Sherri's (Never A Dull Moment) World

Heading Out...

I am heading out of town to scrapbook with friends for the weekend. Woo Hooo! ?

This week has been so busy, all I can do is keep track of my mental list of things to do:

1) Get ready to teach Biology 100 again (check!)

2) Teach Mon, Tues,Wed & Thurs (check!)

3) Order prints from Costco Photo Lab, pick them up (check!)

4) Then order enlargements from Costco Photo Lab, pick them up (check!)

5) Have lunch with my mom (check!)

6) Go see Jeremiah, Angela & see if Elijah will walk for me (he wasn't in the mood) (check!)

7) Make goody boxes for scrapbook friends (check!)

8) Gas up car (check!)

9) Pack overnight bag and snacks for weekend (check!)

10) Make sure everything is caught up at Hallmarkland (check!)

And now I am stuck on #11... trying to pack up my scrapbook supplies to keep busy all weekend... ARGH! This is ALWAYS the hardest part!!!  I hope I can pull myself together to leave within the hour...

T.G.I.F.!!

Baby Steps

According to Jeremiah, Elijah took his first steps today! They counted four steps before he found Angela's arms. Oh my! I knew this was just around the corner...

Because he has been a crazy crawler for a couple of months now...

He stops. He sits. He plans his next baby move...

 He pulls himself up next to vertical surfaces. He bangs on them...

He lets go with one baby hand and looks cool...

And then he is on the go again... toward his next goal:

Grass! Or toys! Or the dishwasher! Or the toilet! Or the kitchen cupboards! Or Jeremiah's computer!

Whatever he is interested in, that is where Elijah is headed. We warned Jeremiah that their world is about to change once he starts walking... then running... all over the house! Silly Elijah!

 
 
 

Good-Bye Summer...

Summer sure feels like fall now that the rain is here, accompanied by foggy mornings and falling leaves.

I am also seeing the end of summer as many of my summer TV series are wrapping up and the new fall shows are just around the corner! Here is what I am saying good-bye to now:

"True Blood", Season 3 just aired its season finale. Some of the new episodes were so action-packed and full of vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters-- that is was hard to remember all of the plot twists and who killed who! However, the finale was lame in comparison. Sookie broke up with Bill, the vampire... AGAIN. Eric, the vampire sheriff (who also wants Sookie) almost died due to a last-minute trick by Bill. Sam fired a gunshot at his white trash, shape-shifter brother... but you don't know if it was a kill shot or warning shot. Tara is seen driving out of town, reflecting on all of her horrible luck & life experiences. Jason, Sookie's brother is just plain stupid and gets caught in a drug raid. (yawn) Jessica, the new red-headed vampire (our Season 3 favorite) was adorable as she is going to movie in with her (human) boyfriend. I think that was the highlight of the entire hour.

How about my reality TV shows?

 Yes, it is true. I am a summer "Big Brother" junkie.  The "show-mances", both in-your-face (Rachel & Brendan) and secret (Hayden & Kristen), were entertaining, to say the least. There were two inside "saboteurs" who were told to stir things up without being caught. And the insurance agent from New Jersey, Enzo (a.k.a. the "Meow-meow") had the best social game. I was rooting for Lane from Texas, but instead the college student, Hayden was the grand-prize winner:

 
And what about "Top Chef, Washington D.C."?

This season was filled with some pretty BIG EGOS and many delectable dishes. They flew the final four chefs to Singapore to sweat (literally) over cooking authentic street food with woks and experiment with new market ingredients and exotic spices. Unfortunately, Kelly was eliminated and that left Kevin, Angelo and Ed (the three dudes below) to wow the judges:

I was happy to see the family-man, Kevin S., as the grand prize winner! He deserved it as he was consistent in his talent, presentation, and ability to create wonderful, savory comfort foods.

