Best Breakfast Ever!

So after starting summer school this week and feeling like crap the last couple of weeks, I decided to post a blog that made people feel good (and hope it works on me). Luckily my swollen joints stopped a long time ago but now I just itch every now and then and feel like I have the flu. Apparently the doctor shipped my blood to India because it is still not back. I guess that's where everything goes nowadays: customer service, computer repair, and now blood testing.

Moving on to a better topic.....breakfast (my favorite meal of the day!). So when my brother was in town this last weekend I made 2 entrees for breakfast and got overwhelming reviews from both Nate and Vincent (okay, okay I know they kinda have to say nice things). But then I made breakfast for my team at work and I got a standing ovation. They were making random people from other departments try it and they loved it too! So I have been asked to share these 2 recipes for all to partake. Believe me, cook them together and you will have one happy man (or family). It makes a lot but it tastes just as good re-heated!

Here they are:


French Toast Casserole

Loaf of French bread
1 dozen eggs
1 block of cream cheese (8 oz.)
3/4 – 1 bottle of syrup
Powered sugar and/or cinnamon

In a 13x9 pan tear pieces of the French bread. Cover and fill the entire pan. Cut the cream cheese into cubes and spread throughout the pan (note: cream cheese will not melt in oven). Whip eggs and 3/4 -1 bottle of syrup (depending on how much you like syrup; I use the whole bottle). Pour egg and syrup mixture over the bread and cream cheese.

Let sit in fridge for at least an hour but it is better if it sits overnight.

Bake at 350 for an hour. Be careful because the bottom will brown more quickly than the top. Sprinkle powered sugar and/or cinnamon all over and serve.


Hash Brown Casserole

2 lbs frozen hash browns

1/2 cup margarine,melted
1 (10 1/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup onion, peeled and chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper


Preheat oven to 350F and spray an 11 x 14 baking dish with cooking spray.
Mix the above ingredients together, place in prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until brown on top.


Enjoy!!!

Bingo!

My brother, Nate, is in town from his Air Force pilot training stint in Oklahoma. All weekend long we've had a blast. Plus he brought his motorcycle and Vincent loves it! In fact, we're going today to look at motorcycles (apparently they're addictive....or so I've been told).

But last night we were trying to think of something fun to do and I thought of a Bingo hall. I mean, we've always wanted to go and check it out and see what it was all about. My brother and I were making jokes about giving the old people crap while they played Bingo and interrupting their concentration somehow. But when we got there it was a completely different story. We came in on the middle of a game and it was stone cold quiet except for the caller. We bought a few cards for the next game and sat down. We had to buy bingo markers because we didn't have any and my brother and I started making jokes about that too. We were talking about the professional Bingo players that probably had personalized bags for the Bingo markers just like bowlers had personalized bags for their balls. Then, all of a sudden a woman sits down in front of us and has it! A Bingo marker bag!! My brother and I cracked up and he insisted I get a picture of it. Vincent was all embarrassed but I got a picture anyway.

Then the game started and it was fast and all these old people we had been making fun of earlier were on top of like 12-18 cards at once and we could barely handle 6 cards each! In fact an older woman next to us would check all 18 of her cards for the number, then look over ours and let us know if we missed any! It was intense. Unfortunately we never won but we sure learned a lot trying to win. Vincent called Bingo and one of his numbers he marked hadn't been called and when they told him that his face went bright red--poor guy! But all throughout all the games we played we were all stressed out trying to figure out which type of Bingo we had to get that particular game and then look for numbers at the same time. Who would've know that Bingo could be so intense???

Our very own Bingo markers...

The Bingo marker bag!!!

What happens when you leave a dog all by herself....

Today I was watching the marathon showing of Law & Order: SVU and I had just left the dog's toy basket out and let them play because I was really into the show and did not want to be interrupted by anyone. There's this toy that they both really love (not originally a dog toy). It's a basket/bag thingy that we got at a Ranger game a long time ago. It's made of wire and covered in nylon so that the bag can be expanded or not. (I don't know if that makes sense or not, but the pictures show it....)

