This Blog Has Been Hijacked (finally).....
So...due to no fault of my own, Amy's blog post arrived on Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Sadly, it ended up in the junk folder. Why? I have no idea. But it did.

Amy's intention was to have it be posted for my birthday--which was yesterday. Upon a birthday phone call she said, "Did you get the blog post?" Which made me look through my spam folder to find it waiting for me.

So....here is the blog post from Amy. I made no changes (per her instructions).

(Though I added the photos. She said she'd send them, but none came my way.)

(Which is a bummer because Amy's got good dirt photos on me.)

It’s my friend Kelley’s birthday today. As a gift to her, I am stealing her blog. I am an official ghost writer. For all of you out there who only know Kelley through her blog, I thought I would share some insights about the woman you have been reading about.

Kelley and I met in college. We were both involved in the Association of Residence Halls. I met so many wonderful people through that organization, and I am proud to say I am still in consistent contact with more than a few. Kelley and I haven’t lived in the same town now for 13 years, but we are probably closer now than we were when we lived down the street from one another.

Kelley is the kind of friend who will listen to you cry when your hometown is flooding.

In the spring of 1997 when the water was coming into Grand Forks, Kelley was a phone call away. As an impartial third party, she knew when to say, “It will be okay” and “Stuff is just stuff” and “I’m sorry you have to go through this.” When months had passed, and tears were still on the surface, she didn’t tell me to “get over it.” She just listened.

Kelley is the kind of friend who will laugh if you make an idiot of yourself.

(Amy pretending to ride a bucking horse in the Denver Airport.)

(And she thought I'd post photos of just me during this blog hijacking?)

Here’s the thing – I probably have stories I could share, but why would I? I will say this, Kelley is truly laughing with me, not at me.

Kelley is the kind of friend that sends you a note in the mail just because she thought of you.

It’s no surprise to me that “Cards by Amy’s Angels” has been such a success. Kelley is behind it. She was sending cards to people long before she had a service project. In my collection of paper memories, I know cards from Kelley account for 60%. She is an incredibly thoughtful person. Plus, if you see her in person, it’s not uncommon to get small gifts from her – candles, chocolates, CDs…she is extremely generous.

Kelley is the kind of friend that prefers not to be in the spotlight.

That said, I think she secretly likes to be in the spotlight. : )
I have a photo of her from my wedding. She has a scowl on her face, but I know she loved being called up to the dance floor while the DJ explained why she owed Marty and I $100. (That’s a fun story by the way; she should blog about it sometime).

Kelley is the kind of friend who will point out all the expired food in your refrigerator.

Yep. If she comes to visit, check the dates on your yogurt. Make sure the bread isn’t stale. If the bran flakes are past their time, she’ll let you know. Don’t ever buy spinach in a bag and expect Kelley to eat it. And NEVER, EVER, thaw chicken on the counter.

Kelley is the type of friend who will call you to tell you the smallest of details.

“The shirts are in the mail.” “I finished reading TWLIGHT.” “I saw the recipe – you put mayo in that!” Phone calls from Kelley always make me smile. The calls always start the same: “Hey Amy, it’s Kelley.”

Kelley is the type of person who will sit on people if they are giving you a bad time.

(Kelley sitting on Amy's friend Korrin.)

(Korrin didn't get the joke.)

(Amy and Kelley thought it was hi-larious.)

Have a friend nagging you? Have a sister (who you love) drive you nuts sometimes? Have a hubby that doesn’t understand the importance of the holiday letter? Kelley will offer to sit on them for you. Seriously. “Want me to come to town and sit on her?” Kelley asked. “Yes I do,” Amy replied.

Kelley is the type of person who pays attention to the details.

In college, Kelley did the notes for the meetings we attended. I suggested she put a “Calvin & Hobbes” comic on the bottom of each set of minutes. She did. When she dated that other guy, I told her to call when she got engaged. She kept my number in her wallet for that exact moment. When we drove the 3-Day Route together this summer she wanted to know when to turn at the exact moment. When I complained that Heather (another college buddy) was mentioned more than I in Kelley’s holiday letter one year, she made sure we were equally mentioned the following year.

(I would like to point out that when I did get engaged--Amy was the first person I called.)

(Sorry, mom.)

