and here we are

at the last day of February.  I made it for the whole monthly photo challenge.  Today's inspiration is "something you're listening to".  I actually had to make a trip to Walmart before I could listen to anything.  I couldn't find my earbuds anywhere.  I've been looking for days, knowing that my Wednesday walk to get the newspaper was coming up.  They're gone so I had to run and get replacements.

You know how when you've been outside and sometimes you walk into the house and it feels hot?  That was me.  I came home from my walk and I needed to adjust my temperature.  I went and sat in the backyard and listened to my music.  Well, I laid there (lied there?) until my battery was just about dead.  Now that I've chilled out and ate a clementine, I guess I should get started on things that need to be done.

today's topic is

money.

Speaking of money, I went to the grocery store this morning, bought 7 items, spent $4 and saved $7.  Speaking of things I bought this morning, after leaving the first store, I went to Kroger.  I had a coupon for a Marie Callender's pie... so I bought the apple pie with the crumbly top.  (I love it.)  Anyway, I got home and was putting the groceries away and didn't have room for the pie in the freezer so I had no choice but to bake it.  I hope I have the will to save some for everyone else.

today's topic is

"something you ate today".

I had a snack earlier today.  I love clementines and I love popcorn and I just happen to have both on hand.  I was trying to decide what to make for dinner but nothing really sounded good.  Well, one thing sounded good... a repeat of last night's dinner.  I finally decided on chicken fried steak but now I've changed it to Chinese take-out.  For now I think I'll have another clementine.

well it looks like

I was wrong.  I might just get this posted before going to bed.  As I mentioned in that other post, the word is "night".

Way before I drove "downtown" to get this nighttime pic, I had dinner.  As I mentioned earlier (or as you'll read in the next post if you're just joining us), we had shrimp and steak tonight.  We grilled shrimp brochette, filet mignon and asparagus and baked some potatoes.  I was so full of shrimp I could only manage to eat half of my steak (which had already been halved with Cosme) and half of my potato (which had also been halved with Cosme).  I couldn't handle any asparagus and only managed a couple of bites of the salad that I forgot to mention.  Dinner was awesome.

yesterday's word

was green.

I'm a little late posting because I didn't get the picture until I was at the grocery store last night.  While there, I saw these olives and there you go... green.  For the record, I cannot stand olives.  I don't know what it is about them (other than the taste, texture and smell).  On a more delicious note, I bought shrimp for today's surf and turf.  I'll prep some shrimp brochette shortly and head down for some filets after that.  I'm thinking about sides.  I have asparagus but think I'll stick with baked potatoes or maybe twice-baked.  I can't believe I'm having shrimp today.  Since I don't eat fish, shrimp is all I eat on no meat Fridays during Lent.  This is the one time of the year that I actually get tired of shrimp.  When Easter rolls around I'm almost completely burned out.  I guess shrimp brochette doesn't really count since it involves bacon.  Yum.

Today's topic is "night" so don't expect to see the photo challenge until tomorrow.

inside your bathroom

cabinet - it isn't the most exciting thing to see but it was the challenge so here it is.

This is one of the cabinets.  A while back I decided to make labels.  It isn't that I need a label on something but a label just seems like it's easier to put something back where it belongs.  I'm learning here.

In the process of labeling I also did some rearranging.  I'm only 5'5" and the cabinet goes up to the ceiling so anything above the second shelf requires a ladder.  Everything is just about perfect for me now.

Yes, I have the old towels labeled too.  This is so Cosme can use those for his workouts and stuff.  (Notice they're also on the top shelf, not wasting any of the short people space.)

Today I have to drive to Webster or League City or somewhere over that way.  I never go that way so I don't really know which towns are which.  Alex Rodriguez Mercedes is there and my car needs an inspection sticker and a look over.  I don't mind taking my car to them because everyone there is so friendly and I know I'll drive away with a washed car.  Let's just hope that all goes well.  I'm also going to a Pampered Chef party tonight.  I'll finally get to order the small mixing bowl I've been looking at for about a year now.

yeah, yeah,

I know I just posted these shoes not too long ago but the topic for today is "your shoes".  I wear these shoes all the time and have been out running errands this morning and it's what I'm wearing now.

I feel a little bad now.  Not only do I not really have anything to talk about but I've posted a pic of something I've already shown.  Here, I'll make up for it...

A sleeping cat.

where you work is

today's topic.

Just because I don't leave the house for work everyday doesn't mean I don't work.  I work at home, unless I'm out running the roads to take care of business.  They don't call it housework for nothing.  When it's time for photography, I do it here.  I am always working at home.

