My life as I know it

Pat and I always get a live tree for Christmas. This year I thought it would be a great idea if we went and cut down our own Christmas tree instead of buying one that was pre-cut. And by "we" I mean, I will pick out the tree that I want and then Pat will do all of the work to cut it down and get it back to our car. That probably goes without saying, but I just wanted to be clear. Last Saturday afternoon we loaded up the car with a few different saws, some rope and work gloves and headed to the destination I found online for cutting down your own Christmas tree. As we were driving by the very busy shopping plaza in the busy part of Avon and the map on my phone showed that we were less than a mile away from our destination, I did question where there could possibly be a tree farm close by that was big enough to go out and cut down your own tree. But I found the place on google so it must be real, right? Lucky for me, Pat thinks through situations better than I do so when we...

I had am amazing Thanksgiving. It is one of my favorite holidays. Such a relaxing day filled with great food and even greater family. We were able to squeeze in some time with all three of our families and it was great. The five days off of work wasn't awful either. :) Now that Thanksgiving is over, the Christmas season is officially here. I've never been one to mix the holidays so I don't like thinking about decorating for Christmas or listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving is over. And now that it is; it's game on. I have already listened to the complete album of Glee Christmas no less than four times. And this morning, I reached an all-time low (even for me) when the song on the album, "Last Christmas" actually moved me to tears. I know. I'm a loser. This point was proven a few weeks ago when one of the students at the school where I work told me I was a loser because I like Glee. I put my L to my forehead and proudly proclaimed m...

Did you brave the crowds on Black Friday? We were driving home from my inlaw's around 11:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving night and couldn't believe all the people we saw lined up outside of the stores. Thanksgiving night was pretty cold, too, I might add. I'm not here to judge anyone who shops on Black Friday because I can appreciate a good deal with the best of them. That being said, the picture the media paints of this day is pretty much like my worst nightmare. I hate crowded places, long lines and mean people. I saw the news reports about all of the Black Friday fights and violence, which only confirmed the negative picture in my mind about this shopping experience. So instead of dealing with the crowds on Black Friday, we decided to take advantage of the unusually warm day and hang our Christmas lights. And by "we," I mean, Pat does all the work and I just hold the ladder. Someone has to do it, right? As we were testing the lights, though, we realized each...

For a long time now, the admissions director and I have been talking about getting a mascot for the high school where we work. All schools need a mascot, right? So we found a Viking mascot costume and ordered it a few weeks ago. The mascot came in the mail yesterday and as we were opening it in my office, I decided to try the head on. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was wearing the entire costume. Laughing hysterically at me, the admissions director dared me to walk down the hallway in the mascot costume. To clarify, I asked her if it was a triple dog dare and she said yes. What else could I do? I never pass up triple dog dares. So I did it. Class was in session so there weren't a lot of kids in the hallways but the faculty and staff that we did run in to, were really enjoying the mascot. No one really knew it was me in there which I thought was even more fun. At this point, school was going to dismiss in twenty minutes so we decided maybe it would be a good ...

At work today, I received an email with an article titled, " 21 signs you grew up in the 90s. "  It was really funny and made me laugh out loud which was refreshing after a long week. I enjoyed number 12 the most, "How to get a Furby or Tamagotchi to shut up." If I had to add a few things of my own, I would add: Knowing the lyrics to the song, Da Dip. "I put my hand up on your hip. When I dip, you dip, we dip." When TGIF meant coming home from school on Fridays to watch Family Matters, Step by Step and Full House. It was quite ironic after reading this article about things from the 90s that I would come home after work to my husband sitting on our exercise ball in front of the TV, surrounded by an original Nintendo and a ton of cords and games. He was so excited I was home and couldn't wait to tell me what he was up to. "Guess what I got up and running? My old Nintendo from my parents. I thought we could have a happy hour game night." ...

So I think God, Mother Earth, the Universe, or whatever you believe in, was trying to talk to me today. Tell me how weird this is: I was leaving work today and was taking my time walking to my car. I stopped to read a bumper sticker that said, "The best things in life aren't things." I was repeating that quote to myself as I walked the rest of the way to my car. Then, I get into my car and turn it on. The radio comes on automatically and, I kid you not, the first words I heard on the radio were, "The best things in life aren't things." It was a song called, I'll Be Waiting , by Michael Franti & SpearHead. I've never heard the song before and of all times for me to hear it, seconds after reading the exact same message on a bumper sticker! Seriously, someone or something was sending me a message! The message was received... I feel like there is so much in my life that I have been taking for granted lately and this was my wake up call. I get u...

