Ferris and Simone

So, for some reason, insects make me want to vomit.

Like, I actually gag. Dry heave. I get the heeby cheebies. My skin starts crawling. I’m rendered unable to speak (well, I sort of squeal and whine). I mean, I really can’t stand insects – mostly large ones.

I have no idea why I’m like that, but insects just cause this physical reaction from me. I know it’s weird. Those damn gigantic cicadas are out right now, and I fear for my life every time I walk out my front door at night. They are attracted to our porch light.

Neal flicked one off our screen door and it screeched as it flew away. I threatened that if it was still there when we got home, I was going to go in the back door. Trust.

I mean, those things are huge, like the size of my index finger. My stomach is churning right now just thinking about them. Seriously.

So, please understand the BRAVERY, COURAGEOUSNESS, and all around DISREGARD FOR MY LIFE that I displayed while taking the following pictures.

Behold, a very large spider, with his bundled up prey, on its web in our back yard.

That’s as close as I was willing to go. And I was lightheaded after taking these. If you click on the pictures, you can see the pictures larger. I don’t really want to, but you might, haha.

It’s amusing, because I worked at a pet store for about 3 years in high school/college. I had to count crickets to sell for people’s reptiles, but that didn’t bother me. We sold hissing cockroaches, but I actually thought those were cool.

Also, Neal said insects freak him out a little, too. But he said he’s less freaked out when I’m around since I go batshit crazy. So, I’m glad I can make the hubby feel manly.

So, Neal’s coworker surprised us last week by asking us if we wanted to go to the Ravens v. Jets preseason game, which was last night. Turns out the coworker’s wife scored free tickets from her boss. Kind of sucked it was on a Monday, but when would we ever have a chance to go to a preaseason football game for free?!?!

So, last night, we shot down to Baltimore right after work. After mucho stress trying to find parking, we managed to find our friends tailgating outside of the stadium about an hour before game time. We hung out for a little before heading into the stadium for kickoff.

Here’s the deal – my only experience with professional sports is going to baseball games. So, I guess that’s what I was sort of expecting. WOW, was I off, haha.

Attending a pro football game is much more intense, much more rowdy and much less kid-friendly. I realized the difference before we even got to the stadium. And when the Ravens came out onto the field? The whole place erupted. We were still finding the way to our section inside the stadium when this happened, and the sound was deafening.

Our seats were banging. They were season tickets, in the second section. I couldn’t believe what a view we had. One thing Neal and I both found interesting was that the field looked a lot smaller than on TV. Weird.

I’m not going to post pictures of Neal’s coworker and his wife, only because I didn’t ask their permission because I’m too embarrassed to admit I have a blog, hahahaha. But they are super cool people and we had A LOT of fun with them. Plus, it was incredibly sweet of them to ask us to the game. These were $110 seats!

I think this was the huddle right before the QB threw an interception for a Ravens touchdown. It was like one of the first plays (if not the first, I can’t remember). The stadium freaked out. These Ravens fans are for real. Here’s a pic of the touchdown celebration.

And then the male cheerleaders ran out on the field and waved these flags around.

Speaking of cheerleaders, T (we’ll use that abbreviation for Neal’s coworker’s wife) and I were pretty excited to watch the cheerleaders. They were really entertaining! And so tiny! I mean, these girls looked short and petite. They were so cute.

I know, I’m kinda ridiculous.

So anyway, I tried to follow the game as best as I could. It’s easier to watch on TV because the announcers will say right away what the penalty is and if they got a first down or not. So I had to bug Neal a lot to figure out everything what was going on.

We seriously had such a great time. I really paid for it today, though, because I was EXHAUSTED at work. But I’m so glad we said we’d go and it was really sweet of our companions to ask us. I told T to kiss up to her boss some more so maybe he’ll give us more tickets.

So, NFL preseason is on, and I have to say, I’m so excited for football season! We’re watching the Eagles play the Patriots now. *Sigh* Hope it’s a good year for the Eagles.

Anyway, I’ve been back to cooking lately. We’re been busy this summer and I got lax about cooking, but I’m trying to lost a little chunk, so I’m trying to make some good, healthy meals for Neal and I. I have some Weight Watchers cookbooks that I get ideas from.

