Howdy, folks!

Say hello to my little cow-poke, Marshall Ty.
We very nearly missed out on trick-or-treating last night, as Ty was a little tyrant at school yesterday and THREW a school bus toy at his girlfriend. Not a good night to punish him effectively, and, as it turns out, it was a bad day for nearly the whole class, so I chose to fore go the worst of the punishment for the night.

He was adorable. He ran around all night telling anyone who would listen, "I a COW-boy!" or the equally effervescent, "I'm SHERIFF!" He was quite a doll. The pictures on my camera weren't all that great, as he wouldn't hold still worth a darn, but I am hoping for better from the photographer we went to see. Who knows, maybe he'll make it into the costume contest again this year. Although, I am not holding my breath, since it was such a beautiful night, there were a lot of kids out and he had some stiff competition.

Likewise, today was Halloween at work, for me. I do not normally participate, as Halloween really isn't my favorite holiday, but my good friend Melyssa is a die-hard Halloweener, and I agreed to "participate" in her "game", as she put it. She entered the contest as an individual and won this year's title of "Scariest Individual". I was merely an accessory. Anyone care to guess who she was? Anne and Syl - no fair guessing since you already know!

Hint: Look around her office for the details.....and think outside the box.

Those bastards at Hershey

The last few years, Hershey has been putting out limited edition Kisses at the holidays. I walked into Walmart this morning to find that all the Halloween candy has already been replaced with Christmas candy. And this, in my opinion, their best Kiss effort yet: the New Yrok Cheesecake Creme Herhsey Kiss.

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth....

Ok, I know I haven't been very active in the blogosphere the last few weeks, and its not because I don't have anything blog-worthy to post. Frankly, I just haven't had the time or energy to make it happen! So, just to catch everyone up real quick:

I spent last weekend in Iowa with my good girl, Ginny, just hanging out with Ty and visiting. I picked up a fun new trinket for my car while I was there:
Yep, I gots to have me some HAWKEYE GEAR!!!

Since the hubs was gone on a hunting trip in Minnesota, when I got home, T and I snuggled a lot, and I got the nightstands put together. However, once put together, it occurred to me that they may not have been a good choice. See, the hubs has a projection alarm clock on his nightstand. Meaning, it projects the time onto the ceiling. Well, the built-in lamp on the nightstand covers most of the table.....hmmm...gonna have to think about that some more.

I've been doing a little Christmas shopping, designing our Christmas cards, and several other little projects around the house.

Also, made a wonderful batch of chili Monday night, and last night, I got certified in AED and CPR! How great is that?

This week, and weekend, are Halloween festivities. I'm sure you'll be hearing lots more from me once I have pictures of my cutie in his cowboy costume to post. Until then - I've got tons of work to do! See ya!

Baby, its cold outside….

Yes, it is definitely that time of year. It doesn’t take much more than the slightest chill in the air, and there I am, standing in the kitchen, making soup. I don’t need an excuse, any old reason will do. In this case, the girls and I are getting together over lunch to make jewelry today. Well, GEE, that means we need FOOD!

Little Man was in the dog house last night so I didn’t get pictures taken, but I promise (to try) to post those later. The one here is right now, sitting on the floor in my office warming up.
White Chicken Chili

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 large onion, chopped fine

2 tsp. minced garlic (or, if you are like me, its more like 2 TABLESPOONS)

2 TB olive oil

2 cans (15.5 oz.) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans chicken stock

2 cans (4.5 oz.) chopped green chilies

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt1

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 1/2 tsp. ground oregano

1 1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more ;-)

2 cups sour cream

3/4 cup whipping cream

Saute onion, garlic and chicken in olive oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and remaining seasonings. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and whipping cream. This makes a very thin “chili”. You can beef it up by using another can of beans and more chicken if you want yours chunkier.

By the way - shameless plug here, the crock pot in the picture is the Hamilton Beach Stay or Go slow cooker. I cannot recommend this one enough! The lid clamps shut and has a rubber gasket so that when you are transporting it to work for a luncheon, it WILL NOT SPILL. I mean it. I had to slam on the brakes one time for an idiot in front of me, turned the thing completely upside down, and nope, NOT A DROP escaped. Go getcha one. Seriously.