So I hear Bailey making noises and turn around and this is what I see after Bailey had the toy for a little bit.....COMPLETELY DESTROYED (but hilarious nonetheless).

Farmers Market

This morning we went to the Farmers Market in downtown Dallas. I love going there. It’s certainly not because of the prices because they are definitely not better than the grocery store prices. I love going there because you get all sorts of free samples of the most amazing fresh fruits and vegetables. I also like going and taking pictures. Pictures of fruit and vegetables sound gay but they are actually the best things to take pictures of because of the vibrant colors. We didn't buy as much as I had wanted because Vincent got agitated with all the high prices and started grumbling about the grocery store prices and the quantity he could be getting there. But we did get some amazing pineapple and oranges. I don't know if they were really that good or if it was because it was so hot and they both tasted so good. I must of had about 5 samples from the same guy. (In my defense, he kept offering it to me)

So here are some gay pictures of fruit and vegetables.....but don’t they look delicious???

Sometimes drunk people can be entertaining...

A couple days ago on The Russ Martin Show (the best radio show!) they were talking about a video that they found. They played it and it was hilarious. I searched on YouTube and found it and decided to share it. There is a lot of cursing so keep that in mind when you play the video. I love this guy for a lot of reasons. 1, he floats in and out of rebellion. He'll be yelling at the cop and then she says his name and he'll respond "Yeah" like a kid that knows he's in trouble. And 2, he is convinced that he wasn't driving, yet he was pulled out of the driver’s side. And how is it that cops allow someone to talk to them like that?? Hope it makes you smile....

REMEMBER: LOTS OF CURSING ON THIS VIDEO!!!

Kappa Alpha Theta

Yesterday some women at work and I were talking about sororities. Mainly everyone thought that they were stupid to join, and no offense, because they weren't ever in one. The stereotype of sororities can be true on some college campuses. But since people are different everywhere, then the same sorority can be made up of different type of girls on different campuses.

Before I went to school in Kentucky I went to school at the University of North Texas for 2 years. There was quite a difference between these 2 schools. UNT has about 34, 000 people enrolled. Centre College in Kentucky had about 1200 students. So the Greek life at UNT was a little bit different than at Centre. I had a few girl friends that were in sororities at UNT so just to make sure that I wasn't stereotyping I looked into joining. Most of them were terrible. Snobby, stupid, and all the other stereotypes were what most of the girls were. But I will say there were a few exceptions, not many.

So when I went to Centre and discovered that over 80% of the campus joins Greek life, I was disappointed. But I went with my roommate to Rush just to make her happy. As soon as I walked into the Kappa Alpha Theta house I felt at home. Everyone was laughing and making jokes. I got a glimpse of a girl making a farting noise with her hand in her armpit. There was nothing snobby about these girls.

And now after leaving school and being in conversations where I defend my sorority, all I can think about are the good times. I met so many cool girls. I had a blast in everything we did (even getting into trouble). I have no regrets about joining (except maybe I could've chosen a better big sis :) ) . So yesterday I went home and went through my Theta scrapbook and found some pictures of Bid Day (the day I joined & the day you have to dress the ugliest possible way) and random other pictures. I guess my argument for sororities/fraternities is not to judge too quickly when someone tells you that they were part of the Greek system. I definitely don't come off as a sorority girl but I loved every moment of being one!!

My younger Big Sis, Morgs on Bid Day

Jessica (a.k.a Hips) and me on Bid Day

Some girls from my pledge class on the Theta lawn

Hillary and me (man we look HOTT)

Just a couple of ghetto girls hanging out on the Theta porch...

A cherished event called Theta Prom (where you dress in the most hideous 80s dresses)

Bethany, Julie and me (some AWESOME Theta girls)

All the Theta girls in front of the campus flame (there's a story behind that flame...)

Can you get a medical license out of a cracker jack box???

