A Funeral for a Friend

Last Tuesday started out as a regular day. I dropped Princess Persistent off at day care and got into my office and buckled down to work. Around 9:30 I checked my family Gmail account and saw an email exchange about my mom and brother, discussing the death of a family friend, John.

At 11:50, I was at Providence Station boarding a train for New York City.

John died at the age of 34. To many of you reading the blog, dying at 34 is an unspeakable tragedy. For John it was pretty near miraculous.

John had Cystic Fibrosis. When he was diagnosed back in the 70's the doctors told his parents that he might not live much past his high school graduation.

According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation average life span is now about 37. I am sure that John is pissed he did not beat the average.

John and his family lived two doors down from us growing up. He and his brother hung out with me and my brother, until puberty and divorce broke up the foursome. Our parents switched off driving us to school in inclement weather, and on the mornings that we would go to John's house before school we would witness his mother giving him the physical therapy necessary for a CF patient. The therapy is to pound on the patient's chest and back for several minutes. Its hard to watch, and I can only imagine how hard it was for John's mother to do twice a day every day.

Even though I did not see a lot of John after we moved to another part of town, we reconnected during my senior year of High School John was a freshman and since he was in the marching band, he was invited to all of my marching band/drama club parties.

I went home to say goodbye and to pay my respects to his family who had once been very dear to me. It just seemed like the right thing to do. Thankfully Hubman was very supportive of my decision to drop everything and go.

Seeing him in the casket was simply surreal. If you looked closely enough you could see a hint of the goofy grin that regularly dotted his face. John was happy and his brother was dour. What really seemed oddest to me was to see someone I remembered as being in perpetual motion to be finally still.

His mother was pleased to see my mother and brother and very pleasantly surprised that I made the trip. However I could not miss the trip. I guess some part of me needed to see everything to believe it. I went and saw John's dad who used to be a big, scary man.

However he is no longer big or scary. I had trouble reconciling this gentle grandfather in my head with the gruff police officer who showed me how to properly wax a car. He also seemed to have trouble reconciling the girl with glasses and a ponytail with the adult and mother of two that I am now.

There is no mistake that John's death was tragic. You only had to look at the face of his wife, his infant son, his parents, friends and brother to know that he will be deeply missed.

However in his short life John did everything he wanted to do. He was a fire fighter which was his childhood dream. When you looked at the photo board at the funeral home you could see him and that grin surrounded by friends, skiing, scuba diving, surfing and having a good time.

At the very real risk of being hopelessly trite maybe John lived his life more fully since he knew that he did not have a lot of life to live. That while Hawaii would indeed be there next year, that he might not be.

It makes me think of the dreams we all defer until next month, next year or the illustrious 'some day'. Thinking of John makes me feel that I take the gift of a normal life expectancy for granted.

If I can do one thing to honor his memory and the many good times we had, I should try to live more boldly and grab one of my dreams and make them come true.

Not next year, not 'someday' but now.

Rest in Peace, John. You will be missed.

Monday Catch Up and Spotlight Blog

Have you all missed me? I had two trips to NY this past week, no laptop and a secret identity to maintain. Thank goodness for my iPhone or I would not have been able to read or see anything.

I went home unexpectedly last week to attend the funeral for a childhood friend, and then a planned trip this weekend to take the kids to the beach and attend a family party.

Between those events and the death of Michael Jackson I have a lot to catch up on and hope to get it done this week.

This Friday I will also get back on track with my salute to cheese for Friday Foodie.

I also finished The Purity Myth and wanted to capture some thoughts on that as well. So much to write, so little time.

The Ask the HR Chick feature, yeah I am behind there as well.

If you look at the top of my blog you will see a poll. I am taking votes for HNT Alphabet Edition- V for Vote. I know it kills the surprise but I am hoping that you will all forgive me.

I also have more than 100 followers! I don't know how that happened but I am grateful for each and every reader that I have and hope I can bring you all a little fun every day.

I have noticed that I have a very interesting mix of followers. I have mommy bloggers, infidelity bloggers and a whole bunch of people who like BDSM. Since I have such a mix I am always curious as to what you are enjoying here, so let me know which of my posts you enjoy most so I don't drop them.

Have a great week all. Wish me children who go to sleep early and easily so I can get to all the posts I want to write.

For this week's spotlight blog I am featuring Sexy at Forty. SAF is my 100th follower and I hope you stop by her blog for the fun and naughtiness. Her blog is on the NSFW side and has the disclaimer on her blog.

As an HR person, I think you can argue that you did not know a blog was not work safe, unless of course there is a disclaimer that you have to click through to get there.

HNT-Alphabet Edition

This HNT is brought to you by the letter T......

T is for Tossed Salad.....
(And yes, I know the slang meaning for Tossed Salad)

Hubman and I are watching our weight. So as part of my being supportive of his weight loss efforts, I pack him a yummy tossed salad for lunch several days per week.

Please take note how I separately bag the croutons and grilled chicken so the croutons stay crisp and the chicken does not make the salad soggy. The dressing is also packed in its own Tupperware separate from the salad.

And of course, every woman fixes her husband's lunch in a babydoll nightie and heels.

Hubman also liked this photo, so here is a little bonus pic......

If you look in the corner, you can see our puppy hoping I drop some croutons or chicken while working.

Hubman is looking scruffy-hot this week. And there are some very sexy people over at The Other HNT.

If you get inspired one week and want to do HNT, make sure you visit this handsome man and let him know you played.

For my g-rated blogger friends: if you are intrigued by HNT but do not want to post on your blog, you can send me the picture and I will post you over here anonymously.

In two weeks, I will be up to the letter V. V is for vote. I will be posting a poll with choices of poses and my readers get to choose which one will be up on Thursday, July 9, 2009.

