I finally understand

I've read 4 Nicholas Sparks books over the last 2 weekends. The first three included similar themes: Love and Death somewhere in the book as well as possibly cancer or autism It really started to puzzle me why he included so much death in his books. I never did read "Message in a Bottle", "The Notebook" or "A Walk to Remember" but I did see the last two in their movie adaptions a while back.

I really did enjoy all of them. Last weekend, I read "Dear John" and "The Last Song". Yesterday while sitting at basketball, I read "The Lucky One." I find his novels very quick to read.

Today I read "Three Weeks With My Brother". It finally understood why these themes are so prevelent. He has experience death of his parents and sister all before he is 40. Like most authors, he writes what he knows. And reading his memior, I understood where he is coming from in his writing. It makes "The Last Song" that much more meaningful.

I'm now adding a few more of his novels to my reading list and I'm sure when I read them, they will be that much more meaningful now that I read his memior. I'm also pretty sure that I will be done with the book in about a day like the other ones. The librarian told me that "The Lucky One" was due in 2 weeks which I checked it out yesterday and I said it was going to be the first one I read then. I didn't expect to return it to the library today.

Date Night

For the last 5.5 years, Saturday nights have been date nights for Patrick and I. Now that we are married and living with Grandma, date night isn't quite the same. However, last night we had an almost typical date night for us: Dinner and basketball

We went to dinner to O'Charleys with Mom and Dad. We were running a little late due to getting my car washed. Despite being busy and a little slow with the food, it was good. Patrick had the chicken tenders. I had Southern Fried Chicken Tacos with grilled chicken. In other words, there were almost like fajitas -- very good and healthy.

Then we went to Hortonville for basketball. Larry and Nikolay were reffing. Patrick wanted to evaluate them. Ok, so I got to watch a game with my husband for once. It was nice, despite Wiener talking the whole time.

After the game Patrick abandoned me -- for 45 minutes. He had to go over the game w/ the Steve and Larry in the locker room. No girls allowed. Ok fine. Well, soon no one was left in the gym except for the janitors. I tried to find them but I didn't know where they were. I was not a happy camper and I told Patrick so. He felt bad about leaving me still out there by myself.

The guys decided to go out after the game. This is nothing new. Patrick said we would have 1 and be on our way. 2 hours, 3 glasses of Pepsi (1.5 of Dew for me), we were on our way home at 12AM. I think the last time I hung out in a bar talking on a date was probably with Jason -- almost 6 years ago. Patrick and I normally don't hang out in bars. After games we head to restaurants. Sure he has gone to bars without me.

As I have said on Facebook: I ended up at Third Base with three older gentlemen last night and went home with one of them.

My Christmas Present

Tonight we had Christmas in Neenah. Patrick gave me 1 present early.



Yup, he bought me more diamonds. This year, I got a dainty little ring for my right hand. Its heart shape with a few diamond chips in it. If the light hits it just right, it sparkles. I totally love it.

So my diamond collection has increased. I tend to get them every Christmas. There are just so many diamonds a simple girl can want. I'm not into gems and I don't like bracelets or my fingers covered in rings, so I guess he will have to make good on his word and not buy my any more jewerly like he said tonight.

Big Box....

So when I came home from work today, I was greeted with this box:

The return address said "Madison, WI". The only thing I ordered was my Bucky cutting board, 2 days ago. Surely they won't put it in this giant box labeled fragile. After all its only a cutting board.

So I open it up and find this:

After unwrapping all the layers of bubble wrap, I discover it is my cutting board -- my GLASS UW Badger cutting board. No wonder it's in 37 layers of bubble wrap.

Christmas is Coming

Shopping is done...

The tree is up...

Stockings are hung by the sewing machine with care...

Basement is decorated...

Presents are wrapped...

Cookies are baked...

Snow has fallen...

Christmas cards are mailed (even to Doris, she might get it in time for Christmas this year)....

I guess Christmas just around the corner

Christmas Village

It's Christmastime. Which means its time to put up my village. When I moved out 5 years ago, I decided I wanted to start my Christmas village. I asked for retired pieces for Christmas and started buying new pieces myself to build it up. I now I have a large collection. It takes up the entire bar downstairs and fills 4 large Christmas totes. It keeps growing. I try not to want the retiring pieces as much and get the accessories but they keep coming out with such neat pieces that I need to buy them.

Currently I have:

22 buildings including the ski hill and sledding hill

9 large accessory pieces including the Clock Tower, Water Tower, Christmas Tree Lot, Sleigh Ride, and Hay Ride

10 or so vehicles

Enough people to fill a village so large

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Since I got my springform pans for my birthday, I wanted to make cheesecake. While looking through Grandma's recipes for a fudge recipe, I stumbled a recipe for a triple chocolate cheesecake. Grandma and I thought it sounded good and I decided to make it this weekend.

First I had to get the ingredients. Now I can make cookies and things in a box but I've never actually baked much more than homemade muffins before. I knew what all the ingredients were but wasn't quite sure about the chocolate wafers. So I did what I always do I when I have a baking question, I call mom. Chocolate wafers were not the sandwich cookies I was thinking of but instead they were the expensive, to die for chocolate wafers mom uses for that chocolate log. Then I had to find them. Walmart didn't have them. So I had to go to Pick n' Save. $4 later, I had the wafers.

Then we had to make the cheesecake. It was pretty easy despite my initial reaction the recipe was. We stuck the cheesecake in the oven to bake for an hour and 10 minutes. I put up my village and Grandma went about her village. I come upstairs when the timer goes off and we discover the oven was off the whole time. Oops. So we had to start over with the 1 hour and 10 minute bake time.

Now we are waiting to eat it.

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
1 pkg (9 oz) chocolate wafers (Nabisco)1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (divided)6 Tbsp butter, melted4 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, at room temperature1 cup sour cream1 tsp vanilla extract4 large eggs3 Tbsp all-purpose flour1 bag (12 oz) chocolate chips, divided¼ cup heavy whipping cream
1. Heat oven to 325. In a blender, pulse wafer cookies and ¼ cup sugar 2 min; add butter. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of 9” springform pan. Bake 10 min; cool. Using mixer, beat next 3 ingredients and remaining sugar 2 min. Add eggs 1 at a time; beat 1 min. Add flour.
2. In bowl, microwave 10 oz chocolate 1 minute or until melted, stirring twice; whisk in ½ cup batter. Fold chocolate mixture back into remaining batter; pour into crust. Bake 1 hour 10 minutes. Turn off oven. Let cake sit in oven with door slightly ajar 1 hour. Let cool.
3. In pot, bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat. Add remaining chocolate; let sit 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Spread on cake.