Pineapple. Code word. Whatever.

I've convinced Marvin that we should have a nature-style getaway this weekend. I can't wait to get in the woods! Unfortunately, someone stole my camping chair. I kept it in the carport at work and would sit in it on my lunch break for optimal squirrel-watching and salad-eating. I hope the bandit who took it will get some good out of it. I could learn to stand a little discomfort, seating-wise.

Last Saturday was Annie's wedding reception/backyard bash. There were puppies and cookies and the weather was nice. I took this picture, which is possibly the greatest ever, based on organization and facial hair:

Matt did some photo-bombing, of course:

Then later he read us scary stories and five of us fell asleep on the bed.

It's funny to wake up surrounded by so much snoring.

The next day consisted of the first swim of the year and the last LOST episode of...ever. The Piney smelled like fish and was really murky, but totally likable. The LOST finale wasn't as epic or surprising as I had hoped. I guess I had wanted more battle and less warm fuzziness. I shouldn't complain though. It's still the greatest show I've ever seen and the only series I plan to buy a boxed set of and watch marathon-style. And I will sorely miss it.

By Monday Marvin and I had stopped being pissed about the finale and decided to go digging for crystals. It was sweaty and filthy and an incredibly satisfying experience...just digging. We found a few really nice little ones, and a few larger chunks of imperfection, and a whole bucket of miscellaneous pretty rocks to bring to my mama for her flower beds. New hobby, for sure.

As always, I didn't bring my camera to any of these fun-havings. All photos in this post are stolen from Courtney.

Time for pancakes, vampires, and crafts. Happy Thursday.

5.19.2010

I've been granted an extra day off of work each week. That day is Thursday. It will be devoted to gardening, letter-writing, cooking, reading, and crafts. Important things. Oh, and HAMMOCK.

I hear we're under a flash flood warning until Friday. I'll be really excited for paper boat races, even though the last one ended in tragedy:

The only thing that would make me happier than a good paper boat race would be the opportunity to float our inflatable raft in a ditch. I just hope those piranhas don't make their way to Russellville from Tennessee! 

I'm pretty excited about Annie & Josh's backyard wedding reception. And the series finale of LOST. And still contemplating a (really tiny) Hurley tattoo:

It's more likely to happen than those Xanga bro tatts we were all discussing last fall, as likely to happen as the anatomical diagram of a uterus I've been wanting, and not nearly as likely to happen as the tally marks Marvin and I plan to get for each year that we're married.

I'm off to finish my first-ever batch of cake pops. Mmmm.

I'm a winner!

I entered a contest on Abi's food blog and won a gift certificate to spend at Bake It Pretty. The last thing I won was a lint remover at a girl scout event back in the early nineties, so I was beyond excited about this! I ended up getting these insanely cute cookie cutters to add to my mama's collection:

I'm pretty sure she doesn't have a snail, mushroom, or mustache yet.
I got a few supplies for some upcoming projects too.
Thank you, Mrs. Porter!

Last night was the first bicycle ride of the season with the more standard Bike Gang from last summer...plus and minus a few. After four consecutive days of riding, I am feeling the burn. And Marvin is already complaining about my rapidly shrinking gut. Poor chubby chaser. I hope he survives the summer!

And finally a moderate portion of nerding out: this week's LOST was amazing once again. I'm glad Richard Alpert finally got his own episode. And that things are beginning to be explained. (I'll keep my mouth shut, for any Losties that might have fallen behind.)

You wear those suspenders, Richardus!

Dolphin slaughter, psoriasis, and a couple of recipes.

Love animals? Looking for a tear-jerker? Watch The Cove!

It's currently in first place as my biggest cry of the year and probably won't be beaten unless someone I know and love dies...or something tragic happens on LOST. You can help with the dolphin-savings here.

I'd always wanted to do one of those touristy "swim with the dolphin" things, but not after finding out how crummy the dolphin industry is. Summary: Dudes capture a bunch of potential Flippers in a beautiful cove. Trainers come from around the world once a year to pick out the prettiest little dolphins to take back home to Sea World-ish places, paying the fishermen $150,000 per trainee...and shortly thereafter the un-chosen dolphins get harpooned to death.  Although I would personally never choose to eat a dolphin for dinner, I'm not opposed to the thought of someone else eating a dolphin for dinner...but I am greatly opposed to any method of killing one's dinner that isn't quick and to the point. It's not at all nice to torture your dinner before you eat it. Keep it humane. (Or...you  know...as humane as slaughter can be.)