TMI Tuesday and Blog Award

Sadly it appears that Jon and Kate's marriage is going gently into that good night. Hell who are we kidding, I am sure there will be much raging and extensive media coverage of the whole thing. I do not watch Jon and Kate plus 8. Unless Hubman is away and the kids are asleep I do not get a whole lot of control over the remote.

So everything I know about them comes from the unavoidable media coverage. While it appears that Kate is a shrew and Jon is a gutless excuse for a man, only time (and who has the better PR team) will tell. However before anyone casts stones at either of them, I just wonder whose marriage could withstand such scrutiny. I think that marriage can be challenging under the best of circumstances, but having every aspect of your relationship played out on national TV and dissected on message boards is pretty much a guaranteed sinker.

Yes they did choose to be on television, but I am sure they started this with the best of intentions, which was to raise money to support their large family. I am not familiar with hyper multiples, but I know that I am continually surprised about how much it can cost to raise two children, I cannot imagine having another six.

I wonder how many of us could go through the whole media experience with the constant attention, freebies, and money and not come out unchanged.

Since today's TMI questions focus so much on love and sex I thought this would be an interesting starter. So now onto the TMI. If you are joining in the fun, do not forget to let them know you played.

TMI Tuesday #192

1. Would you stay in a loveless relationship for the amazing sex?
No. I have been in relationships with awesome sex and not much else. The lack of the other things makes the connection tenuous which over time, makes the sex less amazing.

2. If you could only have one, which would you choose: love that lasts forever or great, body numbing sex?
I choose everlasting love. As I age, I am sure that age and what it does to your joints will provide the body numbing during sex at some point.

3. Looking back at your past loves, which one should you have married/taken back and who should you have tossed earlier than you did?
I should have kept none of them. They were all experiences that brought me to Hubman. The same with tossing them when I did. It's all part of the learning experience.

4. if you had one last fuck in you where, how and who would you “give it” to?
I would give it to Hubman, of course. But if I could have a group party and share the love and see Hubman getting some quality lovin' too, why not. Ideally it will be when Hubman and I are really old and we are panting and groaning with the other partner going "what? what did you say? or "If we do that position I'll break a hip".

5. Which is more important sex, money, love and happiness? (and no, you can’t pick’em all)
I am going to say love for the same reasons that Hubman did. I hear that money can't buy happiness . However if someone would like to give me a few million dollars to test that theory, I will gladly be your guinea pig.

I also got some cool news yesterday. Hope from Hope Radio sent me the lovely award on your right to thank me for helping her support the troops. I appreciate it, but it makes me feel guilty since I do not do nearly enough to support the troops.

I am thinking that a little blog pimping, a small donation and my weekly participation in Tits for Troops is not enough. So while I go figure out what to do, I hope that some of you visit Hope and read about her work with Lettersforleathernecks. Its a great cause. And if you are feeling so inspired clickity-click on her donation button and give her a little love to help her out.

Happy TMI!!

Monday Musings and Spotlight Blog

I honestly think if it rains for one more day that our family is going to grow mold. I just want some sunshine already. I am getting moody and batty from the lack of sunlight.

In happier news, Hubman and I are entering the Lifestyle Consulting Business. Of course we are not charging, but if you have questions about Swinging or the Lifestyle, just let Hubman know and we will answer them.

Things are very crazy at work so it is practically 7:00pm and I haven't gotten my Spotlight Blog up.

This week I am spotlighting "Life According to Candice". Candice is a snarky, sarcastic, ER Nurse from Texas and she makes me laugh. I have to admit, I have a bit of a girl crush on Candice and I hope if I am ever in her neck of the woods that we can have a Margarita or four.

Happy Monday everyone!

To Pierce or Not to Pierce

Before I get into the title topic, I must brag for a moment about how Darling Boy got his purple belt in karate last night. I am so proud of the little bugger. Besides the Wii, karate is one of the things that he works hardest on.

School is out for the year and DB will be enjoying several days of man time with Hubman before day camp starts. I just hope that we have some non rainy days. Seriously, I think that the kids are going to get moldy soon if I can't get them outside.

Anyway back to the title topic. I have been thinking about getting my nipples pierced. I had the opportunity to see some up close and I am thinking that it might be hot, but not have the permanency issues that come with tattoos.

I am a bit afraid of needles and pain, but I am guessing it hurts more than stubbing your toe and less than childbirth. I am also guessing that the long term hotness is worth the short term pain.

So since I know that I must have a few readers with pierced nipples, I leave the following questions:

1. How much does it hurt and for how long?

2. How long before my nipples can be comfortably handled by others?

3. Do holes in your nipples close up faster than holes in your ears, or do I have to wear nipple rings every day until I tire of nipple rings?

4. Do you have to go braless for a few days after having it done, or can I wear bra's right away?

5. Would it be a hot accessory for me?

So please leave your feedback in the comments section. If I go through with it, I am sure that pictures will follow.

Friday Foodie: Father's Day Celebration

As I mentioned last week, Father's Day is a grilling holiday. Over at our house Hubman will probably be grilling some pork chops that I marinated in balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and a little olive oil with a sprinkle of cinnamon and crushed red pepper.

We will also grill corn on the cob which is pretty simple. Remove silks from corn, but keep husks, soak for 20 minutes, grill for about 10 minutes. (actually 1ts 20 minutes-thanks Hubman)

I will also make Hubman my mashed potatoes as that is one of his favorites and it is his special day. He has yet to chime in with a dessert request so I am guessing that he will take this as a hint to suggest something.

If you go back amongst the Friday Foodies you can use some of the beans recipes, salad recipes, or the yummy fig and ricotta cheese baguette I suggested.

Here are some other ideas to go with yummy grilled fish, poultry, meats or veggies.

