Marty and Cindy's 2010 Scrapbook

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This is the book that Adam and I made for Marty and Cindy's family last year. We just finished making one for Jason and Mara. I'll try to remember to post it after the new year....after they have received it. =)

Turning 38

OK...so this should have been posted on my birthday, July 11th but....well....it wasn't. =)
Above are my fun Sci-Fi gifts that I received. Woot! I love me some Sci-Fi! The Tardis Cookie Jar is from my brother. When the lid is opened, or the light on top is pressed, it makes the whirring Tardis noise. NICE!
The Babylon 5 DVDs are from Adam. Like the geek that I am, it was the only thing that I could think of that I wanted at the time.
It was nice having the family out here for my birthday...even though I am getting old. BOO

Me with Adrienne, my sister-in-law, and my mom.
Me with Adam, the cake I couldn't eat and a non-frosted vegan cupcake that I made so that I could eat something. =)

Soundcheck for Dudu Fisher's Jerusalem

Tuesday I had the honor of attending Dudu Fisher's Soundcheck. When I say "honor", I MEAN honor. He was amazing! If you missed how this came about, click here.

I have never had a chance to go inside the Tri-Lakes Center. WOWZA! Huge theatre! I got there while the band was still setting up their sound. It was definitely a different experience than with our show. Our show's soundchecks are usually a tad louder with a stray child running across the stage, a diaper change, crying baby, etc. =)

Adam was able to join me after the actual sound check started. I was blown away by Dudu's voice. I have only heard his CDs and seen videos so I wasn't completely prepared to hear his voice in person. You know how you can listen to a CD and then you see someone in person and they don't sound quite a good due to editing? NOT the case here. His voice has even more power and emotion in person....and the singing? Spot on. I am hoping that he will be coming back to Branson so that I can see the actual show because I know he had to hold back since he was performing a show right after the sound check. If I was already impressed by what I heard...those high notes are bound to be fantastic!

Adam's parents were able to attend the show and they absolutely loved it. They were moved by his voice and the show. The stories that were shared in the show really added to the show. They said that Dudu had people literally dancing in the aisles at one point. Her favorite "tee hee" moment was when he explained his nickname and how he got it. For those of you that saw the show, it was the comment that the little girl made. I told her that I've always wanted to see him perform "Bring Him Home" in person (they didn't get to that song during the sound check). She loved the way Dudu introduced the song and tied it into his show. I have heard from several people that there wasn't a dry eye in the audience. *sigh* Someday I will hear it. =)
They were shocked when he was thanking all of his staff, family, friends and those that helped him with the show because...well, after those thank yous he thanked our family and introduced the two of them. They weren't expecting that. HA!

I want to thank Dudu and Ilan for giving me the opportunity to come to the soundcheck....again. I will never forget that experience. Thank you also for being so kind and generous. Best Wishes to the both of you and your families.

I won a cookbook!

WAHOOO!!! I am so excited that I won this book from @ChubbyVeganMom on Twitter. She is a fellow Vegan and is always posting fun tweets that will make you smile. Several of the tweets are about her blog posts. If you have never seen her blog, go check it out. It is full of yummy recipes....complete with pictures.

As for the book.... I Can't wait to try some of these recipes. They look YUMMY! This will make a great addition to my HUGE cookbook collection. I'll try to remember to post when I try out recipes from the book. I am sure they will be great from all the reviews that I have read about this book.

Thanks again @ChubbyVeganMom!!!!!

Dudu Fisher performing in Branson!!!

I am SO excited that Dudu Fisher will be performing in Branson! I received an email from a friend of his, Ilan Sharon, informing me about his one night performance in Branson. BRANSON! The man has 5 shows listed for his performance dates and he is coming here of all places. Argentina, Jerusalem, Brazil, New Jersey and..ummmm, Branson.

For those of you who have no idea who Dudu Fisher is, please read my last post about him.