Kelley is the type of person who likes her “Kelley Time.”

If Kelley comes to your house, you do not have to entertain. She is perfectly comfortable with the two of you watching TV and not talking. If you drive with Kelley in the car, you don’t have to have “101 Ways to Stop the Silence” conversations ready to go. She is perfectly comfortable with miles and miles and no talking. Kelley likes down time. She will tell you when she needs her space. There is never a need to ask Kelley, “Are you mad at me?” If she were, she’d tell you.

Kelley is the type of person I would like to be.

Kelley challenges me to be a better person. Kelley is a role model – in her actions, her words and her life. For all the reasons above, and many not mentioned her, Kelley is a better friend to me than I am to her. I am lucky to have Kelley in my life.

Hey Kel – it’s Amy. Happy Birthday.

(Kelley carrying Amy through Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas because Amy complained that her feet hurt.)

(Yes. My toosh is now on the blog.)

(No. Amy was not drunk. She just lacked sensible walking shoes.)

Something Happened on the Way to the Book Signing....
As I mentioned on Monday, Tracy and I had the best time at the book signing for the Pioneer Woman's cookbook. Ree was wonderful and I am grateful for the time she gave each of us at the event. You can read about the book signing here.

But what I didn't mention was what happened before and after.

I got to the Mall of America (MOA) before Tracy. I got a great parking spot outside of Nordstroms and walked right in and got in line. I was in the first 15 of the line, so the timing was perfect. As I'm in line, I noticed some of the MOA security talking to some kids who were goofing around. With those security people were a camera crew.

Yep.
A camera crew. Boom microphone and all.

As I'm in line waiting for Tracy, a few of us made the connection. They were filming the show Mall Cops--Mall of America.

This is just proof that anything can be a reality show.

Tracy arrives, we chat some more with the girls in line, and we start to move up to get our wrist bands. We weave our way into line and settle in for the next 3 hours until the book signing started at 1:00 p.m.

We had a great spot in line--right at the beginning. However, with our location came a lot of questions from the casual passer by:

Who's book is it?
Is this a book signing for the Sarah Palin book?
Doesn't she have a cooking show on Food Network?

Anyway, as we were sitting there, up walks one of the security guards. He asked about Ree and her story. I then looked at him and asked, "Are you mic'd right now?" (meaning, are you wearing a wireless mic for the show...). He said he wasn't. I asked, "Do you like doing the show?" He said that they just started production of the show and it wasn't that bad being followed around every step of the way.






Soon, his security partner came over and chatted with us.

She looked through the cookbook and liked how it was laid out.

As we were chatting, I soon noticed above my head, the furry boom microphone.

All the while, running through my head were thoughts of "seriously? Seriously? SERIOUSLY!?!?"

That and I was wondering if I had 4 double chins, if my fat rolls were showing and if my hair looked OK. Oh....and that I didn't have a stupid look on my face.

At 1:00 p.m., the Barnes and Noble folks introduced Ree and we were on our way to the stage! As we are shuffling along, I get tapped on the shoulder. It's one of the producers for TLC.

She asked, "Were you one of the women chatting with the security team?" I said I was and she said, "We'd like you to sign a waiver. We might want to use that for the show."

Say what?

So, yours truly signed her waiver.
Took her picture with said waiver (not only this one, but the TLC girl used her camera phone to take a photo. Proof I signed? Not sure...).

And I then stood there. Dumbfounded.

Tracy also signed a waiver as well as our friend in line, Laura.

We make our way up to see Ree, we chat, we take photos, and we get our free t-shirts (I don't think I mentioned that the other day. Yes! free swag!!).

As we are getting ready to leave, the camera and boom guy stop us.

"You guys signed waivers, right?"
"Yeeeahhhh....."
"Great...can we get some follow up comments from you?"

Say what!?!?!

So Tracy and I stood there giving our feedback about the event, what we love about her blog, her cookbook, etc.

And then, my bloggy readers, I said something that will certainly make it to the show. Something that will paint me and fellow Minnesotans as people who read blogs for the weirdest reasons.

I said....
And I (kinda sorta) quote....

