Looking for a Valentine’s Day treat? These cupcakes are delicious, and so easy! Just throw everything together, mix, and bake.
Archive for January, 2010
Valentine Chocolate Cupcakes
Saturday, January 16th, 2010 by Scattered MomDear 2010,
Saturday, January 2nd, 2010 by Scattered MomWhen I was 12 I used to dream about you. I’d sit during class with paper hidden under my books, doodling Garfield and figuring out how old I’d be when you arrived. People used to think I was working so hard, but even to this day as soon as I’m bored, I begin doodling or writing down ideas. Doesn’t everyone do that? These days I’d be called “distractable”, or maybe even “off task”, and probably assessed for ADHD. What they didn’t know was that I could listen and write at the same time, still absorbing everything that was being said.
Back in those days when we watched Michael Jackson videos, wore jelly shoes and acid wash jeans, you seemed so impossibly far away. So romantic. At lunch time I’d play games with my friends where we’d choose what kind of cars we wanted, how many kids we’d have or what type of house we’d live in, and I think that in some ways, I believed that some of those things might be possible.
So here we are, 2010. I drive a sensible Toyota, live in a rancher, have one kid, and didn’t marry Harrison Ford (although Hubs is the same age, does that count?).
You are officially just days away and I’m staring down the last year of my 30’s.
That’s a bit scary. Thirties seems young, sort of like 20’s more sensible sister but still just as pretty and fun. Forties makes me think of fifties, which signals things like becoming a grandparent and qualifying for the seniors meals in some restaurants.
Forty seems old and I’m so not ready for that. In fact, it’s almost the same age Hubs was when we met. Where did all that time go?
I spent my twenties raising other people’s children, trying to figure out who I was, and then becoming a parent myself. When I turned thirty I felt like I had finally arrived as an adult.
Now, I’m grown up. Whoa, was I in for a shock. What was I thinking?!
Thirties were when I finally had to act like an adult, and take on all the things that comes with it. Job losses and career changes, almost losing Hubs, becoming sick and injured myself, and the business of morphing from the girl that wanted to please everyone to the Momma Bear that would tear your head off should you go after my child. Yep, I grew up alright, and it was damn hard. Thirties, you were not fun. Oh you had some fun parts, yes. Overall you slammed us with some serious lows and not much in the way of extreme highs. You tested me in ways that I never thought were possible and at times I never thought I’d see the other side. I can’t say I’m that sad to see you go.
2009 was a good year, though. I really figured out that I want to make a career of writing, and all the hard work that I’ve sunk into this blog has begun to pay off. My family is all doing well and we’re happy, healthy, and together. The drama that was my 30’s is tapering off, and things have smoothed out into an easy rhythm. That’s all I could ask for, really.
Well. I would like to win the lottery and be a billionaire, like I had predicted in that stupid game but since I’m grown up now, I know the odds are just not in my favor.
So 2010, I’m planning to enjoy you and the last year of my 30’s. Maybe you don’t look as romantic and shiny as you did when I was 12, but I’m okay with that. You have laptops and iPod Touch, apps, downloads, Twitter, Blogger, and all sorts of fun things I would’ve given my right arm for at 12. I’ll never forget the Christmas I desperately wanted a computer, and the idea of owning a computer was about as impossible as buying a Ferrari.
Now that I’m grown up I’ll happily settle for peaceful and happy, with no big surprises or drama along the way. Deal?
They do say that life begins at 40, after all.
PS. But if you really feel generous, the lottery thing would be cool. Just sayin’.
Adventures in Boxing Week Shopping
Friday, January 1st, 2010 by Scattered MomDo you do Boxing Day shopping? We claim we don’t, but the reality is that since we discovered Best Buy, we do. Somehow it just seems so wrong to pass up some of the incredible deals that are available after Christmas.
I mean, hello? DVD players for under $50? Are you joking?
This week we made a trek to Best Buy in Richmond, BC. For those of you that don’t know the Vancouver area, Richmond is just over a bridge from Vancouver. The Vancouver International airport is there, and now there’s the new 2010 Olympic speed skating oval. Hubs and I met at the Three Road Starbucks, were married in Minoru chapel, and Jake was born in Richmond Hospital. It always feels like coming home when we head over the Oak Street bridge.
We were in the market for a laptop for Jake this time. Before I get e-mail stating how terrible I am for spoiling my merely 14 year old child with his very own bling-y lap top, just know that there is a huge, un-blogable reason for it.
Anyway we walked through those Best Buy doors and the drooling commenced. Despite my claims that we aren’t really a techie family, I guess we actually are. We may not do the whole gaming thing, but over the past few years we’ve (okay, *I’ve*) really gotten into it. If you see me out and about now I have my camera, Flip, cell, and possibly the iPod AND, I’m now drooling over the bigger, badder, SLR cameras.
I admit it, I’m totally hooked.