So last week, Pat called to tell me that his friend from college would be coming to Cleveland for work and would be staying with us for a night. I was really excited because I love visitors! Pat went on to say that he thought it would be fun if we went to Great Lakes Brewing Company for dinner when he's there. I got even more excited because I love going out to eat and we hardly ever go out to eat during the week! Somehow, though, the communication major misinterpreted the intention of the word "we." "What time are we going out to eat?" I asked Pat. "Well," he replied with hesitation, "when I said 'we,' I actually meant just us guys. You know, a guy's thing." I tried to play it off like I was totally okay with that, "Oh, it's just a guys thing? Okay. No big deal." But deep down, it was a big deal. I felt an overwhelming sense of rejection. So right now, they are out to eat and drinking Great Lakes beer while I a...

There has been a lot of speculation lately about whether or not my dog, Grady, has grown out of his "consumption phase" in which he swallows socks, underwear and all paper products. My response to this question is a very diplomatic one in which I just state facts: To the best of my knowledge, Grady has not consumed anything other than his dog food in X months. Prior to today, X meant about eight months. I have been really careful with my response to this question because it has been too hard to tell if his eight month "remission," if you will, was a result of the fact that he has actually outgrown this bad habit or rather if it was a result of his owners doing a better job of keeping all temptations out of sight (and therefore, out of his stomach). I wanted to believe it was because he had outgrown it, but secretly, I think I knew he hadn't. Tonight, unfortunately, Grady proved that my suspicion was correct; he has yet to outgrow this awful habit. When given...

Since the day I turned 28 (on July 24), the topic of me having a baby has been quite popular among those I know, and even those I've never met before. I'm not sure what exactly happened, but something changed when I turned 28 and suddenly people seem very concerned about when I will start to make babies. Have you seen those Arby's commercials where they have the big logo over their head with the caption, "I'm thinking Arbys"? I can't help but feel like I've been walking around with one of those over my head except it's a big egg with a caption that says "egg supply depleting rapidly" and some warning siren that goes along with it when I walk by. Today, one of our faculty members came to visit at work with her one month old baby. I'm not going to lie, I do LOVE holding babies. I love the way the snuggle up to you, I love the way they smell and I love watching their facial expressions, trying to imagine what this world must look ...

I'm laying in bed feeling sorry for myself because I'm all alone while my husband is traveling for work. I've been on the verge of tears since I dropped him off at the airport tonight. Actually, given today being the 10th anniversary of the tragedies of September 11, 2001, I have been on the verge of tears all day. I have cried during every 9/11 commercial, during the national anthem before the football game and every time I heard a tribute song played on the radio this weekend. It has been ten years but yet the sadness of that day is still so fresh. I keep thinking about all of the women who lost their husbands that day. How absolutely devastating it must be to find your soul mate, marry them and then lose them in such a tragic way. When I put today into context, it's impossible to continue feeling sorry for myself when I know how truly blessed I really am. I am so very lucky to have found Pat, someone who completes me and makes me happier than I ever thought I...

I can't believe it is September already. Where oh where did the summer go? Given falls imminent arrival, I was very disheartened to go out to my "garden" tonight only to find that I still don't have any vegetables in my first attempt as a farmer. Can someone please explain to me how I could grow up in a farm town and go to a high school with classes titled, "Future Farmers of America" and "drive your tractor to school day," and not be able to grow ONE tomato? Granted, I didn't ever take an FFA class or own a tractor, but I thought maybe by way of osmosis I would have inherited some of those farming skills. Hypothesis incorrect. It all started when I decided to join up with Erica @ The Gritty Girl Blog for a zucchini growing contest. I thought it sounded like fun. It also sparked an interest in me to grow tomatoes, too. Unfortunately, I waited until the end of May to plant both my zucchini and tomato seeds. Pat (and many others) told me o...

My nephew Max loves to say, "We have a mystery" and walk around trying to solve mysteries; mysteries that he has created. On this Sunday morning, Pat and I woke up to a mystery of our own. We were out of town for most of the day yesterday and never checked our mail when we got back last night. When I checked it this morning, I was surprised to see an 8x8 thin box in our mailbox. It was obvious from the label that it was an ebay purchase. Knowing that I hadn't ordered anything on ebay and that Pat doesn't know how, I would have assumed it was a mistake except for the fact that it was clearly addressed to "Pat and Emily Robinson." The mailing label on the box indicated that the item was purchased from an ebay store called Valley Village Collectibles in North Hollywood, California. When we opened the box we found a seven inch vinyl record, Eye for an Eye, recorded by Pat Robinson in 1984. Unfortunately, we have no way of playing or listening to this album. ...

