Ain't No Rest.

Some of this...

A bit of this...

More of this than I should...

Less of this than I'd like...

And it all adds up to this:




That's my life in the moment.  


How goes it with you?

Now you're thinking with Portals!

Let me first apologize for the poor formatting. Its not up to the usual standards and, I'm sure, will be fixed in short order.We were out a few weeks ago, shopping for various things and decided to stop by and pick up a game we could play together for the Xbox 360. My wife is a gamer, but more of a WoW only type gamer. Her previous favorite game was Myst and there isn't really anything else in that class...except Portal. Portal 2 is right up her alley, and I enjoyed Portal, so we picked it up on the cheap. This review may seem a bit oddly timed, P2 came out in 2011, but its fun and deserves more attention.

Atlas and Peabody (all images from the Portal 2 site as I cant take screenshots on xbox)

This is a great game for couples to play, particularly if one isn't into more action oriented games. Portal 2 is a puzzle game with a great story line that will keep you intrigued the entire time.The concept is unique to say the least. You come equipped with a portal gun. You can put a portal on one wall (or floor, ceiling, whatever) and another where you want to come out, then walk between the two. Your goal is simple, get to the exit. To do this you'll need to avoid traps that include electrified water, lasers and gun turrets (they are stationary and avoidable, don't worry its not secretly a shooter). To do so you'll have to launch yourself through the air (have a portal high on a wall then you fall from a height through a portal on the floor and go flying...probably one of my favorite parts), redirect lasers against turrets, and all kinds of other clever things I don't want to spoil. You can die if you fall into the traps (and we did...a lot) but there isn't the huge pressure you have in most games. It was a very relaxing good time.

Portals and, well, some of the other clever stuff.

Its also important to note that the single and co-op modes are very different stories. The story is much more in depth in the single player but the puzzles that require two people to solve are very, very cool. Its worth playing through both. Also, the special editions come with a DLC that adds not just puzzles but a bit more story to the co-op mode as well. Its totally worth it. The DLC was needed. It was a bit short in my opinion. I didn't track how many hours we played, but it felt like it was over quickly. To be fair, that probably speaks less to a lack of content and more to how much we wish there were other levels/puzzles to complete.

An exit.

As mentioned before, there is really nothing else in this class. Myst came out forever ago and Big Fish Games, though fun puzzle games, are not quite to this level.

In summation; Portal 3 can't happen soon enough.

Reliable Shoes

Okay.  So.  Yesterday was the longest day ever in my life.  I can't.  I haven't the words.  Just so many borings all in one day.  My brain committed suicide around 2:00 yesterday afternoon.  The rest of my organs held a ceremony for it.

I'm not one for skits or motivational speakers.  Just, not my style.  No.  

Subsequently when I finally got home sans brain, which made driving a tad dangerous, I was not in the format-Jeremy's-post-for-publication zone.  Instead, I have asked him to do it at some point today.

Here are his shoes.  He is clearly reliable.  

So bear with us. 

Created by Nature, Perfected by Science: Natural Miracles Review

So here's the deal. I am allergic to everything. No joke. Everything. And much of that everything is food related.

My sort of allergies is not the immediate allergic response of rashes or anaphylaxis {though that does happen, & it is very scary & sucks}.  What happens, in a nustshell, is that my body refuses to absorb minerals & nutrients from food-- it sort of says "oh gosh, we are allergic to that-- move it through fast."  Which means I can suffer from malnutrition while eating a healthy balanced diet.  Weird, no?

And I won't know about it until I am sick.

To give an example-- I started feeling overly fatigued last summer & went to the doctor.  Turned out I had a massive ferritin iron deficiency.  I had to have iron transfusions, which I did once before my body decided it was allergic to the transfusion and I went into anaphylactic shock.  Which, as always, was very scary and sucked.  It was made worse because the only thing the staff at the blood center had on hand for allergic reactions was a type of steroid that I am also allergic to.  Not good.

But I digress.

So now I have to take prescribed iron pills everyday along with all the other vitamins and minerals I have to take in order to assure I don't get malnourished.

