Ober-vations - Thoughts of a 30something year old at a BSB concert

3:00 Man, I wish I drank more water this morning.  Now I'm behind on my 9 cups and I'm going to have to catch up and use a porta-potty tonight.

4:30 I can't wait to eat.  I should have eaten a bigger lunch.  I hope this coffee keeps me awake tonight.

5:30 This Wegmans wrap is A-Mah-Zing.  Strawberry bruschetta?  Check.  Veggies and hummus?  Check.  Fruit?  Check.  Brownies?  Check.

High class tailgating is where it's at.

6:30 OOOOH they are giving out free water for Designated Drivers?  Like my Dad always says, "If it's free, it's for me!"

Wait - what did I just sign up for?

7:05 Wow, I'm OLD.  I can't tell if these 15 year olds are here trying to be ironic because they weren't born when BSB first started, or if they really like them.  Maybe they are here with their parents?

7:06 Oh.My.Goodness.  Brian Littrell's SON is singing on stage!  HOW.STINKING.CUTE.  I wonder how old he is.  I wonder if he and Reedster would get along.  I wonder if I could figure out how to finagle a play date.

Side Conversation with my friend C: 

Me: I think we should get them together for a play date.
C: Um yes - I'm going to have A start singing lessons so they can sing together.  Actually, we could form a boy band with our sons!  
Me: YES!  And then we can be their biggest fans!  I'll wear a shirt that says, 'My heart belongs to Reedster."
C: YESSSSSSS.  

7:20 Avril Lavigne - is she my age?  Maybe younger?  Wow - she looks small.  I bet I'm like 5" taller than her!

7:25 (starts to notice clothing choices of other patrons) WHOA - why are high waisted shorts back "in?"  Don't people know that they accentuate CELLULITE?  Who in their right minds would wear those?  And when did crop tops come back in?  NO.WAY.  Not happening.  I may not have cellulite (Thank you God), but the stretch marks on my abdomen from having two kids would make people think a tiger mauled me.

7:26 Just when I thought it couldn't get worse than high waisted shorts.... high waisted shorts with boots that go just above the ankle?  Why would you want to make your legs look stumpy?  I thought people wanted long legs?  I'm really confused right now.

7:30 Is stone wash back in?  Did I miss that memo too?

7:35 Wait, wait wait.  Am I back in the year 1996?  OOOOOOOHHHH.  That makes much more sense now.

7:36 I didn't have an iPhone in 1996.  Crap.  It's actually 2014.  Man, I need to sit down for a few minutes apparently.  It's getting late.  How come I have 3 pimples TODAY?  I didn't have this many pimples in 1996.  How is that fair?

7:45 Oh good.  EMX took care of Reedster's snack and breakfast prep so I don't have to do that when I get home.  Man, getting out of that parking lot is going to be AW-FUL.

8:00 OK good - time for a little BSB.  I bet this will be fun.  Let me sit on the grass for a few minutes and text my sister about the people watching around here.

8:05 I wonder when they are going to start?  It's getting late.  YAWN.

yawwwwwwwn

8:29 (MUSIC STARTS)  Yay!  Time to rock!

8:30 (BSB enters stage) OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH MYYYYYYYYYY GOSHHHHHHHHHHHH IT'S THE BACKSTREET BOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WHY ARE THEY SO HANDSOME STILL?  They do not look like they have kids - YOU WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WITH THAT BODY!  Oh wait... they didn't carry the kids.  EVEN STILL HOLY COW - THEY ARE DANCING LIKE CRAZY!

8:40 (singing) my heart is incomplete!!!!! WOW.  These boys are really deep!  Why did I never realize that??????

8:50 (still singing) My Love Is All I Have to Give!!!!!!!  Without you I don't know how I would live!!!!!!

9:00 OHHHHHHHH man. They wrote this song for their KIDS?!?!?!?!?!?! I love these boys.  Seriously.  So adorable.  Such good dads.  I.can't.take.it!

I am your father.... and a BSB.  

9:10 (still singing) #SHOWMETHEMEANINGOFBEINGLONELY All of the sudden I'm in a musical...

9:18 Oh yeah - they've got it goin' on!!!!!!  for years!