As for the fall TV season... my DVR is set to record all of my favorite series! First off to bat is the new season of "Survivor: Nicaragua":

Older vs. Younger? Seriously?? This will only go so far before it gets "old" (literally)... However, I was totally impressed when the blonde dog trainer (in the middle of the front row) started a fire with coconut husk and someone's glasses within the first 1/2 hour at their new camp! I always feel sorry for the first survior voted off...

"Gray's Anatomy" will be off to a messy season opener after the traumatic season finale which had a gunman roaming the halls of Seattle Grace, determined to kill the surgeons that killed his wife. Will Meredith tell Derek that she was pregnant (even though the stress caused her to have a miscarriage)? Will they EVER be happy? Will anyone be happy??

And then there is "The Office". Rumor has it that this will be the last season with Steve Carell, who plays the RIDICULOUS Michael Scott:

Will Michael get back together with Holly? Will Jim get promoted? Will Dwight & Angela go through with their contract for having a baby??

And then I will be back onto reality TV with the newest "Amazing Race"...

 
Unknown destinations and unknown couples racing...

Last, but not least, I am REALLY looking forward to the new season of "Glee"!

What is NOT to love??? I can't wait...

   
 
 

"The Town" review

Bill & I treated ourselves to a movie and Mexi today...

I got to pick the movie, so I chose "The Town" with Ben Affleck:

I saw the trailers for this movie all summer. And they intrigued me. This movie was about a group of Charlestown "townies" (near Boston) who are skilled bankrobbers. There is a developing relationship between Ben Affleck's character (who is one of the bank robbers) and a pretty bank manager who was taken hostage during one of their raids but never saw their faces. They have an FBI agent who is breathing down their necks as he puts the pieces of the puzzle together. 

Ben Affleck both directed and starred in this movie and he did an excellent job. The acting was well-done and the story unfolded at a captivating pace. I really couldn't tell where this movie was going-- and I love that. I give it a Rodges rating of "8".  I was entertained! 

The Bellagio At Night

My "things to do" list for Las Vegas also included visiting The Bellagio at night...

The Bellagio has a water fountain show that is breath-taking to watch...

The 8.5 acre man-made lake contains 1,200+ water-emitting devices that are strategically-placed. These fountains are professionally choreographed to music, ranging from classical numbers to Broadway show tunes.  Some of the musical crescendos are matched with rushing water that soars as high as 460 feet in the air! This Bellagio attraction is the most ambitious water feature ever created by WET Design and has been featured in countless films, TV shows and articles on Las Vegas. We watched it during the daytime on our last visit to Vegas and I could not wait to see it again at night...

The Bellagio Fountains play a new musical number every 15 minutes after dark. We found a great spot for viewing the free show near one of the outposts...

The lights twinkle as the water dances in different arrangements...

As the music peaks, so does the water!

When the music hits particular notes, the water shoots into the air and pounds the surface on its way down... it is choreographed water thunder!

We took a break to take some pics and changed location for the next fountain show...

This time is was Frank Sinatra and "Luck Be A Lady"...

The water frolicked in circles and overlapping lines...

 

And as Frank's voice crooned, the water roared into the sky...

 And a heavy sheet of mist rained all over us:

We were surprised.... and refreshed! (Although it was evening, it was still really hot!)

It was great fun and I am so glad we went to see the Fountains of Bellagio... again. :)

The Bellagio - Daytime

While we were in sunny Las Vegas, it was on my list to see Dale Chihuly's work at The Bellagio Hotel & Casino. The Bellagio is a magnificent hotel known for elaborate art sculptures and a spectacular water fountain show, featured in many movies like "Oceans Eleven".

Who is Dale Chihuly? He is a Seattle artist famous for his blown glass. He has created glass masterpieces for exhibits and locations around the world. He was commissioned to design and create a blown glass arrangement to fill the ceiling above The Bellagio lobby: 

According to Chihuly, they built the entire 70' x 30' ceiling, full-scale, at his Seattle studio. When the final product, named "Fiori Di Como", was installed-- it contained over two thousand hand-blown glass "flowers". WOW!