Hammin' it up!

I admit, I am technically from the Midwest, but after moving here, I felt like I came from an entirely different planet. So, suffice it to say that my first experience with Ham and Beans was less than stellar.
By now, you all should know me fairly well, and not be shocked that I found a better way.
I will also admit that I am lazy in the kitchen. Not that there is anything wrong with a beautiful, albeit labor-intensive meal. And I have made more than my fair share of those. But when I find a shortcut that works, I embrace it.
Here is one of my favorites. Hurst's Hambeens.
Yep, this is a dried bean soup mix that you can find with the other dried beans in your local mega-mart (Super Wal-mart, for me). I prefer the 15 Bean Soup Mix (Cajun variety) because, well, I like my food to have flavor.
So, here is my recipe for the best ham and beans you'll ever eat.
Put 3-4 smoked ham hocks or shanks in the bottom of a 6 qt slow cooker (don't be skimpy, you know you want a lot of meat in it!).
Top with the dried beans.
Add 2 quarts of water.
Cook on Low all day (it helps if you can stir it a couple of times so the beans on top don't get dried out, but if it happens to me, I just skim those off.)
After about 8 hours, remove the ham, and discard the bones, skin, fat, and other undesirable bits.
Mix the seasoning packet from the Hambeens into the slow cooker.
Return the ham to the pot.
It should look like this:

And then like this......

This....

And this.....

Savory and just a tiny bit spicy, rich and thick, and perfect with cornbread to soak up the gravy (and I don't normally like cornbread, either). An absolutely perfect meal on a cold night in October.
Enjoy!

Its a pork fat thing....

Cruising through the grocery store last week, I was picking up a chunk of ham and, what? what is that? What does that package say? "Bacon Ends"
Hmm. Okay. Keep in mind, my local grocery store is about as big as my bedroom and about as well stocked, so when I find something different there, it always intrigues me.
What would one DO with bacon ends? I'm thinking about throwing the whole thing in a pan and using it on salads, or sprinkle it on top of roasts....
Has anyone every USED bacon ends? I'm interested....gimme some ideas.....

Busy, Busy, Busy.....

It was a very busy weekend, but in a good way. I got a lot done, still got to go out on date night Saturday, and did some baking to blog about.
Friday night was a very relaxing night at home.
Saturday I spend the vast majority of the day shopping with my son and MIL. It was very productive, and we found almost everything we were looking for.
Saturday night was date night again! This time it was a bonfire and hayride/party at a friend's house. It turned out to be a whole lot of fun, and it was cold enough I finally had an excuse to wear the new hoodie I bought the last time I went to the old college campus.
Sunday was breakfast at Grandma's, as usual, and then a million little projects. I worked on T's Halloween costume, which is now almost complete, make biscuits and gravy for the hubs to take to work for his guys today, and made Toffee Cookies for Grandpa.
Grandpa loves my Toffee Cookies.
Heck, I have yet to meet someone who doesn't love my Toffee Cookies.
These cookies are so good that milk has to compete to qualify for the right to be in the same picture as these cookies.
See all that melty toffee? Mmmmmm...they are so yummy even I can't resist one. And I don't even really have a sweet tooth.

And guess what? Just to be the nasty little critter I am, I'm going to post yummy pictures of them and NOT give you the recipe. :) Ancient Chinese Secret...... I never give this recipe out. Never. BWWaaaahahahahAHAHAHAHAhahahahah!!!!

Sleep...I need sleep.

Between the husband coughing and hacking and Ty waking up to pee at 1:30 in the morning, I am running on empty. Its a good thing it is Friday. I sure do have a lot to do this weekend, though!
Last night I made one of Matt's favorites for supper. Stuffed Shells. Its also one of my favorites, or at least it would be if I made it my way with ricotta and spinach. This is the picky country-boy version. But everyone else sure loves it, including his entire family, so I brought leftovers in for his grandpa today, too.
World's Easiest Stuffed Shells

1 1/4 pounds Italian sausage

1 8 ounce package cream cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 egg

24 - 30 jumbo shells

1 jar pasta sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella

Brown the Italian sausage in a skillet and drain off the fat.

