What Is Your Magnificent Obsession In Life?

What is your magnificent obsession in life? What would have been the greatest achievement of your life if only you had the chance to accomplish it? Please explain your answer.

Tag: Magnificent Obsession, Greatest Achievement in Life, Climb Every Mountain

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla

Summer

Has your summer been fun?

Mine has been very busy this year.....compared to say last year even.

We have been swimming a lot this year which is nice. Especially since it's soooo hot down here and humid.

The girls and I were swimming the other day and we snapped a few photos while we were basking in the sun. Basting really. HA! Like chickens in an oven with butter on them.

Miss Priss giving us the "Thumbs Up!!!"
"KJ and Miss Priss" having fun.....

"KJ"

"MY view of the pool"........ha!!!


Later that evening, "Italian Boy" took "Miss Priss" out for a special date to celebrate their "anniversary"....HA!!!

The "dog days" of summer are passing fast here.

Seems as if I haven't gotten to have many "lazy summer days" at all.......but that's okay.
Life is short and we have to grab as much as we can from it.....especially with our kids and our loved ones.

Tell me how your enjoying your summer where ever your at!!!

I'm Special

Talk about a coolio week to look forward to! Tonight, my main man is coming home for a whole week and we get to party up RICH STYLE downtown tomorrow night. While poor ourselves, we can still pretend for one night!

First, The Cannery for dinner

Second, Fireworks on a yacht

Third, we go home and do the nasty *giggle*

It's a long time coming...I haven't been touched in over three weeks...well unless you want to count the self-dings but really...those are a necessity and shouldn't count. (gee i hope my brother is monitoring this)

Other than all that ^^ Nothing new to report. Same 'ol, same 'ol. Some changes here at the office but since they don't amount to me getting a raise... they aren't really news worthy.

Going camping this weekend with V and and an old friend. I could say I don't remember what we argued about (partly true) and why we drifted apart...but there is still one nagging thing at the back of my mind that one day when we are good and drunk I'll pour it out to her. And really, it was probably just a non-important thing to her that she didn't even realize she said - but me and my defensive attitude took it to a whole new level when I heard about it. That said, I don't believe that was the MAJOR reason for a blow out, even though I don't recall the 'blow-up'. Seriously...should I be considering going through my Blog archives to find the evidence?!?! LOL.

...cause well, we all know when I'M mad...my blog hears about it!!!!!

Happy July everyone and best wishes for August!

What Is Your Formula For Success?

Barack Obama - US Presidential Candidate


What is your formula for success? What are the ingredients for a successful life? Please explain your answer.

Tags: Formula For Success, Ingredients For A Successful Life, Career,
Ambition, Accomplishments

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla

Going To The Big Apple .....

It's been a busy week with "The Cousins" here but still in the midst of it all....last week I booked plane tickets for Miss Priss, my husband and myself to NEW YORK CITY and I am sooooo excited!!!

We will be heading that way the end of September to celebrate our anniversary and Miss Priss's birthday. Two big events in October....

This was to be the year for a big trip to Europe...but the husband asked me "IF we could delay the Europe trip for at least a year and do something calmer" since we have invested so much $$$ and time wise into the remodeling of our house and other family things this year.

So I said,....."sure" and booked us a trip to New York City Trip instead. HA~!!!
We will be there 5 days....and our oldest son Gabe will come and meet us in NYC.

He's been there many times (in fact he's going there again in a couple of weeks) and my husband has been before but this will be the first trip for me and Miss Priss.

Did I mention that I am sooooo excited????

I'll have more photos of "The Cousins" later....believe me....we've been ALL over Baton Rouge this week.
I'm exhausted today.

These people look a bit tired too....
I can't imagine why.

"The Cousins"

"KJ" the "girl cousin"
"The Cousins" made it in Sunday night. Miss Priss and Italian Boy drove with me to New Orleans to retrieve them from the airport there and bring them back to Baton Rouge.

Monday, "Miss Priss" and I decided to take cousin "KJ" to our FAVORITE French restaurant here in Baton Rouge...."Le Madelines." We had.....
French Dips with Pesto Pasta salad and our FAV soup..Tomato Basil.

Love that stuff, the Tomato Basil is their trademark soup that they also sell in jars that you can purchase and bring home. Yum!
Miss Priss with her new haircut.

What do you think of it?

"Miss Priss and KJ"
Miss Priss has always looked HUGE beside her cousin even though she isn't....because KJ is so very tiny.


Tuesday we went back to New Orleans so we could show them the French Quarter and around town a bit.
St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans

"The Twins..."K and KJ" in New Orleans

"The Three Cousins" in the French Quarter

"KJ in the Jimmy Buffet 'Margaritaville Shop' wearing a Cheeseburger hat.

"K" on the phone with a friend back home in Iowa"

"Miss Priss, Italian Boy, K and KJ"

"Miss Priss and Italian Boy" at the "Cafe Du Monde."

We ordered "Beignets" there.....because you just have to if you go to the French Quarter. It's traditional!
Beignets are "Square French Doughnuts" basically...with tons of powdery sugar goodness sprinkled all over them.

