It's Official! I've Moved!

I have given up crappy Blogger to go to my own place with Wordpress! You'll automatically be redirected in 10 seconds to my new URL which is www.thedramedyoflife.com.

Please update your bookmarks or blogrolls if I'm lucky enough to still be in them! :o) So head on over and tell me what you think!

Applesauce Mmmmmm

I have been lucky enough to learn to make homemade applesauce and this year I was lucky enough to help not one person but two, put their stores up for the winter. And I'm not being sarcastic for once. I mean it. It was fun and so easy that everyone ought to stop buying that horrible stuff from the store.

My Mom and my Grandma have been making applesauce for as long as I can remember. I don't think there was ever store bought applesauce in our house ever. My Dad used to (and occasionally still does) tell us stories about what sometimes gets into those huge commercial vats of applesauce. We had a plant in our town. I won't spoil your enjoyment of store bought applesauce with the disgusting tales that have me going pale when people put it on their table.

My Mom makes her thick and a little coarse. Grams makes hers thinner and sweeter. Anyway you spoon it up, it's all good. We use Transparent Apples for our recipe. They are verrrry tart if you try to eat them. We core and quarter them then put them into a big stock pot with several cups of water (depending on the size of the batch and what constancy you like your applesauce) and let them come to a boil. After they have essentially become mush, you put them through a Foley Food Mill which separates the pulp from the peel. You add sugar to taste and then package it up. It freezes well if you let it cool before storing it.

We were scammed one year and instead of getting transparent apples, we were sold lode-eye apples which look essentially the same. They are freakin' disgusting. They leave an after-taste that will have you swearing off of any applesauce for a while. I'm sort of interested in trying to make applesauce from Golden Delicious or Granny Smith. Maybe I'll try a small batch on my own. I don't usually get into the canning and preparing of bulk foods like this, but applesauce is fun and it's probably something that I will hand down to my friends' kids since I'm not planning on having them myself.

I did 2 bushels of apples total and I'm looking forward to eating my share this winter! Do you guys have any family traditions with food that you hand down through the generations? We have a few, but this one is the most time intensive one.

MIA, a Birthday & News

I'm still around! I've actually been working on some stuff and just haven't had a chance to post in a while and well hell, I'll just be honest -- a part of me has been feeling realllly lazy lately.

Yesterday, while everyone was celebrating the birth of our nation, I was celebrating my Gram's 84th birthday. I want to be just like her when I grow up! If you met her you would never, ever guess her age. She's active and her mind is very agile -- sometimes too agile! -- it's hard to get things past her. She fantastic! So Happy Birthday again, Grams! Dinner was lovely and it inspired me to buy my own lamb chops today.

My news: I have a new computer that doesn't have jack on it yet. None of my personal pics, none of my personal files, etc, etc and it's driving me batty. I can't find the CD for my printer, so to add to insult and injury, I can't print a single darn thing.

On to happier news...It's official! I am moving this puppy to it's own domain, probably within the next week. The wonderful Lysie is designing my new home and I can't wait! So stay tuned for the move! I have new things in store for the blog and I'll actually *gasp* update it regularly!!!

My Manners Suck

I completely forgot to welcome Chatty to the Dramedy this week! She's another favorite that I have been too lazy to take off my bookmarks and actually put her in my blogroll. She talks about anything and everything over at her blog Whatchu Tawkin Bout. So please, be a good Dramedy reader and give her a try.

I'll have more posts coming soon, I swear! I know of at least three I have waiting in the wings. Happy 4th everyone!

The Happy Couple

The wedding was sooooo much fun! Everything went relatively smoothly and there are a couple parts I'll go into greater detail about later this week, but all in all, it was a blast. The rain held off just long enough for the ceremony to finish and to get outside shots and then the storm let 'er rip! Rain is good luck at a wedding right?

D & Cam wrote their own vows which were so pretty that it made me tear up. Of course it made Cam cry -- even though she promised she wouldn't unless her mom started first, but we all know about those kind of promises! The temperature was a thousand times better than what we experienced for the rehearsal. The rehearsal was like being roasted on an open spit. It was 90+ degrees and the sun was beating down on us, but the wedding cooled off considerably and it was great. I got to meet some of Cam and D's family and friends. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I'm posting a few of my favorite pics this week.

The happy couple should now be sunning themselves in the Dominican Republic and I hope they are not fretting over their basement -- which flooded last night because of all the storms we've been having. Bettina and I are keeping an eye out on the house this week and it looks pretty good so far. Well that's my weekend in a nutshell. Gotta run.

50 Things

Some Girl tagged me and I thought, "Why not?"