Take off the heat and add the cream cheese, stirring until all the meat is coated.

Mix in the Parmesan cheese.

Add the egg and mix well.

(all of this can be done a day or two ahead if you are pressed for time in the evenings like I am)

Preheat oven to 350.

While the meat is browning, cook the shells in boiling water until just pliable. DO NOT cook all the way through, as these will continue to cook in the oven.

Pour a thin layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of your baking dish (9x13, round casserole, whatever you have in that size range. I've also used 2 pie plates in a pinch).

Drain the shells and allow to cool just enough so they can be handled.

Using a spoon, scoop the meat mixture into the shells. They do not need to be super-full, a good spoon full will do.

Place the filled shells on the pasta sauce and repeat until all shells and meat are used.

Drizzle the rest of the pasta sauce over the shells and top with the mozzarella.

Cover the dish with foil and bake about 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Dish it up and enjoy with garlic bread!

This is a little heavy if you are used to traditional Italian shells, but if you live in the Midwest, chances are no one will notice.

Another step closer.....

Ok, the headboard isn't technically done. I have to tweak it a bit so I can mount it to the bedframe, but it looks pretty good, don't you think? For our charming/rustic little country home, anyway.

A Quiet Week

The vast majority of our employees are at our annual conference this week, so it is very quiet around the office. Likewise, there isn't much to talk about. Still working on the headboard at home, and the scrapbook for the baby shower, both of which I pan to have finished this week. On the way in this mornign I couldn't resist snapping a shot of the sunrise, even though I was running about 10 minutes late.

Blah, Blah, Blah and more Blah.

Ok, so this weekend wasn't BAD, per se, just BLAH. Friday I had the day off for my, ahem, annual. I know as women, we don't look forward to these things, but I always try to make the best of it. For example, I start by scheduling it on a Friday morning. Then I use that as an excuse to take the whole day off. Now, my doctor is in Springfield. I used to go to Springfield about every other weekend, but with the price of gas trying to give me a nosebleed, I rarely go anymore, and definitely not without a good reason. SO, I made my list and ran around town all day while my son was at school. As an extra bonus, you ladies are not going to believe this. My appointment was at 8:45. I arrived about 10 minutes ahead and had barely even sat down when I got called back. Sitting in the driveway, waiting to pull back out into traffic, I looked at the clock. 8:58. How's THAT for service???? So, that left me with the entire day to work on my list. I did really well, too, finding almost everything I had jotted down, plus a few items. I ate lunch at my favorite Thai place. Sorry, I meant to take a picture, but I just couldn't take the time before I dug in! Got one complete Christmas present purchased, too! Getting back to town, I picked up Ty and found out he'd had a bad day at school. Unfortunately, I had already promised to take my nephew for the evening, so I couldn't effectively punish him for being rotten at school. Since I had already made the plans to do so, I took the boys to see IGOR, which opened at our small town movie theatre Friday night. I have to say....not really a good movie. Not impressed at all. Saturday, it was soccer for 3 year-olds again! And, as expected, Ty was ROTTEN. Again. What a miserable hour. We spent a little time with the MIL afterward and went home for a nap. While T was napping, I got the headboard stained. Ooops! I guess I forgot to mention that the new (3rd set) of replacement posts arrived Friday in, we'll say, acceptable condition. Not great, but I am SO tired of fighting them, so, they'll do. Anyway, I got them stained, but first, I spent over an hour on them with the palm sander because they had so many tooth marks in them from the machine used on them. Terrible. I thought I had them sanded down, but you can still see them through the stain. I started bolting the pieces together yesterday but discovered I am going to need a ratchet to finish the job. The hubs said he'd need to get me one. I took that to mean, borrow one from someone. I had really hoped to get the headboard on the bed this weekend. This morning I ask my husband "What size ratchet do I need for that, so I can borrow one from someone today?" He looked at me funny, and said, "well, I have one in the garage..." Ok, pardon my french, but, JACKASS! You couldn't have told me that YESTERDAY? Or, even better, walked your happy ass out there and gotten it for me so I could have this DONE? Apparently not. Does every little thing have to be like pulling teeth with him? So, he said he'd get it tonight, and then I need to get the drill charge up because the posts do not have holes pre-drilled for mounting it to the bed frame. *sigh* I wish I had remembered to put it on charge this morning....now it may be tomorrow before I get it done. Oh well, in any case, here's a picture, partially done.