As you know, due to my addiction with the game Words with Friends , I haven't been reading as much as I would like to these days. But I'm happy to report that I did just finally finish the one and only book I've read this summer (how pathetic am I?). I know I'm about six years late and a dollar short, but I finally read the book My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult and it was really good. I haven't read a Jodi Picoult book yet that I haven't loved. If by some slim chance you, too, have been living under a rock and haven't read the book yet, I highly recommend you do so! As usual, I have not allowed myself to watch the movie , starring Cameron Diaz, which came out in 2009, until I read the book first. I always like reading the book first, a lesson learned by my mom very early in life. So now, I've read the book and I really want to watch the movie but after several failed attempts, I'm beginning to realize, things just aren't what they us...

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I'm really unhappy in my relationship with Words with Friends. Here are the reasons why I need to breakup with the game. 1. I don't even like scrabble.  Six months ago if you were to ask me what my least favorite game was, I would have told you it was Scrabble. 2. I'm not good at it.  At any given time I could be playing up to 10 games at once and very likely I could be losing every single one of them. 3. I have become obsessed and addicted to it. I am spending WAY too much time playing this game. It is taking away from my Facebook creeping, Twitter stalking and most importantly, my summer reading which was pretty much non-existent this summer because of my addiction to this game. 4. It caused a huge argument between me and the husband Okay, huge might be an exaggeration, but we did go to bed somewhat annoyed with each other over this stupid game. We do the play and pass version since he doesn't have an iPhon...

It's been a good run but I finally decided to come clean to the government about my secret life. You see, for the past two years and two months, I have been living under the dual identity of both Emily S and Emily R. I have to admit, it was invigorating. But, all good things must come to an end. And after my computer at work got a virus this afternoon, I was convinced the government had figured me out. So I went straight to the social security office to come clean. When she asked me "what is the reason for your name change," I told her I had gotten married. When she smiled and said congratulations, I have to admit, I was embarrassed to tell her it had actually been over two years ago. She didn't seem phased. I'm sure she's seen it all. There are several reasons why it took so long for me to finally make my name change official with the government (I changed my credit cards, license and other items immediately). First, hour limitations at the office. Before...

It's 10:52 PM and I'm just sitting down for the first time since I got off work at 4:30. I went straight to the grocery store, then to another grocery store, came home, unloaded the groceries and immediately started cooking. We are having a cookout tomorrow night with Pat's friends from out of town. Tonight I made pasta salad, cole slaw, baked spaghetti and a chocolate chip brownie cheesecake. While I was cooking the night away, Pat was busy cleaning our house. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I'm not a great housekeeper. When I do clean, I do a pretty thorough job but I just don't clean nearly as often as I should. I'm soooo lucky to have a husband who helps me! I've never made a cheesecake from scratch before, let alone a cheesecake with a brownie bottom. I will let you know how it turns out and if it's a recipe worth sharing, I will share it! Speaking of recipes, I owe you the wonderful strawberry vinaigrette dressing recipe. ...

I'm not really taking on the world, per say, but I am taking on a huge website overhaul that is consuming my life at work (and home). It is t-minus 16 days until the launch of the new website at the school where I work and there is so much left to do. Already having one website overhaul under my belt at my previous job, I thought I was prepared for this challenge but at times, today being one of them, I feel way over my head and like I really am taking on the world. Speaking of taking on the world, that is the title of the new OAR single off of their new album, King, which comes out TOMORROW! I'm so excited. I just pre-ordered it in hopes that when I wake up tomorrow morning, it will already be downloaded on my computer so that I can add it to my iPod and listen to it all day at work. If it all pans out, my Tuesday should be much less overwhelming and frustrating than my Monday. You know what wasn't frustrating, though? My awesome weekend! Friday afternoon started with...

Stuffed Green Peppers Prep Time: 30 Min Cook Time: 30 Min Ready In: 1 Hr Ingredients 6 green bell peppers salt to taste 1 pound ground beef 1/3 cup chopped onion salt and pepper to taste 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 3/4 cup uncooked rice 1/2 cup water 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup water as needed Directions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle salt and cheese inside each pepper, and set aside. In a large skillet, saute beef, onions and 1 tsp. of Worcester...

You'll probably notice that my style of writing has a slightly more mature and distinguished flare to it now that I'm 28 (that sounds old, right?). Even though my eggs are slowly rotting and my best baby making years may be behind me (according to my doctor), I still feel just as young as ever! Except for wanting to go to bed by 10:30 every night and barely being able to handle alcohol consumption anymore (minor details). Anyway, my birthday weekend was absolutely wonderful and I couldn't have planned a more perfect way to say goodbye to 27 and hello to 28! The weekend started with a date night to the movies with my husband. We decided to go see Horrible Bosses, us and everyone else on the west side of Cleveland, and unfortunately it was sold out. So we saw our second choice, Friends with Benefits. Probably goes without saying but when I say "our" second choice, of course I mean "my." I really liked this movie and not just because Justin Timberlake...

