Read at Your Own Risk

Well last Sunday after Annette left, I made a sudden move and pulled a muscle in my back. I stretched, lazed and took minor amounts of pain killers and apparently got it "back" to shape by Wednesday. I really do believe in stretching. I took Monday off and had a massage monday. He used a hot stone and crystal on my back. It was feeling pretty good before I went but I figured it couldn't (and didnt) hurt. Seems when you get knocked off your feet you plan all the things you will do when you get better so I had some plans for my next good day. I hope that will never change no matter what my age or condition.

By Thursday I was feeling great so I got to enjoy watching the field day they had at school. Charles' event was the 4 person relay. After a great run, his team came in 3rd. I participated in the adults balloon toss an partnered with another male friend because Jerome chickened out. So the tables turned and dad and kid were rooting for me. There were about 20 couples that entered. Of course it was me who dropped it. Bad throw. . . (cough)

After that, I decided to make a grocery store run for baked goods for the school promoted "Spring Fling". The teacher asked us in a short note to donate cakes for the cake walk and/or individually wrapped cookies for the bake sale. Last year, I encountered a negative reaction to my toasted coconut cakes so this year I decided to change it up. Always thinking of what I have in my cupboards, I opted for plain white cake mix and vanilla frosting since I had several colors of frosting gel left over from some classroom cookie decorating event. I bought 1 cake mix and a package of aluminum cake pans w/ lids. I also bought 2 brownie mixes.

I made 2 really colorful 8"x8" individual cakes, added some food coloring to the cake batter and gently swirled. Then I frosted the top with plain white and decorated with the gel. One cake with flowers and the other with a space theme. (stars, swirls, dots, etc.). I labeled both cakes; rainbow cakes. I also made 2 - 8"x8" cake pans of brownies, which I turned into 8 HUGE brownies. I put 5 into zip locks and saved the rest for us.

The next day before school I was about to take all the goodies in and I just happened to look at the paper to see what time this spring fling ended. It is a "fair like" event held after school and it ended at like 9pm or something.

To my disbelief, the date of the event read Friday, April 21st!! What was I thinking? I guess, to those of you reading, this would not be a surprise. So needless to say, the neighbors Judy and Morgan and also Jim and his family received 2 really nice cakes. I was too embarassed to take them to school anyway. I also gave 3 of the 8 brownies away at work and we (happily) swallowed my pride on the rest. Luckily, the cakes came in with rave reviews. Sorry Martha, but she and I have been friends for a long time!! Thanks Betty! (Crocker-DUH)

Yesterday was Saturday April 8th and Charles, Jerome and I went to Orlando park for the yearly Easter egg hunt. This could possibly be the last (sniff) year for that 'particular' Easter egg hunt! I think he has participated in that one every year since he could walk and pick up eggs. Interesting though, it seems to be the same old Easter bunny and chicken costumes, the same ol' kiddy music and the same ol' clown making balloon animals. Either way, Charles always has a good time. This year he met up with 2 of his buddies from school and they ran around. Observation: The couple with the 1/2 million home's son was using a plastic Winn Dixie bag for a basket.

We stayed for short while then left to rest for another Easter function later at the Methodist church right down the street. Around two pm I left to pick up Samuel (7 yr old kid of friends). Samuel, Charles and I headed North only a few miles to find a great little community get together. They had free popcorn, cotton candy, snow cones, drinks, make your own cookies, make your own easter eggs, raffle drawings (Samuel won a little bunny with tootsie rolls), an Easter Egg hunt (each kid guaranteed a dozen plastic eggs filled with candy or toys), Pony rides, various "cheesy" carnival games with great prizes, dunking booth, blow up horizontal water slide and of course their favorite, a play ground. I kept telling them to play the games and win stuff and they would keep magnating back to the playground. Anyway, they left exhausted, dirty (from being wet and in the hay), and with a huge bag of goodies. I don't know why but the candy is still sitting on the table in the candy dish. I'll get to it.

So last night I drank wine, sat in the kitchen and made shish kabobs; Bacon wrapped chicken and shrimp with a pineapple/bbq sauce, yellow rice and black beans. This is one of my best meals. Time consuming to make but well worth it in the end.

Tonight I am blogging-obvious- and it will be a rather lazy night before another set of hectic weekdays.

Chow ya'll.