Sunday was breakfast at Grandma's, as usual, and then home to do...well.....not much of anything. I worked on the scrapbook I am making for the niece's baby shower next month, but other than that I accomplished the difficult task of disposing of a few glasses of wine....
Around 6:00, the SIL called and said our farmer was taking the beans out. I know this doesn't mean anything to most of you, but to us, it translates to "Come over quick and maybe Ty can take a ride on the COMBINE!"
So, we did,
Unfortunately, they were just breaking for the night when we got there, so, no ride. But, we did get to go up in it! Ty had a blast.



So, for an unproductive weekend, it wasn't all bad.

Good Gift!

Every fall, my company has their annual users' conference. During that conference, we give a gift to every attendee, and then, we all get one as well. We've had mouse pads, notepads, coffee mugs, umbrellas, tote bags, and many more such items.
This year, the company has started a "green" initiative (admittedly, we were already doing quite a bit in the recycling arena, but we needed to take it a step further. One of those steps is to eliminate the Styrofoam cups that they provide in our lunchrooms. To that end, we just received the best conference gift yet!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, the Tervis Tumbler!
(with interchangeable lids for hot or cold beverages.)
And, this time, they had everyone's names printed on the back, so that they can't be "misplaced" in the lunchroom. How cool is this?

From the recipe archives

The weather is changing and the days are getting shorter, which always leads to one thing for me.
Comfort food.
On the menu last night was Chicken Pot Pie. Definitely one of my all time favorite comfort foods. Rich and steamy fresh from the oven. And, as a bonus, very easy to make. Now, I am not an avid baker, and I admit to using Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust when I make pot pie, so there. Hate me. Whatever. I only have so much time and energy to get a satisfying meal on the table for my family, and if that's what I gotta do, well, that's just how its gotta be.
My pot pie recipe is a conglomeration of several I have tried in the past, a la Barefoot Contessa, Paula Deen, and others of the like. It is a favorite of my mother-in-law's, among others, and I gotta say, I like it pretty well, too. I generally poach the chicken breasts in advance to save myself the grief later on, but you do whatever you like. Here she is, in all her glory.
Chicken Pot Pie
2 cups poached chicken, cubed or shredded
1 onion, finely diced
1 cup mixed vegetables (I use the frozen peas and carrots mix)
6 TB real butter
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 pie crusts (1 package from the refrigerated section)

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and saute the onions in the butter.
When the onions are softened, add the flour and cook to make a roux.
Add the chicken stock and stir to combine.
Let the mixture come to a boil to thicken.
Add salt, pepper, and cream.
Mix in the chicken and vegetables.
*This is important. If you don't want the pie to be runny, make sure you add enough chicken and veggies to make the mixture very thick, even if it is more than what is called for.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust (So, roll the bottom crust out a bit on a floured surface and put it in an 8-9 inch pie plate. If your crusts have a tendency to stick to the pan, pre-bake the bottom crust a bit first.)
Top with the second crust (you won't need to roll this one out) and pinch the crusts together.
Brush the top with more cream, top with salt and pepper, and cut three slits in the top to vent the steam.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes to an hour, or until top is golden.
Let is cool a bit before cutting to keep the juices from just spilling out everywhere like mine did last night.
Enjoy!

Things that Sparkle

I wasn't very attentive when I posted about the babysitter's jewelry the other day. I completely forgot to post pictures! Now, keep in mind, I liked this so much that I made a (can you say "Single White Female"?) set for myself. The necklace is actually a long one, doubled over for the picture, but you get the idea.

Green Goodness....

So, at home with a sick child all day, and with a dozen jars of fresh pesto at my disposal, I made lunch. I had some beauticul bronze die-cut Trofie pasta in my pantry, and some lovely marinated italian olives, courtesy of Ginny's last visit. So, here is my beautiful bowl of green goodness.