When I first heard about his performance, I knew I would have to attend....then I realized that it was on a Tuesday night. ACK! We have a show on Tuesday nights. Not good. I went through all of the numbers (in my head) that I was in to see if I could somehow get out of the show that night. I could get all of the parts covered except for one, Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat. Argg. It's one of the many new songs that we just added to the Broadway section of our show. Unfortunately there is no way that I can miss that number. I even tried talking to Jason about just missing that number...uhhh, cutting that section for that night? No dice. If that number gets cut, 2 others will have to get cut along with that one, due to costume changes. Needless to say, I was a tad depressed that I would have to miss it... but then something great happened!

I asked Ilan if there was any way at all that I might be able to see a sound check since I couldn't make it to the performance. I figured it couldn't hurt to ask. I knew that there might be others in my family interested too. He later emailed saying that yes, Dudu Fisher said that we could! Wahooo!!

SO! If anyone else wants to see this amazing performer. GO! This is your chance to see him. He will be performing for 1 night only, September the 20th at 7:30 PM. I am attaching a video that has the location and pricing. I encourage you to go see it. Uh, don't let my family know that I said that since I should be encouraging you to see OUR show that night. So Ummm, Go to our show the day before. =)


The venue also has information about Dudu Fisher on their website.

Hwang Family 2011 Photos

This summer we FINALLY took pictures with our entire family (last time Brian was missing). Once again we had Jared and Joanna take our pictures AND......once again...they are beautiful! You can see more of their work on their website. If you live near me and need any family portraits, wedding photos, etc., give them a call!

These pictures were taken at the Wilderness Trail off of Fall Creek Road. You have to hike a little ways but the view is gorgeous out there. There are several trails including one that is made up of a gazillion steps that lead down to the lake. One day Adam and I plan to go down that trail a little after it rains; apparently there is a natural waterfall....but only when there is runoff. Hmmm, maybe we can go this winter after the snow starts to melt. Hmmmm.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from that day. Enjoy!

Vikki's Vegan Chunky Cookie Recipe

I've had a few requests for this recipe so here it is. Let me know how your turn out!

2 C quick cook oats
1 C all-purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour ( I like white wheat as opposed to red wheat. I'm going to try 2 C wheat flour instead of doing the 1 Wheat, 1 white thing)
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

2/3 C canola oil
2/3 C evaporated cane juice ( you can use regular sugar)
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C unsweetened soymilk ( you can use whatever milk you want)
1 T ground flax
1 t vanilla
2 C of your choice of filler. You can use nuts, fruit, chocolate chips, etc. I used a mix of raw peanuts & walnuts, dried dates, pineapple and papaya.
3/4 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Line your cookie sheets with paper.

Mix the oats, flour, soda, powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together oil, sugars, milk, flax and vanilla. I just use a rubber spatula for the entire recipe.

Add flour mixture and fold in. When combined add the coconut and your filling of choice.

I used my bigger cookie scoop and spaced them a few inches apart. The dough is a bit chunky so I had to shape them because they started to come apart after using the scoop for a while. Just get a little water on your fingers and shape them how you want them to look.

Bake until the edges are brown, about 15 minutes. Cool on the pan for a few minutes so that they hold their shape and then transfer them to a cooling rack. ENJOY!

DIY Tomato cages

This year we decided to not tie up our tomato plants like we have for the past 8 years....we're doing tomato cages. Eek! I' m hoping that things will work out because we put a tad bit of effort into making them. Adam had to remove the wood slats that he had attached to the top of our tomato garden before we could do anything else. We are seriously hoping we made the right decision.

Now....if we were going to try cages were going to do it properly. None of that flimsy tomato cage stuff for us. I wanted nice sturdy cages that would hold the 8 foot plants that we normally grow. I'm thinking they won't be reaching those heights since the cages are only 5 feet. *sigh*

We started off with the concrete reinforcement wire that you see above. They are nice and rusty when you buy them so be prepared. We also purchased some snippers to cut through the stuff.