Mexican Coleslaw (Serves 8)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
16oz bag coleslaw mix

Mix together 1st 4 ingredients, toss with slaw and serve.

Caesar Coleslaw (Serves 6)
1 package (16 ounces) coleslaw mix
1 cup grape tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup creamy Caesar salad dressing
1 green onion, sliced

1. In a salad bowl, combine the coleslaw mix, tomatoes and cheese.
2. Add salad dressing; toss to coat.
3. Chill until serving. Sprinkle with green onion.

Lemony Dill Carrot Salad (Serves 4)
tablespoons lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups grated carrots (4 medium-large)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped scallions

1. Whisk lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
2. Add carrots, dill and scallions; toss to coat.
3. Chill until serving time.

Of course you can also do some veggie kabobs on the grill, or make your life easy and get some delicious prepared salads from the grocery store or deli.

Grilled New Potatoes with Parmesan and Herbs (Serves 8)
3 pounds small red-skinned potatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1. Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Drain potatoes; cool.
3. Prepare barbecue (medium heat).
4. Cut potatoes in half; transfer to large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil; toss to coat.
5. Grill potatoes until golden, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes.
6. Transfer to bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons. Drizzle 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons oil over.
7. Add remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Haven't finished shopping? Go here for some gift ideas for Dad.

HNT Alphabet Edition

Today's HNT is brought to you by the letter S.....

S....is for Seattle Sunshine!

Although Seattle is reputed to be a rainy city, I must say that it was not even cloudy the entire time we were there. Each day was sunny and lovely. According to many of the Seattle natives, the city gets less precipitation than many areas of the country. The only difference is that they get a little at a time frequently, whereas in Boston you will get 14 inches of snow dumped on you in a 24 hour period.

This is my last week of milking the Seattle photos. Next week I am on to the letter T. I can't believe that I am coming to the end of the alphabet. Hubman is having some suburban fun this week and there are tons of sexy people over at The Other HNT.

Feel like joining the Half Nekkid Fun? Well than visit the virile Osbasso and let him know you played.

Orgasmic Meme

Today is the last full day of school. I managed to get his teacher a nice gift and wrote her a note thanking her for the year. No oral sex involved. Maybe if DB gets a hot teacher that I like next year.....

Hubman found this great orgasm meme. Since the Wednesday Weirdness seems to be on hiatus, I thought I would give this a whirl. Please visit the lovely VanillaImparied and join in the fun.

Don’t be shy give it a go...

1. What’s your favourite way to have an orgasm?
Any way is a good way as far as I'm concerned, but I prefer orgasms with a partner or partners to orgasming alone.

2. Do you use a sex toy? Hands? or both?
When I am alone I use hands. I have sex toys but I never think to bring them out. But lets face it, masturbation takes alone time. Do you know how much alone time I get? I have a full time job, a husband, two kids and a dog.

3. Do you have a favourite time of day or night that you like to pleasure yourself or have sex?
Any time is a good time for sex.

4. Do you feel you have different types of orgasms?
Yes sometimes they are very intense and other times they are more fluttery and quiet.

5. Do you have a position or a technique that always guarantees an orgasm?
Missionary position always seems to work for me. It just makes my lady bits happy.

6. Is having your clit directly stimulated pleasurable for you? What about after an orgasm?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Sometimes the clit stimulation is too much stimulation and it gets annoying.

7. Do you masturbate/pleasure yourself?
If Hubman is away I will. Otherwise I can barely go to the bathroom by myself so having 10 minutes of peace and quiet to masturbate is practically impossible.

8. Has your self pleasuring repertoire/routine/technique changed or evolved over time?
Not really. I tend to go with what works.

9. Are sex toys part of your self pleasuring or with a partner? Or both?
Occasionally we will use sex toys, but I have never really been a dildo girl. I like flesh.

10. If you enjoy using sex toys how often do you upgrade your equipment?
Occasionally if I see something really interesting I might grab it.

11. Whats the most intense orgasm you have ever had?
I have been fortunate to be the recipient of many intense orgasms, so its hard to measure which one was the most intense.

12. How often do you orgasm? Daily, more than once a day, weekly, monthly….???
Several times a week.

13. Do you regard orgasm to be a stress reliever?
Yes. Orgasm relieves stress. And when you can't fall asleep a good orgasm will help you sleep.

14. What happens to you after orgasm? Full of energy, a bit lala or ready to go to sleep?
If its night sex or afternoon sex I am sleepy. After morning sex I am ready to go.

15. Have you ever squirted?
No. But I keep on meaning to figure that out.

16. Do you fantasize when you masturbate? Or do you just get right down to it?
Sometimes. Usually I just focus on the sensations and get in the moment.

17. What do you like about having an orgasm? Is it important you have an orgasm every time?
I like the feeling of having an orgasm and the way it brings you closer to a partner, but I do not need to have one every time, although I would not complain if that happened.

TMI Tuesday

School ends on Thursday, although I think the teachers and kids mentally checked out two weeks ago. What amuses me is that we have summer homework already. I am going to have DB knock off the book report asap and then figure out how to work in the math activity.

His biggest weakness seems to be writing. Its his writing content as opposed to his handwriting, which is not terrible for someone his age. (As an HR person I have seen worse on adults filling out applications).
DB will tell me a vivid detailed stories and go into five minutes of description on what a character he made up looks like and another five minutes on why his arm shoot lava, but if he had to write it down I would be lucky to get five sentences out of him.

I am going to email his teacher today for some suggestions on how to develop this over the summer. Then I have to get her a gift. Garbanzo suggested a blow job, but since DB's teacher does not have a penis I think that might be hard to pull off.

Anyway onto the TMI. Its easy to join the fun and let them know you played. And if you have some wacky questions you have been dying to know about your fellow bloggers, send some over.