"KJ and her brother K" eating Beignets...messy but GOOOOOOD!

"K, Miss Priss, Italian Boy and KJ" on the Mississippi River Levee in New Orleans.


A couple of "fun facts" really quick.

#1. Miss Priss is 5 months older than "the Cousins".......who are twins...
#2. "KJ" was born first and "K" was born LAST and is the BIGGER of the twins....can you tell??
#3. It was HOT as a BLAST Furnace yesterday in New Orleans and very humid....which we are pretty accustomed to.
However...."the Cousins" were dying. Especially boy cousin......"K" who I chided the entire time for being a "weenie."
#4. We only stayed a bit over 3 hours....because they couldn't take the heat. HA!
#5. Luke hasn't been going with us much because he works all the time...and Caleb is in Florida and will be coming home on Friday so I will have to snap some photos of them with the cousins when I can.Oh well....
"Laissez bon temps roulette" we did "Let the good times Roll"...well....basically in plain terms...."a good time" was still had by all.

Today we are getting "rain bands" from Hurricane Dolly so it is cooling us down a bit along with occasional rain.

More new later.....
And I will post new photos of the kitchen remodel at some point. It's going VERY good. Thankfully!!!!

How Important Is Sex In One's Relationship?

How important is sex in one's relationship? Would you still love a person even if that person is frigid? In the absence of sex, how do you show your love to your beloved? Please explain your answers.

Tags: Sex, Sexual Relationship, Frigidity, Intimacy
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla

Freedom From Undue Restrictions

How do you regard freedom in your life? Do you detest undue restrictions and limitations in your life by other people? Please explain your viewpoint regarding this matter.

Tags: Freedom, Undue Restrictions, Happiness
Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla

Many Things to Ponder

"Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you."
~Marsha Norman~

I don't know about any of you, but my month has been very busy.
And although I am an organized person..it's been full of confusion at times. Even with my BEST planning intact. New challenges have arose that I did not expect.

As a result of all this....I have hardly had time to read or to sit and meditate or to have quiet thinking even.

Let alone to dream.
Which I dearly miss.

You have to MAKE time to do these things sometimes.

I need a moments rest and...we are heading into a long "running" stretch the next two weeks with my Twin Niece and Nephew, who my kids refer to as "The Cousins" flying down from Iowa on Sunday night.

I have "day trips" planned for us all in my head already, including a trip to New Orleans to sight see in the French Quarter and surrounding areas, next Tuesday if all goes well.
There is a lot to do and see here in Louisiana. Tons of history.

And of course....the food is awesome. Not that they care but some of us do! HA!

The "kitchen remodel" is coming along....my digital camera's chip is FULL UP so I have to go purchase a new one before I can shoot any more photos to post.

By this weekend...we should have it about 75-80 percent complete. The new "Cambria" counter tops will be installed tomorrow morning....Thank GOODNESS!!!
Cambria is a quartz material and does not hold bacteria and that was a huge reason why we selected it. Plus it is beautiful and hasn't the maintenance upkeep like granite does.

We have picked out a color called "Brownhill" to match our new cabinets.

We painted the walls the same color be had before because we loved it.
It's called "Chesteretown Buff" and it's one of the "Historical Colors" by Benjamin Moore Paints.
Here's the paint color:
We had hoped to have this More than over before the Twins arrived.
But it hasn't worked that way....gitches you know.
Lots of glitches.

Three weeks without a stove or a sink with running water. Ugh!!!
I'm nearly over the edge with all this :~)

One in a Million

I was called “One in a Million” the other day…and not in a positive way – more like “You have some serious issues”. It was laden with sarcasm and dripping with contempt so suffice to say, I was not exactly pleased with it. Interestingly enough, it came during an unpleasant conversation that really shouldn’t have been a conversation at all. Funny how things can get so awry so quickly, no?

BUT, it made me realize why these stupid crappy (journalistic license ok? Lack of better words) dramatic silly events always happen to me. When I *think* or even *know* I am right I tend to want it KNOWN and ACKNOWLEDGED and well…I can be stubborn given the right situation.

Most of you know that I have a large target on my back for teasing, ribbing, and being the brunt of jokes. I know it doesn’t come as a surprise. You know, sometimes I enjoy it (at the right time) because you only tease the one’s you love right? I know I walk into it a lot, and I know I react with makes it WAY funnier… but…I guess it’s affected me more than I care to admit because I am so sick of it…so darn sick of it…and my feelings get hurt on a daily basis with none the wiser. I have developed a thick skin so to speak which sort of leads to my constant struggle to defend myself. Regardless of what one might think: I DON’T like arguing…in fact, I HATE IT…but I know I am going to get walked all over if I don’t stand up for myself. And while cryptic – this all leads back to my original comment about being called “One in a Million”. Honestly…I know I can be stubborn unnecessarily so, and the struggle to be ‘right’ is a family trait that we ALL have.

Maybe…for just one second…consider how many time *you* have poked fun at me (You is general…directed at every one of you three loyal readers!), made me the brunt of a joke, embarrassed me with family and/or friends….then consider WHY I am the way that I am: constantly defensive, uncooperative when demanded to do something, and completely hard-assed when threatened. Seriously, every person that has ever been a part of my life for a given time, has in some way shaped me into the person that I am : directly or indirectly.

