America's Pastime

On Monday the 5th I will venture out to Arlington like every year. I have been going out there on Opening Day for at least the last 10 years if not 12. It is something I enjoy. The opening day of baseball feels like the first day of spring. Now, I have been before when it is so cold and windy, but still feels like spring. I love walking in and soaking up ever bit of the stadium as if I have never been there before. I can hear the vendors shouting their foods in hopes buyers will buy. I can smell the hot dogs, hear the music, and I get to watch batting practice. When I watch baseball my mind is free of any distractions. I have been an avid fan ever since I was a little kid. I remember I used to turn on my clock radio and listen to the game broadcast on WBAP and fall asleep listening. I don't think mom and dad knew I was doing that, but I had to hear my favorite players announced and hear a victory.

I think baseball was just a part of my life ever since I can remember. I used to play softball and I would envision myself as Dean Palmer and how he would retrieve a ball and I would try to copy him. I was so excited for my 13th birthday I got a Julio Franco batting title t-shirt. And when Pudge Rodriguez joined our team he became my all time favorite player. I have collected almost baseball card of his.

I know many hate the sport, but yet for some reason I enjoy a good ole' game of a stick, ball, and bases. Something about it just excites me. So another year comes and another year I will enjoy my favorite sport of all time. LET'S PLAY BALL!!!

Spring Break is here!

Now I am not sure if I like that it is spring or the break. I think a little of both. It is nice to see all the plants and trees coming back to life again, by showing their true beauty. I really wish I had more planned for my break, but why do I feel like I always have to go somewhere? I think it is because I like to travel and stay in hotels. Just fun to get away from home.
We decided against a last minute trip to Chicago because we knew we had found it cheaper about a month ago and wanted to save the money for our big summer trip. Right now our plan is to go to Paris, but we will see how that will work out for us. At least we want to go to Europe again. Got to get another use out of the passport. Plus EVERYONE says we must travel before children. And who knows when that will be.
So we are going to work around the house and take a small trip up to the Choctaw casino on Wed. Hopefully, I will have some luck and win big.
Bought some sample paints for the house and will be painting both bathrooms and the office before the week is up. Hopefully we will get all of the touch up stuff finished as well. We are even thinking about buying new living room furniture. And we want to paint our bedroom, plus start a garden, buy a lawnmower and weed eater. That sounds like a busy week to me. Hopefully we accomplish something on this list. I just feel like our house is blah because we have nothing that connects. All of our furniture is just a pish posh of what we had when we got married, so time to update. Now is as good a time as any.

Sweetness

Well, I have been in the kitchen lately making and baking cupcakes. Some of the flavors are chocolate peanut butter cake with a peanut butter filling and chocolate icing. Another is strawberry with a chocolate ganache. And last I made raspberry flavored white cupcakes with a raspberry buttercream. I will post pictures soon, but those are just of few of my creations lately.

More to come. I think I am going to try coconut with a white chocolate icing. My newest creations that I thought of will be pineapple upside down cupcakes and well you have to help me decide an order. I think chocolate cake with a mint buttercream with mini chocolate chips on top, mint white cake with a chocolate ganache. White cake baked with chocolate chips(not sure this will work) and a green mint buttercream.

This could be the reason I have trouble with food. : )Except I don't care for the cake as much as the icing. YUM!

End of an Era

So, tonight marks the first Monday night in eight months that I am not going to boot camp. Kind of a sad day. I miss my evening workout and know that I can't just sit at home. I have built up so much strength that I don't want that to go to waste.

What now? Well, not totally sure. I think I am going to dust off the old 24hour gym card and start going back. My goal is to go at least 4 days a week. There is so much to do at 24, that when making out my gym schedule yesterday I was having a hard time choosing classes. How could I say no to Cardio Dance Party over Turbo Kick Boxing.

I know I can be dedicated and stick to it as far as exercising goes, it is the food. I think food is my nemesis. I just love it.

Night one of my exercise program. Well, went to a movie with Jarrett and was going to go to turbo kick box class, but he has to work on his day off. Go figure! He was going to go with me and I needed extra motivation today.

Hopefully tomorrow is different.

Pictures of my creations

I hope you like what you see. Tell me is this really creative or just like everyone else? I mean other ladies did make cakes with me.

Can you tell this is my first attempt ever?

My family thought it was nice, but they are my family what could they say?

First cake for cake class.

Not too bad if I do say so myself.
Not pleased with the colors, but now I know for next time.

This is one of my favorite ones. Just too cute!

Made this one for my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.
Can you see where I got the idea?

My attempt at free expression. The last cake in my class could be anything. I was going to give this to my sister that year, but it didn't turn out as well, so she got a fondant cake instead.

My attempt at non-edible cakes.

I have many more pictures of cakes and other things, but can't seem to find them all. I organize all of my photos by year and folder and date, but not always by name so I need to fix that. I was doing good through about 2007. Anyway, these are my attempts at creativity and not that great, but at least a start.

Creativity

I always wanted to be creative, but never had that bone in me. Jarrett always says it is my food, but I don't do anything with it. Nobody asks to buy cakes, chocolates, or cupcakes, and I don't do anything to promote it. It just seems like a lot of work. I am always looking for the ONE thing that I am good at. It is just so hard.

Lets see. Singing, no. Drawing, no. Writing, no. Comedian, no. Professional athlete, no. You see I feel like I have limitations unlike others who have natural gifts and that others see them do it. I just can't seem to find mine. Maybe that is why I am always trying new stuff.

Tried, to knit, make jewelry, crochet, embroider, quilt(well never actually started, but have some stuff for it), bake cakes, make chocolate candy, now my new thing is cupcakes and chocolate. I haven't quite given up on the chocolates yet.

As usual I toyed with the idea of making my own cupcakes and selling them. For some reason my mind is set on selling my food. I think, by now, I am a pretty good cook. I wouldn't say chef like, but working my way there. (I have always wanted to go to culinary school when I was little, but just thought it wouldn't work out so well, since I have never liked onions and bell peppers and so I thought my chances were slim. And now I want to go to pastry school.) And as usual I give up on my ideas just about as fast as I start creating them. I mean when I create my ideas it goes all the way through purchasing a place of business and me becoming the CEO with all kinds of chefs under me. I quickly realize that it will not happen that fast for me and lose interest all together. Then I try to talk myself out of it. But why? I mean if I am looking for some way to be creative why don't I just try it? Maybe it is money. I don't want to spend the money and then it fail. I think that may be a big reason, but unless I try it then what have I got to lose?

I have been thinking about this cupcake thing for about a month. I figured that I love baking and like doing cakes, and this would be just a simpler version. After talking myself out of it I have now talked myself back into it. This past weekend I bought all the stuff to make the cupcakes and the vision in my head is slowly starting.

What are you creative with?