Yes, I realize that I forgot to take the tag off of the clippers before we took this picture. (I finally cut the thing off after cutting the wire for 5 cages.) I'm not the strongest person in the world so cutting the cages took a bit of effort on my part. I believe the wire is 5 feet high and I cut enough for 13 cages.
For the tomato cages in the garden I counted 12 squares and then cut in the middle of the 13th square. For the cages that are in the whisky barrels, I counted 10 squares and then cut the 11th.
Oh, I also cut the top edge off so that the wire is exposed on one end. That is the part that you shove into the ground.

Adam had the fun job of bending the wire of the cut edges over each other. This creates the circle and hold the cage together. Lots of fun on the hands. =)

This is what they look like when they are done. We should be able to use these for several years. The only bad thing is the fact that they don't stack like the store bought cages. I think we will need to just leave them in the beds each year. The cages are perfect to hold the groundcloth in place. We also cut the leftover edge pieces into little sections so that Adam could bend them in half. We used those as "staples" to hold down other areas of the groundcloth. Much cheaper than buying the ones from the store. He also arched a few so that they would fit over our soaker hoses. I'm hoping that we can install a drip line next year. =)

This is the finished product. We have 8 plants in the garden. I'll try to post pics of the 5 plants on our deck soon.

Wouter Weylandt Part 2

Here is a tiny follow-up to Part 1.
I got my awesome Road ID in the mail today and absolutely love it. Road ID is donating all proceeds of these bands to Wouter Weylandt's family. If you would like to order one or make a donation to the family, please go to Road ID.
You will also get a nifty little keepsake box. =)
For those of you who aren't familiar with Road ID, I urge you to look at their website. They carry various bands that you can customize with your contact information. This is especially great for athletes because there may come a time where you will need help and you are unable to speak for yourself. Whether you are a cyclist that has been run off the road or a runner that has collapsed, your ID will speak for you. Personally I think these are great for children too, in case they get lost. You can either choose to have the information imprinted on the metal plate OR you can make it available online or over the phone. The band will just show the website and a 1-800 number that people can call to get the information....this is great in case you aren't comfortable to with everyone seeing your personal info.

If you are interested in ordering in the next 28 days or so, you can use this coupon code to save $1 on your order: ThanksVikki5704390.

Wouter Weylandt Part 1

Honestly, I can't quite explain why I have been so affected by the tragic accident that happened in Stage 3 at the Giro D'Italia this past Monday. I am feeling saddened and heart-broken for the family and friends of Wouter Weylandt. Sorry and full of sorrow at this life that was cut short so unexpectedly. I have been following cycling for over a decade and there have been losses before this one, but for some reason this one has touched me much deeper.

I have been moved by the out-pouring of love and support that everyone in the cycling community has had for the family, friends and teammates of Wouter. Through this time of mourning one is able to see the raw emotion that people are feeling, which has been heart-wrenching. The tribute ride during Stage 4 was difficult to watch because of emotion that was felt as you watched, from the Bugle playing to that image of Team Leopard and Tyler Farrar crossing the finish line together. Seeing Tyler's face at that moment just broke my heart and wrecked me.

It doesn't make sense because I am simply a fan. I am not related, have never met him and did not follow his career as closely as I have followed other riders. Why does his death seem to tug at my heart-strings and bring me to tears so easily?

The only explanation I can think of is the sense of family that cycling seems to have. I have met fellow fans both in person and over the internet. I have also had the wonderful opportunity to meet several riders, which has been amazing! In the US it's kind of like our own special club because there aren't as many fans as say....basketball or American Football.

I do think that social media, such as Twitter and Facebook have enabled me to form my own group of friends who understand my need to follow this sport. That overwhelming need to wake up at insane hours to watch a race online or read race reports as reported by teams and riders on Twitter. Giggling as I read Tweets that riders make to each other and seeing the respect and support that they have for one another. Twitter has made the riders much more accessible, including pictures of some pretty harsh injuries, road rash and surgeries. Ya gotta love it!