Have you ever...

1. been married?
Yep. For 16 years in August. I am sensing a hotel celebration for us.

2. been divorced? been remarried?
No I have not. Our parents are all divorced and mostly remarried and we are hoping to make it to the 'death do us part' section.

3. had sex at a wedding reception?
And mess up my hair? No way! LOL! I am not very into sex in public places, but would consider it if propositioned.

4. had sex with someone you first met at a wedding or wedding reception?
No. I only go to weddings for relatives. And that would be squicky.

5. given a a toast to the bride and groom?
When my mom and step dad got married I was the maid of honor and gave a toast. Since it was 20 years ago I do not remember what I said.

Bonus (as in optional): What is the funniest thing you've seen or done at a wedding?
At my parents wedding we had the traditional tossing of the bouquet and garter. My stepsister caught the bouquet. (I was hiding). She was dating the man she eventually married and he was at the reception. However my 13 year old brother did not understand the etiquette of the situation so he dove out front and shoved the boyfriend out of the way to get the garter. He then protested having to put it my stepsister who was really bitching, while my friends and I laughed so hard we spurted soda out our noses.

Bonus II (as in optional): What is the best toast for the wedding couples?
Don't go to bed angry....stay up and fight and then have awesome make up sex.
Seriously, I would probably say:
I hope that your marriage never sees the for poorer, in sickness, and for worse. However if it does look back on today and all the love, joy and promise that the day holds and let that plus your deepening love you have grown over the years get you through to the brighter days ahead.

Monday Musings and Spotlight Blog

This has been an interesting past couple of days. On Wednesday Princess Persistent was rough housing with Hubman and Darling Boy during Wipeout and I hear a thud and a cry. PP smacked her head on the edge of the coffee table and got a nice cut right above her left eyebrow.

Since it was deep and bleeding a little bit Hubman cleaned her up, bandaged her and put her in the car and I took her to the Emergency Room. Since I figured I could be in the ER for a long time, I had Hubman stay home with DB. Thankfully she only needed four stitches and we only spent about 1.5 hours there total. The staff had me keep the swab with the numbing agent on her head and she fell asleep during that time and slept through the whole stitching. Thank goodness.

When it was time to take her home the ER nurse asked if I wanted a wheelchair. She felt that PP looked heavy (she is 41 lbs) and thought it would be easier for me if I held her while an orderly wheeled me to the car.

Thankfully PP took it all in stride and was chatting and asking for donuts in no time. I think I felt worse than she did.

I was sore from some very vigorous sex on Saturday so for Sunday I broke my two house rules and wore granny panties (ok a bikini cut) and sweatpants (mama always said that sweatpants are for working out, heavy cleaning or for when your man is no where to be seen) I decided to complete the suburban mom trifecta and go to the local warehouse club for supplies. I always wonder who buys some of that stuff like the huge cans of Olives that are sold in 3 packs. All I know is that place is a madhouse on Sunday. Like I say, if you are looking for a woman with kids, chances are your local warehouse club on a Saturday or Sunday is the place to go.

Hubman and I both got I-Phones. I think that this could become a minor obsession. I know that Darling Boy is enjoying the I-Fart application a whole lot.

My spotlight blog this week is Garbanzo's Should Have Been Here Yesterday. Garbanzo is an excellent cook and has a great sense of humor. He also occasionally writes some very interesting porn involving characters from Winnie the Pooh. However, since Garbanzo and his lovely wife Emmy were my tour guides in Seattle and introduced me to scones, I think that pimping his blog is the least I can do.

Happy Monday everyone!

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Next Sunday is Father's Day. I believe that Father's Day is one of those holidays where you are bound by the US Constitution to cook on the grill. The other holidays with this requirement are Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. So if dad is cooking on the grill, make sure that you have some of his favorite sides. (I will be featuring some good sides for grilling on Friday).

Poor Dad is often left out of the celebratory frenzy that surrounds Mother's Day, but deserves our love and respect just the same.

So in addition to remembering to mail out your card no later than Wednesday so it gets to Dad on time, here are some gift suggestions.

Emmy at Right Turn without Signaling has a good post about this here.

Some other good ideas are to get your dad something that you can do together. Some tickets for an event he would enjoy or a day at an auto or plane show would be fun.

Also maybe taking him out for a nice dinner just the two of you to someplace manly and let him order what he wants.

Electronic gadgets are always popular. I know Hubman has been eying an I-phone the way he looks at some HNT photos. I am thinking we might do that.

There are always gift cards to places where he likes to shop, or setting up with lessons in something he has been interested in learning.

If you are feeling a little flush, maybe upgrade his cable package for a year so he gets all of the ESPN's or HBO's or whatever he likes.

I would also recommend a professional massage or even some spa treatments. In larger cities they have salon's that cater to men with masculine decor and hot chicks that perform the spa treatments.

However what would probably be most appreciated is a heartfelt 'thanks' for all he had done for you and a reminder that you love him.

Friday Foodie- Cheese Glorious Cheese! Ricotta Edition

As some of you can tell, I have an orderly mind and like to focus on themes and topics. I did a whole bunch of Friday Foodie posts on recipes featuring different veggies and when I was posting last week's crumpet shortcake recipe and suggested ricotta cheese, I thought....mmmmm cheese.

Growing up Italian I feel that I was exposed to a wider range of cheese than most of my elementary school classmates. I would go to the home of my non Italian friends and the house cheeses would either be American or cream.

However at my house there was sharp provolone, creamy fontina, mozzarella with the satisfying amount of pull, zippy Parmesan and asagio and of course, creamy ricotta cheese.

Ricotta cheese is really a wonderful cheese. Its loaded with protein and does not have the sour taste that I find in cottage cheese and has a less watery texture. You can get ricotta in full fat, reduced fat and non-fat.