So my hives have grown into a more serious problem. All my joints have become inflamed and swollen. Besides being gross to look at I actually started getting scared. So I called my mother, who was a nurse for 25 years, and she came over to check me out. Of course my mother thinks out loud because, I can only assume, she did so with her patients (who were really tiny babies so I guess they couldn't understand her). So she's examining me and hemming and hawing at me. Then she starts asking questions like "Does the sun hurt your eyes?" How do I know?? I haven't been off the couch all weekend long, let alone outside. Then "Do you have a hard time concentrating?" Well who wouldn't have a hard time concentrating when their entire body constantly itches and their fat fingers are too heavy to move? So after about 100 of these questions and my mom demanding to examine every part of my body I finally asked what was wrong with me. She said that she had no idea but the fact that my joints were inflamed was not good at all. She then gave me an illegal (meaning she stole it from the hospital) shot of steroids to help with the itching. And after that shot I didn't care what diagnosis came out of her mouth because I had no itching at all.

She told me that everything would subside for 2 days after the shot and then come back because it just helped with the symptoms not the actual problem. My mother said the most important thing to gauge was how long it took to come back and how bad it came back. So after this I was on the prowl for swollen or red splotches on my body from the moment I woke up this morning. I was 100% clear when Vincent woke me up. And I couldn't tell who was more happy- him or me. Then I went to work and Monique practically ran over to me to glimpse my sausage hands. But unfortunately for her, no trace. Then at about 11am I felt an itch. Seriously I think time stopped. I reached down and lifted my pant leg up and there it was.....a red, itchy spot.

Immediately I called my mom and she hems and haws and finally tells me that this is not good and I need to go to a doctor right away. And she told me quite a few times, not just any doctor but an internal medicine doctor.

So, after letting Monique indulge her morbid fantasies of seeing me with sausage knees I started searching for an internal medicine doctor. First I had to find my insurance and then look it up online. But in order to look up a doctor under my specific coverage I had to create a user name and password. Have you ever noticed that websites don't allow you to actually create your very own user name and password? It's always something like "Your password must contain 6 letters, 2 numbers and 1 asterisk". Seriously?? My password is a word and last time I checked there were no numbers or asterisks in words. So after that ordeal I found a short list of 10 doctors that were within 20 miles and were covered by my insurance. I start calling because my mom insisted that I see a doctor TODAY or else. So with fear driving me past the embarrassment of asking if these doctors will see a brand new patient TODAY and having the receptionist repeat "TODAY" over and over like I was brain damaged, I was left with 1 doctor that had availability today.

His name is Tom Chang (his real name has been changed to save him from embarrassment). Before I go on.....a thought. Why do Asian Americans insist on blending into our culture and changing only their first name and not their last? We all know that your first name is not Sue if your last name is Qinshihuang. You would be doing us all a favor if you just stuck with the name that has 7 consonants and no vowels in it. We may not be able to pronounce it but at least we'll respect you for holding on to it.

Anyway back to Tom Chang. So I call his office to make the appointment. When I heard the receptionist's thick accent I was excited about going to an Asian doctor because, and I truly do believe this, Asians really are gifted when it comes to medicine. I mean they use a lot of natural remedies instead of the medicine prescribed by American doctors that contains addictive ingredients that eventually lead you down a long, hard road to rehab. I had visions of acupuncture and natural herbs that would heal my swollen body.

After telling my boss that if he didn't let me go I would soon look like a giant sausage (and showing him my knee helped), he let me go. I hurried on to to my appointment with the Asian doctor that was going to heal my all my unsolvable problems with amazing Eastern medicines. When I got there I really did wonder if I was the first and only English speaking person to enter that medical office. The signs were in an Asian language and everyone in there was Asian. Even the TV was playing some sort of Asian soap opera on it. (Do we even have Asian soap operas here???) At this point I became concerned that I was not allowed to be there and that the doctor would speak no English whatsoever. Then, interrupting my thoughts, one of the Asian women in the lobby asked me what was wrong with me. After showing her my legs and fingers and explaining what a sausage was I became terrified that this was a preview of what my conversation with the doctor would be like.

