Cherry Ice Cream Smile..

..I suppose it's very nice.

What a day yesterday was! I came home from a hard days work to make us some pizza and cherry scones. I made a sauce from scratch, chopped up our veggies and shredded the mozzarella. I roll out the pizza dough, which is a task I loathe because it's tedious like pie crust, and top it with the aforementioned items. I'm getting all excited and cannot wait for my pizza. Into the pre-heated oven it goes...

Let's venture backward in time for a bit. Many months ago my genius brother wanted to make himself a snack. He puts his snack onto a cookie sheet and pops it into the oven. After a while he notices it is smoking. Turns out a plastic piece of "silverware" was "stuck" to the bottom of the cookie sheet and he "cooked" it. The "cooking" causes it drip onto the electric coil thus causing the smoking. He goes forth into the oncoming days without mentioning this to any of us. When we use the oven next the plastic causes the coil to bend out of shape, so when I notice this he finally mentions the spill.

We try to clean it off best we could but it never really does come clean. It only seems to cause issues if we use it at a high heat or for long periods of time so we continue to use it. Luckily it is summer so we try to limit use of the oven. Sometimes though recipes or just baking in general gets the better of me and I use it non-stop.

So our pizza is in the oven at 425 degrees, usually we use 475 but like I said it doesn't do well with high heat. Well it considered 425 today as high heat. When I went to turn the pizza after being in for 8 mins the coil was sparking like fireworks! I'm not exaggerating or making it up. It was! It would change from sparking to a bright light. As my mother and I contemplated how we should put "the fire" out I snapped a picture for you good folks. So now I'm ovenless. What am I going to do?!

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My Sister's Birthday

Celebrating my sisters birthday made me miss celebrating my birthday. Remember all that free stuff? Brownie sundae, full rodizio, lemon cake, chocolate pudding pie and french silk pie. I hope I didn't miss anything. Onto the point. For my sisters I sure am glad she choose to do something I didn't, Cheesecake Factory.

We indulged and indulged. Stuffed mushrooms, mushroom soup, peachy or coconutty drinks, stuffed chicken tortillas and chicken samosas. But the real stars were the cheesecakes. Wild blueberry and chocolate coconut. We love them bunches! I'm sure you're looking at the picture saying "that looks like cherry, you idiot!" Well it is. It was for my mum. She enjoyed her as well.

Now to find the next birthday who wants to go to the Cheesecake Factory.
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Ogden Marathon Debacle

Short version: I took the wrong course. I'm just as upset at myself as I am at the very unhelpful UHP officers. I missed making mile 17.3 by 5 mins. Had I stayed on course I would've been fine and finished.

Here's the long winded version: Yes, a friend of mine did somewhat the same thing last year. Being the person I am I wanted to drive the course weeks before. So I started looking at the course. I never could find exact roads/directions so I decided to study the map they did provide. I knew the generals; like a right in between miles 7 & 8, road curves left at mile 9, etc etc. So I knew after mile 13 we made a left. What the map doesn't tell you is that 2 streets being somewhat close to each other which one is the correct one. So I approached the first street after mile 13 and Utah Highway Patrol was there with the road barricaded. It was a t intersection. My thought was that they were stopping traffic so as I passed in front of the UHP officers(2) I looked at them and said "thanks" and kept right on running straight. The road curved left a few hundred feet beyond that intersection and continued on I did. I passed a yard sale, boys baling hay, two walkers and several cars parked on the street. Then a biker came up to me asking if I was part of marathon. I said "yes" and he informed me I was on the wrong road. I wanted to quit right there. He gave me directions for two ways to get back on course and I choose to double back the way I came.

So along I went passing all the same things I had passed before and as I curved with the road to the right I paused once more. I thought surely the biker wasn't talking about the building next to the UHP officers. A vehicle stopped and asked if I was with the race and they told me I needed to go to the UHP controlled intersection. My heart sank as I quickly did some pacing math and realized in all likely hood I wouldn't make it. If I continued to think that thought I knew I was going slow down or give myself a side ache. All I could do was try. I took some extra pain pills and ate some more tortillas.

Here, as I'm sure you're all dying to know, are my splits.

