Summer is so last season

Let's talk about the end of summer. Don't be coy, I know you want to.

Because as of August 26th, I've been taunted by the photos online of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks, seen the cheapo version at Dunkin Donuts, and noticed the boots/scarves/warmer clothes (that are for the first time in months, not transparent) filling the shelves at stores.

And, after a spending the unofficial end of summer with my family in Pennsylvania, we even made a stop at Walmart where I bought some leaves, cattails and general autumnal decor. It's about that time folks. Time to pursue something that we know is coming, but isn't yet in sight.

It's time to start planning for the holidays, starting with apple picking, pumpkin picking, and welcoming the cooling temperatures to stick around for a while. Even though it's 80 degrees at 6am, and the clerk who gave me my coffee had a smirk when I wanted a hot pumpkin-flavored drink. Maybe doing all these things, despite the summer heat, offers a kind of placebo that will get us through the remaining sweltering days. So, in the upcoming days I'll hopefully assembling a wreath for our door, rotating our summer clothes to the bins for storage, and searching for recipes that will justify the insane amount of apples, pumpkins and butternut squash I plan on acquiring this month.

So tell me...
Have you started to decorate for fall?
And is there such a thing as picking 'too many apples'.... I don't think so.

Pillsbury Ham and Cheese Breakfast Rolls

Good Morning! I woke this morning to realize that all our regular breakfast staples were gone and I had nothing to make us. So, I went to the misc. drawer and found Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers biscuits. And saw some cheddar cheese and leftover sliced ham.

Pillsbury Ham and Cheese Breakfast Rolls

Ingredients
-Pillsbury rolls/biscuits
-Cheese
-Ham

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Squish and flatten a can of Pillsbury biscuits or rolls into a rough rectangle on a baking sheet.
    --I used Flaky Layers, but any would do.
3. Spread a medium layer of shredded cheese over the dough.
4. Place approximately 6 slices of ham on top of the cheese, enough to cover the dough.
5. Sprinkle more cheese on top, if you wish.
    --We always wish for more cheese, so, obviously more cheese happened.
6. Roll it up.
    --You can roll it on the long side or the short side. The thicker the dough the fluffier the rolls will be.
7. I did not do this, but would recommend putting your baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes or so.
    --Enough to make the roll easier to cut.
8. Take a bread knife (or a serrated knife) and slice your roll into pieces. If you did this without freezing it first, don't worry that the cheese goes everywhere. Just reassemble.
9. Spray a new baking sheet (or your current one) well, as these will stick if you do not.

10. Cook for 25 minutes at 350 degrees, or, until they turn a golden brown.

That Time When... We Went to Centralia (Silent Hill)

When Tom and I were dating long distance, he would come visit me in Pennsylvania every few weeks. After quickly running out if places to go and things to see, we went to the Internet and Googled something along the lines of 'Ghost towns in Pennsylvania'.

"You searched for a ghost town?" Hey. I got desperate, trying to entertain a boy from the big city.... And you eventually do run out of cows to tip over. 

Not surprisingly a ton places showed up after searching. It seems that everyone thinks that they live in an old abandoned miners town. Here's a hint... if you live there, it's not a ghost town. Or, for our purposes, abandoned and falling into ruin. I think we stayed up the night before watching the documentary "After Humans", which might explain the sudden interest.

But we did find one. And so we took off to Columbia County, to to former town of Centralia.

What happened to Centralia?

The Unexpected Costs

If you've had trouble making or maintaining a baby, I feel for you. For many reasons, but today I feel for you and your finances. I know that I have nothing in the way of bills compared to those suffering through infertility or IVF. But in my need to figure our ROI, we do have medical bills and no babies.

Lucky for us, we increased our flex spending account (pretax money for medical expenses) at the end of 2013 to what seemed at the time to be a lot more that we would ever need. And as of August this year, we have just $60 remaining. That certainly went fast.

Copays. Prenatal pills. Ginger ale. Emergency room visits. Prescriptions. Home pregnancy tests. Genetic counselling, chromosomal tests, ANA blood test, other blood tests. More copays. More, more, more.

My Ice Bucket Challenge...

...won't be happening.

Please don't send me chain letters. Or double-dog dare me. I used to simply ignore the pressure but I can't do that because of the stigma attached.

I get that the Ice Bucket Challenge is "positive peer pressure", but in reality it's asking people to spend $3 on bagged ice and upload a video instead of donating to a worthy cause.

I have a feeling that if the order of words were reversed, and people were prompted to "Donate $100 to a worthy cause, or dump water on yourself" there would be more people offended about it. And don't get me wrong. This challenge has generated an amazing amount of money for charitable organizations. But why can't this be something that happens without the trumpets and hastags?

5 NYC Subway Experiences That Don't Suck.

I complain a lot about my commute. And I complain even more about the performers on my commute (that makes sense, right?) But today I remembered that once it was me who was that stars-in-their-eyes tourist who loved them, and that some underground performances can be awesome.

We aren't unhappy/mean people, despite popular opinion. CNN even made a list, and we aren't on it! Our neighbors in New Jersey are though... While we are busy and somewhat jaded to the weird stuff we see everyday, the good news is that we live in a city a ton of wannabe actors. Those who haven't gotten their big break yet. And those wannabe actors are taking transit. In the age of Youtube. This has to be the best time to be an actor in NYC. And a local, for that matter.

5 NYC Subway Experiences That Don't Suck.

Um....spa people? Please come back around 7:30/8pm during the week. Same place, thanks.

So tell me....

Does your commute Not Suck sometimes? I'd love to hear about it!

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday

Nausea, then throwing up. Food smells bad. Mild cramps. 

Exhaustion. Sore breasts. And a no-show auntie. Wait, did I just get pregnant? 

"Nope"

(times 3)

In the meantime.

Jawbone UP Review

Two week ago I finally went ahead and bought myself an "early birthday gift". I've been reading reviews of both the Fitbit and the Jawbone, but ultimately decided to get the Jawbone because tracks your sleep more extensively than the Fitbit (or so I read online).

My schedule might actually make this a "medically necessary" device.

Unblogged Bloggables... The stuff I Missed in July

Here's a snapshot of what miscellaneous awesomeness happened in July.

Amazing Fireworks in Cincinnati on the 4th

  Tom mastered looking at the camera, and I apparently forgot where it was

 

 My mom and dad came to visit! They got to experience the wind in their hair on the SI Ferry...

...and witnessed their first U.S. Coast Guard zipping around the East River while manning a machine gun.

Easy Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Lately I've been "down in the dumps" as my mother likes to say. Headaches and work have kept me from here but today I'm back with something that always makes me happy. Bread. And, this time I decided to make Cinnamon Raisin Bread!