State shutdown? Let us know how it's affecting you...

So as with most days, I have two choices - get work done or read the articles on the Star Tribune's website. As you can imagine, since I am at work of course my decision was to load up the Star Tribune's website. When my computer pulled up the site, the first article I saw was "State Braces for Friday Shutdown." *Groan* Really?

OK, I won't go too much into the politics of it all because it just makes my head buzz -- don't get me wrong I vote and I know it is my duty to involve myself in politics because if I won't stand up for my own views, who will? But really -- as a late 20 something, I just kind of like to avoid those topics. Mostly because I am confident in my views, and I really don't appreciate my friends drunken discussions where they try to tell me I am wrong -- So, I just stay out of it!

So back to my making a point about not making a point. From my stand point, I am a very average Minnesotan who has a salaried position. As a salaried employee - If I have work to do to keep the company running, I am expected to get it done even if I have to stay late -- And I don't get paid to do it. (Thanks, sucky corporate America.) For this reason, I don't think our state legislature should get special treatment. They signed up for this job and they should be expected to get their work done, no matter the hours, in order to keep the company (government) running. The people who elected them have to, why do the elected officials get to be irresponsible? You cannot chance losing business or ticking off your customers. You have a job to do, get it done. Stop acting like whiny little children and make a compromise so that other people don't suffer. Because many Minnesota families WILL suffer because of their recklessness. I truly hope that voters hold these elected official responsible for what they didn't get done, because they shouldn't need or be allowed to have a special session.

Which brings me to my initial point... After glancing over the article about the shutdown I noticed another article where the Star Tribune asked readers, "State Shutdown? Let us know how it's affecting you." My first thought was, ha ha suckers! It's not affecting me! But then I realized how much a jerk I was being because it really will be hard on a lot of Minnesotans who count on the state for jobs/income, assistance, entertainment, etc. It sucks! Then I started to think about how many things it will truly affect -- And that's when I realized I was one of those suckers. Hey dummy -- you bought a car yesterday, how are you going to title it? *GROAN* Oh, I forgot about that.

The DMV website is already down and I have the title and Mike hasn't signed it and he's the person on it. Poo. There's no way we can get it done today and even if we could, can you imagine the lines? Uffdah! (Yep, that's my adopted MNan coming out.) Can you get insurance for a car you don't have a title for!? How long is our car going to be titled under someone else's name? -- This could lead to some serious issues!! So now I have some dilemmas - Stupid July, why'd you have to come so soon? I wonder how long the shutdown will last, there's no way it could last for more than a week or so, right? Yesh, despite my planner instincts, I just don't think I want to think about this one at the moment -- BACK TO WORK! (Please make note of the previous sentence, because you won't see that last phrase very often.)

- Emily

Buying my First Car!

Last August, Mike had the pleasure of buying his first car, well if you don't include when he bought the GAGT (Grand AM GT) from his folks, when he bought the Vue Redline. I was a little jealous because he had to fly to PA to get it so I didn't get to participate. (One ticket was expensive enough and someone needed to take care of 'Ole King George.) I missed out on the haggling (there was none) and the fake banter and OK, I didn't miss out on much except the weird Italian Ice stuff they had that apparently is all the rage in Philly. But I still would have liked to have been there, to have signed the paper work and to be on the title. Since really, it is my car and I wanted to be present when she was added to the family (we are very fond of our cars.)

But alas I missed it. But I'll be present for the next one! Mike's folks gave us their old '08 Oldsmobile Intrigue a few years ago because, lets be honest, we were too poor and had too large of a house payment to afford a car payment. It wasn't what either of us would have chosen for ourselves, but it got us from point a) to point b) and really that's all that matter. I drove it and got accustomed to her until Mike's GAGT finally gave out at 260,000 miles. Then we bought the Vue, which was a stretch, and Mike took over driving the Intrigue. Well at 235,000 miles the Intrigue finally decided that she had had enough. She got Mike home safely last Wednesday, but that was her last trip. We had her towed to Parents Automotive and after finding out she had a $1,700 operation ahead of her we decided it was time to put her down since she wasn't even worth that much and honestly we didn't know how much longer she would last even after a new upper intake manifold, new thermometer and something else. So she's still at Parents - waiting for us to pay her last bill and send her off to a charity somewhere.

In the mean time, Mike's been looking for a replacement. Mike's parents have been nice enough to loan us enough to buy a replacement. Mike's been searching and has found two good replacements - his friend's 2006 Mazda Speed Six and a random 2007 Cobalt SS in Hutchinson (featured in the photo.) Mike is test driving (or test drove) the Speed Six and after work we're heading over to US Bank to pick up cash in case he decides to purchase the one in Hutchinson we're going to see at 7 PM today. I am so excited! Just thinking about having all that money in one place makes me nervous but I can't wait to be present to buy it. I am sure its no big deal but I still think it will be cool because its the first car that I will be present for the purchase (not counting mom and dad's.) Can't wait to see what Mike decides on and really, I am just as excited to stop carpooling with him - I am sick of getting up at 6:20 - too early!

So basically, I don't really know what's going to happen today - other than I get fast food for dinner and George is going to be mad at us for ditching him for a few hours - but I am excited about it either way! I'll share results as soon as I can. :)

Grandma B's Rhubarb Sauce - Very Easy, Very Basic Recipe - but tasty!

This recipe is from my grandma, so needless to say its kind of "unmeasured"? The recipe calls for 2 parts Rhubarb and 1 part Strawberries (although recently, I've been doing equal amounts by accident because Dad said mine had extra strawberries but that he liked it.)

So it might go something like this:
2 Cups Rhubarb Chopped in small bits
1 Cup Strawberries Chopped in small bits
Water to cover
Sugar to taste

Put the strawberries and rhubarb in a sauce pan and put enough water in the saucepan to just cover the top of the rhubarb and strawberries. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and simmer until there are no longer "chunks" in the sauce (the smaller the bits the quicker it breaks down). When its done it will almost look like an applesauce. Now add sugar to taste (grandma likes it tart, Emily likes it sweet.) Once cooled either freeze or apply to desserts. My dad likes it so much he'll just have bowls of rhubarb sauce, but its best over icecream or other desserts. Yum!

Charlie the (CUTEST) Ranch Dog

Recently, it was my birthday and my mother-in-law got me the cutest book as a present.

I should preface this with the fact that I like to collect Children's Basset books. Owning a Basset makes reading children's books, that really capture the whimsy of a basset, hysterical and this book has the whimsy down to the freckles on their snoots.

The book is called Charlie the Ranch Dog. Its written by a woman named Ree Drummond who left the big city to marry a ranch owner and now owns two bassets of her own: Charlie and Walter. The book is based on Charlie's real life daily routine and it is just too much! It hits all the silliness of the basset and even the illustrations are perfect. The illustrator must have followed Charlie around because there's a picture of Charlie sleeping with his head smushed up against a raised wooden vegetable bed and it has all the wrinkles down to a "T".

Personally, I think any child - basset owner or not - would like this book. It even has a hidden chippy that appears on each page - like the where's waldo of chipmunks. The illustrations are beautiful and will capture the imagination of any child. Cover to cover it is such a perfect book and I am hoping that there will be follow up stories or maybe Walter will have his own book.

Three cheers for Charlie the Ranch Dog! And thank you Sandy for this precious book.