My allergist advised that the only way I could be sure I wouldn't have allergic reactions to food was to stick to a diet of chicken {cooked with salt & pepper and naught else} and white rice.  To which I said no.

Thus we try to eat organic everything-- avoiding the chemicals I am also allergic to that are used in pesticides & feeds that are sometimes used in non organic foods.  Which gives me at least one less thing to be allergic to.  If you follow my logic.  I also avoid gluten, because of a wheat allergy, and try to vary my diet in order to avoid a potential build up of toxins in my system.

I also avoid taking pharmaceuticals whenever possible and stick to herbal remedies which I am mostly not allergic to...sigh.

All of this is a round about way of getting to my review of Natural Miracles products.

When I was contacted and offered a free sample of Natural Miracles Inflamagic in exchange for an honest review, I figured it was right up my alley.  They even through in Remeeda and samples of their other products as well.  Good people.

For those unfamiliar with herbal remedies in pill form, it isn't a matter of popping a few when you get a joint ache like you would with Advil or Tylenol.  You take them every day, and they build up in your system to prevent inflammation.  Since some people experience nausea if they do not have food when taking an herbal pills like Inflamagic, Natural Miracles designed Remeeda, which can be taken on an empty stomach.  See what I mean when I say they are good people?

Natural Miracles goes the extra mile across the board.  They use essential oils, as opposed to crushed dried herbs-- a far more efficient delivery system.  They are easier to digest, of course, but they are also better in their bioavailability, potency and concentration.  In other words, you are actually getting the herbal benefits you paid for, which can't be said for the dried & crushed variety. 

I've been taking the pills for a few weeks now, and I highly recommend.  But you don't have to take my word for it.  Here are some testimonials, and here are links to clinical studies, so you can check it out for yourself.

As for me, I will definitely be buying more when I run out.  They are available at two of our local health food shops {they have a handy dandy store locator map on the site} so it will be no problem to pick some up.  If you live in an area where they are not sold locally, you can always pick some up online-- they are available at every big name vitamin retailer on the interwebs!

Mastering My Destiny: A Heroes & Generals Review

One of the hardest things about being an ADD gamer is finding new games without spending a ton of money. The best thing to happen for gamers like myself, in quite some time, is the development of the free to play (F2P) model. Now, there are some problems with that, but its hard to beat a free game. With that, the first review will be of a F2P game, Heroes and Generals.

I'll start off with the caveat that H&G is still in beta, however its been in development for a while and you can get a real feel for the direction they are wanting to take it. Its an interesting little title, with something for everyone. These are my initial impressions. Its a first person shooter (fps) as well as a strategy game. The FPS side of things is fairly standard WWII fare, however its a bit more realistic feeling than most. Health packs arent laying all over the place, ammo can be limited, and one shot can kill you. There is an interesting role-playing type element as well. Instead of just ranking up (though you do earn rank) you earn credits. Those credits can purchase new troops, weapons, extra supplies, and the like. There are also different types of troops. You start off with a basic rifleman but you can buy machine gunners, scouts (ie snipers), tank crew, aircrew, and ect. Basically any type of play you like you can find. The down side of the FPS game right now is that its somewhat limited. There is only one map you'll see with any frequency (though they are working on more) and the variation of firearms is limited to the basics for each class (again, its a beta and they are working on it). Overall, though, its a fun little shooter, especially for free.

That is another point that is worth mentioning. There are a great many F2P games that are really pay to win (P2W). World of tanks is an example of this in my opinion. While you do earn credits in the game in World of Tanks you really need to buy gold to compete. Here you earn all forms of credit in the game. There are three; gold, credits, and warfunds. Gold can be bought and is used for a variety of purposes. Credits are used mostly for the FPS side of things (buying troops, weapons, ect). Warfunds are used for the strategic game.

You can purchase Assault Teams with the war funds and command them on the campaign map. You will see teams you own, your allies, and those of the opposition. When assault teams are sent to cities on the front they supply the battles for the FPS game. War funds are slow in coming (at least for me) so I haven't delved into the strategic game yet, but it looks like it would be fun.

Overall Id recommend Heroes and Generals. Its a beta so there are still warts, but they update it fairly frequently. The game-play is fast paced and an enjoyable balance between realism and more arcade type shooters. The strategic game is an intriguing concept that seems to be working and Ill report back when I have more first hand experience with it.