Pears, Pears, the PLENTIFUL Fruit...

A friend has a pear tree that is producing to such an extreme that the tree may very well split from the weight. I was asked to "please" take as many as I would like. So, I am thinking 'pear honey', 'pear jelly', or really, anything else that would preserve a fair amount of fruit. I've never really worked with pears that way, so please, send me some tried and true recipes!

another day at home, but not to rest

Well, at 3:19 this morning, Little Man started throwing up again. There is all kinds of stuff going around at school right now. So, now he is dozing while I'm washing sheets and trying to get some mending done. I hope to be back in th real world tomorrow.

Almost Forgot...

For date night on Saturday, we hit one of our favorite spots. Lone Oak Golf Course is not a country club. There are bullfrogs on the water hazards. There is no dress code, you can rent a cooler to carry your beer in on the course, and they only sell cans.
On Friday and Saturday nights only, they serve dinner. The dining room has a concrete floor and folding tables. But the steak....ooooh, the steak.....lets just say that if I could afford to quit working, I'd take a job there just to try and learn the secret of their marinade. And the shrimp is just as good.
I had every intention of taking a picture of the plate before I started eating, but when they bring that lovely cut of beef out to you, there is just no hesitation, So, I apologize for the partially mauled filet.....but you get the idea.

I think I need a break....from my weekend.

It wasn't meant to be a busy weekend, but it turned out to be one anyway. Saturday involved a lot of odds and ends around the house, making the jewelry (as previously mentioned), getting groceries, and date night. The day went well. I got the birthday gifts made, and date night was fun, albeit short since we all pooped out early due to the steak-induced food coma. Before going out, I gave the sitter her gift and told her to let me know if she wanted me to adjust it any lengthwise, etc. She told me when we got back what she would like to see done to it (also, I should mention that I liked the set so well, I made one exactly like it for myself before I even gave her hers. And, ahem, I am wearing it right now).

So, Sunday morning I made the alterations, and took the boy-child to breakfast at Grandma's. The babysitter's (who is also my niece) dad always shows up to breakfast, too, so I gave him the altered jewelry to take home to her. After breakfast, a quick run to town for lemon juice (more to follow), and some fall towels to stuff the gift basket with, and came back to cook lunch for Aunt P's birthday party. I fixed the basket up nice and pretty (2 bottles of wine and some miscellanea), the party went quite nicely, the food was great, and everyone had a good time. Finally, we went home so T could take a nap, which he flatly refused to do until nearly 4:00. Once I put him in bed (when we first got home) though, I went outside and pulled the last of the basil from the garden and took it upstairs, proceeding to pluck the bazillion leaves off of it to make pesto.

I missed Ginny.

I had her help doing this last weekend, but it took me a good three hours to do it solo. Hence, the lemon juice. When I went to the grocery on Saturday, they were completely out. Everyone is making apple butter and the like, I assume, and I used the last of mine making pesto last weekend. I also used fresh lemon juice and zest last weekend, but I forgot to get lemons, too. And I forgot to get garlic, so rather than use the pre-minced variety, I used what I had and this batch will just have to be less garlicky. So I ran in and got a nice big bottle at Walmart Sunday morning. As you may or may not know, making pesto is far from being an exact science.

For example:

Put in the food processor, several cloves of garlic, salt and pepper, a glug or two of lemon juice, a handful of nuts, and a pile of basil leaves. Blend. Cram several more handfuls of basil into the pot, glug some olive oil in, and blend again.....repeat until it tastes and looks right.

So, With my enormous pot of basil leaves, I went to work. I dumped batch after batch into a large bowl to put in jars when I was done. Normally, I'd put it in jars after each batch, but I wasn't sure if I'd end up with enough nuts, or cheese, or garlic, so I figured if I dumped it all together and mixed it again at the end, the flavors would be more evenly distributed. Once finished, I opened a fresh box of jelly jars (the short, squatty kind), and started filling. Would you believe, I filled EXACTLY 12 jars? Exactly to the top, with no leftover, and no dead space. How in the hell did I manage that??? But damn....isn't it purty?

