KirstenL4W

First of all, I have to give a big huge shout out to Zac. He just opened himself a brand-spanking new website dedicated to furthering the mission of the Agents of S.O.R.P. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but if you like a bitter commentary on the state of the world with a very creative use of cuss words, then EvilKicksAss is the place for you. It’s also a one-stop shop featuring Zac’s excellent videos, forums, and pictures of hot goth chicks. Go check it out!

Now, where was I? Oh yes. Mister and I are planning our trip to my old stomping grounds, New England. I bought my history buff husband a travel guide so that he can get excited about all the cool historical stuff Boston and beyond has to offer, so we are both really looking forward to going. I haven’t been to Boston proper in years, and the last time I did anything remotely educational there was when I was still in school.  We’re also planning a meet-n-greet dinner so that the rest of my family and friends can meet Mister.  As with my wedding, it’s been fun trying to keep my mom from making this bigger than it has to be.  It’s a meet my family event, not a recreation of the wedding.

We haven’t been watching much tv at all, but we have watched a few movies.  I opened my email the other day to see that a couple of movies I had ordered months ago finally shipped.  Truth is, I forgot about them because I ordered them in the days before the wedding, and one movie in particular wasn’t to be released until August.  Well, it’s August, and our 2-disc special edition of The Nightmare Before Christmas was delivered.  It’s one of those Disney flicks that they like to hide on you for a few years, so as to create demand.  It just got re-released on DVD and Blu-Ray, and since Mister has previously owned a copy on a number of occasions and was eager to get his hands on it again, I bought it.  I had only seen the movie once, when it was originally in the theaters, but I was never interested in seeing it again because I was on a bad date at the time.  Now I know Mister and we watched it and wanna know something?  It was good!

This weekend we are going to Phoenix.  Mister has some work, and I don’t, so I get to go with him.  We’re gonna spend Friday doing his work stuff, then Saturday we’ll be taking the scenic route back and taking pictures that we didn’t get to take when we went to Prescott awhile back.  Then we’ll be back late Saturday to spend the rest of the holiday weekend at home.  It’s nice to get a long weekend once in awhile.

That’s the news for now - it’s getting late and I need to get to bed.

My sister called me a little while ago. I was kinda surprised that my phone was ringing, since most of the people who call me are on the east coast, and it was well after 11pm there when she called. She was so excited, she had to call someone, and I was the only person she knew who would be awake. Just a few minutes before she called, she and her man were out on the lanai enjoying the evening when all of a sudden, the utility poles on the next street blew up, one after another all in a row. She said it was spectacular. Of course, she’s enjoying the romantic candlelight right now. Ah, the things I have to look forward to when I go to visit her for Thanksgiving.

Earlier today, I decided I was going to finally try a sandwich shop that continuously wins Best of Las Vegas awards. I saw that they had a roast beef sandwich - not a sub with au jus - so I decided to try it. I have not had a good roast beef sandwich since I was back in Massachusetts. You just can’t seem to find one once you leave Mass. And all you fast food enthusiasts out there, please don’t even suggest Arby’s. I ate there once - ONCE. They have roast beef loaf instead of the real deal. I’m all set with that. What I want is a good old fashioned roast beef sandwich.

While the sandwich I had today was far beyond Arby’s, it was not what I had expected. The meat was well done, and though I usually like my meat on the fully cooked side, there is only one way to eat roast beast: rare. Also, the meat was a bit over-seasoned, and though it was shredded, it was cut way to thick. They grilled the roll for me as I asked, but it wasn’t buttery enough. At least they had Tastykakes. Yes, I know, Tastykakes aren’t a New England thing, but gimmee a break. My mom is from New Jersey and I developed a liking for them on my many visits to the family farm.

I want a roast beef sandwich with rare roast beef, sliced on the thinnest deli slicer setting. Yes, I want my meat to be see-through. A very buttery onion roll, grilled to a light golden brown so you get a nice crunch when you take a bite. Lots of mayo. Some people like BBQ or horseradish sauce, but I like to clog my arteries. I can’t find one here. I asked a coworker today if she knew where I could find one. Since she lived in Boston for a number of years, and she’s been in town at least as long as I have, I figured that if anyone would know she would. And yet, she didn’t. Meh. I guess I need to add it to my list of foods to eat when I go back there again.

On a side note, I was in the middle of composing this post, switching back and forth between tabs, and on my way back to the tab that I had my Create Post in I accidentally clicked the X to close it instead. OH NO!!!!! But I checked the menus in Firefox, and lo and behold, I came back without having to recreate my post. For those wondering, I went to History > Recently Closed Tabs. It not only brought me back to this page, but my entire post was intact! Yippee!

And time for some more pimpin’ - Zac was on tv this morning pimpin’ the hearse club. It was an interview on early morning news, and you can view it here (if you can’t see it, look for the “Get a hearse!” segment. Don’t forget to watch the video!

In other news, the winds have stopped blowing all the smoke from the California fires out to sea, and while it’s not blowing this way like it did in 2003. Back then visibility was pretty bad - less than 1/4 mile and the whole valley smelled like a big campfire. The smoke is here now, though, and my eyes are really bothering me. This picture shows the smoke coverage as of today. The air quality forecast shows a smoke advisory issued through Sunday, though in the moderate level. So we can still see where we’re going when we’re driving around, but my eyes will be feeling like this for awhile. Joy.

