The Saturday Six Eighteen

1. Saturday last week, my friend Chrissy and I got dressed up a bit, and went out for the night. Our first stop was the Batavia Downs since she wanted to play a voucher. I stood there entranced by the shiny lights that were everywhere.  I’m glad I don’t gamble, I’d be screwed due to the constant moving lights everywhere to distract me.  I’m too much like a cat at times, that the maze of all these lights and machines throw me off by myself.  I’m only a betting woman, when I know the answer in my heart, and follow my gut; that isn’t something that can be followed in the way of games. 
   
   After we were done out in Batavia, we came back to our hometown.  I can’t drink a lot right now, but that doesn’t matter.  We headed over to our local tavern, and enjoyed a live band, which did covers of country, some oldies, and some eighties. Around one in the morning, the band ended and the jukebox came on.  The tavern was a lot more crowded than when I went out the week before, and yet, still saw some... characters. It was a fun night though, and it was good to get out of the house.
   
   On another note, even though I cannot drink very much, we stopped at one bar in Batavia to see if they had karaoke (no, we didn’t get to sing though we wanted to), and since it doesn’t have a strong acidic base, I had a brown cow while there. Granted, I had to tell the bar matron how to make it, since she’d never heard of it. No, it’s not like a black Russian, though that’s what my friend thought. If you haven’t had one, it’s good. It’s pretty much an adult chocolate milk (so nicer to your system).  Combine Crème de Cocoa, milk, and ice, and voila!
   
   
2. Sunday, while my mama had her hands full, she walked me through making my first meatloaf; had enough for a week. She thought that I was going to go “Ew,” about the feeling of the mixture in my hands, with how gooey it was.  I didn’t, instead, my mom got to listen to me squeal and laugh over the icy coldness of the beef even though it’d been defrosting since the early morning. Cold gooey guck became a meal. Haha. Turned out well though.
   
   
3.  When I got home on Sunday, I was greeted by the smell of cinnamon and apples filling our whole house.  My mom was making homemade applesauce for the first time in a VERY long time. She had started an hour and a half before I got there, and when I walked in, was still slicing apples. It took her all day. One and a half five gallon buckets worth, at least. Damn, it was delicious. Most has been frozen for future consumption.
   
   
4. I attempted to teach myself to sew this week, so I could darn one of my carpetbags or handbag, whatever you want to call them. Turns out, I did the over-under stitch, and it came out okay. I’m not planning on embroidering anything soon, though I’ve always wished I knew how. Nor do I plan on any sewing projects, because even though the stitches are holding, they are not the best. Haha.
   
   
5. I had my first in person interview since I was seventeen, yesterday. The awesome part is that is was for subbing at the local elementary school, and my interviewer remembered me from when I was little. I was one of her first students for a gifted and talented children’s workshop that was during school hours.  I admit, the only thing I recall from that workshop was creating a flying cat hybrid animal. It’s nice though, that even though she only had me for a workshop in either the third or fourth grade, here I am at almost twenty-two, and she recognized my name and had it click when she saw my face. Granted, it was agreed upon, that with the red hair, I am often recognizable.  The interview seemed to be leaning in a positive way though, on the professional level.  And she understands why I decided not to go to college for education and would prefer to do something more in the human resources field after talking to me. So here’s hoping that I get the job, not just so I have some bit of income, but also so I can continue learning and gain experience to help me in the future. And in the process, give back a bit. It’ll definitely be interesting if I do get it, considering that the last time I spent in the elementary was when my sister went to high school there. I never got to do the switch over of buildings since the buildings themselves were switched the year that I was supposed to.
   
   
6. Last night, I went to my friend Jamie’s, where we spent a few hours making Jello and pudding shots for a party that is this weekend. I estimate a last count of 250, and when I got home, fell into bed. I really hope that many people eat them, granted…I may get my hands on the cheesecake ones if possible.
   
   

It’s Halloween time folks, so I hope you’re having fun, if you’re smitten with the holiday.  I myself, plan to makeshift myself into a gypsy with the miscellaneous clothes and accessories that I own. Finally, I have an excuse to be my funky self without my family giving me the look of “we’re not related to you.” Haha. Enjoy yourselves! If you don’t plan on dressing up, watch a flick, trick or treat, or as we do every year since I was little, have cider and donuts together as a family at Halloween comes to a close.

~Count your blessings, and whether things are bad or you’re doing well, find something good and hold on!

Much love!

~*~Alyse~*~

The Saturday Six (Three)

Sorry to be late again! At least I'm posting this morning, so a little bit better than the last Saturday Six! Haha.