PS
This review is also available at a new blog magazine, Man Cave Mum-- come check it out!

The Man Cave: Eggplant Lasagna

Hi all.I figured we would go with a recipe post for todays Man Cave. How does Eggplant Lasagna sound? Its a nice vegetarian dish that even satisfies the carnivores and can be made vegan friendly with no real problem. 

First the ingredients. Start with eggplant (of course). The amount of eggplant you need will vary depending on how much you want to feed and the size of the eggplant. I went with three small-medium sized eggplant and it was more than we actually needed. You'll also want garlic, mushrooms, cheese (ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan), olive oil and spaghetti sauce. For this we used some of my leftover homemade spaghetti sauce. I think there is a recipe for that in an older post, or you can go with your favorite store brand. Of course feel free to add any other veg. you want. If you want to go vegan there are some nice alternatives you can use for the cheese but pretty much everything else will work as is. 

First thing to do is preheat the oven to 400. Peel and slice the eggplant while its warming. Brush the slices with olive oil and salt. I put plenty of olive oil in a bowl for this. Dont worry if you pour too much because the excess can be used in the next step. Once brushed with oil but the slices on a cookie sheet...or whatever you have handy (I went with a pizza pan in this case...just because). Roast the eggplant for 20-30 minutes flipping it half way through.

Above: Basted eggplant

Above: Half way through

While that's in the oven slice up the mushrooms and dice the garlic as you like them (I love hunks of mushroom and a moderate dice on the garlic). Saute the mushrooms in the oil left from brushing the eggplant or get more oil if you used it all. You can also use butter if you like. Dont forget a bit of salt here too. After the mushrooms have cooked most of the way through add the garlic. Once they are cooked to your liking (I like the garlic to just start turning brown) remove the pan from the heat and let cool a bit. As a side note onions would be nice in this too, but I used quite a bit in the batch of sauce so didnt want to overpower everything.

Above: 'shrooms and garlic in oil...I love garlic and mushrooms...

While the mushrooms are cooling crack two eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk. Add the ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, whatever spices you like (some suggestions would be torn basil, red pepper flake, oregano, an Italian blend of spices, ect.) and parmesan. Again, I heavily seasoned the tomato sauce so didnt add a lot of the spices to the cheese mixture as it would have overwhelmed the dish as a whole. Use your best judgement based on your sauce (I find most premade sauces need the extra umph and so this is where you probably want to add it). Once thats all mixed your mushroom and garlic mixture should be cooled down enough so add it in and mix. The eggs are optional if you are going with the vegan variant...or are just out of eggs. I add them because...well tradition I guess. Ive made lasagna before without it and didnt notice much of a difference.

Cheese and mushroom mixture after its been added to the lasagna. I don't have a picture of it in the bowl, but you get the idea. 

By now everything should be ready to assemble the lasagna. After you pull the eggplant out lower the oven temp to 300. Now start putting your lasagna together. Put a bit of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Layer some of the eggplant, then top with the mushroom and cheese mixture. Put another layer of eggplant ontop of that. Put more of the sauce ontop of the second layer of eggplant. Finally, top with a mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan.

First layer of eggplant on the base of sauce

Second layer of Eggplant on top of the cheese mixture.

Sauce on top of the second layer.

Cheese

More cheese.

Once everything is assembled put your dish into the 300 degree oven for about half an hour. The center should be done (particularly important if you added the egg) but if the top isnt browned to your liking turn the broiler on high for a bit. Dont leave it unattended because it will burn in a heartbeat. 

I like mine on the well golden side

Once you get it to the color you like let it set and cool for a bit. 5-10 minutes on the counter should do. 

I hope you enjoy, I know we did. 

Also, now I want lasagna...

Fireworks & Five Among Friends~*

We held our fireworks until July 6th this year.  Our neighbors threw a big 4th of July shindig & we didn't want to steal their snap, crackle & poppin'.

So we waited.