Next to the lobby was a lovely atrium that is redecorated each season of the year. While we were there, it featured a garden-theme with hot air balloons floating above...

Everything was colorful and larger than life. It was amazing!

Flowers were mixed in with garden insects, garden tools and even a garden snail:

 
Floral bumblebees hovered above your head as they prepared to land on gigantic glass flowers:

Bill and I were snapping photos like crazy...

It was a visual treat...

We eventually made it back inside to gaze at that lovely blown glass ceiling one more time:

It was oh so beautiful....

I adore blown glass. (sigh!)

C.S.I. For A Day...

Jeremiah and Angela used to be HUGE fans of the original "CSI" TV series set in Las Vegas. Jeremiah used to walk around his San Diego apartment singing the theme song, "Who are you? Who, who... who who?" They bought every season when it came out on DVD. They took turns trying to figure out what happened to the victim(s) in each episode. They loved the medical terms and the post-mortem drama.

I watched it too-- until my other Thursday night shows cut into "CSI" time slots. I remember when I was trying to finish my Ph.D. (and REALLY hating it) that I suggested to Bill I should change my major to criminal justice and become a CSI agent. He looked surprised. But then he said, "Why not?? You have all of your biology classes done. You don't get grossed out by blood. You don't mind dissections. What else would you need to do?" Just a few days later, I watched the "CSI" episode where they found a duffle bag with a dead body inside... only it had turned to liquid! Can you imagine THE STENCH??? I thought maybe that scenario would do me in as a future CSI agent. (And went back to writing my thesis...)

Sometimes life is funny and you get to practice doing something you always wanted to do. Which is why we all signed up to be crime scene investigators for a day in Las Vegas...

We were given the choice of three different crime scenes to investigate. Jeremiah and Angela teamed up on a waitress, named Penny, who was found murdered in an alley. Bill chose to analyze a dead body found buried up to the neck in the desert. They all looked pretty confident with their official clipboards and data sheets...

I was on my own, investigating a car that had crashed into someone's living room. Murder or accident? Hmmm....

You were supposed to make observations at your designated crime scene and take notes of anything that was evidence-worthy. There were muddy footprints on the floor. There was a bloody handprint on the hood of the car. The victim/dummy was slumped over inside the car. There was blood on the couch cushions, a half-eaten pizza on the floor, etc. There was a metal railing that kept you from entering the (fake) living room and flashlights attached to it by chains. I am a real "go-getter" so I was using the flashlights to look under the crashed car to see if there were more potential victims... (you never know)

Next, you proceed with your clipboard and notes to the crime labs where you compare specific pieces of evidence to test results.

Last, you go to the (fake) morgue and you listen to the autopsy results specific to your crime scene victim.  You then enter your conclusions from each of your crime scene categories (ex. physical data, DNA analysis, fingerprint analysis, interview results, autopsy results) into the computer and select your final determination.... accident or homicide?

I guess CSI intelligence runs in the Rodgers family-- we ALL figured out our crime scenes and picked the correct outcomes! Ta daaaa! We ended up in the CSI gift shop where we picked up our free T-shirts.

For the record, my victim's evil twin brother (just released from prison) went to settle family matters with his brother by running his car into the living room and killing him on the couch where he was innocently eating pizza & watching TV. He dragged his brother's body into the driver's seat of the car and then ran away. Both fingerprints and shoe prints did not match the vic's.... that's jargon for the "victim".  Pretty funny, huh?

Cirque Du Soleil "Ka"!

While we were in Vegas, we treated ourselves to a Cirque Du Soleil show:

 
 We didn't know anything about it except that it had a martial arts theme. Rebecca, Angela & I settled into our seats ready to experience some Cirque Du Soleil magic...

The theater was amazing! The set wrapped around the sides and made you feel as if you were immersed into the story...