I suggest going no lower than reduced fat. Cheese is meant to have fat. While fat free cheese is a nice concept it is about the same as cool whip for science experiment food.

If you have children that are resistant to meat, serving up ricotta cheese with pasta or as a side dish with rice and veggies is a good way to get it in.

Ricotta Cheese Pancakes (Serves 4)

These are nice and light. The original recipe said fat free ricotta but use the reduced fat. This is a nice way to get some protein in the morning without meat.

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon Splenda Granular
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese
1/4 pound fresh blueberries

1. In a bowl, combine flour, Splenda, and baking powder.
   
2. Stir in egg substitute and ricotta cheese until well blended.
   
3. Gently fold in blueberries.
4. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle for each pancake.
   
5. Cook until bubbles form on top, then turn to brown other side. Serve immediately with choice of condiments.

Fig and Ricotta Crostini (Serves 12)

Now this is delicious and perfect for a summer party. Heck, I would even spread this on toast for breakfast.

1 French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
12 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
8 black mission figs, cut in quarters
1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
   
2. Place the baguette slices on an ungreased, foil-lined baking sheet.
3. Bake the bread in the preheated oven until the bottoms are brown, about 5 minutes; flip and bake until crisp, 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
4. Spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta on each slice of toasted bread. Place a few ribbons of basil on each, arrange a slice of fig on top, and drizzle the finished crostini with balsamic vinegar.

Ricotta Cheesecake (Serves 16)

This is not the typical ricotta 'cheesecake' you might have had in an Italian restaurant. This is a way to put an interesting twist on a boxed cake mix. Its delicious with fresh berries as an accompaniment.

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix (you can also use chocolate)
24 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
   
2. Lightly grease one 9x13 inch pan.
3. Make yellow cake mix according to package directions.
   
4. Pour batter into the greased 9x13 inch pan.
5. Mix together the ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and spoon over cake batter.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Sprinkle cake with confectioners' sugar when cool.

Happy Friday everyone.

HNT Alphabet Edition

This HNT is brought to you by the letter R......

R is for "Real Simple"

While on vacation I do not like heavy reading. A romance novel, a political thriller and a magazine or two. I was enjoying 'Real Simple' magazine, when Hubman decided to do photos.

I thought that a shot of one breast would be simple enough.

Splish Splash, Hubman is having tub fun this week and looking good. Also if you look closely you will find him and some of our other friends on The Other HNT.

And as always, pay a visit to Osbasso to see who got nekkid this week.

Ask the HR Chick-Employment Scams

I was bopping around on the blogosphere and came across a post on The Greer 5 Blog about employment scams. I emailed Brittany and she was kind enough to let me link to her here and talk about this.

Whenever you have hard times and desperate people you also have sleazy con artists looking to separate the desperate from their cash. These 'companies' advertise on legitimate job search sites like Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com and hotjobs.com.

They promise you lots of money and the ability to work from home and make your own hours, for what you think is going to be a small investment, which turns out to be a much larger one. And when you realize you have been taken and you try to get your money back....well good luck there.

Please remember that if it sounds too good to be true. It probably is. Also if you are applying to a company you have never heard of, please Google the company name and 'scam' before you send in your information. You can also check the Better Business Bureau in your state and the State the company purports to be located in and see if there are any complaints.

Another scam is the resume blasting services. You pay them a fee and they promise to blast your resume to 1000's of employers. And they do 'blast' the resumes. And then the HR people who receive them grumble and throw your resume into the 'unsolicited' folder where I can guarantee your resume will never to see the light of day until their company policy dictates that they can destroy your resume.

You are better sending out your resume (with a good cover letter) yourself or have a reputable headhunter do it for you.

With headhunters, you should NEVER give them money. A headhunter makes their money from placing you with an employer. The headhunting company typically between 15-30% of your 1st year's wages as commission from the company that hires you and the headhunter gets a small percentage of that.

If they say they are charging you for resume assistance or interview coaching that is BS as it is in their best interest to have you as prepared as possible in order for the company to hire you so they can get their commission.

So as Sergeant Phil Esterhaus of Hill Street Blues used to say, "Hey, lets be careful out there." Good luck on your job hunting.

Also, if you need help with your search, feel free to drop me an email. I will be happy to help and the most I might require is some nekkid photos of you. (Just kidding-Half nekkid is fine)

TMI Tuesday

I am working with a very emotional person. She has a minor persecution complex and feels every slight intensely. And despite my pleas also takes things very personally. To top it off I also work about five feet away from her. We are practically in each others laps all day long, so it is hard to not notice if she is not in a good mood. While I adore her as a friend, she is making me crazy.

My new boss is appalled that I do not have my own office. I am hoping that he puts rectifying that situation at the top of his to-do list before the woman drives me to emptying the bag of Hershey kisses in the office.

Anyway, enough venting. Its time for TMI. Please click over here and let them know you played.

TMI Tuesday #190

Have you ever...

1. Had sex with someone ten years older or younger than you?
No to the older. (But you never know, it could happen) I did sleep with a girl 10 years younger (the infamous Ann of Ned and Ann) and she was terrible.

2. Drawn from a nude model or been a nude model?
No to both. I have terrible fine motor skills so I avoid art class like the plague. Which is amusing since I like art and as a child I dreamed of being a famous fashion designer like Coco Chanel, but I cannot sew or draw.

3. Had sex at a company Christmas party?
No, but Hubman and I went back to my office after the company Christmas party and had sex in my office chair.

4. Had a blind date?
Since we have entered the lifestyle we go on semi blind dates all the time. We see naked people of the pictures of the people before we go out with them so I don't know how 'blind' the dates really are.

