Very Happy.

There is no cuter tummy than Lucy's!

I celebrated my birthday this past weekend.

Friday morning Fermin put the puppies in bed to wake me up.  Awww!  And then he told me he made me an appointment at the Nordstrom Spa for "Two Hours in Heaven".  (Really, that's what they call the treatment I got.  And it WAS two hours in heaven!)  My husband knows me well!  And he is super thoughtful.  I had a great day, thanks to him.

Then, that night, we went out with our great friends, Allyson and Kevin, to Eclair Bistro.  Super yummy.

And when we got home, I opened up the perfect gift from my friends:  Dog Agility in a Bag!  Anyone who knows me, knows that these days I'm all about my puppies, all the time.  A gift for the puppies is really the best gift for me!

...an unusually quiet moment for the Ricardos...

2011 started off very shitty.  Zoe and Scout died in February.  What a huge loss.  But we had a great life all together for a good long 15 years.  Oh, but my heart felt broken.  But I know now that the break in it just allowed it to stretch and grow bigger.  Now I've got these two new puppies to love.  And I'm able to give them a ton of love... and they give it right back!  2011 is turning out to be a great year after a very sad start.


And it was a very happy birthday!

Guten Tag

With my Apple Strudel!!

Our dinner club group had Germany night last weekend.  It was my brilliant idea last time we met (back in January) to dress up like someone from whatever country we were celebrating.  Apparently, by the time Germany night rolled around, everyone but me and the host of the evening, Mike, forgot about the dressing up part!!

Hansel and Gretel

My friend Marina brought me a bottle of Pinky Tuscadero wine!  (I have a pink cruiser bike I've named Pinky Tuscadero, and I even wrote a song about her!)  The wine wasn't German, but was, in fact, made in Texas!  It was super sweet, sorta like my little bicycle! 

I thought I would hate all the German food- But there were actually some pretty yummy things- The spaetzel was my fave, and the potato pancakes ran a close second. The sausage and sauerkraut- not so much.  I brought the dessert- Apple Strudel, which was delicious- with a little German Haagen Daz Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Yum.

The country we picked for next time is Thailand- Yay!! Food I LOVE!  But what will I wear?!?

Saving and Still Supporting!

I love me some Starbucks.  I've never had a drop of coffee.  So it took me awhile to jump on the Starbucks train.  But many years ago, Mom introduced me to the Chai tea and I became a believer!

But, I have Type 1 diabetes, and although I loved the Chai teas, my blood sugars surely did not.

So over the years, I've figured out how to have something similar to that sugary concoction, but without all those carbs, and saved myself some money in doing so.  I started ordering a steamed soy (heated at 175*F-- Yes, I'm that obnoxious!) with a chai tea BAG.  I love it, love it, love it.  I love it so much, that I can easily fall into the habit of feeling I need to go to Starbucks everyday!

In the past, I've tried to replicate this perfection at home, but I've never even come close.  And the main reason why???  I love the frothy-ness that Starbucks is able to achieve, that I have not been able to. 

One day, as I told this to a Starbucks baristo, (I think that's the correct gender word for a male barista, right?!) and he told me his wife had recently bought a "frother".  We didn't know if that was the correct word, but we both knew what we were talking about in using our possibly made up word. 

I got online, found one for sale at Crate and Barrel for only $19.95.  I bought the frother, or in my brand's case, the aerolatte, vanilla soy (and I got the lite version!  yay!), and Tazo "full leaf tea bags" of chai- from Starbucks-- because I can't abandon them completely!!)  And it's pretty damn good! 

This...

plus this...

plus this...

equals.... MMMMMM

Now I can save a little extra cash and make my tea, very much like Starbucks so perfectly does, from the comfort of my own home.  My new rule for myself is I will only go to Starbucks if I'm going with a friend, or if I'm going to drink it in the cafe and do something productive.

My best friends with me at Starbucks!

Two Reasons for My Unbridled Happiness

Lucy

Ricky

   My  heart  soars!

The Bachelorette- It's Amazing!

"The Bachelorette" show is terrible.  But I watch it, almost every season.  I don't buy into it at all.  It's super cheesy and predictable.  And oddly, I love it.

Here's my song I wrote about it, called, of course, "It's Amazing".  If you've ever watched the show that phrase is spoken over, and over and over.  "It's am-az-ing!"  I've even heard that it's a drinking game...Every time someone on the show says the word "AMAZING", you drink.  And by the end of the 2 hours, I'm sure the participants of the game have all passed out.

Most of the cliches in the song were said on the show last season.  I noticed just the other night, most of those same things are already being uttered this season as well.

All the lines start to sound the same, and the faces start to look alike

We've heard it before, there are no surprised left

And in the end a broken heart is all you get

But it's amazing, how fast we're falling

It's amazing, I've never felt this way before

It's amazing, I'm so excited

It's amazing for sure

I could see myself with you and we could make it all the way down to the end

It's such a good fit, and it feels so right

To count the stars with you each and every night

It's amazing, how fast we're falling

It's amazing, I've never felt this way before

It's amazing, I'm so excited

It's amazing for sure

I might get down on bended knee

Cuz I might have found just what I need

Oh, it's amazing, how fast we're falling

It's amazing, I've never felt this way before

It's amazing, I'm so excited

It's amazing for sure

Labyrinth Walk Coffee House this Saturday Night!

I'm playing for the first time at Labyrinth Walk Coffee House this Saturday, June 4 at 8pm.  I'm opening up for Susan Gibson who wrote "Wide Open Spaces" made super famous by the Dixie Chicks-- and that song made them super famous!  I have always loved that song and I can't wait to hear more from her and to meet her!  Doors at 7:30pm, and I go on stage at 8.  Hope to see you there!