Exactly one year ago today, I woke up to a phone call from my mom and Mark telling me Mark's cancer was back. They said it was his worst re-occurrence yet. As always, Mark sounded extremely positive and hopeful and even said, "My time here is not done." I couldn't help but be sad for the rest of the day, even though they told me not to be. Exactly six months ago today, Mark died. It's really hard to believe. When I think about the fact that it's been six months and how often I still miss him and cry, it makes me kind of embarrassed. Maybe I'm a slow griever? Or maybe I just truly appreciate what an amazing person I had in my life and know that he is worth missing! Either way, I can't help but think about him and these "anniversaries" that fall on my birthday. Don't worry, though. I'm not sitting here having a pity party for myself! If my step-dad Mark taught me anything about life, he taught me that life is for the li...

Brownie 'n Berries Dessert Pizza Prep Time: 20 Min Cook Time: 20 Min Ready In: 2 Hr 40 Min Ingredients 1 box Betty Crocker® brownie mix Butter and eggs called for on brownie mix box 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries 1 cup fresh blueberries 1 cup fresh raspberries 1/2 cup apple jelly Directions Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray or shortening. In large bowl, stir brownie mix, butter and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean or almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base. Arrange berries over cream cheese mixture. Stir jelly until smooth; brush over berries. Refrigerate about 1 ho...

I'm really late with this update, so I apologize. But I'm starting to operate under the, "better late than never," philosophy with my blog. Last Wednesday, Pat and I went out to dinner at our favorite Angelo's pizza in Lakewood. I don't miss the annoying cops and frivolous traffic violations in Lakewood, but boy do I miss Angelo's pizza. It was our first time eating outside on their patio, too. Good eats. Good company. After dinner, we went to the Rock Hall to see the Fitz and the Tantrums perform live, outside as a part of the FREE Summer in the City Concert Series. It was a beautiful night in Cleveland and this group was just as good live as they are on their CD's. If you haven't heard the Fitz, listen to one of my favorite songs here . After the concert we went out for ice cream. Have I mentioned I LOVE summer? Fitz and the Tantrums concert Last weekend we went camping with my college roommies (minus Emily Tucker-Halm - WE MISSED YOU)...

I don't even really like the word panties. Actually, I despise it. But yet, I still find myself using the phrase "don't get your panties in a bunch," when a situation warrants such a thing. I'm pretty sure I've said it to Pat, who doesn't even wear panties. Go figure. Anyway, I bring this up because today, my panties are literally in a bunch. Not because I'm upset; my day has been quite pleasant, actually. Well, except for the fact that my panties are in a bunch. The problem is, I'm wearing panties underwear that are a size too small for me and therefore they are cutting off my circulation. I remember back in the day when I could wear a size extra small - in everything, including my underwear. And by back in the day, I mean all the way back to high school and perhaps my freshman year of college. It was a sad day when I had to go up to a size small. As you can imagine, it was an even harder day when I realized that I should go up ...

So it’s summer and you want to dress accordingly for the season. You picture cute shorts and tank tops, right? Not for me. You see, I have a very difficult time finding shorts that are at a length appropriate for both my age and my thunder thighs. When did all of the shorts get so short ? Or have they always been this short and it just didn’t bother me when I was skinny enough to wear them? If I do find shorts that are the right length, they are usually made for older women who are comfortable pulling pants up to their belly buttons. I’m not quite there yet. Maybe someday I will be, but not yet. For these reasons, I just avoid shorts all together which leads me to wearing dresses, like I am today. Dresses are great except that your thighs rub together when you’re wearing them and if it’s hot, they get sweaty and sticky. And after going around all day with your legs rubbing together, you can be sure that you will end up with leg chafage (aka leg chaffing). It’s been so long since I’...

I'm not sure how to even summarize this amazing weekend without writing a novel. Although, most of my blogs are novel length anyway so what's the difference? It was an amazing weekend. I love food, I love fun and I love the 4th of July, all of which made this weekend absolutely perfect! I had the day off on Friday so I slept in a little, woke up and went straight to work. I was working on a very special surprise for my SIL and BIL, Traci & Russ, who told Pat and I recently that we are going to be aunt and uncle to their little Baby Tigue in January 2012! WOO HOO!!! So I wanted to make Traci a pregnancy scrapbook/journal that she could use throughout her pregnancy. My mission was to complete it before our cookout on Saturday so that I could give it to her. I finished the book and she loved it. Mission accomplished! Pat wasn't fortunate enough to have Friday off of work so I drove to Elyria to meet him for lunch. Since we work over an hour away from each other, meetin...