1. What curse word do you use the most? Probably the F-bomb
2. Do you own an iPod? Nope
3. Who on your MySpace “Top 8” do you talk to the most? I only have a My Space account so I can comment on one friend’s blog.
4. What time is your alarm clock set for? 7:00
5. What color is your room? Purple
6. Flip flops or sneakers? Flip flops in the summer, sneakers in the winter
7. Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture? Take them
8. What was the last movie you watched? X-Men III
9. Do any of your friends have children? Yes
10. Has anyone ever called you lazy? Sure
11. Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster? Yes
12. What CD is currently in your CD player? Last of the Mohicans
13. Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk? Chocolate
14. Has anyone told you a secret this week? Yup
15. Have you ever given someone a hickey? Yes
16. Who was the last person to call you? Teresa
17. Do you think people talk about you behind your back? Probably
18. Did you watch cartoons as a child? Yes. I loved She-Ra and Voltron
19. How many siblings do you have? 1
20. Are you shy around the opposite sex? Sometimes
21. What movie do you know every line to? Clueless
22. Do you own any band t-shirts? I might have an old NKOTB shirt somewhere
23. What is your favorite salad dressing? Red French
24. Do you read for fun? Yes
25. Do you cry a lot? I sure do!
26. Who was the last person to text message you? Verizon with a 411 #
27. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop? Both
28. Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoo? Piercings – hell no, a tat – I’d love one but can’t think of what I would want to permanently put on my body. Oh and there is the PAIN factor that keeps me from seriously thinking about it.
29. What is the weather like? Raining
30. Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos? Not someone like the Illustrated Man, but a few would be okay.
31. Is sex before marriage wrong? Nope
32. When was the last time you slept on the floor? Cam’s Bachelorette Party
33. How many hours of sleep do you need to function? 6
34. Are you in love or lust? Nope
35. Are your days full and fast-paced? Hmmm, sometimes
36. Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages? I read them but will still eat it.
37. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 32
38. Are you picky about spelling and grammar? Yes, Yes, Yes!
39. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Nope
40. Do you get along better with the same or opposite sex? Probably opposite, but I have some GREAT girl-friends!
41. Do you like cottage cheese? Mmmm, with pineapple absolutely
42. Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back? Side
43. Have you ever bid for something on eBay? Is the Pope Catholic?
44. Do you enjoy giving hugs? Yes
45. What song did you last sing out loud? Celebration
46. What is your favorite TV show? Veronica Mars
47. Which celebrity, dead or alive, would you want to have lunch with? Jensen Ackles
48. Last time you had butterflies in your stomach? Last night before Cam’s wedding ceremony.
49. What one thing do you wish you had? A Size 12 or better body
50. Favorite lyrics? Suspicious Minds - Elvis

I'm tagging: Crystal, Jane, & Erin. No pressure though.

Mystic Tan and Wedding Bells

It's almost time for Cam and Daron to tie the knot! Just a couple of days left. Since the big day was coming fast, I thought I would try out Mystic Tan because the dresses are strapless and I was white as a sheet. I went for my first visit last week and boy was that fun. The video was super boring but I was the guinea pig first because Cam had an appointment later that night. So I wanted to relay any important info.

I put the stupid booties on -- big mistake, they left a mark! 14 seconds seemed like a year and I started gulping air like a fish out of water. I just want to say that Mystic Tan tastes bad -- very, very bad. Once the initial spray stopped I turned around so afraid I wouldn't be ready for the machine to do my back. So very afraid that I opened my eyes to get my balance (yeah I know that makes a lot of sense) and then forgot to close them. All I could think of was that my thighs were touching and there was going to be a white spot because of it. Then all I could think about was that my eyes were going to be a mess from keeping them open. I shut them about 3 seconds before the spray stopped. Smart me keeps them closed and I tried frantically to get out of the friggin'' booth. I couldn't remember if the door swung out or in. It was the first time I actually felt a little claustrophobic. I've decided that I don't like feeling trapped -- at all.

I was slightly orangish brown until I took a shower later that night and the next day I was pretty pleased with the result. It only lasted about 4 days and then it faded completely. I went back tonight and didn't wear booties, kept my eyes shut the entire time and only gulped air a few times. All in all it was a successful venture. I'll probably go back and do that right before the cruise next year. It's not something I'll indulge in beyond that. I like being tan, but I like being outside better. Plus the sun is free, Mystic Tan sure ain't. If you've been thinking of trying it, I say go for it! My place had a deal: Buy a session for $25 and get the second free. It was pretty good.

Well, I'll be MIA until Sunday. Go visit Laci, my renter, she'll keep you company!