I'm not quite sure why I'm even writing this but....there it is.
RIP Wouter Weylandt. Love and hugs to all those that knew him and to anyone else who has been affected by his death.

The Netbook Story comes to an end

Well, it's finally over. The Netbook is gone. Here is what has transpired as of January.

A few weeks later my Netbook, once again, had to be brought in. All of a sudden it would not power up. I believe it was my 5th time using it since I had gotten it back from Best Buy.

When I got to the Geek Squad desk I was greeted and asked how things were going with the Netbook. By this point most of the Geek Squad recognized me from my previous trips. They said that they thought it was the motherboard and had to send it in to be fixed.

A week or so later I got a call saying that they would do a "junk-out"....very telling phrase, "junk-out". Yes, you did sell me a piece of junk. They told me that I could get another Netbook that was the same cost. Of course, they don't normally carry that model so....I was told I could trade it for something comparable. I asked if I would have to pay anything additional since I had only used it a whopping 5 times since Black Friday because it has been in their possession most of the time. I was assured that I wouldn't have to pay as long as it was basically the same model. I was told to wait for the salesman so I did....for literally 35 minutes. Apparently the only guy in the computer department was also working the customer service desk. Thank goodness for Netflix on my iPhone. Woot! He showed me three models that I could choose from and helped me decide. We got to the paperwork part and then I was told that I owed $109. Ummm, huh? I thought I wouldn't have to pay anything additional. Sorry, not paying around $300 for a Netbook when I already have a laptop, desktop and iPhone. I was ok spending $170 + tax but not another $109 for something that I really didn't need. It was more of a convenience so...I got store credit instead.

With that credit I decided to get a Kindle to add to my eBook reader collection. I still have credit left to spend but I think I'll just hang on to it for now.

My latest eReader Dilemna

Before I you proceed, if you haven't read my blogs about my eReader experience, please read Part 1 and Part 2.

OK, so now that you are all caught up, you know that I now own a Nook. For the most part I have loved it. I have even re-purchased books, for the 3rd time, for my Nook. I have a few books that I like to read repeatedly and I HAD to have them at my disposal. I definitely like the Nook the best out of the readers that I have owned. I like the fact that I can purchase things via wi-fi and I also like the physical look of the reader. I wasn't too keen on all of the dials and buttons on the Sony, or the weight and shine of the metal. It is a tad heavier than the Bookeen but not by much. It is very easy to use and I do like the touch screen on the bottom. I will admit that I haven't really played around with the web or games feature that much because I have my iPhone for that.

I am running across one major issue at the moment. At the time of my purchase, the books that I knew that I wanted to purchase were available through Barnes & Noble. Since then I have tried to purchase a few random books or new releases and I can only find them on Amazon. *sigh Perhaps I should have gotten a Kindle. The main thing that held me back from the Kindle was the look of it and the fact that the Nook enabled me to borrow and loan books to other Nook owners. Apparently the new Kindle is now implementing the Loaning feature. Hmmmmm
I just looked at the details of the loaning and I guess you can only lend a book out one time. That's kind of stupid in my opinion.

The questions that I have now are:
1. Can I get past the buttons on the Kindle? I don't really like the look of them.
2. Can I change the format of all the books I have purchased on my Nook so that they will be available on the Kindle? Will I need to re-purchase these books yet again?
3. Should I just keep the Nook because of its ability to borrow eBooks from public libraries and still purchase a Kindle? or should I sell my Nook and use that money to buy a Kindle?

The only other option would be to purchase the books from Amazon and somehow find a way to change the format so that I can read it on my Nook.

Any opinions or wards of advice are welcome.

The Amazing Dudu Fisher

We got a great surprise tonight at our show.....Dudu Fisher was in our audience! For those of you who aren't familiar with his name, he is an AMAZING singer and performer. He is most known for playing Jean Valjean ( Les Miserables) on Broadway. You can read about him on Wikipedia or visit his website to learn more about him. He also has albums on iTunes...I love the Broadway one.