And when the sun went down Saturday, Jeremy, Thing 2 & Stretch put on a show, complete with one set that went misfired & ignited without leaving the ground causing smoke & sparkles & a spate of frenzied running about.  Most exciting.  No Things, husbands or friends were harmed, though the beagle {The Doctor} and the terrier {Alice} did break into a fit of barking at the lights shooting across the yard.  Poosh {the chihuahua mutt} stayed inside as the booms & whistles caused him to vibrate like a cheap motel bed.  And the cats could care less about any of it.  

That is all of us accounted for, you see.

I'm spending this basically blogless week finishing up some household projects & hanging out with the gang.  Yesterday we indulged in a Star Wars marathon {the real Star Wars trilogy, not the modern series that I fervently deny exists}.  Now we are thinking Indiana Jones perhaps?  Or maybe we'll save that 'til Friday since I have class until 3 today.

Ah the great and mighty dilemmas of summer~*

I will be back on our regular schedule next week, but I just had to pop in for the Five Among Friends!  
We had a bit of a switch-a-roo, & Jay from Crafty Spices is our host for this week.

1. What is your favorite holiday and why?

I love the fall & winter holidays-- I adore those seasons & all the festivities that come with them!  

2. Do you have a special or favorite cartoon or cartoon character?

I grew up in the age of the Saturday morning cartoon.  When there weren't channels devoted to them, & you had to wait all week to watch 'em. I'd get up at 7, no joke, and get a pop tart & orange juice & plop on the shaggy rust colored carpeting & watch cartoons until noon.  I loved them all.  Scooby Doo, of course & the Justice League-- but also the live action shows by Sid & Marty Kroft.  I love me some Electra Woman & Dyna Girl.  They aren't technically cartoons, but they certainly were cartoon-ish~*

3. What was or you think will be your reaction on the first day of school for your first born?

I actually was okay with it. I've always figured my whole purpose as a parent was to help these three amazing children become three amazing adults & send them off in to the world to do awesome things.  As such, I don't get sad or melancholy about milestones-- they are an exciting part of the process. I'm much more likely to get teary eyed over their individual achievements-- I'm a "bubbling over with pride" type-o-momma.

4. What’s your preference: Swimming pool or beach and why?

Beach.  Because you can't surf in a swimming pool.

5. How do you schedule your blog post and do you use any type of system?

I have a daily schedule for Monday-Friday that allows for a lot of creativity, but keeps me focused at the same time.  That said, I'll chuck it out the window if something else comes up {or if I need to take a little time off to recharge the bloggy batteries}.  I generally write posts the evening before they appear on the blog-- I want them to be an accurate presentation of me at that moment & feel that if I do posts too far in advance I'll lose the personal aspects of writing them.  For example, for this post I loaded the pics & questions the night before, roughed in some answers then polished it all up this morning & will hit "Publish" when I stop typing. During the semester, I get up around 6 {so I can get the Things up & moving & enjoy a cup of coffee before I have to get ready for work}.  That gives me plenty of time to work on the blog before heading to campus.  In the summer I'm able to sleep a bit later, but am still up around 7 or 8!

 I do love group posts too, like the Five Among Friends!  
Check out the other members of our crew by clicking the links below.  If you'd like to join us, just leave a note in the comments & we'll add you to the list!

I'll be catching up on my blog reading this weekend & posting on my regular schedule starting Monday!  Until then--

A Freshly Shorn Mini Llama Sorta Day~*

Thing 1 has written a wonderful blog post, all on her own, without me poking her at all.  She just announced out of the blue last weekend that she had it.  She is smashing grand like that. 

But then she went up to my Mom & Dad's to help look after her cousin {my nephew} who was staying with them while her Aunt {my sister} was at a teaching seminar.  Thing 1 was going to get back yesterday afternoon.  But no.  Poppy {my Dad} made spaghetti & all bets were off.



So we are experiencing a slight delay.

And I didn't have anything prepared in lieu of such a delay.

So I am bringing you llamas.  And not just any old llamas.  Freshly shorn Tennessean mini llamas who made an unexpected appearance at our farmer's market.

Enjoy their super-cuteness & I'll get Thing 1's post set up for tomorrow~*

After all, a llama a day keeps the...er...hmmm...any suggestions?