1.  Sunday was my youngest nephew, Camerin’s, third birthday.  Oh, how time flies!  Three years ago, I was an 18 year old who had just finished her first year of college, holding a newborn baby in my arms who was cute as can be.  Now, that baby is my youngest nephew who runs around and takes my hand saying “I want to show you something,” leading me through wherever we are, even if he doesn’t know exactly what it is that he wants to show me.  He’s also the little ham, that on my graduation day from college, after the commencement ceremony, went into my arms and didn’t want to let go.  Truth be told, kid may make me want to yank out my hair sometimes, or to pour myself an extra large glass of liquor or wine, but we’re tight.  Anyone fucks with my boy, just as if anyone were to fuck with my nieces and other nephew, they’ve got me to deal with.  Camerin lights up my world and is often the main one who brings me the most smiles, and the warmest of feelings anymore.  Wow…still trying to get over that he’s three now.
   
   
2. Tuesday, I watched Camerin while my mama went and did errands, because my dad was out of town for this week.  He didn’t want to do anything all day but stare out the window at the tractors in the field across the road.  Yes, I live in the country, so tractors, trucks, and fields are a huge thing in my daily life.  I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to get him away from the window and into the kitchen long enough to eat a peanut butter sandwich and get washed off.  My patience may have been worn by the end of the night, but I’ve learned through him over time, that small defeats with children are big ones in the long run.  Granted, I’m still worried after three years to fall asleep when I’m the only one taking care of him, paranoid that if something goes wrong I’ll be too tried or something to leap into action. So, even though I almost fell asleep with him when I laid him down to his nap, I dragged my butt out of the bed and listened as I watched a little bit of Grimm.
   
   
3. Wednesday night, I went over to my friend Jamie’s house and we spent most of Thursday together.  It was nice that we got to do that, just two friends instead of having to make it a group thing like most friends seem to make things these days.  Been friends since…I believe the eighth grade, ups and downs included, but still, we are friends.  It’s great to be blessed with having friends from my high school days or in my hometown still, because I don’t know how I would survive living in my hometown full-time again without any of them.  We ran some errands, which included laughter from small things.  She even took me out to Buffalo, which is a rare case for me.  Last time I went out to Buffalo was over a year ago with my friend Dani to shop for things for her wedding last year.  Jamie lived in Buffalo as a kid, so it was awesome to get the chance to be shown her old side of the tracks.  I love hearing old stories from friends and good people, even more so when I have a setting to view. 
   
   We went to the mall, and *gasp* I gave up my Victoria’s Secret virginity.  I’ve been in the store before, yes, and have used Love Spell body products on occasion when I was a little younger, but for the first time, I bought something there.  And wowza, the material feels great against my skin.  I went clearance of course, no offense, nice stuff there, but you think I’m paying fifty bucks for a bra, you’re loco.  We also went to a gourmet chef store and another one that has things you can fill your living quarters with; if it weren’t for me being unemployed for now, and running out of storage space…I would have been buying things at both these stores for my future place.  I was enraptured by some of the objects.  I mean, hello, there was a stand that had the old time film reel inside of it, and canvases with beautiful pictures.  And awesome cookware.  I also took her into a store full of Swarovski beauties.  She had never heard of them, and I said that it’s amazing, and some of the best crystal, and even though it’s expensive, it’s way cheaper than diamonds.  If I were of the mind to do it, I probably could have stayed in that store just staring at the amazing glitz and dazzle of the jewelry in there.
   
   Later on, we got a bite at the Olive Garden (breadsticks, nom).  And by the way, just because I seem to not be full of life or something, doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying myself.  I wasn’t bored one second like she worried, I was just mellow and calm, and for a nice while, not stressing.
   
   
4. Friday night, we had a small laugh in my sister’s car, where I told Camerin that he was precious sometimes, and he responded, “yeah.”  Ma’s response was “and a little conceited, too!” Laughter ensued.
   
   
5. I know I’m late with this post, yet again, but yesterday I was with my sister Ashley and Camerin all day, helping prepare things for the party today.  I shelled and chopped eggs, minced celery, poured things into the bowl to be mixed for salads, peeled and cut potatoes (had to keep stopping, because gripping the knife caused a lot of pain in my wrist and lots of shaking).  Things may take a while, but even with pain, I keep going.  I also helped with the cake, which, in a way, was fun.  We made the inside tie-dyed, which was interesting to do.  Ashley and I split the cake mixture into four bowls and she added the food coloring as I used the mixer.  After the colors were done, we took turns on which side of the cake pan we were going to be, so that we could get the colors all over, and then marbled the colors.  I will admit, the cake looks pretty sick.
   
   
6. The thing, that is the most simplest of things that made me happy about this past week however, was sleep.  I got it.  I managed in at least a half hour nap in Ashley’s car during errand running yesterday… and last night, I WENT TO BED EARLY!  It’s fantastic.  Insomnia got the short end of the stick for the first time in months, and I got to be asleep by ten o’clock last night.  Oh heavens bless sleep!

~Count your blessings, and whether things are bad or you’re doing well, find something good and hold on!

Much love!

~*~Alyse~*~