"I love that I can read her blog and she doesn't brag or boast. She shows us pictures of her ranch. She shows up pictures of her recipes. She says 'I worked cattle today', 'I scooped manure off the back porch.' that is why I just love her blog!"

And that, my friends, is how those of us in line chatting up the mall cops, ended up on TLC.

Maybe.

If that isn't one heck of a story for the Thanksgiving table, I don't know what is! Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!

We're Besties. I Can Feel It....
Tracy and I headed to the Mall of America (MOA) on Saturday to meet the one and only Ree Drummond, also known as the Pioneer Woman.

Never heard of her?
That's OK. Some people haven't.
But those that haven't--do us all a favor and head over to her corner of the internet. You'll be glad you did. You can check out her site here.


Tracy and I planned to be at the MOA at 10:00 a.m. as you needed a wrist band to get a place in line. So, off we went, cookbooks, cameras, and a goodie bag in tow. As we got in line we were surrounded by wonderful people (and not just because they now have my blog address--hi fun people from the line!). Being around them made the time we waited in line so worth it.

Note to those who may be going to a book signing in their area in the next few weeks--check ahead to see if there is a need for tickets or wristbands. We found out the day before just by checking the MOA website.


And you better be on your best behavior.
Those K-9 dogs mean serious business.




Anyway--it was a well oiled machine. Folks from Barnes and Noble went through the line asking us what they wanted Ree to write in our cookbooks. They wrote it on a post-it and it helped things go much easier. We hit the jackpot as we were up front, right next to the stairs!






There were a lot of folks there. Easily a couple hundred people, though it's hard to gauge at the MOA. Mix blogger fans in with the regular mall traffic and you'll have quite the crowd (this picture is deceiving, as I'm up on the 2nd level looking down to the left. I didn't even get the "middle" or the "far right.").

(That sounds really political, doesn't it? "Left" "middle" "Far right". ha!)

Ree, herself, was delightful. She was nervous, but just as sweet as can be. She answered some questions from us in the crowd (we wrote them down and they chose 10-12 questions) and then we got to go on stage one by one to sit with her. My question was chosen to be answered--I wanted to know besides the Marlboro Man Sandwich, what other recipe is the key to a good marriage.

Her answer: Lasagna!

Does she know the Big Guy? I think she might because she hit the nail on the head. He loves a mean lasagna and even said, "That looks GOOD" when looking at her cookbook!

Soon, it was my turn on the stage!

She had a chair right next to her where she asked us to sit and chat while she signed books. I had 3 cookbooks for her to sign. I gave her the goodie bag of stuff from Minnesota from both Tracy and I (wild rice, wine from a local vineyard, Nut Goodie candy bars, Salted Nut Roll candy bars, Caribou coffee beans, etc). She had bright eyes and a big smile on her face and said, "Oh my gosh! I can't believe it!" We enjoy her blog and cookbook so much, it was the least we could do.

She signed my books (including one for our 3-day online auction which will happen later this spring! Thanks, Ree!!), and I just kept thinking in my head, "Oh my word. It's Ree. PW. Right next to me!"

(note to self, work on when to use the flash on the camera....)


As we chatted while she signed my books I told her, "I have to confess, I'm a little star struck!" She smiled and calmly said, "Oh, please! Don't be! I'm nervous. I'm sweaty. Really, it's just me."

Yes. It is.
But you're THE Pioneer Woman.

All in all it was a great book signing and I had the best time!

Oh.

And Marlboro Man and two of the Punks were there too (he was super nice, and the boys were a little wide eyed. I mean hello? Mall with an amusement park inside? I would be too!).

One more thing.

Be sure to stop by Wednesday to see what happened on the way to the book signing (you can read about it here). Here's a clue...

I Feel Like I'm Meeting A Rock Star.....
Tomorrow, Tracy and I are headed to the MOA (Mall of America) to meet a cookbook author.

I don't know if you've heard of her....




I KNOW!!

We're totally excited and have been thinking about this day since September. We are arriving early and hope to get a good spot in line. I'm excited to have her sign my cookbook. We are even putting together a goodie bag for her as well with fun Minnesota themed items. We just found out that it's a wrist band event. They are giving out a "limited number starting at 11:00 a.m." So, what time should we arrive? 9:30 a.m. just to get a wrist band? 10:00? So confusing!