9:30 (ACOUSTIC SET) - Let me get this straight, good looks, mad dance skills, good singing AND they play instruments?

9:40 (jumping) I can't believe how much fun this is.  Why do my knees hurt though?  I wonder if I have Advil in my purse...

9:45 Uh-Oh.  That girl is going to get on her friend's shoulders.  This.is.not.going.to.end.well.

9:46 Oh thank goodness for security.  That girl could have cracked her head open.

9:47 ooooooh "Madeleine!"  I wonder if this is the name of someone's daughter?  HOW CUTE WOULD THAT BE?

9:50 I don't think you can love me more than that..... true.story.  EMX.  I'm totally singing this to EMX.  NOT BSB.  Because I'm married to EMX and the year is 2014.  And I have two kids.  Two of them.  Yep.  Darn right!

10:00 NOOOOO I don't want this to end!  Come back!  You didn't sing "Everybody!"

10:05 BACKSTREET'S BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEAH THEY ARE!  I can't jump high enough!  Oh no! I have to pee!  I can't jump now!  UGHHHHHHHHH #momproblems EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY NIGHT IS COMPLETE!!!!!!!!!! (singing) "ARE YOU SILLY?????" Oh wait - my kids aren't here!  I can sing the real words!  What ARE the real words?????

So what are the real words?  It's not "AM I SILLLLLLY?"

10:15 NOOOOOO COME BACK!  They aren't turning the lights on yet - they are totally coming back!  I don't care if I sit in that parking lot until 2 am.  I'm totally not missing a song!

10:20 LARGER THAN LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10:30 Best Concert Ever!  Apparently I didn't remember how much I actually loved BSB.  I mean, I'm pretty much their biggest fan ever, right?

10:45 UGHHHHHHH I picked the wrong path to the exit.  Why won't you let me IN THE LINE?  That is really not nice.  Wouldn't you want me to let YOU in if you were in my spot?  People are so rude!

12:30 (still singing to BSB) Man - Did I really need to bring all this stuff with me?  It's going to take me 10 years to empty this car.

7:00 am the next morning - wakes up startled - oh my gosh, Reedster's bus is coming in 16 minutes!  GO GO GOOOOOOOOOO!

ARgh! We have 16 minutes to get to the bus!  Please don't need to go poop this morning!

photo credit: PetitPlat - Stephanie Kilgast via photopin cc
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photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar via photopin cc

Your smile(s) for the day

With my new schedule/routine, I'm able to spend way more time one on one with G than I have in the last, oh, 2 years.  Even though I've always said she is a nurturer, and a caregiver, and is SO loving and affectionate, this video just really personifies our little peanut and I'm so happy to be able to spend some more time with her!  This is from last week, but is too cute not to share.

Not to be outdone by cuteness, Mr. Reedster had some huge accomplishments this weekend that I posted about on FB.  He earned his yellow belt last week in karate, learned how to ride his bike on two wheels AND learned how to tie his sneakers.  I cannot believe how fast he is growing up.  Our next task is for him to learn how to tie his yellow belt!    Here is a quick video of him riding his bike up a steep hill at Mama and Papa's house this past weekend.

Smile

I've been in a pretty rotten mood this week.  For no reason in particular.  Have you ever had a bunch of really small, not really important in the big scheme of things, annoyances happen?  That is why I'm in a rotten mood.  Just a bunch of annoying, stupid little things that have added up all week and led me to be in a funk.

I will tell you one thing.  I REALLY dislike being in a bad mood.  One thing that I pride myself on is looking for the positive in everything.

So, that leads me to this.  In trying to turn my mood around, I figured it would be great to write something about GOOD and POSITIVE things that come to mind right now.

1.  This.  Seriously.  My kid is awesome.  And to be fair, I haven't taken him for ice cream in several weeks/months.  He has certain other people in his life who like to take him for ice cream - often.  But I'm super grateful that my little guy is going to have a close relationship with those people, who shall remain nameless of course.  :)

2.  The song posted above.  Something about the lyrics and the instrumentals really do put a smile on my face.  Too funny.  After I hear this song, I start to think about how Lily Allen is British and EMX and I are going to go to London/Dublin in the near future!  And then I start to think about that summer in 2002 when I was oh so homesick, and missing EMX so much, but traveling and seeing so much and ultimately having a fabulous summer.  And then coming home and getting engaged.  And then I start laughing thinking about how I asked EMX if there was anything stuck in my teeth right before he proposed.  I'm classy like that.  Then I start thinking about my littlest sister L who recently became engaged.  SO EXCITING!  So yeah - follow that thought process.