 
As the production unfolded, warriors would sneak into the aisles, fly overhead suspended from wires, or climb different levels of the side scaffolds to bring the battles to life!

The story revolved around a young prince and princess (brother & sister) who were abducted from their parents, survived encounters with other cultures, and fought to be together again as young adults.

 
They developed liasons with friendly tribes and fought others in magnificent battles, taking place on a vertical stage:

 
How could THIS be Cirque Du Soleil? Oh, believe me, it was! There were amazing acrobatics involved in each of the scenes, no matter if the characters were in peace or at war...

 
There was an underlying story of good vs. evil, and the discovery of gunpowder. The circular set above represented slaves used to mine/process the minerals in order to make the warring culture more powerful.

In the end, good prevailed over evil. (whew!)

The show was FANTASTIC! There was thunderous applause when the entire cast came onto the stage to give their final bows.  Angela & I were soooo excited about the show that we ran to the nearby ticket counter to buy tickets for Bill & Jeremiah to see the next show! Tickets in hand, we browsed the "KA!" gift shop for souvenirs...

I was hoping I could buy the crab costume worn in this beach scene:

 

Nope! Instead we bought programs and laughed at some of the tribal masks:

 We went back to our hotel room, took over babysitting duty, and sent the guys to the show. I am so glad we did that because they loved it as much as we did!
 

 
 

Baby Muscles

Muscles tend to run in the Rodgers family...

Baby Elijah proved last weekend that he, too, is working on his baby muscles.

We were at the Livs house for a BBQ and spent some time with Elijah on the girls' jungle gym. Jeremiah thought he would test Elijah on the monkey bars:

Of course, at almost 10 months old he is still trying to taste things with his mouth! But then, he got serious:

And decided to hang on a little longer:

We were all soooo impressed with his baby muscles!

And just like real life-- Dads are always there to catch you when you need them most.

Hooray for Elijah!!!

Weekend With Sissy

We haven't seen Natasha since Mother's Day as she decided to stay in Pullman for the summer. She found a full-time job. Classes just started up again at WSU. We talked her into coming home for Labor Day Weekend so we could all catch up.

We picked her up at the train station, bright & early on Saturday morning:

I was soooooo happy to see her!

And so was Bill!

I have always told our kids-- no matter how old you are or where you are in life, HOME IS WHERE YOUR MAMA IS.

We visited Jeremiah, Angela & Baby Elijah several times so Natasha could see how much her nephew has grown...

I warned Natasha that he was still having some "stranger anxiety", but she didn't believe me until she experienced it herself. Poor Natasha!

We went to two BBQs during the weekend-- one was at J & A's house:

We took Natasha to see her grandparents (my Mom & stepdad) at their new house:

We let her sleep in. Natasha & I watched junk TV together and swapped music. We went out to lunch at her favorite places. We even met up with our favorite mother & daughter pair-up (Kara & Mollie) for lunch and a movie today:

 

Afterwards, Natasha & I sped home to grab her bags and head for the train station so she could begin her journey back to Pullman. We JUST BARELY MADE IT (with heavy rain and Labor Day traffic)!  So I hugged my sweet girl good-bye and will go back to missing her all over again:

I love you, Sissy! I don't care if she is 23..... she will always be my baby.

It's Vegas, Baby!

 
We went to Las Vegas last month with the other Rodgers! Elijah asked if he could tell the story from his (baby) point of view:

"My mommy and daddy woke me up early one morning and said we were all going on a trip. I was cranky -- did they not know that I need a full night's sleep??? But they put me in the car seat and when I woke up again, Honey & Papa were there and my Lola, too!"   {Note: Lola is Angela's mom.}

 
"We had a ride to the airport and we all sat down on an airplane. Is this my first plane trip, you ask? No way! I am an international traveler-- I flew on an airplane to Germany and from Spain to wherever we live now.  Mommy let me look out of the funny window...

 
Then we got to the new place. I told them I could help with one of the suitcases but they just ignored me and carried me around instead.