5. Slept with a teacher?
I worked part-time as a substitute teacher and would masturbate. Does that count?

Bonus (as in optional): had sex with someone within an hour of meeting them?
Not within an hour, but when we swapped at the lifestyle party we had known then for less than 3 hours.

Spotlight Blog

Last night I watched the Tony Awards, which honor the best of Broadway Theatre done in the previous year. I was impressed by Neil Patrick Harris as host and how the ceremony started at 8:00pm and ended at 11:00pm.

Despite initial protests, even Darling Boy got into the show and enjoyed the musical numbers. Unfortunately, Hubman was away on a business trip and did not get coerced with promise of wild sex to watch the show.

As someone who majored in theatre in college I always admire the hard work involved in getting a play or musical up and running. I did not perform so much and instead handled the backstage aspects of things as a stage manager and assistant director.

What watching the Tony's do each year though is make me swear that THIS year I will get to NYC and see some plays. I know that there are touring companies, but when you grew up a 20 minute train ride from the heart of Broadway, its hard to accept anything else as the real thing.

Maybe I will take DB to see Shrek the Musical this summer. I think he would like it and it would be a good gateway musical for him.

I am continuing on with the Spotlight blog. This week I direct you all over to the left to note 'Nothing and Everything'. This blog is written by the lovely Paige as she discusses making major changes in her life including divorce, selling her home and moving, all with grace and humor.

Please stop by and pay the lovely Paige a visit. Tell her ASM sent you.

I really need to sit down and pop out another Ask the HR Chick. I still have the interviewing process to work with.

Have a great week everyone. Enjoy the summery weather.

School Tales and Saturday Survey

As the school year wraps up we are now getting ready for summer vacation. This means getting bathing suits and water shoes out and finding the sunscreen/bugspray combo for the kids.

Its also time for summer reading. I am looking over the brochure from Darling Boy's school. He has to read a book by the recommended author and do a book report. I have been training DB to hate procrastination, by working with him to get his projects done early and then the night before its due, I give him extra privileges since his project is done and comment on how some of his friends are home scrambling to get their project done while we are baking cookies or having extra Wii time.

Anyway I am looking at the brochure and I notice that they spell Judy Blume's name wrong. Its Judy Bloom according to the brochure. Ooops! I think someone got nailed by the spellcheck gnomes. Still it worries me that a school does not proofread. Oh well.

I am shamelessly stealing from Amorous Rocker today. I am sure she will not mind if you click on over and play.




Brought to you by: Amorous Rocker


Who was the last person you sat beside at a restaurant?
Garbanzo. And he was lovely company.

Will you be up before 7AM tomorrow?
Yes I will. I am hoping to still be in bed however.

If something was wrong, who is the first guy you would go to?
Hubman. He is my main guy. Even if he is the problem he is the one I go to.

Who is the first girl you'd go to if something was wrong?
I am not sure. My mom I guess.

Have you shaved your legs in the past three days?
Yep, this morning.

If your ex said they hate you, you say?
I would probably ask how this is relevant to my life now, and then mock their penis.

Where was the last place you fell asleep other than your own bed?
PP's bed. She likes me to keep her company as she is settling in and more often than not, I doze off there.

Which smells better; Gasoline or Permanent markers?
Permanent Markers.

Do you eat whip cream straight out of the can?
Only when I am making my chocolate chip pancakes or waffles. I will also shoot the whip cream into the kids mouths. They love when I do that.

Don't you hate waiting for someone to show up somewhere?
No. I used to be chronically early for everyone before I had two kids, now I am grateful when I am on-time.

Who did you last get into an argument with?
One of my co-workers who walks out if she dosen't like the topic.

Do you drink lots of water?
No. Unsweetened iced tea, yes!

Could you handle a long distance relationship?
If Hubman had to be elsewhere I could, but I am not in love with t he idea.

Have you ever been awake for 2 days straight?
When the kids were babies and went through a nursing binge I am sure I did that once or twice. Its not good for you.

Does the last person you kissed have tattoos?
Nope

Do you still talk to the person you fell the hardest for?
Always. I get to sleep with him too.

Last person you talked to before bed last night?
Hubman.

What were you doing at midnight last night?
Sleeping.

Do you ever turn your cell phone off?
Only when I am on a plane. We do not have a land line so the cell is the primary form of communication for the family.

Are you a shy person?
A little. I get nervous in new situations and that can translate to shyness.

Do you answer the phones at your job?
All the time. I have a direct extension at work.

Has someone ever spread a nasty rumor about you?
Yes and I only wish I had done all those things and people I was rumored to do back in HS. Now as an adult I do not know if people do, but I don't care.

Are you high?
No. I had a low sugar breakfast.

Would you rather call or text?
Depends on my mood and the person.

What's your favorite Christmas song?
My favorite church song is 'Gloria in Excelsis Deo'. My favorite popular song is the Barenaked Ladies version of 'God Bless Ye Merry Gentlemen' I also enjoy Ertha Kitt's 'Santa Baby'. I LOVE Christmas music.

Expecting something to change in the next month?
With a new boss starting I am guessing that change is inevitable.

Is there a high chance of you going out to the movies soon?
I am guessing no. I never get to the movies unless I make a concerted effort. I find that most movies are just not worth the effort.

Has someone ever licked your cheek or forehead?
Hubman used to do that because he knew it annoyed me, but now he has the children to annoy.

Has anyone ever told you that you are beautiful?
Hubman, my mom, some friends. Good enough for me.

If your parents didn't like the person you were dating, would you lose them?
If it was my mom, probably, she has impeccable taste.

Has someone smacked your butt in the past week?
Heck, Hubman smacks my butt at least once a day.