3.  I was having a really super irritating problem with my car, Pilot Pete.  Thankfully, EMX is great at diagnosing (with the help of Dr. Google) and FIXING problems.  Yea.  Happy dance.

4.  I think once R is actually sleeping and I've finished cleaning the rest of the bathrooms, I'm going to learn this dance.  That will definitely put a smile on my face.  :)

5. I made an omelette tonight for dinner inspired by my favorite at a local diner we frequent.  Sauteed onions, jalapeno peppers, tomato and cheddar cheese.  YUM!  I made it lighter by using 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg.  The diner version also has breakfast sausage in it but all I had was maple sausage and that didn't sound right.  I topped it with light sour cream and homemade salsa.  It was awesome - and tasted like I was at the diner.  I love brinner.  R isn't big on eggs which is why he had pumpkin waffles for dinner.  I make a big batch and freeze them for an easy go to meal on nights I'm making something that I know R will just not eat.

OK - starting to feel better now!  Off to clean the bathrooms and learn how to" party rock."

Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Vegetable Rice (and a Dance!)

One of the tastiest dinners that I make fairly frequently is also one of the easiest.  EMX LOVES salmon.  This meal is a combination of a couple of recipes that I have refined into my own take on things.  The nice thing about this meal is it doubles or triples very easily.  While you are making it, the dance is optional, but highly recommended.

Easy to follow directions are at the bottom of the post.

THE INGREDIENTS:

THE SALMON:

I usually buy individually frozen salmon from Wegmans, but you could certainly do this with fresh salmon.  I always check for bones just in case they were missed in packaging.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on each side of the salmon and place in a medium-high heated skillet/frying pan with a drizzle of oil.  Now, DON'T TOUCH IT!  Seriously.  Leave it until the first side is nice and lightly brown and slightly crispy.  You'll thank me for that when you dig in for your first bite.  In case you missed it... DON'T TOUCH IT!  Leave it alone.

Then when the first side is easily released from the pan, flip it and then.... wait for it.... DON'T TOUCH IT again.

It should look like this:

Trust me... you'll thank me for telling you not to touch it. 

THE RICE:

Now, you can use whatever veggies you like for this.  It started as a creamy rice with tomato recipe that I found in one of those Kraft Foods magazines, but I've omitted things in the past and added different ingredients and this rice is always delicious!

Start by sauteing one diced onion in a tbsp or so of either oil or Italian dressing.  Add salt/pepper to taste.

Add in whatever other veggies you want at this time that need to be cooked through.  I'm adding zucchini and tomato tonight.  This time I'm also adding chopped frozen spinach but I'm going to wait until the end to add it since it just needs to be heated through. 

After the veggies are starting to soften, add the rice and then the chicken broth (or vegetable broth or even water) and simmer until the rice is cooked through and most of the liquid has dissolved.  Next, add the frozen (but defrosted by now) chopped spinach.

Now comes the creamy part - add the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese and stir through.

 
Plate and serve!

THE DANCE:

The Chemical Brothers - The Salmon Dance




R loves the Salmon dance!

Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Vegetable Rice
Printable Version

Ingredients:

Salmon (duh)
1.5 cups White or brown instant rice
1.5 cups Water or broth
2 tbsp cream cheese
2 tsp Italian dressing
Parmesan cheese to taste
salt/pepper
diced onion, tomato and any other vegetable you like

Pan Sear Salmon in a frying pan with a drizzle of oil - a few minutes on each side until each side is crispy and light brown.

In a separate pan, saute onion and selected veggies in 2 tsp Italian dressing until tender.  Add rice and liquid and simmer until rice is cooked through.  Add Cream cheese and Parm cheese and serve!



You know you're gonna love it if you give it one chance!