 

Daddy said we were staying at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino. I am not sure what that means, but they did.

 
 We were all soooo hungry so we ate breakfast in this gigantic room called a "buffet". Mommy and Lola kept bringing back good food and gave me lots of bites.  I don't know how my hand got stuck in Lola's shirt...

 
Then we all hit "The Strip". I don't know what a strip is but we stopped at this cool store with these cute candy people. Mommy said it was the M & M Candy Factory Store.

 
We were all looking around. I thought we should buy one of these...

 
but Mommy bought a yellow baby onesie for me. Ugh, clothes! But I did like looking at all of the bright colors and those funny candy people everywhere... Bye Bye, M & Ms!

 

Later on, we drove in these cars called "taxis" to this place called Fremont Street. We found another giant room that had piles of food everywhere to eat dinner. (Oh yeah, a "buffet".)  Papa, Lola and my Mommy were having a contest to see how many crab legs they could eat. My Daddy tried to pinch me with his crab legs and I didn't like it ONE BIT!

 
Afterwards, we went outside and walked up and down this street with a ga-zillion bright lights everywhere! It was FASCINATING!! Honey kept telling me, "Look! Look at that!"

 
Then there was loud music and even MORE bright lights dancing around above our heads... It was called a "light show".

 

We went back to our new house and went to bed. The next day we went outside to see even more things on "The Strip" (whatever that is). We walked and walked. We stopped in this fancy hotel called The Bellagio and that is where I met these two beautiful Italian girls! I could have stayed and talked  with them all day long (I think they REALLY liked me)... sigh!

 
But we left. I asked if we could go back there but everybody kept on walking like we had other places to go. Oh well.

We went to this place called "The Secret Garden of Sigfried and Roy". Who is  this Sigfried  dude and who is Roy?? I didn't see them anywhere. But there was a cool tiger and I got to ride it...

 

Oh no. More places to go! It was soooooo hot outside. Daddy stopped by this fan to cool me off... (while Mommy fixed my hair)

 

Daddy kept showing me things, but I was so overwhelmed.

 

I was getting tired. And a little cranky.

 
 So we went back to our new house and we changed into swimming clothes. Papa, Honey, Daddy & I went down to this new place outside our new house called the "Lazy River".  Daddy put me into a baby intertube with a nice cover and I just fell asleep while we floated around that lazy river.

 
We visited that Lazy River three times during our trip and they all said I fell asleep each and every time. That darn Lazy River! I heard Papa and Daddy talking on the way home about building a lazy river at our house...

On our last night, we went to a fancy gigantic room with piles of food everywhere (oh yeah, a 'buffet") and ate dinner together again. I tried everything! I had clam chowder. I had fruit. I had pudding. I had mashed potatoes. There were so many delicious bites that I lost track of what I was tasting! At some point, I was full. And my family was still eating. So I decided to tell some stories, make everyone laugh, and then I started to sing! Daddy says I sound like Mariah Carey. (Who is Mariah Carey???) Honey was laughing and taking pictures of me. Other people around us were pointing at me, I know they thought I was REALLY GOOD.
an 
Mommy and Daddy both said I was delirious and that it was time for bed. We all got up early again the next morning (why? I ask. Why???) as it was time to leave the new house.

 
We went back to the airport and it was time to sit in another airplane. Mommy let me have the window seat again (I love her!)...

 
And then we went back home to our regular house. I think I want to go back again! Maybe when I am 1 or 2..... "

It's The REAL Thing

It has become a subliminal thread during the last century of American culture to answer one question:

Do you prefer Coke or Pepsi????

I, myself, am a Coca-Cola girl. With many of my food and beverage choices, you might call me a "loyalist" or a "mono-taster"-- basically, once I fall in love with something, that is all I order until I get tired of it. We didn't drink a lot of soda when I was growing up, but I loved root beer when we were allowed to have it. I think I drank root beer until my early teens, then the love affair was over. I dabbled with orange soda vs. 7 Up vs. some colas until my taste buds matured, then I picked a favorite, Coca-Cola. 