Yes, I realize my front door looks bare.  I did have a potted topiary there for a long time but it was looking pretty bad so I waited a few months and threw it out.  I've been on the lookout for something I like.  Speaking of sprucing up the front door, my doorbell button is messed up so I bought a new one.  I found this one online and I really like it.  I wanted something more ornate than what's up there now.

I've researched how to change one out and it looks pretty simple.  It looks like all I need to do is flip the breaker off, unscrew the old, put the wires on the new and screw it on.  My only problem is I don't know which breaker cuts the power off to the doorbell.  Since the current one doesn't work, I can't flip and see which turns the lit up button off.  You know what though?  Now that I look at these two pictures of the door and the button, I'm wondering if it even matches.  UGH.

do you know how

hard it is to find a favorite photo of yourself?  That's the challenge for the day.  I don't even have a favorite photo of myself.  I'm pretty sure I've never sat around thinking about which photo of myself I like the best.  I just went through a box of my grandmother's photos and picked one.

I don't think I've changed much.  It's not the best quality since it's an old picture and I took a picture of it through Instagram.  I sure hope tomorrow's topic will be easier.

today it's about

handwriting.  Since I always have food on the brain and am in the middle of making lasagna, my grandmother's recipes came to mind.  My grandmother was always cooking and it was always good.  She even made liver when I was a kid and I liked it.  This recipe isn't one of my favorites but it's been through a lot and some of the handwriting has taken a hit.

I personally hate bread and butter pickles.  Another thing they always made was fig preserves.  I use "they" because I think the pickles and preserves were mainly my grandfather's thing.  I have my grandmother's recipes but I've never been able to find the one for fig preserves.  I don't like those either but Eric does.  I always wanted to make some for him but until I come across that recipe, I won't make any.  I know he likes this one and that's the one I will use.  If I never find it then I will never make fig preserves.  (Stubborn?  Definitely.)

something you don't like

to do, that's the theme for today.  I thought about household chores I would love to do without but then I thought of something else I REALLY don't like to do.  I hate using public restrooms.

anyone could have

guessed a cat would eventually get into the photo-a-day challenge.  Today's word is drink.

time is the word of

inspiration today.

Not only does the watch represent time but I just happen to have this old Emily Post book out.  (Yes, I was looking something up earlier.)  This book is Emily Post's book for young people.  It is clearly from another time.

Last night we were watching tv and a Mazda commercial came on.  I really liked the song so I had to search it immediately.  This is it.  The crowd is a little obnoxious but the song is good.

Speaking of guitarists, when we saw Buddy Guy a few years ago, there was a guitarist that opened for him.  We saw Honeyboy Edwards.  There was a lineup of everyone that died in 2011 during the Grammy awards the other day.  (Not that died during the awards but throughout 2011.  The lineup was shown at the Grammy awards.)  Honeyboy Edwards died last year.  You know who also died?  Doyle Bramhall.  I saw him perform in Surfside in 1993.

once upon a time

I needed a drill.  I wanted to hang something in the guest/cat room and I wanted my own drill.  I went down and bought a drill.  It was all mine.  I put it back in its box and that was it.  That drill wasn't around for too long.  Somehow it got used and disappeared.  I went and bought a new one.  None of this really matters but I just wanted to give a little back story to the picture for today's challenge, something new.

"Drill, baby, drill."

the daily inspiration is

phone.

I've gotten a lot of use out of this phone.  It's been photographed MANY times.  I know I've probably posted several pictures of it but hey, be thankful the word for the day wasn't "cats"...

in honor of

Valentine's Day, the word of inspiration is "heart".

I opted to not eat out but make burgers just so I could make heart-shaped burgers.  Eric has class this evening so I had to get to grilling pretty early.  Earlier in the day there was a special on Valentine dinner options on tv.  About that time I was questioning the heart burgers and was really wishing I was going out to have a filet mignon with maybe a side of bernaise for the occasional dip, along with a delicious side of creamed corn with pancetta...  sigh...  I can have that any old time though.  It's been cold and rainy a lot lately but today is a bright sunny day with a high of 73.  It's the perfect weather for grilling.  I didn't stop there.  I had to make heart-shaped brownies too.

saturday's inspiration

was "what makes you happy".  What made me happy on Saturday was doing absolutely nothing.  I went that morning and bought Breaking Dawn (which had been released at midnight), came home and plopped and started a Twilight marathon.  I enjoyed every minute of it.