More updates on Monday about our meeting with our new best friend, the Pioneer Woman!

I'm Not a Doctor, but....
Here's the deal. This is a heavy post today. But I'm disappointed and this is my way of venting. My blog, my rules, right? Because let's face it, I'm not a big "get-up-on-the-ol'-soapbox" kind of girl, but I am today because this totally makes no freaking sense....

Did you see this article on MSNBC? Basically, it's saying that women shouldn't be getting mammograms until age 50.

Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?

Here's a direct quote: "...getting screened for breast cancer so early and so often is harmful, causing too many false alarms and unneeded biopsies without substantially improving women's odds of surviving the disease."

So often? You think we enjoy going in to get squished? Oh, I can't think of a better way to spend a Friday, my birthday or any other time of day. Who goes more than once a year (other than those at high risk)?

How in the HELL is getting screened for cancer "harmful". I'd rather pay for a biopsy to have a doctor say, "you're OK" than have them say, "Well, see, you're not 50, and research & studies say it's nothing."

Wanna tell that to my friend Amy?
Or my high school friend, Karen?
Or Becky, who is currently fighting for her life right now?

Are you kidding me?

I get it.
It's research.
And honestly, I'm OK with research--that's why we raise money every year for the 3-day walk. And as a fundraiser, I cannot dictate what Susan G Komen or the National Philanthropic Trust spends their research dollars on. They have done great work and because of this, Amy's chemo treatments were cut in half. For that, I'm grateful. And because of this research, Becky got to participate in a cancer drug trial.

But I'm sorry. I am tired of being labeled because of my age. Just because I'm 30 something, I am told that I'm too young to have a mammogram. Because I'm 30 something my doctor doesn't do a proper breast exam each year because I'm "not clinically at risk." Because I'm 30 something, I get told that I only need to do blood work every 5 years.

So, while insurance will not likely change their guidelines--thank God--I can't help but shake my head & roll my eyes.

Guaranteed that if one of those so-called doctors or researchers had a mother, sister, aunt, wife, grandmother or best friend who was diagnosed because of a self exam or early mammogram, they wouldn't be saying that.

I'm off my soap box now.

Drunken Cranberries. You're Welcome...
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. For years, my mom hosted Thanksgiving at our house for the family. I have fond memories of defrosting the turkey in a cold water bath in the sink, the enameled roasting pan being thrown into the oven at 5:00 a.m., and of course my grandfather slicing the bird with the electric knife.

There's also the food! Oh good Lord!

Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows
Lumpy mashed potatoes
Pumpkin pie
Gravy
Jellied Cranberries

Nothing says Thanksgiving like a slice of jellied cranberries. As my grandma would say, "The lines from the can tell me where to cut." However, I will say that a slice of cranberries on a slice of turkey between 2 slices of bread is one hell of a sandwich.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I promised to post the infamous Drunken Cranberries. Yes. The same cranberries that nearly burned down the in-law's newly remodeled kitchen. Nothing says family togetherness like your mother in law screaming for her husband because of a fireball shooting out of the oven.

*Grin*

It wasn't until a few weeks ago when my co-workers asked for the recipe that I realized what caused said fireball.

Too much rum. Way, way, way too much rum. I know. How can there be such a thing, right? Well, in a gas oven, there is a limit.

Here's the recipe:

photo credit:  Google Images

(but seriously...this is what it looks like!!)

Drunken Cranberries
1 bag fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup rum (or brandy, or hard cider. Bottom line--you need booze)

Preheat oven to 325
Pour cranberries into a baking dish (8x8 works well)
Mix brown sugar and rum in a bowl until well mixed.
Pour sugar/rum mixture over cranberries.

Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Cranberries will burst and shrink and the liquid will turn into a thick syrup.

Serve warm.

This year we're trying them in a crock pot.

I swear it has nothing to do with the fire.

New Man...
I have a new man in my life. I spent an afternoon with him on Friday.
Big Guy? I'm sorry. You need to move over. There's a new love in town.




I love his strong fingers.....






Ear lobes I could just nuzzle.....






Well groomed bare feet....






Blue eyes that could melt my heart..... (note to self...work on photoshop tutorial...)







And of course, he sings my praises and tells me how wonderful I am....



