Of all the foods in the sea . . .

There are a plethora of reasons for which I love Costco. But this week, I especially love Costco for possibly saving our lives. If you haven't heard already, there is a nation-wide warning on a salmonella outbreak in many items containing peanut butter. 7 cases have already been reported in Las Vegas!

Now I wasn't really put out with last year's tomato scare, but PB just happens to be one of my favorite foods, and this is one warning I am pretty upset about.

As of this morning I have received a total of 3 calls, each one for a separate item that I have purchased since LAST JULY that contain peanut butter. An intense and slightly scary automated voice demanded me to immediately dispose or destroy any remaining products I had that contain PB.

I find it a tad creepy that technology has come so far that Costco knows that I purchased Cliff bars, Zone bars, and PB pretzels since last summer and can call me to tell me to throw them all away within the same day that this whole thing hit the press . Yet, at the same time it also adds a whole other level of coolness to the magic that is Costco.

Too old to dream?

After watching High School Musical on ice live last week (with my nieces), I had the same feeling I had after watching the gymnastics portion of the summer Olympics last year and after every episode of Fox's "So you Think you Can Dance." I was slightly regretful for about 20 minutes that I never got into something that I stuck with long enough to become really great at it.

I guess it comes as no surprise then, that after watching this . . .

"Keep your head in the game"

"Stick to the stuff you know"

That Saturday's date night consisted of this . . .

And this . . .

Niels is a good sport.

Orange you glad I didn't say banana?

I think I have missed my window to catch-up post about our Christmas.

I will just mention that was filled with smorgasbords, hours of Rock Band, and lots and lots of delicious fresh orange juice straight from the trees in Niels’ mom’s backyard. Who knew that citrus could thrive in Arizona?

Niels and his brothers laboring in the orchard..

Wii-diculous

I‘m a fairly logical consumer, I think so at least. I usually take my time making decisions about bigger purchases and really consider if I/we really need or want it. This is all of course only valid as long as I am not at Target/Costco. For some reason I can always justify needing mass grocery items for the two of us. Always makes sense, always.

All of my monetary inhibitions flew out the window for a few days this month when I got the sudden urge to buy us a Wii. Sure we have played the Wii a dozen times over the past year and have had fun. But not enough fun to make us want to go on a wild goose hunt after one. And then, we played Wii Fit at our friends house on New Year’s Eve. Now I had seen ads for the thing and thought it was one of the dumber pansy exercise inventions ever created since the Gazelle. Nonetheless, I decided to test my hypothesis and had a change of heart after a 3 hour trial run. They rock.

I woke up New Years Day, sore like an old lady, eager to find us a Wii, and more importantly a WiiFit board. I realized that they were the new Tickle-me-Elmo item after patronizing the closest Best Buy and Target, only to be laughed at by the Geek Sqauder and the Target Team Member when I asked them to direct me to them. “Oh, you’re out of them? Can you see if any of your other locations have them?” Additional boisterous laughter followed.

Suddenly I realized that I was about to become one of those people I always make fun of at Christmas time for spending too much time and effort tracking down the hot item of the year. I was on a mission.

I can only tell you the rest of my story if you promise not to judge. . .

I figured it would be really dumb of retailers to advertise Wii Fit boards in the Sunday paper, and then not have them in stock. Sure enough, there she was smack dab in the Best Buy ad. It was 8 now am, they opened at 10, and my church started at 11. Brilliancy flashed in my mind (some might call it Satan), I figured I had time to get ready for church, go be one of the crazies that stands in line for a dumb store to open, and then be home in time for Niels to wake up and go to church.

Long story short, I was number 8 in the line of about 25 other crazies waiting for the store to open. I was all dolled up in a dress and heels, standing there with all the people that just rolled out of bed in their sweats. Filled to the brim with adrenaline, I ran to the back corner of the store with my high-heels on and secured one of the 13 boards without too much trampling.

I’m pretty ridiculous, I know.

.