Sunday's photo challenge inspiration was "inside your closet".

Today's inspiration is blue.  Since we saw Star Wars Episode 1 yesterday in 3D, the movie is still on my brain.  Today's pic is Eric's blue lightsaber chopsticks.

self portrait

for the 10th day.

I did it this way because I never have before.

I decided to make cinnamon rolls to send on my parents 40th anniversary camping trip this weekend.  I called my aunt and told her I was bringing some to her to take.  I then told my mom but she said someone else was bringing some along.  I sent a text to my aunt letting her know I wouldn't be sending them.  I had already started the dough but decided to just put it in the fridge and work at a slower pace and finish them today.  I talked to my aunt this morning and she said she knew the others would be there but she wanted mine too.  Oh well, it's too late.  They're leaving in an hour and I won't have them ready by then.  Now I'll have way too many pans of cinnamon rolls.  I think there might be a giveaway on Facebook to anyone willing to come pick them up in this nasty weather.

today's challenge is

front door.  Since it's a little chilly out I decided to get the inside view.

What surprises me most about this picture is that there isn't a cat staring out the door.

the word of inspiration

is sun.  I was having a hard time finding any.  But of course after I got my picture and shared and tagged it, boom.  Here comes the sun.

In the process of trying to find something out in the yard that looked interesting, I decided it was too cold for a walk today.  I got in my car and drove to get the paper and stopped at the park along the way.  People walk on a path at this park so I probably looked a little creepy getting out and going to the playground without any children.  Looking even creepier is the only thing that stopped me from sitting on one of the swings for a bit.

i didn't get around to

yesterday's picture because the word of inspiration was dinner and it was a little late by the time it got here.

It was fried shrimp from La Casona.  Yeah it seems a little weird to get fried shrimp and french fries from a Mexican food place but the La Casona in town has really good fried shrimp and they're even better when dipped in hot sauce.

Today's inspiration for the photo-a-day is buttons.  I was filling the car up this morning and saw some buttons.

today's inspiration

was 10am.  At 10:00 this morning I was getting set up for pics so I picked the end of my lens for the photo-a-day.

After two weeks to prepare, we finally had Senior Serve last night.  We were exhausted.  Eric made it in from his trip to Austin a few minutes before the show started.  I know he was stressed not only from running late but also because it was left to his friends to set up his equipment and check it all out and he was wondering if he remembered The Star Spangled Banner.  Although he was a little irritated with how it went, I thought it went well.

Lauren left this morning, Cindy and Earl came for me to get pics of Bailey, Mom and Dad stopped by on their way back home and after everyone left I got on the couch and took a 1.5 hour nap.  It was much needed and totally enjoyed.  I think I could use another day like this one.

Here's a pic of Bailey from this morning.  She wanted the camera.  I wish we could have gone outside but it it was a little chilly and windy.

the word for the day is

stranger.  Considering this person died way before my time, it is a complete stranger.

On another note, I've been busy all day getting ready for Eric's Senior Serve.  I'm exhausted but almost ready.  I need to make one more trip to the store and that should be it.  I don't know what I'd do if Lauren wasn't here helping me.  Oh wait, I'd probably be crying and taking Nerve Tonic every few hours.  As it is, there was an "oh crap" moment but we solved the problem and avoided any meltdowns.  I hope the rest of the evening goes as smoothly.

today's inspiration is

hands.  So because it was raining cats and dogs earlier and I was running around like a dog and now I'm as tired as a dog (but I'm pretty sure I won't be begging like a dog to eat out tonight), I give you my hand... as a dog.

two days

in and I'm still on top of things.  I really hope it lasts.  Today's inspiration for the photo challenge is "words".

Lately, these are words I am VERY familiar with.

Apparently the groundhog saw his shadow so we'll have six more weeks of winter.  Considering the high for the next few days is 72, I say bring it.  It might extend the use of antihistamines but I'd prefer that over the 100+ temps coming up.

first day of the

month and here's my first for the February photo a day (challenge here).  The topic was "your view today".  Since it's only 8:30 and the day is just starting, I haven't seen a whole lot.  Where most people have regular morning routines, I really don't.  If there isn't a Real Housewives episode or Project Runway on dvr, I like to sit at the computer and eat my breakfast.  A lot of those mornings I get sucked into Pinterest.

As much as I'd like to wash my breakfast dishes and get back on the computer, it probably won't happen today.  There are clothes to be washed, floors to be swept, Senior Serve plans to be made and Netflix movies to be mailed back.  Guess I better get started.