Then they called my name. Well, they called "Deborah" (thanks, Mom & Dad, for giving me that first name but insisting on going by my middle name) and when I corrected the nurse she shook her head and said "No, Deborah. Legal name. Must go by that." Funny argument, coming from a culture that doesn't go by their names that their parents gave them while they live here......

So she takes me to the back where there are a bunch of people just sitting around in chairs. Like the lobby but in the back. In the middle of these chairs is a computer. So this woman sits down and immediately starts by asking me "When was your last menstrual cycle?" Now it's not that I thought that the people sitting around staring at me cared about my responses but it's the fact that I didn't know how much more personal this woman was going to get if that was her first question. It bothered me that there was no common courtesy to my privacy. So I asked her if there was any way we could do this type of questioning in private. She looked stunned then said "Well just scoot your chair over here so no one can hear you." Well that plan might have worked if she had lowered her voice as well.

After making it through the questions I move back to my original chair. She then turns around and shouts "I need a urine sample from you". I respond with "I can't right now." Her response? "Why? Are you on your period?" I'm not really sure what being on my period (though she did know when my last menstrual cycle was and it wasn't then) and urinating have in common and was tempted to ask this question. Instead I just asked for a glass of water.

Finally I was taken in the exam room to wait for the doctor. When he came in he got right down to business and I appreciated that very much. He asked what was wrong and I point to my swollen joints and tell him about my miserable weekend. He listens and then shakes his head. I was convinced that he had my diagnosis. He then asked "Have you been coughing, sneezing or had a runny nose?" I tell him no, not at all. I even tried to make a joke about not really knowing because the itching had all my attention all weekend. No laughter on his end. Then he leans over and taps me really hard on the head and then under my eyes. Of course I say "Ouch." Then he says "Oh, you have a sinus infection". I try to see where he is going and say "Oh so the sinus infection is causing my swollen joints?" Then he says "Oh I don't know what's causing your swollen joints but you have a sinus infection. I'm calling in medicine for it." I explain once more that I hadn't been coughing, sneezing or had a runny nose but he insisted that it hurt when he poked my face. And then I said "Of course it did, you poked really hard!" He then proceeded to laugh and say "No, it's because you have a sinus infection". At this point all I was thinking about was trying to get my co-pay back like you would if you walked out of a lousy movie. Can you go to the receptionist and say "This doctor got his medical license out of a cracker jack box so I would like my co-pay back."? Instead I told him that his office was too far to keep coming back and having him check on my swollen joints/sinus infection and that I might have to find someone closer. He nodded and said he understood.

There goes $20 dollars and 2 hours of my life that I'll never get back.....

School is out and I should be happy....

So school has been out for a little over a week and I should be happy for several reasons.

First, last weekend I did some SERIOUS cleaning. I cleaned like I never cleaned before. I started with the attic and took everything out and then put everything back in an organized manner. All the while throwing away anything that deserved to be thrown away. Next, our bedroom, then my bathroom, then Vincent's bathroom (gross!) and on and on until I had completely organized the entire house. While in school I had fantasized about re-organizing the house (yeah, I know I'm OCD) and so the first Saturday after school ended I did it. I started at 7AM and ended at 4PM!! 9 hours!! And my amazing husband did what he's good at. He followed behind me in every room and mopped, vacuumed, bleached, dusted, windexed, or whatever else deep cleaning the room needed after I had been done with it. We were a perfect pair and we felt amazing after it!! I still can't believe how great the house looks! Thanks honey!!

Second, my amazing husband got me a massage for finishing school and preparing to start summer school in a couple of weeks. (yuck!) He got the massage at the place that my family has been getting massages for years and years. But I guess they have new management now and have moved locations. Now it's 10 times better. I got a massage and afterwards got a haircut and color that, like everything else, I have been needing for quite some time. I love this new place!! Vincent and I are going to go back at the end of my summer classes and do a couples massage and everything else including a "manly-cure" (their words, not mine)! I can't wait. Vincent really does spoil me and I love every minute of it!!