Over time, I became a cola snob. When we go out to eat with friends, I ask the waitress whether they serve Coke or Pepsi products. If they are a Pepsi vender, I pass on the soda and order a water. It is all or nothing for me with Coca-Cola.

A funny thing happened in Las Vegas... (I can share some stories, but you know the cliche'-- what happens in Vegas, sometimes stays in Vegas) (whoop whooooop!)

I am not a gambler, but I LOVE Las Vegas for all of the bright lights, the pizazz, the celebrities (real or impersonators) and the entertainment. There is SO MUCH to see! It is fascinating to people-watch and to guess why each individual came to Las Vegas.

Coincidentally, there is an official Coca-Cola Store on Las Vegas Boulevard (a.k.a. "The Strip")...

 
It is filled with FABULOUS Coca-Cola products...

 
and there are three floors to shop....

 
Different products have different versions of Coca-Cola brands used throughout their marketing campaigns...

 
I looked but didn't buy anything... we had several places to visit that day, like the M & M Factory Store next door.

 
The store called to me when we walked by it again the next night...

And then I had a streak of good luck! I was walking through the MGM Grand when I was invited to participate in a marketing survey. Seriously! I spent an hour answering questions on home energy systems and walked away with a $50 bill in my hand! Ta daaaa!!

 

I knew JUST how I was going to spend it! No, not the slot machines. Not the craps table (that would be where Bill was hanging out). Instead, I walked back to the Coca-Cola Store and bought myself a cute T-shirt and a matching purse! Ta daaaa!

Because that is how I roll. And I am a Coca-Cola kind of girl. And when I crack open a cold, refreshing can of Coca-Cola, it makes my taste buds feel like this...

Pure cola joy.

Five Favorites on Friday

I know, I know. I have been gone for awhile. (sigh!) But I am back! And I have a bunch of stories to share from adventures in August! I thought it would be nice just to begin ANYWHERE rather than stress over telling my tales in chronological order. Why not begin with  a short list for consideration?

Here are five things on my mind today:

1) "The Pen Story" is my new favorite video on YouTube. It is a masterpiece of stop-motion photography that begins and ends with a family photo. Within 3+ minutes, a life unfolds before your eyes!

 

2) Bruno Mars "Just the Way You Are"-- what a lovely, lovely song about a man who adores a woman just the way she is. Bruno has collaborated with some hip-hop artists (ex. "Nothin' On You" with B.O.B.) and has a voice that makes my heart happy.  He is a young artist to watch out for!

 

 

3) Chocolate Chip Seastars-- What?! I am not talking about chocolate chips. I am referring to a  tropical seastar (NOT a starfish) species that has a bumpy texture that resembles chocolate chips. I went to the local pet store this week to get a light bulb for my aquarium and couldn't resist looking at the specimens for sale in the tanks. I wish I had a saltwater aquarium-- if I did, I would have bought one of these cuties! My inner marine biologist was giggling at the helpful hint sticker on the tank that said: "Be careful of your aquarium community when adding this species." [Note: they are cute, but will eat a lot of your other pets!]

 

4) Carrie Underwood has a new song called "Mama's Song". While it is to be expected that every father worries about his baby girl growing up-- so does her mother. This song is about a daughter telling her mother that she has found a man that truly loves her, that is truly good. It made me tear up thinking about how much I worry about Natasha and wish for her all the most wonderful things in her adult life. I want Natasha to be happy and to find herself a very good man.

 
5) Last, but not least, is the delicious Milky Way Midnight. I have loved this candy bar from afar for a few years. Why afar? Because if I ate them all the time, I would gain 10 lbs.!  They are a melt-in-your-mouth combination of dark chocolate, caramel and marshmallow. I treated myself to one yesterday and I savored every bite. Yum!

 

So what is on YOUR mind today???