Friday Foodie-Taste of Seattle Edition

Seattle is justifiably famous for its wonderful food, especially its fresh seafood. You could really go to Seattle and just eat your way through the whole entire place. While I was there I sampled my way through Pike Place Market especially enjoying the gourmet cheeses.

I tried three new cuisines while I was there, Thai food, Ethiopian food, and real Sushi. I did not enjoy the Thai food so much. I was expecting a savory curry but got a sweet one instead. I did like the Ethiopian food, but I think its a little too spicy for the others in the house and I LOVED the Sushi. It was so light and delicious. However since Sushi seems to require a lot of speciality ingredients and equipment, I will not be including any recipes for that today. For those of you that visit Friday Foodie often you know I am all about recipes that do not call for lots of special ingredients or equipment.


Our first night in Seattle we were treated to dinner at Cutter's Bayhouse by a reader of mine. I fell in love with the Seafood Kabobs with Orang Chipotle Glaze. This glaze was truly finger licking good.

Orange Chipotle Glaze. Serves 4

4 tablespoons maple syrup
4 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
2 teaspoons finely chopped seeded chipotle with 1 teaspoon adobo
Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Use on seafood, chicken, or pork chops. This will glaze about 4 pieces of 6 oz meat or fish.

Jalapeno Corn Polenta Serves 4
Make Life Easy for yourself and Grill the corn the next time you are using the grill and save some for this recipe, or use about 2 Cups of frozen corn, thawed. Polenta is delicious and should be the texture of creamy mashed potatoes. You do need to keep an eye on polenta though, so have everything that goes in it ready to go before you start cooking.

3 ears corn, husked
Olive oil, for brushing (about 1 tablespoon)
5 cups water
1 tablespoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1 1/2 cups instant polenta
2 tablespoons butter
1 jalapeno seeded and diced
1/2 cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar
1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper, plus more for seasoning

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Brush corn with oil. Grill corn until charred in spots and tender, about 5 minutes on each side.

Remove from the grill and set aside to cool.

Place a saucepan with 5 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt onto a medium heat, bring the water to boil, and slowly stir in the polenta. Reduce the heat and continue to stir for about 5 minutes until thickened and creamy. Add the butter and blend into the mixture.

Stir in the cheese and jalapeno. Keep warm.

Cut the corn off of the cob and stir it into the cooked polenta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve warm.

Emmy and Garbanzo joined us in Seattle. Garbanzo is dangerous company to my diet as we both LOVE food. Hubman and Emmy like food, they enjoy food, but Garbanzo and I seem to have an almost sexual relationship with our food. He insisted we go out for crumpets. I had never had a crumpet before so I was looking forward to it. A crumpet looks like a biscuit but has a spongier texture. Its delicious. A crumpet from the supermarket also has about 80 calories.

I was craving some crumpets when I got home so I bought a pack and assembled this shortcake, which is barely a recipe. I also think that if you use the ricotta cheese you could have this for a very nutritious breakfast. I love ricotta cheese. Its tasty and very nutritious as it is loaded with protein. A serving of ricotta will have about 6 grams of protein.

You could also macerate the berries, which is when you add a little sugar to the berries and let them sit before using so they are extra juicy, and you could even use some peaches instead and even toss a little Grand Marnier or Frangelico on the berries before using.

Crumpet Shortcakes

For each person

1 Crumpet, Toasted
1/2 Cup of ice cream, whipped cream, frozen yogurt, cool whip or ricotta cheese
3/4 Cup mixed fresh berries
Whipped cream to garnish

Put the toasted crumpet in a bowl. Top with Dairy product of choice, top with fruit, garnish with whipped cream if desired. Repeat for each person.

HNT Alphabet Edition

This HNT is brought to you by the Letter Q.....

Q is for Quartet....

The only thing better than two boobs is four boobs. A very special friend (and my boobsey twin) agreed to pose for this photo with me. I think she deserves a kiss for that......

And she will get one.

I can't believe that I got past Q in the Alphabet. It was very challenging coming up with an idea. If any of you have suggestions for X, please let me know.

Hubman is getting in touch with his inner Braveheart this week, please check out the hotness that is my man. Visit Osbasso to see who else joined in the half nekkid fun. And for more spank bank entries, please visit The Other HNT.

In addition to checking out the naked people, please visit Hope and show her cause a little love. Love for our troops makes ASM very happy. You never know what direction a happy ASM and her camera could take.

Wednesday Weirdness

My new boss started yesterday so things got a little crazy at work, but in a good way so I have nothing pity to describe, so I am just moving on to the weirdness. Click over here and join in on the fun. If you want to submit questions for any particular week, the lovely Moderator is always happy to use them.

WW #58: Hypotheticals Round Two

WW #58: Hypotheticals Round Two

Questions Courtesy Of: Ruby Rose (again, thank you!) & Bella Dreamer

1.) If you had to either shop for your groceries in your underwear only (bra&panties or boxers/briefs/whatever) or run streaking through the mall totally naked for no less than 4 minutes, which will you pick?

Either would not bother me, however it would be more efficient to get the grocery shopping done than streak through the mall since I would not have my wallet on me so I pick grocery shopping.

2.) You're having dinner at the inlaws (your boyfriend/girlfriend's parents if not married) and the food is so awful you would rather eat the table cloth. Your mother in law (bf/gf mother) calls you out and asks if there is anything wrong with the food. You can't say you're "just not that hungry" because you had earlier claimed to be "starving" so now, how do you respond to her?

I would just tell her that I am waiting for it to cool down. Then I would fill up on bread and sneak food to the dog when she wasn't looking.

3.) In the middle of foreplay, your partner asks if you want to try something new. You ask what it is. They want to stick some kind of frozen fruit or vegetable up your anus. How open to trying this are you?