So after these 2 amazing things you'd think I'd be the happiest person every! I was, don't get me wrong, until late Friday night, early Saturday morning. Friday night we went out to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant- Los Lupes-yummy!! My feet had red spots and itched like crazy while we were there but I didn't think anything of it except that maybe it was my shoes since I hadn't worn them in awhile and maybe my feet were being adjusted to them again. Saturday morning I awoke and couldn't believe it. I was covered in those red spots and I itched all over. After Vincent did some research we realized that I had hives. Oh my gosh!! Have you ever itched so bad that it hurts??? It's the worst thing ever!! Yesterday Vincent fed me Benadryl and I was in a drugged state for most of the day watching Lifetime movies. He had me covered in cold compresses and refilled them constantly. This morning I couldn't move, it hurt so bad. But I didn't want to waste the day in a drugged state again. So I have bandaged ice packs all over my body to get them to stay so I can do things like type on the computer. My fingers and toes look like tiny sausages. I even let the dogs walk all over me because as they walk on me their nails help relieve the itch. Isn't that terrible?? We're pretty sure it's an allergic reaction but we can't figure out to what. I've never had hives before so this is a first to be this itchy and not be able to do anything about it. I got tired of sitting on the couch, wasting away a beautiful day that I don't have to study, and I decided to blog away my frustration. Right now Vincent is getting an oatmeal bath ready for me since I am about to go insane trying not to scratch myself. This is like Chinese torture! If there was a way to give criminals hives, I'm sure our crime rates would drop instantly! This is terrible!!

I don't know how much longer this will last but hopefully I will get to go out and do something before school starts again!! Be glad there are no pictures to go along with this blog. Poor Vincent has to look at his sausage of a wife and still love her!! He's a good man!!

Does anyone know of anything else that will help get rid of the itching or better yet the hives?? Everyone we've talked to said we have to wait it out but this itching is awful.....any other remedies to dull the itching would be most appreciated!! Please help a sausage lady!!!

Awww, poor baby girl........

On Saturday Bailey had to get spayed because she was getting older and we don't want to deal with a dog in heat (it's not cool if you've ever had to deal with it). The good thing about the whole thing was that she was being so sweet and she was the most calm I've ever seen her. That and the whole entertainment value of her wearing the e-collar. The point of these cone-like things is to keep the dog from licking their sutures. They look hilarious in them. Plus while she had it on she couldn't see anything or smell anything except what was directly in front of her. So when she'd go outside she'd just smell one area of grass and leave her head down because she didn't know where else to go. I guess, to her, keeping her head down towards the grass kept her mind off the fact that she couldn't see anything, even if she wanted to. Plus, when she was first walking with it at first, she'd drag the bottom of the collar on the ground and that was funny to watch too.

I got video of her outside and pictures of her with it first on. I know I'm a terrible dog owner for laughing at her but I can't help it.....it's just too easy.

Looking scared.....

Aww, how sad

Trying to look abused.....

She wouldn't leave this spot for almost 30 minutes.....

In the kitchen, where she stayed for most of the day

Happy Belated Birthday, Ephraim!!

So one of my favorite baby boys and son of Kim and Adam, Ephraim Joel Edward Ball, turned 1 on April 23 (his birthday is only 2 days after mine!). Once again Kim sent me pictures and once again I didn't get them until much later since our Internet at home still kinda sucks. She sent me pictures of his first year and I just have to share them because this kid is adorable (and Zedd too!). I picked a few of the pictures because there was a lot (and understandably so, Kim probably has zillions more!). I can’t believe how big he has gotten-it’s amazing.

Happy Birthday to Ephraim and hopefully the fam can come visit Texas again soon!! Either that, or we'll just make a special trip to Michigan!! I miss y'all!!!

On the day of his birth

Ephraim with his brother, Zedd
Mirror images??

Ephraim listening to folk music

Look at that face......awww, I could just kiss him!!

Getting bigger......

Helping his mom pick pumpkins

Baby in a basket

Brotherly love

Goofy faced brothers

Reindeer suit......love it!

The Great Gatsby Hat

The Birthday Boy