The Steelers I'm Used To!!!

The Steelers are playing awesomely today! Although I have my suspicions they aren't really from this time and place...

We all know they get fatter each year. And everyone has to admit...they both look better with beards.

Both bamfs. The end.

The guy you love to love. Also, I suspect Ward is a android sometimes. No one can smile that much ALL the time.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Troy Polamalu. Human or Klingon? 

You decide.

Some things I'm looking forward to in the future of the Steelers are games where they look like this, and still manage to save the day.

This is just funny. 

But which Steeler is this charming and adorable, yet incredibly awkward onesie-wearing character?

That is the real question. 

~A

Pumpkin Patches, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Whoopie Pies

Friends, it's been way too long. 


We went to a pumpkin patch today (!!!). Apparently until today I had never been to one. The "pumpkin patches" of my childhood paled in comparison to how incredibly rough and rugged this one was. You ACTUALLY went out to an ACTUAL patch and PICKED your own PUMPKIN?!!??!!


I was amazed. To me, pumpkin patches were pumpkins set out in a big pile in a relatively flat area and you could "pick" your own at the "patch."


Now I know the truth.

We so cute on the hayride :)

Ben actually just modeled picking this one. It had slugs on it, so we passed. 

I got baby punkins! A little girl on the hayride back said I could "use them as earrings." Then she screamed because a fuzzy caterpillar crawled onto her shoulder.

I felt so domestic after I created my "fall" "centerpiece"

BUT NOW FOR THE REAL IMPORTANT NEWS

Ben and I watched this movie tonight and I remembered how much I loved it.

Yea, he is probably one of my fave mancrushes. Even more than Kirk Herbstreit, mostly because he is a bamf who does things like shoot two long rifles at the same time and say things like "I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you" before jumping out a waterfall. 

HERE IS THE BIG NEWS! I heard from a friend that he is in RICHMOND, VA filming a movie about Abraham Lincoln RIGHT NOW!!! He is obvs playing Lincoln. 

The best part of this whole ordeal? Spielberg is basing the movie on a book called Team of Rivals. 

...

Guess what book I found on our shelf tonight?

Turns out Ben got it as a present from my mom years ago. Wow.

I could go on and tell you other awesome things I found out today, like how the dad in Last of the Mohicans is also the voice of Powhatan in the Disney movie Pocahontas, and how another of my fave men, Christian Bale, was the voice of Thomas, John Smith's friend, in the same movie. 

PLUS, Ben was predicting there being a "firefight" in the movie (which there kind of was at one point) and I EVEN connected Last of the Mohicans to Boondock Saints!!!!! Russell Means is the dad in LOTM, and also Powhatan in Pocahontas, and Billy Connolly (the dad in Boondock Saints) is a rando voice in Pocahontas as well!

:) :) :) :) :)

What a day!

(...but JMU should NOT have fallen for that trick play and let that two-point conversion happen. Lame.)

We also bought whoopie pies at the pumpkin patch.

~A

P.S. I would go on about my Star Trek: Insurrection experience, and the grossness of the Boston Bruins game opening the 2011-2012 hockey season, but I'm tired. Maybe next time.

Pumpkin Bread - your new favorite thing

Usually I am not one to post recipes and things on here, because I think it's a very typical "bloggy" type thing to do.

But Oh. My. Gosh.

This pumpkin bread is a recipe I found last year, as I began my exploration of the blogosphere. I was looking for something to make that wasn't a cupcake (because Ben thinks they are too fattening those take a long time to decorate), and I found this delicious recipe. It says to add either chocolate chips or walnuts, but I choose to add both, and I always sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top to make it smell even more wonderful. Usually I get 3 loaves out of the recipe, which is awesome, because then I can mail it out! This year, so far, The Bells and The Soltoffs have gotten bread mailed to them, and I am definitely planning on mailing out more :)

Basically, it's the first thing I baked that made me feel not guilty about eating it like fall. Plus it was something I could bake and Ben would also eat it.

Here is the recipe. Enjoy!!!