After 3 long hours of wandering in the store, research, choosing, talking, looking at cameras (ya I fit that in there because I’m just so clever), we finally settled on a way cool HP laptop. Took us forever because not only had we decided to take advantage of some awesome deals, but so did half of the population of the entire Lower Mainland (if you’re not from Vancouver, the term Lower Mainland refers to a huge area surrounding Vancouver.)
What we didn’t know was that Best Buy needed 24 hours to configure and format the thing.
Um…ya. We had been planning on catching the 5:30 ferry. Best Buy said that possibly they could have it ready in an hour and a half, since we weren’t having that much done anyway, and since it was waaaaay past lunch time we decided to go to Tim Hortons.
Well that was the plan, anyway. Instead we went and danced around a traffic jam for 45 minutes because half of the city had the nerve to go and have a power outage.
A few hours later, Best Buy wasn’t finished, and Hubs? He wasn’t willing to leave the store to go get a coffee or whatever and kill time doing something other than sit and watch the Geek Squad format the computer. So we waited.
And waited.
Waited some more.
Waited until around 7 pm at night. It wasn’t that bad, really. They were super apologetic and even gifted Jake with a $20 gift card to say thanks for waiting. When they saw how techie he was, the Geek Squad let him go in their super secret back room and watch them format his computer. He looked like he fit in back there, among all these guys and loads of tech equipment. His eyes glowed with delight and we giggled as he shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from touching everything, which is a trick Hubs taught him when he was little and around lots of breakables.
Have you ever spent hours in a Best Buy? I really got the chance to check out all the camera gear, accessories for my iPod, and we ended up picking up a new HP printer/scanner and some phones in the process. We also decided that dude, instead of buying our Christmas gifts before Christmas, next time we’ll wait until Boxing Day weekend and shop.
We also had a chance to watch other customers. Like the middle aged guy who picked up his laptop, immediately turned on Skype, and began preening right there in the store, grinning into the computer with smouldering eyes and posing like he was just so hawtly sexy.
Finally, we were done. It was time to go. Best Buy was totally apologetic, but we had been fine with it all along. Apparently their network had been acting up (maybe because of that power outage) and things had taken far longer then usual. Computers are finicky and sometimes, it’s just beyond their control. The staff were great and getting all angry wouldn’t have helped things along away.
With a huge sigh of relief we loaded up the car and were all ready to go, when…
Hubs put the key in the ignition and turned it.
“Oh, SHIT.” He held up the key and in the evening light, I could see what he was talking about. The key had come out of the ignition switch, with part of the CAR attached to it.
You may not be able to see the panic that this would cause. First off, we were just going to make the very last ferry of the night. If the car was broken, there is no way we’d make it to the ferry terminal which would mean an impromptu overnight stay, then a tow truck home, which would cost PILES of money. Being stranded in Vancouver miles from home isn’t on my “fun things to do” list.
With Hubs old clunker car, which he insists we have to take to the city because he’s terrified the pretty newish Toyota will become scratched on the ferry, we have had exactly THREE near break downs; all in December in Vancouver.
The car is telling us something, people. Maybe like “I’m old and tired and hate the city,” ?
Hubs shoved the key and whatever was attached to it in the hole where the ignition is supposed to be and as we all fervently offered prayers to the Gods, the car started. I’m guessing it must have been from me petting the dashboard and talking to the car gently, begging it to please get me home and I will make sure we never, ever, force it to go to the city again. At least not with me in it.
The prayers didn’t help when we finally were in the ferry line up and Jake and I hoofed it to Trolls for take out (since we hadn’t had dinner and all of us felt like we were going to die from hunger), only to discover it was closed. The bartender cleaning up took one look at us and laughed. LAUGHED! Then we couldn’t find an ATM because you can’t use debit on the ferry, and we had resigned ourselves to eating ferry food for dinner.
You can imagine my relief when I discovered they took Visa, though.
Thank GOD for Visa, which allowed us to have big sloppy burgers and crispy fries, which normally wouldn’t be my first choice but to be in Best Buy all day without food or water would make me ready to eat just about anything. (To be fair, it was pretty yummy.)
I admit, we were all nervous when it came time to drive off the ferry. Would the car start? Would we have pieces falling off in our hands again? Did we need to call a friend and lug all that newly bought computer equipment off? My cell phone had run out of juice as well and all the phone numbers were IN it, so how would we even do that?
Hubs gingerly turned the key as I whispered sweet nothings to the dashboard and Jake clutched his new toy in the back seat. We collectively held our breath and the car roared to life.
Whoo! High fives all around! We’re going to make it home!
The next day I was at work when Hubs called with a fix it report.
“I don’t know what the hell happened, but that piece is stuck on there again. Won’t come off. I don’t know how or why it came off in the first place.”
Maybe the car was just trying to tell us something, like “Look you stupid humans, I’m too old for this shit. Take the younger car. Besides, if you had planned things better you’d have had snacks, drinks and some cash on you. Remember that for next year or I’ll strand your asses in Richmond and you’ll be hitch hiking home. Don’t you remember the LAST two years when I broke down? Do I have to spell it out for you?”
Point taken.