I have a lot of years of being the underdog to make up for…obviously.

While it may not excuse my argumentative side (read: defensive) it should explain it at least a little.

Sooo... I am boyfriend-less and kid-less for a week. (read: home alone)While I miss the little one immensely, I am looking forward to pain-free grocery shopping LOL. Sad, but it’s true. I might even get more than one blog entry done this week! Although – with the ancient computer I have at home…I am not sure if I can actually write there. I can’t even save pictures because I don’t have any of the programs… and with a not-so-legal copy (I am only assuming since I was told by the person who built it) of Windows I can’t download, update, or anything. Plus, it really only works half the time.

Hmm... Time for a new one?! Lol

Oh and look…another blog post all over the map. Shocking *wink*

New Family Weekday "Traditions".......

"Waiting For Dinner".....can you see the cast iron pot cooking something tasty over the flame? I don't see a TV in the room either.
This could be "my house."

In light of the "food crisis"
that is happening all over the world and due to the high rising costs of food and gas. I felt the need to do something to RAISE "awareness" in my own family.

Thus we have begun "Meatless Mondays"...and "TV-LESS Tuesdays" at our house....not a huge drop in the "world bucket" but just our tiny, tiny, contribution. Plus it is beneficial to THIS family health wise and dollar wise.
I know the "no TV" thing on Tuesdays isn't any great help to the world...however it actually does keep it "calm" in our home and encourage us to do other things than just lay on the couch and have our minds entertained by a electrical powered box....with no effort on our parts. Well little to no effort.
I mean you DO have to press the remote from time to time.

We used to do this "no TV" thing two times a week a few years ago. We had what we called "No TV Nights" where the kids could "Do their home work, play a game, read, hang out and talk to Mom and Dad, or do most anything"....except watch TV.

At first they bawked a bit....but really at some point we really we all became used to this new habit.. But then something "slipped" and we fell back into kicking on the TV in the evening to watch the 5:30 World News and before you know it....the "squawk box" is on ALL NIGHT.....until we go to bed.
As far as the "meat" issue goes.....we don't eat alot of it and aren't against anyone who does eat it. We personally do not eat alot of red meat or pork.
We do like a little steak on occasion and I do mean "rare" occasion.
Yes, pun intended. :-)


So for about the past month.....we have been doing these two "event" nights. Except for the one Monday that I forgot it was "Meatless Monday" at our house and I had chicken, our main meat source...all thawed out and ready to cook when I realized it. But I skipped it and we did it the next night instead. HA!
IT was...."Meatless AND TV=less Tuesday" that week.

Now, I have always felt that "Great Minds think alike"....in fact it's one of my favorite sayings..."tongue in cheek" of course...usually.

So I read an article tonight on a website about Paul McCartney (another "Great Mind)asking his fellow Brits "to give up meat on Mondays" as well.
Here's a quote from the article... "Paul urged his countrymen to give up meat on Mondays, as a way to cut back on their carbon emissions."Interesting.
Then once I had read the Paul McCartney thing.....I did a little searching and I happened upon a website that is called "Meatless Monday" which is part of a "Campaign" by the "John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health." Another.....ummm....place full of "Great Minds."
To quote their website;
"Meatless Monday is a national health campaign to help Americans prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer - four of the leading causes of death in America."

I think we are on "track" here as a family just in these two little areas.....and this may prove to be more beneficial than we realize in the long run.

If we hang in there.

Now if we could just do something more as a family about the gas situation.

High School Days

How do you describe your high school days? Do they evoke sweet memories or are they littered with bitterness and frustrations? Do you still keep in contact with your high school friends? Please explain your answers.

Tags: High School Days, Sweet Memories, Bitterness and Frustrations, Zest For life

Posted by: Mel Avila Alarilla

Gabe's "New Ride"

Gabe and his new car.
Gabe flew into New Orleans from up north last week and bought a new car. It's not totally brand new...it's a 2003 but he has ALWAYS wanted this kind of car. So he is thrilled.

We visited with him for several days.
Now he's on his way back to his home far, far, away in a distant land called Connecticut.
Some where I have never been. Sigh.

He loves it up there....for many reasons. But one being it is so much cooler than here. Gabe has always liked a cooler climate.

We checked in with the "Connecticut Yankee" last night and after driving 17 hours straight, and going through a "scary and weird experience in Mobile Alabama at 3:30 in the morning."

I knew my husband and I had both woke up praying for him in the night several times for a good reason. I called him at 5:00am to check in on him to make sure he was still awake after driving all night.

He had finally made it to Virginia yesterday evening where he was staying the next two days with a friend and attending some business seminars for work before driving the rest of the way home.

I am a bit concerned though.

About his car that is.
I wonder how they are going to like his car up there in "U-Conn" territory...Especially since he put that LSU plate on the front has added that huge LSU sticker on the back windshield..umm....not counting the one on the front windshield. Yikes!

You would think that boy liked LSU or something......