Only if it was organic and well rinsed. I am sensitive to pesticdes. I would also be careful with the frozen issue as it could get stuck on my delicate anal skin.

4.) Would you rather have to walk 30 feet over burning hot coals or walk 70 feet over broken shards of glass? Why?

As long as I can wear the appropriate shoe, I am good with either.

5.) Would you rather have to have sex with your partner with a room full of your former highschool classmates watching or have sex with your partener in a room full with a mix of each of your former exes watching?

I would probably go for either group. Although goodness knows some of my exes current wives or girlfriends might be grateful for the pointers a visual demonstration could provide.

TMI Tuesday and Worst Strip Club Ever

Later in the week I will tackle all of the wonderful meals and great things I saw in Seattle, but first a story for you all.

I do not consider myself to be a connoisseur of strip clubs, by anyone's stretch of the imagination. I just started going to them about a year ago and I have been to four of them before my trip to Seattle. While wandering the Pike Place Market (If you like food even a little bit you MUST go there) Hubman and I noticed a strip club called Deja Vu. It was tagged "Where the girls wear nothing but a smile".

Hubman checked the place out on one of the Strip Club review websites and it had been very highly rated, and I figured that since the place was part of one of the most frequented tourist stops in Seattle, it would have to be good. So Hubman and I put it on our agenda as a possibility. This possibility turned into a certainty when we learned that Emmy had never been to a strip club.

So after some delicious English Pub food (fish and chips, mmmm) we walked over to Deja Vu and climbed the stairs.

$20 each to get in which included soda, and the place did not sell booze. We sit down and begin to watch. There is an unattractive and bored girl dancing. We look around. There are a lot of unattractive and bored girls wandering around.

Now as a feminist I am all for the diversity of women's bodies and the unique beauty that each of us have. However when I am at a strip club, I want the fantasy of the beautiful woman. I am expecting hot, very attractive women. I was very very disappointed here.

I am beginning to regret not showing up for amateur night on Wednesday. Based on the Saturday night talent, I would have cleaned up big time.

As usual the girls are avoiding us, until one finally comes up. She introduces herself and makes small talk. We explain that we are on a double date and she offers me and Emmy a lap dance, explaining that she loves girls.

I put her off saying that we just got there. We sit and watch another dancer. She is wearing the equivalent of stilts and trips on them. Oops.

We watch another dancer. She is not bad, it seems like she is trying to tell some naughty librarian story. I am torn on the whole dancers with glasses thing. I am not sure if they need them or if they are going for that Tina Fey/Sarah Palin look.

The Librarian dancer comes up and chats with us. We explain the double date thing and she begins to get all excited explaining that she loves girls and asks me and Emmy about our work and do we wear suits and sensible pumps. I assure her that we do. She then tells me and Emmy that she can't believe that we are not in or late 20's.

Emmy and I resist the urge to snort and I snark how I want the strip club lighting to follow me everywhere if its shaving 10 years off of me.

We sit around for another minute or two and then I suggest we leave and repair to the hotel so Emmy can take some special photos for us.

My advice? If you are in Seattle, skip the Deja Vu and just order the in room porn. Its cheaper and probably better quality.

Now onto the TMI. Click over here to let them know you played and send some questions to the TMI Team.

TMI Tuesday #189 - Dating edition



1. What was the last movie you saw on a date?
I think Batman. Hubman and I do not see many movies on dates.

2. What was the last meal you had on a date?
Fish and Chips. Mmmm.

3. When was the last time you made out in the car on a date? More?
Hubman and I had a memorable ride home from a strip club date a few months ago. I tried to find his post about it but could not.

4. Using a dating websites do you think you are more likely to find a "hook up" or a relationship?
Depends on the website. I think that you are going to get a different experience from Adult Friend Finder than you are from e-harmony

5. Do you have any special "first" date rituals? Flowers, certain restaurant, etc.
I make sure I am wearing very sexy underwear and a dress or a top that shows off some cleavage.

BONUS QUESTION: Do you believe in sex on the first date? Can a relationship bloom if you have sex on the first date?
I think that if the chemistry seems perfect on the 1st date it will be just as good on the second one. I think that a good relationship can come from 1st date sex as long as the people involved are both ok with it.

Spotlight Blog

Now that my vacation is over I can start rebuilding my blog. I managed to screw up saving stuff when I switched templates and lost my blog rolls. I will be rebuilding them asap. I also need to get smart and load up my Google reader so I can keep up with everyone during the day without looking like I am on blogs all day.

As I am working through the new construction on my blog some of you may notice some new features. I am going back to listing what I am reading since it motivates me to stay literate. I will admit though that my summer reading tends to be books with pink covers and small words.

Another feature I am trying is the Spotlight Blog. Each week I will feature a different blog and I hope that some of you go and visit that blog during the week. Most of the featured blogs will come from my followers list and while some blogs will be popular ones, I am also going to try to give a little love to blogs with less traffic.

My first spotlight blog is Red's Ride. I consider Red and his wife to be good friends. Red is the main author of the blog, but hopefully Sonja will join in on the blogging fun. He is an HNT participant and writes about many different topics. If you visit Red this week, please let him know that ASM sent you!

I was inspired to do this by Britini's Blog. (Holy Crap she's prolific.) She had written a post about her pet peeves with blogging and I had commented that you should expect to get back from the blogosphere what you put into the blogosphere.

I consider myself to be a fortunate blogger. While I do not get tons of traffic, I do get a respectable amount, and probably more than I deserve considering the lack of commenting I do.

I hope everyone has a happy Monday and a great week. I am hoping that my vacation buzz can last until lunchtime tomorrow, however I have an 11:15 meeting with some co-workers that made my need for a vacation deep and voracious, so I am guessing I will last until about 11.

So, who wants to hear about my visit to the worst strip club ever?