~A

P.S. Happy footballing todayyyyyyyyyyyyy

P.P.S. Tony Romo is wearing Kevlar armor in tomorrow's game to protect his (repaired) punctured lung and his crushed rib. He is wearing stuff police wear for riots. And my mother-in-law has him for her QB in fantasy football. Ridiculous? Yes.

The Fall

Friends, it's OFFICIALLY FALL!

That means it is now ok to get super excited about these things:

Leaves turning gorgeous colors, tailgating, apple cider, football, all things pumpkin, sweaters, burning leaves, Halloween, hay rides, jeans and boots, chili, scarves, scarecrows, and watching feel good movies while snuggled under a warm blanket, sipping hot cocoa with a loved one.

This picture makes me think of Anne of Green Gables. Which makes me think of fall :)

I love fall.

~A

Tic Tac's Toes

Today is this guy's Sweet Sixteenth birthday

Oops...wrong guy. Still. Tic Tac is JUST as intense as Will Muschamp, if not more.

This little guy WISHES he could be as awesome as Tic Tac (look how tiny he was...awwwww)

I love this old man so much! His smelly little toes, how he so solid, how he makes a "wuFF" sound when you pick him up, and his soft eyes. 

I'm pretty sure my family is super glad I was obsessed with getting a dog when I was in 4th grade. And that I said he looked like a "little white Tic Tac" when we got him, because his name is so great. 

Happy Birthday old man! Live it uppppppp!!!!!

International EMERGENCYYYYYY

It's International Chocolate Day.

My heart just stopped because I didn't find out until now.

I only have 4 hours and 2 minutes left to gorge on as much chocolate and chocolate products as I can physically take.

That's all I have to say.

Except.

I hope I look like this:

And afterwards , I hope I don't end up like this:

Fun link:

Candy Holidays Throughout The Year OOOOO

~A

Whoa Whoa WHAT

Seriously. What.

Before I voice my LARGE complaint, let me share a bit about how life has been. Penn State lost tremendously to Alabama, and JoPa looked sad the whole time because he had to stay in the box.

JMU WONNNNNNN!

The Steelers lost. Actually what I think they said on the radio was "they got spanked." It's true. I mean, there isn't much else to say after 7 turnovers. Shall I share why the Steelers lost? Because the Ravens defense was so good. And do you know who picked the Ravens defense for their fantasy team? NO NOT ME.

Mr. Soltoff. Picked. Against. Me. And if that weren't bad enough, he took Joe Flacco (from DelaNOWHere) as well. I actually fell asleep in the middle of the third quarter because my body couldn't take anymore horribleness.

The Jets defense was good though.

BUT. But but but. HERE IS MY COMPLAINT!!!!!

I got my security deposit back from my old apartment complex today. Guess what I was charged for? "Excessive Debris - $25" "Debris Left Behind - $10" "Laundry Room Wall Damage - $5" "Hall Light Dome Missing - 10" I LIVED THERE FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF HALF A YEAR!!??!?!!?!

My main problem here is that this apartment (prior to moi) was largely inhabited by college-age males. Who do things like damage laundry room walls. Do you know how long this apartment went before being turned over? 10 FREAKING YEARS!!! Of COURSE there's going to be debris. There were probably plates left from before my sister was born (9+ years ago, in case you wanted to know)

What really gets me is that the old gang of 23B were (sort of) together a few months ago, at a friend's wedding. They took a picture. Yes, WITHOUT ME. What they should have done was pool their money to pay for the excessive debris they left at their old stomping ground.

Now, the only thing I can be sure of is that I know specifically who destroyed the "Hall Light" because I am fairly sure I was present when that happened. And, a former resident of 23B currently, and forevermore, lives with me. (Hint: it's not me)

I am planning his demise anxiously awaiting his return home.

23B, if something happens, and Ben is accidentally missing in action, I'm coming after you.

~A

P.S. This is seriously stressing me out on the unfairness level. I'm supposed to be exercising, and instead I'm eating cookies.

P.P.S. Here's the picture I got left out of. Who votes I photoshop myself in?

P.P.P.S. Three of those men are married now. And they are letting a girl cover their "debris" fees left over from their wild days? Psh. Ridiculous.