I didn't know that he was in our audience until intermission, when Sarah came back to our dressing room and told us. As soon as I heard the news I have to admit that I was thrilled and then immediately nervous and suddenly dreading our Broadway section of our show. I have a short solo in one of the Broadway Medleys. The song that I sing? On My Own. ACK! Of course it has to be a song that he has heard a gazillion times while on stage in Israel, New York and London...sung by amazingly talented women. I'm using the word "amazing" a lot aren't I?
Thankfully I didn't mess up on the lyrics or trip on the stage. Yay!

After the show I was coming off the stage and walking towards where he was sitting so that I could meet him. Some of the brothers had already met him during intermission. Before I reached him he smiled and asked,"Why didn't you sing more of the song?" To which I answered,"Yeah right! I was nervous enough as it was!" I told him how I was kinda going,"No....no no no no no no" when I realized I was going to be singing that song in front of him. In case you haven't picked up on it yet...I still get nervous on stage at times.

He was fun to talk with. He commented on the show, the kids' talents, and asked about the sound and monitors because he noticed we didn't have in-ear monitors. Man, would we love to have those! We told him about the rehearsals and yes, the kids are all homeschooled. Yep, we have incredibly talented kids in our family. =)

Then he told us about how he started as a cantor in Israel, singing liturgical songs and went from there to doing Les Miserables. He said that the performance was in Hebrew. How cool is that? I would love to hear a recording of that. A producer ( I think it was a producer) from New York caught one of his shows and asked him to perform on Broadway and the rest is history. I believe he said he was in London in 1996. I missed it by 5 years. I saw it there in 1991 when I was on a trip with my mom.

If you haven't heard him sing, I encourage you to listen to some of his music. I love how expressive he is when singing the part of Jean Valjean.

Look what I won

A few weeks ago I entered to win Season 1 of the Vampire Diaries on DVD and actually won! WAHOOO

The contest was put on by TuningIntoSciFiTv.com. If you like watching Sci-Fi genre shows and/or movies, they have a great podcast. They discuss current shows that are on the air, Syfy channel's Saturday night B movies, and much much more. Right now they are also doing a countdown of the Top 100 Genre shows of all time. I've found a few new shows to watch by listening to the podcast, as well as the countdown. They also have a Discussion Forum that covers shows from the past and present that's also fun to participate it.

My first official sled ride

I finally went sledding for the first time in my life. Yes, we attempted to sled last year but really....that didn't count because: 1) It wasn't on an actual sled and 2) We didn't really get that far down the hill. Apparently homemade sleds don't work as well.

We have had a lot of snow in the past month this year. Adam and a few members of our family members went out of town and were supposed to get back on Wednesday of last week...they didn't get back until Friday. They were stuck for two nights on the road because the Tour Bus was basically snowed in. Apparently the bus doesn't like the cold weather either....at least the battery and the brake system on the bus don't. It took a little while for someone to come out and help them because of the weather and the numerous calls that they were getting.

The Midwest got pummeled with two storms in a row. In Branson, we got a nice few inches of icy rain before the snow came in. The two storms accumulated to 18" in a few parts of our yard. Needless to say, I didn't leave my house for about a week. I wanted to go sledding but wanted to wait for Adam to get into town so that we could take pictures.

The sleds that I ordered from Amazon arrived the day before this last storm. We got another 6 inches this time and we still had snow on the ground from the previous storms so.....plenty of snow to sled. YAY!



Oh, sidenote: There's nothing like climbing a hill several times in the snow, to show you how out of shape you are. When I fall on my face at the end while trying to get up....there was a big ol' rock that was hidden by the snow. DOH!

This is what it looked like the day that we went sledding. Adam had the snow thrower out and was doing our driveway, as well as a few neighbors. It was FUH-REEZING outside.
Our kitties decided to use the sleds as beds until we used them. The green one is mine and the blue one is Adam's. The red one is the extra one for friends to use. I'm thinking about somehow decorating it and making it a Liquigas Sled...seeing as it's already got the Green on it. =)