Now, on to more encouraging things!

A customer with psoriasis came in yesterday with a success story: for years his hands had been so psoriasis-y that he'd had to wear gloves at all times to keep his oozy scabs from getting all over everything. He'd tried every medication available, but nothing helped. A nutritionist suggested he take 50 mg of zinc each day, in addition to a good multivitamin and also cut out all breads and processed starches and sweets from his diet. After a week of doing this he is glove and pain free and the psoriasis is almost entirely gone. Yay for that guy! I love hearing natural remedy success stories and plan to start posting more of them on here. It's amazing what the simplest of changes can do for a person's health.

Next up, a fat-busting smoothie recipe from Dr. Oz!
In a blender combine the following:
     1 c. juice (I used Naked Gold Machine)
     1/2 a banana or 3/4 c. berries (I substituted more Naked juice)
     2 Tbs. whey powder (I substituted rice protein powder)
     2 Tbs. ground flaxseed
     1 Tbs. ground psyllium husk
     1 Tbs. chia seeds
     1 Tbs. wheat germ
     600 mg. fish oil (I used 1 Tbs. flax oil instead)

This might just be my new breakfast of choice. I had one for breakfast and I still have plenty of energy. Crazy. Even on good days I tend to feel like a sloth.

And finally, an almost healthy desert recipe, courtesy of Abi:
Melt 1/3 cup brown rice syrup and 1/3 cup peanut butter on the stove. Remove from heat.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix in 3 cups brown rice crisp cereal and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
Chill. Devour. Mmmm. It's the healthiest dessert I've found that Marvin actually likes. Pretty pitiful...but it's a start.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I plan on sitting here being freaked out that last night I was running around outside in shorts and a t-shirt, and now I need mittens and a thermal underwear to be comfortable outdoors. This is too much climate change for a twenty-four hour time period!

Love,
Sarah

I haven't felt like this since '99.

I don't remember how to sleep.
Last weekend was phenomenal.
I adore my family.
I beat my mama at Scrabble for the first time in my life.
My heartiest laugh of the year was shared with my dad.
2010 needs more coffee and conversation and quiche and attention deficit strolls with Adrianna.
I've been listening to Placebo. And Shakira.
About the video for She Wolf: Is that a glittery birth canal? I'm convinced it is and would like to put in a request for a glam birth canal and sweet contortionist skills! Or at least rhythm and belly dancing lessons.
We're thinking about changing Mr. Eko's name to Rainman. I'm sure you can guess why.
The latest episode of LOST left me with one fist in the air, mouthing the word, "WAAAAAARRRRR!"
It's detox time. Hello fruit and tea.
I know I've said it before, but life is so good. But I've really got to work on this sleep disorder.

LOST

The beginning of the end of LOST is almost here. I'm pretty excited, nervous, and nerded out about it.

Apparently everything about this ^ poster is significant in the overall scheme of things...which leaves me wondering: Where is Walt? Where is Turnip Head? Is that Libby in the background? Why is Michael so dressed up? Why is Kate so annoying? Are crossed arms significant? Does Richard Alpert wear eyeliner...or not?

"The producers also plan to wrap up long-standing mysteries, such as the nature of the smoke monster, the four-toed statue of Taweret, the identity of the Adam & Eve skeletons from season one, and the reason the Dharma periodic resupply drops continue after the purge. Lindelof has also indicated that Walt's unusual abilities may be explained, although this may not necessarily require the character's direct involvement.Matthew Fox stated in an interview that in the final season, the characters of Jack Shephard and John Locke "will come head to head." A third of the way through the final season, the two time lines will be "solidified into one" and "will be very linear – no more flashbacks, nothing." He has also claimed to be the only cast member who knows the ending of the series,though Lindelof has clarified that Fox only knows things that are relevant to his character."

I think as long as somebody explains the four-toed statue, the smoke monster, the voices in the jungle, what was up with Libby, Walt's powers, and the disappearance of Claire I will be pleased. I would also like for Kate to be mauled by a polar bear while Juliet and Sawyer get married in the background. These aren't unreasonable requests, are they?

Courtney, don't be mad about this post. LOST is my Indiana Jones. Get hooked already.
Chase, watch this:

A masterpiece.

For those of you who haven't started your self-portraits for the Wall of Fame, Jorge Garcia has just put you to shame:

The man's on a hit t.v. series, lives in Hawaii, and STILL managed to get this masterpiece to Arkansas in less than a week. I bet you procrastinators feel pretty lame now, dontcha?