Mile 2 - 27:30
3 - 13:00
4 - 16:13
5 - 14:30
6 - 13:59
7 - 14:19
8 - 15:44
9 - 14:59
10 - 14:09
11 - 15:08
12 - 14:34
13 - 15:09
14 - 29:05(approx 1 mile off course)
15 - 16:21
16 - 15:18
17 - 16:38

I hate that I didn't finish for 2 years in a row. Gah! So upset. Even days later, I am. I'm not sure I want to run the Ogden Marathon again. I feel like it's become the Moby Dick to my Captain Ahab. Maybe running Utah Valley will shake that feeling.
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The Birthday

My, oh my, what a wonderful day. It was hectic and filled with stress, but it is what is and I'll cherish the fun parts. What were the fun parts? Well let's see if I can recall them.

1. The constant barrage of facebook alerts telling me someone posted on my wall. Thanks for the wishes pals!

2. The constant barrage of people telling me "happy birthday" to my face. Thanks for the wishes pals!

3. The constant barrage of all my nephews telling me happy happy birthday. Every single one of them were so cute and I loved it! Nathan, Noah & Zach sang to me. Hunter shared his treat with me and gave me a hug. Iggy & Milo asked what I was doing and then seemed jealous he couldn't share in my pudding pie. I'll get him his own pie one day. How can nephews be soooooo cute!?

4. The constant barrage of texts texting me happy birthday. Thanks for the wishes pals!

5. The constant barrage of emails wishing me a happy birthday. BBC was the only one though to give me an awesome discount. I received a total of 3, but that is not including those who had already sent me free/discounted stuff wishing me birthday wishes in the past week. I must say though the email from Florence + the Machine was nice. Step up your game MUSE and Matt Nathanson. **still love ya though!**

6. My constant barrage of treats. Some I made and others were given to me. I started the day with chocolate chips cookies, butterfinger snackers, oreo cookies, lemon passion cake, nerds rope and chocolate pudding pie.

7. The constant barrage of Doctor Who. I got to watch 3 episodes!! My favorite exchange "What is a horse doing on a spaceship?" "Mickey, what is pre-revolutionary France doing on a spaceship? Get some perspective!" It's such a fantastic show and with my discount I'm buying myself another season.

Birthdays are made for friends, family, treats and Doctor Who. I say keep 'em coming.
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Rootbeer to Honey

I was going to delight in a rootbeer float from Sizzler but changed my mind, fairly last minute. I decided I'd save my gluttonous behavior for Tuesday. I have such self control.

I went to Target after dinner to get the items for my birthday pie. When I got there I remembered that they have wonderful, chewy, delicious bit o honey in their dollar bin. I bought 4 bags. What store puts bit o honey in their dollar section?! It's blasphemy I tell you. I am so happy and ecstatic that I bought 4 bags. I'll let you fathom just how many bags I ate in the hour they've been in possession.
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Birthday Week!

I really don't make a big deal out of my birthday but this year I want to. Or at least I've started, we'll see if I stick with it once my birthday has passed. I've got tons of treats planned! Some I'll make, others I'll buy and a few I'll get for free.

I started tonight with a FREE brownie sundae from Chili's. What to say, what to say. Chili's has kind of gone downhill, except in the dessert category. I do believe each one of their totally good for you desserts is completely delectable. Even if I've eaten an appetizer and gobbled my entire entree, I'll always make room for Chili's dessert. I am able to show public decorum and I request the dessert to go, but honestly once I'm home I'm spooning it into my mouth. Oh brownie sundae, thank you for starting my week off fantastically(read: full of completely unnecessary calories but I've got a marathon here shortly that will counteract these. Right? Right?!).

Cinco de Mayo

This saturday is a good precursor to my next two saturdays. I was non-stop, keep moving, no sitting Mary for 90% of the day.

I started my day off with a run, calf be damned. I started an aerobics class this Wednesday and it trashed my calves. I've attempted many things to make the pain go away to no avail. I wasn't going to put off running any longer. Surprisingly, once I got started it didn't hurt anymore. But as I lay here in bed, typing this up, it kind of does.

After the run, it was a shower. That led into me finally getting my hair cut. Yay! As I sat there, getting my hair played with, I realized I needed to go grocery shopping. So a quick jaunt to the store and then I was home.

Once home I cleared out all my books that I wasn't going to be reading soon into a bin. I started to sort through some magazines and papers on my bed when my brother returned from the liquor store. After all it is Cinco de Mayo.

I spent the next several hours prepping a marinade, making salsa and guacamole, whipping up margaritas and doing the dishes. Exhausted. Thankfully that margarita will help me sleep deeply.
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