I could probably find some more links for you, but it’s late and I’m going to watch the news. Kevin Janison is telling us that the lack of winds is keeping the smoke here through the weekend.

Since Halloween is coming up in just one wee, and since Boyfriend’s friend Zac just finished making this video, I thought this would be the appropriate time to post the video. (It was just posted within the last few hours, and I’m taking this opportunity to do some pimpin’, but still - you’ll like it.)

And for those wondering, I have yet to ride in a hearse, but Boyfriend has one up near Zac’s house in Colorado, and I understand that it may be making a move to the desert soon. I’m sure I’ll ride in it then (in the front, you silly people). Boyfriend wants to start a hearse club here, and we know a couple people interested in it. Once the hearse gets here, the club will be easier to plan. The hearse thing is new to me, but collectible cars are not. My Dad is big on cruise nights and classic car shows, so it’s a similar culture, but without the poodle skirts.

So there ya have it - the coolest video you are ever going to see this Halloween, and I outed Boyfriend as a hearse driver (he’s not a mortician, though. I knew you were asking.)

I mentioned a few posts ago that I would put in a word for AJ and her new candle business. So, here it is.

My friend AJ has been on a quest to find that perfect part time job opportunity that would allow her to spend plenty of time with her family, bring in an adequate income, and do something she’s passionate about. First there was the obvious - go to the mall and get a part time job. Sure, we had fun working together at the shoe store, but the pay sucked and honestly, so did the hours (sorry, Big G). Then there was candy. Who doesn’t like candy? But there’s a lot that goes into a candy business. Permits, licensing, the health department on your back, have to make it in a commercial kitchen, blah blah blah. That all costs money, especially in a red tape town like this one. On to digiscrapping. AJ loves to scrapbook, and she does it digitally. She’s got some great kits and has made some really cool pages. But is that really a sustainable business? Then she found candles.

Ah, candles. Almost everyone I know burns candles. Even I do once in awhile (I love the scent and ambiance of the flame, but I have this thing about fire). Even fragrance sensitive people can burn these, since they have an unscented candle! These candles are all soy-based, so they’re all natural and don’t throw off as much soot as regular candles do. I’ve been to people’s homes who burn tons of candles, and there were soot shadows on everything. That won’t happen with these candles.

Now, I haven’t smelled one of these yet or burned one yet, but I will be very soon. AJ tells me that the scents from these candles last all the way through. Personally I hate it when I’m only halfway through burning a candle and it doesn’t smell anymore, which has been known to happen with other popular brands. I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on one of these candles, and I’m also entering on AJ’s candle website to win a free candle. They give out one per week and you can enter once a day.

Now for the spread the word part. AJ emailed me a little while ago to get the word out, so I’m helping out here. Here’s what she wrote:

Who do you know who loves candles? Who do you know who chooses healthy alternatives? Who do you know who needs to raise money for their organization? Who do you know that loves product of the month clubs? (books, movies, music) Who do you know who owns a retail store, salon or spa? Who do you know in real estate who likes candles for their open houses or as client gifts? Who do you know is looking for a home-based business opportunity? Who do you know who would be upset with you for NOT sharing my website with them. Please forward this to all of those people and ask them to forward it to their list of “Who Do You Know’s”. They will be eternally grateful and so will I. Thank you.

The best part about this business and the internet today is that you don’t even have to live nearby to order them. So what if you live in East Undershirt instead of Las Vegas. Get some candles from AJ!

My sister is trying to get her Mary Kay business off the ground. I know what you’re thinking, I’m the same way when it comes to this stuff. But gimmee a break, ok? I’m trying to help her out here by giving her a plug. I know lots of people try selling something through home sales, be it Tupperware, Avon, Mary Kay, candles, whatever. (AJ your plug will be coming soon!) But she’s my sister, and I’m gonna help her out all I can, which is what sisters do.

When I was down in Florida at her house not long after my car accident and when Mia was born, I had a bit of a problem. I had a cast on one hand with horribly itchy skin under the cast, and the good, uncovered hand wasn’t doing so well either. It’s hard to moisturize your hands when you have a cast on one of them. Sis was kind enough to wash my hand, massage it, and use some heavenly lotion to get rid of the lizard-like appearance. My hand felt so soft for a couple of days, which, let me tell you, very few moisturizers can do for me, especially living in the desert and constantly washing my hands to avoid the dreaded germ. So what was this miracle product, you ask? It was the Satin Hands Collection.

Such wonderful stuff! Sis sent me home with a sample, and I don’t know if you’re a sample hoarder like me, but I still haven’t used that. I think of it as an emergency pack. But it wasn’t long before she sent me a full sized set as a Christmas gift. I admit, I’m a bit lazy and don’t moisturize as often as I should, but I do love this stuff. Oh yes, I do.

So now comes the shameless plug part. You can go to my sister’s MK website to order your own Satin Hands collection and all sorts of other good stuff. You don’t even need to live near her, since the internet is everywhere. And if she asks, tell her that her big sis sent you!