Finally Friday!

I can't describe how happy I am that it is Friday. We do have a lot going on this weekend, but my brain is fried. I need a break. This weekend I plan to make some new jewelry, pull the rest of the basil from my garden and make a final batch of pesto, put together my new nightstands (even though the bed isn't complete yet), and get some cleaning done. Somewhere in between all that (or maybe vice-versa) I have date night (oooo! we're going to my favorite steak place with a couple of friends), and have a birthday party at the MIL's.

BUT! And there is always a 'but', isn't there? Something recently occurred to me. When I started this blog, I intended to use it to post lots of recipes and talk about food. And, clearly, my household projects, while very worthy of mentioning, have taken over. Well, the cold weather has begun to set in, and the urge to cook is taking over again. I'm not a great photographer, by any means, but here is what I did last night:

Cheeseburger Soup
Why we started calling it this, I don't know, because it doesn't even remotely resemble a cheeseburger. But, the hubs loves it, it is fairly easy, and very comforting on a chilly evening.

2 pounds lean stew meat
1 TB minced garlic
oregano, basil, parsley, about a teaspoon each or 1 TB Italian seasoning
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
5-6 potatoes, cubed
3 cups chicken stock
4 TB butter
1/4 cup flour
8 ounces Velveeta
1 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper
In a large stockpot, brown the meat in the garlic, and set aside.
In juices, saute herbs and onion until onion is translucent.
Return the meat to the pan and add potatoes and broth.
Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are just tender.
Melt butter and mix into the flour - add the slurry to the soup and return to a boil (add more slurry, if necessary to thicken).
Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper.
Cook until cheese melts and soup reaches desired consistency.

Also, I found out yesterday that we were having food at work today for my Aunt Patti, who also works in my office. Birthday food is a HUGE tradition here. Asking her what she would like me to bring she didn't hesitate in saying, "OH! Your Pecan Pie Bars!"
One of the first things I made when I became part of the family, and still her long-time favorite. SO, who can say 'no' to a woman on her birthday? Not me.

Pecan Pie Bars
1 ½ cups flour
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup maple syrup
2 eggs, beaten
2 T flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Combine 1 ½ cups flour, ¼ cup brown sugar and butter in bowl. With fork, mix until consistency of fine corn meal. Press mixture into ungreased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Combine 2/3 cup brown sugar and maple syrup in small saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes. Carefully pour over beaten eggs, stirring constantly. Be careful to add the syrup slowly, so as not to cook the eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients, except nuts. Pour mixture over baked crust, Sprinkle with nuts and bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes. Cool in pan. Cut into bars.


Enjoy!!!

A day off to....rest?

Well, as I stated in my mobile post yesterday, Ty was sick the night before, so we had to stay home yesterday. I wasn't terribly productive, since he was quite the Mama's boy and wanted me with him constantly, but I did manage to crank a few things out.
First off, I made a lovely little fabric "rolly" kit for my jewelry tools. Isn't she purty?
Then, since I had been promising the hubs, and I had a whole day to work on it, I made lasagne. At my house, we only get lasagne about once a year, because I not only do most of it from scratch, but I make a GINORMOUS pan of it. Literally, the pan barely fits in my oven. Here are a couple of pics to send your tastes buds through the roof. I didn't get one after it came out of the oven, but you get the idea.

Well, I called it.

Three of the kids Ty goes to school with have been sick over the last few school days, and yesterday I told Ginny that I wondered what day this week I would be home with Little Man. Well, iys today. about 7:30 last night, he crawled up on Daddy's pillow and said it was time to go to sleep. Hmmm....curious. I joined him around 8:00, and by 8:30 he was (asleep) making that 'swallowing' noise. You moms know what I mean. I got up and found towels, but before I could get them under him, he got sick. The rest of the night didn't go nadly, and he seems better, if a bit lethargic, this morning. So, it looks like I'll be at home today. Hopefully I can get some things accomplished. So far all I've accomplished is changing the sheets on my bed and snuggling up with him. but that's not such a bad thing.