSHaDZfOTNOaTniP5Oz66rCSsySeIBmJCVBIQnQ/s1600/theyseemerollin.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 250px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 250px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716644036682492434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBd5ufBldTmjXTxqisGs5TXI22Zdwt_FkRi0TZu-uct3vnblckG5KkrP0MIm88L_lDfz7Nc6UgIANv9X2C57ddFNOKy_MVW5xxHnQnSHaDZfOTNOaTniP5Oz66rCSsySeIBmJCVBIQnQ/s400/theyseemerollin.gif" /></a>Wishing I could have a hot fudge sundae, but alas, I am too lazy to get dressed and go on a quest for somewhere open at 11PM to make me one. Also, I can’t utilize a drive-thru at Sonic because I can’t roll down the window on my new ride. We sold my truck this summer for something more kid friendly <em>(super sad face - I miss my truck!)</em> and for the time being, I’m driving my parents’ old minivan. I know you all wish you were this cool, but we can’t all be driving mom-cars with broken windows and huge dents on the side!</div><br /><div><br />Sort of being resentful that CPT Fromage is away at a training, because if he was here, HE could drive the car with a working window and go get my late night snack. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As you can see, I’m quite busy at the moment, so if you’ll excuse me, I have some mismatched socks I <em>really</em> must sort. </div><br /><br /><div>One last thing…While I’m not being productive, uhm, at all, let me remind you to be. If you live in a state where you can exercise your right to vote tomorrow, go do it! <em>(And if you’re undecided, and even if you’re not, check out Ron Paul. I know he looks like a long shot, but what a great candidate! And it ain’t over yet!)</em></div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-63636777837162204272012-03-04T11:44:00.003-06:002012-03-04T11:49:16.876-06:00Sawing LogsFirst of all, thanks for the congrats! It’s nice to know I’ve still got a few readers out there!<br /><br /><br /><div>Now, on to today's post…</div><br /><br /><div>I have one super-sexy quality: I snore. Don’t hate, not everyone can be this awesome.<br />I’ve always been a snorer, my younger sister used to claim I’d kept her up at night in our shared room. Later in life, roommates would pick on my loud Zs. But apparently, according to CPT Fromage, I “never used to snore before we got married” I tell him I just kept a lid on it long enough to snag him, but he’s trapped now, so let the fun resume! The snores are back in full force these days, sometimes so loud and violent <em>(can snores be violent?)</em> that I wake myself up!<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGP-65i6yBglM3irTrbksncuRwvKx1xbTyfyEV6lrUtBSDvhVkpO-TaSLrMBvSXOtt-mqQ5EY4m8OOQwye22RuNymLBEUfMxObZ1hVabY9NGux86oRc17ow6bmvr_F0QjPw1GKc0dLgk/s1600/snoringwife.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 311px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716099818165048226" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGP-65i6yBglM3irTrbksncuRwvKx1xbTyfyEV6lrUtBSDvhVkpO-TaSLrMBvSXOtt-mqQ5EY4m8OOQwye22RuNymLBEUfMxObZ1hVabY9NGux86oRc17ow6bmvr_F0QjPw1GKc0dLgk/s400/snoringwife.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>In some instances, my snoring can be more embarrassing than others… Like when I let ‘em rip at the couples’ massage CPT Fromage and I treated ourselves to for Valentine’s Day. Look, rub my feet and calves and I’m out. I can’t help it! </div><br /><br /><div>Don’t worry too much for CPT Fromage because I am not only a super-sexy-snoring wife, but also a super thoughtful one, so I spend a lot of money on Breathe Right Strips. These things make me even sexier <em>(can it be so?),</em> even though they don’t totally eliminate my sound of sleep. I know that when my gentle snores wake CPT Fromage in the dead of night, he must roll over and gaze lovingly upon his resting wife… My hair a mess, raccoon eyes from unremoved eyeliner and a plastic strip across my nose; I know what he’s thinking: “I’m one lucky guy”. Or maybe he’s contemplating smothering me with a pillow, who knows. </div><br /><br /><div>Sometimes my snoring is a good weapon to have in my arsenal. When CPT Fromage and I have a lover’s quarrel near bedtime I have this up my sleeve…</div><br /><div><br /><strong>“Yeah, well, I’m going to take off my Breathe Right Strip tonight!”<br /></strong></div><br /><br /><div>Although it would probably be more effective if I wasn’t shouting it from downstairs on the couch.</div>Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3349065158050611257.post-16261513098738647782012-03-03T11:10:00.003-06:002012-03-03T11:34:56.399-06:00A Lot Can Change In 9 Months<div align="left">Oh my. You may have noticed I fell off the blogging bandwagon for a bit. Ok, longer than “a bit”. I assure you all was well, I just came to learn that there is very little for me to say when I’m home alone with no job. Being the introvert that I am, most of my drafts were glamorized accounts of laundry, housework and bill paying. <em>(Rivetting, I know, I’m sure you’re itching to get your hands on those unseen posts!) </em>Forgive me for not recounting every moment of deployment, but there’s not much to say besides I’m glad it’s over and relieved that CPT Fromage came home with all his limbs still attached.<br /><br /></div><br /><div align="left">Now that our family is whole again, let me share all the exciting stuff coming up for us in 2012:<br />CPT Fromage got the branch transfer he so badly wanted, which is exciting for him, and great news for our little family. Because there’s a lot of training involved, he’ll be stateside <em>(read: not deploying)</em> for a minimum of 2 years. 24 glorious months without Skype dates, frequent trips to the Post Office or having to carry all of the groceries in by myself! </div><br /><div align="left"><br /></div><br /><div align="left">In 9 months’ time, we will have addresses in three different states. Lots of Army schools means lots of moves. Goodbye, Kansas; Hello, Oklahoma! <em>(Look out, North Carolina, we’re on our way!)</em> Lots of packing, phone calls to the utility companies and change of address notifications are keeping us busy but we’re excited to start this next chapter of our life!</div><br /><div align="left"><br /></div><br /><div align="left">My last 9 month announcement… Yep, it’s that one…! A Baby Fromage is on the way! Our little one should make his or her appearance on August 29th, and we are over the moon excited! </div><br /><div align="center"><br /><br /></div><br /><div align="center"></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 319px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715724813010115666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmD51jiw2AVsTNmOo0QzoKi9nQyoEPHbogVMtM6r-lJR0-1k8nWKON6yItxVMO4uikf7I3nxBymIg_148Acl6iCok-d1CUrPIZ7y0PHOrpNXt-u7aydyrvusq2cEbrylZoCHBPQWjkz7c/s400/babyfromage.jpg" /> <br /><p align="center"><em>(12 week ultrasound)<br /><br /></p></em><br />Yes, this was happily planned!<br /><br />No, we don’t know the gender yet <em>(but a 3-D ultrasound at 12 weeks indicated we may be buying blue!).</em> We do plan to find out and should know April 4th!<br /><br />We haven’t yet decided on a name, but I’ve been having a blast scouring baby name books and forums for the most ridiculous monikers I can find. Kidding, kidding! <em>(Truthfully, that is a guilty pleasure of mine, but rest assured we won’t have an Areola Minnow Fromage)<br /></em><br /><br />Well, enough blogging and back to packing… 17 days until the movers arrive! Wish me luck!Lady Fromagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02902721523758935015noreply@blogger.com4