Dear BFF. Stop making cute babies. They make them hard to leave behind at the end of the day, OK?

Be Thankful We Didn't Open the Garage....

When you get together with college girl friends you....

Get pedicures at the local beauty school....

Put your friends to work helping you make your wedding invitations (thanks, girls!)....






Go out to eat for an awesome breakfast at Hell's Kitchen (it has no connection to the TV show, Hells Kitchen.). I was so full after that breakfast, I had very little for dinner!










You also take photos of your food. This is a picture of Hell's Kitchen's house peanut butter and jams--all made on site. YUM.










You get to see awesome views of Lake Superior....










And views of the first weekend of deer season (be thankful it's a side view & not a view of the one hanging in Heather's garage!)...

One Holiday at a Time, Please....
This week, I've made a new pledge to myself--no computer usage at home in the evening. I mean, I'm on the computer all day long at work. I check my e-mail 857 times a day. I look at facebook more than I can shake a stick at it. I can only read MSNBC and the Star Tribune websites so much. So, why do it at home?

Instead, I've been working on a little crafty something for Baby Z.

I get to see him today.
I'm so excited.
Oh, and I'm excited to see the BFF, too.

Nothing better than smelling a newborns head and looking at little hands, feet and little diapered butts.

Anyway....back to the post.

Since I've unplugged the computer and working on my little something for Baby Z, I've had the TV on as background noise. The other background noise (read: The Big Guy) is working his evening shift this week, so I'm loving every minute of being in the house alone, trying to fill the lull....

While hearing the TV--I heard the Overstock.com commercial, sung to Jingle Bells...

Oh, Oh, Oh
The Great Big O
Overstock dot com

Buy online
it saves you time
Gifts for Dad and Mom

SERIOUSLY!?!?!?

IT'S NOT EVEN THANKSGIVING!

Yes, I know that every store no the planet now has their holiday decor up and ready to go.
Yes, I know that Target has had holiday ornaments out since October.
Yes, I hear that the holiday music is even playing in some stores.

But really. Can't we just get through Thanksgiving first?

Oh, and speaking of Thanksgiving, I will be posting the Drunken Cranberries recipe for all to have for their holiday meals. It's delish. Fresh cranberries. Brown Sugar. Rum. How can you go wrong?

This is also the same recipe that nearly burned down my mother-in-law's kitchen last year.

My Blog is Being Hijacked....
This weekend Amy and I are headed to Duluth to see our friend, Heather. I will be sure to take plenty of photos for a blog update next week. It should be a lot o' fun!

The other night as Amy and I were talking about Friday night plans, our conversation went like this...

Amy: I was just reading your blog. Did you get a new bed?
Me: No. Just the mattress topper, but we are thinking about a Temperpedic bed in the future

(insert rave reviews and how much Amy loves her Temperpedic here)

Me: Yeah....the blog is kinda boring right now. Nothing too exciting happening.
Amy: Well, bring your laptop and while I drive to Duluth you can write what I say.
Me: (thinking I'll get to share some exciting news or something) Really?
Amy: Yeah. I'll be a ghost writer. And you can't edit it.
Me: Wait. What?
Amy: Oh. I've had a guest post composing in my head for months.
Me: Lovely.

So, my blog reader(s) you'll get a chance to read Amy's post next week.

I have no idea what it will be about, but I promise you that I can debunk anything she says. And I've probably got photos to prove it.

Prayers Are Answered....

As you know, I love and adore the Big Guy.

But sharing a bed with him is a new adventure in sharing space.

You know what I mean--taking the blankets so he turns into a human burrito, laying spread eagle on the bed, pushing me over to one side and so on. Don't even get me started about the whole, sleeping-on-his-stomach-while-hugging-a-pillow bit.

I put my foot down a few weeks ago and said, "We need to start looking at King Size beds."

I started to think about it. What was it that was REALLY starting to bother me about this. It dawned on me that when the Big Guy rolls over in bed, I get bounced around and it wakes me up. So, maybe we just need to adjust our bed a little.

While out running errands on Saturday, I picked up my new best friend.

Introducing....the memory foam bed topper.

You, my little investment into NASA technology, are a welcome addition to my life, and I thank the Lord for sending my shopping cart in your direction.