Recently, I made some spicy shrimp over pasta. I have to say, it was a little to spicy for me, but Neal really liked it.

I sauteed them with some garlic, red pepper flakes and wine. I’m such a wimp, because my mouth was really on fire after eating these. Neal thought I was ridiculous.

Sunday, my grandparents came over to visit and check out our bedroom. I made a peach cobbler using local peaches. It was a really good cobbler. It doesn’t keep very well, but was very good the day I made it.

And then this week, I made some chicken and mushrooms with a wine sauce (I cook with wine a lot, don’t I? HAHA). Again, it was really good. I love baby bella mushrooms.

Yum!

I’m not really sure if I’m losing any chunk, but I’m working on it, haha.

Tomorrow, I get to sit on a golf course all day with my mom drinking beer. My company participates in a charity golf tournament every year and my mom and I always help work it. We have to sit at one of the holes and collect money for closest to the pin. I look forward to this every year. Tomorrow’s going to be the best day ever, haha.

So I uploaded the pictures from my camera and realized it’s been so long since I last posted! It just seems like Neal and I have had something to do every night, and I just didn’t take the time to blog. Sorry to my fans! HAHA.

Anyway,  I was sitting on the couch watching TV after I got home from work tonight, waiting for the meatloaf to finish baking. Neal walked in the door and the first thing he said was “I smashed the shit out of my fingers today.” (I know, we talk so sophisticated, don’t we?)

Anyway, he held up his hand and showed me this:

And I threw up in my mouth a little.

I have this weird fascination with blood/wounds. I mean, I want to see, but then I also get that horrible sick stomach churning feeling and then I gag. Dry heave. Ugh.

First of all, I told him I don’t want to hear about it until after dinner. I had to eat meatloaf. With ketchup. And he also isn’t allowed to touch me with that hand, HAHA.

OK, so after dinner he explained that he was at the gym this morning and his fingers got pinched between one of those big disk weights and a bar. And then I proceeded to dry heave again. Neal said that was the same reaction he got from the front desk employee when he asked her for bandaids.

Anyway, we hope nothing is broken. Neal said he didn’t make a sound when he smashed his fingers. I told him I would have screamed my head off. He’s so stoic.

Dry heave!! GROSS!!

I’m changing the topic here, because I can’t handle the grossness anymore.

We had hail damage to our siding, so we are getting new siding. It’s just about done now, but here’s what it looked like halfway through.

The top is the old. The bottom is the new. I love it!

We also bought new outdoor lights. I completely despised our old ones.

Yay!

Anyway, that’s pretty much it for now. Neal needs help changing his dressings, HAHA, so I’m off to try and not throw up all over him. Have a great day!

So, I got to pet a pony a couple of weeks ago. It was awesome. I loved every minute of it. When I get stressed out at work, I think about petting Herbie’s fuzzy mane and ears and all is right again in the world.

I’m mad at Neal because I don’t think he got a picture of Herbie’s best side, but oh well. I do have some pictures, and of course the memories.

Please excuse the outfit. I was definitely poorly dressesd for pony-petting.

No, actually, Neal and I were at his aunt’s farm for a very important and cool reason. It was his grandmother’s 80th birthday. Grandmom Eileen is such a sweetie. And boy can she cook. The first time I ate at her house, she made a salad with goat cheese and walnuts and the main course was a bacon-wrapped filet. Seriously. It was just Neal and I and his grandparents, and she made this amazing meal. Of course, to her it was nothing fancy. I loved it.

Anyway, the party was a really nice afternoon with family.

We were there for Eileen, but Aunt Judy and Uncle Ed’s farm offered too many distractions for me. I’m like 10 years old when it comes to animals. I want to talk to them and pet them and squeeze them. I realize I have issues. I’m working on them.

Oh Herbie, how I miss your felt nose and big watery eyes. Come live with me.  Please?

Look, I even got Neal’s grandmother to pet the pony with me!

Awwww!

Yes, I know I posted mostly animal pictures from a family party. Well, it’s my blog and I’ll do what I want, haha.

Anyway, it was a nice day and I think Eileen had a great time.

I hope to go back to the farm soon. I asked Aunt Judy if she would adopt me, and she just kind of laughed politely.

So…. I’ll take that as a maybe?